In God is our joy, through Mary, Our Queen, let us give thanks and praise!

— Magnificat Antiphon for the Queenship of Mary, August 22

When I read the antiphon that started my day last Saturday, the combination of words “through Mary” and “lets us give thanks and praise” hit me like a one-two punch. In praying through Mary as our spiritual Mother, prayers of petition are what first come to mind. How often do we raise our thanks and praise to God though her?

In ancient times it was the queen mother that wielded power by having the ear of the king. Since kings often had many wives, there was often no one, singular queen. But since a man can have only one mother, the woman who gave birth to him was the queen mother and was an intercessor with those seeking favor with the king. Jesus continues this tradition by allowing his Mother to plead on our behalf. 

Because of her humanity, approaching Mary for intercessory prayers can help mitigate any trepidation of approaching God ourselves. Even though she is full of grace and resides in heaven, we know she understands how challenging life can be, and how easy it is to agonize over even the simplest decisions. Her example of asking Jesus to help at the wedding feast of Cana illustrates how every Hail Mary we say matters to her. There is no detail small enough to escape her motherly concern. 

While we can be confident in asking assistance through Mary, shouldn’t we ask her to give God thanks and praise on our behalf? I’m sure God appreciates all the thanks and praise that we give Him directly. However, when we ask Mary to thank God for us, she takes our trivial little thank-you and shines it up so that any stain of sin is removed and only the beauty of our praise is presented to God. I imagine every rosary said, especially in thanksgiving, to be like a bouquet of 50 roses that she presents to God on our behalf. How can we not grow closer to God when we have a mother who reflects our prayers in a purified manner to Him? In praying the rosary in a meditative way, we are drawn into the major events of the life of her son, Jesus. She is like a magnet, drawing us ever closer so that when we complete our time on earth, the final distance between ourselves and Jesus can be removed and we will be one with Him. 

While God takes delight in all His creation, when we pray through Mary, we acknowledge His greatest masterpiece in humankind. Let us raise a joyful cry and ask Mary to present it to the Lord in thanks and praise!