Our Lady, Mother and Queen
on Saturday of week 20 in Ordinary Time
First Reading
Ezekiel 43:1–7
The angel took me to the gate, the one facing east. I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east. A sound came with it, like the sound of the ocean, and the earth shone with his glory. This vision was like the one I had seen when I had come for the destruction of the city, and like the one I had seen on the bank of the river Chebar. Then I prostrated myself.
The glory of the Lord arrived at the Temple by the east gate. The spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; I saw the glory of the Lord fill the Temple. And I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood beside me. The voice said, ‘Son of man, this is the dais of my throne, the step on which I rest my feet. I shall live here among the sons of Israel for ever.’
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 84(85):9–14
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and his friends.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
You have one Father, your Father in heaven;
you have one teacher: the Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Matthew 23:1–12
Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
Reflection
Ezekiel has previously watched the glory of the Lord depart from a Temple corrupted by idolatry and injustice. Now he sees that glory returning. It approaches with the force of the ocean, illuminating the earth, and enters through the eastern gate until the whole Temple is filled. The destruction and exile experienced by Israel have not had the final word.
Ezekiel responds by prostrating himself. He does not try to master the vision, explain it away or claim importance because he has witnessed it. The presence of God puts him in the proper relationship with reality: God is glorious, and Ezekiel is a recipient rather than the source of that glory.
The Temple matters because God chooses to dwell among his people. Its holiness does not arise from impressive stonework or religious prestige. It comes from the One who inhabits it. The Catechism describes the Temple as the dwelling place of God’s glory and a sign of his presence among Israel (CCC 583–586). The vision also points towards Christ, in whom God dwells among humanity, and towards the Church as a temple of the Holy Spirit (CCC 797–798).
The psalm gives language to the world created by God’s presence. Mercy and faithfulness meet; justice and peace embrace. These are not decorative religious ideas. They describe relationships put right. Peace is not produced by ignoring injustice, while justice is not complete if it destroys mercy. In God, these realities are not enemies competing for space. They belong together.
The psalmist first says, “I will hear what the Lord God has to say.” Before peace can follow God’s steps, his people must listen. This listening is more than receiving information. It is the willingness to let God’s word correct our habits, reshape our priorities and expose the difference between the appearance of faith and its reality.
That difference stands at the centre of the Gospel. Jesus acknowledges that the scribes and Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. Their teaching carries real authority, but their conduct contradicts it. They speak about obedience while exempting themselves from its cost. They place burdens on others without offering help and turn outward signs of religion into a means of attracting attention.
Jesus does not criticise them for caring too much about faith. He criticises them because faith has become a stage upon which they display themselves. Their phylacteries grow broader and their tassels longer, but their willingness to serve grows smaller. What should direct attention towards God has been redirected towards their own importance.
This warning reaches beyond religious leaders. Any believer can learn to perform goodness without allowing it to change the heart. We may know the right language, defend the right principles or maintain a visible religious identity while remaining unwilling to carry another person’s burden. Jesus does not permit us to measure faithfulness by appearance alone.
“The greatest among you must be your servant.” Christian authority is not abolished; it is converted. Christ reveals authority as service because he is the Teacher who kneels before his disciples and the Lord who gives his life for them. The Catechism teaches that Christ’s kingship is displayed in self-giving service and reaches its fullness on the Cross (CCC 440; 786).
This helps us understand the memorial of Our Lady, Mother and Queen. Mary’s queenship cannot be separated from her humility or from the kingship of her Son. She does not seize a place of honour or make herself the centre. She receives God’s word, calls herself his servant and directs attention towards Christ. Her exaltation is God’s work in one who made herself available to his will. The Church honours her as Queen because she shares in the reign of the risen Christ through faithful discipleship and maternal service (CCC 966–970).
Ezekiel sees God’s glory filling the Temple. The psalm sees mercy, faithfulness, justice and peace flourishing in the land. Jesus shows the human posture in which that glory can be received: humility expressed through service. These readings belong together because God’s presence never exists merely for display. It creates a people whose actions increasingly bear the character of the One who dwells among them.
The question is not whether we can make ourselves impressive enough to reflect God. It is whether we will let him occupy the centre. When we do, the need for attention begins to loosen its hold, burdens become something we help carry, and authority becomes an opportunity to serve.
One line to carry today:
When God occupies the centre, we no longer need to make ourselves look important.
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