Our Lady of Peace
Mary (Christian)
There is a time-honored tradition among goddesses: people never truly
give up the ones they love and worship. So, when the early Europeans
were slowly Christianized as Roman imperial power grew, they faced
conversion—often forcible—to a faith that denied a major portion of
their traditional beliefs.
What Christianity denied was the possibility of divine femininity,
that force worshiped in ancient Europe under countless names. More
than just a nominal change was entailed when the utterly non-feminine
Christian theology was introduced to these goddess' devotees.
Christianity provided no image to substitute for the ones they revered
so highly.
It was not long, however, before the people located within Christian
mythology a female figure that could serve quite adequately. The
Virgin Mary, daughter of the grandmotherly Anna, lost and regained her
divine son. Once elevated to queen of heaven, she had all the
necessary qualifications. Try as the church might, it could not stop
the spread of Mariolatry, an extreme reverence toward the power of the
Mother of God.
Many scholars have traced the spread of the Marian devotions; some
contend that from the first, Christianity contained female-oriented
rituals which, like the all-woman feasts of the Roman Bona Dea,
honored the mother above the son. Whether or not that was so, the
excesses of Mary's devoted followers brought warning after warning
from church officials that she was not a goddess—despite bearing all
the titles and attributes of one. Today, long after other goddesses
have been forgotten, Mary remains.
Text from Patricia Monaghan's The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines
The Blessed Virgin Mary in her title Queen of Peace
Mary is the Immaculate Conception, a person at peace with herself and
with God. There are many papal encyclicals asking Mary to intercede
for peace. The Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1990
English version) contains a Mass (for ordinary times) devoted to the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace; Missa Beata Maria Virgo Regina
Pacis, where you find various reasons why Mary is called Queen of
Peace. She is mother of the “Prince of Peace” (Introit) who reconciled
heaven and earth (Communio). She was standing at the foot of the cross
where Christ merited peace for the whole world. At Pentecost Mary
prayed for the Spirit of peace (preface). She is our intercessor with
God to obtain the spirit of love, unity and reconciliation (Collect,
Communio).
In 1917 Pope Benedict XV added the advocation “Queen of Peace” to the
Litany of Loreto. The peace of the world is a special theme of the
apparitions at Fatima, and again in Medjugorje. It had an impact on
such movements as the Blue Army and various Rosary movements. This is
one of the reasons why Our Lady of Peace is sometimes represented as
Our Lady of Fatima or Our Lady of Medjugorje. Our Lady of Peace is the
patroness of El Salvador.
From the Solemnity Of Mary, Mother Of God
XXXV World Day Of Peace
Homily Of John Paul II, Tuesday, 1 January 2002
If Jesus is Life, Mary is the Mother of Life.
If Jesus is Hope, Mary is the Mother of Hope.
If Jesus is Peace, Mary is the Mother of Peace, Mother of the Prince
of Peace.
Holy Mother, Mother of the Prince of Peace, help us!
Mother of Humanity and Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Dona nobis pacem; grant us peace.
