The Ancient Israelite Law That Explains Mary's Crown

<p>Tomorrow, August 22, the Church celebrates the Queenship of Mary, eight days after the Assumption. Most Catholics have said &quot;Hail, Holy Queen&quot; hundreds of times without knowing where that title actually comes from or what it means in practice.</p><p>The answer isn&#39;t in medieval royal courts. It&#39;s in the ancient Israelite office of the gebirah, the king&#39;s mother, the one figure with the standing to bring a request to the throne and be heard. This video traces that office from Solomon and Bathsheba in 1 Kings, through Pope Pius XII&#39;s 1954 encyclical establishing the feast, to what it actually means to ask for Mary&#39;s intercession today.</p><p>If you&#39;ve ever wondered whether praying to Mary is a workaround instead of going straight to God, this explains why the answer is no, and gives you a clearer way to pray the Hail Holy Queen this week.</p>