Friday, Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt. 22:37-39)
We hear these words of Jesus so often that their radical call can sometimes fade into the background. Yet everything in our Christian life flows from this command: to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor without reserve. This love is not confined to church on Sunday—it shapes our lives at home, at work, at school, and in our communities.
Today, as we celebrate the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary, the Church offers us Mary as the perfect model of this love. In the Gospel we hear her words of trust and humility: “May it be done to me according to your word.” Mary’s surrender to God was not weakness but strength—the strength of a heart filled with love for the Lord and openness to His plan.
It is this same love that calls us today to act in faith. Pope Leo XIV has asked us to dedicate a day of fasting and penance for peace in the world. True love of God and neighbor demands that we not remain indifferent to the violence, hatred, and division that afflict humanity. Our fasting and penance are not empty gestures; they are acts of solidarity, intercession, and conversion—pleas that God may transform our hearts and bring peace to our world.
Let us turn to Mary, Queen of Heaven and Mother of Peace, asking her intercession not only for peace among nations but also for the ongoing conversion of our own hearts. May her example inspire us to live each day more deeply rooted in love of God and neighbor.
Living in Love with God 
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