In the Old Testament we see many "types", themes, and prophecies for Mary. One theme is that of the Queen Mother. In the Line of David, every King had a Queen, but the Queen was his mother, not his wife. The King had many wives, but only one mother, and it was to his mother that he gave this highest role. She was given great authority - she was the principle intercessor between the people and the King, and she had the responsibility of choosing the King's successor. She was called Gebirah, or, "great woman." Whatever the Gebirah asked of the King was granted. When the King entered, his wives bowed to him, but when the Queen entered, the King bowed to her.
Jesus is the last King - the Messiah - in the Line of David. With the death of Jesus, the royal line is ended. What this means is that at the Annunciation, at the very moment of the Incarnation, the humble, young, pure virgin Mary became the final Gebirah. She became the mother of the King, entrusted with that privileged role of interceding between the people and the King. At the very moment of Jesus' conception, she mediates the King to us. Immediately she hastens to bring the King to a relative in need. The holy woman Elizabeth recognizes within Mary another miraculous conception and greets her as "the mother of my Lord", a title she would have known was reserved for the Queen Mother. The Holy Spirit moves her to prophesy that she is in the presence of the Messiah, the final King, and that she is beholding the final Gebirah. Though the world did not know it yet, the mother of the Messiah, the Queen, was already interceding for them.
At the wedding feast of Cana we see a major instance of the Queen's intercession. She sees the need of the bride and groom and intercedes with her Son. She tells Him it's time to begin His public ministry, to begin walking the road that leads to Calvary. When He asks "Woman, what does this have to do with me?" he is not putting her down, he is identifying her as the woman of Genesis 3:15 ("I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and hers."). He asks the Queen if she knows what she is asking, if she is ready to begin the journey to Calvary. Her response, "Do whatever He tells you", are the last words we hear from the Gebirah in Scripture. A request and an assent. And what does the King do? He fulfills her request.
Because of the role she was given by God, she has a particular grace and right to intercede for us to Jesus. We go to her with our petitions, knowing that she will bring them to Jesus, Whom we are ultimately petitioning. We go to her because she takes our meager offering and makes it beautiful. She takes our little pear, puts it on a gold platter and surrounds it with more fruit and flowers to present to the King. Sometimes it seems impossible to approach the King on our own; she is the one who will go for us.
At Calvary, Jesus gives us His own mother to be ours. His Queen Mother becomes ours. Not only do we go to Our Blessed Mother to intercede for us to the King, but we also listen to her as our own mother. We all share in the Kingship of Christ; we share the same Queen Mother. And should we not listen to her requests as the King does? The Gebirah is given the privilege to choose the King's successors. When she makes her request, who are we to say 'no'? A lot of priests and religious sisters and brothers attribute their vocation to Our Lady. She chose them, they fell in love, and they couldn't say no. She makes her request to the King and then tells each one of us the same thing - "Do whatever He tells you." How can we say 'no' to Our Mother?
In Mary we have the best Advocate, Intercessor, Mediator, Queen. She is the one crowned with twelve stars (Revelation 12) who is placed above all men, angels and all created things. She is the one who fought the dragon and participated uniquely in the conquering of sin and death. It is to her we owe everything. And should not love compel us to obey Our Mother, our Queen, Our Lady?
