On August 22, the octave of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church celebrates another great Marian feast day. Today is the Feast of the Queenship of Mary.

Though we know that Jesus Christ is king, Mary is not often thought of as a queen. “Since way back, the mother of the king was known as the queen mother. Mary is Jesus’ mother, and he’s king. Gabriel said that when he asked the Blessed Mother to become the mother of Jesus; he said he will be king over all Israel—forever he will reign. And so immediately that made her the queen because she’s the mother of the king,” says Marge Fenelon, Catholic author and columnist.

The Book of Revelation speaks of Mary as “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” Throughout history, the Church has recognized the Mother of God as the Queen. Saint Ephrem, in the fourth century, called Mary a Queen. The title continued to be used, and can be seen in hymns such as Hail, Holy Queen, and in the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, which include the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

How can we honor the Queen of Heaven? “We can do that—and need to do that—through everything that we think and say and do. We think of a crown as a thing that we put on somebody’s head—not necessarily, and certainly not for the Blessed Mother,” says Fenelon. “She doesn’t need a crown per se like we know it in our human terms, but [her] crowns are beautiful works of love and sacrifices and the way we conduct ourselves. These are little crowns that we can give to her especially today on the feast of her queenship, but every day.” Offering these little sacrifices for Our Lady is a wonderful way to honor her throughout your day.

Another way you can honor your Heavenly Mother is by visiting her. We are immensely blessed that is it so easy to get an ‘audience with the queen”! Visit the Queen of Heaven in prayer or stop in to visit her image in your local parish. She always has time for you, and longs to lead you to her Son.

Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, pray for us!