Mary, the Queen Mother
You remember King Solomon, right? He was the son of King David who built the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. Anyway, the reason I bring him up is so that we can talk about his mother, Bathsheba. You remember her too, right? She was the one David was spying on when she was talking a bath, he had an affair with her, got her pregnant, then had her husband killed. Yes, that Bathsheba.
There is an interesting scene in the second chapter of 1 Kings where Adonijah—one of Solomon’s half-brothers who had tried to steal the throne from him—comes to Bathsheba and asks her a favor.
He said, “Please ask King Solomon, who will not refuse you, to give me Abishag the Shunamite to be my wife. “Bathsheba replied, “Very well, I will speak to the king for you.”
~ 1 Kings 2:17-18
Whether or not his request was what Bathsheba wanted is not important. She brought his request to the king nonetheless.
Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king’s mother, who sat at his right.
~ 1 Kings 2:19
Why would the king pay homage to her? The same reason we hold Mary in such high regard, for she is our Mother (Jn 19:25-27). Not only does the King pay homage to her, she sits on a throne next to him. This is where we get that whole idea of Queen Mother. She has a certain level of influence on the King. And if it is so with Bathsheba, what is to keep from giving Mary this role of Queen Mother? Bathsheba was a sinner like all of us. She had an affair with another man. Mary on the other hand, was pure and free from sin. How much more value do her words possess?
Jesus is a Mama’s Boy
Mary was always around when Jesus was doing His thing. She never really got in the way. However, there was that famous scene in the Gospel of John at the Wedding in Cana where she interceded for the people.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” [And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”
~ John 2:1-4
Jesus doesn’t seem to take to heart what she says, but He actually does. She brought the issue to His attention and He dealt with it accordingly. So praying to Mary is not taking anything away from Jesus. We turn to her because we know that her words hold more weight with Him than our own.
What Makes Mary Our Mother?
Still not convinced? Well we didn’t just adopt Mary as our mother, Jesus gave her to us.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
~ John 19:25-27
This is why Mary has such importance among Catholics, because we take what Jesus said to the beloved disciple. The beloved disciple is an example of what we are all supposed to be. We are supposed to make His mother our mother.