Homily at the Dedication of the Basilica

This Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Queen of the Universe stands along the I-4 corridor as a beacon of faith, hope and love.

ORLANDO, Fl (Catholic Online) - The following os the homily proclaimed by His Excellency, Bishop Thomas Wenski at the dedication of the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe on August 22, 2009:

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"We gather today, on this Feast of the Queenship of Mary, to give thanks for the favor shown to this national shrine dedicated to Mary, Queen of the Universe, and once again to our diocese. We are all extremely grateful that Pope Benedict XVI has seen fit to raise this shrine church to the status and dignity of a minor basilica.

As a Basilica, besides the umbrellino and the tinnanabulum, the special umbrella and bells, Mary Queen of the Universe is granted the privilege to display the Coat of Arms of Vatican City on its façade and the crossed keys of St. Peter on all its furnishings and liturgical appointments. Having in the Diocese of Orlando a basilica (or two) does underscore the special bond that joins this local Church to the successor of St. Peter. The unity that should exist among those who invoke the name of Jesus - that unity for which Jesus himself prayed - is realized cum Petro and sub Petro: with Peter and under Peter.

As the visible head of the Catholic Church throughout the world, the Pope is - in a very real way - the pastor of the world. So in its indeed fitting that Mary Queen of the Universe is given the dignity of being a basilica for, because of the thousands of visitors who come here from everywhere, it is a parish church for the whole world. br>
25 years ago, under the leadership of Bishop Grady, construction of the first permanent structures of this beautiful campus was begun and 19 years ago today ground was broken by Bishop Dorsey to begin the construction of this church. During my six years here in Orlando I have been privileged to bless the beautiful bronze doors and statue of St. Peter and to celebrate the designation of this shrine church as a national shrine and now as a basilica. However, in all these years - and through all these bishops - there was one man had the vision and the ability to garner the support of thousands of volunteers and donors to bring the vision to reality. I am speaking, of course, of Msgr. Joseph Harte, whom we are all happy to welcome back here today.

Monsignor, I hope that you see the designation of the shrine as a basilica also as a tribute to you and to your hard work over the years as the founding rector of Mary Queen of the Universe. And, to present rector, Father McCarthy, and to the priests, staff and volunteers of the Shrine, congratulations! Your ministry here is important - and not just to me, but to the Pope as well. May you strive that every visitor that crosses the threshold of this Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Queen of the Universe feels truly welcomed to Mary's house.

And today in her house we honor Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Queen of the Universe. That we acclaim Mary as our queen can only be understood if we remember that she was always associated in a special way with Christ's kingship. His throne was the cross and his crown was made of thorns. Mary, the humble maiden of Nazareth said "yes" to God and became the Mother of the Messiah. Her "yes" was unconditional and that "yes" was joined to that of her Son, Jesus. She made herself obedient with him even in his sacrifice. For this reason, "God exalted her above every other creature and Christ crowned her Queen of Heaven and earth." (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 11/ 26/06)

Mary never forgets she is the handmaid of the Lord, nor does she forget the gratuitous goodness of the Lord. And that we might not forget, each evening we pray her Magnificant at vespers. She proclaimed with her whole life what she replied to the angel at Nazareth: "I am the handmaid of God" Her life has been a gift of self to God and to neighbor. And now Mary in heaven carries out a ministry of intercession on our behalf - ever in communion with her son. Although we are sinners we commend ourselves full of trust to this mother of ours so that after our earthly pilgrimage we too might live in God.

In today's reading from the Book of Revelation, the beloved apostle to whom Jesus entrusted Mary, his mother, writes of the struggle between the woman and the dragon. The dragon, in St. John's vision, certainly represented the power of the anti-Christian Roman Emperors, from Nero to Domitian. Next to the power of the Roman Empire, the early Church must have appeared as a defenseless woman with no chance of survival and even less of victory. But, the passage refers more than just to the struggle between the early Church and Nero; rather it refers to the epic battle between good and evil that the People of God are engaged in while we traverse this "valley of tears". And how often throughout history, the power of evil and hatred seemed so much stronger than the power of good and love.
But, then God surprises us when he wins. Those of us who lived through the Cold War era thought - and not without reason - that we were living on the "Eve of Destruction". We do well to remember that it was on this date in 1992 that the coup d'Ă©tat against Gobachov and his policies of peroistoka failed - and, by the end of that year, the evil empire that was once Soviet Union disappeared into the dustbin of history.

The dragon, as Pope Benedict says, in a catechesis on this text, "exists in new and different ways. It exists in the form of materialistic ideologies that tell us it is absurd to think of God; it is absurd to observe God's commandments...Today, too, it seems impossible to imagine a God who created man and made himself a Child and who was to be the true ruler of the world." But even though, this dragon in its new incarnations once again seems to be invincible, it is still true today that God is stronger than the dragon: it is love which conquers rather than selfishness.

The woman of course is Mary: clothed with the sun, that is, with God totally. She is "the sign of the victory of love, of the victory of goodness, of the victory of God; a great sign of consolation." But, as the Pope continues in his catechesis, "this woman who suffered, who had to flee, who gave birth with crises of anguish, is also the Church, the pilgrim Church of all times. In all generations she has to give birth to Christ anew, to bring him very painfully into the world, with great suffering." As the Second Vatican Council taught, Mary is the Mother of the Church and is therefore the model for us as we try to live our Christian vocation in the world. And so, as the woman who confronts the dragon is Mary, the woman in John's Book of Revelation is also the Church, "the presence, the guarantee of God's love against all the ideologies of hatred and selfishness". That the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church is shown in Mary's own exaltation as Queen of Heaven and earth. In Mary's child, the dragon is vanquished.

This Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Queen of the Universe stands along the I-4 corridor as a beacon of faith, hope and love. It stands as an invitation written in brick and mortar to all who visit our community - an invitation to trust in God and to imitate Mary in what she herself said: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

Today's feast of the Queenship of Mary - as well as elevation of this shrine as a minor basilica - is for us an invitation to trust in God and also to imitate Mary in what she herself said: Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord." As she put herself at the Lord's disposal, so may we - and in doing so be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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