Regina coeli

Regina coeli laetare,
Alleluia,
Quia quem meruisti portare,
Alleluia,
Resurrexit,
Sicut dixit,
Alleluia,
Ora pro nobis Deum.
Alleluia.

The Regina coeli is the great Eastertide Marian anthem. The Easter cry of Alleluia – “Praise the Lord” – intersperses each phrase. Why? Because Easter is a time of great joy – a joy that will not be constrained or held down but that bursts out from our inadequate words at every opportunity, like the Risen Christ, bursting forth from the tomb on Easter Day. Alleluia is his people’s cry of joy and Alleluia, too, is his Mother’s cry of joy.

The actual text of the Regina coeli is very simple, addressing Mary as the Queen of heaven, acknowledging her privileged role as the God-bearer (Theotokos), announcing that Christ is risen as he promised and then asking Mary to pray for us: “Queen of heaven, rejoice… For he whom you did merit to bear… Is risen, as he said… Pray for us to God…” Yet within these simple words is encapsulated a sublime theology! The Incarnation – the taking of human flesh and blood by God when he chose to be conceived in Mary’s womb – is referred to in the second phrase: “For he whom you did merit to bear.” Mary’s “merit” was herself having been conceived immaculate so that she could respond to God’s call to be born in her womb with a totally free “Yes” to God. Because God chose to be born into this world as a human being, without losing his divinity, nor despising the humanity he assumed, he could work our redemption and bring us back to himself. Jesus freely accepted suffering and death in accordance with the Father’s will in order to redeem us, to reconcile us to his Father. His sacrifice of himself on the Cross – the same sacrifice that is made present on the altar at every Mass – achieves this: the winning of our salvation.

Death – although a reality – could not hold him – he is risen as he said. The “as he said” refers specifically to the words of Jesus in the Gospels and secondarily to the words in the Old Testament that point to his Resurrection [c.f. Mt17:9/Mk9:9, Mt26:32/Mk14:28, Mt26:61/Mk14:58/Jn2:19, Ps16:10, Is53:10-12].

His Resurrection from the dead changes everything: death is no longer the end and eternal life is offered to all who would believe in him. Further, those who do believe in him and live their lives for him, experience the fullness of his promises. These are the saints and foremost among the saints is the Mother of God, Mary. Her pre-eminence is attested to at the beginning of the anthem by her title of “Queen of heaven,” a title that refers to Mary’s Assumption into heaven at the end of her earthly life and her important position as the first among the saints, crowned as Queen. Mary’s destiny is our destiny – we too trust and hope that we may be called to share eternal life with God and all his saints. Since Mary and all the saints are with God now, it is quite natural to ask for their help, their intercession, so our anthem ends with a heart-felt prayer, that Mary will pray for us to God.

All of this is shot through with the word Alleluia, reminding us again and again of the joy of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead and all that this has achieved for us. This Eastertide, let us rejoice with Mary and all the Church at the Resurrection of Christ from the dead: “Queen of heaven, rejoice, Alleluia, For he whom you did merit to bear, Alleluia, Is risen, as he said, Alleluia, Pray for us to God, Alleluia.”