On the Feast of the Queenship of Mary

This is the Image of our Queen

The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin. Velasquez, c1635.
Museo del Prado.

This is the image of our Queen

who reigns in bliss above;

of her who is the hope of men,

whom men and angels love.

Most holy Mary, at thy feet

I bend a suppliant knee;

in this thy own sweet month of May,

do thou remember me.

The homage offered at the feet

of Mary’s image here

to Mary’s self at once ascends

above the starry sphere.

Most holy Mary, at thy feet

I bend a suppliant knee;

in all my joy, in all my pain,

do thou remember me.

How fair so ever be the form

which here your eyes behold,

its beauty is by Mary’s self

excell’d a thousandfold.

Most holy Mary, at thy feet,

I bend a suppliant knee;

in my temptations each and all,

do thou remember me.

Sweet are the flow’rets we have culled,

this image to adorn;

but sweeter far is Mary’s self,

that rose without a thorn.

Most holy Mary, at thy feet

I bend a suppliant knee;

when on the bed of death I lie,

do thou remember me.

O Lady, by the stars that make

a glory round thy head,

and by the pure uplifted hands,

that for thy children plead;

when at the Judgement seat I stand,

and my dread Saviour see,

when waves of night around me roll

and hell is raging for my soul;

do thou remember me.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per te, Maria!

"Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May"

One of my earliest and most lasting memories from life in St Benedict's Infants and Junior School[1] in the late 1950's is the ceremony for crowning Mary as "Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May."

[1]  In Atherstone, Warwickshire.

The boys would be seated on the left hand side of the nave in church, the girls on the right. Accompanied by her maids of honour, one little girl would process very slowly to the front of the  church and delicately place a crown on a statue of Our Lady whilst we all sang "Bring flowers of the rarest."

You can listen to the hymn on the following clip which also contains some beautiful historical photos of children who took part in this ceremony. The words to the hymn are posted below the photograph.

👉 Bring flowers of the rarest

From a video posted by Our Lady Of Hope Parish, Salford. 1 May 2021.

From a video posted by Our Lady Of Hope Parish, Salford. 1 May 2021.

-1-

Bring flowers of the rarest

bring blossoms the fairest,

from garden and woodland and hillside and dale;

our full hearts are swelling,

our glad voices telling

the praise of the loveliest flower of the vale!

Refrain

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!

Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today,

Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

- 2 -

Their lady they name thee,

Their mistress proclaim thee,

Ah, grant that thy children on earth be as true

as long as the bowers

are radiant with flowers,

as long as the azure shall keep its bright hue

Refrain

- 3 -

Sing gaily in chorus;

the bright angels o'er us

re-echo the strains we begin upon earth;

their harps are repeating

the notes of our greeting,

for Mary herself is the cause of our mirth

Refrain. 

A gift to the Blessed Virgin Mary

The following little booklets have been compiled as a gift to honour our Blessed Mother and to ask for her help and protection in these dark times.

👉  Holy Infant Trilogy : Three Poems

👉  Three Marian Hymns from the Little Office

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam