Virgo Prædicanda

During the month of May, I plan to publish a series of posts based on notes made by John Henry Newman (1801-1890)  for his meditations on Mary in the Litany of Loreto. For the Latin and English texts of this Litany, please follow the link to Thesaurus Precum Latinarum.

[  ] References in the text to numbered footnotes are not hyperlinked but may be found at the end of the relevant extract.

Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt. 

Tecum tutus semper sum.
Ad Jesum per Mariam

"Virgo Prædicanda," the Virgin who is to be Proclaimed

For notes on image, see [2]

Mary is the Virgo Prædicanda, that is, the Virgin who to be proclaimed, to be heralded, literally, to be preached.

We are accustomed to preach abroad that which is wonderful, strange, rare, novel, important. Thus, when our Lord was coming, St. John the Baptist preached Him; then, the Apostles went into the wide world, and preached Christ. What is the highest, the rarest, the choicest prerogative of Mary? It is that she was without sin. When a woman in the crowd cried out to our Lord, "Blessed is the womb that bare Thee!" He answered, "More blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it."[1] Those words were fulfilled in Mary. She was filled with grace in order to be the Mother of God. But it was a higher gift than her maternity to be thus sanctified and thus pure. Our Lord indeed would not have become her son unless He had first sanctified her; but still, the greater blessedness was to have that perfect sanctification.


This then is why she is the Virgo Prædicanda; she is deserving to be preached abroad because she never committed any sin, even the least; because sin had no part in her; because, through the fulness of God's grace, she never thought a thought, or spoke a word, or did an action, which was displeasing, which was not most pleasing, to Almighty God; because in her was displayed the greatest triumph over the enemy of souls. Wherefore, when all seemed lost, in order to show what He could do for us all by dying for us; in order to show what human nature, His work, was capable of becoming; to show how utterly He could bring to naught the utmost efforts, the most concentrated malice of the foe, and reverse all the consequences of the Fall, our Lord began, even before His coming, to do His most wonderful act of redemption, in the person of her who was to be His Mother. By the merit of that Blood which was to be shed, He interposed to hinder her incurring the sin of Adam, before He had made on the Cross atonement for it. And therefore it is that we preach her who is the subject of this wonderful grace.

But she was the Virgo Prædicanda for another reason. When, why, what things do we preach? We preach what is not known, that it may become known. And hence the Apostles are said in Scripture to "preach Christ." To whom? To those who knew Him not—to the heathen world. Not to those who knew Him, but to those who did not know Him. Preaching is a gradual work: first one lesson, then another. Thus were the heathen brought into the Church gradually. And in like manner, the preaching of Mary to the children of the Church, and the devotion paid to her by them, has grown, grown gradually, with successive ages. Not so much preached about her in early times as in later. First she was preached as the Virgin of Virgins—then as the Mother of God—then as glorious in her Assumption—then as the Advocate of sinners—then as Immaculate in her Conception. And this last has been the special preaching of the present century [19th]; and thus that which was earliest in her own history is the latest in the Church's recognition of her.

[1] [27] And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck.
Factum est autem, cum haec diceret : extollens vocem quaedam mulier de turba dixit illi : Beatus venter qui te portavit, et ubera quae suxisti. [Luke 11]
[2] The image shows Mary hands crossed on her chest, in the posture of Orante (praying). Three little angels surrounding her. Their musical instruments are flagged and bear the name of Mary. Underneath the image of the Virgin are two scenes  wherein are preached the praises of Mary. The scene in the foreground on the left shows the a priest in the pulpit announcing: "Beatissimam praedicaverunt" [[28] Her children rose up, and called her blessed: her husband, and he praised her. Surrexerunt filii ejus, et beatissimam praedicaverunt; vir ejus, et laudavit eam. Proverbs 31: 28]. The second preacher, in an outdoor setting, praises the womb which bore Jesus: Beatus venter qui te portavit (see [1])

Judith as a type of Mary - Virgo Praedicanda

Ashurbanipal.Johnbod [CC BY-SA 4.0]

The Book of Judith opens with Nabuchodonosor, Assyrian King of Nineveh, sending his forces under the warrior-general Holofernes to conquer the Israelites. There is reason to believe the king in question was in fact Ashurbanipal (668-627 BC). They lay siege to Bethulia,  famine undermines the courage of the Israelites and they contemplate surrender; but Judith, a widow, rebukes them and says that she will deliver the city. She goes into the enemy camp and captivates Holofernes by her beauty. The general eventually falls asleep, drunk, and Judith cuts off his head. She returns inviolate to the city with his head as a trophy and the Assyrians are put to flight.



Here is an excerpt from Chapter 13, wherein striking parallels are revealed to Mary, Virgo Praedicanda. A victorious Judith has just returned to her people.

Caravaggio [Public domain] 1599. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica

[19] Then she brought forth the head of Holofernes [1] out of the wallet, and shewed it them, saying: Behold the head of Holofernes the general of the army of the Assyrians, and behold his canopy, wherein he lay in his drunkenness, where the Lord our God slew him by the hand of a woman.

Et proferens de pera caput Holofernis, ostendit illis, dicens : Ecce caput Holofernis principis militiae Assyriorum, et ecce conopeum illius, in quo recumbebat in ebrietate sua, ubi per manum feminae percussit illum Dominus Deus noster.

[20] But as the same Lord liveth, his angel [2]  hath been my keeper both going hence, and abiding there, and returning from thence hither: and the Lord hath not suffered me his handmaid to be defiled, but hath brought me back to you without pollution of sin,[3] rejoicing for his victory, for my escape, and for your deliverance.
Vivit autem ipse Dominus, quoniam custodivit me angelus ejus et hinc euntem, et ibi commorantem, et inde huc revertentem, et non permisit me Dominus ancillam suam coinquinari, sed sine pollutione peccati revocavit me vobis gaudentem in victoria sua, in evasione mea, et in liberatione vestra.

[21] Give all of you glory to him, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
Confitemini illi omnes, quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordia ejus.[4]

[22] And they all adored the Lord, and said to her: The Lord hath blessed thee by his power,[5] because by thee he hath brought our enemies to nought.
Universi autem adorantes Dominum, dixerunt ad eam : Benedixit te Dominus in virtute sua, quia per te ad nihilum redegit inimicos nostros.

[23] And Ozias the prince of the people of Israel, said to her: Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth.[6] Porro Ozias princeps populi Israel dixit ad eam : Benedicta es tu, filia, a Domino Deo excelso prae omnibus mulieribus super terram.

[24] Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, who hath directed thee to the cutting off the head of the prince of our enemies.
Benedictus Dominus, qui creavit caelum et terram, qui te direxit in vulnera capitis principis inimicorum nostrorum :

[25] Because he hath so magnified [7] thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord for ever,[8] for that thou hast not spared thy life, by reason of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.
quia hodie nomen tuum ita magnificavit, ut non recedat laus tua de ore hominum, qui memores fuerint virtutis Domini in aeternum, pro quibus non pepercisti animae tuae propter angustias et tribulationem generis tui, sed subvenisti ruinae ante conspectum Dei nostri.

[26] And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
Et dixit omnis populus : Fiat, fiat.

[27] And Achior being called for came, and Judith said to him: The God of Israel, to whom thou gavest testimony, that he revengeth himself of his enemies, he hath cut off the head of all the unbelievers this night by my hand.
Porro Achior vocatus venit, et dixit ei Judith : Deus Israel, cui tu testimonium dedisti quod ulciscatur se de inimicis suis, ipse caput omnium incredulorum incidit hac nocte in manu mea.

[28] And that thou mayst find that it is so, behold the head of Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of Israel: and threatened thee with death, saying: When the people of Israel shall be taken, I will command thy sides to be pierced with a sword.
Et ut probes quia ita est, ecce caput Holofernis, qui in contemptu superbiae suae Deum Israel contempsit, et tibi interitum minabatur, dicens : Cum captus fuerit populus Israel, gladio perforari praecipiam latera tua.

[29] Then Achior seeing the head of Holofernes, being seized with a great fear he fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul swooned away.
Videns autem Achior caput Holofernis, angustiatus prae pavore cecidit in faciem suam super terram, et aestuavit anima ejus.

[30] But after he had recovered his spirits he fell down at her feet, and reverenced her and said:
Postea vero quam resumpto spiritu recreatus est, procidit ad pedes ejus, et adoravit eam, et dixit :

[31] Blessed art thou [6] by thy God in every tabernacle of Jacob, for in every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall be magnified [7] on occasion of thee.
Benedicta tu a Deo tuo in omni tabernaculo Jacob, quoniam in omni gente, quae audierit nomen tuum, magnificabitur super te Deus Israel.

[1] [15] I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.
Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem, et semen tuum et semen illius : ipsa conteret caput tuum, et tu insidiaberis calcaneo ejus. [Gen 3]

The Evil One strikes through a woman (Eve) at the head of the human race (Adam) and all people suffer through this victory of the Evil One.
A woman, Judith, strikes at the head of the evil forces of the Assyrians through their head, the general Holofernes. His armies are put to flight through this victory by a woman.
A woman, Mary, wages war against the head of evil, the Prince of this world,[see John 12: 31, 2 Cor 4:4]

[2] Guardian angels: The very first reference to Mary in the Gospels refers to her conversation with the angel Gabriel. If, as we piously believe, all are allocated a guardian angel, then which angel was allocated to Mary? Is it Gabriel?
On guardian angels, see the following scriptural references:

[10] See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
Videte ne contemnatis unum ex his pusillis : dico enim vobis, quia angeli eorum in caelis semper vident faciem Patris mei, qui in caelis est. [Matt 18]
[21] But I will tell thee what is set down in the scripture of truth: and none is my helper in all these things, but Michael your prince.
Verumtamen annuntiabo tibi quod expressum est in scriptura veritatis : et nemo est adjutor meus in omnibus his, nisi Michael princeps vester. [Daniel 10] Guardian angels are also allocated to peoples, not just to individuals. Michael was the guardian angel of Israel and retains this role for the new Israel, ther Universal Church.
[11] For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.
Quoniam angelis suis mandavit de te, ut custodiant te in omnibus viis tuis. [Ps 90]

Peter’s miraculous escape from prison, in Acts 12, is done with the aid of an angel in Acts 12:1-10.

[13] But to which of the angels said he at any time: Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool? Ad quem autem angelorum dixit aliquando : Sede a dextris meis, quoadusque ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum?[14] Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?
Nonne omnes sunt administratorii spiritus, in ministerium missi propter eos, qui haereditatem capient salutis? [Hebrews 1]
[8] The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him: and shall deliver them.
Immittet angelus Domini in circuitu timentium eum, et eripiet eos. [Ps 33]

[3]  Mary's perpetual virginity was foretold and has forever been honoured and lauded:

[1] And he brought me back to the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looked towards the east: and it was shut.
Et convertit me ad viam portae sanctuarii exterioris, quae respiciebat ad orientem : et erat clausa.

[2] And the Lord said to me: This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall pass through it: because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it, and it shall be shut
Et dixit Dominus ad me : Porta haec clausa erit : non aperietur, et vir non transibit per eam, quoniam Dominus Deus Israel ingressus est per eam : eritque clausa [Ezech 44. Ezekiel, whose name, Yehézq'el signifies 'strong is God', or 'whom God makes strong' (Ezek. i, 3; iii, 8), was one of the priests who, in the year 598 B.C., was deported to Babylon where he died a martyr.]

[4]  Cf the words in Mary's Magnificat:

[50] And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum. [Luke 1]

[5] Ibid

[49] Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name.
quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est : et sanctum nomen ejus, [Luke 1]

[6] Cf Gabriel's and Elizabeth's words:

[28] And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Et ingressus angelus ad eam dixit : Ave gratia plena : Dominus tecum : benedicta tu in mulieribus.   [Luke 1]
[45] And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.
Et beata, quae credidisti, quoniam perficientur ea, quae dicta sunt tibi a Domino.  [Luke 1]

[7] Cf the opening of the Magnificat:

[46] And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
Et ait Maria : Magnificat anima mea Dominum :   [Luke 1]

[8] Consider all the millions of Ave Maria prayers; countless other Marian prayers, hymns and antiphons. Not forgetting all the churches and cathedrals dedicated in Mary's honour.

[48] Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae : ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,    [Luke 1]