Ad Jesum per te, Maria : 3/33

The Psalms of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

By way of preparation for the great Feast of the Annunciation, I am re-posting a daily commentary on each of the Psalms of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin. The commentary was compiled by Father Ethelred L. Taunton and published in 1903. 

To read the commentary on today's Psalm, click on the following link:

 👉  Psalm 18

Previous Psalms

Psalm 8     Psalm 94     

👈 Taken from a book of hours, this is an image of King David, author of the Psalms, by Willem Vrelant (early 1460s), Bruges, Belgium.

Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary 

The following prayers follow the model written by St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort and are recited in preparation for the renewal of our family's consecration to Lord Jesus, Christ our King, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the Feast of the Annunciation.

Veni Creator Spiritus 

Ave Maris Stella

 

Magnificat

 

Gloria 

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

I have for some time been closing my posts with a triple seal:

* the beautiful icon of the Holy Mother of God known to many as the Vladimirskaya Icon; 

* the Sub tuum præsidium, said to be the oldest prayer to Our Lady;     and

* a short prayer of consecration to the Immaculate heart of Mary.

Over the coming weeks, I shall include a short commentary on one or other of these prayers, (recalling that holy icons are traditionally said to be written like prayers rather than painted).

The Vladimirskaya Icon : Grace is poured abroad in thy lips

The Holy Infant's face is pressed against the cheek of His Mother and their faces are almost like mirror images. That Mary should resemble her Divine Son is not surprising, for we are told in Scripture that every human is made in the image and likeness of the Creator:

Let us make man to our image and likeness...

Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram

[Genesis i. 26]

 

Neither is it surprising that Jesus should look like His Mother, since the Word made flesh takes His flesh from His Mother as her Son. The mirroring of Mother and Son's faces recalls one of Mary's titles in the Litany of Loreto:

Mirror of Justice

Speculum Justitiæ

This harmonizes with one of Christ's own titles, the Sun of Justice: (see Malachi, iv. 2: the Sun of justice shall arise.)

The lips of Mother and Son form a central point in the icon. Lips are indeed central to human life: the new-born baby noises his first requests and complaints via his lips; he uses his lips to draw nourishment from his mother's breast; he begins to imitate sounds; after forty days or so, he uses his lips to smile; he learns how to use his lips to kiss his mother and those whom he loves; he finally manages to utter words and even to hum musically and to sing. One day, he will use his lips to pray.

It is fascinating to transpose the general actions in the paragraph above to Mary and the blessed fruit of her womb, Jesus. Occasional references are made in prayers and in art to Mary nursing her baby:

O glorious Virgin of Virgins,

enthron'd above the starry sky!

thou feedest with thy sacred breast

thy own Creator, Lord most high.

 

O gloriosa virginum

excelsa super sidera,

qui te creavit provide,

lactas sacrato ubere.

 

[Composed by Venantius Fortunatus (530-609). the Bishop of Poitiers.The hymn was a favorite of St. Anthony of Padua. Tradition has it that it was sung by St. Anthony's mother when he was an infant.]

 

Thou didst offer adoration to this son of King David

And didst suckle the mewling baby from thy virginal breast

 

Quem regis David genere: mox natum adorasti:

ac vagientem ubere virgineo lactasti.

 

[From an ancient form of the Rosary found in the Sarum Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the latter part of the Middle Ages]

 

Did the Holy Infant smile for the first time at His presentation in the Temple 40 days after His birth? What stories and prayers did Mary and Joseph teach their Infant Son? Most assuredly, He would have learned to chant the Psalms, such as:

O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise. [Psalms L.17]

My lips shall greatly rejoice, when I shall sing to thee; [Psalm LXX. 23] 

  

Did Mary look upon Her Divine Son and murmur softly to herself:

Thou art beautiful above the sons of men: grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever. [Psalms xliv. 3]

The artist who wrote the Icon set the lips of Mother and the Son of David close together. Was he recalling the words of royal psalmist:

Mercy and truth have met each other: justice and peace have kissed. [Ps lxxxiv. 11]

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As we present our petitions in our necessities to our gentle Queen and Mother, let us recall the traditional prayer before the Gospel at Mass:

 

“May the Lord be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart.”

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

WE fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers always Glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.