The Psalms of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Previous Psalms
👈 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 : His right hand hath wrought for him salvation, and his arm is holy.
The hands of our Mother Mary and her Son are clearly visible in the icon. The Psalmist asked: Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in his holy place? The answer provided by the Holy Spirit could have no more beautiful illustration than the Holy Infant and His Virginal Mother depicted in the icon:
The innocent in hands, and clean of heart. [Psalm xxiii. 4]
Mary's right hand supports her Son, forming a seat or throne for Him. This recalls her title in the Litany of Loreto as Seat of Wisdom (Sedes Sapientiæ), Christ Himself being called the Wisdom of God by no less an authority than St Paul:
"...Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." [1 Cor. i. 24]
It is meet for Christ to thus enthroned as king. The Angel Gabriel declared to Mary:
the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. [Luke i. 32-33]
As St. Albert the Great states, Lord Jesus has many crowns,
"of which the chief are :
‣ the Crown of Mercy, wherewith He was crowned in the Incarnation and Nativity ;
‣ the Crown of Sorrow, when the thorny diadem of the passion was given Him ;
‣ that of Glory in the Resurrection and Ascension ; and
‣ that of Dominion, which He will receive when the Court of the Redeemed gathers around Him." [cited in The Little Office of Our Lady, A Treatise Theoretical, Practical, and Exegetical. By Ethelred L. Taunton. 1903]
Mary's right hand, close to her own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, draws us to her Son, our dear Lord and Saviour. Christ's right hand occupies a central position in the icon, highlighting its importance which finds echoes throughout the Scriptures. Among the references to the saving power of His right hand, we may recall:
His right hand hath wrought for him salvation, and his arm is holy. [Psalms xcvii. 1]
Finally, let us ask our dear Mother to intercede with her Son, borrowing the words of the royal psalmist:
Save me with thy right hand, and hear me. [Psalm lxix. 7]
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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.
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