The Psalms of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary
👈 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
- Litany of the Holy Ghost
- Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Ave Maris Stella
- Prayer to Mary by St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (see bottom of page)
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 : The Holy Mother prefigured by Rebecca
St Bernard recognises in Rebecca a true type prefiguring the Mother of God. Firstly, consider the name Rebecca, one meaning is she who is of a healthy appearance, and points to the healthy interior disposition of the Mother of God.Secondly, it is said of Rebecca in Chapter xxiv of Genesis that she was a very beautiful and gracious virgin.[1]St Jerome observes discreetly that the original text makes use of the word Halma, which is used in Sacred Scripture to denote a maiden, not in the strict sense of virgin, but someone who is wise, modest, keeping herself within her household, and not involved in any bad conversation. He adds that the same word is found used by Isaiah in the celebrated prophecy: Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel [Is. vii. 14]. All these qualities are found in the wise and chaste Rebecca, as is shown in the chapter from Genesis I just mentioned; but they are supereminent in the Mother of God.
Thirdly, Rebecca was given to Isaac in accordance with a disposition altogether divine... It is written that Eliezer, steward of Abraham's household, went to Mesopotamia to find a wife for Isaac, his young master. He sat down next to a well and prayed to the Lord, full of confidence. He told the Lord that the first maiden coming to draw water who would freely offer him a drink on his request and who would volunteer to water his camels without being asked, she most assuredly would be the one he would choose for Isaac. This simplicity so pleased the Lord that he straightway sent the maiden sought by Isaac, the son of a great saint and his personal friend. The Blessed Virgin was herself betrothed not otherwise than by a divine ordinance.
Fourthly, Rebecca did not fail to carry out the Lord's ordinance, showing forth the graces of her character when she clothed Jacob so carefully with the garments of his brother Esau; she put the little skins of the kids about his hands, and covered the bare of his neck [Gen.xxvii. 16]. This was so as to obtain for him the benefits of the elder son's blessing. The Blessed Virgin Mary was to fulfil the mystery hidden in this figure. Hear the words of St Bernard's 28th Sermon on the Canticle of Canticles:
I recognise very clearly under this image of the skins of the kids a symbol of sin, as well as the hands that never committed any sin and the neck that was never stained by any bad thought rising from the heart into the mouth. I know, moreover, O my Blessed Saviour, by nature sweet and humble of heart, anointed with oil of gladness pre-eminently over all your companions. Whence comes it that you are become hairy like Esau? Whence cometh this unpleasant appearance and this alien garb? These are, O Lord, the animal skins and the signs of the first sinner [Adam], whose appearance you deigned to adopt, [through the Incarnation] despite being so utterly removed from the effects of sin. It is not Rebecca who did this, but Mary. The Blessed Mother covered you with this appearance of a fallen man in order to bring about a blessing even more excellent, for she whose Son you are is more holy by far than Rebecca. At the propitious time, you took on our appearance in the flesh, with the aim of obtaining for us a great blessing.
[1] An exceeding comely maid, and a most beautiful virgin, and not known to man: [Gen. xxiv. 16]
+ + +
Prayer
firstly, for the repose of the soul of my own dear mother who departed this life on the feast of St Andrew in 1977; I send to her my respect, admiration, gratitude and love, praying she will enjoy Eternal Rest and Peace.secondly, for the mother of my children, thanking her for her hard work, self-sacrifice and example; asking Our Blessed Lady to keep her safe and help her on her way to Heaven.thirdly, I consecrate all that I have to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our gentle Queen and Mother, thanking her for all she has done and begging her to watch over me and keep me safe.
Prayer to Mary (St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort)
Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father! Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son! Hail Mary, faithful spouse of the Holy Ghost! Hail Mary, my dear Mother, my loving Mistress, my powerful sovereign! Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul! Thou art all mine by mercy, and I am all thine by justice. But I am not yet sufficiently thine. I now give myself wholly to thee again, as your servant in eternity, without keeping anything back for myself or others. If thou still seest in me anything which does not belong to thee, I beseech thee to take it and to make thyself the absolute Mistress of all that is mine. Destroy in me all that may be displeasing to God, root it up and bring it to naught; place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to thee.
Que la lumière de votre foi dissipe les ténèbres de mon esprit ; que votre humilité profonde prenne la place de mon orgueil; que votre contemplation sublime arrête les distractions de mon imagination vagabonde; que votre vue continuelle de Dieu remplisse ma mémoire de sa présence; que l’incendie de la charité de votre cœur dilate et embrase la tiédeur et la froideur du mien ; que vos vertus prennent la place de mes péchés ; que vos mérites soient mon ornement et mon supplément devant Dieu. Enfin, ma très chère et bien-aimée Mère, faites, s’il se peut, que je n’aie point d’autre esprit que le vôtre pour connaître Jésus-Christ et ses divines volontés ; que je n’aie point d’autre âme que la vôtre pour louer et glorifier le Seigneur; que je n’aie point d’autre cœur que le vôtre pour aimer Dieu d’un amour pur et d’un amour ardent comme vous. Je ne vous demande ni visions, ni révélations, ni goûts, ni plaisirs même spirituels. C’est à vous de voir clairement sans ténèbres; c’est à vous de goûter pleinement, sans amertume ; c’est à vous de triompher glorieusement à la droite de votre Fils dans le ciel, sans aucune humiliation ; c’est à vous de commander absolument aux anges et aux hommes et aux démons, sans résistance, et enfin de disposer, selon votre volonté, de tous les biens de Dieu, sans aucune réserve.
May the light of thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind; may thy profound humility take the place of my pride; may thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination; may thy continuous sight of God fill my memory with His presence; may the burning love of thy heart inflame the lukewarmness of mine; may thy virtues take the place of my sins; may thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of God and make up for all that is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but thine to know Jesus and His divine will; that I may have no other soul but thine to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but thine to love God with a love as pure and ardent as thine I do not ask thee for visions, revelations, sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privilege to see God clearly; it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumph gloriously in Heaven at the right hand of thy Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons; it is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as thou willest.
Voilà, divine Marie, la très bonne part que le Seigneur vous a donnée et qui ne vous sera jamais ôtée; et ce qui me donne une grande joie. Pour ma part, ici-bas, je n’en veux point d’autre que celle que vous avez eue, savoir:
- de croire purement, sans rien goûter ni voir;
- de souffrir joyeusement, sans consolation des créatures;
- de mourir continuellement à moi-même sans relâche; et
- de travailler fortement jusqu’à la mort, pour vous, sans aucun intérêt, comme le plus vil de vos esclaves.
Such is, O heavenly Mary, the "best part," which the Lord has given thee and which shall never be taken away from thee-and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I wish for no other than that which was thine: to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully without human consolation; to die continually to myself without respite; and to work zealously and unselfishly for thee until death as the humblest of thy servants.
La seule grâce que je vous demande, par pure miséricorde, c’est que, tous les jours et moments de ma vie, je dise trois fois Amen / Ainsi soit-il:
The only grace I beg thee to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say:
Ainsi soit-il, à tout ce que vous avez fait sur la terre, lorsque vous y viviez;
Ainsi soit-il, à tout ce que vous faites à présent dans le ciel;
Ainsi soit-il, à tout ce que vous faites en mon âme, afin qu’il n’y ait que vous à glorifier pleinement Jésus en moi pendant le temps et l’éternité.
Ainsi soit-il.
Amen, to all that thou didst do while on earth; Amen, to all that thou art now doing in Heaven; Amen, to all that thou art doing in my soul, so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment