Ad Jesum per te, Maria : 9/33

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 96

Previous Psalms

Psalm 8        Psalm 18        Psalm 23         Psalm 44

Psalm 45      Psalm 86        Psalm 94         Psalm 95

👈 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 for consecration 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 

+       +        +

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 : Mary as Ark of the Covenant

The maphorion (shawl) worn by our Blessed Mother calls to mind the veil that traditionally covers the tabernacle in our churches. These Christian tabernacles have as their type the movable tent-like sanctuary of the Hebrews before the erection of Solomon's Temple (see Exodus xxvii et seq.). Within the tabernacle court was the Tabernacle proper.

The latter was conceived to be the dwelling-tent of God; hence it consisted essentially of curtains, the wooden framework, though indispensable, being only of secondary importance. The whole structure ... was divided into two sections; the one to the west, the "Holy Place", containing the altar of incense, the golden candlestick, and the table of shewbreads; and the other, the "Holy of Holies", containing the Ark of the Covenant with the propitiatory and the cherubim. [Catholic Encyclopedia]

The Ark of the Covenant was built following instructions from God Himself (see Exodus xxv. 10-22). After the fall of Jerusalem, in 587 B.C., the Ark disappeared and its whereabouts remain unknown. According to one tradition, Jeremias hid it and sealed it in a cave.

In the Litany of Loreto, one of the titles given to our Blessed Mother is Fœderis Arca / Ark of the Covenant. There are striking parallels between the Ark and the Most Holy Theotokos. Here are a few examples:

⮚  After the Annunciation and the news that her kinswoman was six months pregnant, Mary hurried to see Elizabeth, who greeted her with the words:

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  [Luke i. 43]

This question is an echo of the one asked by King David:

How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? [2 Kings vi. 9]

⮚  When the Ark of the Covenant is finally brought before David, we learn that:

David danced with all his might before the Lord [2 Kings vi. 9]

Elizabeth recounts what happened when Mary came to see her:

For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. [Luke i. 44]

⮚  St Paul writes of the Ark in his letter to the Hebrews: 

 

....and the ark of the testament covered about on every part with gold, in which was a golden pot that had manna, and the rod of Aaron, that had blossomed, and the tables of the testament. [Hebrews ix. 4]

The Ark was made of the most beautiful and precious materials; the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was to become the Holy Theotokos, was adorned with the most beautiful and precious virtues and graces.

Within the Ark was the word of God in the form of the the two tables with the commandments written on them. Within Mary was the Word made flesh, the Lord incarnate, who was to teach men: 

 

If you love me, keep my commandments: [John xiv. 15]

Within the Ark was a golden pot that had manna; within Mary was the Living Bread, who was to teach:

 

Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven; that if any man eat of it, he may not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  [John vi. 49-51]

The Ark also contained the rod of Aaron, that had blossomed, symbol of the true priesthood; within Mary was the great high priest, referred to by St Paul in his letter to the Hebrews:

 

Having therefore a great high priest that hath passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God [Hebrews iv. 14]

⮚  The Ark brought tremendous victories to Israel, as when Jericho was taken and destroyed (see Joshua vi); Our Blessed Mother has also helped bring about defeat for the enemies of Christ and His Church, as in victory at the Battle of Lepanto on the 7th October 1571:

 

Our Lady’s image [a replica of Our Lady's image on the Guadalupe tilma] sailed into battle on the mast of the ship of the Genoese admiral Giovanni Andrea Doria. That was not all. Pius V asked that all the inhabitants of Christian Europe pray the Rosary for the success of the offensive. The Holy League’s forces prayed it as well, with every man being given a set of rosary beads before the battle. In 1572, the year after the Battle of Lepanto, Pope Pius V established the feast of Our Lady of Victory in thanksgiving for her intercession at Lepanto. It was later renamed the “Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary” by his successor, Gregory XIII.

 

⮚  The Ark features in the vision St John records in the Apocalypse:

 

And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple

[Apoc. xi. 19]

The Blessed Virgin also features in the Apocalypse:

 

And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: [Apocalypse (Revelation) xii.1]

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Let us offer with great fervour to the Fœderis Arca the following prayer from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Beata Dei Genitrix, Maria, Virgo perpetua, templum Domini, sacrarium Spiritus sancti : sola sine exemplo placuisti Domino nostro Jesu Christo : ora pro populo, interveni pro clero, intercede pro devoto femineo sexu. 

Blessed Mother of God, Mary, ever Virgin, Temple of the Lord, Sanctuary of the Holy Ghost : thou alone, beyond compare, hath pleased our  Lord Jesus Christ : Pray for the people; intervene for the clergy ; intercede for the devout female sex.

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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.  

Ad Jesum per te, Maria : 8/33

 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 95

Previous Psalms

Psalm 8        Psalm 18        Psalm 23         Psalm 44

Psalm 45      Psalm 86        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 for consecration 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 

+       +        +

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 : Mary, the Stars and the Magi

 

For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars which thou hast founded. [Psalm viii. 4]

In the previous post, we considered the stars on Mary's maphorion (shawl) in the context of the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks in the pastures near Bethlehem. They received the tidings of great joy from an angel and then a multitude of the heavenly army appeared like stars without number in the night sky, praising God, and singing: Glory to God in the highest.

Today we reflect on the star which led the three Magi to the Christ Child at Bethlehem:

behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was.  And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. [Matt. ii. 9-10]

On the icon, it may not be too fanciful to read the first of the stars as being the one the Magi saw first in the east. The second one, which is over the Christ Child, represents the final position of the star as it came and stood over where the child was.

Appropriately did a star lead the three royal Magi to Christ, the King of kings, for a star has the appearance of a kingly crown, with its resplendent rays; and therefore a star is an emblem of a king and a kingdom. Whence God promises to Abraham (Gen. xv. 5), saying, “Look up to heaven and number the stars, if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall thy seed be.” Here, amongst other things, He designated the kings of Israel and Judah, who should spring from Abraham, but especially Christ the King.

Allegorically, Christ is “the bright and morning star..” (Apoc. xxii.16.) Whence S. Ambrose saith, “Christ is the star: for a Star shall rise out of Jacob, and a man come forth of Israel.” (Vulg.) In fine, where Christ is, there is the star. For He is the bright and morning star: therefore doth He make Himself known by His own light.

Again, the star of the sea, that is, of this storm-tossed world, who shows us thereby the way, and goes before us to the harbour of safety, is the Blessed Virgin, whence her name Mary. The Hebrew Mariam means teacher, or mistress, or guide of the sea. “Behold the star, invoke Mary,” says S. Bernard. Hence, also, the Church invokes her, saying, “Hail, star of the sea, bounteous Mother of God.”

 

... the star invites and calls us to heaven, that, by means of a heavenly life, we may come to the most blessed company of the angels and all the heavenly citizens. [Excerpts taken from The Great Commentary Of Cornelius À Lapide: 1567-1637]

As we contemplate the icon, let us follow closely the Magi and their example:

And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored Him; [Matt. ii. 11]

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Finally, let us offer our heartfelt petition to the  Holy Family:

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you. 

 

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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.  

Ad Jesum per te, Maria : 7/33

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 86

Previous Psalms

Psalm 8        Psalm 18        Psalm 23         Psalm 44

Psalm 45      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 for consecration 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 

+       +        +

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 : Mary, the Stars and the Shepherds

 

For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars which thou hast founded. [Psalm viii. 4]

In the previous post, we considered the Holy Trinity as represented by the Holy Infant Jesus and the two stars on Mary's maphorion (shawl).* 

The stars may also remind us of the night sky when shepherds were watching their flocks near Bethlehem:

And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. [Luke ii. 8]

This is the same country where the patriarch Jacob pastured his flocks near the Flock Tower (see the account of the birth of Benjamin and the death of his mother in Genesis Chapter xxxv). Centuries later, David tended the flock of his father Jesse in same these fields near Bethlehem [1 Kings xvii. 15]

Here the shepherds heard the good tidings of great joy:

 

...this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. [Luke ii. 11]

How fitting that some commentators interpret the stars on Mary's maphorion* as representing angels, for as St Luke goes on to recount:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. [Luke ii. 13-14]

Another perspective is to view the two stars as representing  Jacob and David, who were themselves not only ancestors but also types of the Messiah. The Holy Infant then becomes the third element, being not only the lineal descendant of the Patriarch and the shepherd/prophet/king David, but being also a shepherd Himself:

 

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. [John x. 11]

Finally, it is worth noting that there is a tradition in Christian art that three shepherds went to adore the Christ child; they were differentiated by age – a youth, an old man, and one in middle age (see A Guide to Christian Iconography: Images, Symbols, and Texts; by  Richard Stracke, Emeritus Professor of English, Augusta University).

The interlinking of types and images is breath-taking: the angel announces the birth of the Saviour to shepherds. Three shepherds seek out the Lamb of God [John i. 29]. Tradition has it that they offer a lamb to this Divine Infant who will later style Himself the Good Shepherd and offer Himself up for sacrifice:

He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth. [Isaiah liii. 7, writing 500 years before the Nativity]

 * (μαφόριον), a shawl covering a woman's head and shoulders, mentioned in papyri of the 4th–6th c.

 

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Through our gentle Queen and Mother, let us pray with the shepherd-psalmist David who wrote:

The Lord is my shepherd; how can I lack anything?

He gives me a resting-place where there is green pasture, leads me out to the cool water’s brink, refreshed and content.

As in honour pledged, by sure paths he leads me;

dark be the valley about my path, hurt I fear none while he is with me; thy rod, thy crook are my comfort.

    [Psalm xxii. 1-4. Knox translation]

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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.  

Ad Jesum per te, Maria : 6/33

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 45

Previous Psalms

Psalm 8       Psalm 18        Psalm 23         Psalm 44

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 

+       +        +

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 : Mary, the Stars and the Incarnation

In the previous post, we considered the links between Our Blessed Mother and the image of the moon, starting with the following verse from the Psalms:

 

For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars which thou hast founded. [Psalm viii. 4]

The reference to the stars in this Psalm also merits consideration since they feature in many icons of the Madonna. Often, there are three and they are commonly understood as referring to Mary's virginity before, during and after the Nativity of her Divine Son, Jesus.

In the Vladimirskaya icon, however, only two stars are visible;  the Infant Jesus is either blocking the third star from view or has perhaps in some sense taken the place of the third star. If on one level the stars represent the presence of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, this would be readily intelligible. The first or highest star would stand for God the Father; the Holy Infant Himself is God the Son and the third star is the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Ghost.

This interpretation harmonizes with the words of the Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Mary Ever Virgin at the Annunciation, explaining she was to conceive in her womb, and bring forth a son; and call his name Jesus:

The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. [Luke i. 35]

The image reflects the result in body and spirit of Mary's assent to Gabriel's word:

 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. [Luke i. 37]

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Let us conclude this reflection by offering our adoration, praise and thanks to Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, for His incarnation in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Blessed by Heaven's messenger,

made fruitful by the Holy Ghost,

from her womb came forth

the One longed for by nations.

Beata cæli nuntio,

Fecunda Sancto Spiritu,

Desideratus gentibus

Cujus per alvum fusus est.

[From the hymn Quem Terra, sung during Matins in the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary]

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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.  

Ad Jesum per te, Maria : 5/33

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 44

Previous Psalms

Psalm 8      Psalm 18       Psalm 23         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 

+       +        +

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 : 

In a previous post, we spoke of the hands depicted by the artist  in the icon.  A closer inspection will show how the hands are remarkable for their delicate fingers. In contemplating the fingers of Our Lord, we may perhaps be reminded of the Psalmist's words:

For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars which thou hast founded. [Psalm viii. 4]

Thy fingers, not hands, because (as St. John Chrysostom says), this is but a small thing for God's omnipotence. Others note that the use of the word fingers implies the work of a skilled craftsman shaping things of great beauty.

May we not see the Infant Christ as the Divine craftsman who fashioned the moon as described by the Psalmist? But where are we to find this moon in the image? The answer may lie in the following excerpt from Fr Taunton's Treatise on the Little Office:

"...the moon, says Jorgius, Confessor of Edward I., denotes our ever dear and blessed Lady ; and that for various reasons : 

• As the moon draws all its brightness from the sun, and yet it is the most luminous object next to him, so Mary, made full of grace by Him whose countenance is as the sun shining in his strength, is the brightest of all the saints. 
• And yet, as the moon is nearest to the earth, so our Lady is the lowliest of all in her humility. 
• As the moon rules the tides, so Mary by her prayers helps those who are tossed on the bitter surges of the world. 
• And as Easter, the festival of the Resurrection, follows the course of the moon, so the spiritual arising of the Man by the Incarnation followed the consent of Mary’s will to the message of the Angel.

 The choirs of angels which are her fellows and bear her company, are rightly compared to the stars ; only less than the moon in glory and beauty." [The Little Office of Our Lady, A Treatise Theoretical, Practical, and Exegetical. By Ethelred L. Taunton. 1903.]

Let us recall the mysterious link between Mary and the moon that is revealed in the following words of Scripture: 

Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair [pulchra] as the moon...? [Canticles (Solomon) vi. 9]

And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: [Apocalypse (Revelation) xii. 1]

To conclude this short reflection, I offer the following poem-prayer to Our Blessed Mother which I adapted from Song to the Moon by Jaroslav Kvapil (which features in Russalka by Antonín Dvořák). To see my original post on this poem, click here: 👉  Ad Jesum per te, Maria!

Here is the poem, followed by a link to a beautiful sung performance:

Ad Jesum per te, Maria!

To Jesus through thee, O Mary!

Hail O beautiful moon, our Mother in the highest heaven,

Whose gentle gaze sees far and wide;

The light of thy maternal love streams down

Upon thy children here below.

O radiant moon, our Queen, please pause awhile

And tell me, O tell me where He is who hath so loved me;

Help me to tell Him, O Heavenly Mother,

To tell Him my heart yearns for us to draw close;

How I pray that for a little while

I may be present to His thoughts;

With the light of Grace, I ask thee to show me His distant dwelling,

Tell Him, O tell Him that someone is seeking Him...

And knocking for His attention;

May this little plea prompt His recollection;

Beautiful moon, our gentle Queen and Mother, don't leave me, don't leave me...

Don't leave me!

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Here is a link to the song performed in Czech by Patricia Janečková (1998-2023):

👉  Song to the Moon

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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.  

Ad Jesum per te, Maria : 4/33

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 23

Previous Psalms

Psalm 8      Psalm 18      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 : 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. 

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.