There's something about Saint Mary...

[Gaura Priya]

This thread is for the Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran adherents mainly, but anyone who loves Saint Mary is welcome to post something!

I thought it would be nice to say some nice things about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Express it through a Bible verse, or a picture, or a hymn, or a poem, or a prayer, or what have you!

Here's an image that I love, Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro (Our Lady of Perpetual Help). I had this icon hanging in my room growing up.

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[Shiranui117]

A lot of people say that salvation is "through Mary." This is actually true; God our Savior came to be born of her, and took flesh from her. Jesus worked His first recorded miracle at Mary's request, at the Wedding at Cana. Mary truly is worthy to be blessed by all generations; she willingly said yes to God, thus undoing Eve's mistake. By the first Eve, the first Adam fell into sin. By the new Eve, Mary, the new Adam came into the world to redeem us from sin. Mary's acceptance of God's will led to the reunion between earth and Heaven, between man and God.

In this icon, one can see the Father (top of the icon, the blue-and-white circle) sending a light upon Mary as she accepts to be the Mother of our Lord, God and Savior (this light could very well be the Holy Spirit, even if the smaller blue-and-white circle typically denoting His presence is absent). Gabriel had swooped in and is raising his hand in greeting, "Hail, you who are filled with grace, the Lord is with you." In other versions, we see Gabriel bounding in, and Mary is astonished.

There is a strand of red cloth going from one of Mary's hands to another, symbolizing the incarnation of Christ within her womb. In this particular icon, her head is slightly bowed as a sign of loving submission, and her hand is raised in acceptance of God's plan.

There is a red cloth stretching between two buildings in the background; this is symbolic of the union between Heaven and earth that was created when Mary accepted to be the Mother of the Lord. You can see that the building on the left, symbolizing Heaven, is golden and perfect, showing God's Divine Light and blessing. The building on the right is earth, humbly decorated.

This icon is placed on the Royal Doors at the iconostasis of every Orthodox Church, since it is at the Annunciation where Heaven met earth. It is before the Royal Doos that the priest blesses the people, that the deacon leads the people in prayer, that people receive the Eucharist, that people are baptized and chrismated, that priests, deacons and bishops are ordained.

This quote is from the book Praying with Icons by Jim Forest:

For everyone, man or woman, it is an image of letting go of the tenacious grip of plans, ideologies, attachments, peer group pressure--all those things which become barriers between ourselves and God, all our self-made plans that impede us from responding in a Christ-like way to the special needs we come upon each day. The joy of the Annunciation is not the joy of success or rewards or social prestige, but the joy of living in the freedom of God, saying yes to the word of God and its demands rather than remaining captive to fear and selfishness. (p. 88)
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This is from the Akathist to the Theotokos, which is a song/mini-service that anyone can sing, even the laity. The entire thing is far too long for me to post in full, so instead I'll post a small part and link to the rest

Queen of the Heavenly Host, Defender of our souls, we thy servants offer to thee songs of victory and thanksgiving, for thou, O Mother of God, hast delivered us from dangers. But as thou hast invincible power, free us from conflicts of all kinds that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, unwedded Bride!

Oikos 1 An Archangel was sent from Heaven to say to the Mother of God: Rejoice! And seeing Thee, O Lord, taking bodily form, he was amazed and with his bodiless voice he stood crying to her such things as these: Rejoice, thou through whom joy will flash forth! Rejoice, thou through whom the curse will cease! Rejoice, revival of fallen Adam! Rejoice, redemption of the tears of Eve! Rejoice, height hard to climb for human thoughts! Rejoice, depth hard to contemplate even for the eyes of Angels! Rejoice, thou who art the King's throne! Rejoice, thou who bearest Him Who bears all! Rejoice, star that causest the Sun to appear! Rejoice, womb of the divine incarnation! Rejoice, thou through whom creation becomes new! Rejoice, thou through whom the Creator becomes a babe! Rejoice, unwedded Bride!

Myriobiblos -Orthodox Prayer Book (click on "Akathist to the Most Holy Lady Mother of God" on the left)

 

[SageTree]

I just want to say that I've really enjoyed engaging with you both over the last little while.
This is exciting RF talk.
Thanks.

:namaste

Blessings,
SageTree

 

[Gaura Priya]

Shiranui117, you are so knowledgeable! You should become a clergyperson or something!! :yes:


"Behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."


One of my few favourite prayers is the Angelic Salutation, in which is an echo of the Incarnation of Christ. The moment of the Angelic Salutation comes from the time when the Archangel Gabriel came to Mary, and consequently is thus called the Hail Mary. The Ave Maria, the Haily Mary, was one of my favourite prayers in childhood, and I used to pray this for protection .

Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesu.
Sancta Maria, mater dei,
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
And blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us, sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos,
Mary full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
for thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls.
Amen.

The Annunciation of our Lord
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Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. - "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." (Luke 1:28) The Angelic Salutation begins with the angel Gabriel announcing the good news to Mary, that she would be the Mother of Christ, the Son of the everlasting God. The word, 'highly favoured' is the King James rendition of the Greek 'kecharitomene' which also means, 'bestowed grace.' Sometimes, 'Hail' is written rather as, 'Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos' and is common with more Eastern Catholicism.

Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus! - "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." (Luke 1:42) Elizabeth's delight towards Mother Mary, who proclaimed that she was blessed as from all womankind (for she is the New Eve, as Christ Jesus is the New Adam), for she was to be chosen as the Ark of the Covenant, the holder of the New Covenant. A Catholic theologian added 'Jesus' to the prayer to show us that the promise given from Mary comes into fruition with our Saviour. As we pray the Salutation, it culminates with the bounty of our Lord Jesus, and thus it is a prayer that proclaims the Incarnation of Christ.

Holy Mary, mother of God - "And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43). Since Mary is blessed, we can call her holy, for without God, she would not be recognised as such. And she is also the mother of Christ, and thus the mother of our Hope and Salvation.

Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death - "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2) Just as through the Holy Spirit, Christ as the Son has made us also children of God; and by Christ who is the Mediator of us all, has also made us co-mediators, we are surrounded by the saints and angels in heaven who carry our prayers to Jehovah God (Revelation 8:3-4). We ask for one of God's holy people to pray for us, especially who is named as 'blessed' in the Bible.


"When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." -- John 19:26-27


Mary is not a goddess, nor is she an angel: but by the power of God the Father, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, and bestowed grace through Jesus Christ, her (and thus our) humanity is exalted. By seeing her example of love and affection as the first Christian towards her beloved Son, may we too see this as our blessed hope to always have Christ in our hearts. Thus the Hail Mary is not pagan worship, but a witness to the Incarnation of Christ as the power of God unto salvation and exaltation of our own human nature.

 

[Shiranui117]

Shiranui117, you are so knowledgeable! You should become a clergyperson or something!! :yes:

Aww, shucks, thanks for the vote of confidence!

From the morning prayers that ACROD (American Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox Diocese) recommends:

O Birth-giver of God, my most holy Lady! Unworthy as I am, I beg you: by your holy and powerful prayers, cleanse my clouded mind and bruised heart. Free me from the memories of sins long gone by. Rescue me from every inclination to do wrong. In your goodness help me, for I am poor and lost. For you are praised by all generations, and your glorious name is honored forever.

Hail Mary, full of grace, O Virgin Birth-giver of God, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have given birth to Christ, the Saviour and deliverer of our souls.
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Under your protection, we hasten, O Virgin Birth-giver of God. Do not turn away from us in our time of need, but pure and blessed Lady, save us!
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From the prescribed evening prayers:

O loving Mother of our Good King, pure and blessed Virgin Mary: pour the grace of your Son and our God into my restless soul. Lead me by your prayers to always do the right thing, so that I may spend my whole life without blame and reach paradise through your prayers, Mother of God, for you are pure and blessed forever.
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The Megalynarion (try saying that one three times fast I thought the term was Theotokion until just now...) sang at almost every Divine Liturgy, unless there's a special one prescribed:

It is truly proper to glorify you, O Theotokos, the Ever-Blessed, immaculate and the mother of our God! More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, you truly, the Theotokos, we magnify!

Here's another Megalynarion/Theotokion that's sung during the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil (this is the only version of the text I could find online) :

In thee rejoiceth, O full of grace, all creation, the angelic hosts and the race of men. O hallowed temple and supersensual paradise, glory of Virgins, of whom God was incarnate and became a little child, even our God who is before all the ages; for he made thy womb a throne, and thy body he made more spacious than the heavens. In thee rejoiceth, O full of grace, all creation, glory to thee.​

 

[Gaura Priya]

The Memorare of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a mysterious prayer that ended up becoming a classic favourite among Catholics (and a few Anglo-Catholics). It is also a favourite prayer of my grandmother's, who loved it as a petition for the Blessed Mother's protection. Although it is attributed to a 15th century Christian hymn ('Ad sanctitatis tuae pedes, dulcissima Virgo Maria'), its popularity and form did not come about until the 17th century, popularised by Father Claude Bernard.

Fr. Claude Bernard learned this prayer from his elders, and was miraculously healed from a terminal illness through praying it. From that miracle he began advocating the prayer to criminals, believing in its power. He printed the prayer many times and distributed them to whomever he felt it would benefit.

MEMORARE, O piissima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a saeculo, quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia, esse derelictum. Ego tali animatus confidentia, ad te, Virgo Virginum, Mater, curro, ad te venio, coram te gemens peccator assisto. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba mea despicere; sed audi propitia et exaudi. Amen.

REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

 

[Gaura Priya]

The Magnificat, or the Canticle of Mary, as found in the Book of Common Prayer (and also in the Canadian Book of Alternative Services), from the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 1. This is her prayer, of which I have always found inspiration in, and is powerful because it has references to justice and raising those in the lower ranks of society.

Canticle of Mary

My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded
the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth
all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me;
and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him
throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm;
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat,
and hath exalted the humble and the meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy
hath holpen his servant Israel;

As he promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost,

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be
world without end.


Amen.

Song of Mary

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; *
for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.

Amen.


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[Shiranui117]

Ahh, yes, that Canticle is also very beloved in the Orthodox Church; it's often recited during Matins

 

[Heim]

This is an example of a tree chapel or 'boomkapelletje' as they are called in Dutch. These small shrines devoted to the Holy Virgin Mary are an example of popular devotion and can be found all over Flanders.

I'd also like to share the Dutch version of the Hail Mary prayer.

Wees gegroet Maria, vol van genade.
De Heer is met U.
Gezegend zijt Gij boven alle vrouwen,
en gezegend is de vrucht van Uw lichaam, Jezus.
Heilige Maria, Moeder Gods,
bid voor ons, arme zondaars,
nu en in het uur van onze dood.
Amen.​

 

[Gaura Priya]

Since it is still Eastertide, here is the Marian hymn, Regina Caeli. We sing this after Mass as one of the traditional hymns to Our Lady.

Queen of Heaven (Regina Caeli)


Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia.
Hath risen, as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
For the Lord hath truly risen, alleluia.


Let us pray: O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. ​

 

[Vouthon]

I just want to say that I've really enjoyed engaging with you both over the last little while.
This is exciting RF talk.
Thanks.

:namaste

Blessings,
SageTree

And I just want to 2nd this Sage :bow:

I have only been on this forum for less than a month now, and I have been avidly following the discussions between Shiranui and Gaurya, both of whom exhibit such wide-ranging knowledge on diverse topics relating to Catholic/Orthodox Christianity.

Keep it up guys!

 

[Shiranui117]

I thought I'd share this hymn; it was composed by St. Nektarios of Aegina in the 19th century. As the story goes, Mary herself appeared to St. Nektarios and told him to write down a hymn that the angels were about to sing.

[youtube]Mw8XE3j_c0U[/youtube]
Since some of the words in this particular rendition are in Greek, I'm supplying the full English lyrics, courtesy of Wikipedia:

(A) O pure and virgin Lady,/ O spotless Theotokos: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
O Virgin Queen and Mother/ O dewy fleece most sacred:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
(B) O height transcending heaven above/ O beam of light most radiant:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
O joy of chaste and virgin maids/ surpassing all the angels:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
(C) O brilliant light of heaven above/ most clear and most radiant: / Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
Commanding chief of heavenly hosts/ O holiest of holies/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!

(A) O ever-virgin Mary/ O Mistress of creation:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
O Bride all-pure and spotless/ O Lady all-holy:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
(B) O holy Mary, Bride and Queen/ and cause of our rejoicing/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
O Maiden Queen most hon'rable/ O Mother most holy/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
(C) More precious than the cherubim/ more glorious than the seraphim:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
Surpassing principalities/ dominions, thrones and powers:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!

(A) Rejoice, song of the cherubim/ Rejoice, hymn of the angels:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
Rejoice, ode of the seraphim/ and joy of the archangels:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
(B) Rejoice, O peace; Rejoice, O joy/ and haven of salvation: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
O bridal chamber of the Word/ unfading, fragrant blossom:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
(C) Rejoice, delight of paradise/ Rejoice, life everlasting:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
Rejoice, O holy tree of life/ and fount of immortality:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!

(A) I supplicate thee, Lady/ I humbly call upon thee:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
O Queen of all, I beg thee/ to grant me thy favor:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
(B) O spotless and most honored maid/ O Lady all holy:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
I call upon thee fervently/ thou temple most holy:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
(C) O thou my help, deliver me/ from harm and all adversity:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!
And by thy prayers show me to be/ an heir of immortality:/ Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!

Aaaand, a rendition done by some of the monks at the Valaam Monastery, in northwest Russia, fairly close to Finland:

[youtube]C7vvPXz-Qes[/youtube]

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I was going to post the Canticle of Mary but it was already posted.

So I'll share this:

"O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."