The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Ten).

Text and Illustrations taken from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

On 13 October, 1917, a crowd believed to be approximately 70,000 in number, gathered at the Cova da Iria fields near Fátima, Portugal. According to many witness' statements, after a downfall of rain, the dark clouds broke and the sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disk in the sky. Many sceptics believe that the event was natural and meteorological in nature. But, how does one explain that the event occurred at the exact time predicted by three young children ?

Available on YouTube at http://youtu.be/hyIpE1_qIFM.

The official position of the Holy See is that, while the Holy Office has approved a few apparitions of the Virgin Mary, Roman Catholics, at large, are not required to believe them. However, many Catholics express belief in Marian apparitions. This has included Popes, e.g. four Popes, i.e.. Pope Pius XII, Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II have supported the Our Lady of Fátima messages as supernatural.

Pope John Paul II was particularly attached to Fátima and credited Our Lady of Fátima with saving his life,  after he was shot in Rome on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fátima, in May 1981. He donated the bullet that wounded him on that day to the Roman Catholic Sanctuary at Fátima, Portugal.

Veneration Through Marian Art.

As a historical pattern, Vatican approval seems to have followed general acceptance of a vision by well over a century in most cases. According to Father Salvatore M. Perrella, of the Marianum Pontifical Institute in Rome, of the two hundred and ninety-five reported apparitions, studied by the Holy See through the centuries, only twelve have been approved, the latest being in May 2008.

The tradition of honouring Mary, by venerating images of her, goes back to 3rd-Century Christianity. Following the period of iconoclasm, the position of the Church, with respect to the veneration of images, was formalised at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 A.D. A summary of the Doctrine is included in the current Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Schubert's "Ave Maria".

Available on YouTube at 

http://youtu.be/2bosouX_d8Y

The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the First Commandment, which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honour, rendered to an image, passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image, venerates the person portrayed in it." 

The honour paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone: Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God Incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends towards that whose image it is.

English: Michelangelo's Pietà in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

Alemannisch: Michelangelos Pietà im Petersdom in Rom.

Asturianu: "La Piedá" de Miguel Ánxel na Basílica de San Pedru, na Ciudá del Vaticanu.

Беларуская: П'ета ў Ватыканскім саборы св. Пятра (Мікеланджэла, 1499).

Español: La Piedad de Miguel Ángel en la Basílica de San Pedro, en la Ciudad del Vaticano.

Français: La Pietà de Michel-Ange située dans la Basilique Saint-Pierre, au Vatican.

Hrvatski: Michelangelova Pietà u Bazilici Sv. Petra u Rimu.

Magyar: Michelangelo Pietà-ja, Szent Péter-bazilika, Vatikán.

Photo: 2008.

Source: Edited version of (cloned object out of background) 

Image:Michelangelo's Pieta 5450 cropncleaned.jpg).

Author: Stanislav Traykov.

(Wikimedia Commons)

No image (in either the Western or the Eastern Church) permeates Christian Art as does the image of Madonna and Child. The images of the Virgin Mary have become central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, where Mary remains a central Artistic Topic.

The Virgin Mary has been one of the major subjects of Christian Art, Catholic Art and Western Art, since Early Christian Art, and she has been very widely portrayed in iconic "portraits", often known as Madonnas, with the infant Jesus in the Madonna and Child, and in a number of narrative scenes from her life, known as the Life of the Virgin, as well as scenes illustrating particular Doctrines or Beliefs: From Masters such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Murillo and Botticelli, to Folk Art.

Some Marian Art subjects include:

Annunciation;

Adoration of the Magi;

Adoration of the Shepherds;

The Assumption, in Art;

Coronation of the Virgin;

Christ Taking Leave Of His Mother;

Immaculate Conception;

Pietà.

PART ELEVEN FOLLOWS.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Nine).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

The "Salve Regina", one of the four Marian Anthems 

that are described as "among the most beautiful creations 

of the Late Middle Ages".

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/d5p_U8J0iRQ.

It is difficult to trace the beginning of non-Gregorian Marian Liturgical Music. In 1277, Pope Nicholas III prescribed rules for Liturgy in Roman Churches. In the Graduale Romanum, Kyriale IX and Kyriale X are both used for Marian Feasts. Over the centuries, Marian masterpieces have continued to appear, e.g., Mozart's Coronation Mass.

The list of compositions by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina includes numerous Marian Masses: Salve Regina; Alma Redemptoris; Assumpta est Maria; Regina coeli; de beata Virgine; Ave Regina coelorum; Descendit Angelus Domini; and O Virgo simul et Mater. Joseph Haydn wrote several Marian compositions, including two famous Marian Masses.

The "Alma Redemptoris Mater", 

one of the four Marian Anthems 

that are described as 

"among the most beautiful creations 

of the Late Middle Ages".

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/iq5CKlOyeMk.

Marian Prayers, Poems and Hymns.

Throughout the centuries, the veneration of the Virgin Mary has given rise to a number of poems and Hymns, as well as Prayers. Author, Emily Shapcote, lists 150 Marian poems and Hymns in her book, "Mary the Perfect Woman". Such Prayers and poems go as far back as the 3rd-Century, but enjoyed a rapid growth during the 11th- and 12th-Centuries. Some of the best poetry, written in honour of the Blessed Virgin, comes from this period of the Middle Ages.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (item 2679) emphasises the importance of Marian Prayers, and states:

Mary is the perfect Prayer, a figure of the Church . . . We can Pray with her, and to her. The Prayer of the Church is sustained by the Prayer of Mary and united with it in hope.

The earliest known Marian Prayer is the Sub tuum praesidium, or, "Beneath Thy Protection", a text for which was rediscovered in 1917 on a papyrus in Egypt, dated to circa 250 A.D. The papyrus contains the Prayer, in Greek, and is the earliest known reference to the title Theotokos (confirmed by the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D.):

Beneath your compassion, We take refuge, O Mother of God: Do not despise our petitions in time of trouble: But rescue us from dangers, only pure, only Blessed one.

While the Regina Coelorum goes back to the 4th-Century, the Regina Coeli was composed towards the end of the 11th-Century. The first part of the Hail Mary, based on the salutation of the Angel, Gabriel, in the Visitation, was introduced in the 11th-Century, although its current form can be traced to the 16th-Century.

During the 11th-Century, as the number of Monasteries grew, so did Marian Prayers. In this period, the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary was introduced and was modelled after the Divine Office, but was much shorter. It was adopted not only by Monks, but by pious people who could read.

And the growth of the Tertiary Orders helped spread its use. During the First Crusade, Pope Urban II ordered it to be said for the success of the Christians. In this period, Hermannus Contractus (Herman the Cripple), at the Abbey of Reichenau, composed the Alma Redemptoris Mater, and Hymns to Mary became part of daily life at Monasteries, such as the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, in France.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church,

Reichenau Island, Lake Constance, Germany. 

Hermann Contractus was a Monk in this Abbey 

and is credited with creating the Marian Anthems 

of Alma Redemptoris and Ave Regina. 

Photo taken by en:User:Ahoerstemeier (November 2001). 

Date: 2004-03-05 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; 

Transfer was stated to be made by User:Jalo.

Author: Original uploader was Ahoerstemeier at en.wikipedia.

Permission: GFDL-WITH-DISCLAIMERS; 

Released under the GNU Free Documentation License.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Listen to how the Benedictine Monks 

in Cluny Abbey, France, 

would have sounded in the 11th-Century.

This Virtual Rebuilding of Cluny Abbey 

is available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/XhZG7SjX1Lg

In the 12th-Century, Bernard of Clairvaux gave Sermons (De duodecim stellis), from which an extract has been taken by the Roman Catholic Church and used in the Offices of the "Compassion" and of the "Seven Dolours". Saint Bernard wrote:

Take away, Mary, this Star of the Sea, the sea truly great and wide: What is left, but enveloping darkness and the shadow of death and the densest blackness ?

Stronger evidences are discernible in the pious meditations on the Ave Maria and the Salve Regina, usually attributed either to Saint Anselm of Lucca (died 1080) or Saint Bernard of Clairvaux; and also in the large book "De laudibus B. Mariae Virginis" (Douai, 1625), by Richard de Saint-Laurent.

Other famous Marian Prayers include the Magnificat, the Angelus and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Marian Hymns include: O Mary, We Crown Thee With Blossoms Today; Hail, Queen of Heaven, the Regina Coeli, and the Ave Maria.

Marian Devotions.

A Catholic devotion is a willingness and desire for pious dedication and service, but is an "external practice", which is not part of the official Liturgy of the Catholic Church. A wide range of Marian devotions are followed by Catholics, ranging from simple Rosary recitations to formalised, multi-day Novenas, to activities which do not involve any Prayers, such the wearing of Scapulars or maintaining a Mary garden.

Listen to a Franciscan Sermon 

on Marian Devotion to Christ.

Available on YouTube at 

http://youtu.be/7Nxe91mHjyc.

Also available on YouTube 

is this Marian Devotional Video and Music,

which has been described as "Awesome".

It is sung in the Malayalam language,

spoken in the State of Kerala, India.

It is available on YouTube at 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsQd9TKMtYw&feature=share&list=PLD5F18DA60E08CD4E

Two well-known Marian devotions are the Rosary recitation and the wearing of the Brown Scapular. Following their joint growth in the 18th- and 19th-Centuries, by the early 20th-Century the Rosary and the devotional Scapular had gained such a strong following, among Catholics worldwide, that the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1914 stated: "Like the Rosary, the Brown Scapular has become the Badge of the devout Catholic."

In his Encyclical, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope John Paul II emphasised the importance of the Rosary. The Mariological basis of the Scapular devotion is effectively the same as Marian consecration, as discussed in the Dogmatic constitution, Lumen Gentium, of Pope Paul VI, namely, the role of the Virgin Mary as "the Mother to us in the Order of Grace", which allows her to intercede for "the gift of Eternal Salvation".

Catholic View of Marian Apparitions.

Roman Catholic tradition includes specific Prayers and devotions as Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary,  for insults that she suffers. The Raccolta Roman Catholic Prayer Book (approved by a Decree of 1854 and published by the Holy See in 1898) includes a number of such Prayers. These Prayers do not involve a Petition for a living or deceased beneficiary, but aim to repair the sins of others against the Virgin Mary.

The term, Marian apparition, is usually used in cases where visions of the Virgin Mary are reported, either with or without a conversation. There are, however, cases (e.g., Saint Padre Pio or Sister Maria Pierina De Micheli) where visions of Jesus and Mary, and conversations with both, are reported. Well-known apparitions include Our Lady of Lourdes,Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Fatima.

PART TEN FOLLOWS.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Eight).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Missa " CUM JUBILO", Canto Gregoriano, Giovanni Vianini, 

Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis, Milano, Italia.

English: Mass IX (Missa Cum Jubilo), used on Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Italiano: Missa CUM JUBILO, Canto Gregoriano "In solemnitatibus et Festis Beatae Mariae V.", a pagina 741 del libro Graduale romano, Gian Nicola Vessia : Organo, direttore Giovanni Vianini, Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis, Milano, Italia, www.cantogregoriano.it

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/0DYyWFtPmpA

In the Middle Ages, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a Doctor of the Church, was a fervent supporter of Mary. He highlighted her Virginity and Humility as the basis for her veneration. A particularly significant contribution to Mariology came from John Duns Scotus, who, in the 13th-Century, defended the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Scotus identified the key theological foundations, which led to the declaration of the Dogma of Immaculate Conception, centuries later.

In the 16th-Century, Saint Ignatius of Loyola promulgated an ardent love to the Virgin Mary. Ignatius admired images of the Virgin Mary and, before his death, instructed the Jesuits to preserve Madonna della Strada, which was later enshrined in the Church of the Gesu, in Rome. Filippo Neri, a contemporary of Ignatius, called Mary "Mother and Advocate" and is credited with the innovation of daily Marian devotions during the month of May. Saint Peter Canisius is credited with adding the Hail Mary to his Catechism of 1555.

In the 18th-Century, Saint Alphonsus Liguori wrote the classic book,"The Glories of Mary", in which he called Mary the "Gate of Heaven". Saint Louis de Montfort's book, "True Devotion to Mary", synthesised many of the earlier Saints' writings and teachings on Mary. His approach of "total consecration to Jesus Christ, through Mary" had a strong impact on Marian devotion, both in popular piety and in the spirituality of religious institutes. One of his well-known followers was Pope John Paul II, who said that reading Montfort's book was a "decisive turning point" in his life.

Mary in Roman Catholic Liturgy.

The Roman Catholic Liturgy is one of the most important elements of Marian Devotions. Marian Feasts are superior to the Feast Days of the Saints. The Liturgical texts, of the Marian Feast Days, all link Mary to Jesus Christ and keep Marian awareness awake within the Church.

English: Azzano San Paolo, Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy. 

Procession on the Feast of the Holy Rosary.

Italiano: Azzano San Paolo, Bergamo - 
processione per la festa del santo rosario.

Photo: 23 September 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Luigi Chiesa.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Catholic Marian Feast Days.

The earliest Christian Feasts, that relate to Mary, grew out of the Cycle of Feasts that celebrated the Nativity of Jesus. By the 7th-Century, a Feast dedicated to Mary was celebrated, just before Christmas, in the Churches of Milan and Ravenna, in Italy. Over time, the number of Feasts (and the associated Titles of Mary) and the venerative practices that accompany them, increased and, today, Roman Catholics have more Marian Feasts, Titles and venerative practices than any other Christians. Marian Feasts have continued to be developed in the Catholic Church, e.g., the Feast of the Queenship of Mary was declared in 1954, in the Papal Encyclical, "Ad Caeli Reginam", by Pope Pius XII.

Some Marian Feasts relate to specific events, e.g., the Feast of Our Lady of Victory (later renamed Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary) was based on the 1571 victory of the Papal States against the Muslims in the Battle of Lepanto. It is now celebrated on 7 October. The month of October was then established as the "month of the Rosary" by Pope Leo XIII, who recommended daily Rosary devotions in October.

During the month of May, May Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary take place in many Catholic regions. These include the singing of Marian Anthems, Readings from Scripture, a Sermon, and or presentations by local Choirs. The month is also associated with Reflection on the Virgin Mary's role as the ideal Disciple,  who sheds light on the Christian way of Life, and theologian Karl Rahner stated: "When we are involved in our May Devotions, we are engaged in a Christian understanding of the human situation."

English: A Feast of Our Lady of Andacollo Procession, in Chile, 1838.

Español: Fiesta en Honor a la Virgen del Rosario de Andacollo (Chile) 1838.

Source: http://www.ub.es/geocrit/sn-94-106.htm.

Author: GAY. Claude. Album D'Un Voyage dans 
la Republique du Chili par Claude Gay.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates three Marian Solemnities, which are also Holy Days of Obligation, in many countries during the Liturgical Year (in Liturgical order):

8 December Feast of the Immaculate Conception;
1 January Mary, Mother of God (in the new Ordinary Rite. The Extraordinary Rite (Usus Antiquior) has the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord, in addition to being within the Octave of the Nativity.)
15 August The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Among the other prominent Marian Feast Days and "Memorials" in the General Roman Calendar (Ordinary Rite) of the Catholic Church are:

12 December Our Lady of Guadalupe;
11 February Our Lady of Lourdes;
13 May Our Lady of Fátima;
31 May Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
Immaculate Heart of Mary (Saturday after the Sacred Heart of Jesus);
22 August Queenship of Mary;
8 September Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Chant of The Templars (Salve Regina).

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/uv_2x6JmuaE

Titles of The Blessed Virgin Mary.

A large number of Titles, to honour Mary or ask for her intercession, are used by Roman Catholics. While Mater Dei (i.e., "Mother of God", as confirmed by the First Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D.) is common in Latin, a large number of other Titles have been used by Roman Catholics  –  far more than any other Christians.

Titles used to refer to the Virgin Mary, throughout history, at times reflect the changing attitudes towards her. Domina (Lady), Regina (Queen) and Stella Maris (Star of the Sea) are some of the early Titles of Mary, of which Regina is the earliest. Domina and Stella Maris are found in Jerome, who perhaps originated the etymology of Mary as Stella Maris in the 5th-Century.

While the early emphasis in Stella Maris was on Mary as the Star that bore Christ, by the 9th-Century the attention had focused on Mary, herself, as indicated in the Hymn, Ave Maris Stella. By the 11th-Century, Mary, herself, had emerged as the Star that acted as a Guiding Light. 

By the 13th-Century, as Mariology was growing, Saint Anthony of Padua had composed "Mary Our Queen".  Titles continue to be interpreted, e.g., Queen of Heaven was further elaborated in 1954, in the Papal Encyclical, Ad Caeli Reginam, by Pope Pius XII.

Pope Francis and Marian Devotion.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/9nUt0TstM7c.

Among the most prominent Roman Catholic Marian Titles, are:

Mary, Mother of God;
Mary, the Immaculate Conception;
Mary, Queen of Heaven;
Queen of the Angels;
Queen of Peace;
Star of the Sea (Stella Maris);
Mother of All Sorrows;
Queen of Queens.

Marian Music.

One of the earliest Marian compositions is the popular Salve Regina, in Latin, from a Benedictine Monk, which exists in several Gregorian versions. The Liturgy of the Hours include several Offices to be sung. At the close of the Office, one of four Marian Antiphons is sung. These songs, Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave Regina Caelorum, Regina Caeli, and Salve Regina, have been described as "among the most beautiful creations of the Late Middle Ages."

PART NINE FOLLOWS.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Seven).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Italiano: Giovanni Paolo I con il card Karol Wojtyła nella Città del Vaticano.

English: Pope John Paul I, with Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (later, Pope John Paul II), in the Vatican.

Deutsch: Johannes Paul I mit Kardinal Karol Wojtyła.

Español: Juan Pablo I con el cardenal Karol Wojtyła en la Ciudad del Vaticano.

Català: Joan Pau I amb el cardenal Karol Wojtyła.

Français: Jean-Paul Ier avec le cardinal Karol Wojtyła.

Photo: 4 September 1978.

Source: Archivio.

Author: Sibode1.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Pope John Paul II, made Marian devotions and consecrations 

a hallmark of his Papacy.

Mary's Role in Salvation and Redemption.

One of the components, of the Catholic veneration of Mary, is the focus on her participation in the processes of Salvation and Redemption. Entire books have been devoted to the exploration of the Catholic perspectives on Mary's role in Salvation and Redemption.

The underlying theological issues have been discussed as far back as Saint Thomas Aquinas, in the 13th-Century, and were intertwined with the discussions of the Immaculate Conception. One of the first scholars to offer theological foundations in this area was the Franciscan, Duns Scotus, who developed the notion that Mary was preserved from sin by the Redemptive Virtue of Jesus. Devotions to, and the veneration of, the Virgin Mary continued to spread, as she came to be seen as the helpful Mother of Christians, and by the 15th-Century these practises had oriented all the Catholic devotions.

Andrea Bocelli sings Schubert's Ave Maria.

Available on YouTube at 

http://youtu.be/pwp1CH5R-w4

As of the 17th-Century, a common thread in the writings of Saints and theologians, alike, is the role of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary as joint symbols of Redemption and Co-redemption. Saint Veronica Giuliani expressed how Mary's suffering, on Calvary, united her heart with that of Jesus, as she suffered each torment along with Him. The joint devotion to the hearts was formalised by Saint Jean Eudes, who organised the scriptural and theological foundations and developed its Liturgical themes.

John Eudes wrote that: "The Virgin Mary began to co-operate in the Plan of Salvation, from the moment she gave her consent to the Incarnation of the Son of God". The venerative aspects, of the united nature of the two hearts, continued through the centuries and, in 1985, Pope John Paul II coined the term "Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary", and, in 1986, addressed the international conference on that topic held at Fátima, Portugal.

John Duns Scotus.

One of Scotland's greatest men and, arguably, the most forward-thinking man of the 13th-Century. John of Dunse (as it was then spelt) was so controversial, because of his forward thinking, that many thought he was mad. Hence the word "dunse" or "dunce" for a poor scholar. He was educated at the Franciscan Grammar school in Haddington, Scotland, and, though he never joined the Franciscan Brotherhood, he is revered within that Order. There are Duns Scotus Colleges on the Continent. This statue stands in the public park of his home town, Duns, in Berwickshire, Scotland.

Photo: 16 October 2008.

Source: From geograph.org.uk.

Author: james denham.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Duns Scotus developed the notion that 

Mary was preserved from sin 

by the Redemptive Virtue of Jesus.

By the 18th-Century, the continued growth of Marian veneration had emphasised the role of the Virgin Mary in Salvation. In his classic book, "The Glories of Mary", Saint Alphonsus Liguori explained how God gave Mary to mankind as the "Gate of Heaven", and he quoted Saint Bonaventure, namely: "No-one can enter Heaven, unless by Mary, as though through a door." And he wrote: "Thou art the gate, through which all find Jesus; through thee, I also hope to find Him."

Saint Louis de Montfort, whose writings later influenced Popes, was an ardent supporter of the Virgin Mary's role in Salvation. The Catholic focus on the role of Mary, in Salvation and Redemption, continued into the 20th-Century, e.g., Pope John Paul II's 1987 Encyclical, Redemptoris Mater, began with the sentence: "The Mother of the Redeemer has a precise place in the plan of Salvation."

Catholic Saints and The Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Roman Catholic perspective on the Virgin Mary has not simply been shaped by the theological studies of a few scholars, but also by devotional concepts embraced by millions of Catholics who venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary. These devotions have relied on the writings of numerous Saints throughout history, who have attested to the central role of Mary in God's plan of Salvation.

Early Saints included Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, in the 2nd-Century, who was perhaps the earliest of the Church Fathers to write systematically about the Virgin Mary, and he set out a forthright account of her role in the economy of Salvation. Saint Ambrose of Milan (339 A.D. – 397 A.D.) based the veneration of Mary not only on her virginity but also on her extraordinary courage.


PART EIGHT FOLLOWS.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Six).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

The "Ave Regina Caelorum", 

one of the four Marian Anthems that are described 

as "among the most beautiful 

creations of the Late Middle Ages".

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/OAi6T7tQruE

Saint Louis de Montfort taught that God appointed Mary as "the Dispenser of Grace", and, to receive Grace from God, one can receive it through the hands of the Blessed Virgin, as a child receives from a mother. This concept of Mary, as "the Mother to us in the Order of Grace", who can intercede for "the gift of eternal salvation", was restated in the 1960s in Lumen Gentium, one of the principal Documents of the Second Vatican Council.

Consecration and Entrustment to Mary.

For centuries, Marian devotions among Roman Catholics have included many examples of personal or collective acts of consecration and entrustment to the Virgin Mary; the Latin terms oblatio, servitus, commendatio and dedicatio, were used in this context.

Consecration is an act by which a person is dedicated to a sacred service, or an act which separates an object, location or region from a common and profane mode to one for sacred use. Consecration to the Virgin Mary has been practised by Catholics for many centuries, at the personal, societal and Papal levels, where individuals, societies, regions and the whole world have been consecrated to her.

The Catholic Church makes it clear that the use of the term "consecration", with regard to Mary, is only applied in the "broad and non-technical sense" and is different from "those self-offerings which have God as their object, and which are characterised by totality and perpetuity, which are guaranteed by the Church's intervention and have as their basis the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation."

Madonna and Child (Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy).

Madonna, by Batoni, an example of Marian Art.

Artist: Pompeo Batoni (1708–1787).

Date: Circa 1742.

Source: Web Gallery of Art.

Author: Pompeo Batoni (1708–1787).

Permission: Public Domain.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Further, "the Faithful should be carefully instructed about the practise of consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . it is, in reality, only analogously a 'consecration to God,' and should be expressed in a correct Liturgical manner: To the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, imploring the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom we entrust ourselves completely, so as to keep our Baptismal commitments and live as her children. The act of consecration [to Mary] should take place outside of the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, since it is a devotional act which cannot be assimilated to the Liturgy. It should also be borne in mind that the act of consecration to Mary differs substantially from other forms of Liturgical consecration."

Individuals, declaring their "entrustment" to Mary, make a personal act to show their devotion and dedication to Mary as the Mother of God, who, though holy, is not, herself, a Divine being. Such individuals seek her intercession before God, through her Son, Jesus Christ, for she has no Divine power. Devotions to Mary are also commonly directed to Mary herself, to the Immaculate Heart, and/or to the Immaculata; true consecration is only to God.

Consecration to the Virgin Mary, by Roman Catholics, has taken place from three perspectives, namely personal, societal and regional and with three forms: To the Virgin, herself, as a whole, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to the Immaculata.

In Catholic teachings, consecration to Mary does not diminish or substitute the Love of God, but enhances it, for all consecration is ultimately made to God. Pope Leo XIII especially encouraged everyone to make acts of consecration to the Virgin Mary, based on the methods of Saint Louis de Montfort (who was Beatified by Pope Leo), and granted Indulgences for such consecrations. Pope Benedict XV also provided strong support for Marian consecration. Pope John Paul II's motto, Totus Tuus (i.e., "totally yours"), reflected his personal consecration to Mary.

The "Ave Maris Stella".

Available on YouTube at 

http://youtu.be/TacNIbmDZ4s

In the 18th-Century, Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort became a tireless advocate of "total consecration to Jesus, through Mary." In "True Devotion to Mary", Saint Louis de Montfort stated " . . . the most perfect consecration to Jesus Christ is nothing else than a perfect and entire consecration of ourselves to the Blessed Virgin and this is the devotion I teach; or, in other words, a perfect renewal of the vows and promises of Holy Baptism."

Early in the 20th-Century, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, called the Apostle of Consecration to Mary, began a vigorous programme of promoting consecration to the Immaculata and published Miles Immaculatae, which reached a circulation of 750,000 copies a month.

In modern times, Pope John Paul II clarified consecration to Mary in his 1987 Encyclical, "Mother of the Redeemer", in which he stated, "Mary's Motherhood . . . is a gift which Christ, Himself, makes personally to every individual." Pope John Paul II suggested Christians could best "entrust" themselves to Mary by becoming her spiritual sons and daughters.

Theologian, Garrigou-Lagrange, designated personal consecration to Mary as the highest level among Marian devotions. His student, Pope John Paul II, made Marian devotions and consecrations a hallmark of his Papacy, often referring to John 19:26–27, and heavily relying on the spirituality of Saint Louis de Montfort. He also consecrated the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

PART SEVEN FOLLOWS.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Five).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Title: Song of the Angels.

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

Date: 1881.

This File: 13 December 2012.

User: Austriacus.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Mary's Protection and Intercession.

Roman Catholic views of the Virgin Mary place emphasis on her roles as a Mediatrix of men to God, refuge and advocate of sinners, protector from dangers and most powerful intercessor with her Son, Jesus, who is God. These views are expressed in Prayers and artistic depictions, theology, popular and devotional writings, as well as in the use of Marian Sacramentals and images.

The earliest known Prayer to Mary, the Sub tuum praesidium (Latin for "under your protection"), begins with the words: "Beneath your compassion, we take refuge." The artistic depictions of the Virgin of Mercy portray the role of Mary as the protector of Christians, as she shelters them under her Mantle. The Virgin of Mercy depictions sometimes include arrows raining from above, with the Virgin's Cloak protecting the people.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (item 971) echoes this protective sentiment, stating that:

"From the most ancient times, the Blessed Virgin has been honoured with the title of  "Mother of God", to whose protection the Faithful fly in all their dangers and needs."

English: The Virgin of the Lilies.

Francais: La Vierge au lys.

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

Date: 1899.

Source: PaintingHere.com.

Permission: PD-Art.

Author: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

(Wikimedia Commons)

Catholics have continued to seek the protection of Mary, as the Mother of Sorrows (who understands and shows compassion), and relied on her intercession, as the Queen of Heaven, since the Middle Ages. Building on that sentiment, Popes have entrusted specific causes to the protection of the Virgin Mary. For instance, Pope Benedict XV entrusted the protection of the world, through the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace,  during the First World War.

For many centuries, Catholics have used Marian Sacramentals. Since the Middle Ages, the wearing of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Brown Scapular) by Catholics has been a sign of their seeking her protection. Pope John Paul II wore a Brown Scapular, since childhood, and as he momentarily gained consciousness, when he was shot on 13 May 1981, he asked to keep his Scapular during the operation to remove the bullet.

The depictions of Our Lady of Navigators arose from the Prayers and devotions of Portuguese navigators, who saw the Virgin Mary as their protector during storms and other hazards. Prayers to Our Lady of Navigators are well known in South America, especially Brazil, where its 2 February Feast is an official holiday. The Virgin of the Navigators (a variant of the Virgin of Mercy), depicting ships under her Mantle, is the earliest-known painting, whose subject is the discovery of the Americas.

English: The Virgin Mary.

Detail from the Ghent Altarpiece (or Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), 1432.

Dutch: Het Lam Gods (or The Lamb of God).

Francais: Retable de l'Agneau mystique, Gand.

Artist: Jan van Eyck (circa 1390 - 1441).

This File: 14 April 2005.

User: Petrusbarbygere.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Both Miguel Hidalgo and Emiliano Zapata flew flags of Our Lady of Guadalupe as their protector, and Zapata's men wore the Guadalupan image around their necks and on their sombreros. In a 1979 ceremony,  Pope John Paul II placed Mexico under the protection of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, also known as the Order of Our Lady of Ransom or Order of Captives, began in the 13th-Century, in the Kingdom of Aragon (Spain), to ransom impoverished captive Christians (slaves) held in Muslim hands. The Order now focuses on the role of the Virgin Mary as the protector of captives and prisoners. The Sodality of Our Lady, founded in 1563, was also placed under her protection.

The popular Catholic Prayer, the Memorare, relates protection, with the intercession, of the Virgin Mary, stating:

"Never was it known that anyone who fled to Thy protection, implored Thy help or sought Thy intercession, was left unaided."

PART SIX FOLLOWS.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Four).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Santa Maria Maggiore, the first Marian Church in Rome. 

Originally built between 430 A.D. and 440 A.D.

Piazza Esquilino with Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, Italy.

Photo: March 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: Sixtus.

Permission: GFDL.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In the 17th- and 18th-Centuries, writings by the Saints, coupled with Papal encouragements, increased the growth of Marian devotions, and gave rise to the definition and declaration of new Marian Doctrines.

Marian culture continues to be developed within the Catholic Church. For instance, in 1974, after four years of preparation, Pope Paul VI issued the Apostolic Letter Marialis Cultus. In this document (which was sub-titled "For the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary"), Pope Paul VI not only discussed the history of Marian devotions, but overviewed their rationale and provided suggestions for their future direction, emphasising their theological and pastoral value.

Multitudes of Views and Perspectives.

Throughout the centuries, Catholics have viewed the Virgin Mary from a multitude of perspectives, at times derived from specific Marian attributes, ranging from Queenship to Humility, and, at times, based on cultural preferences of events taking place at specific points in history.

An example, of the cultural adaptation of perspective, includes the view of the Virgin Mary as a Mother with Humility (rather than a Heavenly Queen), as the Franciscans began to preach in China, and its similarity to the local Chinese motherly and merciful figure of Kuanyin, which was much admired in South China.

Madonna of Mercy.

Artist: Sano di Pietro (1405–1481).

Date: 1440s.

Current location: Unknown Private collection.

Source/Photographer: http://www.aiwaz.net/gallery/sano-di-pietro/gc343.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Another example is Saint Juan Diego's account of the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe, in 1531, as a tanned Aztec princess, who spoke in his local Nahuatl language. The clothing of the Virgin of Guadalupe image has been identified as that of an Aztec princess.

Other views, such as the Virgin Mary as a "miracle worker", have existed for centuries and are still held by many Catholics today. Instances include the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, which continues to be venerated today as the Patron of Poland, and Our Lady of Lourdes, which receives millions of pilgrims per year. However, the Vatican has generally been reluctant to approve of modern miracles, unless they have been subject to extensive analysis and scrutiny.

Development of Marian Doctrines.

Throughout the centuries, the growth of Marian devotional and venerative practices has been parallelled by the definition of specific Marian Doctrines by the Magisterium.

Apart from the title of Mother of God, which holds Mary as Theotokos, two specific Doctrines relate to the birth of Jesus and the Virginity of Mary. These are distinct Doctrines, which were defined and declared as Dogmas at different times.

Title: The Pieta.

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

Date: 1876.

Source/Photographer: [1].

Author: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

(Wikimedia Commons)

Since the 4th-Century, Roman Catholics have believed in the Virgin Birth of Jesus, namely that Jesus was miraculously conceived through the action of the Holy Spirit, while Mary remained a virgin. This was decided at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. Going beyond the Virgin Birth of Jesus, the Doctrine of Perpetual Virginity of Mary holds that, before giving birth to Jesus, and even thereafter, Mary remained a virgin all her life. This dates back to the Council of Constantinople in 533 A.D.

Two separate Doctrines address the Virgin Mary's conception and death. The Doctrine of Immaculate Conception states that Mary was conceived without Original Sin, namely, that she was filled with Grace from the very moment of her conception in her mother's womb.

The Immaculate Conception was proclaimed a Dogma, Ex Cathedra, by Pope Pius IX, in 1854, as the first definitive exercise of Papal Infallibility. The Dogma of the Assumption of Mary states that she was assumed into Heaven, Body and Soul. This was also defined by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic constitution derived from Vatican II in 1964, declared that the Lord had consecrated Mary as "Queen of the Universe", reflecting the contemporary expansion of knowledge regarding outer space.

PART FIVE FOLLOWS.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Three).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

"The Virgin With Angels".

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

Date: 1900.

Current location: Petit Palais, Paris, France.

Source/Photographer: Art Renewal Center image.

Copied from the English Wikipedia to Commons.

This File: 8 July 2005.

User: Phrood.

(Wikimedia Commons)

This new freedom also permitted literary development of the Marian Mysteries. Hippolytus of Rome being an early example. Saint Ambrose, who lived in Rome before going to Milan as its Bishop, venerated Mary as the example of Christian Life, and is credited with starting a Marian cult of virginity in the 4th-Century.

Liturgical Aspects.

The first Christians did not celebrate the Liturgy and Liturgical Feast in the same way as later Christians; the Feasts of Easter and Christmas were not known, although the Eucharist was celebrated. Liturgical venerations of the Saints are believed to have originated in the 2nd-Century and, in the first three centuries, the emphasis was on the veneration of Martyrs, as a continuation of the yearly celebrations of their deaths, e.g., as noted in the early Christian text on the Martyrdom of Polycarp.

However, in the early part of the 3rd-Century, Hippolytus of Rome recorded the first Liturgical reference to the Virgin Mary, as part of the Ordination Rite of a Bishop. Marian Feasts appeared in the 4th-Century, and the Feast of the "Memory of Mary, Mother of God" was celebrated on 15 August in Jerusalem by the year 350 A.D.

The Madonna of the Roses.

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

Date: 1903.

This File: 6 May 2005.

User: Thebrid.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Growth of Marian Culture.

From the middle of the 11th-Century, onwards, more and more Churches, including many of Europe's greatest Cathedrals (e.g., Notre Dame de Paris and Notre-Dame de Bayeux, among others), were dedicated to Mary. Marian pilgrimages developed large popular followings and Prayers, such as the Regina Coeli, were composed. At the height of the pilgrimage movement, in the 11th- and 12th-Centuries, hundreds of people were travelling, almost constantly, from one Marian Shrine to the next.

The Marian Anthem, "Regina Caeli".

Available on YouTube at 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-EJiI_yAas 

and

http://youtu.be/XDkkw7fgBPM.

In the 12th-Century, the book, Speculum Virginum (Mirror of Virgins), provided one of the earliest justifications of Cloistered Religious Life, as it sought to strengthen the resolve of women, who contemplated a dedicated Religious Life, and encouraged them to follow the example of the life of the Virgin Mary.

By the 14th-Century, Mary had become greatly popular as a compassionate intercessor and protector of humanity, and, during the great plagues, such as the Black Death, her help was sought against the Just Judgment of God. The Renaissance witnessed a dramatic growth in venerative Marian Art.

By the 16th-Century, the Protestant Reformation had introduced a tide against Marian venerations in Europe. However, at the same time, new Marian devotions were starting in South America, based on Saint Juan Diego's 1531 reported vision of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which added almost eight million people to the ranks of Catholics. The ensuing Marian Pilgrimages have continued, to date, and the Marian Basilica on Tepeyac Hill remains the most visited Catholic Shrine in the world.

PART FOUR FOLLOWS.