Privileged Octaves. Common Octaves. Simple Octaves.

Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (1945 Edition),
by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., of the Abbey Of Saint Andre.
Originally published by The E. H. Lohmann Co.
Re-published by St. Bonaventure Publications, July, 1999.
www.libers.com

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

(Papacy 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.).

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.

Author: Not Known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

A Double of The First-Class can have:

1.      A Privileged Octave.

a.      Of The First Order (Easter and Pentecost),

so called, because the Church does not permit, during this Octave, the celebration of any other Feast.

Only from the Wednesday (within the Octave), Commemorations of Saints are made by Collects, Proper to them.

b.      Of The Second Order (Epiphany and Corpus Christi),

which gives place only to Feasts of The First-Class, or to the Octave Day of a Feast of The First-Class, on the Calendar of the Universal Church. In these cases, a Commemoration is always made of the Octave.

c.      Of The Third Order (Christmas, Ascension and Sacred Heart),

which admits all Feasts, above the Rite of Simple, within the Octave, but the Octave Day gives place only to Feasts of The First-Class and of The Second-Class. A Commemoration is also made of the Octave.

2.      A Common Octave.

Containing all other Octaves of Feasts of The First-Class which have Octaves. For example, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, All Saints, the Dedication of Churches, Patronal Feasts. These Octaves admit the celebration of the same Feasts as Privileged Octaves of The Third Order. The Commemoration of the Octave is omitted on Doubles of The First-Class and of The Second-Class.

3.      A Simple Octave.

A Double of The Second-Class may have a Simple Octave, i.e., where the Octave Day is kept or Commemorated as a Simple Feast (Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Stephen, etc.).

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.

Benedictine Wisques Abbey Returns To The Traditional Rite. Resettlement Agreed By Fontgombault Abbey With Bishop of Arras.

This Article can be found on the Blog, Katholisches.info Magazine for Church and Culture.

The interior of Fontgombault Abbey, France.

Photo: 13 November 2009 (original upload date).

Source: Originally uploaded on en.wikipedia (Transferred by Ayack).

Author: Robindch.

(Wikimedia Commons)

(Paris). The Bishop of Arras, Boulogne and Saint-Omer, Jean-Paul Jaeger, and the Abbot, Dom Jean Pateau, of the Benedictine Abbey of Notre-Dame de Fontgombault, have sealed the takeover of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Paul, Wisques. The Benedictine Abbey of Wisques will be re-populated by Monks from Fontgombault from the end of the year. Therefore, the Abbey will return to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

As previously reported, a group of Monks from Fontgombault spent several weeks in January, at Wisques Abbey, to consider a takeover. It is difficult to ensure the survival of the Abbey of Saint Paul, Wisques, by the local Convent Monks. The average age of the Monks, in Wisques, is more than 75 years old.

Wisques Abbey was founded in the second half of the 19th-Century by Monks of Fontgombault Abbey.

The Abbey of Wisques thus joins the ranks of the Monasteries which celebrate Holy Mass and the Divine Office (the entire Liturgy) in the traditional form and Gregorian chant is maintained.

Full Story HERE.

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.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Two).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,

unless otherwise stated.

English: The Virgin, The Infant Jesus and Saint John The Baptist.

Francais: La Vierge, L'Enfant Jésus et Saint Jean-Baptiste.

Date: 1875.

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

Source: William Bouguereau, Originally from en.wikipedia.

Author: User Enthusiast FRANCE on en.wikipedia.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The development of this approach continued into the 20th-Century, e.g., in his 1946 publication, Compendium Mariologiae, the respected Mariologist, Gabriel Roschini, explained that Mary not only participated in the birth of the physical Jesus, but, with conception, she entered with Him into a Spiritual Union. The Divine Salvation Plan, being not only material, includes a permanent Spiritual Unity with Christ. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) wrote: It is necessary to go back to Mary, if we want to return to that "Truth about Jesus Christ," "Truth about the Church" and "Truth about man", when he suggested a redirection of the whole Church towards the Programme of Pope John Paul II, in order to ensure an authentic approach to Christology, via a return to the "whole Truth about Mary".

From Veneration to Theology.

Marian venerative practices pre-dated both the Liturgical developments and theological definitions relating to the Virgin Mary. While the venerative practices date back to the 2nd-Century, the first theological definitions started only in the 5th-Century. Thereafter, venerative and devotional practices have often preceded formal theological declarations by the Magisterium.

The veneration of the Blessed Virgin takes place in various ways. Marian Prayers and Hymns usually begin with a praise of her, followed by petitions. The number of Marian Titles continued to grow, as of the 3rd-Century, and many Titles existed by the 5th-Century, growing especially during the Middle Ages.

Jacinta Marto, to whom Our Lady of the Rosary appeared in 1917.

Shortly before her death, at age 9, Blessed Jacinta Marto of Fátima asked 

that everyone consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Photo: 1917.

Source: http://www.todayscatholicworld.com/jacinta-marto-fatima-portugal-1917.jpg.

Author: Unknown.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Our Lady of Fátima, as described and personally approved by Sister Lúcia, 

one of the three children to whom Our Lady of Fatima 

(Our Lady of the Rosary) appeared in 1917 in Fatima, Portugal.

Photo: 15 April 2004.

Photographer: © Manuel González Olaechea y Franco.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Early Veneration in Rome.

Early veneration of the Blessed Virgin is documented in Roman Catacombs, underground cemeteries, where Christians hid in times of persecution. In the Catacombs, paintings show the Blessed Virgin holding the Christ Child. More unusual, and indicating the burial ground of Saint Peter, excavations in the Crypt of Saint Peter's Basilica discovered a very early fresco of Mary together with Saint Peter.

The Roman Priscilla Catacombs depict the oldest Marian paintings, from the middle of the 2nd-Century. Mary is shown with Jesus on her lap, a standing man with tunic (left hand), a book (right hand), a star over His head (symbol of Messiahs). Priscilla also has a depiction of the Annunciation.

After the Edict of Milan, in 313 A.D., Christians were permitted to worship openly. The veneration of Mary became public, as well. In the following decades, Cathedrals and Churches were built for public worship. The first Marian Churches in Rome date from the 5th- and 6th-Centuries; Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Maria Antiqua and Santa Maria Maggiore. However, the very earliest Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, dates to the Late-4th-Century, in Syria, where an inscription, dedicating it to the Theotokos, was found among the ruins.

PART THREE FOLLOWS.

The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part One).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,

unless otherwise stated.

The Virgin at Prayer.

Artist: Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (1609–1685).

Description: Giovanni Battista Salvi "Il Sassoferrato", Jungfrun i bön (1640-1650).

National Gallery, London.

Date: Between 1640 and 1650.

Current location: National Gallery, London.

Source: Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Mother of Jesus) is based on Dogma, as well as Scripture. The Incarnation of the Son of God, through Mary, thus signifies her honour as Mother of God. From the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D., which Dogmatised this belief, to the Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II's Encyclical, Redemptoris Mater, the Virgin Mary has come to be seen and venerated,  not only as the Mother of God, but also as the Mother of the Church.

As the Mother of Jesus, Mary has a central role in the Roman Catholic Church. The Church's veneration of her, as the Blessed Virgin Mary, has grown over time, both in importance and manifestation, not only in Prayer but in art, poetry and music. Popes have encouraged this veneration, but, from time to time, have also taken steps to reform it. Overall, there are significantly more Titles, Feasts and venerative Marian practices,  among Roman Catholics, than any other Christian tradition. Pope Benedict XVI maintains that the Virgin Mary possesses Divine Motherhood, which she continues to bestow, as intercessory "Graces, associated with God's Blessing."

The key role of the Virgin Mary in Roman Catholic beliefs, her veneration, and the growth of Roman Catholic Mariology, have not only come about by official statements made in Rome, but have often been driven from the ground up, by the Marian writings of the Saints, and from the masses of believers, and at times via reported Marian apparitions to young and simple children on remote hilltops. The Holy See continues to approve of Marian apparitions on remote mountains, the latest approval being as recent as May 2008. Some apparitions, such as Fatima, have given rise to Marian Movements and Societies with millions of members, and many other Marian societies exist around the world.

Granduca Madonna.

Artist: Raphael (1483–1520).

Date: 1505.

Current location: Institution:Galleria Palatina, Florence, Italy.

Source/Photographer: [1].

(Wikimedia Commons)

Theological Basis for the Veneration of Mary.

The Catholic veneration of Mary is based on two aspects: The workings of God, who made a virgin the Mother of God, and the Biblical view of Mary as the selected Maiden of the Lord, who is greeted and praised by both Elisabeth and the Angel Gabriel. God's work is further illuminated in the Marian Dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church, such as the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, the factual basis of both taking place in Apostolic time and are, in the Roman Catholic view, part of the Apostolic tradition and Divine Revelation.

Mysteries of Christ and Mary.

In Roman Catholic teachings, the veneration of Mary is a logical and necessary consequence of Christology: Jesus and Mary are Son and Mother, Redeemer and Redeemed. This sentiment echoed loudly through Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome on 25 March, 1987, as Pope John Paul II delivered his Encyclical Redemptoris Mater and said: At the centre of this Mystery, in the midst of this wonderment of Faith, stands Mary. As the loving Mother of the Redeemer, she was the first to experience it:  "To the wonderment of nature, you bore your Creator" !

In the Roman Catholic tradition, Mariology is Christology developed to its full potential. Mary and her Son,  Jesus, are very close, but not identical, in Catholic theology. Mary contributes to a fuller understanding of her Son, who Christ is, and what He did. A Christology without Mary is erroneous in the Roman Catholic view, because it is not based on the total revelation of the Bible. Traces of this parallel interpretation go back to the early days of Christianity and numerous Saints have since focused on it.

PART TWO FOLLOWS.

Ramifications Of The New Normal.

Pope Saint Zephyrinus.

Papacy from 199 A.D. - 217 A.D.

Description: English: from [1].

Date: 24 March 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Original uploader was Amberrock at en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 usingCommonsHelper.

Author: Not known.

Permission: This image is in the public domain due to its age.

(Wikimedia Commons)

There is an excellent Article, today, concerning State Sponsored "Anti-Bullying", on the wonderful Fr. Z's Blog, What Does The Prayer Really Say ?, which can be found at http://wdtprs.com/blog/

Fr. Z opens up with: "With the rise of the homosexualist agenda I am seeing more news reports, on both sides of the pond, about state sponsored “anti-bullying” campaigns for children in schools".

May Zephyrinus suggest you pop on over and ensure that you know what insidious moves are afoot ?

The Titles Of The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part Two).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia,

unless otherwise stated.

The Madonna in Sorrow.

Artist: Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (1609–1685).

Date: Author lived 1609 – 1685.

Source: http://www.bridgemanartondemand.com/art/104827/The_Madonna_in_Sorrow.

Author: Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (1609–1685).

(Wikimedia Commons)

Titles of Mary associated with devotions or apparitions:

Black Madonna of Częstochowa;
Life-Giving Spring;
Our Lady of Akita;
Our Lady of Aparecida;
Our Lady of Arabia;
Our Lady of Banneux;
Our Lady of Beauraing;
Our Lady of Bethlehem;
Our Lady of China;
Our Lady of Combermere;
Our Lady of Covadonga;
Our Lady of Fatima;
Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn;
Our Lady of Good Counsel;
Our Lady of Graces;
Our Lady of Guadalupe;
Our Lady of Good Help;
Our Lady of Good Health;
Our Lady of Good Success;
Our Lady of Ipswich;
Our Lady of Kazan;
Our Lady of Kibeho;
Our Lady of Knock;
Our Lady of La Salette;
Our Lady of La Vang;
Our Lady of Laus;
Our Lady of Lebanon;
Our Lady of Loreto;
Our Lady of Lourdes;
Our Lady of Manaoag;
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal;
Our Lady of Mount Carmel;
Our Lady of Nazaré;
Our Lady of the Pillar;
Our Lady of the Rocks;
Our Lady of the Snows;
María de la Soledad, Our Lady of Solitude;
Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga;
Our Lady of the Thirty-Three;
Our Lady of Vallarpadam;
Our Lady of Velankanni;
Our Lady of Walsingham;
Our Lady of Ta' Pinu;
Our Lady of Tarumba;
Our Lady, Star of the Sea;
Theotokos of Vladimir.

Statue of Our Lady, "Stella Maris", Sliema, Malta.

This File: 8 December 2009.

User: Maris1891.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Most of the devotional titles are contained in the Litany of Loreto:

Holy Mary;
Holy Mother of God;
Holy Virgin of Virgins;
Mother of Christ;
Mother of the Church;
Mother of Divine Grace;
Mother Most Pure;
Mother Most Chaste;
Mother Inviolate;
Mother Undefiled;
Mother Most Amiable;
Mother Admirable;
Mother of Good Counsel;
Mother of Our Creator;
Mother of Our Redeemer;
Mother of Mercy;
Virgin Most Prudent;
Virgin Most Venerable;
Virgin Most Renowned;
Virgin Most Powerful;
Virgin Most Merciful;
Virgin Most Faithful;
Mirror of Justice;
Seat of Wisdom;
Cause of Our Joy;
Spiritual Vessel;
Vessel of Honor;
Singular Vessel of Devotion;
Mystical Rose;
Tower of David;
Tower of Ivory;
House of Gold;
Ark of the Covenant;
Gate of Heaven;
Morning Star;
Health of the Sick;
Refuge of Sinners;
Comfort of the Afflicted;
Help of Christians;
Queen of Angels;
Queen of Patriarchs;
Queen of Prophets;
Queen of Apostles;
Queen of Martyrs;
Queen of Confessors;
Queen of Virgins;
Queen of All Saints;
Queen Conceived Without Original Sin;
Queen Assumed Into Heaven;
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary;
Queen of Families;
Queen of Peace.

English: Mother of Sorrows.

Espanol: Dolorosa.

Artist: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–1682).

Date: Circa 1665.

Current location: Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla, Spain.

Source/Photographer: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/museos/MBASE/index.jsp?redirect=S2_3_1_1.jsp&idpieza=24&pagina=3.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Other Titles of Mary include:

Co-Redemptrix;
Destroyer of Heresy;
Empress of the World;
Favoured Daughter of the Father;
Immaculate Heart of Mary;
Joy of the Just;
Mother of the Poor;
Mother of the Word;
Mother of Orphans;
Mother of Perpetual Help;
Mother of Sorrows;
Mother of the Son;
Mother Thrice Admirable;
Nova Eva (the New Eve);
Our Lady of Confidence;
Our Lady of Victory;
Queen of Heaven;
Ravisher of Hearts;
Spouse of the Holy Spirit;
Star of the Sea;
Tabernacle of the Lord;
Temple of the Most Holy Trinity;
Treasure House of God's Graces;
Untier of Knots.

English: Crowned Madonna, Rokitno, Poland, 1671.

Polski: Matka Boża Rokitniańska Cierpliwie Słuchająca z godłem 

Polski umieszczonym tam w 1671 r. przez króla Michała Korybuta Wiśniowieckiego.

This File: 1 June 2006.

User: Emman.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Titles of Mary in Islam. The Qur'an refers to Mary by the following titles:

Qānitah - the Arabic term implies the meaning, not only of constant submission to Allah, but also absorption in Prayer and invocation;
Siddiqah - "She who accepts as true" or "She who has Faith". The term has also been translated "She who believes sincerely totally";
Sājidah - "She who prostrates to Allah in worship";
Rāki’ah - "She who bows down to Allah in worship";
Tāhirah - "She who was purified";
Mustafia - "She who is chosen";
Nur - Mary has been called Nut (Light) and Umm Nut (the Mother of One who was Light);
Sa’imah - "She who Fasts";
Ma'suma - "She who never sinned".

The Virgin With Angels.

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

Date: 1900.

Current location: Petit Palais, Paris, France.

Source: Art Renewal Center image.

Copied from the English Wikipedia to Commons.

This File: 8 July 2005.

User: Phrood.

(Wikimedia Commons)

THIS CONCLUDES THE ARTICLE ON THE TITLES OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.

The Titles Of The Blessed Virgin Mary (Part One).

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

The Annunciation.

Artist: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–1682).

Date: 1665 - 1660.

Current location: The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. 

ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.

Permission: [1].

(Wikimedia Commons)

Mary is known by many titles (Blessed Mother, Virgin, Madonna, Our Lady), epithets (Star of the Sea, Queen of Heaven, Cause of Our Joy), invocations (Theotokos, Panagia, Mother of Mercy) and other names (Our Lady of Loreto, Our Lady of Guadalupe).

All of these titles refer to the same individual named Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ (in both the New Testament and Qur'an) and are used variably by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and some Anglicans. (Note: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Clopas, and Mary Salome, are different individuals from Mary, mother of Jesus.)

A few of the titles given to Mary are Dogmatic in nature. Many other titles are poetic or allegorical and have lesser or no Canonical status, but which form part of popular piety, with varying degrees of acceptance by the Clergy. Yet more titles refer to depictions of Mary in the history of art.

The Nativity.

Artist: Lorenzo Lotto (1480–1556).

Date: 1523.

Current location: National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., United States of America.

Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. 

ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.

Permission: [1].

(Wikimedia Commons)

There are several stories on the significance of the relatively large number of titles given to Mary. Some titles grew due to geographic and cultural reasons, e.g. through the veneration of specific icons. Others were related to Marian apparitions.

Given the large spectrum of human needs in varied situations, Mary's help was, and is, sought for all of them. This led to the formulation of many of her titles (Good Counsel, Help of the Sick, etc.). Moreover, meditations and devotions on the different aspects of the Virgin Mary's role, within the life of Jesus, led to additional titles, such as Our Lady of Sorrows. Still further, titles have been derived from Dogmas and Doctrines, e.g. Queen of Heaven or the Immaculate Conception.

Mary's cultus, or "devotional cult", consolidated in the year 431 A.D., when, at the Council of Ephesus, "Nestorianism", which asserted Christ's dual nature, was anathematised and the Theotokos, or Mary as bearer of God, was declared Dogma. Henceforth, Marian devotion — which centred on the subtle and complex relationship between Mary, Jesus, and the Church — would flourish, first in the East and, later, in the West.

The Adoration of the Shepherds.

Artist: Gerard van Honthorst (1590–1656).

Date: 25 December 1622.

Current location: Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne, Germany.

Note: Deutsch: Urechter Caravaggisten.

Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.

Permission: [1].

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Reformation diminished Mary's role in many parts of Northern Europe in the 16th- and 17th-Centuries. The Council of Trent and Counter Reformation would intensify Marian devotion in the West. Around the same period, Mary would become an instrument of evangelisation in the Americas and parts of Asia and Africa, e.g. via the apparitions at Our Lady of Guadalupe, which resulted in a large number of conversions to Christianity in Mexico.

Following the Reformation, as of the 17th-Century, the Baroque literature on Mary experienced unforeseen growth with over 500 pages of Mariological writings during the 17th-Century, alone. During the Age of Enlightenment, the emphasis on scientific progress and rationalism put Catholic theology and Mariology often on the defensive in the later parts of the 18th-Century, to the extent that books such as The Glories of Mary (by Alphonsus Liguori) were written in defence of Mariology. The 20th-Century was dominated by a genuine Marian enthusiasm, both at the Papal and popular levels. The 20th-Century witnessed significant growth in Marian devotions and a dramatic rise in membership in Marian Movements and Societies.

Frequently used Titles for Mary in the English-speaking world include:

The Virgin Mary;
The Blessed Virgin Mary;
The Blessed Mother;
Mother of God;
Immaculate Mary;
Saint Mary;
Holy Mary;
Holy Virgin;
Our Lady;
The Madonna;
Notre-Dame;
Queen of Heaven.

Deutsch: Zanobi-Altar, Anbetung der Heiligen Drei Könige, mit Darstellung der Mitglieder der Medici-Familie als Könige: Cosimo (kniend), Piero und Giovanni (Rückenfiguren im Mittelpunkt) und Angehörige des Medici-Hofes.

Français: Sandro Botticelli, L'adoration des Mages.

English: Sandro Botticelli, Adoration of the Magi.

Artist: Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510).

Date: Circa 1475.

Current location: Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

Note: Deutsch: Urspr. in Santa Maria Novella in Florenz, Auftraggeber: 

Bankier Giovanni di Zanobi del Lama.

Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. 

ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.

Permission: [1].

(Wikimedia Commons)

Early Titles of Mary include:

Mary (Maria);
Full of Grace (Gratia plena);
Blessed (Beata);
Most Blessed (Beatissima);
Virgin (Virgo);
The Virgin (Virgo);
Cause of Our Salvation (causa salutis);
Advocate of Eve (advocata Evæ);
Mother of God (Mater Dei);
God Bearer (Deipara, Dei genetrix);
"Ever-Virgin (semper virgo);
Holy Mary (Sancta Maria);
Saint Mary (Sancta Maria);
Most Holy (Sanctissima, tota Sancta);
Most Pure (Purissima);
Immaculate (immaculata);
Lady (Domina);
Mistress (Domina);
Queen of Heaven (Regina Coeli, Regina Caeli);
Star of the Sea (stella maris);
Seat of Wisdom (Sedes sapientiae);
Cause of Our Joy (Causa nostrae laetitiae);
Help of Christians (Auxilium christianorum).

PART TWO FOLLOWS.

The Glories Of Mary.

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: Art Renewal Center image.

Copied from the English Wikipedia to Commons.

This File: 8 July 2005.

User: Phrood.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Glories of Mary is a classic book in the field of Roman Catholic Mariology, written during the 18th-Century by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, a Doctor of the Church.

The book was written at a time when some Jansenists (Jansenism was declared heretical by the Pope) were criticising Marian devotions, and was written in part as a defence of Marian devotion. The book combines numerous citations, in favour of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the Church Fathers and the Doctors of the Church, with Saint Alphonsus' own personal views on Marian veneration, and includes a number of Marian prayers and practices.

The Virgin at Prayer.

Artist: Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (1609–1685).

Description: Giovanni Battista Salvi "Il Sassoferrato", Jungfrun i bön (1640-1650).

National Gallery, London.

Date: Between 1640 and 1650.

Current location: National Gallery, London.

Source: Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The first part of the book focuses on the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) prayer and explains how God gave Mary to mankind as the "Gate of Heaven". On this topic, Saint Alphonsus quoted Saint Bonaventure, namely: No one can enter Heaven unless by Mary, as though through a door.

The second part of the book deals with the key Marian Feasts, such as the Immaculate Conception, Nativity, Purification, Annunciation, Assumption, etc. The third part focuses on the Seven Sorrows of Mary, explaining how her "prolonged martyrdom" was greater than that of all other martyrs. The fourth part discusses ten different Virtues of the Blessed Virgin, while the fifth part provides a collection of Marian prayers, meditations and devotions. An appendix is devoted to defending the role of Mary as Mediatrix of all Graces.

PLEASE NOTE: AN ARTICLE ON SAINT ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, WILL APPEAR ON ZEPHYRINUS, SHORTLY.