May, the Month of Our Lady

As May, the month of Our Lady, draws to a close, perhaps it might be fitting to reflect a little on the role of Our Lady in tandem with the Holy Feast of Pentecost – since the feast of her Queenship and that of the coming of Holy Ghost coincide this year.

Fra Angelico’s fresco of The Coronation of the Virgin (1434) is in the Uffizi Gallery.

The following passage is from Fr Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., and his book “The Mother of Our Saviour”:

“The mystery of the Ascension raised Mary’s thoughts still higher heavenwards. The evening of that day, when she withdrew to the Supper-room with the Apostles (Acts 1:14) she must have felt, as they too did, how empty the world was without Jesus. The difficulty of converting the pagan world loomed up in all its magnitude. The presence of Our Lady helped the Apostles to face it. In union with Jesus she merited, de congruo, the graces they were about to receive in this room where the Blessed Eucharist had been instituted, where they had been ordained priests, and where the Master had appeared to them after His Resurrection.

The day of Pentecost comes. The Holy Ghost descends on Mary and on the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire, to give the final enlightenment concerning the mysteries of man’s salvation, and to impart the strength needed for the immense and arduous task that awaited its accomplishment. On that day, the Apostles were confirmed in grace. St. Peter went forth to manifest by his preaching that he had received fullness of knowledge of the mystery of Jesus Christ, Saviour and Author of newness of life. One and all, from being fearful the apostles became courageous, rejoicing to suffer for the name of Jesus. How marvellous must not Mary’s progress have been—she who was to be on earth, as it were, the heart of the infant Church!

Now that Jesus has ascended to Heaven no one will participate as she in His love for His Father and for souls. By her prayer, her contemplation, her ceaseless generosity, she will, in some way, sustain the souls of the Twelve, following them as a mother in the labours and difficulties of their apostolate, right up to the crown of martyrdom. They are her sons. The Church will later call her Queen of Apostles.

Even now she cares for them and makes their work fruitful by a continual oblation of herself in union with the sacrifice of Jesus perpetuated on the altar.”

From The Mother of Our Saviour – Fr Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
The May Altar in the Form 1 and Form 2 classroom. The girls have been assiduous in bringing in flowers from their homes and gardens, despite the cold weather making flowers a little hard to come by!

Our Lady, as Mediatrix of all graces, has obtained every grace for us – our return for her love, while little, nevertheless expresses the desires of our hearts to honour her in every way we can. So we sing hymns to her daily during Mass, and decorate her altars, and pray the rosary daily, asking to imitate her in her love for her Divine Son.

Sister Anna teaching the girls music for the Mass.

At our most recent school Mass on Friday, the girls sang O Maria, Virgo Pia for the Communion hymn, and then Ave Maria in a round for the recessional.

Click on the picture to hear the recording of the first hymn:

And the recessional, Ave Maria:

 

We also had a bit of excitement earlier this week, in the form of a four-legged visitor:

A little hedgehog caused much excitement (and disrupted the Study Hall mightily) on Monday afternoon.
Here it takes a little sniff at Gwen’s shoe.

Perhaps the poor creature was displaced and disoriented after the earthquake that morning, near Levin. At a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter Scale, it was even felt here in Wanganui – more cause for excitement while the girls and Sisters scrambled to get under desks and chairs while the rolling and trembling lasted.

Since it’s nearly June, it also means the mid-year exams are nearly upon us. So it’s time to study, and study, and study….

Annie trying to get a little sunshine (Vitamin D!) and study at the same time while fighting a losing battle with wind and loose-leaf on the corridor of the Girls’ School.

May Our Lady, Spouse of the Holy Ghost, obtain for us all the graces necessary to celebrate the Holy Feast of Pentecost with greater fervour and love.

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