Vierge des Pauvres

Another royal prayer card, showing King Leopold III with his tragically deceased father and wife and referencing the Marian apparitions at Banneux: "Virgin of the Poor, save Belgium!" 

Our Lady of Sorrows

Since the cult of Our Lady of Sorrows has special connections to Belgium, I was particularly interested by this article by Gareth Russell on the history of the devotion to the Mater Dolorosa. As I have mentioned before, the Walloon mystic, Berthe Petit (1870-1943),  reported that Our Lord repeatedly requested the consecration of Belgium to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. By a strange, all too suitable coincidence, a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Seven Dolors also stood at the foot of the cliff where a desperate search party found the body of King Albert I of the Belgians during the night of February 17-18, 1934.

Feast of the Annunciation

Madonna della Sedia

This is an oil painting, from the estate of Princess Lilian of Belgium, which originally belonged to the mother of King Albert I, Princess Marie-Louise, Countess of Flanders. Apparently, it is a copy of Raphael's Madonna della Sedia, depicting Our Lady embracing the baby Jesus, as a young John the Baptist watches devoutly.

Merry Christmas!

[T]he virgin knelt down with great veneration in an attitude of prayer, and her back was turned to the manger, but her face was lifted to heaven, towards the east. Thus with her hands extended and her eyes fixed on the sky she was standing as in ecstasy, lost in contemplation, in a rapture of divine sweetness. And while she was standing thus in prayer, I saw the child in her womb move and suddenly in a moment she gave birth to her son, from whom radiated such an ineffable light and splendour, that the sun was not comparable to it, nor did the candle, that St. Joseph had put there, give any light at all, the divine light totally annihilating the material light of the candle, and so sudden and instantaneous was this way of bringing forth, that I could neither discover nor discern how, or by means of which member, she gave birth. Verily though, all of a sudden, I saw the glorious infant lying on the ground naked and shining. His body was pure from any kind of soil and impurity. Then I heard also the singing of the angels, which was of miraculous sweetness and great beauty. . . . When therefore the virgin felt, that she had already borne her child, she immediately worshipped him, her head bent down and her hands clasped, with great honour and reverence and said unto him, Be welcome my God, my Lord and my Son. . . 

~St. Bridget of Sweden

The Madonna of Bruges

A Michelangelo in Belgium. To quote Mary Ann Sullivan, of Bluffton University:

Scholars have speculated that this work was first conceived for an altar in the Siena Duomo commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini. At some point Michelangelo must have been persuaded to sell the sculpture to an affluent Bruges gentleman, Jan de Moscron, who in 1514 donated the work as part of a sumptuous altar to the Church of Our Lady. It is also speculated that the sculpture had originally been conceived with a lower viewing angle, which would explain the odd proportions and the downcast eyes of both Jesus and Mary. During Michelangelo's lifetime, this work was the sole sculpture by him outside of Italy although today both the Louvre and the Hermitage own works by him...

Unlike many depictions of the Madonna and Child, this work is sober and serious. Symbolically, it illustrates the traditional idea that the Virgin was aware of her Child's tragic destiny; her pensive gaze seems to reflect this. In addition, Jesus steps down from her lap as if he too is aware of his future role. Here he seems ready to walk and to begin symbolically the journey that will lead to his Passion.

(Image credits and permissions, HERE and HERE.)

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!

Carlota's Prayer

In the 1939 film Juarez, Bette Davis, cast as the tragic Belgian empress of Mexico, begs Our Lady for a child.

Miracle of the Sun

Today marks the anniversary of the final apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. On October 13, 1917, the three shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, saw Our Lady appear as the joyful Virgin Mother, the Sorrowful Mother, and Our Glorious Lady of Mount Carmel. They also saw St. Joseph, holding the Child Jesus. The assembled crowds saw the sun dance in the sky, radiating multicolored lights. Here are some testimonies of the event:

"Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, whose aspect was biblical as they stood bare-headed, eagerly searching the sky, the sun trembled, made sudden incredible movements outside all cosmic laws — the sun 'danced' according to the typical expression of the people." ― Avelino de Almeida, writing for O Século (Portugal's most widely circulated and influential newspaper, which was pro-government and anti-clerical at the time. Almeida's earlier articles had satirized the previously reported events at Fátima).

"The sun, at one moment surrounded with scarlet flame, at another aureoled in yellow and deep purple, seemed to be in an exceeding fast and whirling movement, at times appearing to be loosened from the sky and to be approaching the earth, strongly radiating heat." ― Dr. Domingos Pinto Coelho, writing for the newspaper Ordem.

"…The silver sun, enveloped in the same gauzy grey light, was seen to whirl and turn in the circle of broken clouds… The light turned a beautiful blue, as if it had come through the stained-glass windows of a cathedral, and spread itself over the people who knelt with outstretched hands… people wept and prayed with uncovered heads, in the presence of a miracle they had awaited. The seconds seemed like hours, so vivid were they." - Reporter for the Lisbon newspaper O Dia.

Our Lady of Victory

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto and the Feast of Our Lady of Victory.

Prayer to Our Lady of Banneux

Here is a prayer to Our Lady of Banneux.

Notre-Dame de Banneux, Vierge des Pauvres, vous avez dit: "Je viens soulager la souffrance." Sainte Mère de Dieu et Mère du Sauveur, vous faites entendre à nouveau l'appel miséricordieux de votre divin Fils: "Venez à moi vous tous qui êtes chargés et qui peinez, et je vous soulagerai." Mère de tous les hommes, vous êtes venue pour toutes les nations et vous demandez de prier beaucoup. Nous mettons en Vous notre confiance. Daignez écouter nos prières. Penchez-vous sur nos misères spirituelles et temporelles. Ramenez à Jésus les pauvres âmes égarées et augmentez la foi des fidèles. Sainte Vierge Marie, soyez secourable aux indigents; aidez-nous à sanctifier les épreuves de la vie; soulagez les malades et priez pour tous vos enfants. O Vierge des Pauvres, vous êtes notre espérance! Que par votre médiation maternelle le règne du Christ-Roi s'étende sur toutes les nations. Ainsi soit-il.

Our Lady of Banneux, Virgin of the Poor, you have said: "I come to relieve suffering." Holy Mother of God and Mother of the Savior, you make us hear anew the merciful call of your divine Son: "Come to me, all ye who are burdened and who suffer, and I will relieve you." Mother of all men, you have come for all nations and you ask us to pray much. We place our trust in You. Deign to hear our prayers. Look upon our spiritual and temporal miseries. Lead back to Jesus the poor straying souls and increase the faith of the faithful. Holy Virgin Mary, bring aid to the indigent; help us to sanctify the trials of life; relieve the sick and pray for all your children. O Virgin of the Poor, you are our hope! By your maternal mediation, may the reign of Christ the King spread over all nations. Amen.

Imprimatur: Friburg, June 1, 1945.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Quite a privilege for King Baudouin to be born the day before this wonderful feast!

Queen of Heaven

Coronation of the Virgin (ca. 1350) by Giacomo di Mino

Memorare

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 aid or sought Thy intercession,

was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, 

I fly unto thee, Virgin of Virgins, my Mother;

to Thee do I come, before Thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful,

despise not my petitions, but in Thy clemency, hear and answer me.

Amen. 

Church of Our Lady, Laeken