Here is another painting, Madonna and Child, painted by the 13th century artist, Duccio di Buoninsegna. And along with it, the oldest known prayer to the Virgin Mary, dating to the 3rd century.
We fly to your patronage,
O Holy Mother of God,
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Amen.
Can you feel the prayer's urgency, We fly! And the title Mother of God (Theotokos) which was formally bestowed on Mary at the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D.
The third line gets right to it: our lives are full of necessity. We bring all our anxious concerns to the prayer, not only for ourselves, but for our families and dear ones, the nation, the church and the world. The prayer acknowledges that we live in a dangerous world. But may I suggest, the greatest dangers are those which threaten our inner lives:
Name it for yourself: what awareness of dangers do you bring to this prayer? The painting is as personal as the prayer is - notice the Holy Child looks at his mother; while she looks at us.
The prayer then ends with a burst of praise: O glorious and blessed Virgin!
The third line gets right to it: our lives are full of necessity. We bring all our anxious concerns to the prayer, not only for ourselves, but for our families and dear ones, the nation, the church and the world. The prayer acknowledges that we live in a dangerous world. But may I suggest, the greatest dangers are those which threaten our inner lives:
- the danger of our souls suffocating under so many possessions,
- the dangers of becoming toxic by prevailing hatreds,
- the danger of willful ignorance and indifference.
- the danger of not evolving or becoming who we were created to be.
Name it for yourself: what awareness of dangers do you bring to this prayer? The painting is as personal as the prayer is - notice the Holy Child looks at his mother; while she looks at us.
The prayer then ends with a burst of praise: O glorious and blessed Virgin!
