Since last week featured a Coronation from a Franciscan shrine with Franciscan saints and martyrs, this week's is taken from a Carmelite monastery. It is (as you can tell) also by Marko Rupnik and his Centro Aletti. This beautiful coronation forms the entire back wall of the Monastery of Our Lady of Mt Carmel in SNAGOV, Romania. Be sure to visit the Centro Aletti site to see it full-size!
The theme is that of the "garden" because in Hebrew, "Carmel" means "Garden." You don't have to know much about the Bible to realize that gardens figure importantly in the beginning of the story, but also in the prophets, and in the Gospel, too, the Garden is a very important place! For the Carmelites, Mary is herself a garden, and according to the Romanian Carmelites' website, an old name for the country itself was "the Garden of the Mother of God."
Apse Mosaic, Monastery of Our Lady of Mt Carmel (Snagov, Romania) © Centro Aletti |
The book in Jesus' hand is open to Rev. 19: "Behold the marriage of the Lamb."
From Easter to Pentecost, pray the Regina Coeli (in place of the Angelus) three times a day: morning, noon and evening.
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia!
R. For he whom you deserved to bear, Alleluia!
Has risen as he said, Alleluia!
R. Pray for us to God, Alleluia!
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia!
For the Lord has truly risen, Alleluia!
Let us pray:
O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we beseech thee, that through the intercession of his Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pray it in Latin!
- Regina cæli, lætare, alleluia:
- R. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia,
- Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia,
- R. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
- Gaude et lætare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
- R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.
Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi,
mundum lætificare dignatus es:
præsta, quæsumus, ut per eius Genitricem Virginem Mariam,
perpetuæ capiamus gaudia vitæ.
Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.