Regina Coeli with Art: This Week's Image

 

From the North Transept clerestory (the way high part) of Chartres Cathedral comes this Coronation (photo by Philip Maye). As described in the website of the University of Pittsburgh's Digital Library: "At left, Mary (haloed, barefooted) sits on a wide throne. She gestures toward Christ...who is placing a crown on her head."

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.

Praying the Regina Coeli with Art: This Week's Image

It's Easter Sunday! Celebrating the glorious Resurrection of Jesus, the Church shifts for 50 days from praying the Angelus (commemorating the Incarnation) to praying the Regina Coeli: an exultant prayer to Mary over the Triumph her Son won over death, the grave, sin, all of it. Here at The Angelus Project, that means a 7 week shift from Annunciations to images of the Coronation of the Virgin. Even though that is not quite the scene we are praying with, it does reflect the first words: "Regina Coeli" (Queen of Heaven).

Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik has created a number of mosaic depictions of the Coronation of the Virgin. As you might expect, these draw on Eastern iconography and especially on the Song of Songs, which has long been associated with the Virgin Mary as herself a "type" or prophecy-in-person of the Church, the Bride of Christ.

This Coronation is from the chapel of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows of Tarbes. In the detail, you can see Jesus is also putting a ring on Mary's finger, highlighting the bridal imagery. In the Coronation, what is being stressed is Mary as the foremost member of the Church. 

© Centro Aletti 

Here's a detail of the same image:

© Centro Aletti

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.

Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Image

From the collection of the University of Pittsburgh comes this photo of an Annunciation (one of several!) from the medieval masterpiece that is the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres. This is from the window called "The Life of Virgin." As in one of the other Chartres Annunciations, Gabriel's foot (though in this case not Mary's) extends outside of the frame of the scene. Is this to indicate that this message is not just about Mary? Or does it hint at something else: a hurried arrival, perhaps, or a courtier's bended knee before a sovereign? 

You can view the image in great detail at the University of Pittsburgh Digital Library site.

Photo contributed to ULS Digital Collections by Jane Vandal. 

Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Image

A 1947 Annunciation by Chinese artist and art scholar (John) Lu Hongnian (1919-1989); a much earlier Annunciation was featured here in January. As in the image by the same artist featured in January, Lu Hongnian incorporates typical Annunciation motifs within a traditional Chinese style.

The Chinese sister in my community who translated the text commented, "1947 was the height of the persecution. It is amazing that he would paint an Annunciation in that environment!"

The text in the cloud reads:

Spring of 1947

Art work of Lu Hong Nian from Tai Chang (I am not sure of the pronunciation of this city where he is from)

Painted in Beijing (the way it says Beijing is the old name of Beijing)