May we be given the grace to give ourselves over to the contemplation of the many ineffable excellencies of the great Mother of God, thanking the Lord for having predestined the humble Virgin of Nazareth to the plenitude of glory and grace that far exceeds the comprehension of any created intellect; and may we have recourse to this great Mother and Queen of ours, whom Our Crucified Lord vouchsafed unto us as one of our most precious treasures.

As it is written in the Introit for the Mass of the Feast of Blessed Mary the Virgin, Queen of All Saints and Mother of Beautiful Love (cf. Cant. ch. iii., 11; die 31 Maji; Missae propriae quae in aliquibus locis celebrari possunt, Missale Romanum):

Go forth and behold, ye daughters of Sion, your Queen, whom the morning stars do praise: at whose beauty the sun and moon marvel, and all the sons of God rejoice.

May Our Blessed Lady bring each one of us the plenitude of every heavenly grace and blessing throughout the beautiful month of May.

It's rather bright in my opinion.

hey hobbledehoy what is the name of the book in picture you posted? its on the lower left corner.

Hello Herbert:

It appears that the word in the book is "Hæresin," which comes from the Latin "hæresis," which is "heresy" in the vernacular. The figure, who seems garbed as if he were a cleric of some sort, has his head bowed and eyes closed in a gesture that speaks of profound consternation that is consequent upon the great ruin caused by his heretical teachings (symbolized by the book) and that seems to lead him to Our Lady, who will grant him the grace of humble contrition. The figure already shows the sign of requisite purpose of amendment by casting the book away (a gesture of abjuration of his heresy) as he turns to the Blessed Virgin. This may symbolize that even the most horrendous of heretics can indeed have the hope that Our Lady's intercession will avail him unto grace and salvation if he only repents sincerely and ceases to profess and propagate his errors.

His counterpart on the other side of the image is a condemned criminal, who also shows signs of conversion and devotion to Our Lady. Such a sinner also may hope that he will attain to the life of grace and life everlasting in Heaven if he only repents, converts and devotes himself to the Blessed Virgin.

This is why devotion to Our Lady [together with her Rosary] is morally indispensable for those who would do penance and attain to the life of grace in such manner that Our Lord has willed it and has revealed it through the Scriptures, the teachings of Holy Mother Church and the writings and examples of the Saints.

Thank you so much Herbert for asking that question. I would have never noticed such a beautiful detail, had you never posited such a query.

thanks for explantrion hobbledehoy!