Tuesday, 12 August 2014

Mater Castissima Mother Most Chaste

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/prayers/matercastissima.html
Mater Castissima - Mother Most Chaste 
The Marian Library has in its possession rare books of the eighteenth century with engravings by the renowned Augsburg artist, Josef Sebastian Klauber (ca. 1700-1768). The highly symbolic and illustrative reproductions are typical of the Baroque period. Their message is of great spiritual riches. Mary's profile is that of the exalted Mother, Virgin, and Queen, as suits the period. 
To highlight Mary's chastity, her effigy is surrounded by two of the classical symbols of Our Lady's virginity, namely: 
  • Hortus conclusus
    (enclosed garden)
  • Fons signatus
    (sealed fountain)
Both symbols appear in the Song of Songs, "You are. . .my sister, my bride, an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed." (Canticle 4, 12).
The typical half-image of Mother and child form the crown of a tree which bears simultaneously, flowers and fruit.  They are symbols of Mary's role as simultaneously virgin (flower) and mother (fruit).
"What a beautiful and chaste creature (generation)" (Wisdom 4).

No comments:

Post a Comment