(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 6 November 2010)
Dear brothers
and sisters,
Today, I will
share with you on the Hail Holy Queen prayer.
There are 4 ancient Marian antiphons which expresses the Queenship of
the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are prayed daily, each in different liturgical seasons
of the year as part of the Liturgy of the Hours. Of the four, the Hail Holy
Queen is considered the most popular and oldest form of prayer directed to
Mary; second only to the Hail Mary in popularity. It is also recited at the end
of the Rosary.
History and Background
The Hail Holy
Queen originally appeared in the Latin form “Salve Regina”.
The earliest
known manuscript was found at Richenau in Southern Germany, latest early 11th
Century. This antiphon is now generally ascribed to Blessed Hermann Contractus
the Cripple who lived from 1013 until 1054.
He was born with a badly deformed body from two noble families. He could
not move without assistance and suffered for all 41 years of his life. He also
had a speech defect. He managed to read and write with the greatest difficulty;
but he was highly gifted intellectually. He became a Benedictine monk in 1043 after
his parents took him to stay at the monastery
at Richenau when he was just 7. Hermann was a chronicler, mathematician,
astronomer, poet and creator of the “Salve Regina” and the other Marian
antiphons and hymns and excelled brilliantly in theology, mathematics,
astronomy, music, Latin, Greek and Arabic. He was a model of self-acceptance
and reaching-out love. (http://nyssa.cecs.scranton.edu/salve.html)
By 1135 AD, it
was used as a processional chant at Cluny. The Hail Holy Queen was used as a
solemn anthem for the Magnificat on the feasts of the Purification, Anunciation
and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was also the anthem for the
Benedictus at Lauds (Morning Prayer) of the Assumption. (http://nyssa.cecs.scranton.edu/salve.html)
In 1218, the Cistercians adopted it as a daily processional chant and sang the
Hail Holy Queen after Compline (Night prayers) since 1251. In 1221, the Dominicans started and
propagated the use of the Anthem at Night prayers. The Franciscans also started
using it. The Carmelites had used it after every hour of the Office in place of
the last Gospel at Mass. The Carthusians
sing it daily at Vespers. Pope Gregory IX ordered it to be chanted after
Compline (Night prayer) on Fridays. From the 14th Century down to
today it has been a part of Compline for the Latin Rite, to which we belong. A
partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly recite this prayer.
(http://www.secondexodus.com/html/prayers/salveregina.htm,
http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/BVM/SalveRegina.html)
While
the antiphon figured largely in liturgical and in general popular Catholic
devotion, it was especially dear to sailors; for instance it was recorded that
Columbus’ men sang the “Salve Regina” the evening before they sighted the New
World the next morning. (http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/BVM/salve
regina.html It was also popular at medieval universities as an evening song
and frequently used for devotions in the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (Kris Sommers, The Mary Page: http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//resources/antiph4.html, downloaded on 25 Aug 2009)
In
part 1 of his famous treatise on the “Glories of Mary”, St. Alphonsus de
Liguouri explains how God gave Mary to mankind as the “Gate of Heaven” (Wikipedia, downloaded 5 Mar 2010)
Several
Protestant reformers objected strongly to the Salve and to the title Queen of
Heaven. (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Salve Regina.html) complaining that the anthem
was too extravagant in claiming Mary’s place in salvation history. (Kris Sommers, The Mary Page: http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//resources/antiph4.html, downloaded on 25 Aug 2009). Luther objected
especially to the words “Queen of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope”
(Sable, 26 April 2009)
As time
passed, the hymn became a symbol of Tridentine Mariology and Catholic
Reformation devotion. The hymn was defended, “sung with a loud voice” and
inserted in older manuscripts. (http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//resources/antiph4.html)
It was prayed every Saturday by members of the Sodality of Our Lady, a
Jesuit Marian congregation. (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Queen_of_Heaven)
Peter Canisius (d. 1597) countered the oppositions by writing that when we turn
to Mary in song, we praise God in her, namely, that the work He has done in
her. (Kris Sommers,
25 Aug 2009/The Mary page: http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//resources/antiph4.html))
Mary as our Queen and Advocate
This
motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the
consent which she loyally gave at the Anunciation. Taken up to Heaven, she did
not lay aside this saving office. The Blessed Virgin Mary is invoked in the
Church under the titles of Advocate/Helper/Benefactress and Mediatrix (CCC
969/LG)
This is the
meaning of the “Salve Regina”. It is our belief that she has been drawn to
Heaven but does not forget those who still journey on this earth. She can assist
us only because God so wills it.
When
praying/chanting the “Hail Holy Queen”, we are asking Mary to intercede for us
in all our needs. No one’s life is perfect or always happy. We are all searching for peace. The phrase “banished children of Eve” refers
to this fact. Mary was a real person who understands all our problems. There
are times in our lives when we are afflicted with disappointments, heartbreaks
and illnesses. These are known as “the valley of tears”.
She is our
most gracious Mother. Because we are Jesus’ brothers and sisters, we become
Mary’s children too. He gave her to you
and me when He was on the cross (John 19:26-27) Like a good mother, she longs
to protect and rescue us, her children.
She is always kind and loving even when we feel like we do not deserve
it, that is why we pray “turn thine eyes of mercy towards us”. We can
confidently refer to her as Queen because of her relationship with her Son
Jesus, who is Christ the King.
This
beautiful prayer will give us all confidence to turn to Mary in all our daily
struggles and know that we have someone bringing our worries to God on our
behalf. We will truly learn to let go and find peace in our lives.
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