angels & archangels - 𖢖 Rosary Wisdom

ARCHANGELS: GABRIEL

The Archangel Gabriel

The name Gabriel seems to be composed of the Hebrew words, gebher: man, and \’el: God. It means, therefore, Man of God, or, Strength of God.

Practically all the missions and manifestations of this Archangel are closely connected with the coming of the Messiah. [Dan. 8: 16; 9:21] The most accurate prophecy regarding the time of the coming of Christ was made by Saint Gabriel through the prophet Daniel.

Immediately before the coming of Christ we meet the Archangel Gabriel in the temple of Jerusalem, announcing to Zachary the birth of a son, John the Baptist, the precursor of Christ: \”I am Gabriel, who stand before God, and am sent to speak to thee, and to bring thee these good tidings.\” [Luke 1:19 ]
The greatest and by far the most joyful message ever committed to an Angel from the beginning of time, was the one brought by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, announcing to her the Incarnation of the Word of God and the birth of Christ, the Savior of mankind.

The simplicity and Heavenly grandeur of this message, as related to us by her who was the only witness to Gabriel\’s good tidings, should be read in full in order to understand the sublime and delicate mission of Gabriel in the work of human redemption.

It is the first time that a prince of the court of Heaven greets an earthly child of God, a young woman, with a deference and respect a prince would show to his Queen. That Angel\’s flight to the earth marked the dawn of a new day, the beginning of a new covenant, the fulfillment of God\’s promises to His people: \”The Angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man, whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin\’s name was Mary.\”

Heavenly wisdom, tact, adroitness are evident in Gabriel\’s conversation with the Virgin Mary: \”The Angel being come in said unto her: Hail, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.\”

The Vulgate adds: \”Blessed art thou among women,\” but this part of the greeting was probably added later, taking it from the words of St. Elizabeth, [Luke 1: 42] Gabriel must overcome Mary\’s reaction of surprise at both his appearance and especially at his \”manner of salutation.\” He has to prepare and dispose her pure virginal mind to the idea of maternity, and obtain her consent to become the mother of the Son of God. Gabriel nobly fulfills this task:

\”Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.\” He calls her by her own name in order to inspire confidence and to show affection and solicitude in her perturbation.

The great message is presented to her as a decree of the Most High God, a thing ordained in the eternal decree of the Incarnation, predicted centuries before by the prophets, and announced now to her as an event of imminent occurrence depending on her consent: \”Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.

And of his kingdom there shall be no end. From these words of the Angel, it became very evident to Mary that her son was to be the promised Messiah, the Son of David. But she did not know how to reconcile her vow of virginity with the promised motherhood, hence her question: \”How shall this be done, because I know not man.\” Gabriel\’s reply shows that God wanted to respect Mary\’s vow of virginity and thus make her a mother without a human father, in a unique and miraculous way: \”The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee.\”

As a last word of encouragement and, at the same time, a most gratifying information, the Archangel reveals to Mary that her elderly and barren cousin Elizabeth is now an expectant mother in her sixth month of pregnancy. This final argument was offered in order \”to prove that nothing can be impossible with God.\”

Mary, unshaken in her profound humility, replied: \”Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.\” This reply was Mary\’s consent, a consent awaited by heaven and earth. The Archangel Gabriel departed from Mary to bring to all the Angels the glorious tidings of the Incarnation of the Word.

It seems very probable that Gabriel, the Archangel of the Annunciation, was given special charge of the Holy Family of Nazareth. He was probably the Angel who brought \”good tidings of great joy\” to the shepherds \”keeping night watches over their flock,\” the night that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem.

Gabriel\’s duties towards the Messiah did not come to an end with his birth, Gabriel was probably the Angel who \”appeared in sleep to Joseph,\” first in Bethlehem when he warned him saying: \”Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee in. to Egypt, and be there until I shall tell you. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him,\” [Matt. 2: 13] After the death of Herod the Angel appeared to Joseph again in Egypt to tell him to bring the child and his mother back into the land of Israel, Gabriel who is \”the strength of God\” must have been the Angel mentioned by Saint Luke, in his narrative of Christ\’s agony in the garden: \”And there appeared to him an Angel from Heaven, strengthening him.\” [Luke 22: 43]

It was fitting that the Angel who had witnessed the Savior\’s agony, and who had announced His\’ coming to both the Old and New Testament, should also be the first to announce to the world the Savior\’s Resurrection, His triumph over sin and death on Passover morning: \”An Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and coming rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow,\” [Matt. 28: 2]

It is very probable that the Archangel Gabriel is meant when Saint Paul speaks of the second coming of Christ at the end of the world, when Saint Michael\’s struggle with Satan shall be over, and when all the physical and spiritual remedies of Saint Raphael are needed no more, It would seem that of the three Archangels known to us, Saint Gabriel is the one who with a mighty voice will call the dead to life and to judgment: \”The Lord Himself shall come down from Heaven with commandment, and with the voice of an Archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead who are in Christ shall rise first.\” [1 Thess. 4: 15]

The voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God seem to be the same thing, having the purpose to convey the Divine command to the dead to rise again by the power of the Almighty God. The resurrection of \”the dead who are in Christ\” is the harvest, the gathering of the fruits of Redemption.

Gabriel, who helped along during the long day of man\’s life on earth, in preparing man for the work of Redemption by the Messiah, would seem to be the first among the Angels who are sent out to gather the elect from the four corners of the earth.

⚜️Gabriel, Archangel, the Divine herald. Christian tradition makes Gabriel the Archangel trumpeter of the Last Judgment (1 Thes. 4.16). In Islam, Gabriel revealed the Qur\’an to Muhammad, becoming the Angel of truth. In art and literature Gabriel is mainly treated as the Angel of the Annunciation. In the Annunciation he often carries a lily, properly the symbol of the Virgin. He is often represented on churches with trumpet raised and facing east, ready to proclaim the second coming of Christ.

\”Fortitudo Dei\”, one of the three archangels mentioned in the Bible

Only four appearances of Gabriel are recorded: In Daniel 8, he explains the vision of the horned ram as portending the destruction of the Persian Empire by the Macedonian Alexander the Great, after whose death the kingdom will be divided up among his generals, from one of whom will spring Antiochus Epiphanes. In chapter 9, after Daniel had prayed for Israel, we read that \”the man Gabriel . . . . flying swiftly touched me\” and he communicated to him the mysterious prophecy of the \”seventy weeks\” of years which should elapse before the coming of Christ. In chapter 10, it is not clear whether the angel is Gabriel or not, but at any rate we may apply to him the marvellous description in verses 5 and 6. In the New Testament he foretells to Zachary the birth of the Precursor, and to Mary that of the Saviour.

Thus he is throughout the angel of the Incarnation and of Consolation, and so in Christian tradition Gabriel is ever the angel of mercy while Michael is rather the angel of judgment. At the same time, even in the Bible, Gabriel is, in accordance with his name, the angel of the Power of God, and it is worth while noting the frequency with which such words as \”great\”, \”might\”, \”power\”, and \”strength\” occur in the passages referred to above. The Jews indeed seem to have dwelt particularly upon this feature in Gabriel\’s character, and he is regarded by them as the angel of judgment, while Michael is called the angel of mercy. Thus they attribute to Gabriel the destruction of Sodom and of the host of Sennacherib, though they also regard him as the angel who buried Moses, and as the man deputed to mark the figure Tau on the foreheads of the elect (Ezekiel 9:4). In later Jewish literature the names of angels were considered to have a peculiar efficacy, and the British Museum possesses some magic bowls inscribed with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac incantations in which the names of Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel occur. These bowls were found at Hillah, the site of Babylon, and constitute an interesting relic of the Jewish captivity. In apocryphal Christian literature the same names occur, cf. Enoch, ix, and the Apocalypse of the Blessed Virgin.

As remarked above, Gabriel is mentioned only twice in the New Testament, but it is not unreasonable to suppose with Christian tradition that it is he who appeared to St. Joseph and to the shepherds, and also that it was he who \”strengthened\” Our Lord in the garden (cf. the Hymn for Lauds on 24 March). Gabriel is generally termed only an archangel, but the expression used by St. Raphael, \”I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord\” (Tobit 12:15) and St. Gabriel\’s own words, \”I am Gabriel, who stand before God\” (Luke 1:19), have led some to think that these angels must belong to the highest rank; but this is generally explained as referring to their rank as the highest of God\’s messengers, and not as placing them among the Seraphim and Cherubim (cf. St. Thomas, I.112.3; III.30.2 ad 4um).

The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural fleurs-de-lis or fleurs-de-lys),is a lily (in French, fleur and lis mean \'flower\' and \'lily\' respectively

\"\" — *For History regarding this symbol: See Fleur de lis post coming soon*

Additional reading: St. Gabriel the Archangel. In The Catholic Encyclopedia

ANGELS: JOPHIEL

Angels of Wisdom and the Educational System

Jophiel means the ‘Beauty of God’ (sometimes called Iofiel, Zophiel, Jofiel) and is particularly helpful to those of us in the creative pursuits of teaching and writing of the arts.

Jophiel, we are told, is one of the original Archangels of creation. It is his job to transmit the ‘thought’ of God into the minds of man and woman. Through Divine inspiration of ‘God-ideas’ we co-create the beauty and art form in the world and some of us with much practice will reach a state of mastery, or enlightenment, where a point of complete understanding of how everything in the universe works, is finally reached.
Believed to be one of the Seraph he is said to have been the angel that drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. He is the ruler of the planet Saturn and cited as the intelligence of planet Jupiter.

According to understanding of the Theosophical Society (The Study of Divine Wisdom ), Jophiel works on the second light ray of Love/Wisdom represented by the colour of golden sunshine yellow and with his Religious Retreat (centre of heightened energy) over-lighting Ancient Lanchow, Central China. In daily life you can work with the energy of Archangel Jophiel to bring wisdom, illumination, clarity, inspiration, knowledge, intelligence, patience and insight; and also when working through our shadows, to overcome ignorance, pride, mental confusion, anger, and narrow-mindedness. Ask to be taken to the Religious Retreat in your sleep if you would like Jophiel’s help to overcome these negative traits.

Rank: Crowned Prince (Archangel), of the 2nd Ray of Illumination/Wisdom

Seven Archangels [Scripture]

ARCHANGEL: SAINT MICHAEL

The angels are also evolving beings who are growing towards a standard of perfection. They are our fellow citizens upon this planet and in this solar system. We may think of them as our less material brethren, born of the same Parent, divine in their origin as we are divine, and traveling towards the same goal, which is union with God and perfect manifestation of divine attributes. When Jacob, at Bethel, dreamed of a ladder from earth to heaven, and the angels of God descending and ascending thereon, he had a true vision of the angelic evolution.
Angels differ from ourselves in many characteristics, the chief of which is that they do not have a physical body, and are therefore, normally, invisible to us. The matter of which their bodies are formed is more subtle than that which forms our own. Its vibrations are beyond the visible spectrum, and therefore our eyes cannot respond to them. We have other eyes, however, with which it is possible for us to see them the eyes of the soul. If we will but open our inner eyes, our angel companions will become visible to us, and we shall see them face to face, for they are everywhere present; the air about us is full of unseen beings of many races and degrees.

The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light
Luke 11:34

The existence of angelic beings is more widely recognized in the East than in the West. The religions of the East contain much information about their life and their activities, their methods of growth, their many types and orders, and their universal existence. In the Christian religion we are taught that there are nine orders of angels called, severally, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Cherubim, Seraphim, Virtues, Angels, and Archangels. To each of these orders certain qualities and activities are assigned.

The Cherubim are those which excel in the splendor of knowledge, the Seraphim those most ardent in divine love, and the Thrones those which contemplate the glory and equity of the divine judgments. Hence, the Cherubim enlighten with wisdom; the Seraphim inspire with love; the Thrones teach men to rule with judgment. Dominions are supposed to regulate the activities and duties of the angels; the Principalities preside over peoples and provinces, and serve as great angelic rulers of the nations of the world; Powers are a check on evil spirits; Virtues have the gift of working miracles; and Archangels are sent as messengers in matters of high importance, as were Gabriel and Raphael.
In nearly all the Biblical accounts of men’s visions of God, He is described as transcendent in glory and surrounded by countless multitudes of His holy angels. Two passages which illustrate this are those describing the visions of Daniel in the Old, and of St. John in the New Testaments. Daniel says: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, Whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool; His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.” (Dan. VII. 9, 10.) St. John says: “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” (Rev. V. 11.)

Saint Michael the Archangel is the patron saint of our many parishes. His feast day is celebrated on September 29th. He is regarded as the patron and protector of the church, because he remained faithful to God, and defeated Lucifer.

Revelation 12: 7-12
Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before God day and night. They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death. Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them. But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time.”

Archangels are one of the nine choirs of angels. The other celestial choirs includes: Angels, Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Domination, Virtues, Powers, and Principalities. Among all the angels, Archangels have the most special and protective love for humans and earth. (Jude 1:9; 1 Thes 4:16)

The Church recognizes Michael the Archangel as one of the greatest of the Archangels and is considered to be the guardian of the Church.

Prayer to St. Michael
Saint Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And you, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

DAILY READING

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Reading 1 RV 21:9B-14

The angel spoke to me, saying,
\”Come here.
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.\”
He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18

R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.

R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.

R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Alleluia JN 1:49B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Master Teacher and Chief, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 1:45-51

Philip found Nathanael and told him,
\”We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.\”
But Nathanael said to him,
\”Can anything good come from Nazareth?\”
Philip said to him, \”Come and see.\”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
\”Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.\”
Nathanael said to him, \”How do you know me?\”
Jesus answered and said to him,
\”Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.\”
Nathanael answered him,
\”Teacher, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.\”
Jesus answered and said to him,
\”Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?

You will see greater things than this.\”
And he said to him, \”Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.\”

SEVEN ARCHANGELS

ARCHANGELS

The earliest reference to a system of seven archangels as a group appears to be in Enoch I (the Book of Enoch) which is not part of the Jewish Canon but is prevalent in the Judaic tradition, where they are named as

Michael (Sunday)
Gabriel (Monday)
Raphael (Tuesday)
Uriel (Wednesday)
Raguel (Thursday),
Ramiel (Friday); he is described in the Book of Enoch as having fallen from grace, possibly replaced by Phanuel (angel), who is the fourth Archangel) and Sariel (Saturday).

While this book today is non-canonical in most Christian churches, it was explicitly quoted in the New Testament (Letter of Jude 1:14-15) and by many of the early Church Fathers. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church to this day regards it to be canonical.

In the late 5th to early 6th century, Pseudo-Dionysius gives them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Camael, Jophiel and Zadkiel.
The earliest Christian mention is by Pope Saint Gregory I who lists them as Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel (or Anael), Simiel, Oriphiel and Raguel. A later reference to seven archangels appeared in an 8th or 9th century talisman attributed to Auriolus, a \”servant of God\” in north-western Spain. He issues a prayer to \”all you patriarchs Michael, Gabriel, Cecitiel, Oriel, Raphael, Ananiel, Marmoniel (\”who hold the clouds in your hands\”).

Archangels in current church traditions

In the Catholic Church three Archangels are mentioned by name in its canon of Scripture: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael who appears in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, where he is described as \”one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of the Lord of Spirits\”, a phrase recalled in Revelation 8:2-6.

As well as Uriel, the Book of Enoch, not regarded as canonical by any of these Christian churches, mentions (chapter 21) Raguel, Sariel, and Jerahmeel, while other apocryphal sources give instead the names Izidkiel, Hanael, and Kepharel.

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition the seven archangels are named as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Suriel, Sedakiel, Sarathiel, and Ananiel.

Thessalonians 4:14-16 For this we say unto you in the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not stop them who have slept. For the Lord himself shall come down from heaven with commandment, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and those no longer alive who are in Christ, shall rise first.

Reading 1 RV 21:9B-14

The angel spoke to me, saying,
\”Come here.
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.\”
He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb

The Holy Angels are also called Guardian Angels, because they watch over us [Heb. 1:14]

Jacob saw a ladder reaching up to Heaven, and the Angels ascending and descending [Gen. 28:12]. This was to signify that they came down on earth to protect us, and ascend back to Heaven to sing praise to God. The Guardian Angels watch over us, as a shepherd over his flock. They count ut as their happiness that they are appointed to watch over the servants of God, and promote the welfare of souls, and no wonder, when we remember that the King and Lord of all things came \”not to minister, but to be ministered unto.\” [Matt. 20:28] The service they render us causes them no trouble or anxiety, but rather joy and happiness, for their one desire is that the will of God should be done, and they rejoice in contributing to this. The general opinion of theologians is that every one has a special Guardian Angel who watches over him all through his life. The dignity of the Angels given us depends on the dignity of the persons to whom they are assigned. Each one of us has one of the lower orders of Angels; priests, bishops, kings, etc., have nobler spirits to guide them. Cities, countries, parishes, religious houses, have each their Guardian Angel.

Our Guardian Angels help us in the following ways:

They put good thoughts into our minds, and move our will to what is good.
The Angels who appeared to the shepherds at bethlehem, and who were seen at the tomb of Christ, and after His Ascension, made themselves visible and spoke to men; but generally the influence us without being seen or heard by us. They move us to some step that is conducive to the welfare of our souls or bodies, and often save us from some impending danger by a secret impulse. without which we should have incurred death or misfortune.

They offer our prayers and good works to God.

Thus, St. Raphael offered the prayers of Tobias [Tob. 12:12]. The Angel in the Apocalypse offers the prayers of the Saints in a golden censor [Apoc. 8:3]. This is not because God Himself does not hear our prayers, but the Angels mingle their prayers with ours, and so make them more acceptable to God. \”In all the benefits we receive from God,\” says St. Thomas, \”our Guardian Angel takes part, because he helps in obtaining them for us.\”

They protect us in danger

Thus St. Peter was delivered from prison by an Angel [Acts 12:7 seq.], Daniel was kept safe in the den of lions, and the three young men in the fiery furnace [Dan. 6:29; 3:49]. We read stories sometimes of children being run over, or falling from a height, and escaping unhurt. We can scarcely doubt that this was owing to the intervention of their Guardian Angels. God has commissioned the Angels thus to help us. \”He hath given His Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest thy dash thy foot against a stone.\” [Ps. 90:11] But the chief office of our Guardian Angel is to preserve us from the snares of the devil; the Holy Angels have powers over the evil spirits, who fly away at their approach [Cf. Tob. 8:3] We must therefore commit ourselves to the care of our Guardian Angels in all times of danger, and before undertaking a journey, or any new enterprise, and we should wish our friends when they start on a journey, the good wish of Tobias when his son was leaving his home, \”May the Angel of God accompany you!\”

They often reveal to men the will of God.
Instances in point are the sacrifice of Abraham, the message of the Angel to Zacharias and to Our Lady. The appearance of an Angel sometimes causes fear at first, but it soon changes to consolation and joy. It is just the opposite with the appearances of evil Angels; they give consolation to begin with, but this soon changes to confusion and fear.

If we desire the protection of the Holy Angels, we must try and imitate them by a holy life; we must also honor them, and often invoke their aid.

Experience teaches us that innocent children enjoy a wonderful protection from the Angels. Innocence attracts them, and sin drives them away, as smoke drives away bees. We cannot expect our Guardian Angels to take care of us when we are doing what we know is displeasing to God. We must also beg for the aid of our Guardian Angel; we must congratulate him on his faithfulness to God; we must salute him when we go out and when we come in; we must thank him for all his benefits. We must say with Tobias, \”What can be worthy of his benefits, and what can we give him sufficient for these things?\” [Tob. 12:3]

THE WHITE ROSE

A White Rose

The White Rose is the true home of all the blessed that is with God in the Celestial Sphere. It is described as heaven of pure light beyond time and space.

White roses mean love, affection, purity, innocence, spirituality, and loyalty. The meaning of White Rose. White rose meaning is associated with purity, spirituality, and innocence.

Since ancient times, roses have symbolized God at work in whatever situation they appear. The intricate and elegant rose offers a glimpse of a masterful creator\’s active presence in creation. As this fragrant flower blooms, its buds gradually open to reveal blossoms with lovely layers—an illustration of how spiritual wisdom unfolds in people\’s lives. The strong, sweet scent of a rose brings to mind the powerful sweetness of love, which is the essence of God. So it\’s not surprising that many miracles and encounters with angels throughout history have involved roses

Mystic White Rose

Roses, which have long served as symbols of the Virgin Mary Mother of God who is known also as the \”mystic rose\” or the \”rose without thorns\” among some Catholics, because of her role as the mother of Jesus Christ, who is the world\’s savior. Before sin entered the world and corrupted it, tradition says that the Garden of Eden featured roses with no thorns, and the thorns appeared after humanity sinned. Because Mary played a vital role in God\’s plan to redeem the fallen world, Mary became associated with the original purity of the uncorrupted beauty of the roses God originally designed for the Garden of Eden

When the pure soul sees the Rose itself it appears systematically arranged in an immense white rose: like a hologram, a three-dimensional image, the rose is formed from a ray of light reflected off the outer surface of the Primum Mobile. The queen of this white rose is the Virgin Mary, traditionally represented as a rose herself. This celestial rose recalls large rose windows of Gothic cathedrals, many of which are dedicated to Mary. The image of the rose, often red, is also used to represent Jesus Christ or, in other contexts, earthly love.
The white rose is symmetrically structured according to various criteria, including belief, age, and gender. One half of the rose, already full, holds those who, according to Catholic tradition, believed in Christ to come; the other half, with only a few seats still unoccupied, contains those who believed in Christ already come. Two gendered rows mark this division of the rose in two halves. In the row below Mary appear women of the Hebrew Bible (Eve, Rachel, Sarah, Rebecca, Judith, Ruth, and unnamed others).

Rose Color Meanings
All roses symbolize God\’s love at work in the world, but different colors of roses also symbolize different spiritual concepts. White roses mean purity and holiness. Red roses mean passion and sacrifice. Yellow roses mean wisdom and joy. Pink roses mean gratitude and peace. Purple or lavender roses mean wonder, awe, and change for the better

Song of Solomon 2:1, “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”

During prayer and meditation, the fragrance of roses is a symbol that God’s angels are in the vicinity. It is believed that roses have the most powerful energy and highest vibration only likened to that of angels. Because angels also operate at a higher vibration, they can easily connect with roses.

In Daniel 10:12, we see God dispatching an angel in response to his prayer. The bible reads,

“Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer

Revelation 8:3-4

“And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.”

A slight departure from the visible part of the rose flower takes us to the calyx. In Latin calyx or cup has the same meaning as the chalice or the wine cup used in the Eucharist.

The sepals of the rose flower not only protect the flower but also symbolize the acceptance of divine grace which is poured freely from heaven. Divine grace is the influence from above that regenerates and sanctifies to enable us to endure trials and temptations.

In John 1:4, Jesus is seen as the embodiment of grace from the Father

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth

Colossians 4:6

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

As we think about the rose, let it conjure within us memories of the presence of angels, martyrdom of the Saints, the pure joy that brings perseverance, and the acceptance of divine grace. May it be a fresh breath of the divine love of God for his children —through our actions daily we show thanks by remembering and walking in the ways of truth.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen (3x’s)

QUEEN OF HEAVEN & EARTH

Mary is called Queen of Heaven because her son, Jesus Christ, is the king of Israel and the heavenly king of the universe; indeed, the Davidic tradition of Israel recognized the mother of the king as the Queen Mother of Israel.

The title \”Queen of Heaven\” has long been a Catholic tradition, included in prayers and devotional literature and seen in Western art in the subject of the Coronation of the Virgin from the High Middle Ages, long before it was given a formal definition status by the Church.

early versions the setting is a Heaven imagined as an earthly court, staffed by saints and angels; in later versions Heaven is more often seen as in the sky, with the figures seated on clouds

Official status and feast
The belief in Mary as Queen of Heaven obtained the papal sanction of Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam (English: \’Queenship of Mary in Heaven\’) of October 11, 1954.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast every August 22, where it replaced the former octave of the Assumption of Mary in 1969, a move made by Pope Paul VI. The feast was formerly celebrated on May 31, at the end of the Marian month, where the present general calendar now commemorates the Feast of the Visitation. In addition, there are Canonical coronations authorized by the Pope which are given to specific Marian images venerated in a particular place.

The scriptural basis is found in the Song of Songs (4.8), Psalms (45.11–12) and Revelation (12.1–7) by standard medieval works such as the Golden Legend and other writers. The title \”Queen of Heaven\”, or Regina Coeli, for Mary goes back to at least the 12th century.

Queen of Heaven

V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
R. For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Regina caeli

V. Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.
R. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
V. Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
R. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Compline Holy Saturday

In choro, the anthem is to be sung standing. In illustration of the view that the anthem forms a \”syntonic strophe\”, that is, one depending on the accent of the word and not the quantity of the syllable, It goes as follows:

Regina coeli laetare,
Alleluia,
Quia quem meruisti portare.
Alleluia,
Resurrexit,
Sicut dixit,
Alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum.
Alleluia.
the anthem has been traced back to the twelfth century

Alma Redemptoris Mater

The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the fifth of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary (following the Assumption, the fourth Glorious Mystery) and therefore the idea that the Virgin Mother of God was physically crowned as Queen of Heaven after her Assumption is a traditional Catholic belief echoed in the Rosary.

The title \”Queen of Heaven\”, or Regina Coeli, for Mary goes back to at least the 12th century.

The subject also drew from the idea of the Virgin as the \”throne of Solomon\”, that is the throne on which a Christ-child sits in a Madonna and Child. It was felt that the throne itself must be royal. In general the art of this period, often paid for by royalty and the nobility, increasingly regarded the heavenly court as a mirror of earthly ones.

The subject seems to first appear in art, unusually, in England, where a tympanum over the door of the church at Quenington in Gloucestershire of perhaps 1140 may be the earliest surviving depiction, and there is another in Reading, Berkshire.[citation needed] It was rapidly adopted and is prominent in the portals of French Gothic cathedrals such as Senlis, Chartres, Strasbourg, Laon, Notre-Dame de Paris, Amiens and Reims, indeed most 13th-century cathedrals in France.
There are three examples extant on Devon rood screen dados: at East Portlemouth, Holne, and Torbryan.

\"\" — Artist
Fra Angelico
Year
c. 1434–1435

Coronation of the Virgin (Fra Angelico, Louvre)

The Coronation of the Virgin is a painting by the Italian early Renaissance master Fra Angelico, executed around 1434–1435 in Fiesole (Florence). It is now in the Musée du Louvre of Paris, France. The artist executed another Coronation of the Virgin (c. 1432), now in the Uffizi in Florence.

The Transitus Mariae

The Account of St. John the Theologian

of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God

AS THE ALL-HOLY glorious Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, as was her wont, was going to the holy tomb of our Lord to burn incense, and bending her holy knees, she was importunate that Christ our God who had been born of her should return to her. And the Jews, seeing her lingering by the divine sepulcher, came to the chief priests, saying: Mary goes every day to the tomb. And the chief priests, having summoned the guards set by them not to allow any one to pray at the holy sepulcher, inquired about her, whether in truth it were so. And the guards answered and said that they had seen no such thing, God having not allowed them to see her when there. And on one of the days, it being the preparation, the holy Mary, as was her wont, came to the sepulcher; and while she was praying, it came to pass that the heavens were opened, and the archangel Gabriel came down to her and said: Hail, thou that didst bring forth Christ our God! Thy prayer having come through to the heavens to Him who was born of thee, has been accepted; and from this time, according to thy request, thou having left the world, shall go to the heavenly places to thy Son, into the true and everlasting life.

And having heard this from the holy archangel, she returned to holy Bethlehem, having along with her three virgins who ministered unto her. And after having rested a short time, she sat up and said to the virgins: Bring me a censer, that I may pray. And they brought it, as they had been commanded. And she prayed, saying: My Lord Jesus Christ, who didst deign through Thy supreme goodness to be born of me, hear my voice, and send me Thy apostle John, in order that, seeing him, I may partake of joy; and send me also the rest of Thy apostles, both those who have already gone to Thee, and those in the world that now is, in whatever country they may be, through Thy holy commandment, in order that, having beheld them, I may bless Thy name much to be praised; for I am confident that Thou hearest Thy servant in everything.

And while she was praying, I John came, the Holy Spirit having snatched me up by a cloud from Ephesus, and set me in the place where the mother of my Lord was lying. And having gone in beside her, and glorified Him who had been born of her, I said: Hail, mother of my Lord, who didst bring forth Christ our God, rejoice that in great glory thou art going out of this life. And the holy mother of God glorified God, because I John had come to her, remembering the voice of the Lord, saying: Behold thy mother, and, Behold thy son. And the three virgins came and worshipped. And the holy mother of God says to me: Pray, and cast incense. And I prayed thus: Lord Jesus Christ, who hast done wonderful things, now also do wonderful things before her who brought Thee forth; and let Thy mother depart from this life; and let those who crucified Thee, and who have not believed in Thee, be confounded. And after I had ended the prayer, holy Mary said to me: Bring me the censer. And having cast incense, she said, Glory to Thee, my God and my Lord, because there has been fulfilled in me whatsoever Thou didst promise to me before thou didst ascend into the heavens, that when I should depart from this world Thou wouldst come to me, and the multitude of Thine angels, with glory. And I John say to her: Jesus Christ our Lord and our God is coming, and thou seest Him, as He promised to thee. And the holy mother of God answered and said to me: The Jews have sworn that after I have died they will burn my body. And I answered and said to her: Thy holy and precious body will by no means see corruption. And she answered and said to me: Bring a censer, and cast incense, and pray. And there came a voice out of the heavens saying the Amen. And I John heard this voice; and the Holy Spirit said to me: John, hast thou heard this voice that spoke in the heaven after the prayer was ended? And I answered and said: Yes, I heard. And the Holy Spirit said to me: This voice which thou didst hear denotes that the appearance of thy brethren the apostles is at hand, and of the holy powers that they are coming hither to-day. And at this I John prayed.

And the Holy Spirit said to the apostles: Let all of you together, having come by the clouds from the ends of the world, be assembled to holy Bethlehem by a whirlwind, on account of the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ; Peter from Rome, Paul from Tiberia, Thomas from Hither India, James from Jerusalem. Andrew, Peter\’s brother, and Philip, Luke, and Simon the Cananaean, and Thaddaeus who had fallen asleep, were raised by the Holy Spirit out of their tombs; to whom the Holy Spirit said: Do not think that it is now the resurrection; but on this account you have risen out of your tombs, that you may go to give greeting to the honor and wonder-working of the mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because the day of her departure is at hand, of her going up into the heavens. And Mark likewise coming round, was present from Alexandria; he also with the rest, as has been said before, from each country. And Peter being lifted up by a cloud, stood between heaven and earth, the Holy Spirit keeping him steady. And at the same time, the rest of the apostles also, having been snatched up in clouds, were found along with Peter. And thus by the Holy Spirit, as has been said, they all came together.

And having gone in beside the mother of our Lord and God, and having adored, we said: Fear not, nor grieve; God the Lord, who was born of thee, will take thee out of this world with glory. And rejoicing in God her Savior, she sat up in the bed, and says to the apostles: Now have I believed that our Master and God is coming from heaven, and I shall behold Him, and thus depart from this life, as I have seen that you have come. And I wish you to tell me how you knew that I was departing and came to me, and from what countries and through what distance you have come hither, that you have thus made haste to visit me. For neither has He who was born of me, our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the universe, concealed it; for I am persuaded even now that He is the Son of the Most High.

And Peter answered and said to the apostles: Let us each, according to what the Holy Spirit announced and commanded us, give full information to the mother of our Lord. And I John answered and said: Just as I was going in to the holy altar in Ephesus to perform divine service, the Holy Spirit says to me, The time of the departure of the mother of thy Lord is at hand; go to Bethlehem to salute her. And a cloud of light snatched me up, and set me down in the door where thou art lying. Peter also answered: And I, living in Rome, about dawn heard a voice through the Holy Spirit saying to me, The mother of thy Lord is to depart, as the time is at hand; go to Bethlehem to salute her. And, behold, a cloud of light snatched me up; and I beheld also the other apostles coming to me on clouds, and a voice saying to me, Go all to Bethlehem. And Paul also answered and said: And I, living in a city at no great distance from Rome, called the country of Tiberia, heard the Holy Spirit saying to me, The mother of thy Lord, having left this world, is making her course to the celestial regions through her departure; but go thou also to Bethlehem to salute her. And, behold, a cloud of light having snatched me up, set me down in the same place as you. And Thomas also answered and said: And I, traversing the country of the Indians, when the preaching was prevailing by the grace of Christ, and the king\’s sister\’s son Labdanus by name, was about to be sealed by me in the palace, on a sudden the Holy Spirit says to me, Do thou also, Thomas, go to Bethlehem to salute the mother of thy Lord, because she is taking her departure to the heavens. And a cloud of light having snatched me up, set me down beside you. And Mark also answered and said: And when I was finishing the canon of the third day in the city of Alexandria, just as I was praying, the Holy Spirit snatched me up, and brought me to you. And James also answered and said: While I was in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit commanded me, saying, Go to Bethlehem, because the mother of thy Lord is taking her departure. And, behold, a cloud of light having snatched me up, set me beside you. And Matthew also answered and said: I have glorified and do glorify God, because when I was in a boat and overtaken by a storm, the sea raging with its waves, on a sudden a cloud of light overshadowing the stormy billow, changed it to a calm, and having snatched me up, set me down beside you. And those who had come before likewise answered, and gave an account of how they had come. And Bartholomew said: I was in the Thebais proclaiming the word, and behold the Holy Spirit says to me, The mother of thy Lord is taking her departure; go, then, to salute her in Bethlehem. And, behold, a cloud of light having snatched me up, brought me to you.

The apostles said all these things to the holy mother of God, why they had come, and in what way; and she stretched her hands to heaven and prayed, saying: I adore, and praise, and glorify Thy much to he praised name, O Lord, because Thou hast looked upon the lowliness of Thine handmaiden, and because Thou that art mighty hast done great things for me; and, behold, all generations shall count me blessed. And after the prayer she said to the apostles: Cast incense, and pray. And when they had prayed, there was thunder from heaven, and there came a fearful voice, as if of chariots; and, behold, a multitude of a host of angels and powers, and a voice, as if of the Son of man, was heard, and the seraphim in a circle round the house where the holy, spotless mother of God and virgin was lying, so that all who were in Bethlehem beheld all the wonderful things, and came to Jerusalem and reported all the wonderful things that had come to pass. And it came to pass, when the voice was heard, that the sun and the moon suddenly appeared about the house; and an assembly of the first-born saints stood beside the house where the mother of the Lord was lying, for her honor and glory. And I beheld also that many signs came to pass, the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the lame walking, lepers cleansed, and those possessed by unclean spirits cured; and every one who was under disease and sickness, touching the outside of the wall of the house where she was lying, cried out: Holy Mary, who didst bring forth Christ our God, have mercy upon us. And they were straightway cured. And great multitudes out of every country living in Jerusalem for the sake of prayer, having heard of the signs that had come to pass in Bethlehem through the mother of the Lord, came to the place seeking the cure of various diseases, which also they obtained. And there was joy unspeakable on that day among the multitude of those who had been cured, as well as of those who looked on, glorifying Christ our God and His mother. And all Jerusalem from Bethlehem kept festival with psalms and spiritual songs.

And the priests of the Jews, along with their people, were astonished at the things which had come to pass; and being moved with the heaviest hatred, and again with frivolous reasoning, having made an assembly, they determine to send against the holy mother of God and the holy apostles who were there in Bethlehem. And accordingly the multitude of the Jews, having directed their course to Bethlehem, when at the distance of one mile it came to pass that they beheld a frightful vision, and their feet were held fast; and after this they returned to their fellow-countrymen, and reported all the frightful vision to the chief priests. And they, still more boiling with rage, go to the procurator, crying out and saying: The nation of the Jews has been ruined by this woman; chase her from Bethlehem and the province of Jerusalem. And the procurator, astonished at the wonderful things, said to them: I will chase her neither from Bethlehem nor from any other place. And the Jews continued crying out, and adjuring him by the health of Tiberius Caesar to bring the apostles out of Bethlehem. And if you do not do so, we shall report it to the Caesar. Accordingly, being compelled, he sends a tribune of the soldiers against the apostles to Bethlehem. And the Holy Spirit says to the apostles and the mother of the Lord: Behold, the procurator has sent a tribune against you, the Jews having made an uproar. Go forth therefore from Bethlehem, and fear not: for, behold, by a cloud I shall bring you to Jerusalem; for the power of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit is with you. The apostles therefore rose up immediately, and went forth from the house, carrying the bed of the Lady the mother of God, and directed their course to Jerusalem; and immediately, as the Holy Spirit had said, being lifted up by a cloud, they were found in Jerusalem in the horse of the Lady. And they stood up, and for five days made an unceasing singing of praise. And when the tribune came to Bethlehem, and found there neither the mother of the Lord nor the apostles, he laid hold of the Bethlehemites, saying to them: Did you not come telling the procurator and the priests all the signs and wonders that had come to pass, and how the apostles had come out of every country? Where are they, then? Come, go to the procurator at Jerusalem. For the tribune did not know of the departure of the apostles and the Lord\’s mother to Jerusalem. The tribune then, having taken the Bethlehemites, went in to the procurator, saying that he had found no one. And after five days it was known to the procurator, and the priests. and all the city, that the Lord\’s mother was in her own house in Jerusalem, along with the apostles, from the signs and wonders that came to pass there. And a multitude of men and women and virgins came together, and cried out: Holy virgin, that didst bring forth Christ our God, do not forget the generation of men. And when these things came to pass, the people of the Jews, with the priests also, being the more moved with hatred, took wood and fire, and came up, wishing to burn the house where the Lord\’s mother was living with the apostles. And the procurator stood looking at the sight from afar off. And when the people of the Jews came to the door of the house, behold, suddenly a power of fire coming forth from within, by means of an angel, burnt up a great multitude of the Jews. And there was great fear throughout all the city; and they glorified God, who had been born of her. And when the procurator saw what had come to pass, he cried out to all the people, saying: Truly he who was born of the virgin, whom you have thought of driving away, is the Son of God; for these signs are those of the true God. And there was a division among the Jews; and many believed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in consequence of the signs that had come to pass.

And after all these wonderful things had come to pass through the mother of God, and ever-virgin Mary the mother of the Lord, while we the apostles were with her in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit said to us: You know that on the Lord\’s day the good news was brought to the Virgin Mary by the archangel Gabriel; and on the Lord\’s day the Savior was born in Bethlehem; and on the Lord\’s day the children of Jerusalem came forth with palm branches to meet him, saying, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; and on the Lord\’s day He rose from the dead; and on the Lord\’s day He will come to judge the living and the dead; and on the Lord\’s day He will come out of heaven, to the glory and honor of the departure of the holy glorious virgin who brought Him forth. And on the same Lord\’s day the mother of the Lord says to the apostles: Cast incense, because Christ is coming with a host of angels; and, behold, Christ is at hand, sitting on a throne of cherubim. And while we were all praying, there appeared innumerable multitudes of angels, and the Lord mounted upon cherubim in great power; and, behold, a stream of light coming to the holy virgin, because of the presence of her only-begotten Son, and all the powers of the heavens fell down and adored Him. And the Lord, speaking to His mother, said: Mary. And she answered and said: Here am I, Lord. And the Lord said to her: Grieve not, but let thy heart rejoice and be glad; for thou hast found grace to behold the glory given to me by my Father. And the holy mother of God looked up, and saw in Him a glory which it is impossible for the mouth of man to speak of, or to apprehend. And the Lord remained beside her, saying: Behold, from the present time thy precious body will be transferred to paradise, and thy holy soul to the heavens to the treasures of my Father in exceeding brightness, where there is peace and joy of the holy angels,–and other things besides. And the mother of the Lord answered and said to him: Lay Thy right hand upon me, O Lord, and bless me. And the Lord stretched forth His undefiled right hand, and blessed her. And she laid hold of His undefiled right hand, and kissed it, saying: I adore this right hand, which created the heaven and the earth; and I call upon Thy much to be praised name Christ, O God, the King of the ages, the only-begotten of the Father, to receive Thine handmaid, Thou who didst deign to be brought forth by me, in a low estate, to save the race of men through Thine ineffable dispensation; do Thou bestow Thine aid upon every man calling upon, or praying to, or naming the the name of, Thine handmaid. And while she is saying this, the apostles, having gone up to her feet and adored, say: O mother of the Lord, leave a blessing to the world, since thou art going away from it. For thou hast blessed it, and raised it up when it was ruined, by bringing forth the Light of the world. And the mother of the Lord prayed, and in her prayer spoke thus: O God, who through Thy great goodness hast sent from the heavens Thine only-begotten Son to dwell in my humble body, who hast deigned to be born of me, humble as I am, have mercy upon the world, and every soul that calls upon Thy name. And again she prayed, and said: O Lord, King of the heavens, Son of the living God, accept every man who calls upon Thy name, that Thy birth may be glorified. And again she prayed, and said: O Lord Jesus Christ, who art all-powerful in heaven and on earth, in this appeal I implore Thy holy name; in every time and place where there is made mention of my name, make that place holy, and glorify those that glorify Thee through my name, accepting of such persons all their offering, and all their supplication, and all their prayer. And when she had thus prayed, the Lord said to His mother: Let thy heart rejoice and be glad; for every favour and every gift has been given to thee from my Father in heaven, and from me, and from the Holy Spirit: every soul that calls upon thy name shall not be ashamed, but shall find mercy, and comfort, and support, and confidence, both in the world that now is, and in that which is to come, in the presence of my Father in the heavens.

And the Lord turned and said to Peter: The time has come to begin the singing of the hymn. And Peter having begun the singing of the hymn, all the powers of the heavens responded with the Alleluiah. And then the face of the mother of the Lord shone brighter than the light, and she rose up and blessed each of the apostles with her own hand, and all gave glory to God; and the Lord stretched forth His undefiled hands, and received her holy and blameless soul. And with the departure of her blameless soul the place was filled with perfume and ineffable light; and, behold, a voice out of the heaven was heard, saying: Blessed art thou among women. And Peter, and I John, and Paul, and Thomas, ran and wrapped up her precious feet for the consecration; and the twelve apostles put her precious and holy body upon a couch, and carried it. And, behold, while they were carrying her, a certain well-born Hebrew, Jephonias by name, running against the body, put his hands upon the couch; and, behold, an angel of the Lord by invisible power, with a sword of fire, cut off his two hands from his shoulders, and made them hang about the couch, lifted up in the air. And at this miracle which had come to pass all the people of the Jews who beheld it cried out: Verily, He that was brought forth by thee is the true God, O mother of God, ever-virgin Mary. And Jephonias himself, when Peter ordered him, that the wonderful things of God might be showed forth, stood up behind the couch, and cried out: Holy Mary, who broughtest forth Christ who is God, have mercy upon me. And Peter turned and said to him: In the name of Him who was born of her, thy hands which have been taken away from thee, will be fixed on again. And immediately, at the word of Peter, the hands hanging by the couch of the Lady came, and were fixed on Jephonias. And he believed, and glorified Christ, God who had been born of her.

And when this miracle had been done, the apostles carried the couch, and laid down her precious and holy body in Gethsemane in a new tomb. And, behold, a perfume of sweet savor came forth out of the holy sepulcher of our Lady the mother of God; and for three days the voices of invisible angels were heard glorifying Christ our God, who had been born of her. And when the third day was ended, the voices were no longer heard; and from that time forth all knew that her spotless and precious body had been transferred to paradise.

And after it had been transferred, behold, we see Elisabeth the mother of St. John the Baptist, and Anna the mother of the Lady, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and David, singing the Alleluia, and all the choirs of the saints adoring the holy relics of the mother of the Lord, and the place full of light, than which light nothing could be more brilliant, and an abundance of perfume in that place to which her precious and holy body had been transferred in paradise, and the melody of those praising Him who had been born of her–sweet melody, of which there is no satiety, such as is given to virgins, and them only, to hear. We apostles, therefore, having beheld the sudden precious translation of her holy body, glorified God, who had shown us His wonders at the departure of the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose prayers and good offices may we all be deemed worthy to receive. under her shelter, and support, and protection, both in the world that now is and in that which is to come, glorifying in every time and place her only-begotten Son, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.