A Marian Prayer: Salve Regina: Hail, Holy Queen

A Marian Prayer: Salve Regina: . . .

T  HE CISTERCIAN BISHOP, Amadeus of Lausanne (between the years 1145 and 1159) makes a reference to the Salve Regina.

St. Bernard, his contemporary, calls it “The Antiphon of Puy.” It can be found in a 12th century manuscript in the British Museum, London. It was composed by Adhemar de Monteil, who became bishop of Puy in 1079 and who died in the Crusade beneath the walls of Antioch, in 1098. No sooner did the “Antiphon of Puy,” as it was called, spread in the monasteries of Cluny and Citeaux than it was circulated in various forms.

Thus, for a long time, they sang: “Hail, Queen of Mercy.” It was before 1340 that the Blessed Charles de Blois, added “Hail, Queen mother of mercy.” Likewise, the final invocations, which for a long time were attributed to St. Bernard, were added at an unknown date. At the Protestant Reformation, it was taken away from the Virgin to be given to Christ: “Hail, Jesus Christ, king of mercy. ”

. . . Hail, Holy Queen

No doubt, it was the Dominicans who were the first to sing the Salve Regina solemnly, during a procession, after Compline (or night prayers). Very soon, the Cistercians followed their example and today everyone is familiar with the solemn “Salve” of the Trappist monasteries. Around 1566, in a Confraternity of Antwerp, Belgium, the singing of the Salve Regina in the evening was sometimes replaced by the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with appropriate hymns. This is the origin of the French “saluts” (“salve“) of the Blessed Sacrament corresponding to the salve’s or greeting to the Blessed Virgin. (Translator’s note: in English, we say “Benediction” of the Blessed Sacrament.)

Very popular and known by everyone, the Salve Regina was regularly sung on ships at eventide. Although it was composed by a Bishop and made popular through the monasteries, the Salve Regina is the perfect reflection of the confidence of a Christian who, like a ship in a storm, has been rendered helpless by the cares and anxieties of life in the face of evil in all its forms.

WILLIBRORD-CHRISTIAN VAN DIJK

COMMENTARY

Vatican Il’s Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, explains (in Chapter 8th, No. 67) what true devotion to Mary consists in. Does the Salve Regina prayer fulfill these requirements of a sound Marian theology? We will verify it by answering the following three questions:

1. How does the Salve Regina present her to whom we pray?
2. . . . and those who pray to her?
3. . . . and what is the purpose of this prayer?

Who Is She To Whom We Are Praying?

Although the words “Mother of God” are not spelled out, the reality is there because we proclaim that Jesus is “the blessed fruit of thy womb.” The title Virgin is expressly mentioned: “Virgin Mary.”

She is Queen (Salve, Regina), because she is mother of the King, associated with his glory and power. The mention of the first Eve evokes the title of New Eve. Also, towards us, she can be Mother of Mercy and our advocate, capable of interceding for us with the Sovereign Judge.

Finally, two lists of qualities are given, expressing her attitude towards us, each with a remarkable progression.

“Our life, our sweetness and our hope”: Thanks to Mary, we must first live the divine life; then taste the sweetness of that life; and finally, be able to hope for its eternal fulfillment in heaven.

“O clement, o merciful, o sweet Virgin Mary”.  Mary is clement towards repentant sinners; she is kind and merciful towards those who advance in virtue; she is sweet to those who live close to her.

Who Are We Who Pray To Her?

“Exiled children of Eve, ” “moaning and weeping in this valley of tears. “ These expressions: exile, valley of tears (Psalm 83, 7) must be interpreted, no doubt, in their Christian and not platonic sense. It is a fact that we have not yet reached our heavenly homeland and that our actual situation admits of many and varied sufferings.

But what is the real cause of these tears, of this exile? The word “sinner” is not used, but suggested, as is evident from the titles given to Mary: If we have recourse to her mercy, if we need an advocate, it is because we are children of Eve, i.e., sinners. What makes us moan and weep is therefore, before everything else, sin, the evil of sin, our sin.

What Is The Purpose Of Our Prayers?

Let us note that first of all we offer her our praise.  We greet her.  We proclaim with joy her grandeurs. “Hail, Queen . . . hail! Only afterwards, because our actual situation demands it, do we cry to her, we send up our sighs to her. It is the humble and confident prayer of petition.

And What Are We Asking of Her?

Two things: first, to look upon us, as we are right now: “Turn thine eyes of mercy towards us.” And then, immediately (bypassing lightly all the preliminary stages, however necessary they may be), we ask her for the essential and definitive grace, the happy final end of all our human history. “After this our exile, show unto us, Jesus;”. That is to say, let us see Jesus as He is, for all eternity, at His Father’s side, in the company of the elect. In other words, obtain for us the grace of eternal salvation, of the beatific vision.

Mary Leads Us . . .

Therefore, if we have recourse to Mary, it is not as if she were our final end, but rather that she might lead us to Jesus. True devotion to Mary could never infringe upon what is due to the one and only Savior.

This unique Savior is also the Universal Savior. The “Salve” does not forget it. In fact, let us note who the beneficiaries of our prayer are: always, the whole of humanity. “The poor banished children of Eve;” the plural “us” many times repeated; (to us, our hope, our advocate). It is truly a universal prayer, totally fraternal, one which leaves absolutely no one out – exactly as in the second part of the Hail Mary: “pray for us sinners.”

. . . To Jesus

Notice also the manly, strong, courageous character of that prayer. We do not ask primarily to be consoled here below. We do not ask to be delivered from our present evils, but solely that we might attain Eternal Life. Now the true, the only obstacle to this is sin. Sin is therefore what we must weep over in this valley of tears. Sin alone would prevent us from seeing God. Consequently, what we are asking for right now is a pure heart which alone is capable of seeing God.

Now, what purifies our hearts (as St. Bernard explained so many times) is the practice of the works of mercy. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy.” We cannot honestly, therefore, ask Our Lady to show us Jesus after this exile unless we have truly resolved to put into practice, with her help, the Law of Christ, the law of love. Our Lady tells us, as she did to the servants at Cana, “Do whatever He tells you.” And what He tells us is that we should love one another. “I was hungry”.  He will say to us on the last day (Mt. 25), “have you given me to eat”?

Help Render Us Capable of Seeing God

Thus, the “Mother of Mercy” cannot help but lead us to follow in her footsteps. Helping us to obtain for us the grace to live out for ourselves in an authentic manner the beatitudes of the merciful and the pure of heart. Which will render us capable of seeing God.

ALL IN ALL, DO WE NOT realize how much this prayer of the Salve Regina can help us to put each thing in its proper place?

• Sin is the greatest of all evils from which we hope to be delivered.
• Life with Jesus, the vision of Jesus, is the greatest good we could ever desire.
• Solicitude for the eternal salvation of all our fellowmen is the most important element for a true love.
• The Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our mother, is herself all relative to Jesus.
• The dominant note of this prayer is surely that same confidence of a child towards a merciful mother.  Which is so well expressed in the Memorare prayer which St. Bernard used to like to sing. “Let us no longer speak of your mercy, O Blessed Virgin, if anyone remembers having called upon you in difficulties, without your coming to his help”. (4th Sermon for the Assumption).

FATHER PIERRE