I love Mother Mary.

And I love contemplating beautiful art that honors her.

I have long admired the Madonna and Child by Carlo Maratta, which is much treasured by my family. My maternal grandma found this lovely image in a small Catholic shop in Chicago decades ago.

I enjoy finding unique depictions of Mary to meditate upon.

Lately, I have come across new images of the Blessed Mother that have aided my prayer time. I hope you will find them as edifying as I have; they are accompanied by prayers and Marian quotes to augment your own reflection.

“To love Our Lady is to trust her in the very moments of trials, in our difficulties.” | St. Gianna Molla

 

“When we appeal to the throne of grace we do so through Mary, honoring God by honoring His Mother, imitating Him by exalting her, touching the most responsive chord in the Sacred Heart of Christ with the sweet name of Mary.” | St. Robert Bellarmine

My favorite Marian prayer is the Memorare:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly to you, O virgins of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

| 15th century, attributed to St. Bernard (d. 1153) and popularized by a priest named Claude Bernard (d. 1461); source 

 

St. Gianna Molla entrusted all to Mary in this prayer of consecration:

“O Mary, into your maternal hands I place myself, and I abandon myself completely, sure of obtaining whatever I ask of you. I trust in you because you are the sweet Mother; I confide in you because you are the Mother of Jesus. In this trust, I place myself, sure of being heard in everything; with this trust in my heart I greet you ‘my Mother, my trust’; I devote myself entirely to you, begging you to remember that I am yours, that I belong to you; keep me and defend me, O sweet Mary, and in every instant of my life, present me to your Son, Jesus.”

 

St. Philip Neri offered this prayer to the Mother of God:

Mary, I love you.
Mary, make me live in God, with God, and for God.
Draw me after you, holy mother.
O Mary, may your children persevere in loving you.
Mary, Mother of God and mother of mercy, pray for me and for the departed.
Mary, holy Mother of God, be our helper.
In every difficulty and distress, come to our aid, O Mary.
O Queen of Heaven, lead us to eternal life with God.
Mother of God, remember me, and help me always to remember you.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.

|  A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns and Meditations; source

Mother of God, pray for us!