Holy Wisdom Is Found Worldwide: The Many Faces of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom
O God, infinitely wise,
in order to raise fallen man
you decreed that the Virgin Mary
should be the dwelling place of your Wisdom.
Through her intercession
may we avoid the spirit of pride
and, following her example,
serve you with a true spirit of humility.
We ask this.
-- prayer found in the Common of the B.V.M.
June 8th is the day that we recognize the Blessed Virgin Mary as the world's 'Seat of Wisdom'. The title has been documented since the 11th century, and is currently used in the Litany of Loreto. The name is in reference to her love of Jesus, especially to a position many mothers often take-- holding their child close on their lap, watching them carefully to be sure they are steady and secure, and then turning them to show their shining face to the world. God is Wisdom in all its forms and phases; He is Wisdom without end. Jesus, through His incarnation, became small and fragile, a sliver of divine Wisdom that was cradled upon the seat of His mother's lap. Just as Mary held her Son close and presented Him to the world, so are we called to hold Wisdom close and show Him to the world, acting as Wisdom's seat, just as His mother did.
Names and artists of each piece:
Madonna of the Cotton Fields, Laura Knight // Holy Mother's Day, Silman Mansour // Indian Madonna, RADA
Madonna of the Andes, Sleightholm Folk Art // Our Lady of Kibeho, Amber Knorr // The Virgin and Child, Oksana Shachko
Madoona and Child, Anne Romby // Madonna and Child in South Africa, Unknown // Mary, Seat of Wisdom, M. McGrath
Our Lady of Indonesia, Unknown // Mary and Jesus, Dorothy Webster Hawksley // The Immaculate, Unknown from Brussels
Madonna and Child, Chen Yuandu // Apache Virgin and Child, Fr. John Giuliani // Our Lady of the Aborigines, Karel Kupka,
