OUR "LAWYER" WITH GOD

One of our Oblates recently came across an icon of our Lady that touched her heart. She called and told me I should do a Blog on her.

She is called ADVOCATA NOSTRA, (also known as The Madonna of San Sistois)  This icon can be traced back to its origin in Jerusalem, where tradition has it that it was painted by St Luke after the Resurrection, at the request of the apostles. Tradition also states that after St Luke had sketched the outline, the image of Our Lady appeared on it (some say by angels) and that no human hand was involved.

 Experts say the images of that first century period were much more natural looking as is this one. It was traditional then to paint a 'funeral' image of the person that would look like the person, not stylized as we see in later Byzantine icons.

 This icon is an  ancient technique, well over 2000 years old, (called encaustics (“Enkaustikos” Greek  for “to burn in.”) in which hot bee’s wax is applied on a treated wood base with binding agents such as  egg (yolk) tempra, linseed and other various oils.

 While we think of Mary as our Advocate, the Latin "advocata"  actually is used for lawyers.  Mary “is our lawyer with God,” said Benedict XVI.

 This magnificent image may now be seen at the DominicanSistersConventChurch of Santa Maria del Rosario on Monte Mario in Rome.

Here is the Hymn to Our Lady which we sing after Compline each night, during the Ordinary of the year.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;
Vita, dulcedo et spes nostra salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Hevae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.