Hail Holy Queen - Mercy

[Pbuschur]

While praying the rosary, I started thinking of the words mercy in the hail holy queen prayer.

In the first instance, Mother of Mercy, it is clear that this is referring to Jesus and thus is understood,

In the second instance, your eyes of mercy, it appears to refer to Mary, I understand that Mary is in position of highest honor, is queen of heaven, and dwells with and in our Lord and Father, but does this give her the right of being associated with mercy, which seems must be reserved to our Lord? and judgement?

 

[Shiann]

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you do we cry poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, O most gracious advocate, **your eyes of mercy ** toward us and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement! O loving! O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

[emphasis added by me.]

In the second instance, your eyes of mercy, it appears to refer to Mary, I understand that Mary is in position of highest honor, is queen of heaven, and dwells with and in our Lord and Father, but does this give her the right of being associated with mercy, which seems must be reserved to our Lord? and judgement?

I think we can all have/give mercy, and this is not restricted because our Lord has Perfect Mercy. In fact he calls us to perform works of mercy:

Mercy as it is here contemplated is said to be a virtue influencing one’s will to have compassion for, and, if possible, to alleviate another’s misfortune. It is the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas that although mercy is as it were the spontaneous product of charity, yet it is to be reckoned a special virtue adequately distinguishable from this latter. In fact the Scholastics in cataloguing it consider it to be referable to the quality of justice mainly because, like justice, it controls relations between distinct persons. It is as they say ad alterum. Its motive is the misery which one discerns in another, particularly in so far as this condition is deemed to be, in some sense at least, involuntary. Obviously the necessity which is to be succoured can be either of body or soul. Hence it is customary to enumerate both corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Spiritual Works of Mercy:

To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.

Catholic Encyclopedia regarding Mercy

I am asking for Mary to show me these same works of mercy, and advocate to her son to help me perform these same works and the corporal works of mercy on others here on earth.

I guess to answer your question, I don’t believe that mercy is restricted to Jesus himself. Thankfully!

 

[mercygate]

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

 

[DaveBj]

Just out of curiosity, when was this prayer originally composed, and in what language?

Reason for asking–every time I read it I am struck by how awkwardly it was translated into English.

DaveBj

 

[mercygate]

DaveBj:

Just out of curiosity, when was this prayer originally composed, and in what language?

Reason for asking–every time I read it I am struck by how awkwardly it was translated into English.

DaveBj

Dave, help us out here and look it up – I’m sure there’s plenty of information on this on the Internet and for sure the Catholic Encyclopedia will have an entry on it.

I have just received a Carthusian chant version which omits the word “mater.” In other words, it translates, “Hail, Queen of mercy” rather than “Hail, Queen, Mother of mercy” as the conventional text would translate had the word “holy” not been added. The “O clemens, O pia, O dulcis virgo Maria” was an addendum at a later date – that much I know but do check for yourself and if you would be so kind, get back to us. Thanks!

 

[puzzleannie]

there is another post on using Latin. This was the first prayer I learned to sing in Latin, and after not hearing it for 30 years, when they sang it at Steubenville it came back to me like a gift, now I close my night prayer singing Salve Regina every night. As I recall the English words in my childhood were slightly different, more archaic, maybe it has been updated like so many prayers.

 

[DaveBj]

mercygate:

Dave, help us out here and look it up – I’m sure there’s plenty of information on this on the Internet and for sure the Catholic Encyclopedia will have an entry on it.

bites bullet

Okay, there is a website that has a Q&A to one Father Mateo, with that question and this response:

The hymn “Hail Holy Queen”, is of disputed origin and authorship. It is variously attributed to several different people. The most likely candidates are: 1) Pedro Martinez, bishop of Compostela, died 1000; 2) Herman the Cripple, monk of the abbey of Reichenau, died 1054; 3) St. Bernard of Clairvaux, died 1153.

Its first well attested use in the liturgy is in France at the Abbey of
Cluny in 1135.

I’m looking further, but if those dates hold out, that would indicates that it probably was composed in Latin. I do have the Latin text; it is included in the Virtual Rosary (which I recommend, BTW).

Looking further…

DaveBj

 

[DaveBj]

DaveBj:

Looking further…

DaveBj

Didn’t quite make it in time to just edit the previous post.

Had several other hits, but none of them added any information to what Fr. Mateo said. So it looks like it is of 11th-12th century French origin, but probably composed in Latin. The English translation was probably done by a literalist, because it is extremely awkward and looks like it was trying to preserve the word order of another language. I may do an interlinear translation and compare it with the received English translation–but not tonight.

DaveBj

 

[mercygate]

DaveBj:

bites bullet

You’re a good sport! Thanks for doing your own legwork.

DaveBj:

The English translation was probably done by a literalist, because it is extremely awkward and looks like it was trying to preserve the word order of another language.

If the translator were a strict literalist, he would not have added the word “holy,” would have added the word “hail” after “our hope,” and not have added the word “gracious” before “advocate” – all of which modifications assist the flow.

 

[Faithful_2_Rome]

When I pray this prayer, at that stanza, I usually envision BOTH her and Jesus…her eyes of Mercy…and also her turning Jesus eyes of Mercy toward us

But there isnt any big concern here…she IS PREFECTION…therefore her eyes ARE MERCY

As much as we are all miserable sinners and imperfect…can we not turn a merciful eye to someone that is suffering? Do we not do this ourselves?

How much more than can Perfection itself…the IMMACUALTE CONCEPTION actually HAVE at ALL TIMES…“Eyes of Mercy”