Ave Regina Caelorum
Hail, O Queen of the Heavens!
Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven, Fra Angelico (c 1432), Uffizi Gallery
“Ave Regina Caelorum” (“Hail, Oh Queen of the Heavens” ) is the Marian antiphon assigned to the time between the last day of the Christmas season to the middle of Holy Week (from Compline of February 2nd until Compline of Wednesday in Holy Week, the day before the Triduum begins). “Ave Regina Caelorum” has been sung since the 13th century. This antiphon refers to Mary as Queen as do two of the other Marian antiphons[1], “Salve Regina” (“Greetings Oh Queen”) and “Regina Caeli” (“Oh Queen of Heaven”), although each of these antiphons refers to Mary’s queenship in a slightly different way.
The marvelously talented monk Herman Contractus (+1054) (Herman the Cripple, or Herman the Contracted) is sometimes suggested as the author of this Marian antiphon because he is often credited with the authorship of two of the others, “Alma Redemptoris Mater,” and the “Salve Regina.”
This salute to the Queen of the Heavens uses many varied terms to address her: Ave, Salve, Gaude, Vale. The text hails Mary as the root, radix, and the door, porta, through which the Light has risen onto the earth. It praises her glory and her beauty (gloriosa, decora, speciosa), which surpasses that of all others.
Antiphon, the Versicle, and the Collect
Here is the antiphon with the versicle and response, and the traditional Collect. (The Collect begins with Oremus, Let us pray.) St. Jerome noted that the versicle (V.) and response (R.) originally appeared in the writings of St. Ephrem the Syrian (306-373).
Ave Regina coelorum,
Ave Domina Angelorum:
Salve radix, salve porta,
Ex qua mundo lux est orta;
Gaude, Virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa:
Vale, O valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum exora.
V. Dignare me laudare te, Virgo sacrata.
R. Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.
OREMUS
Concede, misericors Deus, fragilitati nostrae praesidium: ut, qui sanctae Dei Genetricis memoriam agimus, intercessionis ejus auxilio, a nostris iniquitatibus resurgamus. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Hail, Queen of the Heavens!
Hail, Lady of the Angels!
Hail root and hail gate,
Through which the Light has risen upon the world!
Rejoice, O Glorious Virgin,
Loveliness surpassing all!
Hail, O hail Beautiful One!
And pray to Christ for us.
V. Vouchsafe, O Holy Virgin, that I may praise thee.
R. Give me power against thine enemies.
LET US PRAY
Grant, O merciful God, thy protection to us in our weakness; that we who celebrate the memory of the Holy Mother of God, may, through the aid of her intercession, rise again from our sins. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Little Story about Mary’s Beauty
This reminds me of a real life story I was told during an interview with an Ignatius Press best-selling author, who had a mystical meeting with Mary in a dream. Roy Schoeman[2] was an unbelieving Jew who experienced an encounter with God one day when he was walking in nature. He then started asking God in prayer every night to tell him who He was, so he could worship Him. A year to the day after Schoeman started asking God that question, he went to bed and had a dream in which he was brought into the presence of “the most beautiful woman you could possibly imagine.” He didn’t know who she was at the time, but he was so overwhelmed that he wanted to adore her. But she stopped him when she told him that everything that made him want to worship in her was not from her, but it was all from her Son.
“[W]hen I went to sleep I knew little about, and had no special sympathy for, Christianity in any of its aspects; when I awoke I was hopelessly in love with the Blessed Virgin Mary.” And from that day onward, he set about trying to find out how he could become a Christian and worship her Son. Eventually, after many obstacles, he found his way to become a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
Gaude, Virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa!
Vale, O valde decora!
Rejoice, O Glorious Virgin,
Loveliness surpassing all!
Hail, O hail Beautiful One!
Listen to Ave Regina Caelorum
Simple Tone:
Solemn Tone
[1] Introduction to Marian Antiphons
[2] For my interview with Roy Schoeman for a National Catholic Register article, see,“Roy Schoeman Interview – The Complete Version.” You can read published versions of his conversion story in full at his website, which is named after the title of his first book, Salvation is From the Jews.
