Episode 1629 The Glories of Mary - St Alphonsus Liguori - Part 1 - Hail Holy Queen Explained

In Part 1, Explanation of the Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Queen)
Liguori explains the meaning of each phrase of the Salve Regina, a popular prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He shows how Mary is the Gate of Heaven, the Mother of Mercy, and our Advocate with her Son.

In Part 1 of The Glories of Mary, Saint Alphonsus Liguori explains the meaning of each phrase of the Salve Regina, a popular prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He shows how Mary is the Gate of Heaven, the Mother of Mercy, and our Advocate with her Son.

The authorship of the Salve Regina is traditionally attributed to Hermann of Reichenau, a Benedictine monk who lived in the 11th century. However, there is some scholarly debate about this attribution. Some scholars believe that the Salve Regina was composed earlier, perhaps in the 10th century or even earlier. Others believe that it may have been composed by a different author, such as Adhémar de Chabannes, a Benedictine abbot who lived in the same time period as Hermann of Reichenau.

Despite the uncertainty about its authorship, the Salve Regina is one of the most popular and beloved Marian hymns in the Catholic Church. It is sung or prayed at the end of the day in many Catholic churches and monasteries. It is also a popular prayer to pray for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Salve Regina is a beautiful and moving prayer that expresses our love and devotion to Mary. It is a prayer that can help us to grow in our relationship with her and to rely on her intercession in our times of need.

Let me read the prayer:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy 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.

The Hail Holy Queen is a prayer of petition and intercession. It is a prayer in which we ask Mary to intercede for us with her Son, Jesus Christ. We ask her to help us in our time of need and to obtain for us the graces we need to reach heaven.

The Hail Holy Queen is a beautiful and moving prayer that expresses our love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a prayer that can be prayed at any time, but it is especially popular to pray it at the end of the day or at the end of the Mass.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy!
Liguori begins by explaining that Mary is the Gate of Heaven because she is the one through whom we must pass to enter into eternal life. She is the Mother of Mercy because she is always ready to intercede for us with her Son, even when we are sinners. She is our Advocate with her Son because she pleads our cause before him and obtains for us the graces we need.

Our life, our sweetness and our hope!
Liguori then explains that Mary is our life because she gives us spiritual life through her intercession. She is our sweetness because she makes our lives bearable by helping us to overcome our trials and tribulations. She is our hope because she gives us confidence that we will one day enter into heaven.

To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
Liguori explains that we are all banished children of Eve because of the sin of our original ancestors. However, Mary is our refuge and our hope in exile. We can cry out to her for help and she will always hear us.

To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Liguori explains that this life is a valley of tears because of the suffering that we all experience. However, we can turn to Mary in our sorrow and she will comfort us. She will also help us to bear our suffering with patience and perseverance.

Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
Liguori then addresses Mary directly and asks her to turn her merciful eyes to us. He also asks her to intercede for us with her Son so that we may be forgiven for our sins and obtain the graces we need to reach heaven.

Thine eyes of mercy towards us.
Liguori explains that Mary's merciful eyes are always turned towards us, even when we are unworthy of her mercy. We can always count on her to intercede for us and to help us to obtain the graces we need.

And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Liguori finally asks Mary to show us her blessed Son, Jesus, after this our exile. He asks her to help us to reach heaven, where we can see and enjoy Jesus forever.

Liguori's explanation of the Salve Regina is a beautiful and moving meditation on Mary's role in our salvation. He shows us how Mary is our Mother, our Advocate, and our hope. He also shows us how we can turn to Mary for help in our times of need.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori's explanation of the Salve Regina is a comprehensive and meditative reflection on Mary's role in our salvation. He shows us how Mary is our Mother, our Advocate, and our hope. He also shows us how we can turn to Mary for help in our times of need.

Here are some of the key insights from Liguori's explanation:

Mary is our Mother. Liguori explains that Mary is our Mother in a spiritual sense. She is the one who gives us spiritual life through her intercession. She is also the one who nurtures and cares for us on our spiritual journey.
Mary is our Advocate. Liguori explains that Mary is our Advocate with her Son, Jesus Christ. This means that she pleads our cause before him and obtains for us the graces we need. Liguori reminds us that Mary is always ready to intercede for us, even when we are sinners.
Mary is our hope. Liguori explains that Mary is our hope because she gives us confidence that we will one day enter into heaven. She is the one who guides us on our spiritual journey and helps us to overcome the obstacles that stand in our way.

Liguori also provides a detailed explanation of each phrase of the Salve Regina. For example, he explains that the phrase "poor banished children of Eve" refers to our condition as sinners. We have all been banished from the garden of Eden because of our sins. However, Mary is our refuge and our hope in exile.

Liguori also explains that the phrase "turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us" is a plea for Mary's intercession. We are asking Mary to look upon us with mercy and to intercede for us with her Son.

Finally, Liguori explains that the phrase "and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus" is a prayer for eternal life. We are asking Mary to help us to reach heaven, where we can see and enjoy her Son, Jesus, forever.

Liguori's explanation of the Salve Regina is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to deepen their love and devotion to Mary. It is a book that can help us to grow in our relationship with her and to rely on her intercession in our times of need.

Here are some additional thoughts on the Salve Regina, based on Liguori's explanation:

The Salve Regina is a prayer of hope. It reminds us that even though we are sinners, Mary is always ready to intercede for us. She is our hope of salvation.
The Salve Regina is a prayer of trust. We trust that Mary will hear our prayers and that she will intercede for us with her Son.

The Salve Regina is a prayer of love. We express our love for Mary and our gratitude for her intercession.