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The following passage is from Fr Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., and his book \u201cThe Mother of Our Saviour<\/em>\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe mystery of the Ascension raised Mary\u2019s thoughts still higher heavenwards. The evening of that day, when she withdrew to the Supper-room with the Apostles (Acts 1:14) she must have felt, as they too did, how empty the world was without Jesus. The difficulty of converting the pagan world loomed up in all its magnitude. The presence of Our Lady helped the Apostles to face it. In union with Jesus she merited, de congruo, the graces they were about to receive in this room where the Blessed Eucharist had been instituted, where they had been ordained priests, and where the Master had appeared to them after His Resurrection.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The day of Pentecost comes. The Holy Ghost descends on Mary and on the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire, to give the final enlightenment concerning the mysteries of man\u2019s salvation, and to impart the strength needed for the immense and arduous task that awaited its accomplishment. On that day, the Apostles were confirmed in grace. St. Peter went forth to manifest by his preaching that he had received fullness of knowledge of the mystery of Jesus Christ, Saviour and Author of newness of life. One and all, from being fearful the apostles became courageous, rejoicing to suffer for the name of Jesus. How marvellous must not Mary\u2019s progress have been\u2014she who was to be on earth, as it were, the heart of the infant Church!<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Now that Jesus has ascended to Heaven no one will participate as she in His love for His Father and for souls. By her prayer, her contemplation, her ceaseless generosity, she will, in some way, sustain the souls of the Twelve, following them as a mother in the labours and difficulties of their apostolate, right up to the crown of martyrdom. They are her sons. The Church will later call her Queen of Apostles.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Even now she cares for them and makes their work fruitful by a continual oblation of herself in union with the sacrifice of Jesus perpetuated on the altar.\u201d<\/p>From The Mother of Our Saviour<\/em> – Fr Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n Our Lady, as Mediatrix of all graces, has obtained every grace for us \u2013 our return for her love, while little, nevertheless expresses the desires of our hearts to honour her in every way we can. So we sing hymns to her daily during Mass, and decorate her altars, and pray the rosary daily, asking to imitate her in her love for her Divine Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At our most recent school Mass on Friday, the girls sang O Maria, Virgo Pia<\/em> for the Communion hymn, and then Ave Maria<\/em> in a round for the recessional.<\/p>\n Click on the picture to hear the recording of the first hymn:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.opsisters.org.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Altar.jpg\")
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