Virgin of Vladimir with Quotation from Saint Therese of the Child Jesus

Description Virgin of Vladimir with Quotation from Saint Therese of the Child Jesus

This religious diptych represents on the left panel the famous icon of the Virgin of Vladimir; It belongs to the group of icons of the Mother of God called of Mercy because of the gesture of tenderness by which the Child Jesus sticks her cheek against that of the Holy Virgin. This affectionate gesture is further accentuated by the left arm of the Child Jesus, who embraces the neck of the Holy Virgin. It is an invitation for each of us to never abandon Mary.

The quotation put on the left panel which is of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, comes from the last interviews. These are notes taken by Mother Agnes of Jesus which collect all the last words of Saint Theresa of Lisieux during the last six months of her life, from April 1897 to September 30, 1897, the day of her blessed death.
This sentence, "Mary is more Mother than Queen" was pronounced on August 23, 1897. Here is the context:
"We know very well that the Blessed Virgin is the Queen of Heaven and earth, but she is more Mother than queen, and it should not be said because of her prerogatives that she overshadows the glory of all saints, as the sun at sunrise makes the stars disappear. My God ! how strange! A Mother who makes the glory of her children disappear! I think the opposite, I think it will greatly increase the splendor of the elects. "

The glory of parents is reflected on children; this is all the more true in the supernatural order as the bond which unites the elect among themselves is based on the Love of God and of neighbor.
The choice of the icon of the Virgin of Vladimir to illustrate this quote from Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus is quite relevant because really on this icon the Holy Virgin really shows our Mother by the tender affection that she shows for his divine Son. By her gesture she responds to the impetus of the Child Jesus who, in a lively and caressing movement, presses her face against the cheek of her Mother. Some will object that Jesus, as the Son of God by nature, could afford such familiarity with Mary, however for us it is another tale. But remember that on the evening of Good Friday, at the foot of the cross, Christ the Savior gave Saint John his own Mother and vice versa: "Here is your Mother", "Here is your son". At that time Saint John, as a priest, represented all of humanity. It is therefore to each of us that Jesus gave Mary as our Mother. We must approach Mary with the feelings of a child towards a most loving mother.

Quotation :

Elle est plus Mère que Reine.

Sainte Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus et de la sainte Face