Saints' Discussion Forums

May is the Month of Mary.. and so. . all the more we should remember her! What more joyous task?

The Spotless Maid
by Fr. Vincent Mcnabb

Ladye Marye! today
Let me say my own say,
In my own daring way.

Yet if I dare, 'tis He
Must bear the blame, Who thee
So high made -- and lowly.

When a fond son doth praise
His mother, what he says
Has it, think ye, two ways?

Fairer than the rose, thou,
O my Mother's white brow! --
Dark is the snow-drift now.

Stars and sun have I seen:
Deep night-gloom have they been
To thy dear eyes' love-sheen.

Men see the silver moon,
And cry, 'A godlike boon!'
God set it 'neeth thy shoon.

Men see the sun, and say,
'A god, it!' -- God says, 'Nay,
But Mary's gown, sad grey.'

Once I look on thy light,
My weak eyes, dazed with fright,
Seek the sun, noonday-bright.

For rest; -- as, scorched with sun,
Oft for rest my eyes run
Unto earth's green homespun.

How glad all thy kith feel!
For he who sank our weal
Lies wrecked under thy heel.

Ne'er aught of thee or thine
Was the sly foul fiend's shrine;
Thou art all God's -- all mine!

All God's, all men's! and thus
It is for us, for us
He made thee glorious.

Ladye Marye! today
Is fall'n men's feast, for they
Lured thy dear Son thy way.

For us He yearned for earth;
For us He dowered thy birth,
To turn our woe into mirth.

Thy crown is ours. And we
Are thine. And both shall be
Jesu's eternally.

 :tinyangel: :+: :flower:


(Shin, who wrote that and when did he write - sounds like possibly middle English. Is it?)

I looked him up quickly before I posted, as I try to use art by authors who don't have obvious grave problems as best I can when I don't quote saints. No imprimatur or anything, my doing that, just the way I try generally to work and sometimes manage to.

Fr. Vincent McNabb, oops Irish!, and a compatriot of G.K. Chesterton's among others, so reading what articles are online about him is interesting. He wrote a book that appears to be sympathetic toward distributionism, but I haven't read it myself and do not know a good deal about.


"I have devoted my life to the preaching of platitudes - it is one of the satisfactions of my life. I like the old things - sun and moon, fresh air, bread and butter, work, friendship, avoiding the occasions of sin. Sometimes the devil would say to me, "Now, Father Vincent, people don't like those sort of things, give them something modern." My Guardian Angel says, "It isn't your duty to be modern. You must give something true."

I said English at first, but we have an Irishman to our credit here.  :D

Sounds like a man I'd enjoy being around (plus he's Irish and likes butter).

Yes, the butter! Thank you for pointing out it! There's nothing like bread and butter!

 :D