"As sailors are guided by a star to the port, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary."
--St. Thomas Aquinas
In True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, St. Louis de Montfort advocates complete Consecration to Jesus through Mary. This stalwart Marian saint sets forth a series of prayers and practices in preparation for the Consecration, including the daily recitation of the Ave Maris Stella, a prayer to Our Lady under her title "Star of the Sea":
Ave Maris Stella
Hail, bright star of the ocean,
God's own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest.
Taking that sweet Ave
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva's name.
Break the captives' fetters,
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Ever bliss implore.
Show thyself a Mother;
May the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine.
Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus
Joy forevermore.
Through the highest heaven
To the Almighty Three,
Father, Son and Spirit,
One same glory be.
Amen.
St. Thomas Aquinas' explanation of the title "Star of the Sea" for Our Lady (quoted above) should resonate with all of us. Mary is, after all, the "true north," our guiding star, forever and unfailingly leading us to her Son during our sojourn here on earth. Through whatever life my bring, we need only turn to her, trusting that she will never cast us adrift.
Not surprisingly, the talented crew of the S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen has a special devotion to Our Lady under this title, honoring her with a vibrant maritime mosaic fashioned entirely from pictures of the sea or sandy beach. Although we live not far from the ocean, I first heard of Our Lady as "the Ocean Star" listening to the late, great Frank Patterson's incomparable compilation of sacred music, Faith of our Fathers. His rendition of the hymn, "Hail Queen of Heaven," is as haunting and deep as the sea itself:
Hail, Queen of heav'n, the ocean star.
Guide of the wand'rer here below!
Thrown on life's surge, we claim thy care.
Save us from peril and from woe.
Mother of Christ, Star of the sea,
Pray for the wanderer. Pray for me.
O gentle, chaste, and spotless Maid,
We sinners make our prayers through thee.
Remind thy Son that He has paid
The price of our iniquity.
Virgin most pure, Star of the sea,
Pray for the sinner. Oh, pray for me.
Sojourners in this vale of tears,
To thee, blest advocate, we cry.
Oh, pity our sorrows, calm our fears.
And soothe with hope our misery.
Refuge in grief, Star of the sea,
Pray for the mourner, Oh, pray for me.
Throughout the day, I often find myself praying or singing the words "Mother of Christ, Star of the Sea, pray for the wanderer, pray for me" and knowing with complete confidence that she always will. If you are unfamiliar with this hymn, but would like to sing it around the May altar with your children this very night, let the exquisite choir of Saint Clement's Church in Chicago, Illinois be your guide: Hail Queen of Heaven.
As you listen, try this simple craft project:
Mary, Star of the Sea, Decorations
Materials
Star shaped wooden plaques from the craft store
Assorted shells
Acrylic paints in blues and whites
Paintbrushes
Glue
Small image of Our Lady
Blue ribbon (optional)
Instructions
Using several shades of blue and white, begin by painting an ocean scene on your star. When this is dry, paste a small image of the Blessed Mother to the center. (You may even want to paint a small ship adrift in the ocean to show that Our Lady guides us through life's troubled waters the way the North Star guides sailors at sea.) Now glue assorted sea shells around the edges to complete the nautical look. A piece of filmy blue ribbon will allow you to hang your decoration on the wall, always reminding you of Our Lady as our faithful and constant guide.
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Step One: Paint the water a medium blue.
Step Two: Paint a deep blue night sky.
Steps Three and Four: Use pale blue or white to add foam and waves on the ocean. Arrange shells around the star. (If we had had more shells, we could have bordered the entire star with them.)
Step Five: Paint a bright white star in the sky. Using the brush to fleck smaller stars dotting the horizon would add visual interest as well. (It is important to do this after the shells are in place so you know exactly where it should appear.)
Step Six: Paste a picture of Our Lady to the center.
Step Seven: Add a ribbon for hanging.
Optional Step Eight: We had an extra scallop shell, so we used it to create a "compass" pointing to Our Lady.
What's that you say? You do not have a star-shaped plaque or shells on hand and can't get to the craft store?
Improvise the plaque by cutting a star out of cardboard, cardstock, or even the inside of a cereal box! Replace the shells with painted pasta shells, or leave them out altogether, painting a pretty border on the edges instead. If you do not have an image of Our Lady, consider painting your own image of the Blessed Mother or perhaps the blue and white lettered symbol of the Star of the Sea as a fitting centerpiece.
Do not forget to leave your projects on the May altar as a tribute to Our Lady. The children might enjoy processing in with the crafts while singing "Hail, Queen of Heaven," a hymn I am sure they will love and remember well into adulthood.
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Materials cost per project: Less than $1, not including paint and paint brushes. It would have been even less expensive if we'd collected the shells ourselves!
