Our Lady of the Lilies – pack of 10/100/1000 – Restored Vintage Holy Card
Our Lady of the Lilies – pack of 10/100/1000 – Restored Vintage Holy Card
4.25x2.75" Holy Card
printed on heavy 14 point cardstock
Matte finish
Our Lady of the Lilies was one of the most popular holy cards of the early decades of the 20th Century. It was printed by Bouasse-Jeune, one of our favorite publishers. The colors and arrangement are subtle and delicate. Mary's expression is gentle and iconic. The beauty of this art still reaches us today.
The title, Our Lady of the Lilies, comes from the Song of Songs (2:2). The lily stands for perfect beauty and purity and, since the Tenth Century, has been applied by Christians to the Blessed Mother. The text at the bottom of the picture, O Mère très pure vous êtes notre espérance et la joie du Ciel, is from a French hymn and means, O Mother most pure, you are our hope and the joy of Heaven. (source: udayton.edu)
This is the prayer on the back of the card. It was on the back of the original card, and we have translated it into English:
"Holy Virgin, from your glory in Heaven,
do not forget the sorrow on earth! Look
kindly on those who are suffering, who
struggle against difficulties, and who
never cease to taste the bitterness of life.
Have mercy on those separated from their
loved ones. Have mercy on the lonely and
heartsick. Have pity on the weakness of
our faith! Have pity on those we love!
Have mercy on those who pray, on those
who tremble, on those who cry! Holy
Mother, give hope and peace to all!"
-- Fr. Henri Perreyve.
(1831-1865, a French Oratorian priest, famous in his day for being part of a small group who restored the Oratory in France. -- source: Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913 online edition)
As of December 2024. we have redsigned the back of the card and sharpened the image on the front more.
You might be interested in fine art prints of this image at https://www.etsy.com/listing/1009322113/our-lady-of-the-lilies-85x11-based-on-a
As with this and all of our images, you may have a custom holy card made with a personalized back printed for you. See this listing for details: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1019181226/custom-holy-cards
Thank you for your interest.
Sue and John
Image Restoration © www.CatholicArtAndJewelry.com