Did you know that the European Flag, 12 gold stars on a blue background, was designed by a Catholic who worked for the Council of Europe? It is based on the Miraculous Medal and was officially adopted as the flag of Europe on the 8th of December – Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary – 1955.
Why does Mary wear a crown of 12 stars? The crown of 12 stars is deeply significant and represents many things. There is one star for each of the twelve Apostles and the 12 tribes of Israel, representing the fact that Mary holds a unique place in salvation history and stands as queen of both the Old and New Testaments.
Her crown also represents what are called the Twelve Privileges of Mary. Traditionally theologians have spoken of Mary as having twelve special privileges, namely: Her Immaculate Conception, Her perpetual virginity, Her divine motherhood, Her freedom from actual sin, Her fullness of grace, Her role as Mother of the Church, Her Assumption into heaven, Her coronation as Queen of Heaven, Her role as Mediatrix of graces, Her spiritual motherhood of all humanity, Her role in the work of redemption and Her perfect union with Christ’s will.
The crown of 12 stars also represents the twelve virtues of Mary. Many Catholics have a great devotion to Mary. Many people will recite the Rosary every day, or have other prayers and devotions in Her honour. According to St Louis Marie De Montfort, who wrote, what is considered one the classic books on devotion to Mary, entitled; ‘A Treatise on true devotion to the Blessed Virgin’, true devotion resides not in our outward expressions of devotion such as; the Rosary, Marian shrines, statues etc., however good and meritorious these are. Rather, he maintains, true devotion resides in imitating Her virtues in our everyday lives. Her twelve virtues are often listed as: Faith, Hope, Love, Chastity – (in accordance with our state of life), Poverty, Obedience, Humility, Patience, Mercy, Joy, Gratitude, Prayer. Mary is considered to be a model of these virtues and true devotion to Her is to be found in our striving to imitate these virtues.
In addition, there are also what are called Ten Evangelical Virtues, which are: Most Pure (implying purity and innocence), Most Prudent (implying wisdom and discernment), Most Humble, Most Faithful, Most Devout (implying devotion and prayer), Most Obedient, Most Poor, Most Patient, Most Merciful, Most Sorrowful. These are evangelical virtues as they are to be found in the Gospels. You may even recognise some of them from the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Litany of Loreto).
As we begin Advent, in which Mary is a central figure, let’s try to become more Mary like, let our devotion to Mary be more than outward expressions, rather let it be rooted in virtue and holiness. As the concluding prayer of the Rosary says: “…that meditating on these mysteries we may imitate what they contain…”