Salve Regina (Our Life)

Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.

Here we call her "our life". Although the Blessed Virgin is not "our life" in the same way that Jesus Christ is, she is still called "our life" because she is the one who communicates to us the Life that Jesus gives to us. Like an earthly mother who communicates physical life to her child, even though it is God Who ultimately created that life and gives it to them; so also does Mother Mary communicate the eternal life of her Son to us her spiritual children.

We also refer to her here as "our sweetness". I remember the years as a protestant where there was virtually no reference at all to the Blessed Virgin except a passing comment at Christmas time. When you come to realize who she is, and her place in God's work of salvation, it changes the nature of our faith. It is no longer a "me and Jesus" thing, but a "me as a part of the generations of faithful watched over by a loving Mother in Heaven who serve Jesus together in one unified Body of Christ". There is a "sweetness" in that understanding of the faith that is hard to explain in words.

Lastly we call her "our hope". This is similar to calling her "our life". Jesus is the True Hope, but we focus here on the manner in which she encourages hope in us. She instills hope as our Heavenly Mother who prays for us, and gives the courage to continue to serve God because we have seen the work He did in redeeming her, so He can redeem us as well.

More to come...