The fifth reflection about the titular painting at the parish church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Paola

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.

Revelation 8: 3-4

After contemplating the figure of Mary, as well as the gathering of those who had congregated for the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin, we shall now look at the six panels—three on either side of Mary—portraying the angels. There is a congruence between the six angels and the hexagonal (six-sided) shape of each panel. Each angel is set on a gold background, clearly defining the distinction between the glory in whose presence these spiritual beings dwell and the human figures, who are both spiritual and physical.

The angels’ spiritual nature is further underscored by Emvin Cremona’s choice of lighter tones and by their glowing faces. It is unusual for angels to be included in artistic representations of Our Lady of Lourdes. My mind immediately recalls the most beloved and devout painting of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu in which we see four angels taking Mary up to Heaven body and soul and crowning her as queen. These six panels balance out the whole artwork by making the central tall panel with the Blessed Virgin look wider while simultaneously creating a sense of equilibrium with the size of the panels depicting the gathered people.

Despite hailing Mary in the Litany of Loreto as Queen of Angels, it is difficult to decipher the artist’s intention behind this design. The only reference to six angels associated together is the one we find in chapter 14 of the Book of Revelation, but these seem not to be related. However, it is definitely a conscious choice because each angel is in a distinct pose: two have their hands joined in prayer as they look at the gathering of people or at Mary; another evokes the Archangel Gabriel in a dialogue with Mary; another is looking down, his left hand pointing towards Mary as if indicating the one who is full of grace; another is gazing upwards at the sky, towards Him who is the source of all revelation; and another is looking towards the front and seemingly blessing the whole multitude in the church with his right hand.

These are all distinct positions that we assume in prayer before God, Mary, and the saints. They are not mutually exclusive, and all are expressions of prayer according to personal circumstances or the needs of the Church and humanity. What is your favourite posture for praying to God? Which form of prayer do you prefer? Do you prefer to contemplate the mystery of God and man? Or are you more inclined towards praising God? Or do you sense in a special way the call to prayer of petition, intercession, and blessing? Everyone has their own temperament and character which also affect the soul’s stance before God. You are not called to choose one or the other. Like Mary’s, your calling is to give space to the Holy Spirit and let him be the one to stir your soul, as necessary.