The Virgin Protectress, 20 cm

Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary Protectress
This statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary offers a magnificent symbolism: Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God protects by her own veil, with a great delicacy, the head of the Child Jesus. The symbolism of this statue of the Virgin Mary transmits to us a whole teaching about the maternal role of Mary towards all men. We can appreciate how this statue makes the gracious gesture with which Mary holds her veil to spare Jesus the ardor of the sun. If Jesus is the head of the Church, his mystical body, Mary is the Mother of the Church, the protectress who cares for her children. Notice again that the Mother and the Child have their eyes turned towards the same object. This communion of view marks that Mary is the one who leads and guides. The Child Jesus seems to bend slightly to facilitate his Mother, the Virgin Mary, his gesture of protection. By this Jesus teaches us docility to Our Lady and the trust with which we must have recourse to her. This statue of the Virgin Mary illustrates this famous text of Saint Bernard "Mary, star of the sea":
"MARY IF WE FOLLOW HER, WE DO NOT DIE.
BY PRAYING HER, YOU DO NOT DESPERATE.
THINKING ABOUT HER YOU DO NOT GO ASTRAY.
IF SHE HOLDS YOU, YOU DO NOT FALL.
IF SHE GUIDES YOU, YOU DO NOT KNOW THE FATIGUE.
IF SHE IS WITH YOU, YOU SHALL CERTAINLY ATTAIN THE GOAL".
This statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary protectress, is an ideal gift of communion to teach and remind young people to put themselves under the protection of Mary in a world where evil seems to triumph.
"If you want to preserve the beautiful virtue that makes you so dear to God and angels," wrote Saint John Bosco, "put yourself under the special protection of Mary, and she will be the faithful guardian of your purity. She loves the pure and chaste souls more than the others, how many graces she will grant them. "