Description

Painting Title: Our Lady of the Staff, Help of the Apostles

Original: 54”x79”,  acrylic on canvas

Artist: Amberose Marie Micallef

The inspiration of this painting came to my Mom during prayer. While she was kneeling during the Rosary before Mass, the Blessed Virgin Mary spoke in her heart these words, “I am the Staff.” After prayer and reflection my Mom and I composed this painting. 

A Bishop kneels in Adoration while holding the staff (his crosier). Mother Mary, the Immaculate Conception, holds the staff hand on hand with the Bishop. The staff is part of Our Lady’s mantle. When our Bishops stay close to the Blessed Virgin Mary she shows them how they too can crush the head of the serpent. Therefore, Mary’s foot and the end of the staff, prevents a snake that is in full spring, from biting the Bishop. 

Mother Mary’s hand holds the Rosary while directing the Bishop to the Monstrance containing Jesus in the Sacred Host. If you look close you can see the face of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. The Monstrance contains the symbols of the Alpha and the Omega, the Chi Rho, and a crown. The base of the Monstrance resembles the shape of a home plate from baseball.  Hence, Jesus is the final “home base” in life.  

The angels adore Jesus in the stone altar. One angel is holding incense referring to Rev. 8:4 “The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.” The flowers have dual meanings. The seven lilies represent three theological virtues and four cardinal virtues, and also the seven sacraments. The five red roses represent Jesus’ Five Holy Wounds and the five First Saturday Devotion as requested by Our Lady of Fatima. 

Hidden behind the lilies and near the foot the angel, is a small metal box containing the three thorns from Jesus’ crown, some pieces of cloths, which had wrapped the infant Jesus, and linen, which caught the most precious blood of the Circumcision and Passion of Jesus. According to the book The Mystical City of God by Venerable Mary of Agreda, Mother Mary, the Treasure-keeper of heaven, entrusted these relics to the Apostles. Our Lady also procured twelve crosses of the height and size of each Apostles and gave one to each of them, before they set out to preach the gospel in their appointed countries. Notice the cross on the Bishop’s crosier.

The Bishop’s mitre, is embroidered with Jesus’ Merciful Heart, Mother Mary’s Immaculate Heart and St. Joseph’s Most Chaste Heart. On the lappets of the mitre, are a “gold jar containing the manna, the staff of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tablets of the covenant” all found in the Ark, of the Covenant (Heb. 9:4). On the back of the Bishop’s vestment is the Lamb with the seven seals from Rev. 6. The Holy Spirit is descending upon the Bishop and the Blessed Virgin Mary, as it happened at Pentecost while the Apostles were in the upper room.  Our Bishops are the successors of the twelve Apostles. Our Lady of the Staff brings our Bishops to her only begotten son, Jesus, who in turn brings them to the Father.