7. Mary of Nazareth

He who is mighty has done great things for me, Holy is his name. Luke 1:49

“Of Mary, little is said in the Gospels. Yet from his Bible reading, Edmund knew and pondered her story deeply. Edmund adopted the rule of the Presentation Sisters and in their chapel in Waterford, on the feast of Mary’s Assumption into heaven in 1808, eight Brothers joined Edmund in a new journey of faith, presenting Christ again into the lives of the young and the needy.”

Edmund’s charism was building strength. Love of God, expressed in deeds through service to others. Guided by their commitment to meditative prayer, living a simple life in community, they would serve God  in others, motivated by practical compassion. The men of Mt Sion would therefore live a dedicated life in imitation of Our Lady of the Presentation.

The left panel begins with the presentation of Mary. Through Nano Nagle, this mystery influenced Edmund Rice greatly. Mary, the finest flower of the Old Testament, moves toward her destiny within the oval-shaped aureole (symbol of virginity and holiness), the Cross of her Son barely visible at its center. A text which touched Edmund deeply is the open Scriptures.