Holy Card – Doves of the Infant Jesus – pack of 10/100/1000 – Restored Vintage Holy Card #017

Idyllic and graceful, this 19th century French holy card depicts the depth of gentle and intimate love between Jesus, Mary, and his doves, which are you and me. If you look closely, you can see that Jesus is blessing the doves. Usually in Victorian Catholic art, doves mean the faithful, unless falling from the sky, such as this one gently coming to earth, suggesting possibly the Holy Spirit. And there she is, Queen of Heaven _and_ Earth, the relaxed mother Mary, seated on a woodland throne.

On the back, we have selected a beautiful prayer to the Mother Mary from her Saint Anthony of Padua, a contemporary of Francis of Assisi.

The phrase, Le Seigneur aime la louange qui vient des cœurs purs means, The Lord loves praise that comes from pure hearts. We think it's a quote from P. Eymard, i.e, Père or Father Eymard, an extremely popular priest at the time who promoted a devotion to Mary and the Eucharist and helped revive the French Church. He was canonized in 1962.

Image Restoration © www.CatholicArtAndJewelry.com

You might also be interested in our art print of this image, https://www.etsy.com/listing/809390691/doves-of-the-infant-jesus-based-on-a

Thank you for your interest.

Sue and John

Mary, our Queen,
Holy Mother of God,
we beg you to hear our prayer.
Make our hearts overflow with divine grace
and shine with heavenly wisdom.
By your strength, render our hearts strong,
and by your kindness, fill them with virtue.
Pour down upon us the gift of mercy
so that we may obtain the pardon of our sins.
Help us to live in such a way
as to merit the glory and bliss of heaven.
May this be granted us by your Son Jesus
who has exalted you above the angels,
has crowned you as Queen,
and has seated you with Him
forever on his refulgent throne.
Amen.
– St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)

Bouasse-Jeune was a holy card printer in Paris for about 100 years, doing some of the most beautiful holy cards ever made. This one is circa 1880.