St. Josemaria went down to the architects’ office in Villa Tevere and asked for the blueprints of the Uffici building, which was not that far from being finished. St. Josemaria glanced quickly at the blueprints as if looking for an appropriate spot and, at finding it, grabbed Jesus Gazapo’s fountain pen (which he liked because of its broad strokes) and wrote on the blueprint of the semi-basement, on the spot where nowadays lies a statue of Our Lady: “Mater Pulchrae Dilectionis, 14-VII-1958. The statue is right before entering the Oratory of Our Lady of Peace.
He explained then that a marble statue of Our Lady with the Child had to be commissioned and it should be of natural size. It would be for the “Vestibolo dell´Arco”, on top of a pedestal so that her foot could be easily kissed. The Child would be with a gesture of blessing a rose, which Our Lady would be holding in her hands. To the side, there would be some lamps that could be turned on by anybody. A few days later he settled the inscription to be engraved on the pedestal: Sancta + Maria Mater + Pulchrae + Dilectionis Filios + tuos + adiuva. 14 julio 1958.
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| The image outside the chapel. A photo taken at Bl. Alvaro's remains being returned to Villa Tevere |
On November 9th 1958 somebody asked the founder about the significance of the ever-lit lamp and of the date that he had commissioned to be engraved on the pedestal. He answered: “the date is of the day when I decided to put an image of Our Lady, and the reason was the selling of his birthright for a plate of lentil stew by someone who was one of your brothers. I have told you before that, at the bottom of lack of faithfulness and perseverance, there is always a point of corruption and impurity. That light, always and continually lit, means the constant petition that we make to God, through the ‘Mother of Fair Love’ to guard the purity of my children.” St. Josemaria later determined that there would be only one lamp that would be permanently lit. Jesus Gazapo drew a sketch of the lamp in the form of a cantilever and St. Josemaria, thinking that Jesus G. intended to draw a dove, said he thought it was an excellent idea and a dove was placed. The statue was placed in April 1959.
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| With Jesus Gazapo |
On Christmas night, 1959, St. Josemaria - together with don Alvaro, don Javier and some others, lit the votive lamp. St. Josemaria said whilst everything was being prepared: “You already know what we ask to Our Lady: the purity of everybody in the Work”. St. Josemaria took the candle and don Alvaro lit it whilst, on their knees, everybody prayed “Blessed be thy purity”* as per st. Josemaria’s request.
* The prayer is a sonnet and therefore difficult to translate its rhyme. The following is an approximation: Blessed be thy purity, and so be it eternally, for no less than God takes delight in such magnificent beauty. To you heavenly Princess, Holy Virgin Mary, I offer on this day, my soul, life and heart. Look upon me with compassion, Mother of mine don’t leave me!
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