# The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin on Ascension Thursday
*2023-05-18*

> Bill and John celebrate the Feast of the Ascension with the traditional Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin, explaining its history and praying the three crowns of excellence, power, and goodness.

## Why we pray the Little Crown today

Today, May 18, 2023, is Ascension Thursday. While most dioceses will observe the feast on the following Sunday, several archdioceses—including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma—celebrate it today. To mark the occasion we turn to a devotion that dates back to the 17th century: the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin, a prayer promoted by St. Louis de Montfort as a companion to the Rosary.

## The three crowns of the Blessed Virgin

The Little Crown is divided into three parts, each honoring a different aspect of Mary’s role in salvation history.

1. **Crown of Excellence** – celebrates Mary’s unique greatness among all creatures, her immaculate virginity, and her purity. The prayer begins with the Our Father and proceeds into a series of Hail Marys that exalt her as the Mother of God.

2. **Crown of Power** – honors Mary’s royal dignity and her participation in the divine plan. This section again uses the Our Father and Hail Marys, invoking her intercession for strength against adversity.

3. **Crown of Goodness** – reflects on Mary’s motherly goodness that draws us to Christ. It concludes with petitions for grace, protection from sin, and the hope of sharing in the joys of heaven.

Each crown ends with the traditional doxology: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”

## The prayer of the Little Crown

The full text of the devotion runs as follows (abridged for clarity):

*Our Father, who art in heaven…* (the Our Father)
*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…* (repeated many times, each time praising Mary’s purity, motherhood, and intercession)
*Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…* (doxology)

After completing the three crowns, the prayer concludes with a personal petition: “Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, grant that we may become holy.” This is repeated several times as a meditation on our desire for sanctification.

## A brief reflection on holiness

Bill shares a short meditation from St. Catherine Labouré on the need for grace to become holy. He reminds listeners that holiness is not a distant ideal but a gift of God’s will, as St. Paul teaches: “God is faithful, who has called us, and He will also bring it to completion.” The prayer of the Little Crown is offered as a concrete way to ask for that grace.

## Travel anecdotes and gratitude

Bill recounts a recent cruise that took him to several Caribbean islands, including a visit to the historic St. Francis Church in Aruba and the cathedral of St. Philip the Apostle in the Dominican Republic. He describes the beauty of the churches, the challenges of attending a Spanish Mass, and the joy of returning to the ship in time for departure. These experiences deepen his appreciation for the universal Church and the saints who protect travelers.

*The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin invites us to honor Mary’s excellence, power, and goodness while asking her intercession to grow in holiness.*