From April 19th to 30th I was in Portugal, France, and Spain with 10 of our parishioners on a pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, and Avila. During that trip, I wrote 4 songs in honor of Our Lady in Tamil, my mother tongue. The following is the translation (a poor one for every translation is a betrayal) of one of them in English:

We see God’s motherliness
in your image, overflowing with compassion
Humanity arrived at its loftiness
at your assumption when your body and soul
were assumed into heaven

God predestined you
to be the mother of His son
Your son sacrificed you
to be the mother of the world
If the creature is this much beautiful
shouldn’t the creator be
the mountain of beauty?
If you are this much graceful
wouldn’t God be
the Ocean of grace?

Your face shines with
a flood of light
Your shrines sparkle with
springs of grace
O morning star indicating forthcoming dawn
isn’t that which dawn the light of God?
You invite us toward you, but
indeed, you reach us toward heaven.
coming toward you is full of joy
going on your way is reaching God.