The Fairest Flower of Paradise: Considerations on the Litany of the Blessed Virgin

A beautiful meditation on the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, uniting Marian doctrine, devotion, and saintly example for every day.

The Fairest Flower of Paradise is a devotional masterpiece exploring the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Litany of Loreto) through theological reflection and the inspiring lives of the saints. Written by Very Rev. Alexis M. Lepicier, O.S.M., this work seeks to deepen love for Our Lady by revealing how each invocation of the Litany reflects her virtues, her divine privileges, and her unique role in salvation history.

Originally composed to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, this book transforms familiar Marian prayers into a profound study of Catholic doctrine. Each title of Mary—Mirror of Justice, Seat of Wisdom, Queen of Angels, and more—is unpacked with spiritual insight, connecting the mysteries of her life to the moral duties of the Christian. Drawing upon Scripture, Tradition, and the example of the saints, Lepicier shows how the Litany of Loreto encapsulates the entire field of Marian theology, leading the faithful to a deeper knowledge and love of both Mary and her Divine Son.

Designed for priests, teachers, and lay readers alike, the work is arranged so that each invocation can serve as a daily reflection, a sermon topic, or private meditation—especially during the month of May. Two appendices offer helpful tables: one following the traditional order of the invocations, and another organizing them by theme for structured study.

Every page breathes the author’s filial devotion to Mary, “the fairest flower of heaven,” whose love draws the soul ever closer to Christ.

Author: Lepicier, Alexis H. M. Cardinal, OSM

Originally published in 1922. 321 pages

Cover photo: 17th-century mural of the Virgin Mary with symbols of the Litany of Loreto, Bayeux Cathedral (France). Photo by Franz-Josef Esser (‘Der wahre Jakob’), licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0