September 24
Our Lady Of Mercy
Preparation. - In founding the Order of Marcy for the ransom of captives, the Blessed Virgin recalls to us, first, from what bonds she has freed us, and secondly, for how many grace we are indebted to her. We shall then conclude with a sincere resolution to give up sin, the world, and our evil inclinations, that prevent us from having free access to God. “Thou hast broken my bonds; I will sacrifice to Thee the sacrifice of praise” (Ps. 115. 16. 17).
I. The Bonds From Which Mary Frees Us
In the beginning of the thirteenth century the Mahomedans, who were masters of a great part of Spain, held in chains an immense number of Christians, and cruelly tormented them, in order to induce them to give up the faith. Many of them yielded and apostatized , and the Church deeply bewailed the loss of her children. From all sides vows and prayers ascended to the Queen of mercy to obtain a prompt remedy for so many evils. Moved by the distress of her children, the sweet Mother appeared in one and the same night to three illustrious personages, and enjoined on them to combine their efforts to found a religious Order for the ransom of captives. This enterprise was carried out successfully, and the Church approved it, and the memory of it is celebrated on this day.
How many instructions are contained in this fact! The Christians loaded with chains recall to us the bonds of sin, of the devil and of our lusts, bonds which have us unhappy already in this life, and expose us to still greater evils, and an eternity of suffering and misery. We have been freed from that cruel and shameful slavery through Mary's mediations for, in union with her divine Son, she contributed to our Redemption. If any one among us is still enchained by tepidity, habitual small faults, of by some unmortified passion or inclination, let him have recourse to our powerful Queen, the Mother of Mercy, who from heaven never loses sight of the distress of her subjects and the needs of her children. Having sacrificed, for our sake, her only Son, will she ever forget the anguish that filled her heart for our salvation? She obtains so many miracles in favor of bodies which are mortal, how much more generous will she be in favor of immortal souls! Moreover, she loves us with a strong and invincible affection.
Why then should we uselessly lament, when we behold ourselves so miserable and so oppressed by the weight of our many imperfections? Why should we attempt always to struggle alone against our defects, our passions, our concupiscences ever awake, our pride and self-love so sensitive, and so frequently the cause of the disturbance of our heart? Let us have recourse to Mary in our afflictions and combats, and she will assist and console us.
O my loving Mother, I will no longer suffer or struggle single-handed against my foes; but, placing all my trust in thee, I will have recourse to thy protection, in order to obtain, first, patience in afflictions and troubles, and secondly, the victory over myself and all temptations tending to make me a slave of sin. Burst asunder always more and more the bonds that keep my heart far from thee and thy Son.
II. Of How Many Graces We Are Indebted To Mary
The Order of Mercy, founded by the Mother of God for the ransom of captives, is a feeble image of the Church, to the foundation of which Mary contributed with her divine Son for the ransom of the lost human race. When we came into this world, we were enchained by Satan, and bore the heavy fetters of ignorance and sin. But, as says St. Germanus, no one attains the knowledge of the truth unless through Mary. Hence it is to the intercession of this amiable Mother, that we owe the grace of baptism. Through her we have passed from darkness to light, from the slavery of hell to the noble liberty of the children of God. O inestimable benefit, the principle of the precious and multiplied favors since bestowed upon us!
“No one,” says the same saint, “escapes the dangers of being lost, except through Mary.” From how many perils has not the Mother of our souls preserved us from our childhood until now? From what evils has she snatched us away, whilst so many of our friends, and even relatives, became the victims thereof! “No one, O Mary,” continues the same saint, “receives God’s gifts, except through thee; no one becomes spiritual and saves his soul, except through thy intervention.” Formerly we knew not whence came the remorse, the wholesome fears, disgust for the world, the desires to belong to God, which we experienced; and it was Mary who obtained them for us! She was watching over us as a mother over her children, and she daily does so still.
Whence do we so often feel drawn to meditate, reflect and mortify our passions? Which is the source of so many inspirations and holy desires, which urge us on to strive after perfection, to be recollected, detached, united to the supreme Good? The source is in Jesus, but its channel is Mary, the Mediatress of our salvation.
O my loving Mother, gratitude requires from me the most perfect love of thee and the most complete fidelity in obeying thee. Obtain for me the courage to sacrifice to thee whatever is displeasing to thee in me, such as, an uncharitable word, an imprudent or dangerous look, an act of impatience, of discontent, of aversion, and especially certain habitual faults very hurtful to my spiritual progress. Through the intercession of St. Alphonsus, who, on this feast of thine, broke off with the world in a church dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy, deign to burst asunder the bonds of my defects, my imperfections, my attachment to the world and myself, and unite me, like thee and with thee, to God, the supreme Good.
