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On the 24th of September we have the Feast to Our Lady of Mercy. Beautiful and consoling title! Our Lady and her Son are so great that we cannot possibly designate only one or two days in the liturgical year to Their honour. Our Lady is Mother of Mercy, Mother of that Supreme and Perfect Mercy which is one with the Eternal Wisdom of God. Having compassion on our fallen human race which was deserving of everlasting punishment, the move made by God through His Son to Redeem us was principally that of Mercy.
In that marvellous invention of becoming Man in the Virgin’s womb, Mercy became Incarnate and hence another of holy Mary’s glorious titles; ‘Our Lady of Mercy.’ She is full of mercy because the Source of all mercy dwelt within Her, lived with Her and obeyed Her. As the Lord is with Her and as She is full of grace, so likewise She is also full of mercy and indeed ‘Mother of Mercy.’ This is certain in view of the fact that as Christ was animated by Divine Mercy and we might say, was the personification of Mercy, so His chosen Mother could not but otherwise be animated with the same spirit of mercy and tender commiseration for sinners.
Now as Christ intercedes for us with His Father, so Our Lady’s special office is to intercede for us with Christ. When She pleads lovingly for mercy upon some soul, Christ Who is as Just as He is Merciful, quickly stoops to hear Her prayer and in order to honour Her, gives His Mother Her request.
Here we may remark the touching scene of the wedding at Canna as recorded in the Gospel. The fact is that although Christ is Supreme Mercy, yet it often takes a request of intercession from His Mother to show an even greater excess of His Mercy to certain souls. We have then in Our Lady, a powerful arm to raise us up when we find ourselves in need of grace and forgiveness.
Our Lady of Mercy, Pray for us!
4 comments:
Thank you for these beautiful images. Certainly the Mercy of Our Lady can reach through the boundaries of our own ignorance of and/or self-exile from the Love of God.
"Hail, O Rock who quenched those who thirst for life! Hail, O Pillar of fire who guided those in darkness; O Shelter of the world, wider than the clouds. Hail, O Land of the promised good. Hail, you who flow with milk and honey. Hail, O Bride and maiden ever pure." Akathist Hymn
'This the blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am...the queen of heaven and the mother of mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion...no one, therefore...is so entirely cast off by God that he may not return and enjoy his mercy if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the mother of mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them.”'
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for us.
Is this a Feast particular to Redemptorists?
The Sisters of Mercy were founded in Ireland by Venerable Catherine MacAuley. In 1858 a foundation was made in Goulburn NSW Australia. Ninety eight years later I was fortunate enough to be sent to their Boarding College at OLMC in Goulburn to complete my secondary education. One of my three older sisters had entered their novitiate in 1949 and, after receiving the habit, was called Sr Mary Fedelma. After 40years of faithful Profession she was called home by God on St Monica's Day 1992 (may she rest in eternal peace). Yes, every year, on 24th September, we celebrated Our Lady of Mercy Day with great reverence and joy.
Anne B
A great many Irish were fruit for the vine in the antipodes. A great- aunt - my great grandmother's twin sister - took the habit in Newcastle -there's no more information other than she was 'Sister Mary-Peter', born 1883, and died 1966. Supposedly the old rosary I was given by my mother belonged to her - but do religious get buried with their sacramentals? or did they once?
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