MAY, THE MONTH OF MARY (MAY 1) – MARY is the MOTHER of MERCY

The Church, inviting us to greet Our Lady, after the invocation «Hail Holy Queen! » we add «Mother of mercy! »

There is not on earth a name sweeter than that of “mother”, an expression of goodness, tenderness and comfort. To the earthly mothers’, God the Creator provides a big heart, capable of loving and sacrificing for their children.

The Most Holy Virgin is the Mother par excellence; the depth of Her Heart cannot be fathomed, because God endowed it with exceptional gifts, having Her to be the Mother of the Incarnate Word and also of all the redeemed.

In the act in which the Redemption was about to take place. Jesus dying looked at the humanity in need and loving it to the extreme limit, he left that which is most dear to Him on earth, his own beloved Mother: “Behold your Mother!” He then turned to Mary, and exclaimed: “Woman, behold your son!” .

With these divine words, Our Lady was established as a common Mother, the adoptive Mother of the redeemed, a title that she deserved with her maternal sorrows, suffered at the foot of the Cross.

The beloved Apostle, St. John, kept the Holy Virgin in his home as a Mother; such was how the Apostles and the primitive Christians considered Her, and such was how the innumerable hosts of Her devoted sons invoke Her and love Her.

Our Lady, being in Heaven at the throne of the Most High, continually and admirably exerts Her task as Mother, mindful of each of Her children, who are the fruits of the Blood of Her beloved Jesus and of the sorrows She suffered.

The mother loves and consequently follows her children, she perceives and understands their needs, she has compassion, she takes part in their pains and in their joys and is all for each of them.

The Blessed Virgin loves all creatures with a supernatural love and especially those which are regenerated to grace with Baptism; She eagerly awaits them in eternal glory.

But knowing that in this valley of tears they are in danger of getting lost, She implores from Jesus grace and mercy, so that they do not fall into sin or immediately get up after every fall, so that they may have the strength to endure the trials of earthly life and have the necessary things also for the body.

Our Lady is Mother, but more than anything else She is the Mother of Mercy. Let us recur to Her in all our spiritual and temporal needs; let us invoke Her with confidence, let us put ourselves in Her hands with serenity and rest under Her mantle with confidence, as the child gently rests in the arms of his mother.

EXAMPLE:

One day an intelligent but incredulous doctor came to Don Bosco and said to him:

Doctor: People say that you heal persons from any illness.

Don Bosco: Me? No!

Doctor: Yet many assured me of many healings. Many mentioning the name of different people and even the kind of diseases of which they were cured.

Don Bosco: You have been deceived! Many come to me to ask for graces and healings; but I recommend them to pray to Our Lady and to make some promises. Graces are obtained through the intercession of Mary, who is a loving Mother.

Doctor: Well, heal me too and I too, will believe in miracles.

Don Bosco: What disease are you suffering from?

Doctor: A sickness which makes me fall down. I’m epileptic. The assaults of this sickness are frequent that I cannot go out without being accompanied. The many treatments I tried are all worthless.

Then Don Bosco added: “You too, like the others. Get on your knees, pray with me some prayers, dispose yourself to purify your soul with Holy Confession and Holy Communion and you will see that Our Lady will help and console you”.

Doctor: You are asking me too much, because I cannot do what you are telling me to do.

Don Bosco: Why?

Doctor: Because it would be hypocritical for my part. Since I believe neither in God, nor in our Lady, nor in prayers, nor in miracles.

Don Bosco was dismayed. But he what he could and led at least the unbeliever to kneel and to cross himself with the sign of the cross.

Standing up, the doctor said: I am surprised I still know how to do the sign of cross, which I have not done for forty years.

At this point, the sinner began to receive the light of grace. He at least promised to confess and shortly afterwards, kept his promise. As soon as he was absolved of his sins, he felt healed; from then on, the attacks of epilepsy ceased. Grateful and moved he went to the Church of Mary the Help of Christians in Turin, and here he wanted to receive holy communion and expressing his satisfaction at having obtained from Our Lady the health of his soul and his body.

A Little Spiritual Flower Offering to our Lady (fiorétto spirituale):

– To forgive those who have offended us.

Our little prayer of the day:

 – Lord, forgive my sins, as I forgive those who offended me!

Adapted and translated from:

MARIA REGINA AND MOTHER OF MERCY (Month of May) – by DON GIUSEPPE TOMASELLI