Sept. 24 - Two Marian Feasts and "True Devotion" to Mary

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham and also Our Lady of Ransom. Two Feasts honoring God’s Mother which began centuries ago.

According to legend, Our Lady appeared in Walsingham to the Saxon noblewoman Richeldis de Faverches, in 1061…In 1897, the first official Catholic pilgrimage after the Reformation took place at the restored 14th century Slipper Chapel, which is now the centre of the Roman Catholic National Shrine. (from ICN)

and

Tradition holds that in August 1218, Peter Nolasco experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary, who asked him to found a religious order dedicated to rescuing the many Christian captives. This inspired Nolasco to establish a religious order and its charism of the redemption of Christian captives was similar to that of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity established some twenty years earlier in France. (For More: Our Lady of Ransom)

The Lord continues to honor His Mother through His saints and so we continue to listen to the wisdom He shared with St. Louis de Montfort in his treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”:

1. God the Father gathered all the waters together and called them the seas (maria). He gathered all His graces together and called them Mary (Maria). The great God has a treasury or storehouse full of riches in which He has enclosed all that is beautiful, resplendent, rare, and precious, even His own Son. This immense treasury is none other than Mary whom the saints call the “treasury of the Lord”. From her fullness all men are made rich.
2. God the Son imparted to His mother all that He gained by his life and death, namely, His infinite merits and His eminent virtues. He made her the treasurer of all his Father had given Him as heritage. Through her He applies His merits to His members and through her He transmits His virtues and distributes His graces. She is His mystical channel, His aqueduct, through which He causes His mercies to flow gently and abundantly.
3. God the Holy Spirit entrusted His wondrous gifts to Mary, His faithful spouse, and chose her as the dispenser of all He possesses, so that she distributes all His gifts and graces to whom she wills, as much as she wills, how she wills and when she wills. No heavenly gift is given to men which does not pass through her virginal hands. Such indeed is the will of God, Who has decreed that we should have all things through Mary, so that, making herself poor and lowly, and hiding herself in the depths of nothingness during her whole life, she might be enriched, exalted and honored by almighty God. Such are the views of the Church and the early Fathers.

May The Lord send His Grace to renew His Church in our time to honor Mary as He does. May He forgive our neglect and sins which have pierced the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

 

[Victoria33]

Alberto Miguel Fernandez
@AlbertoMiguelF5
Feast Day of Our Lady of Ransom (also known in Spanish as the Virgen de la Merced or Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia) and associated with the 13th century Mercedarian Order which ransomed Christian slaves (including Cervantes) from Muslim captivity in Spain and North Africa.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

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By the way, Alberto above is a very interesting fellow, speaks and reads Arabic, was in the military and has been in presidential administrations, Military vet. Former Diplomat, when he talks, I listen.

Thanks for posting this thread.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear aroosi and Victoria33,

Thank you both for your “hearts” which are always a joy to see – for they indicate love for Jesus through Mary. How I pray more and more Catholics return to the devotion to our Mother, in the Catholic Church for so many centuries-- but in our day seems to be declining in the USA and even more in some other counties.

I’ve quoted Pope St. John Paul II many times on this Fourm – but his words continue to echo as Truth in my own heart:

Where the Mother is, there too is the Son. When one moves away from the Mother, sooner or later he ends up keeping distant from the Son as well. It is no wonder that today, in various sectors of secularised society, we note a widespread crisis of faith in God, preceded by a drop in devotion to the Virgin Mother. (St. JPII’s address to Legion of Mary in Italy, Oct. 1982)

Let us by God’s Grace, wherever we are “turn the tide” back to the Living Water of thr Holy Spirit that we may be washed clean of our confusion and perhaps some “double-mindedness” seeking worldliness rather than the Holiness to which we are called.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful. Jesus we trust in You! Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks Victoria for the picture and page showing “Sermon” exalting Our Lady, the Mother of Mercy and associated with the 13th century Mercedarian Order which rescued ransomed slaves.

I studied Spanish many, many years ago-- two years in High School and one Summer session in College. I also was privileged to visit Bogota in Columbia, South America for a brief language course and tried hard to serve the poor migrants coming from Mexico to the USA some forty years ago. I have forgotten much of the langauge but I still treasure those years serving Spanish speaking- migrants in upstate New York. Those were grace-filled days for me!

I was not familiar with Alberto so I looked him up on the internet, just now. He is, as you said, a very interesting fellow. I did not read the entire article but I pray for God’s protection over all working in government or in any position of authority that they make seek God’s Truth and Justice in their work. May they pray daily for themselves also: to do God’s Will for the good of those they serve.

As I grow older, I’m listening more to God in Scripture and in the writing of His Saints than listening to other human persons (including myself) who may have some natural talents and gifts, but lack the unction and Truth that can come only by God’s Grace… Thanks again for your reply.

 

[graciew]

Nuestra Señora de la Merced, ruega por nosotros ray:t2:

 

[MariaChristi]

Gracias!