Thoughts on icon of Our Lady

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MariaChristi

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Dear Brothers and Ssters,

A homily by Cardinal Nichols contained these lovely thoughts on Our Lady of Perpetual Help:
“…There is, I think, a real sense of depth in this beautiful image of Mary and her child Jesus. The icon draws us into that depth.
To begin with, there is such a depth of compassion in the eyes of the Blessed Mother. She sees. She knows. She sees me. She knows me. She sees all the suffering of the world and gazes on it with such love and compassion. She sees my anxieties, my small sufferings, and helps me to see them in a true perspective. In the warmth of her compassion, I know I am not alone. I know I can bring my burden to her and, literally, leave it with her.
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This is so because, in the icon, she is already carrying all the weight of the suffering of her Son. That suffering is already being shared between them. It seems as if it is their shared secret. They know what will come about. It causes distress in the child, but his mother calms and supports him for her gaze is always profoundly on the will of God. ‘Let it be done to me according to your word.’ There she finds her peace. There we learn to find ours too.
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The icon, then, draws us into the presence of mystery of suffering in our lives and in our world, a suffering that is always seen by God, always embraced by God, just as we see in the death of his own beloved Son for our sake. Here we learn that no suffering is pointless because it is swept up into the divine Providence that shapes the life of each of us. There it becomes part of God’s redemptive plan.
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In these ways, it seems to me, this icon opens for us something of the depth of God, something of the greatness of God. Here we see the angels, the messengers of God himself, bringing forward the symbols of the Lord’s passion and death. They bring them forward with dignity and majesty. This is not random evil, arbitrary pain, pointless suffering. No, they are being carried towards Jesus for his willing acceptance and his highest purpose. In their light we begin to glimpse that he is no ordinary child who will come to a sad end, but he is fully of God, uniquely one with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the divine nature. Yet is he also fully one of us. He is truly God and truly man and, through the instruments of his Passion, will transform our fallen mortal nature into an image of his own divine nature.
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This icon, then, helps us to find our place in God’s great mystery of salvation. It draws us to see the almost incredible: that through our suffering and pain, whatever form it may take, we can become part of this great work of Jesus. We can unite our sufferings with his and offer them to the Father. They can become a moment, even a long moment, of deep achievement for through our suffering we can be shaped more deeply for God’s purpose, purified for his desire. And that desire, that purpose is that we will be drawn fully into his presence and totally filled with his light and joy. As we are emptied of self, we are ready to be filled with God…"
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robwar said:
thanks for sharing, it is one of my favorite icons.
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Dear rob war,

Thanks for your reply. My favorite icons are “Our Lady of Guadalupe” and “Our Lady of Vladimir” (also called “Our Lady of Tenderness” – but these thoughts from Cardinal Nichols have given me a new appreciation for the icon of “Our Lady of Perpetual Help”, and its link to the Passion of Jesus, the sufferings of Mary and our sufferings.

Icons are truly said to be “windows into heaven”. 🙂
 
Path_Finder said:
It also reminds me much of Our Lady of Vladimir.

http://www.catholictothemax.com/product_images/x/192/NW-185_6_12x16__03615_zoom.jpg
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Dear Path_finder,

Thanks for your reply and the lovely image of Our Lady of Vladimir, (also called Our Lady of Tenderness). Yes, there is a resemblance in the compassion of our Mother’s eyes, and also the sweet clinging of the Christ Child to Mary. The difference to me lies in the link to His Passion and the suffering Mary and all of us must undergo, yet can offer in union with Jesus and Mary. These thoughts of Cardinal Nichols were a real blessing in helping me to “see” more in the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help than I had really seen previously.

My other favorite icon is Our Lady of Guadalupe since that is an image Mary herself gave to us on the tilma of St. Juan Diego. I treasure her words to him: “Am I not your Mother? Are you not in the crossing of my arms?” May we always, by God’s grace, remain in the crossing of her arms near Jesus.
 
+JMJ+

The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of my favorite images, for it is shows how human, how approachable Our Lord and Our Lady are.

Notice Jesus’ feet. One of the sandals’ straps has come undone. The young Jesus was so terrified of the images and instruments of His Passion brought by the angels that He ran towards His Mother, His sandals coming undone. He clutches His Mother’s hand in fright, and Mary consoles Him. She then looks at you. Her eyes say: My Son shares your fears, your anxieties, your troubles. I consoled Him. Will you let me console you?
 
PrayRosary said:
Thank you.
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Dear Pray/Rosary,

Happy, Holy Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary today! Thanks for your reply. How good it is to share with other sons and daughters of so noble a Mother! 🙂

Please let us pray the Rosary today with great attention and devotion. These are critical times for the Church and the World and Our Lady is able, by God’s Grace to win many personal and worldwide victories over satan, as at the Battle of Lepanto. See HERE

Mary, my Queen and my Mother I am all yours. Keep me; guard me as your property and possession.
 
nuntym said:
+JMJ+

The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of my favorite images, for it is shows how human, how approachable Our Lord and Our Lady are.

Notice Jesus’ feet. One of the sandals’ straps has come undone. The young Jesus was so terrified of the images and instruments of His Passion brought by the angels that He ran towards His Mother, His sandals coming undone. He clutches His Mother’s hand in fright, and Mary consoles Him. She then looks at you. Her eyes say: My Son shares your fears, your anxieties, your troubles. I consoled Him. Will you let me console you?
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Dear nuntym,

Thanks for your reply. You touch on a very important aspect of our devotion to Jesus and Mary – i.e. They are “real” and understand our human natures so well! They are approachable and can help us to overcome our fears, anxieties and troubles, for we are never alone. God is our ever present Help. The Apostle Peter who denied Christ – yet, by God’s Grace, repented and believing in God’s Mercy, rose to become brave with the courage born of the Holy Spirit, so that he wrote to all who struggle:
Cast all your anxieties on Him for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
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Mary, Mother of the Church, St. Joseph, Protector of the Christ Child, pray for us.
Our Lady of Victory, Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us.
St. Peter and all you holy saints and angels, pray for us.
 
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