God's Love for You - Sunday 25th May 2025
The Virtues of Mary - Love of Compassion
Mary's most attractive form of love for mankind, is her compassion (or mercy) to the afflicted. We greet her in the Litany as 'Health of the sick', 'Comfort of the afflicted', 'Refuge of sinners', are not without reason. Because we believe her compassionate heart full of tenderness for the unhappy children of Eve, can helps us in every evil, physical, intellectual, or moral, that crosses our path. Think of the miraculous cures, obtained in the past and nowadays through Mary's intercession. If the shadow of St. Peter falling on the sick could give them health, how much more potent must be the prayer of the Mother of God? Christians recourse to Mary in times of illness, of pain, of fears; and received unspeakable consolations, felt strengthened, or sometimes sufferings alleviated. Even in the agony of death, she will help us in our last moments; since Mary seated by the death-bed of St. Joseph, made death itself seem sweet to him, she also stood beneath the Cross to behold her Son's cruel death on Calvary. "Oh Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death." Illnesses can kill the body, which cause our lives. But there is something more deadlier - sins, can kill our souls, which causes our Eternal Life. Although we are sinners, we can find safety in Mary's compassion. As Jesus the good Shepherd Who went over the rugged heights of the mountains to look for the lost sheep, so Mary is like the woman in the Gospel who lights her candle and searches the whole house to find her lost coin. But, do you know, we have cost Mary something more precious than money. Did we not cost her all that stream of Blood that flowed on Golgotha? That Blood had come to Jesus from Mary and from her alone, and she offered it with Him for the salvation of sinners. So, if you feel far from God, burden by guilt, or feel shame to approach God, then recourse to Mary. We shall receive from her the mother's love and the longing peace. As she had become Mother of God without ceasing to be a Virgin, and beneath the Cross she became mother of sinners without ceasing to be the Mother of God. Let our burden or fearful heart fly to Mary. "May you be a house of refuge to me, so you may save me."
(Reference: 'The Virtues of Mary' by Luigi Lanzoni, Loughborough: John Corah & Son, 1897
