Our Lady Help of Christians

24 May 2008

Mary, Help of Christians
Devotion to Mary under this title dates back to 1624 in Southern Germany. In 1683, Emperor Leopold of Austria was said to have fled to her shrine in Passau when the Turks invaded his country. There, he beseeched her put an end to the 30 Years War with the aspiration, "Mary, help!" Another story is the Blessed Virgin appeared to Saint John Bosco in Turin, Italy, where she asked to hafve a church built to her under this title.

Mary, Help of Christians, cares for us
As Mary cared for her first-born, Jesus, so she cares for each one of us, as her other children, too.
As Mary listened to the teachings of Christ, so she cares for the purity of His doctrine against the attacks of the enemies of truth.
As Mary cared for the infant Church, so she cared and defended the Chruch throughout the centuries. She protects it now and will continue to protect it until the end of the world.
It is impossible to ennumerate the numerous times Mary has come to the aid of her children. Her graces and favors are infinite. The history of the Church gives faithful testimony to Mary's continual protection and assistance against many heresies through the centuries. She revived faith, reinforced hope, increased prayer, and inspired scholars to wield the pen in defense of the truth.
Naturalism, rationalism, modernism, materialism, and Communism, almost suffocated every religious sentiment, but through Mary's work all passed and will pass. 'You have overcome heresy in the whole world!'
Mary protected nations from destruction and saved their Christian faith. Who saved Europe in 1683 from the Turks? The victory of Lepanto in 1571 where the Christian fleet destroyed the Turks was obtained through the recitation of Mary's Rosary.
'Mary is the help of individuals' -- She constantly watches over each one of us, obtains for us graces to avoid falls, to gain strength in tribulations, to overcome the difficulties of life. She aids us in all our necessities.
1) In temporal needs -- The Gospel shows Mary's intervention in these needs. A splendid example is at the marriage feast of Cana in Galilee. Saints and Founders could tell us how many times Mary provided the material and financial needs of their congregations.
2) Spiritual needs -- Mary is even more solicitous about what concerns our eternal salvation. She welcomes sinners and obtains for them the grace of converison. She protects us in temptations; sustains us in good will. Mary desires our spiritual progress and is anxious for us to receive a greater share of the fruits of the Redemption. Thus she sustains us in our efforts to attain sanctity. She obtains for us perseverance and will assist us at the hour of our death.

The love of Mary
Saint Anselm states: 'Mary's love towards God surpassed the love and sweetness of all other creatures.' Mary's love was always constant. Her heart was like the altar upon which a fire burns night and day. Mary did not love God like other Saints with frequent acts of charity: she loved Him with a sole continual act.
Whoever really loves God cannot help but love his neighbor. Mary loved God more than all the Saints, thus immensely more than all the Saints does she love men, and helps them in every need.
Saint Gregory Nazianzen says that 'there is no more effective way for us to obtain Mary's love than by strong charity to our neighbor'.

NB: Feast day also of Our Lady of 'Bon Secours' (Montreal, Canada) and 'Madonna della Strada' (Our Lady of the Way / 'Santa Maria ng Landas'), the first patroness of the Society of Jesus. Her first shrine was a tiny chapel erected in Rome in the 15th entury. This was to become the first oratory and, later the first church of the Jesuit order.

Reference: John Bautista de Mayo, "To Jesus Daily Through Mary", a compilation of spiritual readings, 2005, Vol II, pp214-6.
(Imprimatur by Most Rev Honesto F Ongtioco, DD, Bishop of Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines)