‘Friday.’ At 6:00 o’clock A.M. a dozen people including Bernadette’s mother and aunt Bernarde, were present at Bernadette’s meeting with the Lady who appeared after only three “Ave, Maria’s”.
Eyewitnesses observed that Bernadette’s physical appearance profoundly changes when she was in ecstasy: extremely pale, “waxlike”, and smiles with such tenderness “it was a joy to behold her.”
Bernadette never revealed anything about this encounter with the Lady whom she called “Aquero”. This name, in a dialect, which has been widely discussed by scholars is generally taken to mean “that one”.
Ref: G Menotti, “Lourdes”, p6
Mother of mercy
We must have frequent recourse to the divine mercy. Our salvation and safety lie in God’s compassion for us. The way to win God’s favor more promptly is to have mercy on others. This is the way to win God’s favour more promptly. Our Mother Mary constantly procures for us the compassion of her Son. She teaches us how to respond to the needs of others.
“Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy” ... we keep on saying to her. “Mary has the deepest knowledge of the mystery of God’s mercy. She knows its price, how great it is. In this sense we call her ‘Mother of mercy, Virgin most merciful’, each one of these titles having a profound theological meaning.
“Each of them expresses the special preparation of her soul, of her whole personality, so that she would be able to perceive through the complexity of events, first of all directed to Israel, then to every individual and ultimately to the whole of humanity, the need for that abounding mercy of hers in which ‘from generation to generation’ people become sharers according to the eternal design of the Most Holy Trinity.” (cf John Paul II, Encyclical, “Dives in misericordia”, 30 November 1980, 8)
St Augustine teaches that mercy originates from the heart. It has pity on the misery of others, whether physical or spiritual; and is moved and saddened by it as if the suffering were its own. Thus, seeks its remedy. (cf St Augustine, “The City of God”, 9)
Mary shares in this divine perfection to the highest degree. In her, mercy is united to a mother’s piety and always leads us to the ‘throne of grace’. The title, ‘Mother of mercy’, won by her ‘fiat’ in Nazareth and on Calvary, is among the greatest and most beautiful of the lovely names of Mary. She is our comfort and our safeguard.
“By her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey onwards on earth beset by dangers and difficulties, until they are led to their heavenly home. Therefore, the Blessed Virgin is invoked throughout the Church under the titles of 'Advocate', 'Helper', 'Benefactress' and 'Mediatrix'.” Daily she comes to our assistance, protecting, interceding. (Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium”, 62)
Ref: Cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:274-6
Mary, Mother of Mercy
Mary also is she who, in a particular and exceptional way, unlike any other -- experienced mercy, and at the same time, always in an exceptional way, made her participation in revelation of divine mercy possible with sacrifice of heart. Such sacrifice is closely bound up with the Cross of Her Son, at the foot of which she was to stand on Calvary.
That sacrifice of hers was a singular participation in revelation of mercy, that is, of God’s absolute fidelity to His own love, to the alliance which He had willed to make from all eternity and which He concluded in time with man, with the people, with mankind. It was participation in that revelation which was definitively accomplished through the cross.
No one has experienced the mystery of the cross as did the Mother of the Crucified -- the astounding encounter between transcendent divine justice and love, that ‘kiss’ which mercy gave to justice (cf Ps 85:24).
No one on the same level as you, Mary, has taken that mystery into the heart, that truly divine dimension of the redemption, which was actuated on Calvary through the death of the Son, together with sacrifice of your motherly heart, with your definitive ‘fiat’ -- let it be done ...
Ref: Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, pp199-200
Jesus prays
“... after sunset, they brought to him all that were ill, and were possessed with devils. All the city was gathered together at the door ... laying his hands on every one of them, healed them.” (Lk 4:40; Mk 1:33)
Observe the extreme goodness of Jesus. He let all approach him without difficulty; never even a hint of annoyance or impatience. The hour was late, the crowd immense; he was obviously very tired. Could he have cured them all at once and be done with the crowd? Yes! But he preferred laying his hands on each one separately with a few consoling words besides.
“... rising very early, he went into a desert place, and there he prayed.” (Mk 1:35) Jesus teaches by example --
1) to avoid public acclamation after having performed any good action, to avoid the danger of vainglory;
2) to recollect ourselves in solitude after our works of charity, to avoid distractions; and
3) to support work with prayer toward day’s end in order to invite God’s blessing on our labors.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp389-90
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Her Desolation -- “Hail, Mary, full of sorrows, the Crucified is with thee; tearful art thou amongst women, and tearful is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of the Crucified, give tears to us, crucifiers of thy Son, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” (Very Rev Charles J Callan, OP, STM and Very Rev John A McHugh, OP, STM, “Blessed Be God”, 1925, p287)
Frivolity -- “It would be bad if you were to waste your time, which is not yours but God’s and is meant for his glory. But if on top of that you make others waste it, you both diminish your own standing and defraud God of more of the glory you owe him.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 552)
• Our Lady of Good Tidings, near Rouen, where a great number of people are seen, particularly on Saturdays. — Triple Couronne, n. 52. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Our Lady of Good Tidings (near Rouen, France). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Good Tidings. Lempdes, France (1500’s). (www.divine will.org/feastofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
• Our Lady of Good Tidings. Lempdes, France. 16th Century. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
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