24 September 2012 Our Lady of Ransom A pious tradition is that one night Our Lady appeared to King James I of Aragon, to St Raymond of Peñafort and to St Peter Nolasco to ask them to establish the ‘Order of Ransomers’ whose purpose would be to ransom captives from the Moors. Today’s feast commemorates the event. Our Lady of Ransom is Patroness of Barcelona, Spain. Innocent XII extended the feast to the entire Church in the 17th century. (cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 7:159) Mary, Intercessor for the persecuted and those bound in sin The most holy Virgin is venerated under the title ‘Our Lady of Ransom’ in many parts of Aragon and Catalonia (in Spain) and in Latin America. “The symbols and images of Our Lady of Ransom, broken chains and open cell doors, remind us of her role as our liberator. She opens her arms in an offer of the freedom won for us by her Son the Redeemer.” (A Vazquez, “Our Lady of Ransom”, Madrid 1988) Nowadays the order’s principal mission is towards freeing souls from the chains of sin, an enslavement worse than any prison. Today we can pray in a special way for our brothers and sisters who are somehow marginalized because of their faith. The unbloody persecution Catholics have experienced from the beginning of the Church remains even in countries with a long Christian tradition. The Redeemer still passes by carrying the cross and continues to suffer through the baptized. “He does not weep in heaven, but here on earth where he lives and endures contradiction and adversity. Jesus weeps in each person who suffers. If we do not help stem the flow of these tears we cannot truly say we love him.” ( W van Straaten, “Where God Weeps”, pp7-8) The Church applies this Old Testament song of jubilation to ‘Our Lady of Ransom’, the ‘new Judith’, who with her ‘Fiat’ cooperates uniquely to effect our salvation. Mary, the faithful Mother who stands bravely beside the cross as her Son sheds his blood for our salvation and reconciles all things to himself in peace. (“Preface”, Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ‘Queen of Peace’) We approach ‘Our Lady of Ransom’ as a powerful intercessor to move our friends, relatives and colleagues to draw closer to her Son, especially through the Sacrament of Penance. She will bring relief and renewed strength to those who in any way suffer persecution for being loyal to the faith. We also ask her help for the special family intentions so close to our heart, since Our Mother in heaven has always excelled in generosity by granting us the graces we need. May we never forget that the Blessed Virgin’s presence in the Church is always ‘a motherly presence’. She tends to make the way easier; preventing our straying from the right path in great and small matters alike as our myopia often inclines us to do. Where would we be without her motherly vigilance? Our Lady is always vigilant where her children are concerned. Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 7:159 ‘The Truth shall make you free.’ “I am the light of the world.” (Jn 8:12) Jesus had just said this when the Pharisees interrupted, saying, “You are your own witness. Such testimony is worthless.” (Jn 8:13) Jesus replied: “Although I bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going. ... I am not alone: the Father who sent me is with me. In your law is written that the testimony of two men is valid.” (cf Jn 8:14-7) “They, therefore, asked him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you knew me, you would know my Father also’.” (cf Jn 8:19) Then turning to those who believed in him, “he said, ‘You will be my true disciples if you keep my word. Then you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.’” (cf Jn 8:31-2) The Pharisees cried, “How can you say, ‘You will be free?’ We are the descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone”. Jesus countered, “truly, I tell you, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin” (cf Jn 8:33-4). These frequent and irrelevant interruptions prove the Pharisees felt that Jesus was infinitely superior in knowledge, holiness and authority. Their pride hurt, envy and spirit of contradiction ensued. Do we show this spirit? Jesus told them, “If you were Abraham’s children, do his works. But now you seek to kill me, because I am the one who tells you the truth.” (cf Jn 8:39-40) “The father you spring from is the devil whose will you do. ... Since the day of his first lie, he didn’t uphold the truth, for in him, there is no truth. I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Who among you convicts me of sin? He who is of God hears the words of God.” (cf Jn 8:44-7) “The Jews retorted, ‘We are right in saying you are a Samaritan and is possessed by a devil’. Jesus answered, ‘I am not possessed, but I honor my Father. Truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.’ The Jews said, ‘Now we know you are possessed. Abraham died, the prophets, too; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word, will never see death. Who do you claim to be?’” (cf Jn 8:48-52) Jesus replied by declaring he is God’s Eternal Son. “‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me. Abraham, your father, looked forward to the day when I would come; and he rejoiced when he saw it.’ The Jews then told him, ‘You are not fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?’ Jesus said, ‘I truly I say, before Abraham was, I am’.” (cf Jn 8:54-8) The Jews understood our Lord proclaimed himself to be, what in fact he is, God’s equal. They regarded him as a sacrilegious blasphemer and took up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself, and left. To understand this spirit of contradiction, the child of pride, let us see where it led even the masters of science and law in Israel. To spiritual blindness, obstinacy, and final impenitence for they neither saw nor wished to see in Jesus the evident signs as the Messiah. As Jesus told them, ‘You shall die in your sin’. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp602-4 • Our Lady of “Roquemadour”, or Rock of Amateur in the diocese of Cahors, in Quercy. This place of pilgrimage is so named because St Amateur, vulgarly called St Amant, lived for some time upon this rock, which began to be famous about the year 1140. — Hugo Farcitus, de Miracul. B. Virg. Rupiramat. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • “Notre Dame de Roc-Amadour”. Cahors, Quercy, France. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of “Roc-Amadour” (diocese of Cahors: Quercy, France). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Our Lady of Mercy. (http://mariedenazareth.com) • Our Lady of Mercy / Ransom) / “Nuestra Señora de Merced”. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Mercy / Ransom. Barcelona 1218. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Our Lady of Ransom, Spain (1218). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) • The Order of Our Lady of Ransom (the Mercedarians) was founded in Spain in 1218 by St Peter Nolasco. Created to redeem slaves and other captives, the Order was originally a Military Order containing men who were both Knights and Monks. It also included non-knightly ordinary clerics. St Peter Nolasco had fought on the side of Simon de Montfort, the great English baron who fought for the liberty of people of all classes, against some of the worst Plantagenet Kings of England and France. In the Order, which was approved by Pope Honorius III, Nolasco was given the rank of Commander-General. The groups eventually split due to internal dissensions, with the largest body of knights joining the military Order of Montesa in 1317. Several members sailed with Christopher Columbus and the Order played a very active role in the evangelization of the New World. Monks and Nuns of the Order remain active in Europe and the Americas today. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Walsingham. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)