27 June 2013 Mother of Perpetual Help Ancient tradition attributes to St Luke the painting of this miraculous icon. (Eusebius, “Ecclesiastical History”, II:43) In F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 7:225. • St Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and Doctor of the Church -- He presided over the General Council of Ephesus, at which Nestorius and his doctrines were condemned. Invincible champion of the oneness of Person in Jesus Christ and divine maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Fr James Socias, ‘et al’ [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p1559) The Zeal of the Heart of Jesus Zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls is but the love of God running over from our own hearts upon others, desiring to win them to God and to see them united with us in heaven. The measure of our love is, therefore, the measure of our zeal. What, therefore, must have been the zeal of that adorable Heart, which loved both God and man with an ineffable love! Here is a faint allegory: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!” (Lk 12:49-51) That is, until I have consummated the sacrifice I so ardently desire. To procure the glory of God and the salvation of souls was always the most ardent desire of the saints, because they were full of the love of God. We find proof of this in almost every psalm of the holy King David. ‘For the zeal of Thy house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon me ... My eyes have sent forth springs of water, because they have not kept Thy law ... Let all peoples give praise to Thee.’ If we cherish similar sentiments in our hearts, we, too shall find a thousand means of exercising our zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp331-2 Our Lady -- “Imitate the Blessed Virgin. Only by openly admitting that we are nothing can we become precious in the eyes of our Creator.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Forge”, 588) The Communal Dimension of Confirmation This particular significance of Confirmation for strengthening in us the ‘inner man’, along the threefold line of faith, hope and charity, makes easy to see how, by direct consequence, this also has great significance for “building up the community of the Church, as the Body of Christ”. Due attention must also be given to this second significance, because it enables us to grasp the communitarian dimension, properly, the ecclesial dimension, going beyond the individual dimension, of the reinforcing action of the Spirit. St Paul talked of this action, and of distribution on the Spirit’s part of his charisma ‘for the common good’. Is it not true that the vast, and today also very relevant, theme of the apostolate, and specially that of the laity, must be set in that elevated perspective? If “to teach is given a particular manifestation of the Spirit for the common benefit”, how could a Christian feel indifferent to, or be relieved of the task of building up the Church? The requirement of the lay apostolate derives from that and is defined as a dutiful response to the gifts received. I think in this regard -- but I will only make a simple reference here -- that it would be good to take up that Council text which presents the ministry incumbent on each member of the Church as a “noble pledge to labor”, on the biblical and theological foundations of our engrafting into the mystical Body of Christ through Baptism, and the strength received from the Spirit ‘through Confirmation’. “For exercise of this apostolate the Holy Spirit also imparts particular gifts to the faithful”, whence the obligation correlatively derives to operate and cooperate in “edification of the whole body in charity.” Ref: Cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, 1984, p224-5 The Lasting Mark of Confirmation Confirmation is received only once in a lifetime; but nonetheless, must leave ‘a lasting trace’. Precisely because it indelibly marks the soul, it can never be reduced to a distant memory of worn-out, evanescent religious practices. Thus, we must ask ourselves how the sacramental, vital encounter with the Holy Spirit, which we have received from the hands of the Apostles through the chrism, can and ought to ‘endure and be more profoundly rooted’ in the life of each of us. ... Ref: Cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, 1984, pp225-6 Our Lady “Mary, your Mother, will bring you to the Love of Jesus. There you wil be ‘cum gaudio et pace’, with joy and peace. And you will be always ‘brought’, because on your own you would fall and get covered with mud: you will be brought onward, brought to believe, to love, and to suffer.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Forge”, 677) • Our Lady of the “Dorada”, at Toulouse. The place which was formerly dedicated to the goddess Pallas, was changed into a church of Our Lady when the inhabitants received the faith. — Forcat, lib. i., de Gallico Imperio. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • “Notre Dame de la Dorade”. Toulouse, France. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of “La Dorade” (near Toulouse, France) (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (MaryLinks Calendar.htm); (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Our Lady of Perpetual Help / Succor. Painting. Analysis of the picture. Icon. More on the icon. Story of the image. Prayer. Irish novena. American novena. Perpetual novena. ... Shrine. Modern icon. Namesake of many churches and schools. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Perpetual Help (13th Century). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (http://mariedenazareth.com) • Our Lady, Perpetual Help (Baclaran PHL); Rome 13th C. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)