MOTHER OF HOLY HOPE

Day 162: October 21

Mater Sanctae Spei – Mother of Holy Hope


The historical information regarding the origins of this image takes us to 1750, when a pious Christian had a picture painted of Mary with the Child, (which later became the original with the Passionist Fathers), following the Holy Missions preached by Fr Thomas of the Side of Jesus (later Monsignor Struzzieri, Bishop of Todi and first Bishop of the Passionist congregation) and donated this painting to the aforementioned Fr Thomas, who always took him with him to his sacred missions. From the beginning this image had the title of "Mater Sanctae Spei."

It should be remembered that Fr Thomas was originally from Senigallia (Italy); in the cathedral of Senigallia a painting called the "Madonna del Duomo" has been venerated since the beginning of the 1500s, whose real title is "Our Lady of Hope".

The Passionist Fathers of the Piety have this image very much at heart and the custom of always carrying it in their sacred missions, meant that copies remained somewhere for devotion. It is also very ancient custom of the Passionist Fathers to decorate every habitable room of their retreats with this image. The original of this painting is now in the new Choir of San Gabriele, while in St Angelo in Pontano, where we all remember it, there is a copy.


PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF HOLY HOPE


O most powerful, august Queen of heaven and earth, Mother of God, our Hope,

prostrate at your feet, we thank you for all the graces you have granted

and grant to those who have recourse to you.

No one has ever called upon You in vain.

We too, weak and uncertain,

look to you and invoke you with the sweet title of our Hope.

Look, O Mary, at our needs and our troubles.

You see how many dangers of soul and body we are surrounded by.

Guard yourself from all evil, especially from sin, which is the greatest evil.

We trustingly turn to you also for that particular grace

that each of us needs most:

you are humanity's ark of salvation.

Therefore, O Queen of peace and forgiveness,

extend your protective hand over our families, over our homeland,

over the Church, over the whole world.

Keep alive and increase in everyone

the hope of coming one day to thank you for all eternity in Heaven.

Amen.

– O Mary, our Hope, pray for us


St Justin Russolillo Writes...

"The slave of Mary stays close to her in order to be worthy of hearing "Behold our Mother." The son of Mary places himself totally in her hands in order to be made worthy of hearing "Come, my bride!" As the spouse of God, the Vocationist places himself totally in the Heart of Mary."

(Ascension, trans. Louis Caputo, Vocationist Fathers, New Jersey, 1997, p. 378)

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