OUR LADY OF HOPE

Day 362: May 10

Our Lady of Hope of Moribondi



One comes into the world crying and dies shedding the last tear; This land is rightly called a valley of tears and a place of exile, from which everyone must depart. There are few joys in the present life and many sorrows; all this is providential, because if we did not suffer, we would cling too much to the earth and would not aspire for Heaven.

The greatest punishment for everyone is death, both for the pains of the body, and for detachment from all earthly affections, and especially for the thought of appearing before Jesus Christ the Judge. The hour of death, certain for all, but uncertain for the day, is the most important hour of life, because eternity depends on it. Who can help us in those supreme moments? Only God and Our Lady.

The Mother does not abandon her children in need and the more serious this is, the more she intensifies her care. The Heavenly Mother, dispenser of divine treasures, runs to the aid of souls, especially if they are about to leave for eternity. The Church, divinely inspired, has placed a particular supplication in the Hail Mary: "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death!"

How many times during life is this prayer repeated! And can Our Lady, a delicately maternal Heart, remain indifferent to the cry of her children? On Calvary, the Virgin assisted her dying Son Jesus; she did not speak, but contemplated and prayed. As Mother of believers in those moments, she also turned her gaze to the multitude of adopted children, who in the course of the centuries would find themselves in agony and would implore her help.

Our Lady prayed for us on Calvary and let us console ourselves that on her deathbed she will help us. But we do everything we can to deserve his assistance. Every day let us offer her some act of special homage, even a small one, such as the recitation of three Hail Mary's, with the short prayer: "Dear Virgin Mother Mary, let me save my soul!"

We often ask that she deliver us from sudden death; that death may not overtake us when we are unfortunately in mortal sin; that we may receive the Holy Sacraments and not only Extreme Unction, but especially Viaticum; that we can overcome the assaults of the devil during the agony, because then the enemy of souls redoubles the struggle; and that she may finally obtain for us serenity of spirit, to die in the kiss of the Lord, fully conformed to the will of God.

The devotees of Mary usually die peacefully and sometimes have the joy of seeing the Queen of Heaven sensibly, who comforts them and invites them to eternal joy. Thus died the child Dominic Savio, now a saint, exclaiming with joy: "Oh, what a beautiful thing I see!"


St Justin Russolillo Writes...

"O most Holy Trinity, being a God of love you continuously call your chosen ones to be imitators and continuators of the vocation and mission of Jesus, grant that with Mary and through her protection we may continue to call and form those whom you call throughout the ages. Make our vocation journey an ascensional one and make us truly cooperators of the Holy Spirit in forming your saints. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen."

(Justin Russolillo, Devotional, Vocationist Editions, Pianura, 2009, p. 235)

Comments

Post a Comment

Hot Picks

OUR LADY OF MELIAPORE

Image
Day 47: June 26 This is the shrine in the East Indies, where Saint Francis Xavier often retired to pray during his eleven years with the people of India. The Blessed Virgin Mary was Francis’ constant source of strength and inspiration. The image before which Saint Francis used to pray is called Mylai Matha in Tamil, or Our Lady of Mylapore in English. It is an ancient statue about three feet tall, Our Lady of Meliapore can still be venerated at the church. The church of Saint Thomas of Mylapore – spelled somewhat differently from the above – contains Mary’s shrine. According to tradition, the Apostle Saint Thomas came to India in 52 AD. Due to his success making converts to the True Faith, he was persecuted and finally martyred in the year 72 AD. Saint Thomas is buried at the shrine of Our Lady of Meliapore, and there are relics of Saint Francis Xavier. There was a church known to be in Mylapore going back to the 1st century, and built by St Thomas. According to tradition, there was a ...
Read more

Marian Year 2025-26

Image
  MARIAN YEAR The year 2026 marks the first centenary of the apparition of Our Lady to St Justin Russolillo, the Founder of the Vocationists. As the feast of Our Lady of Divine Vocations falls on May 11, the year preceding to that year (May 11 2025 – May 11 2026) has been declared to be celebrated as Marian Year by the Vocationists. The reason behind this year-long celebration is, as Pope Pius XII decreed prior to the Marian Year in 1953 on the occasion of the first centenary of the definition of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Mother, “that the faith of the people may be increased and their devotion to the Virgin Mother of God become daily more inflamed.” As Rev. Fr. Louis Caputo SDV rightly points out, “the life of Fr. Justin here on earth began with the…apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary…, it developed in the shadow of Mary and ended in union with Mary.” The birth of Justin was preceded by an announcement by the Blessed Virgin Mary to Fr. Sa...
Read more

OUR LADY OF DIVINE VOCATIONS

Image
The Devotion to Our Lady of Divine Vocations The devotion to Our Lady of Divine Vocations has its foundation on the Marian Apparition that St Justin Russolillo had on May 10, 1926. He was praying breviary near a hut made of straws called pagliarella. St. Justin describes it in his diary (Book of the Soul) "May 10, 1926, first day of the Rogations. It was given to me the certainty that the Blessed Trinity has given the Blessed Lady the Office of the Immediate Superior of the Society of Divine Vocations and therefore of all the offices, mansions, studies, works, spheres and everything. She is the authority of the Society. Glory and thanks to God and Mary. Therefore, the established practice of having one person always present and on guard in the room dedicated to Our Lady to honor and venerate her perpetually." After the Marian Apparition, St Justin rushed to the rectory of St George's parish in Pianura where he used to be the parish priest. He asked Fr Luigi Diodato to pre...
Read more