MARY, OUR MOTHER

Mary Vitamin for April 23^rd

Topic: Mother of Mercy

Quote:
St. Peter Damian calls the Holy Mother of God the “golden altar of mercy at which sinners gain pardon.”

St. Alphonsus di Liguori, The Glories of Mary, (Tan Books), 154.

Meditation:

On March 18^th 1536, Our Lady appeared to Antonio Botta by the side of a stream near the town of Savona, Italy. Our Lady asked that the inhabitants of the town offer to her three Saturdays of Reparation. In addition, Antonio should return to the same spot four weeks later.

Four weeks later, on April 8^th, Antonio Botta returned to the stream. Our Lady appeared again.

Bro. Francis describes the event,

“'Go and I will give them an inward sign so that when they hear these things they will believe them without other signs. Many will be inspired to do as I ask.'

The Lady then looked up, raised her hands, repeating three times,

'I am asking for mercy, my Son, not justice'

and finally disappeared taking with her the brilliance, but leaving a sweet fragrance, which permeated the glen for some time.”

Bro. Francis Mary Klavelage, FI, editor Marian Shrines of Italy (Academy of the Immaculate: 2000), 99.

Antonio followed the instructions of Our Lady. He returned to Savona and found many pilgrims, inspired in their hearts, arriving at the Church with the words of Our Lady on their lips,

“Mercy! not Justice.

Have mercy, O thou, our most holy Advocate!”

The Madonna at Savona was solemnly crowned by Pope Pius VII on July 6, 1809 to fulfill a promise he made to the Mother of Mercy during his imprisonment by the hands of Napoleon. Upon the Pope’s release, he said Mass at this shrine and crowned our Lady in thanksgiving.

Resolution:

Today, as an aspiration, I will say the words that Our Lady said and put into the hearts of her children,

“Mercy! not Justice."

I will especially remember to turn to Our Lady, “the golden altar of mercy,” when I am at fault. I will ask my Mother to help me to ask for pardon from the Lord and to express contrition quickly.

Marian Vow:

St. Alphonsus di Liguori

“Nor should the multitude of our sins diminish our confidence. Mary is the Mother of Mercy. But there would be no reason for mercy if there were no one who needed it. No good mother shrinks from applying a remedy to her children when they are infected with some disgusting skin disease, however nauseating the sight may be. Neither does our good Mother shrink from us when we come to her to heal the wounds of sin, no matter how loathsome they are.”

The Glories of Mary, (Tan Books), 109.

(Tan Books has this excerpt from Chapter 4 at their website)

I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Thanks be to God for graces received.

Related sites: Castle of the Immaculate & AirMaria