Mary Help of Christians

 

The Luke 11:9 series - Mary, Help of Christians



When in peril of temptation, call on Mother Mary, a very powerful intercessor ready to help anyone who asks her.


It would seem that no one, not even Our Lord Jesus Christ, or Holy Saints like St Pio of Pietrelcina aka Padre Pio (c. 1887-1968) and St Teresa of Calcutta aka Mother Teresa (c 1910-1997) is immune to the temptations of Satan.


Have you wondered why inexplicably when you are trying to pray in Church or when saying the Rosary, random thoughts seem to distract the mind away from God - that's Satan up to his tricks. Temptation in and of itself is not a sin - that's Satan messing with your thoughts, trying to drive a wedge between you and God. How you use your free will to respond to the temptation will decide if you remain steadfast in your faith or fall into sin.


In this battle of unequals, we have help! 


Call on Mother Mary, Help of Christians to help you! 


Never forget, that Our Lord Jesus while on the cross bequeath our safety into the hands of his mother [John 19:26] Also remember Mother Mary of Immaculate Conception (Ineffabilis Deus c. 1854, says Mary was born without the stain of Original Sin), was full of grace chosen to carry the Son of God in her womb and lived a life so pleasing to God that she was assumed body and soul into Heaven (Munificentissimus Deus c. 1950, says on account of her holiness, Mother Mary while yet incorrupt, while not yet deceived by the deadly snares of the most treacherous serpent; on the contrary, ever increased her original gift, and not only never lent an ear to the serpent, but by divinely given power she utterly destroyed the force and dominion of the evil one).


So do not hesitate to call on Mother Mary, Help of Christians - with her by your side, Satan immediately disappears (albeit momentarily).


Sacrament of Reconciliation

One of the unsung treasures of the Catholic Faith is the Sacrament of Reconciliation where the sins of a repentant person confessed to a priest are forgiven by the power of Jesus Christ, who after his death and resurrection told this to his Apostles, ""Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." [John 20:21-23]


Should you fall into sin, remember that our Lord and Redeemer is ready to embrace a repentant sinner - that's when the powerful Sacrament of Reconciliation, frees us from sinful patterns of behaviour and calls us to complete our conversion to Christ. Reconciliation heals our sins and repairs our relationships. Contrition and conversion lead us to ask forgiveness for our sins and to repair damaged relationships with God, self, and others. 



Maria, Auxilium Christianorum (Mary, Help of Christians)

First victory

The Feast of Mary is celebrated on May 24. This tradition goes back to 1571 when Catholics throughout Europe prayed the Rosary invoking the help of Mary Help of Christians. In the ensuing naval Battle of Lepanto, the superior undefeated Ottoman Turks fell to a patchwork Christian fleet on October 7th 1571. For this reason, this date has been chosen as the feast of the Holy Rosary. In 1573 Pope Pius V instituted the feast in thanksgiving for the decisive victory of Christianity over Islamism.


Second victory

Near the end of the 17th century, Emperor Leopold I of Austria took refuge in the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Pasau, when 200,000 Ottoman Turks besieged the capital city of Vienna, but a great victory occurred when plans were drawn for the battle on September 8th, Feast of Our Lady's Birthday,  thanks to Mary Help of Christians. On September 12, Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, Vienna was finally freed through the intercession of Mary, Help of Christians. All of Europe had joined with the Emperor crying out "Mary, Help!" and praying the Holy Rosary.


Third victory

In 1809, Napoleon's army entered the Vatican, arrested Pope Pius VII and brought him in chains to Grenoble, and eventually Fontainebleau. His imprisonment lasted five years. The Holy Father vowed to God that, if he were restored to the Roman See, he would institute a special feast in honour of Mary. Military reverses forced Napoleon to release the Pope, and on May 24th  1814, Pius VII returned triumphantly to Rome. Twelve months later, the Pope decreed that the Feast of Mary Help of Christians, be kept on the 24th of May. 


St John Bosco 

St. John Bosco (c. 1815 - 1888) was a dynamic priest who founded the Salesian Order in the XIX century in Italy. His many prophetic dreams, beginning at age nine, guided his ministry and gave insights into future events. On May 14, 1862, Don Bosco dreamed about the battles the Church would face in the latter days. In his dream, the  Pope of those days anchors the 'ship' of the Church between two pillars, one with a statue of Mary (Auxilium Christianorum or 'Help of Christians') and the other with a large Eucharistic Host. St. John Bosco wrote about his congregation, the Salesians:  "The principal objective is to promote veneration of the Blessed Sacrament and devotion to Mary Help of Christians. This title seems to please the august Queen of Heaven very much."


Source: Mary Help of Christians. (n.d.). Catholic News Agency. Retrieved October 11, 2024, from https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/55428/mary-help-of-christians



Footnote

This series of posts, which I call, 'The Luke 11:9 Series', is an attempt to verbalise various aspects of my Catholic faith as revealed in Scripture; topics include Destination Heaven; Golden ticket; God's Grace; Seeds of Love; Mary, did you know?; Feel the love of God; Love your neighbour as yourself, The Good Shepherd; Receive the Sacraments often; Eucharistic Adoration; Communion of Saints; How to pray; Role-playing Scripture; Mary, Help of Christians; Understanding suffering; Forgiveness; Gratitude, the life-changing attitude; Life after death; One Body of Christ; and Hearts ablaze. I sincerely hope it helps you in your faith journey. Always turn to the Holy Spirit when you search for answers to your questions, because Luke 11:9 says, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."




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