Virgo Potens

Comforter of the Afflicted, pray for us. Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 8th How great then should be our confidence in this queen, knowing how powerful she is with God, and at the same time how rich and full of mercy; so much so that there is no one on earth who does not share in the mercies and favors of Mary ! (continued below)

The Minor Rogation Days, the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday immediately prior to the Feast of the Ascension, date back to about 470 AD when Bishop Mamertus of Vienne in Gaul instituted an annual observance of penance on the three days immediately before the Feast of the Ascension. He prescribed litanies (processions) for all three days. Thereafter, this practice spread to the Frankish part of France in 511, to Spain in the 6th century, and to the German part of the Frankish empire in 813.  In 816, Pope, Leo III incorporated the ‘lesser litanies’ into the Roman Liturgy, and during the subsequent centuries, the custom of holding these litanies was customary for each year. These “Rogations” are earnest prayers to ward off calamities and to obtain God’s blessings upon the newly planted crops.

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 7th She has a heart so kind and compassionate, says Blosius, that she cannot send away dissatisfied any one who invokes her aid. But, as St. Bernard says, how couldst thou, oh Mary, refuse succor to the wretched, when thou art queen of mercy? and who are the subjects of mercy, if not the miserable? Thou art the queen of mercy, and I the most miserable of all sinners; if I, then, am the first of thy subjects, then thou shouldst have more care of me than of all others. Have pity on us, then, oh queen of mercy, and give heed to our salvation; neither say to us, oh most holy Virgin, as St. Gregory of Nicomedia would add, that thou canst not aid us be cause of the multitude of our sins, when thou hast such power and pity that no number of sins can ever surpass it! Nothing resists thy power, since thy Creator and ours, while he honors thee as his mother, considers thy glory as his own, and exulting in it, as a Son, grants thy petitions as if he were discharging an obligation! By this he means to say, that though Mary is under an infinite obligation to her Son for having elected her to be his mother yet it cannot be denied that the Son also is greatly in debted to his mother for having given him his human nature; whence Jesus, as if to recompense Mary as he ought, while he enjoys this his glory, honors her especially by always graciously listening to her prayers. ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (1852) First American Edition.

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 7th Suetonius narrates of the Emperor Titus, that he never could refuse a favor to any one who asked him and that he even sometimes promised more than he could perform ; and he answered to one who admonished him of this, that a prince should not dismiss any one from his presence dissatisfied. Titus said this, but in reality, was perhaps often either guilty of falsehood or failed in his promises. But our queen cannot lie and can obtain whatever she wishes for her devoted servants. (continued below)

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 6th If I have found favor in thy sight, oh King, my King and my God, if I have ever found favor with Thee (and well does the divine mother know herself to be the blessed, the fortunate, the only one of the children of men who found the grace lost by man; she knows herself to be the beloved of her Lord, more beloved than all the saints and angels united), give me my people for which I request: if thou lovest me, she says to him, give me, oh my Lord, these sinners in whose behalf I entreat Thee. Is it possible that God will not graciously hear her? Is there any one who does not know the power of Mary's prayers with God? The law of clemency is on her tongue. Every prayer of hers is as a law established by our Lord, that mercy shall be exercised towards those for whom Mary intercedes. St. Bernard asks, Why does the Church name Mary Queen of Mercy? and answers, Because we believe that she opens the depths of the mercy of God, to whom she will, when she will, and as she will; so that not even the vilest sinner is lost, if Mary protects him. But it may, perhaps, be feared that Mary disdains interposing in behalf of some sinners, because she finds them so laden with sins? Perhaps the majesty and sanctity of this great queen should alarm us? No, says St. Gregory, in proportion to her greatness and holiness are her clemency and mercy towards sinners who desire to amend, and who have recourse to her. Kings and queens inspire terror by the display of their majesty, and their subjects fear to enter their presence ; but what fear, says St. Bernard, can the wretched have of going to this queen of mercy since she never shows herself terrible or austere to those who seek her, but all sweetness and kindness ? Mary not only gives, but she herself presents as milk and wool : the milk of mercy to inspire us with confidence, and wool to shield us from the thunder bolts of divine justice ! ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (1852) First American Edition.

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 6th Assuerus, when he saw Esther before him, affectionately inquired of her what she had come to ask him: "What is thy petition?" Then the queen answered, "If I have found favor in thy sight, king, give me my people for which I request.” Assuerus heard her, and immediately ordered the sentence to be revoked. Now, if Assuerus granted Esther, because he loved her, the salvation of the Jews, will not God graciously listen to Mary, in his boundless love for her, when she prays to him for those poor sinners who recommend themselves to her and says to him: (continued below)

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 5th But Mardochai rebuked her, and bade her remember that she must not think of saving herself alone, as the Lord had placed her upon the throne to obtain salvation for all the Jews : "Think not that thou mayest save thy life only, because thou art in the king's house, more than all the Jews." Thus said Mardochai to Queen Esther, and thus might we poor sinners say to our Queen Mary, if she were ever reluctant to intercede with God for our deliverance for the just punishment of our sins. Think not that thou mayest save thy life only, because thou art in the king's house, more than all men. Think not, Lady, that God has exalted thee to be queen of the world, only to secure thy own welfare; but also that thou, being so greatly elevated, mayest the more compassionate and the better relieve us miserable sinners. ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (1852) First American Edition.

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 5th And how well does blessed Albertus Magnus here apply the history of Queen Esther, who was indeed a type of our Queen Mary ! We read in the 4th chap. of the Book of Esther, that in the reign of King Assuerus, there went forth, throughout his kingdom, a decree commanding the death of all the Jews. Then Mardochai, who was one of the condemned, committed their cause to Esther, that she might intercede with the king to obtain the revocation of the sentence. At first Esther refused to take upon herself this office, fearing that it would excite the anger of the king more. (continued below)

2 of 2 Most holy Virgin and our Mother, we listen with grief to the complaints of thine Immaculate Heart surrounded with the thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Moved by the ardent desire of loving thee as our Mother and of promoting a true devotion to thine Immaculate Heart, we prostrate ourselves at thy feet to prove the sorrow we feel for the grievances that men cause thee, and to atone, by means of our prayers and sacrifices, for the offenses with which men return thy tender love. Obtain for them and for us the pardon of so many sins. A word from thee will obtain grace and amendment for us all. Hasten, O Lady, the conversion of sinners, that they may love Jesus and cease to offend the Lord, already so much offended, and will not fall into hell. Turn thine eyes of mercy towards us, that henceforth we may love God with all our hearts while on earth and enjoy Him forever in heaven. Amen.

1 of 2 ACT of REPARATION to the IMMACULATE HEART of MARY

FIRST SATURDAY of MAY 💙 “See my daughter, how my heart is encircled by thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me, and announce that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who on the First Saturdays of five consecutive months, confess, receive Holy Communion, recite part of My Rosary, and keep me company for a quarter of an hour, meditating on its mysteries with the intention of offering me reparation.” ~ Words of Our Lady to Sr. Marie (Lucia dos Santos) on December 10, 1925 If possible, make First Saturday devotions today, in reparation for offenses against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as requested by Our Lady herself in 1925, and confirmed by Our Lord in 1927.

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 4th Ernest, Archbishop of Prague, also says, that the eternal Father has given to the Son the office of judging and punishing, and to the mother the office of compassionating and relieving the wretched. Therefore the Prophet David predicted that God himself, if I may thus express it, would consecrate Mary queen of mercy, anointing her with the oil of gladness, in order that all of us miserable children of Adam might rejoice in the thought of having in heaven that great queen, so full of the unction of mercy and pity for us ; as St. Bonaventure says: Oh Mary, so full of the unction of mercy and the oil of pity, that God has anointed thee with the oil of gladness ! ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (1852) First American Edition.

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 4th Ernest, Archbishop of Prague, also says, that the eternal Father has given to the Son the office of judging and punishing, and to the mother the office of compassionating and relieving the wretched. Therefore the Prophet David predicted that God himself, if I may thus express it, would consecrate Mary queen of mercy, anointing her with the oil of gladness, in order that all of us miserable children of Adam might rejoice in the thought of having in heaven that great queen, so full of the unction of mercy and pity for us ; as St. Bonaventure says: Oh Mary, so full of the unction of mercy and the oil of pity, that God has anointed thee with the oil of gladness ! ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (1852) First American Edition.

1 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 4th The eternal Father constituted Jesus Christ king of justice, and therefore made him the universal judge of the world ; hence the prophet sang : "Give to the king thy judgment, Oh God; and to the king's son thy justice." Here a learned interpreter takes up the subject, and says: Oh Lord, thou hast given to thy Son thy justice, because thou hast given to the mother of the king thy mercy. And St. Bonaventure happily varies the passage above quoted by saying: Give to the king thy judgment, Oh God, and to his mother thy mercy. (continued below)

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 3rd Kings should then principally occupy themselves with works of mercy, but not to the neglect of the exercise of justice towards the guilty, when it is required. Not so Mary, who, although queen, is not queen of justice, intent upon the punishment of the guilty, but queen of mercy, solely intent upon compassion and pardon for sinners. Accordingly, the Church requires us explicitly to call her queen of mercy. The High Chancellor of Paris, John Gerson, meditating on the words of David, "These two things have I heard, that power belongeth to God, and mercy to thee, O Lord,” says, that the kingdom of God consisting of justice and mercy, the Lord has divided it; He has reserved the kingdom of justice for Himself, and He has granted the kingdom of mercy to Mary, ordaining that all the mercies which are dispensed to men should pass through the hands of Mary, and should be bestowed according to her good pleasure. St. Thomas confirms this in his preface to the Canonical Epistles, saying that the holy Virgin, when she conceived the divine Word in her womb, and brought Him forth, obtained the half of the kingdom of God by be coming queen of mercy, Jesus Christ remaining king of justice. ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (1852) First American Edition.

1 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 3rd The very name of queen signifies, as blessed Albertus Magnus remarks, compassion, and provision for the poor ; differing in this from the title of empress, which signifies severity and rigor. The greatness of kings and queens consists in comforting the wretched, as Seneca says. So that where as tyrants, in reigning, have only their own advantage in view, kings should have for their object the good of their subjects. Therefore at the consecration of kings their heads are anointed with oil, which is the symbol of mercy, to denote that they, in reigning, should above all things cherish thoughts of kindness and beneficence towards their subjects. (continued below)

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 2nd If Jesus is king of the whole world, Mary is also queen of the whole world : therefore, says St. Bernardine of Sienna, all creatures who serve God ought also to serve Mary ; for all angels and men, and all things that are in heaven and on earth being subject to the dominion of God, are also subject to the dominion of the glorious Virgin. Hence Guerric, abbot, thus addresses the divine mother : Continue, Mary, continue in security to reign ; dispose, according to thy will, of every thing belonging to thy Son, for thou, being mother and spouse of the king of the world, the kingdom and power over all creatures is due to thee as queen. Mary, then, is queen ; but let all learn for their consolation that she is a mild and merciful queen, desiring the good of us poor sinners. Hence the holy Church bids us salute her in this prayer, and name her the Queen of Mercy. ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (1852) First American Edition.

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 2nd If Jesus is king of the whole world, Mary is also queen of the whole world : therefore, says St. Bernardine of Sienna, all creatures who serve God ought also to serve Mary ; for all angels and men, and all things that are in heaven and on earth being subject to the dominion of God, are also subject to the dominion of the glorious Virgin. Hence Guerric, abbot, thus addresses the divine mother : Continue, Mary, continue in security to reign ; dispose, according to thy will, of everything belonging to thy Son, for thou, being mother and spouse of the king of the world, the kingdom and power over all creatures is due to thee as queen. Mary, then, is queen ; but let all learn for their consolation that she is a mild and merciful queen, desiring the good of us poor sinners. Hence the holy Church bids us salute her in this prayer, and name her the Queen of Mercy. ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (1852) First American Edition.

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 1st SALVE REGINA, MATER MISERICORDI. Hall queen, Mother of mercy. The Holy Church justly honors the great Virgin Mary, and would have her honored by all men with the glorious title of queen, because she has been elevated to the dignity of mother of the King of kings. If the Son is king, says St. Athanasius, his mother must necessarily be considered and entitled queen. From the moment that Mary consented, adds St. Bernardine of Sienna, to become the mother of the Eternal Word, she merited the title of queen of the world and of all creatures. If the flesh of Mary, says St. Arnold, abbot, was the flesh of Jesus, how can the mother be separated from the Son in his kingdom ? Hence it follows that the regal glory must not only be considered as common to the mother and the Son, but even the same. ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary (1852) First American Edition.