Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius
October 8, 2017
Spiritual Ponderings
Images of the Blessed Virgin Mary
 
Let us continue to dive deeper into our faith by diving deeper into the Church’s teaching on Mary.
 
St. John Vianney Quote
“I LOVE St. Joseph so much because he had the care of the Blessed Virgin.”
 
Ina Poon Bato
There is a Philippine legend that accompanies this title of the Blessed Virgin Mary according to Ann Ball in her book:   The Other Faces of Mary: Stories, Devotions, and Pictures, of the Holy Virgin around the world.  One day an Aeta chieftain was returning home from an unsuccessful hunt when he heard a woman’s voice calling to him.  The voice, strangely was coming from a beautifully carved statue of a woman.  The man picked up the statue and carried it home.  When he arrived home with the statue and no food for his family, his angry wife took the statue and threw it into the fire.  The fire flared up and the house burnt down.  The statue remained unharmed.  Many years later Catholic Missionaries were told about the statue and thinking it was a part of a pagan cult demanded to see it.  Upon seeing it, they declared that the statue was not that of a pagan goddess but was instead the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The missionaries took it to be a sign that Mary had paved the way for their arrival. 
 
The story of Ina Poon Bato teaches us that Mary is aiding and assisting the Church in the Church’s mission to bring Christ to the world.  The legend, like most legends, taught a powerful lesson and that was not that the Blessed Virgin Mary was vengeful but rather following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary in following Christ was the right path to take. 
 
MARY, OUR MODEL IN PRAYER
All praise and glory are Yours, almighty Father: You have given us Your Son Jesus to save us from sin. We praise You for choosing Mary to be His mother, for teaching her to believe Your message, for helping her to accept Your holy will.
Strengthen us by Your Spirit to be like Mary: to ponder Your word in our hearts, to obey Your will, to love Your Son,
to sing Your praises every day. Father, we praise You through Jesus Christ Your Son in the love of Your Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
 
PRAYER TO MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS
Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin, Help of the Christians, we place ourselves under your motherly protection.  Throughout the Church's history you have helped Christians in times of trial, temptation and danger. 
Time and time again, you have proven to be the Refuge of sinners, the Hope of the hopeless, the Consoler of the afflicted, and the Comforter of the Dying. We promise to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, your Son, to proclaim His Good News of God's love for all people, and to work for peace and justice in our world. With faith in your intercession, 
we pray for the Church, for our family and friends, for the poor and abandoned, and all the dying. Grant, O Mary, Help of Christians, the graces of which we stand in need.
[State your intention(s) here...]
May we serve Jesus with fidelity and love until death. Help us and our loved ones to attain the boundless joy of being forever with our Father in heaven. Amen.
Mary, Help of Christians,  pray for us!