Our Lady of Mercy or Ransom who Appeared in a Vision to Save Christian Captives! Feast Sept. 24 with Novena Prayer
Our Lady of Ransom, September 24Also Known as the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy - This feast is a memorial of Our Lady of Mercy who appeared to St Peter Nolasco for the deliverance of her people.
The Office of the time gives us, at the close of September, the Books of Judith and Esther. These heroic women were figures of Mary, whose birthday is the honor of this month, and who comes at once to bring assistance to the world.
(NOVENA prayer at bottom) The Saracens, in the twelfth century, became wholesale pirates, and searched the seas to obtain slaves for the African markets. There were numberless victims, of every age, sex, and condition, suddenly carried off from the coasts of Christian lands, or captured on the high seas, and condemned to the disgrace of the harem or the miseries of the bagnio. There began a new field for Christian charity; new horizons opened out for heroic self-devotion.
When, in 1696, Innocent XII extended this feast to the whole Church, he afforded the world an opportunity of expressing its gratitude by a testimony as universal as the benefit received.
The Order of Mercy was founded as in were in the very face of the Moors; and hence it originally numbered more knights than clerics among its members. It was called the royal, military, and religious Order of our Lady of Mercy for the ransom of captives. The clerics were charged with the celebration of the Divine Office in the commandaries; the knights guarded the coasts, and undertook the perilous enterprise of ransoming Christian captives. St. Peter Nolasco was the first Commander or Grand Master of the Order; when his relics were discovered, he was found armed with sword and cuirass. . . .
At the time when the Saracens oppressed the larger and more fertile part of Spain, and great numbers of the faithful were detained in cruel servitude, at the great risk of denying the Christian faith and losing their eternal salvation, the most blessed Queen of Heaven graciously came to remedy all these great evils, and showed her exceeding charity in redeeming her children. She appeared with beaming countenance to Peter Nolasco, a man conspicuous for wealth and piety, who in his holy meditations was ever striving to devise some means of helping the innumerable Christians living in misery as captives of the Moors. She told him it would be very pleasing to her and her only-begotten Son, if a religious Order were instituted in her honor, whose members should devote themselves to delivering captives.
Animated by this heavenly vision, the man of God was inflamed with burning love, having but one desire at heart, viz.: that both he and the Order he was to found, might be devoted to the exercise of that highest charity, the laying down of life for one's friends and neighbors.
That same night, the most holy Virgin appeared also to blessed Raymund of Penafort, and to James, king of Aragon, telling them of her wish to have the Order instituted, and exhorting them to lend their aid to so great an undertaking. Meanwhile Peter hastened to relate the whole matter to Raymund, who was his confessor; and finding it had been already revealed to him from Heaven, submitted humbly to his direction. King James next arrived, fully resolved to carry out the instructions he also had received from the blessed Virgin. Having therefore taken counsel together and being all of one mind, they set about instituting an Order in honor of the Virgin Mother, under the invocation of our Lady of Mercy for the ransom of captives.
On the tenth of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred and eighteen, King James put into execution what the two holy men had planned. The members of the Order bound themselves by a fourth vow to remain, when necessary, as securities in the power of the pagans, in order to deliver Christians. The king granted them license to bear his royal arms upon their breast, and obtained from Gregory IX the confirmation of this religious institute distinguished by such eminent brotherly charity. God Himself gave increase to the work, through the Virgin Mother; so that the Order spread rapidly and prosperously over the whole world. It soon reckoned many holy men remarkable for their charity and piety who collected alms from Christ's faithful, to be spent in redeeming their brethren; and sometimes gave themselves up all ransom for many others.
In order that due thanks might be rendered to God and His Virgin Mother for the benefit of such an institution, the Apostolic See allowed this special feast and Office to be celebrated and also granted innumerable other privileges to the Order.
Novena to Our Lady of Ransom Blessed be thou, O Mary, the honor and the joy of thy people! Show thyself a Queen, by coming to the rescue. The whole earth, the entire human race, cries out to thee.
O Immaculate and wholly pure Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Queen of the world, hope of those who are in despair, thou art the joy of the Saints; thou art the peacemaker between sinners and God; thou art the advocate of the abandoned, the secure haven of those who are on the sea of the world; thou art the consolation of the world, the ransom of slaves, the comfortress of the afflicted, the salvation of the universe. O great Queen, we take refuge in thy protection: 'We have no confidence but in thee, O most faithful Virgin.' After God thou art all our hope. We bear the name of thy servants; allow not the enemy to drag us to hell. I salute thee, O great Mediatress of peace, between men and God, Mother of Jesus our Lord, who is the love of all men and of God, to whom be honor and benediction with the Father and the Holy Ghost. Amen. (Prayer of St. Ephrem) Our Father, … Glory Be, … Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To Thee to we cry poor banished children of Eve, to Thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then most gracious Advocate thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us O holy Mother of God, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen A Novena is to be recited daily for nine consecutive days.
That same night, the most holy Virgin appeared also to blessed Raymund of Penafort, and to James, king of Aragon, telling them of her wish to have the Order instituted, and exhorting them to lend their aid to so great an undertaking. Meanwhile Peter hastened to relate the whole matter to Raymund, who was his confessor; and finding it had been already revealed to him from Heaven, submitted humbly to his direction. King James next arrived, fully resolved to carry out the instructions he also had received from the blessed Virgin. Having therefore taken counsel together and being all of one mind, they set about instituting an Order in honor of the Virgin Mother, under the invocation of our Lady of Mercy for the ransom of captives.
On the tenth of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred and eighteen, King James put into execution what the two holy men had planned. The members of the Order bound themselves by a fourth vow to remain, when necessary, as securities in the power of the pagans, in order to deliver Christians. The king granted them license to bear his royal arms upon their breast, and obtained from Gregory IX the confirmation of this religious institute distinguished by such eminent brotherly charity. God Himself gave increase to the work, through the Virgin Mother; so that the Order spread rapidly and prosperously over the whole world. It soon reckoned many holy men remarkable for their charity and piety who collected alms from Christ's faithful, to be spent in redeeming their brethren; and sometimes gave themselves up all ransom for many others.
In order that due thanks might be rendered to God and His Virgin Mother for the benefit of such an institution, the Apostolic See allowed this special feast and Office to be celebrated and also granted innumerable other privileges to the Order.
Novena to Our Lady of Ransom Blessed be thou, O Mary, the honor and the joy of thy people! Show thyself a Queen, by coming to the rescue. The whole earth, the entire human race, cries out to thee.
O Immaculate and wholly pure Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Queen of the world, hope of those who are in despair, thou art the joy of the Saints; thou art the peacemaker between sinners and God; thou art the advocate of the abandoned, the secure haven of those who are on the sea of the world; thou art the consolation of the world, the ransom of slaves, the comfortress of the afflicted, the salvation of the universe. O great Queen, we take refuge in thy protection: 'We have no confidence but in thee, O most faithful Virgin.' After God thou art all our hope. We bear the name of thy servants; allow not the enemy to drag us to hell. I salute thee, O great Mediatress of peace, between men and God, Mother of Jesus our Lord, who is the love of all men and of God, to whom be honor and benediction with the Father and the Holy Ghost. Amen. (Prayer of St. Ephrem) Our Father, … Glory Be, … Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To Thee to we cry poor banished children of Eve, to Thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then most gracious Advocate thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us O holy Mother of God, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen A Novena is to be recited daily for nine consecutive days.
Source: From THE LITURGICAL YEAR, Dom Gueranger
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