In the year 1218, which is to say 800 years ago, Our Lady appeared to St. Peter Nolasco. She urged him to help comfort and rescue captive Christians who were suffering. The commemoration of that event was traditionally called the feast of Our Lady of Ransom. Today, it is better known under the title of “Our Lady of Mercy,” and we will observe it this coming Monday, the 24th of September.
As a result of that apparition, the Order of the Mercy was founded not long afterwards. As no doubt most of our readers know, the Mercedarian Sisters have been examples of loving service in action for over 90 years now on Saipan and elsewhere around Micronesia.
To this day, the Mercedarian Order continues to help God’s people be released from the physical and spiritual chains that hold them back from the abundant life of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray for the Sisters, and for ourselves, that we would follow their example of mercy.
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and thanks
for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent!
Receive our gratitude, and by your prayers obtain the pardon of our sins.
Take our prayers into the sanctuary of heaven
and enable them to make our peace with God.
Holy Mary, help the miserable,
strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful,
pray for your people, plead for the clergy,
intercede for all women consecrated to God.
May all who venerate you feel now your help and protection.
Be ready to help us when we pray,
and bring back to us the answers to our prayers.
Make it your continual concern to pray for the people of God,
for you were blessed by God and were made worthy
to bear the Redeemer of the world, who lives and reigns forever.
Amen.
(Prayer of St. Augustine of Hippo)