Tag Archives: Our Lady Help of Christians

More Sayings from the Great Master of Youth – Saint John Bosco

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Four years ago, today, I wrote a short blog post about the Great Master of Youth – Saint John Bosco. Since that time, that article, which included 10 sayings from the Italian saint has garnered over 43,461 views [at time of publishing for this post]. It is one of the most popular posts I have written in the past six years. I am often humbled and shocked on the shear mass of individuals viewing this post about Don Bosco on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis.

Since so many people liked that post over the years, here is another one focusing on More Sayings from the Great Master of Youth –

1. “I will take no unnecessary walks. I will make exactingly careful us of my time.

When the salvation of souls is at stake I will always be ready to act, to suffer, and to humble myself. May the charity and gentleness of St. Francis de Sales inform my every action.I will always be content with the food set before me unless it is really harmful to my health.

I will always add water to my wine and drink it only for reasons of health. Since work is powerful weapon against the enemies of my salvation I will take only five hours sleep a night. During the day, especially after dinner, I will take no rest, except in case of illness.

Every day I will devote some time to meditation and spiritual reading. During the day I will make a short visit, or at least a prayer, to the Blessed Sacrament. My preparation for Mass shall last at least a quarter of an hour and so shall my thanksgiving.

Outside the confessional and save in cases of strict necessity I will never stop to talk to women” [one large quote broken down into smaller paragraphs to read].

2. “I have promised God that until my last breath I shall have lived for my poor young people. I study for you, I work for you, I am also ready to give my life for you. Take note that whatever I am, I have been so entirely for you, day and night, morning and evening, at every moment.”

3. “In my long experience very often I had to be convinced of this great truth; that it is easier to become angry than to restrain oneself and easier to threaten a boy than to persuade him. Yes, it is more fitting to be persistent in punishing our own impatience and pride than to correct the boys. We must be firm but kind, and be patient with them.”

4. “You should bear patiently the bad temper of other people, the slights, the rudeness that may be offered you.”

5. “Never read books you aren’t sure about…even supposing that these books are very well written from a literary point of view. Let me ask you this: Would you drink something you knew was poisoned just because it was offered to you in a golden cup?”

6. “A saint was once asked, while playing happily with his companions, what he would do if an angel told him that in a quarter of an hour he would die and have to appear before the judgment seat of God. The saint promptly replied that he would continue playing because I am certain these games are pleasing to God.”

If you are not familiar with the life of Saint John Bosco, affectionately known to many as Don Bosco, I would encourage you to read the book, Saint John Bosco; A Friend of Youth by F. A. Forbes.

He had a great devotion, like many saints before and after him, to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His particular devotion was to Our Lady, Help of Christians.

If you are in the field of education or a catechist at a parish and working with children from kindergarten to high school, I would encourage you to read, The Educational Philosophy of St. John Bosco. It was a book that completely revolutionized my approach when I was a high school theology teacher.

Saint John Bosco…Pray for Us

If we haven’t prayed yet for the US Election…it’s time to start praying!

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In all my years, I can’t remember an election cycle that has had more contention and open hostility than the election cycle we are currently in. Not to be overly dramatic, but this election could potentially have effects on many of us for years to come. And with such ill content for the Catholic Church, at least the Catholic Church that is faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Magisterium, I think we need to be aware of the threats to religious freedom, which includes, openly professing our faith in the public square.

With this being said, I think it’s time, if we haven’t already, to start praying for the US Election. In not so many words, it’s time to get our prayer on!

As we have seen throughout history, such as the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, when Catholics start praying devoutly and faithfully, we have the spiritual prowess to get things done and to turn the tide in our favor. In our time, at this moment in history, we need to collectively come together as the Catholic faithful and pray for the US Election. This election will not only impact this country, but the world as a whole.

So how do we get this done?

First, Pray the Rosary! The Rosary is so important that I have written about it on here 13 different times.

Second, pray novenas. A novena is a nine-day prayer and has been spiritually beneficial for many people over the ages. The two novenas I suggest: The National Novena for the Election given to us by the Knights of Columbus and the Novena for the Election given to us by PrayMoreNovenas.com. Pray one, pray both, but whatever you do, pray one of them and start on October 30th.

Third, pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Make your prayer intention for our country and for the election. Jesus Christ through His Divine Mercy hears our prayers.

Fourth, invoke the intercession of the saints who suffered persecution and even martyrdom for their faith. Most importantly among the saints, ask for the intercession of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher. You can also pray to the other English Martyrs, the Mexican martyrs, and St. John Paul II, who as priest, bishop, and Pope stood up against tyranny and threats to religious freedom.

Fifth, pray the Memorare and the St. Michael the Archangel Prayer.

Lastly, although many of the above suggestions already include Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray to Our Lord through His Mother under her titles of Our Lady, Help of Christians, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Our Lady of America.

There are other things you can do too, but these are my suggestions, however, whatever you do, start praying today!

Our Lady of America…Pray for Us! 

“Mondays with Mary” – Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady, Help of Christians

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This Thursday, October 27, is the Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady, Help of Christians, the immense and stunning basilica that was built by St. John Bosco during the years of 1863 to 1868. In the year 1844, he had a vision-dream where the Blessed Virgin Mary displayed for St. John Bosco a massive church and said,

“This is my house; from it my glory shines forth. You will understand everything when, with your material eyes, you will see in actual fact what you now see with the eyes of your mind.”

basilica-of-our-lady-help-of-christians

In 1863, some nineteen years after his vision-dream, Don Bosco began the process of building the basilica. In another vision, the Blessed Virgin Mary told Don Bosco where the basilica should be built in Turin – on the site where Saint Adventer Solutor and Saint Octavious were martyred. Both men fought as soldiers in the fourth century under the Roman Emperor, Maximianus.

After the foundation of the church was laid, Don Bosco set out to pay the contractor fully aware that he didn’t have that much money. When the contractor received only 8 pennies, he was in shock since he should have been paid with many gold coins. After witnessing the face of the contractor, Don Bosco smiled and said to the man, “the Madonna will see to the payment of her church. I am just the instrument, the cashier. You will see.”

As Don Bosco promised, Our Lady came through with the financial support needed to build her church. Many devout individuals and some very generous supporters donated most of the money necessary for the church. The rest of the money often came in small amounts from people who were granted prayers after asking the Blessed Virgin Mary for intercessions.

Although the basilica is filled with many breathtaking monuments, the most impressive one is the painting above the main altar (see below). Our Lady, Help of Christians is in the center, surrounded by God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, the Apostles and the Gospel writers.

Marian Altar and Painting

Even though there was strong resistance to naming the building in honor of Our Lady, Help of Christians, St. John Bosco finally was able to convince those forces to name the church so. He knew that Our Lady’s help under this title would come in need again, not only in Italy, but for the entire world, just as she had at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571 and in Vienna on September 12, 1683.

On June 9, 1868, the immense basilica was dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians. The festivities for dedication lasted nine days. On each day, a Bishop preached while another participated at the festival. The devotion grew so quickly to Our Lady, Help of Christians, that in 1911, Pope St. Pius X elevated the church to a basilica, and thus it became known as – The Basilica of Our Lady, Help of Christians.

The relics of the two aforementioned martyrs are held in the basilica as is the remains, the uncorrupted body of St. John Bosco. There are also 6000 relics from a variety of saints in the crypt of the basilica. I was blessed in the year 2000, the Jubilee Year, to visit the basilica in Turin, Italy, as part of the World Youth Day pilgrimage to Rome.

The Marian Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians is celebrated on May 24, you can read about it by clicking on the link.

To visit the National Shrine of the Basilica of Our Lady, Help of Christians here in the USA, please click here.

Our Lady, Help of Christians…Pray for Us. 

The Top 5 “Mondays with Mary” over the Past Month

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For this week’s “Mondays with Mary”, I provide for you the Top 5 blog posts over the past month in the hopes that you will read them again, if you did not get the chance when they first published, as well as share them with your family and friends via email or social media.  Studying and reflecting on Marian theology is important to the life of every Christian. The more we come to know Mary; the more we come to know Jesus Christ. Mariology leads us into a deeper understanding of Christology.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in his co-authored with Hans Ur Von Balthasar, Mary: The Church at the Source, states, “…Mariology underscores the nexus mysteriorum — the intrinsic interwovenness of the mysteries in their irreducible mutual otherness [Gegenuber] and their unity…Mary represents a further step, inasmuch as she is first related to Christ, not as a bride, but as mother.”

The blog posts are listed with the most popular over the past month first:

1. Our Lady Help of Christians

2. Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant

3. The Flowers of the Blessed Virgin Mary [most popular “Mondays with Mary” of all time]

4. The Esheth Yahil (Woman of Valor)

5. 10 Memorable Quotes about the Blessed Virgin Mary from St. John Vianney

Mary, Help of Christians

 Our Lady Help of Christians…Pray for Us.

“Mondays with Mary” – Our Lady Help of Christians

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This coming Saturday, May 24, is the Marian feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians. This has always been an interesting feast to me since I developed a devotion to St. John Bosco about ten years ago. It was Don Bosco who often went to the Blessed Virgin Mary under this title asking for intercession. The main church (pictured below) of the Salesian Order in Turin, Italy bears the title, Maria Avxilivm Christianorvm Ora Pro Nobis – Mary, Help of Christians Pray for Us. It was dedicated on June 9, 1868.

Our Lady Help of Christians - Turin, Italy.

Our Lady Help of Christians – Turin, Italy.

Our Lady Help of Christians originated in the sixteenth century with the invocation, Auxilium Christianorum (Help of Christians) during the Battle of Lepanto. It was during the battle in 1571 where the Catholics of Europe prayed the Holy Rosary to defeat the Islamic warriors who threatened Christianity. In praise and thanksgiving for the pivotal outcome of the battle, Pope St. Pius V in 1573, instituted the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7.

Around one hundred years later, Christianity would find itself at odds with the Ottoman Empire. The emperor at the time of the Holy Roman Empire, Leopold I of Austria, took up arms against the Turks on numerous occasions. During one specific occasion, Leopold found himself against 200,000 Turks as they surrounded the city of Vienna.

Recognizing that he needed Heavenly help, he took shelter at Pasau in the Shrine dedicated to Mary Help of Christians. On the feast of Our Lady’s birthday, September 8, a strategic battle plan was devised and a great victory was won on September 12, the feast of the Holy Name of Mary. While praying the Holy Rosary, with the emperor, all of Europe shouted – “Mary, Help!”

On July 5, 1808, the armies of Napoleon arrested Pope Pius VII after they entered the Vatican. Pope Pius VII would be chained and sent first to Savona and then to Fontainbleau where he would remain for three years. During his five years in prison, the Holy Father asked God to free him from captivity. If God answered his prayers and restored him to the Papacy, he would honor the Blessed Virgin Mary with a feast day. On May 24, 1814, Napoleon was forced to release Pius VII. He returned to Rome in great triumph and offering thanksgiving. One year later, the Holy Father instituted the feast, Our Lady Help of Christians, to protect the Papal States.

Although other dioceses adopted this feast day over the years, it is not part of the universal calendar of the Catholic Church. When St. John Bosco founded his order of both men and women religious, he declared to them that the Salesians main objective was to promote the veneration of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist and devotion to the Mary under this title.

Our Lady Help of Christians…Pray for Us!

Sources:

New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia – http://www.newadvent.org

Catholic News Agency – http://www.catholicnewsagency.com