Our need of the Virgin Mary

Fr. Livio Tonello, director

When in difficulty we turn to our mother. Throughout history in mankind’s hardest moments Christians have always turned to the Virgin Mary for help. This brings to mind the marvellous hymn of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “If the winds of temptation arise; if you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation look to the star, call on Mary”. The Church does nothing but renew among Christians the devotion to Mary the mother of God and our Mother.

It is no coincidence that Pope Francis in his extraordinary moment of prayer to the Lord on Friday 27 march 2020 to free us from the coronavirus, through medicine, prudence and science, wanted the image of the Virgin “Salus populi romani” (the Salvation of the Roman people) and the crucifix of San Marcello to be present in Saint Peter’s square during the Urbi et Orbi blessing. These are not totems but signs, in this case reassuring, that man needs to implore grace from heaven: Lord, deliver us from Evil.

The first public prayer addressed to her of which we have knowledge (we are in the third century after Christ, during the time of persecution) sounds like this “Beneath your compassion, We take refuge, O Theotokos [God-bearer]: do not despise our petitions in time of trouble: but rescue us from dangers, only pure, only blessed one”. Througout the pandemic the Pope has invited all Christians to recite this prayer together with the much more recent rosary.

For the Church the Virgin Mary is not a figure of the past but a person alive and active among the disciples of all times: being without sin she was/is always attentive and caring of people in need and ready to share her most precious treasure: her faith in God which saves and frees us, opening paths in the many deserts of humanity. Saint Anthony was in love with the Virgin Mary and he prayed to her with these words: “Our Lady, star of the sea, that you shine upon us when we are buffeted by the raging of the sea. Guide us to harbour, defend our going out with your watchful presence.

So may we be found fit to go out safely from this prison, and come joyfully to unending joy”. Let’s pray together at Mary’s feet in these troubled times so she can say to us: “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, (rise and) walk” (Acts 3,6). With Jesus the pandemic can become as his cross, an instrument of rebirth and commitment to built a “common house” more humane and more fraternal with the power given by God, the power to serve others while walking together.