MOTHER

OF PERPETUAL HELP

Today, June 27th, we Redemptorists celebrate the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help - or Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

We were given this picture of Mary way back in 1866 by Pope Pius IX, who said, “Make her known.”

And we Redemptorists have certainly done just that.

I grew up in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Brooklyn, New York and as a kid during the 1940’s saw lots of people coming to the Wednesday Novena - praying for Help.

At the time I didn’t know that Perpetual Help novenas on Wednesday were taking place all around the world. They were especially helpful for people’s prayer life and spirituality during and after World War II - which was certainly a world war.

Becoming a Redemptorist I’m aware that many of our parishes have that name, Our Lady or Our Mother of Perpetual Help. I am aware that the icon of Mary can be found in Redemptorist parishes and centers in the 77 countries around the world where we are located. I am aware of the great novenas to Mary in Singapore and in the Philippines - and in various other places in the world.

I am aware that several pictures of Our Mother of Perpetual Help sent from Rome for various churches in the United States went down with the Andrea Doria in 1956.

I am aware that Mary under this title is the patron saint of Haiti - a country that recently had a horrible earth quake - as well as years and years of poverty and horror.

Help.

One thing I wonder about at times is what would happen if the island of Crete would demand back this picture - which was stolen back before 1500. It’s in our headquarters church in Rome - where it had been for a couple of a couple of hundred before we bought that property. Then it disappeared after the church where it was enshrined was destroyed.

It’s a small picture - 17” by 21”.

I’ve often wondered what has made it so popular.

We Redemptorists certainly helped do that - being missionaries all around the world. I wonder if it became so popular because the picture has eastern and western characteristics. I wonder if it’s popular because it’s the classic image of a mom and her baby. I wonder if what helps is that it’s a picture story - a child scarred runs to his mother and in the running his sandal starts falling off. I wonder it became so popular because of the word, “help” in its title. Who of us doesn’t need help?

I assume that this image of Mary is a place to come to - to run to - when we need mommy, when we need help.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Suggestion: after Mass today - visit her shrine - and thank Mary for help received and ask her for help needed.

Be like Abraham in today’s gospel - haggling God down from 50 to 10. For example if you’re praying that your kids return to church 52 Sundays a year - ask for 10 Sundays.

Be like Jesus in today’s gospel - who says he has no place to rest his head. Recall that in this picture or Icon of Mary, Jesus is resting his head on her shoulder - and when Jesus was taken down from the cross his head is rested on her once more.

Mary, you are our perpetual help from womb to tomb. Thank you. Amen.

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Picture on top: The original Our Lady of Perpetual Help picture at San Alfonso, in Rome.