Mary help of christians our true mother in troubled times

We are in the month of May, the month dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. For us, Salesians, this month is of added significance as we prepare ourselves for the feast of our dear heavenly Mother, Mary Help of Christians, and as many of us are commemorating the day when we received our religious consecration. We are living in troubled times that put in play unique conditions. As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, causing uncertainty, fear, depression and death, people are desperately seeking hope, guidance and peace.

In the book, Mary: Help in Hard Times, written and compiled by Marianne Lorraine Trouvé, , we find the following description on the back cover: “No matter what challenges we may face in life, Mary is always there to help us…Let the prayers and real life stories of how others have experienced Mary’s intercession open your heart to the care she can provide for you.” There are many such real-life stories of the past and of the present, which recount to us Mary’s care of and motherly assistance to her children. I recall reading one of the most thought-provoking testimonies that demonstrates the power of Mother Mary in the book, World War II, written by Sr. Mary Sheila O’Neil. Stan Fulton was assigned to lead an Air Force squadron at Halifax, Canada in 1940. He chose to bunk with the men over the officer’s quarters. The first night he greeted them, said he was tired and would talk to them properly in the morning, knelt and prayed the Rosary. No one prayed with Stan; He told the men he hoped they didn’t mind him praying because they were going to need it. Soon everyone was answering the Our Father’s and Hail Mary’s. Some had never seen anyone pray before; the majority of the squad had to learn the Rosary prayers. The night before leaving for active combat Stan gave everyone a rosary saying, “if you will promise to keep the Rosary with you always throughout your life and to say it, I can promise you that Our Lady will bring you all back safe to Canada.” According to the story, here’s what happened after and during an approximate five-year span. After two years of combat, it was noticed they were the only squadron that had not lost a plane or life. Every member of that squadron returned to Canada in 1945 knowing “Our Lady” had protected them. This testimony came directly from one of the squadron members who was not Catholic, but still prayed and carried that rosary at least five plus years later!

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). In the mystery of the Annunciation, we have the first and greatest mystery of our faith. Through the “Yes” of Mary, the human race was raised to glory in the flesh of Jesus. Let us remember, if the Word of God through the flesh of Mary began our redemption, should we not have confidence that our Blessed Mother will keep us in her maternal embrace in all the circumstances of life? Devotion to Mary affords the opportunity to ponder her who is “full of grace” and chosen by God to be His Mother. ‘Chosenness’ often is associated with something exceptional and honourable, especially if God is the chooser. Devotion to Our Lady helps us to remember that the favour God shows us is not immune from suffering. Just as Mary was chosen by God to be an integral part of salvation history, meditating on her experiences of grief and sorrow allow us to understand that God is alive and active even in those same experiences in our lives. In Mary’s suffering, we can find a way to understand our suffering and a way out from the pessimism ushered in by the pandemic.

The Gospel of John is the only Gospel to cite Mary as present at her Son’s Passion (Jn 19:25- 27). However, the episode furnishes no details about Mary’s role in or reaction to the Passion. Mary does not speak or weep in this Gospel account. After all, surely Mary would have said something during her vigil at the cross as she witnessed the death of her Son. The Early Eastern narratives thus tried to offer verbal articulation of Mary’s externalized grief. For example, one XIII century lament imagines Mary’s mournful response in this way: “I was tormented by such great sorrow and sadness in death that it could not be expressed in speech… My voice had nearly gone, but I uttered sighs of sorrow and moans of grief. I wanted to speak, but sorrow broke off the words, for a word is first conceived in the mind, then proceeds to formation by the mouth.” Mother Mary reminds us that she continues to be a fellow sufferer as her children on earth are suffering.

Our Marian devotion this month focusses on the title handed over to us by Don Bosco. The devotion to Our Lady under the title ‘Help of Christians’ exhibits clearly the maternal presence of Mary in the events of humanity, of the Church, of the Congregation and of each of us. Mary is the Mother who never abandons her children, but follows them and helps with her intercession. The title Help of Christians has always been invoked since 1500 in the Loreto litanies. The devotion to Mary Help of Christians was already known and widespread at the time of St. Pius V and spread widely following the victory of the Christians against the Turks at Lepanto (1571) and in Vienna (1683). Pope Pius VII, after his release from Napoleonic imprisonment (1814), instituted the feast of Mary, Help of Christians, setting the date on May 24th.

In times particularly difficult for the Church, Don Bosco became an apostle of devotion to Mary, Help of Christians. In 1862 he confided to Don Cagliero, future cardinal: “Our Lady wants us to honour her under the title of Mary, Help of Christians: times run so sad that we need the most holy Virgin to help us preserve and defend the Christian faith” (MB VII, 334). In 1868 he erected in Turin a beautiful church named after Mary Help of Christians. One can find there the beautiful and majestic painting, conceived by Don Bosco himself, which represents Our Lady Help of Christians, who with the sceptre of command and with the Child in her arms, is surrounded by the Apostles and Evangelists and is suspended on a cloud, and in the background below is the Sanctuary and the Oratory as it appeared in 1868, the year of the execution of the work of the painter Tommaso Lorenzone. The meaning of the whole picture is very clear. Just as Mary was present with the apostles in Jerusalem during Pentecost, therefore at the beginning of the Church’s activity, so too she stands to protect and guide the Church over the centuries, especially at troubled moments. I believe it is apt here to quote a few words of Don Bosco on Mary Help of Christians: “Those who trust in Mary will never be disappointed. In Mary, I placed all my trust. Our Lady never leaves things halfway. I recommend that you always invoke the name of Mary, especially with this title: Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us. It is a prayer not so long, but one that proved itself very effective! Our confidence is in the help of Mary, Help of Christians. The Lord and his divine Mother will not allow it to be repeated in vain: Mary, help of Christians, pray for us!”

Don Bosco is so well known to us for so many incredible things, that it’s no surprise certain parts of his story fade into the background. One such chapter is when the deadly cholera pandemic swept through Europe. When the disease made its way to Turin, the source was within the working district, very near to Don Bosco’s Oratory at Valdocco. Don Bosco took the advice of medical practitioners and immediately brought about changes around the place. All areas were to be regularly cleaned with vinegar, a known disinfectant. The beds were rearranged in the dormitories to allow for more space between them. All of his boys were instructed regularly to wash their hands. Everyone wore masks and were equipped with bottles of vinegar, so that they could wash their hands before and after interacting with infectious people. There was one more set of instructions that Don Bosco issued to his fellow first aiders – avoid sin, pray and believe in Mary. As we know, Don Bosco had a profound trust in Mary, Help of Christians and entrusted everything to her. Don Bosco promised his pupils that if they maintained all of these instructions and kept up the proper hygiene protocols, not one of them would get sick., As we are seemingly at the worst phase of Covid-19 with its alarming effects, it almost seems providential then that we also enter May, the month of Mary. Don Bosco taught his pupils how to care for themselves and others both physically and spiritually – a lesson we too would do well to remember. Don Bosco truly was a man ahead of his time; two hundred years on and we are still discovering his spirituality and both his human and divine qualities.

On March 11, 2020 at the outbreak of Covid-19, Pope Francis recited a prayer asking Mary to protect Italy and the world from the pandemic. In his prayer, Pope Francis calls Mary “Health of the Sick”, adding that she kept her faith firm as she stood near the Cross as Jesus suffered. “You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.” The Pope also said we seek refuge under Our Lady’s protection, knowing that she will help us “conform ourselves to the Father’s will”. Angelo Jesus Canta explains in an article for America: The Jesuit Review, “At a time of social distancing, increased anxiety and worldwide fear, Pope Francis is not just making an appeal to Catholic devotion. He is calling us all to consider Mary not as an abstract helper but as a mother who has a proven track record of healing, protecting and watching over her people.” Here I would like to share five reasons, adapted from Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, the Archbishop of Newark, why we should turn to Mary our Mother, especially in these troubled times.

People are sick and dying. Throughout the Church’s history, Christians have sought Mary’s intercession in times of serious illnesses including pestilences and plagues. As a loving mother, Mary always responds with the comfort and the healing grace of her Son. The Second Vatican Council implicitly presents her as follows: “With her maternal charity she takes care of her Son’s brothers and sisters who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and distress. For this reason, the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church with the titles of Advocate, Help of Christians, Mediatrix” (Lumen Gentium 62). She stands as a sign of hope for the sick who call upon her, and Mary wants to be called upon. She has endured suffering and sorrow and “shared in the mystery of pain” in a unique and special way, that can rarely be understood by the rest of humanity, but that allows her to better understand our pain and suffering. It is to her that we approach with trust as thousands of our brothers and sisters fall prey to Covid-19 and are dying.
People are frightened, lonely and depressed. Mary’s loving presence offers courage and hope during frightening times, especially when we are isolated from family and friends. She reassures us and reminds us that we are never alone, never without the consolation and hope won for us by her Son’s suffering, death and resurrection to new life. As St. Josemaria Escriva says, “So your strength is failing you? Why don’t you tell your mother about it?… Mother! Call her with a loud voice. She is listening to you; she sees you in danger, perhaps, and she – your holy mother Mary – offers you, along with the grace of her Son, the refuge of her arms, the tenderness of her embrace… and you will find yourself with added strength for the new battle.” Each of us can resolve to imitate Mary in our own lives, by reaching out in love and compassion to assist and comfort others who are suffering. At times, this can be relatively easy, such as simply spending time with a confrere who is suffering with a problem and may need someone to listen. At other times, the witnessing of suffering may require much greater effort, such as when someone is dying from a painful illness. During the times when our suffering is most intense, we can remember Mary in The Passion. Yes, it can be hard, and at times, we may feel as Mary did – that we can’t go on. Yet Mary teaches us that through our love for others, rooted in our love for God and faith in the resurrection and power of God’s grace, we have the strength and courage to persevere through any suffering the world presents.
People are out of work or afraid they will lose their jobs. Mary is alternately invoked as Our Lady of Abundance and as Mother of the Poor. She stands with us when the economy is growing as well as when there is widespread poverty and unemployment. She reminds us to be good stewards of all God’s gifts and to share generously with others, especially the poor. When the Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed into Heaven to be by her Son Jesus, she did not forfeit her role as mother. In fact, her motherly affection was multiplied and she became mother of us all. This is important, as it reminds us that as our mother, we can turn to her in times of need. She looks tenderly upon us and welcomes our anxieties and worries. Being united to her Son, she can take them to him and send down special graces to calm our troubled hearts.
People are longing for the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Mary shows us the way to her Son. She is a sacrament of God’s presence in the world, the Gateway to Grace and a model for the Church’s prayer and worship. As our people are deprived of access to the sacraments and to liturgy, we are called to instruct them to turn to Mary in the Rosary and other devotional prayers to help fill the spiritual gaps that exist in their lives. At a time when many questions arise in the minds of people related to faith, we have in Mary, the definite answer. As Mary, we accept something as true, not because we fully understand it or because we have proofs, but because we believe in Him who has revealed it to us. Our Faith is more confidence than intelligence. Through our Faith we expand our reality, enrich our reality; faith gives it a new meaning. Let us device ways and means so that the spiritual gap created by the absence of the sacraments be filled especially in the lives of our youngsters.
People need wise, prudent and compassionate leadership. Mary is the Mother of the Good Shepherd. His teaching and example powerfully illustrate the meaning and vital importance of servant leadership. We implore the Mother of our Lord to help all our leaders in society and in the Church to set aside their personal and political agendas so that they can place the needs of others first and foremost. As spiritual leaders in our own communities and in the areas of our apostolate, let us learn from Mary and seek her intercession to be wise, prudent and compassionate.
Early Christians knew well the powerful outcome of invoking Mary, the Mother of God and the spiritual Mother of all peoples during times of disaster. The ancient Marian prayer Sub Tuum Praesidium (“Under Your Protection”, c.250 A.D.) called upon the Mother of God particularly during times of trial and persecution in the early Church in order to receive her unparalleled motherly intercession in their gravest of necessities.

As contemporary humanity is faced with coronavirus and other seemingly ubiquitous challenges, as true sons of Don Bosco let us have recourse to our Blessed Mother, Help of Christians, who is our sure source of support and strength to have the full release of her most powerful motherly intercession for the world and for the Church. Let the words of our Father Don Bosco resonate in our minds, “I am not aware that anyone prayed in vain. Spiritual and temporal favours, more or less extraordinary, always resulted from praying to our most merciful Mother, the mighty Help of Christians.”

Affectionately in Our Bl. Mother, Help of Christians,

Fr. Jose Thomas Koyickal sdb

Provincial