Virgin Most Merciful, pray for us. Of course, this title does not mean that Mary is more merci- ful than God. But she is the most merciful of all creatures. Mary had to watch her Son be crucified before her eyes. Even though we’re all responsible for His death, she continues to pour out God’s mercy on us sinners. Any other man or woman would have grown sick of humanity’s sinfulness and said something like, “I’m done. I’ve tried. I’ve given you so many opportunities.” We keep sinning, and yet Mary, the Refuge of Sinners, continues to bring us to the throne of God to receive His forgiveness. She wants nothing more than for us to receive God’s mercy and live in His grace. Virgin Most Faithful, pray for us. People might mistakenly think that because Mary lived with Jesus, that she didn’t need to have faith. After all, she knew who Christ was better than anyone. Who could have had a closer, more intimate experience of Him? But Mary wasn’t God, so she didn’t have omniscience. She wasn’t all knowing. She had to walk by faith like the rest of us. I’m sure she had no knowledge that they were going to be moving to Egypt. That must have come as a total surprise. When Jesus was lost in the Temple, she was anxious. After Christ’s death, she had faith that He would rise again. She didn’t know this from her five senses, or by means of rational evidence. She knew it through profound trust in God’s promises —a trust which had deepened throughout her life, of which many popes have called “a pilgrimage of faith.” Mirror of Justice, pray for us. Though she’s not God, Mary perfectly reflects the goodness and truth of God. Throughout Scripture, “justice” often refers to great moral virtue. Being called the “Mirror of Justice” refers to the perfect state of her soul, which had the full- ness of virtue. Her justice also reminds us that she’s not merciful to a fault — she doesn’t throw out the rule book when it comes to sin. Just the opposite. She knows the rules of justice, and she plays by them. But since she’s so merci- ful, she finds the quickest, most efficient ways to satisfy the righteous demands of God’s justice. Mirroring God’s justice, she embodies a more palatable, more tender form of it. Seat of Wisdom, pray for us. When you think of a seat, you think of a throne, which belongs to a king or a queen. Mary is the royal carrier of wisdom. A lot of wisdom literature like the Psalms and Proverbs have been interpreted in a very Marian way throughout history. If you seek her, you obtain wisdom. If you abandon her, then you lose out on wisdom. The classic image of the Seat of Wisdom always shows the Blessed Virgin Mary either seated or standing, holding the Child Jesus in a royal posture. Jesus, wisdom Incarnate, sits on Mary’s lap. So, if you want to find wisdom, if you want to find Christ, then you need to draw close to her. Spiritual Vessel, pray for us. A vessel is made to contain something. It’s not made for itself. First, Mary was the vessel of Christ’s Incarnation, a bodily vessel by giving herself to the Holy Spirit. In return, God gave her His Son. Through receiving Christ in her body, Mary became not only a physical vessel, but a spiritual ves- sel as well. Ultimately, her Immaculate Conception, as well as her “yes” to God, kept her devoid of sin, enabling her to perfectly pour out His spiritual gifts on us. v As a member of the Thirteenth of the Month Club , you show your love of Our Blessed Mother and help us spread devotion to her. Answering the call of Our Lady of Fatima, you pray the Rosary daily for peace in the world and make the Five First Saturdays devotion. You include the Club’s intentions in your Rosary on the 13 th of each month and are remembered in a special Mass that day offered by the Marian Fathers in Fatima. Your monthly pledge helps support the Marian Fathers’ ministries and you receive this monthly newsletter, published by the Association of Marian Helpers, Stockbridge, MA 01263. 06210021 © 2019 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. Editor: Marc Massery l 1-800-462-7426 email:
[email protected] Visit marian.org/13th for related stories or membership information. T hirteenth of the month club T he L itany of L oreto continues … By Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC This is the eighth article in a series on the Litany of Loreto. Every month, I will explain this popular prayer line by line, providing you with spiritual and theological insights.