Oh, Mary, defend thou me,
or tell me to whom I shall have recourse,
and who can protect me better than thou.
or tell me to whom I shall have recourse,
and who can protect me better than thou.
Our advocate has shown how great is her kindness towards sinners by her mercy to Beatrice, a nun in the monastery of Fontebraldo, as related by Cesarius, and by Father Rho.
This unhappy religious, having contracted a
passion for a certain youth, agreed to flee with him from the convent;
and, in fact, she went one day before a statue of the blessed Virgin,
and there deposited the keys of the monastery, for she was portress, and
boldly departed.
Arrived in another country, she led the
miserable life of a prostitute for fifteen years. It happened that she
met, one day, the agent of the monastery in the city where she was
living, and asked of him, thinking he would not recognize her again, if
he knew sister Beatrice?
“I knew her well,” he said. “She is a holy nun, and at present is mistress of novices.”
At this intelligence she was confounded and
amazed, not knowing how to understand it. In order to ascertain the
truth, she put on another dress and went to the monastery.
She asked for sister Beatrice, and behold,
the most holy Virgin appeared before her in the form of that same image
to which at parting she had committed her keys, and her dress.
The divine mother thus spoke to her:
“Beatrice, be it known to thee that, in order to prevent thy disgrace, I
assumed thy form, and have filled thy office for the fifteen years that
thou hast lived far from the monastery and from God. My child, return,
and do penance, for my Son is still waiting for thee; and strive by thy
holy life to preserve the good name I have gained thee.” She spoke thus
and disappeared.
Beatrice re-entered the monastery, resumed
the habit of a religious, and, grateful for the mercy of Mary, led the
life of a saint. At her death she made known the foregoing incident, to
the glory of this great queen.
PRAYER:
Oh great mother of my Lord, I now see that
the ingratitude shown by me, for so many years to God and to thee, would
justly merit that thou shouldst abandon all care of me, for the
ungrateful are no more worthy of favors.
But, oh Lady, I have a great idea of thy
goodness; I believe it to be far greater than my ingratitude; continue,
then, oh Refuge of Sinners, to help a miserable sinner who confides in
thee. Oh mother of mercy, extend thy hand to raise a poor fallen
creature who implores thy mercy.
Oh, Mary, defend thou me, or tell me to whom I shall have recourse, and who can protect me better than thou.
Can I find an advocate with God more
merciful and more powerful than thou, who art His mother? Thou, having
been created for the Mother of the Savior, art destined to save sinners,
and hast been given me for my salvation.
Oh, Mary, save him who has recourse to
thee. I do not merit thy love, but the desire thou hast to save the lost
gives me the hope that thou dost love me; and if thou lovest me, how
can I be lost?
Oh my beloved mother, if, as I hope, I am
saved by thee, I will no longer be ungrateful; I will make amends by
perpetual praises and by all the affection of my soul for my past
ingratitude, and will make some return for the love thou bearest me.
In heaven, where thou reignest and wilt
reign forever, I will always joyfully sing thy mercies, and forever I
will kiss those loving hands that have freed me from hell as often as I
have deserved it for my sins.
Oh Mary, my liberator, my hope, my queen, my advocate, my mother, I love thee, I wish thee well, and will always love thee.
Amen, amen; thus I hope, so may it be.
This
“Stories of Mary – Stories of the Rosary” is taken from the Glories of
Mary, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus Liguori; New Revised
Edition, P.J. Kennedy & Sons. Copyright 1888 by P.J
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