Prayer of the Day

Feast of Our Lady of Ransom

September 24th, 2015

English Catholics have had a long tradition of devotion to Our Lady – a devotion which earned their country the title of Our Lady’s Dowry.  It was to renew this devotion that a special feast was adopted known as Our Lady of Ransom or Our Lady of Mercy.  This is a title that goes back to the twelfth century when a religious order was founded in Spain to rescue captives seized by the Moors.  In today’s Gospel we see Mary,  the perfect disciple,  faithful to her Son,  standing by his Cross.  Seeing her there with John the Beloved Disciple,  Our Lord entrusted her with a new role – she was to be Mother of the Church represented by John.   This is the second time we meet Our Lady in John’s Gospel.  She was present at the Wedding Feast in Cana,  where noticing the shortage of wine she drew her Son’s attention to the situation.  It seemed at first as if Our Lord wasn’t going to do anything about it but Mary knew he wouldn’t disappoint her so she simply told the servants to obey his orders.   The result – six stone water jars filled to overflowing with ‘the best wine.’ (John 2 : 1 – 12)   No wonder Christians continue to offer their prayers thro’ Our Lady’s intercession.   As we recall the origins of this feast of Our Lady of Ransom,  let us pray for Christians today in Syria and other countries who are being persecuted and even murdered by extreme Muslims.