Mother of Mercy

Sell what you possess and give alms. Make to yourselves bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faileth not: where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ~GOSPEL Luke. 12. 32-34

SAINT PETER NOLASCO
Confessor

Traditional Calendar January 28

Peter Nolasco was born of a noble family at Recaudun, near Carcassonne, in France, and lost his parents while still young. In consequence of his horror of the Albigensian heresy, he sold his estates and withdrew into Spain. Here, as he was praying one night, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him in a vision, and gave him to understand that it would be most pleasing to her Son and herself, if he would found an order of religious men, whose chief duty it should be to effect the redemption of Christian bondsmen out of the hand of the infidels. And so, together with St. Raymund Pennaforte and King James I of Aragon, who had been told the same thing by the Mother of God on the very same night, he founded the Order of the Blessed Mary of Ransom for the Redemption of Captives. The members add a fourth vow that they will be ready to remain as hostages in the hand of the infidels if this were needed to free Christians. He was refreshed by frequent apparitions of his Guardian Angel, and of the Virgin Mother of God ; and when he had attained a good old age, he died a holy death at midnight between the 23rd and 24th of December, in the year 1256. ~Roman Breviary

REOURCES

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Practice of Merciful Charity – The passion for freedom creates in Mercedarians the mystique of the liberation of those brothers and sisters who are in the power of the enemies of the faith. The first Mercedarian Constitutions insist repeatedly on affirming that the mission or goal of the Institute is to visit and to free Christians who are in the power of the Saracens or other enemies of the faith. In order to liberate Christian captives, this mystique encourages the use of every licit recourse, including the one inspired by the greatest charity: Giving one’s own freedom and life!

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Old Calendar: Our Lady of Ransom

September 24

This feast was extended to the whole Church in thanksgiving to the Blessed Virgin, for having in the thirteenth century inspired St. Peter Nolasco and St. Raymond of Pennafort to found a religious order for the release of Christians captured by the Saracens. The Mercedarians vowed to give themselves up as hostages for the imprisoned Christians when ransom and military means failed. Their heroism saved countless souls from apostasy and despair.

Prayer To Our Lady Of Ransom

O God, Who by means of the most glorious
Mother of Thy Son
was pleased to give new children to Thy Church
for the deliverance of Christ’s faithful
from the power of the heathen;
grant, we beseech Thee,
that we who love and honor her as the foundress
of so great a work
may, by her merits and intercession,
be ourselves delivered from all sin
and from the bondage of the evil one.
Through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen

Mateo Pisarro (at.), Our Lady of Mercy with Saint Peter Nolasco and Saint Ramon Not Naturally Born, and the Trinity.

RESOURCES:

Our Lady’s Feast Days

Traditional Catholic Liturgy

Breviary

St.Peter Nolasco Bio

St. Peter Nolasco – Order of Mercy

Coloring Page – St. Raymond of Penafort, co-founder with St. Peter Nolasco of the Order of Mercedarians

– St. Raymond of Penafort

Mary, My Mother, how shall I stand before my Judge at the day of judgment? How shall I answer for the wasted days and years which God has given me to serve Him alone? I look to you, Mother of Mercy. You are all-merciful that you may obtain for me pardon and mercy. You are kind and loving for you have a mother’s heart, full of pity for the erring. You are a Mother of Mercy to the sinner and the fallen; have pity on me! ~ Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D.

(scroll to the bottom of this page to turn off the music before playing the video)

St. Peter Nolasco

Have Pity On Me

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