Mary, olive branch of forgiveness, Mary: Day 129

Mary, olive branch of forgiveness, Mary: Day 129 November 27, 2015

st_gertrude_the_great_1Mary, olive branch of forgiveness

St. Gertrude the Great was a visionary whose passionate devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus gave her a deep love for his mother. Here, she humbly asks for Mary’s tender motherly care.

Hail, Mary, Queen of Mercy,
olive branch of forgiveness,
through whom we receive the medicine that heals our mortal sickness,
the balsam of pardon;
Virgin mother of the divine Offspring, through whom the grace of heavenly light has been shed upon us,
the sweet-scented son of Israel! Through your Son, your only Child, who stooped to become
the Brother of mankind, you have become
the true Mother of us all.
For the sake of his love, take me, all unworthy as I am,
into your motherly care.
Sustain, preserve, and enlighten my conversion;
be for all eternity my incomparable cherished mother, tenderly caring for me throughout my earthly life,
and enfolding me in your arms at the hour of my death.
—St. Gertrude the Great

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
What might St. Gertrude mean when she asks Mary to “sustain, preserve, and enlighten [her] conversion”? Does this petition suggest that conversion is a lifelong endeavor?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a “Novena to Our Lady of Good Remedy”: Come to the aid of all who call upon you; extend your maternal protection to us. We depend on you, dear mother, as helpless and needy children depend on a tender and caring mother.

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