The Virgin Mary said to little Lucia, the visionary of Fatima, on June 13, 1917: “Do not be discouraged. I will never leave you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”
These words bring peace and serenity to the soul that is troubled, disturbed, and disoriented by the unpredictability of the future. Even more so by what, humanly speaking, seems foreseeably negative in the future. Who would have told us a month earlier that we would be backed into a corner by a microorganism posing a threat never perceived in recent decades?
A firm belief of every Christian holds that Holy Mary is a sure star of hope in darkness, in storms, and in the bitterest trials of life. Saint Bernard, as always, kindles in us confidence in the Virgin because: “this (Holy Mary and her power of intercession) is my greatest confidence; this is the whole reason for my hope.”
The grace of God will give us the eyes of faith
The history of the saints has left us the heroism of Saint Damien of Veuster, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Saint Michaela of the Blessed Sacrament, and many other saints who gave their lives to save the souls of their neighbors. On the other hand, there are countless examples of the special protection of the Virgin Mary when one lives in the grace of God and turns to her with genuine confidence: the case of the Miraculous Medal, Saint John Bosco, and a long list of others.
Let us not lose our serenity; the grace of God—in the Holy Spirit—will give us the eyes of faith which, above what is merely earthly, temporal, and passing, will raise us to what is permanent and imperishable. The forces of evil, although they may seem to dominate and subdue, possess no real power. The Virgin Mary crushes the head of the devil and proclaims with truth and consolation for us: “My Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
Our Hope
Our hope has a name, for the Church, considering Mary’s role in the Redemption of all humanity, frequently invokes her as “Our Hope” and “Mother of Hope.” The Church rejoices in her birth, which was for the world the certainty and beginning of salvation; and in the mystery of her glorious Assumption into Heaven, contemplates the Blessed Virgin as a sure expectation of salvation, shining for the faithful amid the difficulties of life.
Look to the star, call upon Mary!
In the face of the dangers and storms of life, Saint Bernard invites us to turn to and invoke this illustrious and singular Star:
O whoever you are, who in the turbulent current of this age find yourself far from solid ground, carried away by the waves of this world amid storms and tempests, if you do not wish to be shipwrecked, do not take your eyes from the light of this star; call upon Mary!
If the winds of temptation arise, if you strike against the rocks of tribulation, look to the star, call upon Mary.
If you are tossed by the waves of pride, slander, ambition, or jealousy, look to the star, call upon Mary.
If anger, greed, or impurity violently drive the little vessel of your soul, look to Mary.
If, troubled by the memory of the enormity of your sins, confused by the sight of the ugliness of your conscience, terrified at the thought of the horror of judgment, you begin to sink into the abyss of sorrow and the depths of despair, think of Mary.
In dangers, in anxieties, in doubts, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let Mary never depart from your lips, nor from your heart; and to obtain the help of her intercession, do not stray from the example of her virtues.
You will not go astray if you follow her, you will not despair if you pray to her, you will not be lost if you think of her. If she stretches out her hand to you, you will not fall; if she protects you, you will have nothing to fear; you will not grow weary if she is your guide; you will arrive safely at the harbor if she shelters you. Thus you will experience within yourself how rightly it was said: And the Virgin’s name was Mary.”
