Mother Teresa | 9. Mary

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9. Mary

"Mary is our mother, the cause of our joy. Being a mother, I have never had difficulty in talking with Mary and feeling close to her."

I recommend praying these words to Mary:

Mary, Mother of Jesus and of those who participate in his priestly ministry, we come to you with the same attitude of children who come to their mother.

We are no longer children, but adults who desire with all our hearts to be God's children.

Our human condition is weak, that is why we come to ask for your motherly aid so we are able to overcome our weakness.

Pray for us so that we can, in turn, become people of prayer.

We invoke your protection so that we may remain free from all sin.

We invoke your love so that it may reign and we will be able to be compassionate and forgiving.

We ask for your blessing so we can be like the image of your beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Following his visit to Calcutta, Pope John Paul II decided to establish in the Vatican a home for those who don't have one, for the sick and the dying of Rome. This home is named Gift of Mary.

Reading the gospel very carefully we realize that Mary, the Mother of God, did not give long speeches. To praise God and thank him, she said this hymn:

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thought of their hearts,

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." Luke 1:46-55

When the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity had just been established, we urgently needed a building for the Congregation's motherhouse. To get it, I promised the Virgin to pray 85,000 Memorares:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly to you, O virgin of virgins, my Mother.

To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me.

Amen.

There were not too many of us yet. How were we going to take care of our debt?

I came up with a solution:

to bring together all the children and the sick we were taking care of the Nirmal Hriday and Shishu Bhavan. I taught them the prayer and we all promised to pray it.

The building did not take long to become ours.

Due to the celebration of the Holy Year in 1984, the Holy Father was celebrating Mass outside in Saint Peter's Square, and there was a great crowd. A group of Missionaries of Charity was also there:

Suddenly it started to rain. I told the Sisters, "Let us pray a quick novena of Memorare to our Lady so it stops raining."

While we were praying the second Memorare, it started to rain even harder.

While we prayed the third, the forth, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, and the eighth ones, the umbrellas started to close.

By the time we finished the ninth prayer, the only open umbrellas were ours; we had worried so much about praying that we had not paid attention to the weather. It had stopped raining.