Devotion to Mary in May: day 7 "Mary comfort of prisoners"

7 DAY
Holy Mary.

Invocation. - Mary, Mother of mercy, pray for us!

MARY COMFORT OF THE PRISONERS
Jesus Christ, being in Gethsemane, was taken by his enemies, was tied up and dragged before the court.
The Son of God, innocence in person, be treated like an evildoer! In his Passion Jesus repaired for all and also repaired for evildoers and assassins.
. Those who should do more compassion in society are prisoners; yet either they are forgotten or despised. It is charity to turn our thoughts to many unhappy people, because they too are children of God and our brothers and Jesus considers what is done to prisoners done to himself.
How many pains afflict the heart of the prisoner: the lost honor, the deprivation of liberty, the detachment from loved ones, the remorse of the wrong done, the thought of the needs of the family! Those who suffer do not deserve contempt, but compassion!
It will be said: They have done wrong and therefore pay him! - It is true that many are brutalized in vice and it is better that they are segregated from society; but there are also innocent people in prisons, victims of arrogance; there are others with a good heart and who have committed some crime in a moment of passion, of mental blindness. Some Criminal Houses should be visited to understand the suffering of these unhappy people.
Our Lady is the Comforter of the afflicted and therefore is also the comfort of prisoners. From the heights of Heaven he looks at these children of his and commits them, mindful of how much Jesus suffers when he was imprisoned; pray for them, that they may repent and return to God like the good thief; repair for their crimes and get the grace of resignation.
The Virgin sees in every prisoner a soul redeemed by the blood of her Jesus and an adopted son, in great need of mercy.
If we want to do something pleasing to Mary, let us offer her some good work of the day for the benefit of those in prisons; we especially offer Holy Mass; Communion and the Rosary.
Our prayer will obtain conversion to some murderer, repair certain misdeeds, help to make the innocence of some condemned shine and it will be a work of spiritual mercy.
In the dark of night the stars are seen and thus in pain the light of faith. In prisons houses pain and conversions are easier.

EXAMPLE

In the Criminal House of Noto, where about five hundred prisoners served, a course of Spiritual Exercises was preached.
How carefully those unhappy people listened to the sermons and how many tears shone on certain grim faces!
Who was condemned for life, who for thirty years and who for less time; but all those hearts were wounded and sought balm, the true balm of Religion.
At the end of the Exercises, twenty priests lent themselves to listen to the confessions. The Bishop wanted to celebrate Holy Mass and thus have the joy of giving Jesus to prisoners. Silence was edifying, recollection admirable. The moment of Communion is moving! A mass of hundreds of condemned, with folded hands and downcast eyes, paraded in order to receive Jesus. They looked like real pleading Friars.
Priests and more than all the bishop enjoyed the fruit of that preaching.
How many souls can be redeemed in prisons, if there are those who pray for them!

Foil. - Recite the Holy Rosary for those who are in prisons.

Ejaculation. - Mary, Comforter of the afflicted, pray for the prisoners!