May, month of Mary: meditation on the fifth day
HEALTH OF THE SICK
5 DAY
Holy Mary.
Invocation. - Mary, Mother of mercy, pray for us!
HEALTH OF THE SICK
The soul is the most noble part of us; the body, although inferior to our spirit, has its great importance in earthly life, being an instrument of good. The body needs health and it is a gift from God to enjoy health.
It is known that there are countless diseases that can affect the human body. How many lie in bed for months and years! How many live in hospitals! How many bodies are tormented by painful surgical operations!
The world is a valley of tears. Only faith can shed light on the mystery of pain. Health is often lost due to immortification in eating and drinking; for the most part the organism is worn out because of the vices and then the disease is a punishment for sin.
Jesus healed the paralytic at the Siloe bath, a paralytic who had been lying in bed for thirty-eight years; meeting him in the temple, he said to him: Do not sin any more, lest it happen to you; worse! »(St. John, V, 14).
At other times, illness can be an act of God's mercy. So that the soul may detach itself from earthly joys, purify itself more and more, serving on earth rather than in Purgatory, and that with physical suffering it will serve as a lightning rod to sinners, imploring them thanks. How many privileged Saints and souls have spent their lives in this state of immolation!
The Church calls Our Lady: "Salus infirmorum" health of the sick, and urges the faithful to appeal to her for the health of the body.
How could a family man feed his children if he did not have the strength to work? How would a mother look after housework if she didn't have good health?
Our Lady, Mother of mercy, is happy to implore the health of the body to those who invoke it with faith. There are no numbers of people who experience the goodness of the Virgin.
The white trains for Lourdes leave, pilgrimages to the Marian shrines, the altars of the Madonna of "vowers" are plastered .. all this demonstrates the effectiveness of the recourse to Mary.
In diseases, therefore, let us turn to the Queen of Heaven! If the health of the soul will be useful. body, this will be obtained; if sickness is more spiritually useful, Our Lady will obtain the grace of resignation and strength in pain.
Any prayer is effective in needs. St. John Bosco, apostle of the Virgin Help of Christians, recommended a particular novena, with which prodigious graces were obtained and obtained. Here are the rules of this novena:
1) Recite three Pater, Hail and Glory to Jesus the Blessed Sacrament for nine days in a row, with the statement: May the Most Holy be praised and thanked every moment and - Most Divine Sacrament! - recite three Salve Regina to the Blessed Virgin, with the invocation: Maria Auxilium Christianorum, now pro nobis!
2) During the novena, approach the Holy Sacraments of Confession and Communion.
3) To obtain graces more easily, wear the Virgin 's medal around your neck and promise, according to the possibilities, some offerings for the cult of the. Madonna.
EXAMPLE
The Earl of Bonillan had his wife seriously ill with tuberculosis. The sufferer, after several months spent in bed, was reduced to such slaughter as to weigh only twenty five kilograms. Doctors deemed any remedy unnecessary.
The Count then wrote to Don Bosco, asking for prayers for his wife. The answer was: "Lead the sick woman to Turin." The Count wrote that the bride could not possibly make the trip from France to Turin. And Don Bosco to insist that he travel.
The sick woman arrived in Turin in painful conditions. The following day Don Bosco celebrated Holy Mass at the altar of Our Lady Help of Christians; the Count and the bride were present.
The Blessed Virgin performed the miracle: at the act of Communion the sick woman felt perfectly healed. While before he did not have the strength to take a step, he was able to go to the balustrade to communicate; after Mass, he went to the sacristy to speak with Don Bosco and returned peacefully to France completely restored.
Our Lady invoked with faith answered the prayers of Don Bosco and the countess. The incident occurred in 1886.
Foil. - Recite nine Gloria Patri, in honor of the Choirs of the Angels.
Ejaculation. - Maria, health of the sick, bless the sick!