Devotion to Our Lady and the Salvation of Souls

Devotion to Our Lady and the Salvation of Souls By Father Stefano Maria Manelli, S.T.D.

We Must Save Our Souls Our Lady appeared at Fatima to remind us of the necessity of saving souls. Thus She recommended with insistence to the three little shepherds to pray and make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. "Many souls go to hell because there is no one to pray and make sacrifices for them." Most of all Our Lady has in !er !eart the intention of saving our souls. Tr Truly uly as a Mother She is concerned even with our temporal needs but the grace She wants to give us most is the grace of saving our souls. This is without any doubt the grace of all graces the grace euivalent to the eternity of #aradise. The apostle St. #eter wrote to the $hristians receive "the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls." %& #et. &'(.) *ut do we really work for the salvation of our souls+ ,o we take this to heart+ -re we serious about it+ nfortunately how thoughtlessly we make our response like that of sick nfortunately children who instead of being grateful for the care and consideration given them to regain their health remain inconsiderate and instead think only of themselves and their personal /oy. Our !eavenly Mother comes to remind us of our eternal destiny. One day a lady bogged down with sorrow and despair came to -rs because a few days before her husband died in a tragic way. !e committed committed suicide by throwing himself from a high bridge into the river. The wife was terribly tormented by the thought of the possible damnation of her husband. 0ntering the $hurch of -rs the poor lady knelt at once to pray and cry. 1t was the first time she had come to -rs. The !oly $ur2 of -rs passing by whispered to her "!e is saved3" "4hat do you mean+" e5claimed the lady in astonishment. "6our husband is saved" repeated the Saint "and he is in #urgatory in need of "6our prayers. From the railing of the bridge to the river he had time to repent. r epent. 1t is Our Lady who obtained for him this grace. 7emember 7emember what you used to do in your room during the month of May+ Sometimes your husband though he was www.fatima.org

irreligious /oined you in your prayers and put flowers in front of the statue of Mary. That obtained for him the grace of repentance and final pardon."

The white stair... One day while while #adre #io was slowly passing through the crowd c rowd a young man from afar shouted "Father tell me what 1 must do3" #adre #io looked at him profoundly and responded uickly' "Save your soul." This is the most essential thing to do. -ll the rest passes away. The salvation of your soul lasts forever forever.. Our Lady assures us of our salvation with our own cooperation in using the means given to us' prayer the sacraments mortifications good works and particularly Marian devotion. 0ven St. Francis of -ssisi in the famous vision of Friar Leo on the white ladder and the red ladder assures us that devotion to Our Lady is a guarantee for salvation. Thus those who were saved saved on the white ladder at whose peak was the *lessed 8irgin entered !eaven9 those on the red ladder : what a loss3

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Examine your conscience every night.  Ask yourself often: often: "What good does my soul soul profit by this action, action, this thought?" peak about the salvation of their soul to others also.

Mariano Rego, considered Portugal's greatest guitarist also called the Golden Guitar, recently joined the campaign to www.fatima.org

spread the true Message of atima in the Portuguese !slands of the "#ores$ Mariano too% the time to sho& proof of his support for he atima (rusader$ ")ove he holds one of the *++,+++ petitions &hich our !nternational Office printed and distri)uted in Portugal$

The Time to Save Myself  On earth ;od has given me time to save and sanctify myself "4ho wills all men to be saved" %& Tim. <'=) desires our "sanctification" %& Thes. ='>) and gives us a certain period of time for our earthly life. The period of time may be long or short. St. ,ominic Savio sanctified himself by living only for fifteen years. St. -lphonsus de Liguori lived for ninety?one years. The length of time is in the hands of ;od : "the master of life and of death" %4is. &@'&>). 4e only have to use our time according to the purpose for which ;od has created us that is "to know !im to love !im and to serve !im in this life" according to the teaching of the catechism of St. #ius A. This means "do good while you have time" as St. #aul recommended %;al. @'&B). 0verything must help me attain the eternal /oy of !eaven which consists in the beatific vision of ;od. Otherwise all my work is meaningless with great loss of merit and energy. -n old hermit once was asked his age. "1Cm fifty years old" he said. "This is not possible3" replied the visitor. "6ouCre surely more than seventy." "6ou are right" replied the hermit. "1 am seventy?five years old but 1 donCt "6ou count my first twenty?five years because 1 spent them away from ;od."

A good example... Let us look at the e5ample of our contemporary saint *lessed Doseph Moscati the great Eeapolitan doctor. doctor. !e did not live long but he filled his time with things truly noble and holy. ,aily he would start at  oCclock in the morning with two hours of recollected and intense prayer' making his meditation participating in !oly Mass receiving !oly $ommunion and making a long thanksgiving. !e said that without these two hours especially !oly $ommunion he would not have the courage to enter his office in order to see his patients.

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Soon after the two hours of prayers he was ready to work in various districts of  old Eaples to go down some basements or go up high?storied buildings to graciously visit the sick who were in painful and pitiful condition. 1n the morning he would continue with his studies and make medical rounds of his patients in the hospital. 1n moments of difficulty before a diagnosis he would place his hand in his pocket and holding his 7osary he would recommend himself to Our Lady. ,uring ,uring his visits to the sick he would not forget to mention to them the care of their souls giving them substantial advice and admonitions ... like that of confession or communicating oneself often. -t noon at the sound of the -ngelus even if he was in his doctorCs office he would unfailingly recite the -ngelus inviting those present to /oin. 1n the afternoon he would continue his medical visits and be home at sunset. !e would end his day with a visit visi t to the *lessed Sacrament reciting the 7osary and evening prayers. !e died while making such calls. !e loved his neighbor neighbor proving this by his care of their souls and bodies. This is a true $hristian who did good things while he had the time to do so.

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tart and close the day !ith morning and evening prayer. ortify above all your eyes and tongue so as not to !aste time in curiosity and gossip. #ray instead of talking uselessly.

Death ,eath is the door to eternal life. Through it one enters another life. 1t is an imperative passage. "1t is appointed unto men once to die" %!eb. (''&(.) *ut with the redemptive work of Desus death in the grace of ;od is the seal of eternal salvation9 for the saints death is the entrance to #aradise. St. #aul seems to shout of the /oy when he wrote' "For me death is gain." %#hil. &'<&.) For this St. Thomas More condemned to die by the heretics wished to put on his most beautiful and precious clothing on the day of e5ecution. -nd St. $harles *orromeo in his painting depicted death with a dying man full of serenity9 close to him was a beautiful angel with a golden key ready to open the door of !eaven. 4hat a grace it is to die a saint3 "#recious in the sight of the Lord is the death of !is saints." %#s. &&'&.)

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When? ow? Where? ,eath is the most certain thing but we do not know when it will be how it will be and where it will be. One may die while in his motherCs womb or after a hundred years9 one may die while in bed or in the middle of the street. -t night we are not sure of seeing the sun again nor in the morning can we be sure of reaching the evening. 4e are sure only of this' 4e "know not the day nor the hour" %Mt. <'&>)9 death will come "as a thief in the night" %& Thes. '<) that is stealthily and surprisingly. Thus Thus Desus emphatically admonishes us "*e you then also ready' for at what hour you think not the Son of Man will come." %Lk. &<'=B.) !ow foolish we must be then not to think of death simply because it makes us sad. -nd in not reflecting we somehow resemble ostriches who put their head under the sand to not see the danger which is approaching. Only in eternity will we understand how tragic is a bad death. The devil knows well how beneficial it is to think of death. !e considers it a misfortune if we are deprived of a life that is carefree and full of the pleasures of indulging in vices and sins. One day when #ope #ius A1 was on the street a lady came to him asking him for a personal remembrance. -fter looking at the lady who was lu5uriously dressed the #ope bent down took a little of the dust and placing it on the ladyCs forehead said "7emember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return." !e could not give her any better remembrance than that3

!e always ready... 4e are capable of spending our day on amusements on se5 on politics on sports on cigarettes and on television. 4e live confused and restrained by the tension of satisfaction pleasure and success. 4e are not aware that we are going to eternity "where everybody must go" %Dn. &='>). The earthly realities the temporal affairs the physical health the material things that enslave us that paralyHe us in a spiritual drowsiness can be fatal. Desus reminds us many times in the ;ospel that we must be spiritually ready and waiting for the heavenly kingdom' "*lessed are those servants whom the Lord when !e cometh shall find watching" %Lk. &<'>G). To be "awake" to be "ready" above all means to live l ive always in ;odCs grace avoiding mortal sin or immediately asking forgiveness and going to confession if  one has the misfortune to fall. St. Dohn *osco told his boys to come to him even at < oCclock in the morning to confess c onfess as soon as they commit mortal sin. This must be the first and absolute business of every $hristian' any time death comes with its "sharp sickle" %-poc. &='&=) it must find me in ;odCs grace.

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;odCs grace is like the oil lamps of the ten virgins in the parable of the ;ospel. The five wise virgins who brought oil lamps entered the wedding feast with the bridegroom9 the five foolish virgins were deprived of the wedding feast because their lamps were without oil. "1 know you not" was the terrible answer of the Lord to them %Mt. <'&?&>). 1nstead let us think of the death of St. *enedict. 4hen he sensed that his time had come the saintly patriarch stood supported by two monks and remained in that position with arms l ifted high in the act of "going to meet the bridegroom" %Mt. <'@).

"... At the hour of our death" From Our Lady we can obtain the grace of a happy death. This grace is so important that the $hurch asks it from !er in every !ail Mary' "#ray for us now and at the hour of our death." *lessed is the death of him who has loved Mary of him who has invoked Mary3 St. Mary Magdalene Sofia *arat said that "the death of a true devotee of Mary is the leap of a child into the arms of his Mother". St. *onaventure wrote that to die "with pious invocation of the 8irgin Mary is a sign of salvation". 4hen St. Dohn *osco had the apparition of St. ,ominic Savio who died a few days before he asked this uestion "Tell "Tell me ,ominic which of the things consoled you most at the hour of your death+" "6ou guess ,on *osco." "#erhaps it was the thought that you have guarded well the lily of purity+" "Eo." "#erhaps the penances you made during your life+" "Eot even those." "Then it was the peace of conscience ... free from any sin+" "This made me happy but the most consoling thing for me at the hour of death was the thought that 1 was a devotee of Our Lady3 Tell this to your boys and recommend with insistence devotion to Our Lady."

Application •

$ffer your day for the dying.

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%ive as if it is the last day da y of your life.

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&ead and meditate on the parable of the ten virgins 't. ():*+*-.

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hose &ho em)race this devotion to My !mmaculate -eart &ill )e as flo&ers placed )efore the throne of God$

The #udgment of $od The meditation on the "Dudgment of ;od" conveys to man what St. -ugustine seems to say "1f the $hristians do not listen to other preachingIs than that of the Dudgment of ;od it would be enough to make them observe the ;ospel and live holily in grace." 1t is true that we would not change our behavior if we donCt often have the courage to ask ourselves "!ow would 1 want to find myself on /udgment day+" - certain recommendation is given to us by St. Dames' "So speak ye and so do as a being to be /udged" %Dames <'&<). Dudgment day will be a real /udgment and an endless glorification of the /ustice of ;od "who will bring to /udgment every action with all its hidden ualities whether good or bad". %0cc.&<'&=.) On /udgment day we will be what we are without pretense or masks with all our hidden faults and shame. "0very idle word that men shall speak they shall render an account for it in the day of  /udgment" %Mt. &<'>@.).

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What a confusion... 1f we donCt die as saints we will truly e5perience a great confusion. St. Derome wrote that he trembled in his whole body every time he thought of the  /udgment day and of ;odCs reward and punishment. "-t the end of the scholastic year" wrote the servant of ;od ,olindo 7uotolo "each student presents himself to the e5aminer for interrogation ... the same thing happens with a soul9 the sinner who remains in sin is condemned to hell9 the mediocre soul is sent to #urgatory to repent and e5piate for his sins9 the soul which is totally pure is welcomed to the glory and bliss of #aradise." Let us remember then the admonition of Desus' "4atch ye therefore praying at all times that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come and to stand before the Son of Man" %Lk. <&'>@). Dudgment ,ay is the real "rendering of account" /ustly and inappealably. St. -ugustine tells us that the devil will be the worst accuser of our soul %cf. -poc. &<'&B.). "Lord" the devil will say "this soul did not observe Thy commandments but mine. ;ive him to me then because he belongs to me." 4e might shamefully say "Lord to follow the devil is less fatiguing9 your laws are indeed very hard to do." "1tCs not true itCs not true3" The devil will insult us' "1 even made you work on Sunday when ;odCs law tells you to rest and you worked for me. 1 made you drink wine even when you were not thirsty and it made you feel bad9 with your drunkenness you brought yourself down to the animalsC level. 1 told you to dance and though youCre worn out by your dayCs work you e5hausted yourself dancing to please me. 1 suggested to you a dangerous date and you left your family even if it was cold raining or snowing. 1 told you to waste energy and weekly salaries on vices and you afraid of giving alms spent the money meant for the sustenance of your family on gatherings with your friends. This is how light my yoke is3 -nd you preferred it to that of ;od."

To whom shall we go? ... Dudgment ,ay will be according to the kind of life we have lived preparing for it. 4hat will be our state of life on /udgment day+ "-nd then will !e render to every man according to his works" Desus tells us. %Mt. &@'&?=@) to whom shall we turn to at that moment which will be sudden like a "twinkling of an eye" %& $or. &'<)+ www.fatima.org

*efore that happens make provision for obtaining a /udgment of salvation. "Eow is the acceptable time" %< $or. @'<) it is the time of mercy. -s long as we live we can obtain an abundance of mercy by having recourse to Our Lady "the "the Mother of Mercy" as we invoke !er in the "!ail !oly Jueen". 1t will be a special grace if in our last agony in life we will have recourse to !er approaching !er "with confidence to the throne of grace' that we may obtain mercy" %!eb.='&@). St. Ma5imilian M. Kolbe said that even if we are already with our one foot in hell provided we invoke the 1mmaculate 8irgin She will obtain for us eternal salvation. St. ;abriel of the Mother of Sorrows in agony on his deathbed suffered evil attacks. !e looked a bit worried. !is confessor blessed him and thought he wanted to change his position. "Eo" whispered the saint "1Cm looking for the image of Our Lady." The image was in bed among the folds of the bed cover. !is face brightened up as soon as he found it. !e looked at it with love and said "Mother make it soon+" 0ven St. $amillus of Lellis on his deathbed was assailed by the thought of sins he committed during his ill?spent youth. The saint took a picture of the $rucifi5ion with Mary at the foot of the $ross and with ardent passion prayed to the 8irgin of Sorrow to intercede for him. !e died contemplating serenely the Mother of Mercy. May it also be granted to us to present ourselves to the /udgment of ;od contemplating our !eavenly Mother3

Application •

 Ask yourself often: often: o! do / !ant to find myself on 0udgment 1ay? 1ay?

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 Ask our 2lessed other other to help us prepare ourselves for for 0udgment 1ay. 1ay.

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editate on the pages of the 3ospel of t. atthe! particularly t. ():*+45 and

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#erform some acts of charity.

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