Proclaiming plentiful Redemption, with Mary and like her.
(The homily given by Fr Enrique López during the Mass on August 22, 2014, at the meeting of Redemptorist students from Europe, in Rome).
Today we celebrate the feast of Mary: Virgin, Mother and Queen. We call Mary the “Queen of Heaven”. The title celebrates the glorification of Mary, after her Assumption into Heaven. She is, now and forever, in total communion with her Son Jesus Christ. For us, this is sign of hope. We want to show our love and devotion to Mary. We enjoy giving her many different titles. Each one of them reflect the period in which a particular title was used. We do this because she is the mother of Jesus, the Redeemer. Actually they are signs of love, much more than titles of “honor” or “power”.
It is a great joy to welcome you to this church, where you will find the beloved, original, icon of Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help. You are most welcome. We are here to pray and give thanks to God for Mary, for everything she represents to the history of salvation, the Church and for each one of us. The year 2014 is, for us, a year dedicated to “the Redemptorist missionary vocation”. We pray so that we may be faithful and persevere in this vocation. We also pray for an increase in vocations to the Redemptorist life.
As we face the Icon
Here we have the original icon of our Mother of Perpetual Help. It is well known everywhere, the most loved and revered icon of Mary in the entire world. The icon depicts the young Jesus in the arms of his mother Mary. It invites us to contemplate the great mystery of the Incarnation of the Word and that of our Redemption. This icon depicts Mary as Mother of God; as the Virgin of the Passion, of our Redemption; as the “Hodeguitria”, the one who “shows the way”: Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. The icon invites us to contemplate Jesus’ commitment to the redemption of mankind, his “Kenosis” (surrender, abandonment). Jesus is in the arms of Mary. The motherly and protective love of Mary, the serenity and strength of Mary are reflected in the serene confidence of Jesus. The message of the icon is: Mercy and Redemption are for all, for everyone. Get close to our Mother of Perpetual Help and come into contact with Jesus the Redeemer, the Word of God made flesh.
In the year 2016, the Congregation will celebrate 150 years (1866-2016) of the mission given to us by Pope Pius IX to present the icon of Mary of Perpetual Help to the world: to make her known. In general, the Redemptorists have been faithful in responding to this mission. The spiritual message of this icon evangelizes in an extraordinary way, proclaiming the mystery of our Redemption, the love of God. Mary is the mother of the Redeemer, also the “star of Evangelization”. She is the first missionary. The central theme of the celebration is: “Mother of Perpetual Help, icon of love”.
We are missionaries
You are now coming from a beautiful experience and reflection on the origins of the Congregation. You have been in touch with the spirit and the charism that were present as our Congregation was founded. You have been in contact with the missionary passion, the insight, the enchantment and the spirituality of the early Redemptorists: Saint Alphonsus, Saint Gerard, Genaro Sarnelli and others.
This experience reminds us who we are and what we want to become: apostles of Mercy. You are preparing yourselves to become Redemptorist missionaries, engaged with the same spirit that moved the Apostles to follow Jesus. This is the same spirit that moved Saint Paul to say: “Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ had: Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness”. (Philippians 2: 5-8). Paul dared to repeat, almost obsessively: “I have no personal merit in announcing the Gospel, for I am bound to do it. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1st Corinthians 9:16). And even more so “I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”. (Galatians 2:20).
This is passion and our spirituality. Our Congregation has grown and is now actively present worldwide, in 80 different countries. We are disciples of Jesus, sent as apostles and missionaries to proclaim the Gospel to the most abandoned, especially the poor. To forget this, would be to forget our own identity. According to Saint Alphonsus: To love Christ Redeemer (the mystery of Incarnation, the Passion and the Resurrection, the love for the Eucharist) is at the very center of our love for Mary, our love of prayer, the Church, our love for the Congregation, for community life, for missionary preaching and especially our love for the poor.
With Mary and like her
Alphonsus praises the “glories of Mary”. She is the mother of Jesus; mother of God; mother of the Redeemer; mother of all graces; powerful intercessor; a refuge for sinners; mother of good counsel; our protective mother; mother of Mercy, our Mother of Perpetual Help. In Jesus there is plentiful Redemption and with Mary we find our perpetual help. The icon invites us to recognize, in Mary, all these gifts of God. Isaiah, the prophet, had already announced in advance: “The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death” (Is. 9:1); “A child is born to us, a son is given us” (Is. 9:5).
Today’s Gospel (Luke 1:26-38) tells the story of the Annunciation. The angel Gabriel says to Mary: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you”; “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus”; “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you”. “With God nothing is impossible”. Surprised and puzzled, still Mary made herself available and welcomed God’s love: “I am the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said”.
We welcome, thank and celebrate the initiative of God; the great mystery of the Incarnation: God became man and came to dwell among us. We celebrate the fact that Mary made herself available. She opened her heart to welcome God and then she showed Jesus, the Christ, to the people. This is also our mission: to welcome in our hearts the great mystery of redemption, the love of God, and then to show Jesus, the Redeemer, to the people. We place our missionary vocation in the hands of Mary of Perpetual Help. We pray for the gift of becoming a missionary community, open to solidarity and available to respond readily to the needs of the mission.
Fr Enrique López, CSsR
Vicar General
