Mercy in the hour of death, Mary: Day 315

Last updated on: May 31, 2016 at 3:30 am by Pete Socks

Mercy in the hour of death, Mary: Day 315 2016-05-20T20:24:35-05:00 Pete Socks

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Mercy in the hour of death

St. Alphonsus relates the deathbed conversion of a notorious sinner through the help of Our Lady.

We read in the life of Sr. Catherine of St. Augustine about a woman she knew named Mary. In her youth Mary was a sinner, and in her old age she remained so obstinate in wickedness that she was driven out of the city and lived in a secluded cave. There she died, half consumed by disease, without the sacraments.

Sr. Catherine always prayed to God with great fervor for the souls of the departed. But having heard about the unfortunate end of this poor old woman, she never thought of praying for her. She concluded (as did everyone else) that the woman was irrevocably lost. One day a suffering soul from purgatory appeared and exclaimed: “How unfortunate is my situation, Sr. Catherine! You pray for the souls of all who have died, but on my soul alone you have no compassion.”

“Who are you?” asked Catherine.

“I am that poor Mary,” she replied, “who died in the cave.” “Are you saved?’ said Catherine.

“Yes,” she answered, “by the mercy of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When I saw myself at the point of death, loaded with sins, and abandoned by all, I turned to the Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin obtained for me the grace to make an act of contrition. I died, and I am saved. I now lack only a few Masses to be entirely delivered. I beg you to have them said for me. And on my part, I promise always to pray for you.” Sr. Catherine immediately had the Masses said. A few days later that soul again appeared to her, shining like the sun, and said: “Thank you, Catherine! Look! I’m going to paradise to sing the mercies of my God and to pray for you.” —St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

Have I given up hope for the salvation of someone who seems far from God?

Have I entrusted that person to Mary’s intercession?

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, we believe you when you say that you take no pleasure in the death of the wicked; you rather he would turn from his way and live (see Ez 18:23). We join our desires to yours and to those of Our Lady, who wills perfectly what you will, and seeks those who are lost so that they might return.

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