Celebrations

In 1546, Our Lady of the Portuguese (Nossa Senhora do português): Our Lady appeared on the city walls in the East Indies during a siege; her appearance so frightened the enemies that they packed up their things and fled.[1]
In 1990, at the Shrine of Blanca Estrella del Mar (White Star of the Sea) Olón, Santa Elena, Ecuador: a statute of Our Lady, Mystical Rose, was said to shed tears of blood for seven hours.[2]
In Estado Anzoátegui, Venezuela, Nuestra Señora del Socorro de Barcelona, also known as la Virgen del Totumo or Virgen del Totumito, because of the wood from which it was carved. The image was found by three fishermen in their net, and when they brought it to the parish church, each night she would miraculously return to the beach where she was found. After three times, the decision was made to erect a shrine to her there. The image has been the cause of many miracles, including the “English retreat.”[3]

Meditation:

As we go through all these different aspects of Marian devotion, we can consider, just briefly, the litany of Loreto, that list that sometimes we pray that has many different names and titles for Mary. That word, litany, comes from litania, meaning a prayer of intercession. That’s why we say, “Holy Mary – pray for us,” and so on. The litany of Loreto is called that because as far back as 1531 the litany was in use in Loreto, the Holy House, in Italy. In 1587 Pope Sixtus V officially approved it. Throughout the years, most recently with Pope Francis, the Pontiffs have added devotions, but the general structure has always been the same: it starts with Mary’s Holiness, Mary as Mother, Mary as Virgin, Symbols of Mary, Mary as Helper, and Mary as Queen. It means that this litany, these prayers, help us in no matter what situation we find ourselves. Mary is a mother, a queen, a fountain of holiness, everything. We can ask ourselves: how often do we pray that litany? Do we even pray it? If we do, do we remember that we’re asking Mary to help us, personally? There is always something that applies to us there: Health of the Sick, help me who am sick! Refuge of Sinners, help me who am a sinner!  

[1] Orsini – Barthe – Hahn, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 554; http://www.marylinks.com/Mary-Calendar.htm#November.
[2] https://immaculate.one/la-madonna-del-giorno-11-novembre-1990-bianca-stella-del-mare-blanca-estrella-del-mar-olon-santa-elena-ecuador/
[3] https://lecturas-yantares-placeres.blogspot.com/2013/05/la-virgen-del-totumo-nuestra-senora-del.html?*

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