TURN, THEN, THINE EYES OF MERCY TOWARDS US.
STORY
In the kingdom of Valencia a great sinner resolved to become a Mohammedan, hoping thereby to escape from the arm of justice. On his way to the ship’s landing where he meant to set sail, he entered a church in which the Jesuit Jerome Lopez was preaching on the Mercy of God. Touched by the sermon, the poor sinner went to confession to the missioner. When asked if he had practiced any special devotion to which this great grace might be attributed he replied: I simply prayed to Mary every day not to abandon me.”
In a certain hospital the same Father met a sinner who had not gone to confession for fifty-five years. He had however practiced this little devotion: whenever he passed her picture he greeted the Mother of God and asked her for a happy end. He then related: one day while fighting with an enemy my dagger broke. I turned to Mary and cried out: “Alas, alas, now I shall be killed and eternally lost; Mother of sinners, help me.” Scarcely had he said this when he found himself in safety. The poor sinner made a general confession and died full of confidence.
PRAYER
O greatest and most sublime of all creatures, most sacred Virgin, I salute you from this earth – I, a miserable and unfortunate rebel against my God, who deserve chastisements, not favors, justice, and not mercy. O Lady, I say not this because I doubt your compassion. I know that the greater you are the more you do glory in being benign. I know that you rejoice that you are so rich, because you are thus enabled to comfort us poor miserable creatures. I know that the greater is the poverty of those who have recourse to you, the more do you exert yourself to protect and save them. O my Mother, it was you who did one day weep over your Son who died for me. Offer, I beg you, your tears to God, and by these obtain for me true sorrow for my sins. Sinners then afflicted you so much, and I, by my crimes, have done the same. Obtain for me, O Mary, that at least from this day forward I may not continue to afflict you and your Son by my ingratitude. What would your sorrow avail me if I continued to be ungrateful to you? To what purpose would your mercy have been shown me, if again I was unfaithful and lost? No, my Queen, permit it not; you have supplied for all my shortcomings. You obtain from God what you will. You grant the prayers of all. I ask of you two graces; I expect them from you, and will not be satisfied with less. Obtain for me that I may be faithful to God, and no more offend him, and love him during the remainder of my life as much as I have offended him.
