In 1610 Venerable Dominic of Jesus of Mary, a Discalced Carmelite friar, found a beautiful oil painting of Mary in a pile of trash near an abandoned house. He decided to take the picture home, clean it, repaint it, and then hang it in his cell.
One day as he dusted the image, the picture came to life, smiled at him, and bowed her head in appreciation. Dominic requested a special favor from Our Lady. He asked that the soul of a benefactor be released from purgatory. She spoke to him and said that his prayer would be granted, provided he made many sacrifices and had Masses offered for the man’s soul.
Some time later, Mary appeared to Dominic again, this time with the soul that had been released from purgatory. Our Lady asked that Dominic promote devotion to the image. She promised that those who honored the image and asked for her protection would obtain many blessings, especially for the relief of souls in purgatory.
Dominic brought the picture to the Church of Santa Maria de la Scale. A new Carmelite church and cloister were built in 1901. The image is now venerated there.
Prayer
Our Lady of the Bowed Head, you promised blessings to those who invoke you, especially for the souls in purgatory. Please aid those souls, especially those who have nobody to pray for them.
Reflection
Praying for the dead is a spiritual work of mercy. Take some time today to remember your loved ones who have died and offer a prayer for them. If possible, you could request a Mass at your local parish for the souls in purgatory.
No comments:
Post a Comment