Mary, Refuge of Sinners

by Fr. Peter Richard Kenrick (1840)

“Thou art my refuge.” — Psalm  xxx.4

In the Old Law, God appointed cities of refuge, to which such of the Jews, as through inadvertence should have killed a man, might flee from the indignation of his relatives; who otherwise might listen more to the voice of passion than to the dictates of justice, and inflict on him a greater punishment than his crime deserved. The judges of the city, in which the homicide had taken refuge, having examined into the matter, were, either to deliver him up to the relatives of the deceased, should they find that the murder was the effect of deliberate malice, or, if otherwise, preserve him from their blind fury. Mary has been always considered the refuge of sinners. St. Irenaeus says, that she is the “advocate of Eve,” — that is, that she, the Mother of God, is an intercessor with her Divine Son, for the children of the guilty mother of mankind. Hence St John of Damascus, speaking in the person of the Blessed Virgin, says: “I am a city of refuge for all who flee to me.” What a consolation for us poor sinners, to know that we have this powerful advocate to plead for us; that this city of God, of which such glorious things are said, is ever open to receive us, and protect us within its precincts, from the just anger of God! “We praise her humility,” says St. Bernard, “we admire her virginity; but her mercy is sweeter to the unfortunate; we cling more tenderly to her mercy; we remember it more frequently; we invoke it more unceasingly."

We read in history, that a noble lady received under her protection an unfortunate man, who declared himself to be guilty of homicide, through the sudden impulse of passion. What was her horror on discovering that she sheltered the murderer of her own son! This did not, however, make her forget her promise, or prevent her from pitying the misfortune of him who had inflicted so severe a wound on her heart. Alas! How can we read this affecting instance of magnanimity, and not think on Mary, the refuge of sinners! We have slain her beloved Son; because it was our sins that crucified him, and not the cruelty or malice of the Jews. We have done this — not under the sudden and maddening influence of passion, but coolly and deliberately, with a full knowledge of the act we did, of its heinousness in the sight of God, and of the awful consequences in which it involved us. And we have done this, not once, or twice, or thrice, but numberless times; for as often as we have offended God by mortal sin, so often have we “crucified the Son of God, and make a mockery of him.” (Hebrews vi. 6) And yet, notwithstanding our accustomed guilt, Mary stretches forth her hands to receive us, and shelter us from the wrath we so justly deserve. She is that affectionate mother of Thecuah, who appeared before David to implore his mercy for her unhappy child, who had slain his brother, and whose punishment would but add grief to her grief, and deprive her of her only surviving comfort. (2 Kings xiv) Mary, indeed, cannot now feel grief; but her charity for souls, redeemed by the blood of her Divine Son, is so great, that, she asks for each one who flees to her for refuge, with all the earnestness of a mother pleading for her only child. “Go,” says St. Bernard, “to the Mother of mercy, and show her the wounds sin has afflicted on thee, and she will, powerfully intercede for thee. The Son will certainly listen to His Mother.” “By her,” says St. Chrysostom, “we obtain the pardon of our sins.”

It is impossible for us to conceive the extent of Mary's merciful disposition towards us. The Saints of ancient, as well as of modern, times have celebrated her clemency. “Mary,” says St. Leo, “is so endued with feelings of compassion, that she not only deserves to be called merciful, but even mercy itself.” “Mary,” says St Gregory the Great, “by how much she is higher and holier than we are, is more clement and compassionate to converted sinners.” “O Virgin,” cries out St Bernard, “the judge and the culprit are both thy children; thou canst not suffer any discord between them.” In a word, the history of the church, as well as the writings of the great men who have in every age illustrated it, attest the wonderful influence of Mary's intercession on behalf of poor sinners. Those who have returned to God after having wearied themselves in the ways of iniquity, have found by experience how efficacious was their confidence in Mary's mercy, and how much their hopes of pardon were strengthened, when they looked up to this refuge of sinners. They felt that God could not reject the prayers of one so holy and so merciful, even when offered up for persons so unworthy as they knew themselves to be. We must, however, guard against a most dangerous illusion. It would not be confidence in Mary, but the most flagrant abuse of her goodness, to make it a motive for deferring our conversion. Mary is, indeed, the refuge of sinners, but it is of those who are resolved to fly to her, by renouncing sin and doing penance for it. To entertain other sentiments, — to suppose that we could please her, while we displease God, or are not seriously resolved to serve Him, would be presumption, the more dangerous, as it would seem to reckon on some extraordinary instances of her wonderful influence in the conversion of dying sinners, which are narrated in well-attested histories. God, in His inscrutable counsels, sometimes works a miracle of mercy, as in the case of the dying thief; but this is not the ordinary course of His providence. Mary has sometimes obtained the grace of perfect conversion for sinners, to all human appearance, the most unworthy of it. These instances are, however, exceptions to the general ways of providence; and are afforded us by God, to repel despair, and not to encourage presumption.

EXAMPLE

Whoever has had the grievous misfortune to offend God, cannot do better than fly to Mary, in a spirit of penance, to obtain through her, reconciliation with God. Among the innumerable examples of this truth, which the annals of the church record, that of St. Mary, of Egypt, is particularly remarkable. This celebrated penitent was born in Egypt in the fourth century, and was converted from a sinful course of life in a very remarkable manner. She devoted the remainder of her days to the practice of the most austere penance, as she related in the following manner to the Abbot Zosimus, who met her by chance in the desert.

In the twelfth year of her age, contrary to the will of her parents, she came to Alexandria; where she spent seventeen years in the habitual commission of every base and degrading crime. She one day saw crowds embarking for Jerusalem, to celebrate the festival of the exaltation of the Holy Cross; she accompanied them, and during the journey continued her irregularities. On arriving at Jerusalem, she mingled with the crowd that flocked to the church where the Holy Cross was to be publicly exposed; when she arrived at the porch, she attempted to enter with the rest, but felt herself restrained by an irresistible power. This happened three or four times. She was much moved; and not doubting but that her sinfulness was the cause why she was not permitted to enter the church, she burst into tears. While she lingered about the church-door, sighing and weeping, and beating her breast in a spirit of compunction, she looked up to a picture of the Mother of God, painted on the wall. The sight encouraged her, and she addressed the Refuge of sinners, in these words: “Holy Virgin, Mother of God, I know that the sins in which I live render me unworthy to look up to thee. Thou art a pure and spotless Virgin. Thou who art so pure and holy must have a horror for a soul, so immersed in guilt as mine is. However, I have always heard that the Saviour, whom thou hadst the happiness to bear in thy virginal womb, came into this world to call sinners to penance. I implore thee to assist me in my distress. Permit me to enter the church, O Queen of Heaven! Grant that, although unworthy, I may be allowed to enter, that I may not be deprived of the happiness of seeing that precious cross, on which thy son poured forth all His blood: I promise thee, in the name of the same Redeemer, never more to relapse into my heinous offences. As soon as I shall have seen the cross, I will abandon all, and go wheresoever thou, O Holy Virgin, my advocate and intercessor, wilt tell me.”

Having finished this prayer, she felt within herself great confidence. She made another effort to enter the church, and did not experience the least difficulty. She reverenced the holy cross, cast herself on her knees, and amidst abundance of tears, kissed the ground of the holy places; being deeply touched with the thought of God's mercy and goodness in receiving sinners, whenever they return to Him in a spirit of penance. Having satisfied her devotion, she returned to the image of the holy Virgin, and kneeling down before it, returned thanks for the grace she had obtained through her, and besought her direction in her design of doing penance and reforming her life. While she thus poured out her soul before the image of Mary, she heard a voice, as if from a distance, saying: “If you will pass the Jordan, you shall find rest.” She immediately arose, and turning her weeping eyes to the picture, said: “Virgin of Virgins, through whom salvation has been brought to man, do not abandon me: I beseech thee grant me this favour." She immediately hurried to pass the Jordan, and buried hereelf in the wildest part of the desert, where she spent forty-seven years, in the practice of the most severe austerities. During many years, she was exposed to the most violent temptations from the infernal enemy of her soul, but always was assisted and sustained by Mary. “In all my combats,” — said she herself to the Abbot Zosimus — “I raised my heart to that immaculate Virgin, who had been so merciful to me; I begged her to assist me in my penance and solitude, and she has never forsaken me. She has been my protectress in all my difficulties,” The holy penitent at length obtained, through the intercession of Mary, the grace to receive from the above-named Abbot Zosimus, the last sacraments at her death, and thus passed from the desert which had been the witness of her extraordinary austerities, to that paradise, which God has prepared — not for those who imagine that they are rich in virtue and stand in need of nothing — but for the publicans and sinners who return to Him by a sincere repentance.

PRAYER

O Mother of Mercy! Thou dost not repel any one who flies to thee for refuge. The greatest sinners are received by thee, when, in the spirit of penance, and with a contrite and humble heart, they fly to thee for help. Thou dost interpose between them and between Jesus, thy divine Son, our Lord and Judge: Thou dost shield them from the inflictions of his severe justice: Thou dost defend them against all the attacks of the infernal enemy: Thou expellest from their souls unbelief and perplexity, and dost infuse into their hearts the vivifying balm of hope. O Sacred Refuge of Sinners! Hoow many sinners hast thou rescued from the power of hell; how many hast thou brought over to penance and change of life! Compassionate me also: to thee do I cry, a poor, banished child of Eve. Obtain for me compunction for my sins, and the grace never more to commit them. Reconcile me with thy divine Son; and present me to him in the hour of my death. Amen.

PRACTICE

Recommend to the heart of Mary some one of your friends, whom you know to be living in the habit of mortal sin, or in the neglect of the positive duties of religion.

ASPIRATION

Let those be silent in thy praise, O Sacred Refuge of Sinners, who have not experienced thy mercy! — Saint Bernard