‘Make her known throughout the world’

One hundred fifty years ago Pope Pius IX granted the request of the Redemptorists to have the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help so that it “can be placed in the newly built Church of the Most Holy Redeemer and St. Alphonsus.” The Pope instructed the Redemptorist Superior General: “Make Her known throughout the world!”

And so the Redemptorists brought the icon when they came to the Philippines in 1906. They have always brought the icon for the people as they go to their missions.

And there have been several positive responses to this call of Pius IX especially this year. Here in Cebu we have had the Magnificat, the concert wherein the very intriguing history of the icon was narrated in between choir renditions of Marian hymns. Also this year the Redemptorists joined Gabi-i sa Kabilin expanding the exposure of the Icon, its story, the work of the Redemptorists.

Actually, during the novena leading to the feast of the Mother of Perpetual Help, a special novena is prayed. On each of the nine days there is a reflection with prayers on the different features of the ICON: Archangel Gabriel, Archangel Michael, the Letters on the Icon, the left hand of Mary, Hand in Hand (the hand of Mary holding Jesus’s hand), the Child in Your Arms, the Star, the Colors of the Icon, the Eyes of Mary. The reflections are very revealing. They remind us about the role of Jesus in our lives, of how we should relate to God, our Father; but above all, they are very reassuring—making us confident that there is a mother to guide us, to protect us, to assist us in our extreme needs.

Here is a sample—

Contemplating the Colors of the Icon

Your icon, Holy Mother is made up of contrasts. The Child’s sandal is falling while His hands are tightly clutching yours. The instruments of the Passion are carried, wrapped in a cloak, as if they were just collected after the Resurrection. The colors that the artist chose accentuate these contrasts: the blue, red and green of the clothing and the gold background.

The tunic you are wearing is red and the cloak that covers it is blue. Did the artist want to remind us that you are a created person (red), but at the same time recalling that the Holy Spirit covered you with His Presence and grace (blue)? On the other hand, the Child wears a green tunic, while His cloak and sash are in shades of red. Is this a sign that He is the Divine life (green) that has taken on our humanity (red)?

The artist distinguishes five levels of depth in the icon. The first level: the hand that points to the Savior. Then the Child-Jesus Christ. The third level is your own presence. Further back are the angels with the instruments of the Passion and as a general background, the golden light. Since this icon is about Our Savior, it shows him in Nazareth, on Calvary and in His glory.

Mary, teach me to live the contrasts of life with optimism, the birthing, and dying that goes on each day. Help me to understand more of the mystery of our salvation that passes through cross and pain to reach triumph and resurrection.

— From Our Lady of Perpetual Help The Icon, Favors and Shrines Property of the Redemptorist Missionaries Marian Congresses have been held in Luzon and Mindanao. In the Visayas the Marian Congress will be held in Cebu in February, 2017. This congress aims to: “gather devotees from the Visayas of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (OMPH) understand the devotion to OMPH and Her relevance to our lives today; make the devotion more known; move people to evangelize and share the faith through their devotion to Mary.”
Yesterday, the garden-shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in front of the St. Alphonsus Seminary was blessed and inaugurated. The shrine will be a place of prayer, enlightenment, and moments of peace with our Mother. It is the product of the efforts of Fr. Jerry Matriano and devotees of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. With its ornamental and flowering plants and a fountain and of course, the warm presence of Our Mother through Her image, it is very refreshing. It is hoped that many will find refuge here.