Our Lady of Good Counsel [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

Our Lady of Good Counsel

Zsolt Aradi

The majesty of the Roman countryside has remained unchanged for centuries. Just to the south of the city rise the famous Castelli Romani, the Roman Castles, the popular name given to the hills and townships in Rome's immediate neighborhood. These hills are studded with the palaces of the once rich nobility of Rome who leave the city whenever the depressive and humid scirocco hits the Eternal City. The Castelli Romani are still a part of Rome, yet once we enter that district around Palestrina, popularly called Ciociaria, we are in a different world. Not only is the dialect different from that of Rome, but also the customs, the habits and even the pride of the people. Genazzano is a little town about thirty miles southeast of Rome. One of its characteristics is the stubborn tenacity of the townspeople. This inherited characteristic of the inhabitants of Genazzano played a great part in achieving fame for the city in the Middle Ages.

Genazzano had an unusual importance as early as the fifth century. Large parts of the revenue from this town were given by Pope Sixtus III to the shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. In return Genazzano received a new church. That quarter of the town, which had provided the funds for the Church of Our Lady of the Snows was endowed with another church dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel. For some reason, however, with the passage of time this church fell into disrepair and even the fact of its dedication to Our Lady was almost forgotten. During those years, toward the end of the fifteenth century, Italy was a battlefield. And the situation was not essentially different in the rest of Europe; the Turks were already on the Balkan Peninsula, threatening to destroy the flourishing civilization there; in fact, nowhere in the West was there any semblance of unity.

It happened that in 1467 a widow and native of Genazzano named Petruccia de Geneo, inspired by Our Lady, decided to rebuild the decrepit church. The townsfolk, knowing that she had no resources, laughed at her. It is true that they did help to build a church as long as she could provide some meager funds. But the moment she ran out of money, they refused their aid. The widow was even forbidden by Church authorities to carry out such a presumptuous dream. Everything seemed to be lost to her and to her cause. But she refused to give up. She astonished the townspeople by her unshakeable faith and determination. And on St. Mark's Day, 1467, the very same year, while the entire population participated in a centuries' old public festive carnival, a cloud descended from a sparkling clear sky before the uncompleted church. And the thousands of witnesses discovered, after the cloud had disappeared, that a small picture of Our Lady and the Child had been left on the walls. At the same moment, all the church bells broke out in ringing.

These events and the subsequent facts and investigations were carefully recorded and are still preserved. Pope Paul II sent a French and a Dalmatian bishop to ascertain the facts. The reports of the bishops state that between the end of April and mid-August, 1467, 171 miracles occurred in Genazzano. It is further related that a few days after the miraculous Madonna, or as the populace called her, "The Madonna of Paradise," appeared in their midst, two visitors, Albanians from Scutari, arrived in Genazzano. These men, fleeing from the Turks occupying Albania, related that a few weeks earlier they had seen the identical picture in a church in the Albanian city of Scutari.

The inquiry committee of Pope Paul II discovered two more instances of miraculous nature. One was the picture itself; the painting had been done on a thin layer of porcelain and its thickness was that of an eggshell. No human hand, however skillful, could have removed, unhurt, such a texture from anywhere. And this thin sheet of porcelain or plaster stood and still stands upright, without any support, having only a narrow ledge to rest on. The second evidence was the following: the picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel that had been venerated for centuries at Scutari had indeed disappeared from its church of origin; the commission of inquiry 80 found an empty space of exact dimensions where the picture previously stood, thus confirming the statements of the Albanians.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON

MR
I called upon God and the spirit of wisdom came to me;
I learned without guile
and I impart without grudging;
I do not hide her riches, alleluia (Wis 7:7b, 13).

COLLECT

O Lord who know
that the thoughts of mortals are full of fear and uncertainty,
through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
from whom your Son took flesh,
grant us your counsel
that we may be made to recognize
the things that are pleasing to you
and be directed in all our works.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

That the gaze of people of every race and culture
may come to rest upon the Face of Christ
and upon His open Heart,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us.
R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

That civil authorities may humbly seek good counsel in prayer,
so as to govern wisely, justly, and mercifully,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us.
R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

That those in doubt and perplexity may be enlightened;
that those in affliction and adversity may be comforted;
and that those suffering persecution and calumny may be consoled,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us.
R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

That the faith of those weakened by sickness and infirmity may grow stronger ;
and that those who are at the hour of death
may be blessed by the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us.
R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

That those who seek the intercession of the Mother of Good Counsel today
may receive the guidance and direction they seek,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us.
R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.

COLLECT AT THE GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

O God,
who gave us the Mother of your Son for our Mother,
[and were pleased by a wondrous apparition
to glorify a beauteous image of her;]
grant, we beseech you,
that ever hearkening to her counsels,
we may be enabled to live according to your Heart,
and happily to reach our heavenly homeland.
Through Christ our Lord.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON

GR
Be mindful, O Virgin Mother,
to speak good things in the presence of God on our behalf,
that he may turn away his anger from us, alleluia (cf. Jer 18:20).

PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS

Let the Spirit of Counsel, O Lord,
who so wondrously overshadowed the Blessed Virgin, your handmaid,
make these gifts reverently offered
acceptable to you.
Through Christ our Lord.

PREFACE

Truly it is right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

How abundantly you filled the most blessed Virgin Mary
with the gifts of the Holy Spirit
to make her the worthy
mother and companion of the Redeemer!

Formed by these gifts
she sought your will unceasingly
and faithfully carried it out;
she joyfully magnified your mercy
and held fast to the counsel of your lovingkindness
to restore all things in Christ.

Through whom the ranks of Angels adore your majesty,
rejoicing in eternity before your face.
We pray you let our voices blend with theirs
singing with exultant praise:

COMMUNION ANTIPHON

MR
The Mother of Jesus said to the servants:
"Do whatsoever he tells you," alleluia (cf. Jn 2:5).

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

We have been made partakers of your mysteries, O Lord,
as we celebrate the memorial
of Holy Mary, the Mother of Good Counsel;
grant that we may learn what is pleasing to you
and become worthy of being saved by the Wonderful Counselor whom you gave us through the Blessed Virgin:
your Son who lives and reigns forever and ever.

Friends, readers of Vultus Christi, and others often write me asking for intercessory prayer for a particular intention, for the resolution of a crisis, or for the healing of an affliction of soul or body. I take these requests seriously. They can, however, become overwhelming at times. I have, however, found a solution. I entrust them all to Our Blessed Lady. She is our Mother of Good Counsel, ever ready to guide us into the best way of interceding, the wisest way of intervening, the purest way of loving. She is also our Mother of Perpetual Help; that means that she is available everywhere and all the time. She is never far from us, never otherwise occupied. The other evening as I was praying for the many intentions recommended to me, this prayer rose in my heart. I' happy to share it with my readers.

O Mother of Good Counsel,
Mother of Perpetual Help,
I turn with confidence to thy maternal Heart,
and I renew my total and irrevocable consecration to thee.

I am all thine, Most Holy Mary,
and all that I have is thine.
I give thee my past with its burdens.
I give thee this present moment with its anxieties and fears.
I give thee my future and all that it holds.

There is no part of my life that is not open to thee,
no place so secret, or so darkened by sin
that thy presence and thy influence
are not wholly and ardently desired there.

I want to be completely transparent with thee,
utterly simple, guileless, and childlike.
Thou knowest, O Mother,
all my preoccupations,
all my intentions,
and all those recommended to my prayer.
Take them, I beseech thee, to thy Immaculate Heart
and, as my Advocate and all-powerful intercessor and Mediatrix,
present them to thy Son.
Seeing them presented by thee
and held in thy maternal Heart,
there is nothing that He will not do
to give to each intention the one response
worthy of the infinite mercy and love of His Sacred Heart.

Praying in this way, I can be at rest,
for thou art my Mother,
and all that I entrust to thee will be,
I am sure,
received, and considered, and cared for
with a Mother's love.
Amen.

Our Lady of Good Counsel

Mass of Our Mother of Good Counsel

Give it all to Mary