Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Today is the beginning of the Novena leading to the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Vultus Christi presents the text of the novena and a beautiful post as usual on devotion to Our Lady.

This title of Our Lady is from a 15th century byzantine icon and the title given by the eastern orthodox church to this icon is Mother of God of the Passion. The icon effectively shows St. Michael holding the lance and sponge and St. Gabriel holding the cross and nails.

Our Lady looks directly at us, but points to her Son. She is very solemn. Her help to lead us to Him is indeed perpetual. For her maternal sollicitude, nothing is too small or to great a request. She seems to say, suffering will come, but I will hold you tenderly and lead you safely to my Son.
Let us entrust ourselves to her with the same confidence than the Infant Jesus did.

Introduction

Cause de Joie: cause of joy. The title of this blog refers to one of the title of Our Lady in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin: Cause of our Joy. By Her fiat, she is indeed the cause of our Joy, which is Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
This blog is first and foremost to honor Our Lady and to promote devotion to her, especially under the title of Our Lady of La Leche (Our Lady of Milk and Good Birth). The picture of her statue is from the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in Florida. Our Lady is seen nursing tenderly the infant Jesus. How much do we need to ponder the sacred motherhood of Our Lady and the adorable infancy of Our Lord! Especially when mothering young children and infants!
I also hope to post my own musings on varied subjects such as the catholic feasts and seasons, motherhood, art, history, litterature, etc.


This is a quote from a beautiful book on Sainte Therese de Lisieux that introduces well the devotion to Our Lady of La Leche:

"...le lait virginal qui convient aux enfants de Dieu, c'est la blanche Hostie, le corps meme de Jesus que Marie nous a prepare en le nourrissant de son lait."

"...the virginal milk that is needed by the children of God, it is the white Host, the Body of Jesus prepared for us by Mary who nourished it with her own milk."(the translation is my own)

Therese et Lisieux. Pierre Descouvremont, Helmuth Nils Loose. Editions du Cerf. 1991: p.154.