Our Lady of Snows -Cl. Melton Suares

Our Lady of Snows

It is very much impossible for snow to fall during August, especially in Rome, but history tells us otherwise. On August 5th 352, snow fell rather silently during the night in Rome. This came about because there lived in the Eternal City of Rome a nobleman, John and his childless wife, who had been blessed with much of this world's goods. They wanted their riches to be put in use for the good of all and therefore chose the Mother of God as the heir to their fortune, and at the suggestion of Pope Liberius, prayed that she might make known to them how to do this by a particular sign. In answer, the Virgin Mother during the night of August 5, appeared to John and his wife and also to the Holy Father, Pope Liberius, directing them to build a church in her honor on the crown of the Esquiline Hill.

In the morning the news quickly spread and crowds gathered to throng up the hill and see for themselves the white splendor. The snow had fallen in a particular pattern, showing the outline of the future church. When it became known that the snow was a sign from Mary, the people spontaneously added another name to her long list of titles, Our Lady of the Snows. The church built there is now known as Saint Mary Major. It is the focal point of devotion for Mary’s millions of children and it is also one of the most popular churches in the world. It is there that Mary has been pleased to bestow various and many blessings, as numerous and varied, as the flakes of snow that fell on that August night. It was at various times known by different names: the Basilica of Liberius, Saint Mary of the Crib because it enshrines relics of Christ’s Crib; lastly, Saint Mary Major, to distinguish it from the many other Roman churches dedicated to the Mother of God; Major, means Greater. There is an image revered as Our Lady of the Snows, DD Express 20

which is believed to have been produced by St. Luke, the Apostle. The popularity of the legend in the 15th century is shown in the painting of the Miracle of the Snow by Masolino da Panicale of around 1423. The white blanket of snow on that August night symbolizes Mary, pure as the driven snow; her blessings and graces, numerous and varied as the falling snowflakes. Science tells us that every snowflake is different in form and make-up: size, outline, structure, ornamentation, are all without limit, infinite in wondrous beauty, startling complexity, perfect symmetry as they fleet, dancing down from the sky. What a wonderful figure of the blessings Mary obtains for us! Snow changes the face of the earth, painting even a field of mud with a white coat. The grace of God won through prayer to Mary, also changes the face of the earth. Snow preserves the heat of the earth, protects vegetation, supplies moisture with slow effectiveness. Grace serves in a similar way: it preserves the warmth of God’s love in our hearts; it protects the soul from the chill of temptation and sin; it nourishes the soul with new life. We see further symbolism in this feast. There are millions living in lands of ice and snow who have not come to the knowledge of Mary and her Divine Son. We might ask that with the actual snowflakes, she may shower down upon them the graces of the True Faith. Cl. Melton Suares

The Annunciation

The Annunciation is one of the most dramatic scenes in the entire New Testament. First, the Angel Gabriel's words imply that Mary's first response is fear. Mary is afraid. Mary is also aware of that and the Angel knows it. So Angel Gabriel reassures her. "Do not be afraid…" Then the Angel announces that young Mary will become “the Mother of the Son of the highest.” You would think that at this point Mary would simply accept the Angel’s words. But no. Mary has her questions. She interrogates her heavenly visitor point-blank. “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” She asks a question, and Gabriel’s responds to Mary’s question in detail. Young Mary’s faith is a faith, which in the end says to God, whatever you say is fine with me. Ordinarily, we do not have such clear dialogues with an Angel. God's message to us, more often comes through the circumstances of life. All the same, we have our questions. We wonder what's going on. However, we should not hesitate to ask our questions before we make Mary’s words our own: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your Word.” Here is what young Mary teaches us, she teaches us that, behind every mystery, there is God’ s infinite, unconditional love. After this, I realize something else, the immense mystery that surrounds this woman so I followed her. I followed her through the Gospel, on a pilgrimage. The further I followed her, the closer I came to her. The strangeness of her mystery became a little clearer to me. My love grew like a fire. I understood the strange mystery of choice of all the people in the world; God selected a young Jewish girl to be the mother of his son. DD Express 22

I understood and yet I didn’t understand anything. Neither will you because mysteries are not meant to be understood. Mysteries are to be believed in faith. I listened, you can listen with me. As you listen, you will penetrate little into each mystery. The mysteries of God are overwhelming. I have no words, neither will you. We do not know God through theology, even though the meaning of the word theology is the knowledge of God. This requires silence, solitude and so many other things that our Lady can teach us. Each one of us is slowly journeying on a real pilgrimage, not with our two feet but with our heart, our heart that walks standing still. On this pilgrimage, we begin to enter into the real question of life, our Lady’s infinite work on our soul. Cl. Veenus James