Mary Potter shares with us her reflection on the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (Help).

“The picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is very beautiful in the thoughts it suggests. Our Lady is represented holding the Divine Child in her arms, though no longer an infant, angels are hovering near, holding the instruments of the Passion; Our Lady appears sorrowful, and Jesus somewhat startled, as though He had run to His mother in fear.

One of His little sandals is represented as falling off, and He is turning round to the angel who is holding the Cross. The idea is an attractive one and that it is pleasing to our Lord is evident. That it should really have occurred is not at all impossible, for the picture is deservedly renowned for its miraculous effects.

We could linger over this time of our Lord’s life; we cannot but think how pleasing to God is human life in its simplest aspects when lived for Him. Jesus saw nothing more holy and good in His Father’s sight than to go through the ordinary routine of human life, as an ordinary child externally would at that age. He would do nothing marvelous or extraordinary, and yet every act was of infinite value in the sight of heaven.

Jesus has sanctified all states of human life and given an example of them from His childhood upwards, by performing not extraordinary acts, but rather such acts as all men perform.”

The Human Life of Jesus p 25 – Mary Potter  

• In a quiet moment, when you gaze upon the above image, what feelings emerge?
• Does your heart resonate with Mary Potter’s reflection?

The original Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is currently located in the Redemptorist Monastery in Rome.  It has a very interesting history, which is available on the internet under the above title. (https://stmaryofperpetualhelp.com/icon-of-our-lady)

The image depicts the following symbols:

• The Blessed Virgin Mary– wearing a dress of dark red, in Byzantine iconography the colour of the Empress, covered by a dark blue mantle.
• The subject shows Mary looking towards the faithful while pointing at the Child Jesus, frightened by the instruments of crucifixion and is depicted with a fallen sandal.
• The left side is Saint Michael Archangel– carrying the lance and sponge of the crucifixion of Jesus.
• On the right side is Saint Gabriel Archangel carrying a 3-bar cross and nails.
• The Virgin Mary has a star on her forehead signifying her role as Star of the Sea while the cross on the side has been claimed as referring to the Greek monastery which produced the icon.