Why Our Lady of Merced is the devotion you need

Our Lady of Merced, celebrated on September 24, is the patroness of the order of Mercedarians, as well as the city of Barcelona and other places.

The word "merced" means grace, benefit, mercy. The Order of Mercedarians promoted devotion to Our Lady under this title because of their specific charism to ransom prisoners. In English, her title is translated as Our Lady of Mercy or Our Lady of Ransom.

St. Peter Nolasco founded the Mercedarians in 1218. He founded the order "in response to a request made by the Blessed Virgin during an apparition on August 1, 1218," according to the University of Dayton. "Members of this order took a special vow to act as hostages, if necessary, to free Christian captives whose faith was in danger from the Moors."

Our Lady is thus often depicted taking in her children, protecting them from danger. This type of depiction is known in Eastern iconography as the Pokrova, the Mother and Virgin as Protectress.

This imagery brings to mind an insight shared by Pope Francis, that in Our Lady's mantle, the devil can't get in.

On the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows in 2016, the Pope reflected on how we live in a world of "orphans" -- people searching for company, for guidance, for peace. In this world, he said, Mary is the mother who fully understands and defends us.

Pope Francis recommended that in difficult moments we always seek refuge “under the mantle” of the Mother of God.

The Lord “does not leave us as orphans: We Christians have a Mother,” the same Mother that Jesus had; “We have a Father, the same as Jesus. We are not orphans.” 

And Mary “gives birth in that moment [at the foot of the Cross], with so much pain. It is truly a martyrdom: With her pierced heart, she agrees in that painful moment to give birth to all of us. And from that moment on she became our Mother, from that moment she is our Mother, the one who takes care of us and is not ashamed of us: She defends us.”

“The Russian mystics of the early centuries of the Church,” Pope Francis noted, “counseled their disciples, the young monks, to take refuge under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God during times of spiritual turmoil. The devil cannot enter there because she is Mother, and as a Mother she defends.” 

Thus “the West took this counsel and created the first Marian antiphon, Sub tuum praesidium: Under your mantle, placed under your care, O Mother, we are safe there.”

In the West this devotion took shape with the prayer Sub tuum preasidium. 

This is the prayer, "We fly to Thy protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin."

It is the oldest Marian prayer, found on an ancient Egyptian papyrus dating from around the year 250. Today known in the Church as the Sub tuum praesidium, the prayer is written in Greek, and is believed to have been part of the Coptic Vespers liturgy during the Christmas season.

Our Lady of Merced, pray for and protect us!