Among the numerous litanies composed over the centuries, the Litany of Loreto is likely one of the most popular and best known.
While some spiritual writers claim that it can be traced back to St. Gregory the Great or even to the Apostles, most historians believe that the Litany of Loreto was composed in the late 15th to early 16th century.
Included in the Litany are a number of invocations to Mary, recalling a number of titles she is associated with, such as the following.
Mother admirable
Mother of good counsel
Mother of our Creator
Mother of our Savior
Mother of mercy
Virgin most prudent
Virgin most venerable
Virgin most renowned
Virgin most powerful
Virgin most merciful
Virgin most faithful
Among the titles is one that highlights Mary’s “merciful heart.”
Virgin Most Merciful
Cornelius Joseph O’Connell wrote about each of these invocations in his book The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, explaining some of the background behind this particular title:
Out of pure mercy Jesus from all eternity spoke the word to His eternal Father, “Behold I come.” Out of pure mercy Mary spoke the word to the Almighty, “Behold the Handmaid of the Lord.” By the word of Jesus the Redeemer of men was made possible in the word of Mary, the way was at hand through which the Savior could come into the world.
As the Apostle Saint Paul calls God the “Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (II Cor I, 3) Mary may well be styled the mother of all mercies and the queen of all comfort. Her feelings of tender love and ineffable tenderness for poor fallen humanity are as wings upon which she comes to the help of those who invoke her aid.
He further comments on how the wedding feast at Cana displayed Mary’s merciful heart:
It was through the compassionate mercy of Mary that Jesus performed His first miracle at the marriage of Cana, when he changed water into wine. Her mercy for us caused her to follow in the footsteps of her Divine Son as he bore upon his bruised and bleeding shoulders the heavy weight of the cross, laden as it was with our sins.
It was at the foot of the cross where her merciful heart was on full display.
Out of pure mercy for suffering humanity she stood erect beneath the rood of her Son, Jesus and made the offering of her heart’s blood in that of the sacred heart of Jesus for our redemption.
Her heart was pierced by a sword and continues to look tenderly upon all of our petitions.
And today we celebrate...