Our lady of Africa by Very Rev Fr Lawrence Avro CDA

_

Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Africa. History has it that through her intercession the French who came to North Africa to re-established themslves  early in the19th century were able to build a church through the Sodality of Our Lady in Lyon offered to the 1st bishop, Bishop Dupuch a bronze statue of the Immaculate Conception with the understanding that she would be the Protectress of both the Mohammedans & the natives. This bronze statue, very dark in colour, is known as Our Lady of Africa. Pilgrims began to come to venerate the image where the lame, the blind, & the crippled were miraculously healed, & sailors came also to beg for protection of their long & perilous voyages. In today’s gospel (Lk 1:26 -38) Mary, Jesus, & His disciples were invited to a wedding. When the couple ran out of wine, Mary said to Jesus,“They have no wine.” Although Jesus said to her, “‘Woman, what concern is that to you & to me?My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’” Jesus told the servants to fill the six stone jars standing there with water. And when they had done so, He told them to take some to the chief steward. When he tested the water turned into wine he said to the bridegroom, “Everyone serves the good wine first, & then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Have you ever thought of what would have been the fate of the couple if they had left Mary out? Just because they invited her, she noticed that they were in difficulty & asked her Son to assist them. Remember, His time had not come yet she knew that He would not disobey her because He decreed, “Honour your father & your mother” (Ex 20:12; cf. Mtt 15:4.19: 19) Mary is the second best gift from God after her Son, Jesus Christ. In line with Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman, ‘If we know this gift of God called Mary, we need not to be told that we ought to thank God every moment for her’ (Jn 4: 10) God has done & is still doing so much through Mary as we have seen in the origin of today’s d feast & in the gospel. She can still do it again to overcome this Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, if God is truly our Father, we ought to love Mary because she is our mother, (Jn 8:42; Rev 12:17) May Our Lady, Mother of Africa intercede for us. Amen.

Prayer To our lady of Africa

Our Lady of Africa,
you are the Mother of all mankind.

Keep ever in mind the peoples of Africa.
Lead all mankind to the unity of the Church
which your Son has founded.

May his light enlighten
those who do not yet know Him.
May He give strength
to those who have forsaken Him,
that they may return loyally to Him.

You were with the apostles
at the beginning of the Church.
Obtain for the apostles of today
the zeal to preach the Word of God
with confidence.

You were ready to receive the Holy Spirit
to become the Mother of Christ
and give Him to the world.

By your prayers,
may young people of today
show readiness to bring Christ
to their fellow men and women.

Our Lady of Africa, Queen of Peace,
obtain harmony and peace
for the peoples of all nations
who are split by hatred and discord.

May all be brought together
in the Love of your Son
for the glory of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen