# Devotion to the tears of the Virgin Mary
*2016-02-21*

> Bill Young discusses the spiritual significance of the tears of the Blessed Mother and the origins of the Chaplet of the Tears of the Virgin Mary.

## The Example of St. Peter Damian

Today is Sunday, February 21st, the feast day of St. Peter Damian. Peter was a monk who lived in the 12th century. He was a great artist and writer, but most of all a great reformer. The Pope at the time used him as a mediator, and he eventually rose to the rank of Bishop and Cardinal, though he preferred being a monk, praying and fasting. Let us pray to St. Peter Damian that we all may find our true calling.

## The Power of Mary's Tears

I want to talk about a book regarding the devotion to the tears of the Virgin Mary. Many souls are moved to repentance when they consider the tears the Virgin Mary has shed because of the sins of humanity. Besides the Lord Himself, no one has shed as many painful tears as Mary, because no one participated as intimately as she did in the mysteries of redemption. The thought of having caused someone so innocent, holy, and good as the Mother of Jesus to cry in such a way is enough to cause souls to experience a deep sense of grace and burst into tears of pain.

## Marian Apparitions and Tears

In many pictures and apparitions, the Virgin Mary is seen shedding tears. We recall the miracle of Our Lady of Tears in Italy, the apparitions of the Weeping Virgin Mary to St. Catherine in 1830, and the apparitions to the little shepherds in France in 1846. Other instances include the image of Our Lady of Syracuse in Sicily in 1953 and the Immaculate Virgin on the night of January 18, 1985, in Africa.

## The Origin of the Chaplet

The specific devotion to the Chaplet of the Tears of the Virgin Mary originated in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1929. On November 8th of that year, Sister Amelia, a member of the Missionaries of the Divine Crucifix, was praying for the healing of a relative whom doctors had declared incurable. While praying to save the life of this poor mother, she heard a voice say, 'If you wish to obtain this grace, ask it through the tears of my mother. Everything that people ask of me through those tears, I am obligated to grant.'

On March 8, 1930, Sister Amelia had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Lady wore violet garments, a blue mantle, and a white veil. She gave Sister Amelia rosy beads, white as snow and bright as the sun, calling them the 'crown of my tears.' The Virgin explained that this prayer would obtain the conversion of many sinners, especially those involved in occultism, and that the evil one would be conquered by this crown.

## Ecclesiastical Approval

While it is left to the Church to pronounce final judgment on the supernatural origin of this prayer, the devotion of asking God for graces and forgiveness for the sake of the tears of Mother Mary is entirely in keeping with Christian tradition. The chaplet has been approved by the Bishop of Campinas, who gave permission to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Tears each year on February 20th for the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Devotion of the Crucifix.

*By meditating on the tears of the Blessed Mother, the faithful can find a powerful path toward repentance and the conversion of sinners.*