Need Help? Our Lady of Good Remedy is the Answer

Illustrating the generous power of Mary, mother of Jesus, is the aspect which she showed as OUR LADY OF GOOD REMEDY.  As the Lady of Good Remedy Mary shows that she is connected to the everyday or mundane issues of this world.  The world well knows her miraculous healing power and her awesome power over nature,  However, in her motherly, though inexorable, way she helps her children in all of their needs. 

According to the Marian Room;

“Over 800 years ago, Christians were being captured by the Moslems and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it. Realizing he needed time to plan, reflect and pray about his new calling, John sought out a hermit known as Felix of Valois for his guidance and mentoring. Felix, already 70 years old, joined forces with John. Together they headed to Rome to ask Pope Innocent III for permission to start a new order dedicated in honor of the Blessed Trinity. On December 17, 1198, this permission was granted and so was born the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, also known as the Trinitarians. St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets to buy (ransom) the Christian Slaves and set them free. To carry out this plan, the Trinitarians needed large amounts of money. They placed their fundraising efforts under the patronage of Mary. The Virgin heard John’s call for help and answered without hesitation. In fact, over the following centuries, thousands upon thousands of Christians were saved and returned home as funding kept coming in to the Trinitarians. John of Matha, in thanksgiving and in appreciation of Our Lady’s intercession, bestowed on her the title of “Our Lady of Good Remedy”. 

According to very ancient documents the feast of the Virgin was celebrated solemnly by Trinitarians.  Every week since the year 1262, by a special indult, the Trinitarian communities prayed the office of the Virgin. The Trinitarians were moved to show this special devotion to the Virgin because of her relationship with the three persons of the Trinity, because of the great love with which the Virgin collaborated in the redemption of the world and because often, when carrying redemptions of captives, they experienced special help from the Virgin of Remedy. They were so successful that, over the centuries, the Trinitarians were able to free thousands and thousands of people and return them safely home. 

All of this contributed to the fact that the Trinitarians became known for their veneration of the Virgin under the title of “Remedy” or “Good Remedy” and that, confraternities, altars and images were set up in her honor. By singular graces, the Virgin manifested how pleased she was by this invocation.

Devotion to Mary under this title is widely known in Europe and Latin America. Our Lady of Good Remedy is often depicted as the Virgin Mary handing a bag of money to St. John of Matha.  When in need – for whatever reason, but especially where you have had difficulty obtaining help – invoke the aid of Our Lady of Good Remedy and you will surely experience the power of her intercession”

Devotion to Mary under this title is popular throughout Europe and Latin America and is growing stronger in other regions of the world.. The feast is celebrated October 8. Our Lady of Good Remedy is often depicted handing a bag of money to John of Matha. John of Matha was canonized a saint by Pope Alexander VII in 1666. His feast day is December 17. His partner, Felix of Valois, was canonized a saint by Pope Urban IV in 1262. His feast day is November 4.

St, Maximilian Kolbe has said, “My dear, dear brothers, our dear little, little mother, Immaculate Mary, can do anything for us. We are her children. Turn to her. She will overcome anything.”   An excerpt from the Novena to Our Lady of Good Remedy is as follows; “Dear Lady of Good Remedy, be ever present to me, and through thy intercession, may I enjoy health of body and peace of mind, and grow stronger in the faith and in the love of thy Son, Jesus”.  This simple request shows how Mary, the Queen of Heaven, will attend to our individual needs.  No actual need of ours is too small or profane that is beyond her intercession and intervention.  If we come to her in faith, she will hear us.