Mother of Good Counsel

" Our Lady of Good Counsel of Genazzano "

Feast day : April 26http://www.christusrex.org/www1/apparitions/pr00003.htm

Legend has it that on the Feast of St. Mark, 1467, during a festival in Genazzano, Italy, a cloud descended upon an ancient 5th century deteriorated church dedicated to Our Mother of Good Counsel. When the cloud disappeared, the festive crowd found a small, fragile picture of Our Lady with Her Child on a paper - thin sheet of plaster; the painting stood without support, floating, on a small ledge.

The church was restored and the painting was placed in it. The painting is believed to have been recovered from Scutari, Albania.

Much of the church was destroyed in World War II, but the picture remained intact and in place.

Many pilgrims visit the church in Genazzano, and many take part in the annual spring procession of spectacular beauty. The miraculous image is still, to this day, and has been for more than 500 years, suspended in the air by itself. Countless miracles have been attributed to the prayerful intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel. 
Such was the holy image's reputation that Pope Urban VIII made a "glittering" pilgrimage there in 1630, invoking the protection of the Queen of Heaven, as did Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1864. On November 17, 1682, Blessed Pope Innocent XI had the picture solemnly crowned. Among her noted clients have been St Aloysius Gonzaga, St Alphonsus Liguori, St John Bosco, and Blessed Stephen Bellesini.
In 1753 pope Benedict XIV established the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel. More than any other pope, Leo XIII, who was himself a member of the pious union, was deeply attached to this devotion.^[2] The small Scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel (the White Scapular) was presented by the Hermits of St. Augustine to Pope Leo XIII, who, in December 1893, approved it and endowed it with indulgences. On April 22, 1903, that same Pope included the invocation "Mater boni consilii" in the Litany of Loreto. In 1939 Pope Pius XII placed his pontificate under the maternal care of Our Lady of Good Counsel and composed a prayer to her.^{[3][4]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Good_Counsel}

                           PRAYER
O Holy Virgin, to whose feet we are led by our anxious uncertainty in our search for and attainment of what is true and good, invoking you by the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel, we beseech you to come to our assistance, when, along the road of this life, the darkness of error and of evil conspires towards our ruin by leading our minds and our hearts astray. O Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, enlighten the doubtful and the erring, that they be not seduced by the false appearances of good; render them steadfast in the face of the hostile and corrupting influences of passion and of sin. O Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us from your Divine Son a great love of virtue, and, in the hour of uncertainty and trial, the strength to embrace the way that leads to our salvation. If your hand sustains us, we shall walk unmolested along the path indicated to us by the life and words of Jesus, our Redeemer; and having followed freely and securely, even in the midst of this world's strife, the Sun of Truth and Justice under your maternal Star, we shall come to the enjoyment of full and eternal peace with you in the haven of salvation. Amen.
 Another version

Holy Virgin, moved by the painful uncertainty we experience in seeking and aquiring the true and the good, we cast ourselves at thy feet and invoke thee under the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel. We beseech thee: come to our aid at this moment in our worldly sojourn when the twin darknesses or error and of evil that plots our ruin by leading minds and hearts astray.

Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, enlighten the victims of doubt and of error so that they may not be seduced by evil masquerading as good; strengthen them against the hostile and corrupting forces of passion and of sin.

Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us from thy Divine Son the love of virtue and the strength to choose, in doubtful and difficult situations, the course agreeable to our salvation. Supported by thy hand we shall thus journey without harm along the paths taught us by the word and example of Jesus our Savior, following the Sun of Truth and Justice in freedom and safety across the battlefield of life under the guidance of thy maternal Star, until we come at length to the harbor of salvation to enjoy with thee unalloyed and everlasting peace.

Pope Pius XII

23 January 1953

Prayer to Mary Mother of Good Counsel

We turn to you, our Mother of Good Counsel
as we seek to imitate your faith filled life.
May we be lead by the same Wisdom
which God sent forth from heaven to guide you
along unfamiliar paths and
through challenging decisions.
Intercede for us with your Son
as we go forward joyful in hope,
seeking to be united in mind and heart
on our way to God.
O Virgin of Good Counsel
hear our prayer as we look for guidance,
Pray for us to our loving and merciful Father,
to your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ,
and to the Holy Spirit,
giver of all Wisdom,
one God forever and ever. 
http://augustinianslimerick.com/Spirituality/Shrine%20-%20Mother%20of%20Good%20Counsel.htmlWe note the 'good counsel' of Mary in several scenes of the Gospel, especially that of Cana, when the mother of Jesus says, "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn. 2, 5). Saint Augustine reminds us that while Mary is blessed for being the mother of Jesus, she is even more blessed for being his disciple. In fact, as the first disciple of her son she presents him to us as our teacher, our way, our truth and our life - even as he was for her.