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Introduction: A Mother Who Advises the Confused Heart
We live in times of confusion. Contradictory voices rise everywhere: media, social networks, ideologies, political powers, even divisions within the Church. Many feel lost, paralyzed by important decisions or anguished about the course of the world. In the midst of this noise, there is a gentle, serene, and powerful voice that whispers to the soul: the voice of Mary, Our Lady of Good Counsel.
This article is not just a pious tale. It is a theological, pastoral, and deeply spiritual guide to rediscover one of the most beautiful and often forgotten Marian titles. It is also an urgent call to return to the source of true wisdom. Mary does not give empty advice: she gives the will of God.
I. A Bit of History: The Miracle of Genazzano
The devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel dates back to the 15th century, in a small Italian town called Genazzano. The year was 1467, and during the celebration of the feast of Saint Mark, something wondrous occurred.
A Byzantine-style image of the Virgin appeared in an inexplicable way on the wall of a crumbling church. It was not painted or hung: it floated slightly above the wall. The faithful, astonished, witnessed how this image sparked a wave of conversions, healings, and profound spiritual changes. Her veneration quickly spread throughout Europe.
But the most mysterious part was the origin of this image. Testimonies from the time claimed it came from Albania, from the city of Scutari, which was about to face an Islamic persecution. According to tradition, two Christians saw the image miraculously disappear and followed it all the way to Italy. Mary, as a good mother, fled to continue caring for her children.
II. Why “Good Counsel”? A Title That Reveals a Mission
This title is not poetic or symbolic: it is concrete, theological, and deeply relevant today. The title “Good Counsel” reveals one of the Virgin’s essential missions: to be a guide in spiritual discernment, a model of docility to God, and a teacher of inner wisdom.
Let us recall the passage of the Wedding at Cana. Mary does not say much, but she gives the most perfect instruction:
“Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5)
This is the essence of all good counsel: leading us toward the will of Christ. Mary does not replace God, but she makes Him more accessible, more visible, more understandable to our troubled hearts.
III. Theology of Our Lady of Good Counsel
1. Mary, Throne of Wisdom
The Marian title “Throne of Wisdom” is not metaphorical. In the Son she bore, Mary carried the very Word of God, the eternal Wisdom (cf. Proverbs 8:22–36). Therefore, she not only transmits wisdom but embodies it. When we ask for her counsel, what we receive is not merely a feeling, but a supernatural grace of discernment.
2. The Mediatrix of Discernment
Mary does not impose but gently inspires. She does not force, but guides without error. Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that God communicates His will through secondary causes. Mary is the highest of those secondary causes: the creature who best knew, loved, and obeyed God. Thus, when one abandons themselves into her hands, the soul finds light in the midst of darkness.
3. The Holy Spirit and Mary: Counsel in Unity
The gift of Counsel is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Mary, as the spouse of the Spirit, is the channel through which this divine light flows most clearly. If we desire to grow in this gift, we must draw near to the one who lived it best. Devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel is, therefore, a practical way to open the soul to the Holy Spirit.
IV. Present-Day Relevance: Why We Need Our Lady of Good Counsel Today
▸ Because the world has forgotten how to make good decisions
Today’s culture idolizes autonomy but despises wisdom. The result: hasty decisions, broken vocations, failed marriages, confusion between good and evil.
▸ Because many Catholics are disoriented
Even within the Church, there is disarray. What does the Magisterium truly teach? Whom should we listen to? In this disorder, Mary is a sure compass.
▸ Because the family needs a maternal guide
In a time when family roles are being dismantled, Mary appears as the perfect model of woman, mother, and counselor—not just for women, but for everyone seeking order in their domestic and emotional lives.
V. Practical Guide: How to Approach Our Lady of Good Counsel
1. Daily Prayer
Pray every day the traditional prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel:
“Mother of Good Counsel, teach us to always do the will of God. Inspire us with your light, guide us with your tenderness, and protect us with your mantle. Amen.”
Or simply pray: “Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, guide me.”
Do this before making important decisions, at the start of the day, or at the end to examine your conscience.
2. Marian Discernment
Each time you must make a decision, ask yourself these questions before an image of Mary:
- Does this bring me closer to or farther from Christ?
- Is this something Mary would do in my place?
- Can I ask the Virgin to bless this decision with peace?
Inner peace is a Marian sign. If your soul feels troubled or disturbed by something, perhaps it is not from God. Mary does not disturb—she enlightens.
3. Lectio Divina with Mary
Read the Gospel with Mary by your side. Imagine what she would tell you, how she lived each passage. Especially the sorrowful and luminous mysteries. She was not just a witness but a guide in the divine plan.
4. Marian Consecration
Consecrate yourself to Mary. Saint Louis de Montfort said: “Mary is the easiest, shortest, and most perfect path to Jesus.” If you consecrate your will to her, she will shape it into a docile instrument of the Holy Spirit. Use traditional formulas or your own heartfelt words, but do it sincerely.
5. Seek Marian People for Counsel
In practical life, God also speaks through others: a holy priest, a prayerful friend, a wise elder. Choose advisors who deeply love the Virgin, for Marian souls usually carry the gentleness of heaven.
VI. A Devotion for the 21st Century Church
Imagine for a moment a Church where bishops, fathers, young people, and lay faithful let themselves be guided by Mary. Wouldn’t that be a silent yet powerful revolution? Instead of sterile debates, a Church guided by Mary’s maternal counsel would be:
- More wise and less ideological
- More prayerful and less superficial
- More coherent and less confused
That is why Saint John XXIII said Our Lady of Good Counsel should be the “mother and model of the Council.”
Conclusion: In Dark Days, Listen to Mary
Dear reader, you are not alone in your confusion. There is a Mother who knows the way. She does not shout, does not impose, does not manipulate. But she whispers. And when one learns to listen to that whisper, everything changes.
In a time when so many give bad advice, you can seek the only truly good counsel: the one that comes from Mary’s Immaculate Heart.
📿 Final Prayer
“O Mary, Virgin of Good Counsel,
open our ears to the whisper of the Spirit.
Teach us to seek the Father’s will
and to follow Jesus with courage and peace.
In every decision, great or small,
may we be open to your maternal light.
You who never failed to love,
be our counselor and guide to heaven. Amen.”
