Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary of the Snows, and this is one of four titles
which are used for St. Mary Major's Basilica. It is called St. Mary ad Neves, or St. Mary at the
Snow of the Snows, from a popular tradition that Our Lady chose that place on the Esquiline Hill
for a church under her invocation by a miraculous snow that fell on that particular spot
during the summertime. This day, in fact, August 5th in the year 352, snow fell on that spot
on the Esquiline Hill at the invocation of Our Lady, and that was seen as a sign to build there
a church for her. So one of the titles, as I said, is St. Mary of the Snows. The title that
most of us are familiar with, St. Mary Majors,
it's called St. Mary of the Snows.
St. Mary Majors because it's the principal church dedicated to Our Lady there in Rome,
one of the four principal basilicas. And there's a debate going on as to whether or not it's the
first. Usually it is termed as the first church dedicated to Our Lady in the West,
but if you talk to some Romans, they'll say, no, it's actually St. Mary in Trastevere,
which is another part of Rome. And there in St. Mary of Trastevere, it's actually written on
the Episcopal chair. There's an inscription stating that this is the first church dedicated
to Our Lady. So, and that church as well dates back to the fourth century. So we're not really
sure which one is the first. It's also called the Liberian Basilica because it was founded in the
time of Pope Liberius. And it's also called St. Mary ad Presepe, which means of the crib of Our Lord
because the relic of the crib, or actually the entire manger, is held in this church. And it's
surrounded by silver.
And displayed underneath the main altar. And every year at Christmas Day, this manger is taken out
and venerated. Now, it's a great grace for our friars. We have the privilege of being in charge
of the sacristy there at St. Mary Majors. And so our friars get to meet people from all over the
world who come to visit that basilica. You get to meet dignitaries as well. And so it's a great
place to be, as well as just simple pilgrims, as well as the Pope on the Feast of Corpus Christi, who
comes and finishes his procession there. And there in the sacristy, they keep or they maintain the
long lists of intentions for the masses. At the basilica, there's a mass being celebrated just
about every hour. And the friars receive all of the intentions from the faithful who come in to
visit the basilica.
They come in to the sacristy to have their intentions signed. And so it's a great reminder for us
the importance of the Holy Mass, the infinite value that the Mass has. A reminder to have our
intentions signed and celebrated during the Holy Mass. St. Philip Neri, the Saint of Rome, who was
known to have visited frequently St. Mary Majors, says that,
with prayer, we ask graces from God. In the Holy Mass, we constrain God to give them to us.
It's how powerful the sacrifice, how pleasing it is to God the Father. And so we can have all of our
intentions for both the living and the dead, for all of our needs, both spiritual and material,
and also masses of thanksgiving offered up for all of us.
It's how powerful the sacrifice, how pleasing it is to God the Father. And so we can have all of our
intentions for both the living and the dead, for all of our needs, both spiritual and material,
and also masses of thanksgiving offered up for all of us. St. Mary of the Snows, pray for us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
In the name of the Father, and of the Holy Spirit.