Our Lady Of Deliverance
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On a stormy night a man was driving with great difficulty a truck containing a heavy load of wine, close to the church of Eland in Germany. It was dark and a strong wind was blowing, the storm raged, and every moment it seemed harder to guide the heavy load along the almost impossible road.
Now and then the man stopped, gazing into the darkness to see if he could find any hope of shelter. No sound but the echo of his own voice answered his cries for help. All remained desolate, dark, terrifying. No friendly light, no barking dog, no sign of a homestead was to be found. The storm kept lashing harder and harder. The lonely traveler grew more terrified when the truck suddenly sank in a deep place, and all his efforts could not move it from the spot! Loud were his cries for help, but they remained unanswered.
Suddenly he heard a rustling in the thicket and the form of a woman glided out of the darkness, a brilliant light floated round her; then the radiant figure approached the sunken truck, and with one touch of her hand it was drawn out of the deep mire.
Thrilled by the vision, the man fell on his knees and poured out his heart to his Heavenly Deliverer, expressing his regret that he had no means to make an offering to her chapel close by.
At this, she touched a thorny shrub, and instantly leaves and buds burst forth; the whole shrub was loaded with lovely lilies, breathing forth a wondrous and unknown perfume.
The Queen of Heaven, for it was she, broke off one of the lilies and formed a chalice; as the man wondered if he might fill it with wine from his casks, the vision vanished.
The man drove on to the chapel at Eland and entered to thank God for his deliverance, when lo! He recognized in the painting of Our Lady over the altar his gracious Deliverer, and placed the lily-chalice as an offering on her shrine. The fame of the miracle spread throughout Germany, and the Chapel of Our Lady became one of the most frequented shrines. Thus was one more example given to men of the sweet lovableness, and readiness to help all in need, of Our Mother, Lady of Deliverance.
