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From True
Devotion To the Blessed Virgin Mary, Nos. 106-110
Marks of authentic devotion to our Lady
106. First, true
devotion to our Lady is interior, that is, it comes from within the
mind and the heart and follows from the esteem in which we hold her,
the high regard we have for her greatness, and the love we bear her.
107. Second, it is trustful, that is to say, it fills us with
confidence in the Blessed Virgin, the confidence that a child has for
its loving Mother. It prompts us to go to her in every need of body and
soul with great simplicity, trust and affection.
108. Third, true devotion to our Lady is holy, that is, it leads us to
avoid sin and to imitate the virtues of Mary. Her ten principal virtues
are: deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer,
constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience,
angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom.
109. Fourth, true devotion to our Lady is constant. It strengthens us
in our desire to do good and prevents us from giving up our devotional
practices too easily. It gives us the courage to oppose the fashions
and maxims of the world, the vexations and unruly inclinations of the
flesh and the temptations of the devil. Thus a person truly devoted to
our Blessed Lady is not changeable, fretful, scrupulous or timid.
110. Fifth, true devotion to Mary is disinterested. It inspires us to
seek God alone in his Blessed Mother and not ourselves. The true
subject of Mary does not serve his illustrious Queen for selfish gain.
He does not serve her for temporal or eternal well-being but simply and
solely because she has the right to be served and God alone in her.
Prayers for the Second Week
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