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From True Devotion
To the Blessed Virgin Mary, No. 152-164
This devotion is
a smooth, short, perfect and sure way of attaining union with our Lord, in
which Christian perfection consists. (a) This devotion is a smooth way. It
is the path which Jesus Christ opened up in coming to us and in which there
is no obstruction to prevent us reaching him. It is quite true that we can
attain to divine union by other roads, but these involve many more crosses
and exceptional setbacks and many difficulties that we cannot easily overcome.
(b) This devotion is a short way to discover Jesus, either because it is
a road we do not wander from, or because, as we have just said, we walk along
this road with greater ease and joy, and consequently with greater speed.
We advance more in a brief period of submission to Mary and dependence on
her than in whole years of self-will and self-reliance. (c) This devotion
is a perfect way to reach our Lord and be united to him, for Mary is the
most perfect and the most holy of all creatures, and Jesus, who came to us
in a perfect manner, chose no other road for his great and wonderful journey.
The Most High, the Incomprehensible One, the Inaccessible One, He who is,
deigned to come down to us poor earthly creatures who are nothing at all.
How was this done? The Most High God came down to us in a perfect way through
the humble Virgin Mary, without losing anything of his divinity or holiness.
It is likewise through Mary that we poor creatures must ascend to almighty
God in a perfect manner without having anything to fear.(d) This devotion
to our Lady is a sure way to go to Jesus and to acquire holiness through
union with him. The devotion which I teach is not new. Indeed it could not
be condemned without overthrowing the foundations of Christianity. It is
obvious then that this devotion is not new. If it is not commonly practised,
the reason is that it is too sublime to be appreciated and undertaken by
everyone. This devotion is a safe means of going to Jesus Christ, because
it is Mary's role to lead us safely to her Son.
Prayers
for the Second Week |
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