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1. Exterior
Practices
226. Although
this devotion is essentially an interior one, this does not prevent it
from having exterior practices which should not be neglected. "These
must be done but those not omitted." If properly performed, exterior
acts help to foster interior ones. Man is always guided by his senses
and such practices remind him of what he has done or should do. Let no
worldling or critic intervene to assert that true devotion is
essentially in the heart and therefore externals should be avoided as
inspiring vanity, or that real devotion should be hidden and private. I
answer in the words of our Lord, "Let men see your good works that they
may glorify your Father who is in heaven." As St. Gregory says, this
does not mean that they should perform external actions to please men
or seek praise; that certainly would be vanity. It simply means that we
do these things before men only to please and glorify God without
worrying about either the contempt or the approval of men.
I shall briefly mention some practices which I call exterior, not
because they are performed without inner attention but because they
have an exterior element as distinct from those which are purely
interior.
1. Preparation and Consecration
227. Those who desire to take up this special devotion, (which has not
been erected into a confraternity, although this would be desirable),
should spend at least twelve days in emptying themselves of the spirit
of the world, which is opposed to the spirit of Jesus, as I have
recommended in the first part of this preparation for the reign of
Jesus Christ. They should then spend three weeks imbuing themselves
with the spirit of Jesus through the most Blessed Virgin. Here is a
programme they might follow:
228. During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and
acts of devotion to acquire knowledge of themselves and sorrow for
their sins.
Let them perform all their actions in a spirit of humility. With this
end in view they may, if they wish, meditate on what I have said
concerning our corrupted nature, and consider themselves during six
days of the week as nothing but sails, slugs, toads, swine, snakes and
goats. Or else they may meditate on the following three considerations
of St. Bernard: "Remember what you were - corrupted seed; what you are
- a body destined for decay; what you will be -food for worms."
They will ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to enlighten them saying,
"Lord, that I may see," or "Lord, let me know myself," or the "Come,
Holy Spirit". Every day they should say the Litany of the Holy Spirit,
with the prayer that follows, as indicated in the first part of this
work. They will turn to our Blessed Lady and beg her to obtain for them
that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of
self-knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris
Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.
229. Each day of the second week they should endeavour in all their
prayers and works to acquire an understanding of the Blessed Virgin and
ask the Holy Spirit for this grace. They may read and meditate upon
what we have already said about her. They should recite daily the
Litany of the Holy Spirit and the Ave Maris Stella as during the first
week. In addition they will say at least five decades of the Rosary for
greater understanding of Mary.
230. During the third week they should seek to understand Jesus Christ
better. They may read and meditate on what we have already said about
him. They may say the prayer of St. Augustine which they will find at
the beginning of the second part of this book. Again with St.
Augustine, they may pray repeatedly, "Lord, that I may know you," or
"Lord, that I may see." As during the previous week, they should recite
the Litany of the Holy Spirit and the Ave Maris Stella, adding every
day the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.
231. At the end of these three weeks they should go to confession and
Holy Communion with the intention of consecrating themselves to Jesus
through Mary as slaves of love. When receiving Holy Communion they
could follow the method given later on. They then recite the act of
consecration which is given at the end of this book. If they do not
have a printed copy of the act, they should write it out or have it
copied and then sign it on the very day they make it.
232. It would be very becoming if on that day they offered some tribute
to Jesus and his Mother, either as a penance for past unfaithfulness to
the promises made in baptism or as a sign of their submission to the
sovereignty of Jesus and Mary. Such a tribute would be in accordance
with each one's ability and fervour and may take the form of fasting,
an act of self- denial, the gift of an alms or the offering of a votive
candle. If they gave only a pin as a token of their homage, provided it
were given with a good heart, it would satisfy Jesus who considers only
the good intention.
233. Every year at least, on the same date, they should renew the
consecration following the same exercises for three weeks. They might
also renew it every month or even every day by saying this short
prayer: "I am all thine and all I have is thine, O dear Jesus, through
Mary, Thy holy Mother."
2. The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin
234. If it is not too inconvenient, they should recite every day of
their lives the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin, which is composed
of three Our Fathers and twelve Hail Marys in honour of the twelve
glorious privileges of Mary. This prayer is very old and is based on
Holy Scripture. St. John saw in a vision a woman crowned with twelve
stars, clothed with the sun and standing upon the moon. According to
biblical commentators, this woman is the Blessed Virgin.
235. There are several ways of saying the Little Crown but it would
take too long to explain them here. The Holy Spirit will teach them to
those who live this devotion conscientiously. However, here is a simple
way to recite it. As an introduction say:" Virgin most holy, accept my
praise; give me strength to fight your foes", then say the Creed. Next,
say the following sequence of prayers three times: one Our Father, four
Hail Marys and one Glory be to the Father. In conclusion say the prayer
Sub tuum - "We fly to thy patronage".
3. The Wearing of Little Chains
236. It is very praiseworthy and helpful for those who have become
slaves of Jesus in Mary to wear, in token of their slavery of love, a
little chain blessed with a special blessing.
It is perfectly true, these external tokens are not essential and may
very well be dispensed with by those who have made this consecration.
Nevertheless, I cannot help but give the warmest approval to those who
wear them. They show they have shaken off the shameful chains of the
slavery of the devil, in which original sin and perhaps actual sin had
bound them, and have willingly taken upon themselves the glorious
slavery of Jesus Christ. Like St. Paul, they glory in the chains they
wear for Christ. For though these chains are made only of iron they are
far more glorious and precious than all the gold ornaments worn by
monarchs.
237. At one time, nothing was considered more contemptible than the
Cross. Now this sacred wood has become the most glorious symbol of the
Christian faith. Similarly, nothing was more ignoble in the sight of
the ancients, and even today nothing is more degrading among
unbelievers than the chains of Jesus Christ. But among Christians
nothing is more glorious than these chains, because by them Christians
are liberated and kept free from the ignoble shackles of sin and the
devil. Thus set free, we are bound to Jesus and Mary not by compulsion
and force like galley-slaves, but by charity and love as children are
to their parents. "I shall draw them to me by chains of love" said God
Most High speaking through the prophet. Consequently, these chains are
as strong as death, and in a way stronger than death, for those who
wear them faithfully till the end of their life. For though death
destroys and corrupts their body, it will not destroy the chains of
their slavery, since these, being of metal, will not easily corrupt. It
may be that on the day of their resurrection, that momentous day of
final judgement, these chains, still clinging to their bones, will
contribute to their glorification and be transformed into chains of
light and splendour. Happy then, a thousand times happy, are the
illustrious slaves of Jesus in Mary who bear their chains even to the
grave.
238. Here are the reasons for wearing these chains:
a) They remind a Christian of the promises of his baptism and the
perfect renewal of these commitments made in his consecration. They
remind him of his strict obligation to adhere faithfully to them. A
man's actions are prompted more frequently by his senses than by pure
faith and so he can easily forget his duties towards God if he has no
external reminder of them. These little chains are a wonderful aid in
recalling the bonds of sin and the slavery of the devil from which
baptism has freed him. At the same time, they remind him of the
dependence on Jesus promised at baptism and ratified when by
consecration he renewed these promises. Why is it that so many
Christians do not think of their baptismal vows and behave with as much
licence as unbelievers who have promised nothing to God? One
explanation is that they do not wear external sign to remind them of
these vows.
239. b) These chains prove they are not ashamed of being the servants
and slaves of Jesus and that they reject the deadly bondage of the
world, of sin and of the devil.
c) They are a guarantee and protection against enslavement by sin and
the devil. For we must of necessity choose to wear either the chains of
sin and damnation or the chains of love and salvation.
240. Dear friend, break the chains of sin and of sinners, of the world
and the worldly, of the devil and his satellites. "Cast their yoke of
death far from us." To use the words of the Holy Spirit, let us put our
feet into his glorious shackles and our neck into his chains. Let us
bow down our shoulders in submission to the yoke of Wisdom incarnate,
Jesus Christ, and let us not be upset by the burden of his chains.
Notice how before saying these words the Holy Spirit prepares us to
accept his serious advice, "Hearken, my son," he says, "receive a
counsel of understanding and do not spurn this counsel of mine."
241. Allow me here, my dear friend, to join the Holy Spirit in giving
you the same counsel, "These chains are the chains of salvation". As
our Lord on the cross draws all men to himself, whether they will it or
not, he will draw sinners by the fetters of their sins and submit them
like galley-slaves and devils to his eternal anger and avenging
justice. But he will draw the just, especially in these latter days, by
the chains of love.
242. These loving slaves of Christ may wear their chains around the
neck, on their arms, round the waist or round the ankles. Fr. Vincent
Caraffa, seventh General of the Society of Jesus, who died a holy death
in 1643, carried an iron band round his ankles as a symbol of his holy
servitude and he used to say that his greatest regret was that he could
not drag a chain around in public. Mother Agnes of Jesus, of whom we
have already spoken, wore a chain around her waist. Others have worn it
round the neck, in atonement for the pearl necklaces they wore in the
world. Others have worn chains round their arms to remind them, as they
worked with their hands, that they are the slaves of Jesus.
4. Honouring the mystery of the Incarnation
243. Loving slaves of Jesus in Mary should hold in high esteem devotion
to Jesus, the Word of God, in the great mystery of the Incarnation,
March 25th, which is the mystery proper to this devotion, because it
was inspired by the Holy Spirit for the following reasons:
a) That we might honour and imitate the wondrous dependence which God
the Son chose to have on Mary, for the glory of his Father and for the
redemption of man. This dependence is revealed especially in this
mystery where Jesus becomes a captive and slave in the womb of his
Blessed Mother, depending on her for everything.
b) That we might thank God for the incomparable graces he has conferred
upon Mary and especially that of choosing her to be his most worthy
Mother. This choice was made in the mystery of the Incarnation. These
are the two principal ends of the slavery of Jesus in Mary.
244. Please note that I usually say "slave of Jesus in Mary", "slavery
of Jesus in Mary". We might indeed say, as some have already been
saying, "slave of Mary", "slavery of Mary". But I think it preferable
to say, "slave of Jesus in Mary". This is the opinion of Fr. Tronson,
Superior General of the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice, a man renowned for
his exceptional prudence and remarkable holiness. He gave this advice
when consulted upon this subject by a priest.
Here are the reasons for it:
245. a) Since we live in an age of pride when a great number of haughty
scholars, with proud and critical minds, find fault even with
long-established and sound devotions, it is better to speak of "slavery
of Jesus in Mary" and to call oneself "slave of Jesus" rather than
"slave of Mary". We then avoid giving any pretext for criticism. In
this way, we name this devotion after its ultimate end which is Jesus,
rather than after the way and the means to arrive there, which is Mary.
However, we can very well use either term without any scruple, as I
myself do. If a man goes from Orléans to Tours, by way of Amboise, he
can quite truthfully say that he is going to Amboise and equally
truthfully say that he is going to Tours. The only difference is that
Amboise is simply a place on the direct road to Tours, and Tours alone
is his final destination.
246. b) Since the principal mystery celebrated and honoured in this
devotion is the mystery of the Incarnation where we find Jesus only in
Mary, having become incarnate in her womb, it is appropriate for us to
say, "slavery of Jesus in Mary", of Jesus dwelling enthroned in Mary,
according to the beautiful prayer, recited by so many great souls, "O
Jesus living in Mary".
247. c) These expressions show more clearly the intimate union existing
between Jesus and Mary. So closely are they united that one is wholly
the other. Jesus is all in Mary and Mary is all in Jesus. Or rather, it
is no longer she who lives, but Jesus alone who lives in her. It would
be easier to separate light from the sun than Mary from Jesus. So
united are they that our Lord may be called, "Jesus of Mary", and his
Mother "Mary of Jesus".
248. Time does not permit me to linger here and elaborate on the
perfections and wonders of the mystery of Jesus living and reigning in
Mary, or the Incarnation of the Word. I shall confine myself to the
following brief remarks. The Incarnation is the first mystery of Jesus
Christ; it is the most hidden; and it is the most exalted and the least
known.
It was in this mystery that Jesus, in the womb of Mary and with her
co-operation, chose all the elect. For this reason the saints called
her womb, the throne-room of God's mysteries.
It was in this mystery that Jesus anticipated all subsequent mysteries
of his life by his willing acceptance of them. Consequently, this
mystery is a summary of all his mysteries since it contains the
intention and the grace of them all.
Lastly, this mystery is the seat of the mercy, the liberality, and the
glory of God. It is the seat of his mercy for us, since we can approach
and speak to Jesus through Mary. We need her intervention to see or
speak to him. Here, ever responsive to the prayer of his Mother, Jesus
unfailingly grants grace and mercy to all poor sinners. "Let us come
boldly before the throne of grace."
It is the seat of liberality for Mary, because while the new Adam dwelt
in this truly earthly paradise God performed there so many hidden
marvels beyond the understanding of men and angels. For this reason,
the saints call Mary "the magnificence of God", as if God showed his
magnificence only in Mary.
It is the seat of glory for his Father, because it was in Mary that
Jesus perfectly atoned to his Father on behalf of mankind. It was here
that he perfectly restored the glory that sin had taken from his
Father. It was here again that our Lord, by the sacrifice of himself
and of his will, gave more glory to God than he would have given had he
offered all the sacrifices of the Old Law. Finally, in Mary he gave his
Father infinite glory, such as his Father had never received from man.
5. Saying the Hail Mary and the Rosary
249. Those who accept this devotion should have a great love for the
Hail Mary, or, as it is called, the Angelic Salutation.
Few Christians, however enlightened, understand the value, merit,
excellence and necessity of the Hail Mary. Our Blessed Lady herself had
to appear on several occasions to men of great holiness and insight,
such as St. Dominic, St. John Capistran and Blessed Alan de Rupe, to
convince them of the richness of this prayer.
They composed whole books on the wonders it had worked and its efficacy
in converting sinners. They earnestly proclaimed and publicly preached
that just as the salvation of the world began with the Hail Mary, so
the salvation of each individual is bound up with it. This prayer, they
said, brought to a dry and barren world the Fruit of Life, and if well
said, will cause the Word of God to take root in the soul and bring
forth Jesus, the Fruit of Life. They also tell us that the Hail Mary is
a heavenly dew which waters the earth of our soul and makes it bear
fruit in due season. The soul which is not watered by this heavenly dew
bears no fruit but only thorns and briars, and merits only God's
condemnation.
250. Here is what our Blessed Lady revealed to Blessed Alan de Rupe as
recorded in his book, The Dignity of the Rosary, and as told again by
Cartagena: "Know, my son, and make it known to all, that lukewarmness
or negligence in saying the Hail Mary, or a distaste for it, is a
probable and proximate sign of eternal damnation, for by this prayer
the whole world was restored."
These are terrible words but at the same time they are consoling. We
should find it hard to believe them, were we not assured of their truth
by Blessed Alan and by St. Dominic before him, and by so many great men
since his time. The experience of many centuries is there to prove it,
for it has always been common knowledge that those who bear the sign of
reprobation, as all formal heretics, evil-doers, the proud and the
worldly, hate and spurn the Hail Mary and the Rosary. True, heretics
learn to say the Our Father but they will not countenance the Hail Mary
and the Rosary and they would rather carry a snake around with them
than a rosary. And there are even Catholics who, sharing the proud
tendencies of their father Lucifer, despise the Hail Mary or look upon
it with indifference. The Rosary, they say, is a devotion suitable only
for ignorant and illiterate people.
On the other hand, we know from experience that those who show positive
signs of being among the elect, appreciate and love the Hail Mary and
are always glad to say it. The closer they are to God, the more they
love this prayer, as our Blessed Lady went on to tell Blessed Alan.
251. I do not know how this should be, but it is perfectly true; and I
know no surer way of discovering whether a person belongs to God than
by finding out if he loves the Hail Mary and the Rosary. I say, "if he
loves", for it can happen that a person for some reason may be unable
to say the Rosary, but this does not prevent him from loving it and
inspiring others to say it.
252. Chosen souls, slaves of Jesus in Mary, understand that after the
Our Father, the Hail Mary is the most beautiful of all prayers. It is
the perfect compliment the most High God paid to Mary through his
archangel in order to win her heart. So powerful was the effect of this
greeting upon her, on account of its hidden delights, that despite her
great humility, she gave her consent to the incarnation of the Word. If
you say the Hail Mary properly, this compliment will infallibly earn
you Mary's good will.
253. When the Hail Mary is well said, that is, with attention, devotion
and humility, it is, according to the saints, the enemy of Satan,
putting him to flight; it is the hammer that crushes him, a source of
holiness for souls, a joy to the angels and a sweet melody for the
devout. It is the Canticle of the New Testament, a delight for Mary and
glory for the most Blessed Trinity. The Hail Mary is dew falling from
heaven to make the soul fruitful. It is a pure kiss of love we give to
Mary. It is a crimson rose, a precious pearl that we offer to her. It
is a cup of ambrosia, a divine nectar that we offer her. These are
comparisons made by the saints.
254. I earnestly beg of you, then, by the love I bear you in Jesus and
Mary, not to be content with saying the Little Crown of the Blessed
Virgin, but say the Rosary too, and if time permits, all its fifteen
decades, every day. Then when death draws near, you will bless the day
and hour when you took to heart what I told you, for having sown the
blessings of Jesus and Mary, you will reap the eternal blessings in
heaven.
6. Praying the Magnificat
255. To thank God for the graces he has given to our Lady, her
consecrated ones will frequently say the Magnificat, following the
example of Blessed Marie d'Oignies and several other saints. The
Magnificat is the only prayer we have which was composed by our Lady,
or rather, composed by Jesus in her, for it was he who spoke through
her lips. It is the greatest offering of praise that God ever received
under the law of grace. On the one hand, it is the most humble hymn of
thanksgiving and, on the other, it is the most sublime and exalted.
Contained in it are mysteries so great and so hidden that even the
angels do not understand them.
Gerson, a pious and learned scholar, spent the greater part of his life
writing tracts full of erudition and love on the most profound
subjects. Even so, it was with apprehension that he undertook towards
the end of his life to write a commentary on the Magnificat which was
the crowning point of all his works. In a large volume on the subject
he says many wonderful things about this beautiful and divine canticle.
Among other things he tells us that Mary herself frequently recited it,
especially at thanksgiving after Holy Communion. The learned Benzonius,
in his commentary on the Magnificat, cites several miracles worked
through the power of this prayer. The devils, he declare, take to
flight when they hear these words, "He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted".
7. Contempt of the world
256. Mary's faithful servants despise this corrupted world. They should
hate and shun its allurements, and follow the exercises of the contempt
of the world which we have given in the first part of this treatise.
2. Special interior practices for those who wish
to be perfect
257. The
exterior practices of this devotion which I have just dealt with should
be observed as far as one's circumstances and state of life permit.
They should not be omitted through negligence or deliberate disregard.
In addition to them, here are some very sanctifying interior practices
for those souls who feel called by the Holy Spirit to a high degree of
perfection. They may be expressed in four words, doing everything
through Mary, with Mary, in Mary, and for Mary, in order to do it more
perfectly through Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus, and for Jesus.
Through Mary
258. We must do everything through Mary, that is, we must obey her
always and be led in all things by her spirit, which is the Holy Spirit
of God. "Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God,"
says St. Paul. Those who are led by the spirit of Mary are children of
Mary, and, consequently children of God, as we have already shown.
Among the many servants of Mary only those who are truly and faithfully
devoted to her are led by her spirit.
I have said that the spirit of Mary is the spirit of God because she
was never led by her own spirit,, but always by the spirit of God, who
made himself master of her to such an extent that he became her very
spirit. That is why St. Ambrose says, "May the soul of Mary be in each
one of us to glorify the Lord. May the spirit of Mary be in each one of
us to rejoice in God." Happy is the man who follows the example of the
good Jesuit Brother Rodriguez, who died a holy death, because he will
be completely possessed and governed by the spirit of Mary, a spirit
which is gentle yet strong, zealous yet prudent, humble yet courageous,
pure yet fruitful.
259. The person who wishes to be led by this spirit of Mary:
1) Should
renounce his own spirit, his own views and his own will before doing
anything, for example, before making meditation, celebrating or
attending Mass, before Communion. For the darkness of our own spirit
and the evil tendencies of our own will and actions, good as they may
seem to us, would hinder the holy spirit of Mary were we to follow
them.
2) We should give ourselves up to the spirit of Mary to be moved and
directed as she wishes. We should place and leave ourselves in her
virginal hands, like a tool in the hands of a craftsman or a lute in
the hands of a good musician. We should cast ourselves into her like a
stone thrown into the sea. This is done easily and quickly by a mere
thought, a slight movement of the will or just a few words as, "I
renounce myself and give myself to you, my dear Mother." And even if we
do not experience any emotional fervour in this spiritual encounter it
is none the less real. It is just as if a person with equal sincerity
were to say - which God forbid! - "I give myself to the devil." Even
though this were said without feeling any emotion, he would no less
really belong to the devil.
3) From time to time during an action and after it, we should renew
this same act of offering and of union. The more we do so, the quicker
we shall grow in holiness and the sooner we shall reach union with
Christ, which necessarily follows upon union with Mary, since the
spirit of Mary is the spirit of Jesus.
With Mary
260. We must do everything with Mary, that is to say, in all our
actions we must look upon Mary, although a simple human being, as the
perfect model of every virtue and perfection, fashioned by the Holy
Spirit for us to imitate, as far as our limited capacity allows. In
every action then we should consider how Mary performed it or how she
would perform it if she were in our place. For this reason, we must
examine and meditate on the great virtues she practised during her
life, especially:
1) Her lively
faith, by which she believed the angel's word without the least
hesitation, and believed faithfully and constantly even to the foot of
the Cross on Calvary.
2) Her deep humility, which made her prefer seclusion, maintain
silence, submit to every eventuality and put herself in the last place.
3) Her truly divine purity, which never had and never will have its
equal on this side of heaven.
And so on for
her other virtues.
Remember what I told you before, that Mary is the great, unique mould
of God, designed to make living images of God at little expense and in
a short time. Anyone who finds this mould and casts himself into it, is
soon transformed into our Lord because it is the true likeness of him.
In Mary
261. We must do everything in Mary. To understand this we must realise
that the Blessed Virgin is the true earthly paradise of the new Adam
and that the ancient paradise was only a symbol of her. There are in
this earthly paradise untold riches, beauties, rarities and delights,
which the new Adam, Jesus Christ, has left there. It is in this
paradise that he "took his delights" for nine months, worked his
wonders and displayed his riches with the magnificence of God himself.
This most holy place consists of only virgin and immaculate soil from
which the new Adam was formed with neither spot nor stain by the
operation of the Holy Spirit who dwells there. In this earthly paradise
grows the real Tree of Life which bore our Lord, the fruit of Life, the
tree of knowledge of good and evil, which bore the Light of the world.
In this divine place there are trees planted by the hand of God and
watered by his divine unction which have borne and continue to bear
fruit that is pleasing to him. There are flower-beds studded with a
variety of beautiful flowers of virtue, diffusing a fragrance which
delights even the angels. Here there are meadows verdant with hope,
impregnable towers of fortitude, enchanting mansions of confidence and
many other delights.
Only the Holy Spirit can teach us the truths that these material
objects symbolise. In this place the air is perfectly pure. There is no
night but only the brilliant day of the sacred humanity, the
resplendent, spotless sun of the Divinity, the blazing furnace of love,
melting all the base metal thrown into it and changing it into gold.
There the river of humility gushes forth from the soil, divides into
four branches and irrigates the whole of this enchanted place. These
branches are the four cardinal virtues.
262. The Holy Spirit speaking through the Fathers of the Church, also
calls our Lady the Eastern Gate, through which the High Priest, Jesus
Christ, enters and goes out into the world. Through this gate he
entered the world the first time and through this same gate he will
come the second time.
The Holy Spirit also calls her the Sanctuary of the Divinity, the
Resting-Place of the Holy Spirit, the Throne of God, the City of God,
the Altar of God, the Temple of God, the World of God. All these titles
and expressions of praise are very real when related to the different
wonders the Almighty worked in her and the graces which he bestowed on
her. What wealth and what glory! What a joy and a privilege for us to
enter and dwell in Mary, in whom almighty God has set up the throne of
his supreme glory!
263. But how difficult it is for us to have the freedom, the ability
and the light to enter such an exalted and holy place. This place is
guarded not by a cherub, like the first earthly paradise, but by the
Holy Spirit himself who has become its absolute Master. Referring to
her, he says: "You are an enclosed garden, my sister, my bride, an
enclosed garden and a sealed fountain." Mary is enclosed. Mary is
sealed. The unfortunate children of Adam and Eve driven from the
earthly paradise, can enter this new paradise only by a special grace
of the Holy Spirit which they have to merit.
264. When we have obtained this remarkable grace by our fidelity, we
should be delighted to remain in Mary. We should rest there peacefully,
rely on her confidently, hide ourselves there with safety, and abandon
ourselves unconditionally to her, so that within her virginal bosom:
1) We may be nourished with the milk of her grace and her motherly
compassion.
2) We may be delivered from all anxiety, fear and scruples.
3) We may be safeguarded from all our enemies, the devil, the world and
sin which have never gained admittance there. That is why our Lady says
that those who work in her will not sin, that is, those who dwell
spiritually in our Lady will never commit serious sin.
4) We may be formed in our Lord and our Lord formed in us, because her
womb is, as the early Fathers call it, the house of the divine secrets
where Jesus and all the elect have been conceived. "This one and that
one were born in her."
For Mary
265. Finally, we must do everything for Mary. Since we have given
ourselves completely to her service, it is only right that we should do
everything for her as if we were her personal servant and slave. This
does not mean that we take her for the ultimate end of our service for
Jesus alone is our ultimate end. But we take Mary for our proximate
end, our mysterious intermediary and the easiest way of reaching him.
Like every good servant and slave we must not remain idle, but, relying
on her protection, we should undertake and carry out great things for
our noble Queen. We must defend her privileges when they are questioned
and uphold her good name when it is under attack. We must attract
everyone, if possible, to her service and to this true and sound
devotion. We must speak up and denounce those who distort devotion to
her by outraging her Son, and at the same time we must apply ourselves
to spreading this true devotion. As a reward for these little services,
we should expect nothing in return save the honour of belonging to such
a loveable Queen and the joy of being united through her to Jesus, her
Son, by a bond that is indissoluble in time and in eternity. Glory to
Jesus in Mary! Glory to Mary in Jesus! Glory to God alone!
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