The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary : Chapter 6 : The Fourfold Grace in Mary (Pt 2) : Her seven privileges

The Annunciation, early 1460s; by

Willem Vrelant.The Getty Museum, L.A.

The following posts contain the text of a work by St Bonaventure (1221-1274) known as Speculum Beatæ Mariæ Virginis : The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin.

It is referred to in the French work by Fr François Poiré called The Triple Crown of the Holy Mother of God (1630) which I translated on this blog starting on the 1st of May 2024.

I offer this annotated edition of St Bonaventure’s work as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for all her graces and favours, requesting her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

The Latin text and references are based upon Speculum Beatae Mariae Virginis (1904). The English text is based upon that attributed to Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. (published by Herder in 1932). Amazon's various editions ackowledge that this text is in the Public Domain worldwide, attributing it to the text of a Dublin edition (author unknown) published in 1849.

Chapter 6 : The Fourfold Grace in Mary of Gifts, of Speech, of Privileges, and of Rewards

Part 2 : Her seven privileges

Thirdly, consider in Mary the grace of her privileges. Of this grace it is said[1]: 

“Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High.” 

See how Gabriel, asserting that Mary had found grace, immediately specifies what that grace is, saying: “Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb.” Oh, how great and how unheard-of in all the world that a virgin should conceive in her womb and bring forth the Son of the Most High! We can perceive in Mary seven privileges, privileges full of immense graces, granted to Mary alone by God. 

The first privilege of Mary was that she was, above all men, free from sin and most pure. For she was so abundantly sanctified by grace in her mother’s womb that it is believed she was never in the least degree inclined to venial sin. Therefore St. Bernard saith[2]: 

“It behoved the Queen of Virgins, by a singular privilege of sanctity, to lead a life free from every sin so that, while she brought forth the slayer of sin and death, she should obtain for all the gift of life and justice.” 

The second privilege of Mary is that, above all men, she was most full of grace. St. Jerome saith[3]: 

“On others grace was bestowed partially, but the plenitude of grace was poured into Mary.” 

When this same Blessed Doctor compares the grace of Mary with that of the Angels he gives it preference, saying[4]: 

“It is to be believed that the blessed and glorious Virgin Mary merited greater privileges of virtue, and received grace praised even by the angels.”

The third privilege of Mary is that she alone was a mother and at the same time an inviolate virgin. St. Bernard praises this privilege, saying[5]: 

“‘Mary chose for herself the better part[6].’ Clearly the better part, because conjugal fecundity is good, virginal chastity is better, but the best of all is virginal fecundity, or fecund virginity. The privilege of Mary will not be given to another, because it shall not be taken away from her.”

Footnotes

[1] Luc. i. 30-32.

[2] Epist. 174. n. 5.

[3] Epist. 9. n. 5.

[4] Loc. cit. n. 15.

[5] Serm. 4. in Assumt. B. M. V. n. 5.

[6] Luc. x. 42.

The fourth privilege of Mary is that she alone is the most ineffable Mother of the Son of God, she alone is the Mother of that Son of whom God alone is the Father. It is a wonder most extraordinary that so great a privilege should be granted to a creature. Of this privilege St. Bernard saith[1]: 

“This is the singular glory of our Virgin, and the excellent prerogative of Mary, that she merited

to have her Son in common with God the Father.”

The fifth privilege of Mary is that she above all creatures was in her body most close to God. She experienced what was never granted to any other creature, nor will ever be granted again in eternity, for she bore God for nine months in her womb, she nursed God from her breasts filled with the milk of heavenly goodness[2], for many years she lovingly brought up our Lord, she had God subject to her, she handled and cradled her God in pure embraces and kisses with tender familiarity, as St. Augustine says[3]: 

“No wonder, Mary, that God reigning in Heaven deigneth to rejoice with thee, whom, when He was a little child born of thee, thou didst so often kiss on earth.” 

The sixth privilege of Mary was that she above all creatures is most powerful with God. St. Augustine says[4]: 

“Do thou obtain what we request and mitigate what we fear, because we shall never find one more powerful in merit than thee, who hast merited to be the Mother of the Redeemer and of the Judge.” 

It is a great privilege that she is more powerful with God than all the Saints, as the same St. Augustine declares, saying[5]: 

“There is no doubt that she who merited the role of bringing forth the ransom for our deliverance, can above can intercede for those who have been delivered more than all the Saints together.” 

But what would it avail us for Mary to have such great power if she cared nothing for us ? Therefore, brethren, we must hold it for certain, and incessantly give thanks for this, that, as she has more power with God than all the Saints, so is she also more solicitous for us before God than all the Saints. It is the same Augustine who bears witness to this, saying: 

“We know, O Mary, that thou above all the saints art solicitous for Holy Church – thou who obtainest for sinners time to repent so that they may renounce their errors.”

The seventh privilege of Mary is that she, above all the Saints, is most excellent in glory. St. Jerome says[6]: 

“Everywhere the holy Church of God confidently sings what it is unlawful to believe of any other of the saints: that the merits (of Mary) transcend those of all Angels and Archangels. This privilege – not, as it were, of nature, but of grace – belongs to the Virgin Mary.” 

Behold how glorious is the privilege of Mary’s glory that she, after God, is most exalted in glory. The glorious privilege of the glory of Mary is that whatever after God is most beautiful, whatever is sweetest, whatever is most resplendent in glory – that is Mary, that is in Mary and that is by Mary. It is entirely the glorious privilege of Mary, that, after God, our greatest glory and our greatest joy is because of her. St. Bernard says[7]: 

“After God, it is our greatest glory to behold thee, O Mary; to adhere to thee, and to abide in the safety of thy protection.”

Footnotes

[1] Serm. 2. de Annunt. B. M. V. n. 2.

[2] Breviar., respons. ad lect. 8. in Circumc. Dom. "Nesciens mater virgo virum peperit sine dolore salvatorem sæculorum. Ipsum regem angelorum sola virgo lactabat, ubere de cælo pleno." / The Virgin mother, who knew no man, painlessly bore the Saviour of all ages. It was only the Virgin that nursed the King of angels at her breast filled with the milk of heavenly goodness. Text from an Antiphon for the Octave of Christmas.

[3] Serm. 208. append. (alias 35.) n. 11.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Loc. cit. n. 12.

[6] Epist. cit. n. 7.

[7] Potius Petr. Dam., serm. 44. (1. in Nat. B. M. V.) circa finem.

+       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31. 

The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary : Chapter 6 : The Fourfold Grace in Mary (Part 1)

The Annunciation, early 1460s; by

Willem Vrelant.The Getty Museum, L.A.

The following posts contain the text of a work by St Bonaventure (1221-1274) known as Speculum Beatæ Mariæ Virginis : The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin.

It is referred to in the French work by Fr François Poiré called The Triple Crown of the Holy Mother of God (1630) which I translated on this blog starting on the 1st of May 2024.

I offer this annotated edition of St Bonaventure’s work as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for all her graces and favours, requesting her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

The Latin text and references are based upon Speculum Beatae Mariae Virginis (1904). The English text is based upon that attributed to Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. (published by Herder in 1932). Amazon's various editions ackowledge that this text is in the Public Domain worldwide, attributing it to the text of a Dublin edition (author unknown) published in 1849.

Chapter 6 : The Fourfold Grace in Mary of Gifts, of Speech, of Privileges, and of Rewards

Part 1

Ave Maria, gratia plena. We have still some things to say of the grace of the most sweet Mary. We will now consider the fourfold grace of her gifts, her speech, her privileges, and her rewards. 

First, consider in Mary the grace of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost. To this grace Mary, giving thanks, could apply the words of Ecclesiasticus[1] : “In me is all grace of the way and the truth.” What wonder if she herself is the grace full of life and truth, who is the Mother of Him who was “full of grace and truth[2] ”? And what wonder if in that rod is so great an abundance of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, in whose flower the Holy Spirit rested with such a plenitude of His gifts? Mary is that rod, and the Son of Mary is that flower, of whom it is said in Isaias[3] : 

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord.” 

In this flower was a superabundance of the Holy Spirit which has overflowed into the whole Church, so that St John the Evangelist says[4] : “Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” Now seeing how such an abundance of grace has overflowed from this flower into the whole garden, how much more will it abound in the rod or stem of the flower, in Mary herself?

Footnotes

[1] Ecclesiasticus xxiv. 25.

[2] Ioan. i, 14.

[3] Isai. xi. 1-3.

[4] Ioan. i, 16.

Let Mary say most assuredly, therefore,  “In me is all grace of the way and the truth.” Certainly the grace of the way and the truth consists in the aforesaid seven gifts of the Holy Ghost; it was by the aforesaid seven gifts that the grace of the way and the truth was in Mary. The grace of the truth ordained Mary with the truth above herself, below herself, within herself, and without herself. The grace, I say, of the truth ordained Mary in truth above herself by the gift of wisdom; below herself, by the gift of counsel; within herself, by the gift of understanding; without herself, by the gift of knowledge. The grace of the truth ordained the soul of Mary in truth above herself, in the most wise contemplation of things to be enjoyed; below herself, in avoiding foresight of things that were to be shunned; within herself, in her sure knowledge of what to believe; without herself, in a most reasonable discretion concerning all she had to do. The grace of her life ordained Mary with a good life with regard to the devil, with regard to her neighbour, and with regard to God. The grace, I say, of life ordained Mary with a good life: towards the devil, through the gift of fortitude; towards her neighbour, through the gift of piety; towards God, through the gift of fear. The grace of life ordained the life of Mary with a most strong resistance to the devil; with a most loving kindness to her neighbour; and with a most devout reverence towards God. This was signified by the Holy Ghost in a most fitting manner by the house which Wisdom built for Himself, having seven columns, which were the seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost[1]. Whoever, therefore, feels within himself the beginning of a desire for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost can find the form of these pillars in this house and the craftsman thereof, and he ought to desire these seven pillars with great ardour and much prayer. Likewise, he who desires the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit must look for the flower of the Holy Spirit in the rod. By the rod or stem we attain to the flower, and so to the Spirit that rests upon the flower. By Mary we approach Christ, and by the grace of Christ we find the Holy Spirit. Therefore St. Bernard well says, addressing Mary[2]: 

“By thee we have access to thy Son, O blessed finder of grace, Mother of life, Mother of salvation, that by thee He may receive us who by thee was given to us.”

Footnotes

[1] Prov. ix. 1

[2] Serm. 2. de Advent. Dom. n. 5.

Secondly, consider in Mary the grace of the lips, or of speech, of which it is said in the Psalm[1]: “Grace is poured abroad on thy lips.” Such was the grace of the lips in Mary that she could excellently be prefigured by Judith, of whom it is said[2]: 

“There is not such another woman upon earth in look, in beauty, and in sense of words.” 

Truly there is not, nor ever was, nor ever will be, such another woman upon earth as Mary was, in the look or aspect of her glorious life, in the beauty of a pure conscience, and in the sense of words of a most skilled tongue. We shall clearly see the grace of the lips in Mary if we diligently gather and meditate the words of her lips as recorded in the Gospel. We find in the Gospel seven sentences[3], sweeter than honey, dropping from the lips of Mary, and indicating excellently the honey-flowing grace of her lips, as it is said in the Canticle[4]: “Thy lips are as a dropping honeycomb.” Like the essence of honey are the seven most sweet words of Mary, spoken to the Angel, to man, and to God. Two utterances to the Angel, two to man and three to God.

Footnotes

[1] Thou art beautiful above the sons of men: grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever. Psal, xliv.11.

[2] Judith xi. 19.

[3] Cfr. Bernardin. Sen., serm. 9. de Visitat. (edit. Venet. an. 1745 tom. IV. pag. 105 col. II.). Quater Mariam locutam fuisse docet Bernard., serm. in Dom. inf. Oct. Assumt. B. M. V. n. 10.

[4] Cant. iv. 11.

To the Angel Mary spoke words of chastity and humility. Mary had on her lips the word of chastity when she said in answer to the Angel[1]: “How shall this be done, for I know not man?” This is a lesson to the unchaste who have on their lips not chaste but base and carnal words. Mary spoke to the Angel the words of humility when she said[2]: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word.” This is a lesson to the proud and arrogant who neither think nor speak humbly of themselves but have words of boasting and bragging on their lips. 

Again Mary spoke to men the word of charity and the word of truth: the word of charity in greeting, and the word of truth in instruction. Mary spoke the word of charity when she so affectionately saluted the mother of the Precursor that even the infant in that mother’s womb exulted. This is a lesson to the rancorous, who will not only fail to speak charitably to their neighbours but frequently disdain to speak to them at all. Mary spoke the word of truth when, the wine failing, she said to the servants at the marriage feast[3]: “Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye.” This is a lesson to those who will not fail to speak good words to their neighbours but urge them to evil thoughts and deeds.

Again, Mary spoke three times to the Lord. She spoke more to God than to Angels or to men, for she spoke twice to the angels and twice to men, but three times to God. This is, alas, contrary to the practice of many who speak so rarely with God but so frequently with men in futile and greatly harmful conversations. To God she spoke in words of praise, of loving complaint and of compassion. Of praise for the benefits bestowed on herself; of loving complaint for the loss of her Son; of compassion for the failing of the wine. Mary had the word of praise to God on her lips when in thanksgiving that God had looked upon her lowliness[4], she said: “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” This is a lesson to the ungrateful, who, alas, give such scant thanks to God for His multiple and considerable gifts, and at times grow puffed up against God by these very benefits. Mary had the word of loving complaint to God upon her lips when she said to her Son, after the three days’ loss[5]: 

“Son, why hast thou done so to us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.” 

Here is a lesson for the undevout who do not seek Jesus sorrowing when by the withdrawal of devotion they have lost him for many days. Mary spoke the word of compassion to God when at the marriage feast she said to her Son[6]: “They have no wine.” Here is a lesson to the unmerciful who are not moved to compassion by the needs of others, and who neither help their neighbours nor draw them to God. 

Behold now, O Mary, our advocate, we still need thee to speak to thy Son for us, since many of us have no wine; we lack the wine of the Holy Spirit, the wine of compunction, the wine of devotion and spiritual consolation. St. Bernard speaks of this as follows[7]: 

“O my brethren, after your tearful complaints how often is it necessary for me to beseech the Mother of Mercy to say to her Son that you have no wine! And she, I say to you dear beloved, if she is piously besought by you will not ignore to your needs for she is merciful,being in truth the Mother of Mercy. For if she had compassion for the embarrassment of those whose guest she was, much more will she have compassion on you if you call upon her earnestly.” 

Consider well, from what we have said, what power Mary hath with the King of Kings because of the grace of her lips, for it is written in the Book of Proverbs[8]: 

“He that loveth cleanness of heart, for the grace of his lips shall have the king for his friend.”

Footnotes

[1] Luc. i. 34.

[2] Ib. v. 38.

[3] Ioan. ii. 3 & 5.

[4] Luc. i. 48 & 46.

[5] Luc. ii. 48.

[6] Ioan. ii. 3.

[7] Serm. 2. in Dom. 1. post Oct. Epiph. n. 4.

[8] Prov. xxii. 11.

+       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31. 

The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary : Chapter 5 : Full of Grace (Pt 2)

The Annunciation, early 1460s; by

Willem Vrelant.The Getty Museum, L.A.

The following posts contain the text of a work by St Bonaventure (1221-1274) known as Speculum Beatæ Mariæ Virginis : The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin.

It is referred to in the French work by Fr François Poiré called The Triple Crown of the Holy Mother of God (1630) which I translated on this blog starting on the 1st of May 2024.

I offer this annotated edition of St Bonaventure’s work as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for all her graces and favours, requesting her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

The Latin text and references are based upon Speculum Beatae Mariae Virginis (1904). The English text is based upon that attributed to Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. (published by Herder in 1932). Amazon's various editions ackowledge that this text is in the Public Domain worldwide, attributing it to the text of a Dublin edition (author unknown) published in 1849.

Chapter 5 : Full of Grace

Part 2

Third, consider the manifoldness of the grace of Mary, of whom it is written in Ecclesiasticus[1]: 

“I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honour and grace.”

According to the Gloss[2] and Pliny[3], the turpentine tree is a large tree of Syria with many and wide-spreading branches. The male tree bears no fruit, but only the female; this fruit is double, ruddy and white with a pleasant smell. This beautiful tree, growing in Syria, is like the Blessed Virgin Mary; for “Syria” means watered[4], and truly the whole life of Mary was watered by grace, for she grew in the healthful moisture of grace from the womb of her mother. What wonder if Mary grows in the moisture of grace, when without it every seed will wither? Whence it is said of the seed in St. Luke’s Gospel[5]: 

“As soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.” 

The branches of this tree, branches of honour and grace, are the virtues, the examples and the benefits of Mary. For many are the branches of her graces and merits, of her virtues and examples, of her mercy and benefits. In these branches the birds of heaven joyfully dwell, that is, holy souls, so that it can be said of them what we find in the Book of Daniel[6]: 

“In the branches thereof the fowls of the air had their abode.” 

Oh, how wide-spreading, how long and how high are the branches of that blessed tree, the Virgin Mary! How wide-spreading to men, how long towards the Angels, how high towards God! In what way she extends to all the branches of her graces and her mercies St. Bernard sets forth, saying[7]: 

“Mary has opened to all the bosom of her mercy, that all may receive of her fullness: the captive receive redemption, the sick healing, the sad consolation, the sinner pardon, the just grace and the Angels joy; the Blessed Trinity receives glory and the Person of the Son the substance of human flesh!” 

The fruit of that tree is that of which it is said[8]: “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” That fruit was ruddy in blood and white in death. Therefore the spouse of God, that is, the holy soul, saith as in the Canticle[9]: 

“My beloved is white and ruddy.” 

This fruit is-also of a pleasant odour to devout souls. Blessed John the Apostle had this odour in mind when he said to the Lord[10]: 

“Thy fragrance hath awakened in me eternal desires.” 

O soul, dost thou not experience the odour of mercy of this fruit? Oh, if thou didst so, wouldst thou not run after it, as is said in the Canticle[11]: 

“We will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments”? 

It is to be noted that it is not the male turpentine tree, but the female, that brings forth fruit. So that fruit of life, Jesus Christ, was brought forth not by a man but by a woman, a virgin. Well, therefore, doth St. Augustine say[12]: 

“A virgin mother was chosen, who would conceive without concupiscence, and bring forth a man without a man.”

Footnotes

[1] Ecclesiasticus xxiv. 22.

[2] Ordinariam sec. Lyranum in Eccli. 24, 22.

[3] XII de Nat. Hist. c. 12. (alias 6.).

[4] Sec. Hieron. de Nom. Hobr., de Genesi.

[5] Luc. viii. 6 & 13.

[6] Daniel iv. 9.

[7] Serm. de Domin. infra Oct. Assumt. B. M. V. n. 2.

[8] Luc. i. 42.

[9] Cant. v. 10.

[10] Cfr. Abdias, Histor. certam. apost. Lib. 5. Part of the Antiphon for the Feast of St John the Evangelist.

[11] Cant. i. 3.

[12] Potius serm. 7. (int. opera Ildephonsi) circa mediiun. Cfr. etiam Homil. III. in Nat. B. M. V. (inter opera Alcuini) post medium.

Fourthly, consider the utility of the grace of Mary. It is written that[1]: “A gracious woman shall find glory.” Behold the utility of the grace in Mary most gracious, the finding of perpetual glory. Most useful was the grace of Mary both to herself and to us. Most useful Mary’s grace certainly was for herself and for us, since grace made Mary delightful, miraculous, and glorious: delightful in her soul, miraculous in her Son, glorious in her kingdom. Mary was certainly delightful in her spiritual mind, miraculous in her virginal offspring, glorious in her eternal diadem. Grace, therefore, made the mind and the soul of Mary delightful with spiritual delights, as a spiritual paradise of the living God, like that word of Ecclesiasticus[2]: “Grace is like a paradise in blessings.” Truly she was a paradise of God in blessings of manifold spiritual delights, of which St. Bernard saith[3]: 

“What shall I say of the delights of the beauty of virginity, with the gift of fecundity, the mark of humility, the dropping honeycomb of charity, the bowels of mercy, the fullness of grace, the prerogative of singular glory?” 

Likewise grace made Mary miraculous in her offspring, miraculous in her conception and bringing forth, while miraculously the Virgin brought forth, and more miraculously conceived and brought forth God. Therefore concerning her grace it is well said of her[4]: 

“Thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus.” 

Of this name, St. Bernard, speaking to Mary, said[5]: 

“Understand, Virgin most prudent, how great and what special grace thou shalt find with God, from the name of thy promised Son.” 

Grace likewise made Mary glorious, wherefore it has already been well said: “A gracious woman shall find glory.” O truly happy is Mary in her discoveries, wherefore she is so great in this world and great in Heaven! No pure creature found such grace in this world or such glory in Heaven; and certainly she found both grace and glory with the Lord, for as it is said in the Psalm[6]: “The Lord will give grace and glory.” But the grace of Mary was not only most useful for herself, but also for us, for the entire human race. For the grace of Mary gathers in the wicked, nourishes and fattens the good, delivering all. It gathers in sinners from guilt, fattens them by grace, delivers them from eternal death. 

I say, therefore, that the grace of Mary gathers in souls to mercy and gathers repentant sinners into the Church. This is well signified in the favour found by Ruth when she collected the ears of corn left by the reapers, when she said to Booz[7]: “I have found grace in thy eyes, my lord.” “Ruth” is interpreted as “seeing” or “hastening,” and she typifies the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was truly a seer in contemplation and was swift in work. For she seeth our misery and swiftly bestoweth on us her mercy. Booz is interpreted as “strength” and signifies him of whom it is said in the Psalm[8]: “Great is our Lord, and great is his power.” Ruth, therefore, in the eyes of Booz, and Mary in the sight of the Lord, found this grace so that the one gathered up the ears of corn left by the reapers, and the other gathered in souls. Who are the reapers but the teachers and pastors? How truly great is the grace of Mary, by which many are saved and find mercy, who were given up as hopeless by their priests and pastors! Therefore St. Bernard saith[9]: 

“Mary, thou embracest with maternal affection the sinner despised by the whole world, thou cherishest him, thou never forsakest him, until he is reconciled to the dreadful Judge.” 

Footnotes

[1] Prov. xi. 16.

[2] Ecclesiasticus xl. 17.

[3] Serm. 4. in Assumt. B. M. V. n. 1.

[4] Luc. i. 30 et seq.

[5] Homil. 8. super Missus est n. 10.

[6] Psalm. lxxxiii. 12.

[7] Ruth ii. 12.

[8] Psalm. cxlvi. 5.

[9] Potius Egbert., Serm. paneg. seu Deprecat. et laus elegttnt. ad B. Y. (inter opera Bernardi) n. 2, paucis mutatis.

Likewise Mary nourishes the good with the fatness of grace. Therefore is it said in Ecclesiasticus[1]: 

“The grace of a diligent woman shall delight her husband, and shall fat his bones.” 

Mary was indeed the diligent woman of whose diligence Bede saith[2]: 

“Mary was silent about the secret of God, but she diligently considered it in her heart.”

Who was the husband of this diligent woman, but He whom she had encompassed in her womb ? Of which Jeremias says[3]: 

“The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth, a woman shall compass a man.” 

The bones of this man are all they who are strong in the Church, that is, in His body. These bones, by the help of the grace of Mary, are fattened by the unction of grace. They are fattened, I say, by the fatness of the Holy Ghost, by which he longed to be enriched who said[4]: 

“Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness.” 

Who can reckon how many souls by the help of Mary are nourished and fattened by grace? And who indeed can calculate how great in Mary herself was this fatness of grace, by which so many millions of souls are nourished? What was lacking to her who was the dwelling of all virtue and grace? St. John Damascene says[5]: “Mary, planted in the house of the Lord[6], and fattened in spirit like a fruitful olive tree[7], was made the dwelling of every virtue.” 

Likewise Mary delivers all men from everlasting death. This was well typified in Esther, of whom we read[8]: 

“And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favour and kindness before him above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head.” 

We read, therefore, that there was a twofold utility in the grace of Esther which she had with the king: one was that she obtained the royal crown; the other, that she delivered her nation, which had been condemned to death. So blessed Mary, our Esther, obtained such grace with the eternal King that by it she not only attained the crown herself, but delivered the human race, which was condemned to death. Therefore St. Anselm says[9]: 

“How shall I worthily praise the Mother of my Lord and God, by whose fecundity I, a captive, was redeemed; by whose Son I was rescued from eternal death; by whose Child, I, being lost, was recovered and led back from the exile of misery to the homeland of eternal beatitude?”

O dearest Mother of grace, we pray thou mayest make us children of grace; do thou grant that by thy grace most true, by thy grace most immense, by thy grace most manifold and by thy grace most useful, we may be gathered in to receive the pardon of remission, to be filled with the grace of devotion and to be freed from the death of eternal damnation; we ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Footnotes

[1] Ecclesiasticus xxvi. 16.

[2] Homil. in aurora Nat. Dom. inter Homil. hiem. de Sanct. post medium.

[3] Jerem. xxxi. 22.

[4] Psalm. lxii. 6.

[5] IV. de Fide orthod. c. 14. circa mediam.

[6] Psalm. xci. 14.

[7] Psalm. li. 10.

[8] Esther ii. 17.

[9] Orat. 52. (al. 51.) in principio.

End of Chapter 5

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.