The Glories of Mary

DEDICATION BY ST. ALPHONSUS

To Jesus and Mary

My Lord Jesus Christ, knowing what pleasure you receive from anyone who exalts your holy Mother, I have decided to publish this work and dedicate it to you. Please accept this work and shower the light of confidence and love of the Immaculate Virgin upon all who read it. As a reward, I ask only that you give to me that love for Mary which I want enkindled within the readers.

Prayer

O Mary, God gave me my conversion, my vocation and all my graces through you. I have always tried in public sermons and private conversations to see that all love you. I am near the end of my pilgrimage. Before dying, I want to leave this book to the world so it can continue to preach. Please extend your hand, which has delivered me from the world and from hell. From this labor, I expect one reward – that I may love you more and that everyone who reads this book may be inflamed with love for you so that they will desire to promote and preach your praises.

To the Reader

So that the critic’s mind will not condemn this book, I want to explain that I want all of my teachings interpreted according to Catholic Theology. I base all my teachings on what the saints have said. If Christ is the head, then Mary is the neck through which grace flows. She is full of grace so it can be passed on to men. St. Thomas Aquinas says, In the saints, there is sufficient grace for many, but in Christ and in Mary there is grace in the highest degree for the salvation of all. In all dangers, you can obtain salvation in the Virgin. As Scripture says, In me is all hope of life and virtue. (Eccl. 24:25)

INTRODUCTION

My desire to write and your devotion to read about Mary makes us children of the same mother. Some would say there are too many books on Mary. However, the praise of Mary is an inexhaustible font (Abbot Francone). The more she is praised, the more there is to praise.

I have read many books on The Glories of Mary but these are large and voluminous. I have tried to gather together only the choicest passages. In this way, the devout soul can be inflamed with love for Mary and priests can have material to preach.

Although human lovers always speak of their beloved, many who profess to love Mary seldom speak of her. True lovers of Mary want all the world to love her and they use every opportunity (in public or private) to enkindle love for her in others.

Those Who Preach Mary

Theologians are clear on this point. Those who preach Mary are certain of salvation (St. Bonaventure). The Church, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, says about Mary, Whoever explains me shall have everlasting life. (Eccl 24:31). Rejoice in Mary, my soul, for good things are prepared for those who praise her. (St. Bonaventure). So, let us praise her so she can lead us into heaven.

Mary appeared to St. Bridget, instructing her to tell Bishop Ermingo (who began his homilies in praise of Mary), that he would die a holy death and that she would bring his soul to God. Because a Dominican priest always spoke of her, Mary appeared to him with similar promises.

St. Anselm says that the Saviour came to save sinners through Mary’s womb. Therefore, their salvation will come from the remembrance of her praises. I firmly believe that all graces are dispensed by Mary and all are saved through her. Therefore, the salvation of every soul depends upon our preaching Mary and exciting all to confidence in her. Through Mary, St. Bernadine of Sienna sanctified Italy and St. Dominic converted so many.

I have made it an inviolable rule that every mission preached by a Redemptorist must preach a homily on Mary. In many cases, this homily produces more compunction than any other. We praise her virginity, admire her humility but, as sinners, we are most attracted by her mercy. (St. Bernard)

Focus of This Book

To describe her many prerogatives, I have labored many years to collect the sayings of saints. I focus these sayings on mercy and powerful intercession as portrayed in the prayer, Hail Holy Queen.

Dear reader, if you like this book, then pray to Mary for me. Bind yourself to the two anchors of Jesus and Mary, and you will not be lost. Jesus and Mary, for you I suffer and die that I may be yours in all things. (St. Alphonsus Rodriguez). Until we meet in Paradise, let us stay at the feet of our sweet Mother and her loving Son. Amen.

PART ONE. EXPLAINING THE HAIL HOLY QUEEN.

1.1 MARY, OUR QUEEN AND OUR MOTHER

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy

(A) Having Great Confidence in Mary

Because Mary is the mother of the King of Kings, the Church honors her with the title, Queen. If the son is a king, his mother must be a queen. (St. Athanasius). As soon as she consented to be the mother of the Eternal Word, then she merited to be the Queen of all creatures. (St. Bernardine)

As Queen, she possesses by right the whole kingdom of her son (Abbot Rupert). All the creatures who serve God, also serve Mary. (St. Bernadine). Continue, Mary, to disperse the riches of your Son for to you belongs dominion over all creatures. (Abbot Guerricus)

The Queen of Mercy

Because Mary is ready to help us in our weakness, the Church calls her, Mother of Mercy. She pours out mercy because Queen signifies compassion towards the needy (St. Albert the Great). Kings must do works of mercy but, they must also punish the guilty. Mary is not a Queen of Justice, who punishes the guilty. She is a Queen of Mercy, intent on pardoning sinners. The Kingdom of God was divided into justice and mercy. The Lord reserved justice for himself and yielded the mercy to Mary. He ordered that all mercy would pass through her hands. (John Gersen). St. Thomas confirms this, When the Blessed Virgin brought forth the Eternal Word, she obtained half of the Kingdom of God. She is Queen of Mercy. Jesus is King of Justice.

The Father made Jesus the universal Judge of the world. Give Justice to the King’s Son (Ps 122:2) Bonaventure wrote, Give your judgment to the King, Oh God, and mercy to His mother, the Queen. We sinners must rejoice because our Queen overflows with mercy. O Mary, you are full of mercy and compassion. God has anointed you with the oil of gladness. (St. Bonaventure)

Queen Esther

Queen Esther is a biblical model of Queen Mary. In the Book of Esther, the Jewish people were condemned by the king’s decree and Esther was asked to seek the decree’s revocation. At first, she declined because she feared the King’s anger. Mordicai reproved her, saying that God had made her queen to obtain this salvation. Do not think that you will save your life just because you are in the King’s house. We sinners can use the same words, Mary, God has not made you Queen of the world to provide only for your good. He made you so great, so you can better assist us.

When the King saw Queen Esther approach him, he asked with love, What is your request? She said, Lord, if I find favor in your sight, save my people. He revoked his decree of death. Now, if Esther can save the Jewish people, how can God refuse the prayers of Mary? She says to God, If I find favor (already knowing that she was full of grace), give me my people, for whom I ask. Can God refuse her? Who is ignorant of the power of Mary’s prayers, The law of mercy is on her tongue. (Pr 31:26) God shows mercy to whomever she intercedes for. St. Bernard says she is Queen of Mercy because she opens the depths of God’s mercy to whomever she wills, when she wills, and as she wills. No sinner, however great, is lost if Mary protects him.

The Gentleness of a Queen

Would Mary refuse to protect someone just because they have many sins? Should we be overawed by the Queen’s holiness? The higher she is, the greater is her mercy to sinners who desire to amend their lives (St. Gregory VII).

Kings and queens often inspire terror. However, the Queen of Mercy shows no severity. She is all gentleness. In her, there is no austerity. She offers wool and milk to all. (St. Bernard) The milk is mercy and the wool is protection against the thunderbolts of God’s justice. God has given a compassionate heart to Mary so that she can send no one away dissatisfied. (Lanspergius) O Mary, can you refuse to help any who are the subjects of your mercy? Since you are the Queen of Mercy, I am the first of your subjects. (St. Bonaventure) Our sins cannot outweigh Mary’s power and compassion. Nothing resists your power. The Creator answers your petitions as if he were paying a debt. Mary has an infinite obligation to the Father for choosing her to be the mother of His Son. However, her Son is under greater obligation to her for giving Him His humanity. Jesus pays what He owes to Mary by granting all her petitions.

No One is Deprived

How great our confidence in her! We know her power with God to gain us mercy. Our Lady said to St Bridget, I am the Queen of heaven and the Mother of Mercy. I am the door that leads sinners to God. No sinner is deprived of my mercy. No one (except those already in hell) is so cast off by God that he will not return if he invokes my aid. I am the Mother of Mercy. A soul who could have invoked me and did not, will be miserable for all eternity.

Let us go to Mary to be certain of our salvation. Let us remember that Mary is the Queen of Mercy. She helps even the most abandoned sinners who invoke her. In heaven, these sinners are her crown. You shall be delivered from the dens of lions (Song 4:8) These dens are the hearts of sinners, the home of frightful sins. O Mary, the salvation of sinners will form a crown worthy of the Queen of Mercy. (Abbot Rupert)

An Example

Sister Catherine of St. Augustine told me this story. Margaret began to sin as a young woman and continued all her life. She was driven out of the city and died in a secluded cave without the sacraments. Sister Catherine (who prayed for the dead) thought she was damned and did not even intercede. Four years later, the suffering woman appeared to her and took her to task for not praying for her. I am poor Margaret who died in the cave. At the hour of my death, I invoked the Mother of God saying, Lady, you are the refuge of abandoned creatures. Now I am abandoned by all and you are my only hope. Have pity on me. The Virgin gained for me the grace of an act of contrition. I died and am saved. She also shortened my purgatory. I seek now only to have a few Masses said. Catherine had the Masses said and in a few days the soul appeared shining like the sun, Thank you. I go to heaven to praise God and pray for you.

Prayer

My Lady of Mercy, I present myself as a wounded beggar before a great queen. Cast your eyes upon me. Do not abandon me until you have changed me from a sinner into a saint. I know you are already my Queen but I dedicate myself even more to your service using St. Bonaventure’s words. Govern me, Oh Queen, and do not allow me to govern myself. Command me. Use me. Punish me when I do not obey. Take charge of my salvation. From this day forward, no one will love and honor you more. This I promise. Amen.

(B) Mary is Our Mother

Mary’s clients call her Mother, seemingly unable to use any other name. She is truly Mother of our souls and of our salvation. Sin deprives our souls of the life of grace which Jesus came to restore by His cross. He said, I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly. (Jn 10:10) His redemption far exceeds the injury of Adam’s sin. By reconciling us, He became the Father of our souls. He shall be called the Father of the world to come. (Is. 9:6) If Jesus is the Father of our souls, then Mary is the mother.

Two Occasions

Mary became our spiritual mother on two occasions. First, when she conceived the Son of God in her womb When the Blessed Virgin gave her consent, she asked for our salvation with intense love and bore us also in her womb. (St. Bernardine) It is of faith, that Mary had no other children by the flesh. She must have had spiritual children and we are those children.

God revealed to St. Gertrude that Mary brought forth her first born son and that all mankind was her second-born, according to the Spirit. Mary, by giving birth to life itself, gave life to many. (Abbot St. William)

Mary also became our spiritual mother at Calvary. By cooperating at the cross in the birth of the faithful to the life of grace, she became mother to all Christ’s members. (St. Augustine) The Canticle says They made me the keeper in the vineyards but my own vineyard I have not kept (1:5) meaning to save many souls she exposed her own Son to death. (St. William)

Scriptural Prophesies

Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce her soul (Lk 2:35). Truly, the lance which pierced Jesus’ side also pierced her soul. We are the children of Mary’s sorrows. Mary’s will was always united to God’s will. Mary saw the Father love sinners so much that He willed the death of His Son. She also saw her Son wanting to die for sinners. Therefore, Mary, in her love for the Father and Son, consented to her Son’s death so we might be saved. (St. Bonaventure)

Isaiah prophesied, I have tread upon the winepress alone (63:3). However, Jesus saw Mary’s ardent desire to aid in salvation. Therefore, he arranged that she would cooperate in our salvation and become the Mother of our souls. When Jesus said to Mary Behold your son (Jn 19:26), He actually said, Behold the human race whish is being born to grace by your sacrifice. By these words, Mary became the mother of all. (St. Bernardine) The gospel says that Jesus turned to the disciple (Jn 19:26). This shows that Jesus gave Mary to all who are his disciples.

A Mother’s Love

The Church applies to Mary the words I am the Mother of fair love (Eccl 24:24). She says that Mary’s love makes her a mother who receives us. She is all love to these whom she had adopted. What mother attends to her children’s welfare as you care for us, O sweet Queen? Do you not seek our welfare more than any earthly mother? (St. Bonaventure)

Blessed are those protected by such a mother! David prayed, Save the son of your handmaid (Ps 36:16), placing himself under Mary (although she was not yet born). "Who could ever snatch these children after they took refuge in Mary’s bosom? What power of hell or what temptation can overcome those under her protection? (St. Robert Bellarmine)

Our Refuge

Some say whales swallow their children when they see that they are in danger. This is what Mary does. When storms rage she protects them in her own bosom until she brings them to the harbor of salvation. (Novarinus) Blessed be God who has given Mary to us as a secure refuge in all of life’s dangers.

Our Blessed Lady told St. Bridget, A mother uses every effort to save her son in the midst of his enemies. So, I will do to all sinners who seek my mercy. In every battle with hell’s powers, we will conquer by having recourse to the Mother of God, saying always, We fly to your protection. How many victories this short prayer has won over the powers of hell!

A Brother and a Mother

Oh children of Mary, be of good heart. Remember, she accepts as her children all who choose to be her children. Rejoice! Why do you fear