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173. Finally, what draws us in a sense more compellingly to
take up this devotion to the most Blessed Virgin is the fact
that it is a wonderful means of persevering in the practice of
virtue and of remaining steadfast.
Why is it that most conversions of sinners are not
lasting? Why do they relapse so easily into sin? Why is it
that most of the faithful, instead of making progress in one
virtue after another and so acquiring new graces, often lose
the little grace and virtue they have? This misfortune arises,
as I have already shown, from the fact that man, so prone to
evil, so weak and changeable, trusts himself too much, relies
on his own strength, and wrongly presumes he is able to
safeguard his precious graces, virtues and merits.
By this devotion we entrust all we possess to Mary, the
faithful Virgin. We choose her as the guardian of all our
possessions in the natural and supernatural sphere. We trust
her because she is faithful, we rely on her strength, we count
on her mercy and charity to preserve and increase our virtues
and merits in spite of the efforts of the devil, the world,
and the flesh to rob us of them. We say to her as a good child
would say to its mother or a faithful servant to the mistress
of the house, "My dear Mother and Mistress, I realise that up
to now I have received from God through your intercession more
graces than I deserve. But bitter experience has taught me
that I carry these riches in a very fragile vessel and that I
am too weak and sinful to guard them by myself. Please accept
in trust everything I possess, and in your faithfulness and
power keep it for me. If you watch over me, I shall lose
nothing. If you support me, I shall not fail. If you protect
me, I shall be safe from my enemies."
174. This is exactly what St. Bernard clearly pointed out to
encourage us to take up this devotion, "When Mary supports
you, you will not fail. With her as your protector, you will
have nothing to fear. With her as your guide, you will not
grow weary. When you win her favour, you will reach the port
of heaven." St. Bonaventure seems to say the same thing in
even more explicit terms, "The Blessed Virgin," he says, "not
only preserves the fullness enjoyed by the saints, but she
maintains the saints in their fullness so that it does not
diminish. She prevents their virtues from fading away, their
merits from being wasted and their graces from being lost. She
prevents the devils from doing them harm and she so influences
them that her divine Son has no need to punish them when they
sin."
175. Mary is the Virgin most faithful who by her fidelity to
God makes good the losses caused by Eve's unfaithfulness. She
obtains fidelity to God and final perseverance for those who
commit themselves to her. For this reason St. John Damascene
compared her to a firm anchor which holds them fast and saves
them from shipwreck in the raging seas of the world where so
many people perish through lack of such a firm anchor. "We
fasten souls," he said, "to Mary, our hope, as to a firm
anchor." It was to Mary that the saints who attained salvation
most firmly anchored themselves as did others who wanted to
ensure their perseverance in holiness.
Blessed, indeed, are those Christians who bind themselves
faithfully and completely to her as to a secure anchor! The
violent storms of the world will not make them founder or
carry away their heavenly riches. Blessed are those who enter
into her as into another Noah's ark! The flood waters of sin
which engulf so many will not harm them because, as the Church
makes Mary say in the words of divine Wisdom, "Those who work
with my help - for their salvation - shall not sin." Blessed
are the unfaithful children of unhappy Eve who commit
themselves to Mary, the ever-faithful Virgin and Mother who
never wavers in her fidelity and never goes back on her trust.
She always loves those who love her, not only with deep
affection, but with a love that is active and generous. By an
abundant outpouring of grace she keeps them from relaxing
their effort in the practice of virtue or falling by the
wayside through loss of divine grace.
176. Moved by pure love, this good Mother always accepts
whatever is given her in trust, and, once she accepts
something, she binds herself in justice by a contract of
trusteeship to keep it safe. Is not someone to whom I entrust
the sum of a thousand francs obliged to keep it safe for me so
that if it were lost through his negligence he would be
responsible for it in strict justice? But nothing we entrust
to the faithful Virgin will ever be lost through her
negligence. Heaven and earth would pass away sooner than Mary
would neglect or betray those who trusted in her.
177. Poor children of Mary, you are extremely weak and
changeable. Your human nature is deeply impaired. It is sadly
true that you have been fashioned from the same corrupted
nature as the other children of Adam and Eve. But do not let
that discourage you. Rejoice and be glad! Here is a secret
which I am revealing to you, a secret unknown to most
Christians, even the most devout.
Do not leave your gold and silver in your own safes which
have already been broken into and rifled many times by the
evil one. They are too small, too flimsy and too old to
contain such great and priceless possessions. Do not put pure
and clear water from the spring into vessels fouled and
infected by sin. Even if sin is no longer there, its odour
persists and the water would be contaminated. You do not put
choice wine into old casks that have contained sour wine. You
would spoil the good wine and run the risk of losing it.
178. Chosen souls, although you may already understand me, I
shall express myself still more clearly. Do not commit the
gold of your charity, the silver of your purity to a
threadbare sack or a battered old chest, or the waters of
heavenly grace or the wines of your merits and virtues to a
tainted and fetid cask, such as you are. Otherwise you will be
robbed by thieving devils who are on the look-out day and
night waiting for a favourable opportunity to plunder. If you
do so all those pure gifts from God will be spoiled by the
unwholesome presence of self-love, inordinate self-reliance,
and self-will.
Pour into the bosom and heart of Mary all your precious
possessions, all your graces and virtues. She is a spiritual
vessel, a vessel of honour, a singular vessel of devotion.
Ever since God personally hid himself with all his perfections
in this vessel, it has become completely spiritual, and the
spiritual abode of all spiritual souls. It has become
honourable and has been the throne of honour for the greatest
saints in heaven. It has become outstanding in devotion and
the home of those renowned for gentleness, grace and virtue.
Moreover, it has become as rich as a house of gold, as strong
as a tower of David and as pure as a tower of ivory.
179. Blessed is the man who has given everything to Mary, who
at all times and in all things trusts in her, and loses
himself in her. He belongs to Mary and Mary belongs to him.
With David he can boldly say, "She was created for me", or
with the beloved disciple, "I have taken her for my own", or
with our Lord himself, "All that is mine is yours and all that
is yours is mine."
180. If any critic reading this should imagine that I am
exaggerating or speaking from an excess of devotion, he has
not, alas, understood what I have said. Either he is a carnal
man who has no taste for the spiritual; or he is a worldly man
who has cut himself off from the Holy Spirit; or he is a proud
and critical man who ridicules and condemns anything he does
not understand. But those who are born not of blood, nor of
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God and Mary, understand
and appreciate what I have to say. It is for them that I am
writing.
181. Nevertheless, after this digression, I say to both the
critics and the devout that the Blessed Virgin, the most
reliable and generous of all God's creatures, never lets
herself be surpassed by anyone in love and generosity. For the
little that is given to her, she gives generously of what she
has received from God. Consequently, if a person gives himself
to her without reserve, she gives herself also without reserve
to that person provided his confidence in her is not
presumptuous and he does his best to practise virtue and curb
his passions.
182. So the faithful servants of the Blessed Virgin may
confidently say with St. John Damascene, "If I confide in you,
Mother of God, I shall be saved. Under your protection I shall
fear nothing. With your help I shall rout all my enemies. For
devotion to you is a weapon of salvation which God gives to
those he wishes to save." |