HOW MUCH OUR CONFIDENCE IN MARY SHOULD BE INCREASED, FROM THE FACT OF HER BEING OUR MOTHER

Month of our Blessed Lady

HOW MUCH OUR CONFIDENCE IN MARY SHOULD BE INCREASED, FROM THE FACT OF HER BEING OUR MOTHER.

It is not without a meaning, or by chance, that Mary’s clients call her Mother; and in deed they seem unable to invoke her under any other name, and never tire of calling her Mother. Mother, yes! for she is truly our Mother; not indeed carnally, but spiritually; of our souls and of our salvation. Sin, by depriving our souls of Divine grace, deprived them also of life. Jesus our Redeemer, with an excess of mercy and love, came to restore this life by His own death on the cross, as He Himself declared, ‘ I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. He says more abundantly; for, according to theologians, the benefit of redemption far exceeded the injury done by Adam’s sin. So that by reconciling us with God, He made Himself the Father of Souls in the law of grace, as it was foretold by the prophet Isaias, He shall be called the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. But if Jesus is the Father of our Souls, Mary is also their Mother; for she, by giving us Jesus, gave us true life; and afterwards, by offering the life of her Son on Mount Calvary for our salvation, she brought us forth to the life of grace.

     On two occasions then, according to the holy Fathers, Mary became our Spiritual Mother. And the first, according to Blessed Albert the Great, was when she merited to conceive in her virginal womb the Son of God. St. Bernardine of Sienna says the same thing more distinctly, for he tells us, that when at the Annunciation the most Blessed Virgin gave the consent which was expected by the Eternal Word before becoming her Son, she from that moment asked our salvation of God with intense ardor, and took it to heart in such a way, that from that moment, as a most loving mother, she bore us in her womb.

     The second occasion on which Mary became our Spiritual Mother, and brought us forth to the life of grace was when she offered to the Eternal Father the life of her beloved Son on Mount Calvary, with such bitter sorrow and suffering. So that St. Augustine declares that, As she then cooperated by her love in the birth of the faithful to the life of grace, she became the Spiritual Mother of all who are members of the one Head, Christ Jesus. Our most loving Mother was always, and in all, united to the will of God. ‘And therefore,  says St. Bonaventure, ‘ when she saw the love of the Eternal Father towards men to be so great that, in order to save them, He willed the death of His Son; and, on the other hand, seeing the love of the Son in wishing to die for us: in order to conform herself to this excessive love of both the Father and the Son towards the human race, she also, with her entire will, offered, and consented to, the death of her Son, in order that we might be saved. It is true that, according to the prophecy of Isaias, Jesus, in dying for the redemption of the human race, chose to be alone. ‘I have trodden the wine-press alone,’ but, seeing the ardent desire of Mary to aid in the salvation of man, He disposed it so that she, by the sacrifice and offering of the life of her Jesus, should cooperate in our salvation, and thus become the mother of our souls. This our Saviour signified when, before expiring, He looked down from the cross on His mother and on the disciple St. John, who stood at its foot, and, first addressing Mary, He said, Behold thy son; as it were saying, Behold the whole human race, which by the offer thou makest of My life for the salvation of all, is even now being born to the life of grace. Then, turning to the disciple, He said, ‘Behold thy mother. By these words, says St. Bernardine of Sienna, Mary, by reason of the love she bore them, became the Mother, not only of St. John, but of all men. And Silveira remarks, that St. John himself, in stating this fact in his Gospel, says, Then He said to the disciple, Behold thy mother. Here observe well that Jesus Christ did not address Himself to John, but to the disciple, in order to show that He then gave Mary to all who are His disciples; that is to say, to all Christians, that she might be their mother. Be of good heart then, all you who are children of Mary. Remember that she accepts as her children all those who choose to be so. Rejoice!

Why do you fear to be lost, when such a Mother defends and protects you? ‘Say, then, 0 my soul, with great confidence, I will rejoice and be glad; for whatever the judgment to be pronounced on me may be, it depends on and must come from my brother and mother. Thus, says St. Bonaventure, ‘it is that each one who loves this good Mother, and relies on her protection, should animate himself to confidence, remembering that Jesus is our brother, and Mary our Mother. The same thought makes St. Anselm cry out with joy, and encourage us, saying, 0, happy confidence! 0, safe refuge; the Mother of God is my mother! How firm then should be our confidence, since our salvation depends on the judgment of a good brother and a tender mother. It is, then, our Mother who calls us, and says, in these words of the Book of Proverbs, He that is a little one, let him turn to me. Children have always on their lips their mother’s name, and in every fear, in every danger, they immediately cry out, Mother, mother! Ah, most sweet Mary! ah, most loving Mother! this is precisely what thou desirest: that we should become children, and call on thee in every danger, and at all times have recourse to thee, because thou desirest to help and save us, as thou hast saved all who have had recourse to thee.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei ora pro nobis!

EXAMPLE

In the history of the foundations of the Society of Jesus in the kingdom of Naples, we read the following account of a young Scotch noble man, named William Elphinstone. He was related to king James, and lived for some time in the heresy in which he was born. Enlightened by Divine grace, he began to perceive his errors, and having gone to France, with the help of a good Jesuit father, who was also a Scotchman, and still more by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, he at length discovered the truth, abjured his heresy, and became a Catholic. From France he went to Rome; and there a friend, finding him one day weeping and in great affliction, inquired the cause of his grief. He replied, that during the night his mother, who was lost, appeared to him, and said: ‘ It is well for thee, son, that thou hast entered the true Church, for as I died in heresy, I am lost.’ From that moment he redoubled his devotion towards Mary, choosing her for his only Mother, and by her he was inspired with the thought of embracing the religious state, and he bound himself to do so by vow. Being in delicate health, he went to Naples for change of air, and there it was the will of God that he should die, and die as a religious; for shortly after his arrival, finding himself at the last extremity, by his prayers and tears he moved the superiors to accept him, and in presence of the most Blessed Sacrament, when he received it as viaticum, he pronounced his vows, and was declared a member of the Society of Jesus. After this it was most touching to hear with what tenderness he thanked his Mother Mary, for having snatched him from heresy, and led him to die in the true Church, and in the house of God, surrounded by his religious brethren. This made him exclaim: ‘0, how glorious is it to die in the midst of so many angels.’ When exhorted to repose a little, ‘Ah,’ he replied, ‘ this is no time for repose, now that I am at the close of my life.’ Before expiring, he said to those who surrounded him: ‘ Brothers, do you not see the angels of Heaven here present who assist me?’ One of the religious having heard him mutter some words, asked him what he said. He replied, that his guardian angel had revealed to him that he would remain but a very short time in purgatory, and that he would soon go to heaven. He then entered into a colloquy with his sweet Mother Mary, and like a child that abandons itself to rest in the arms of its mother, he exclaimed: ‘Mother, mother!’ and sweetly expired. Shortly afterwards a devout religious learnt by revelation that he was already in Heaven.

PRAYER

O most holy Mother Mary, how is it possible that I, having so holy a Mother, should be so wicked? A Mother all burning with the love of God, and I loving creatures; a Mother so rich in virtue, and I so poor? Ah, most amiable Mother, it is true that I do not deserve any longer to be thy son, for by my wicked life I have rendered myself unworthy of so great an honor. I am satisfied that thou shouldst accept me for thy servant; and, in order to be admitted amongst the vilest of them, I am ready to renounce all the kingdoms of the world. Yes, I am satisfied. But still thou must not forbid me to call thee Mother. This name consoles and fills me with tenderness, and re minds me of my obligation to love thee. This name excites me to great confidence in thee. When my sins and the Divine justice fill me most with consternation, I am all consoled at the thought that thou art my Mother. Allow me then to call thee Mother, my most amiable Mother! Thus do I call thee, and thus will I always call thee. Thou, after God, must be my hope, my refuge, my love, in this valley of tears. Thus do I hope to die, breathing forth my soul into thy holy hands, and saying, My Mother, my Mother Mary, help me, have pity on me! Amen.