The chief remedy against the Devil is to have recourse to the Virgin Mary.
- St. John of Avila (+ 1569)
O my sovereign Lady, delight of my soul, heavenly dew quenching my burning thirst, liquid flowing from God into my parched heart, bright light in the midst of my soul's darkness, guide of my poor judgment, strength of my weakness, covering of my nudity, treasure of my poverty, remedy for incurable wounds, wiper away of tears, end of sighs, reverser of misfortunes, lightener of grief, loosener of my bonds, my hope of salvation, listen to my prayers, have mercy on my sighs, and reject not my lamentations; have mercy on me, and may my tears move thee; be moved by thine own feeling of compassion towards me, who art the Mother of God, the lover of men, hear and grant my prayers, fulfill my petition.
-St. Germanus
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Praise of the Mother of God from Maximus the Confessor, 7th century
Behold, what mind will fathom, or what tongue will express, or what master scribe's hand will write the innumerable multitude of the graces and benevolences of the holy and ever-virgin Theotokos, which she manifested and manifests from day to day among the human race?
She is the ardent intercessor with her son, Christ God, for all those who entreat her.
She is the calm harbor of all those buffeted by waves, who rescues them from spiritual and fleshy waves.
She is the guide on the way of life for all who have gone astray.
She is the one who seeks and converts those who are lost.
She is the help and support of those who are afflicted.
She is the intercessor and mediator of those who are penitent.
And I will say even more than the above:
She is the resurrection of the fallen Adam.
She is the destruction of Eve's tears.
She is the comforter of those who mourn.
She is the throne of the king, who bears the one who bears all.
She is the one who renews the old world.
She is the ladder that reaches to heaven, by which God descended to the earth.
She is the bridge that leads from earth to Paradise.
She is the wonder of angels, and she is the wound of demons and their destruction.
She is the root of the incorruptible shoot.
She is the tree of immortal fruit.
She worked on the worker, the lover of humanity.
She sprouted forth the planter of life.
She is the furrow sprouting forth the wheat that strengthens hearts.
She is the table bearing eternal delight.
She is the incense offered to God for intercession on our behalf.
She is the ransom of the world.
She is the cause of boldness before God for mortal humans.
She is the mother of the good shepherd.
She is the dwelling place of the rational sheep.
She is the chasing away of the invisible enemies.
She is the opening of the gates of Paradise.
She is the unsilenced mouth of the apostles.
She is the invincible courage of the martyrs.
She is the power and strength of Christians.
She is the dawn of the undarkening day.
She is the bearer of the sun of truth.
Through her the raging tyrant was banished from his dominion.
Through her the Lord Christ, the lover of humanity, has appeared to us as savior.
Through her we have been saved from the mire of many sins, and we have been freed from the rule of various passions.
She is the raising of human beings and the downfall of demons.
She is the rock of life from which the thirsty drink the water of immortality.
She is the pillar of light leading and illuminating those in darkness.
She is the urn receiving the manna coming from heaven.
She is the land of promise producing sweetness.
She is the flower of incorruptibility, the crown of virtue, the model of the life of angels.
She is the thickly leaved tree in whose shade the weary rest, the bearer of the redeemer of captives, the guide of those who have gone astray.
She is our intercessor before the just judge.
She is the destroyer of the record of our sins.
She is the garment of those who are bare of any good.
She is the door of great mystery.
She is the unquestioned pride of the faithful.
She is the one who received the uncontainable God.
She is the holy throne of the one seated on the cherubim.
She is the virtuous inheritance of the one glorified by the seraphim.
She leads forth the angels and humans together.
She united virginity and childbearing, for she was both the Immaculate Virgin and the mother of Emmanuel.
Through her was the curse removed.
On her account was Paradise opened.
She is the key of the kingdom of heaven.
She is the cause of eternal good things.
She is the one receiving the Wisdom of God.
She is the treasure house of his Providence.
She is the pillar of virginity.
She is the gate of salvation.
She is the beginning of our renewal.
She is the cause of divine mercy toward humanity.
She is the crown of the invisible sun.
She is the brilliance of the undarkening light.
She is the lightning that illuminates souls.
She is the thunder that shatters the enemies and the deceptive demons.
She is the one who engendered the source of life.
She is the font that purifies thoughts.
She is the cup brimming with joy.
She is the tent of the Word of God.
She is the saint of saints, the height of all sanctity.
She is the ark covered by the Holy Spirit.
She is the precious crown of faithful kings.
She is the pride and ornament of worthy and holy bishops.
She is the unshakable tower of the Catholic Church.
She is the impregnable wall of the city of the faithful, about which David said, "Who will lead me to the fortified city?" (Ps 59.11), which is the assembly of the faithful, gathered from the nations.
She is the healer of our infirmities.
She is the hope and helper of our souls.
- Maximus the Confessor, 7th century, as excerpted form the book "The Life of the Virgin" translated by Stephen J. Shoemaker.
She is the ardent intercessor with her son, Christ God, for all those who entreat her.
She is the calm harbor of all those buffeted by waves, who rescues them from spiritual and fleshy waves.
She is the guide on the way of life for all who have gone astray.
She is the one who seeks and converts those who are lost.
She is the help and support of those who are afflicted.
She is the intercessor and mediator of those who are penitent.
And I will say even more than the above:
She is the resurrection of the fallen Adam.
She is the destruction of Eve's tears.
She is the comforter of those who mourn.
She is the throne of the king, who bears the one who bears all.
She is the one who renews the old world.
She is the ladder that reaches to heaven, by which God descended to the earth.
She is the bridge that leads from earth to Paradise.
She is the wonder of angels, and she is the wound of demons and their destruction.
She is the root of the incorruptible shoot.
She is the tree of immortal fruit.
She worked on the worker, the lover of humanity.
She sprouted forth the planter of life.
She is the furrow sprouting forth the wheat that strengthens hearts.
She is the table bearing eternal delight.
She is the incense offered to God for intercession on our behalf.
She is the ransom of the world.
She is the cause of boldness before God for mortal humans.
She is the mother of the good shepherd.
She is the dwelling place of the rational sheep.
She is the chasing away of the invisible enemies.
She is the opening of the gates of Paradise.
She is the unsilenced mouth of the apostles.
She is the invincible courage of the martyrs.
She is the power and strength of Christians.
She is the dawn of the undarkening day.
She is the bearer of the sun of truth.
Through her the raging tyrant was banished from his dominion.
Through her the Lord Christ, the lover of humanity, has appeared to us as savior.
Through her we have been saved from the mire of many sins, and we have been freed from the rule of various passions.
She is the raising of human beings and the downfall of demons.
She is the rock of life from which the thirsty drink the water of immortality.
She is the pillar of light leading and illuminating those in darkness.
She is the urn receiving the manna coming from heaven.
She is the land of promise producing sweetness.
She is the flower of incorruptibility, the crown of virtue, the model of the life of angels.
She is the thickly leaved tree in whose shade the weary rest, the bearer of the redeemer of captives, the guide of those who have gone astray.
She is our intercessor before the just judge.
She is the destroyer of the record of our sins.
She is the garment of those who are bare of any good.
She is the door of great mystery.
She is the unquestioned pride of the faithful.
She is the one who received the uncontainable God.
She is the holy throne of the one seated on the cherubim.
She is the virtuous inheritance of the one glorified by the seraphim.
She leads forth the angels and humans together.
She united virginity and childbearing, for she was both the Immaculate Virgin and the mother of Emmanuel.
Through her was the curse removed.
On her account was Paradise opened.
She is the key of the kingdom of heaven.
She is the cause of eternal good things.
She is the one receiving the Wisdom of God.
She is the treasure house of his Providence.
She is the pillar of virginity.
She is the gate of salvation.
She is the beginning of our renewal.
She is the cause of divine mercy toward humanity.
She is the crown of the invisible sun.
She is the brilliance of the undarkening light.
She is the lightning that illuminates souls.
She is the thunder that shatters the enemies and the deceptive demons.
She is the one who engendered the source of life.
She is the font that purifies thoughts.
She is the cup brimming with joy.
She is the tent of the Word of God.
She is the saint of saints, the height of all sanctity.
She is the ark covered by the Holy Spirit.
She is the precious crown of faithful kings.
She is the pride and ornament of worthy and holy bishops.
She is the unshakable tower of the Catholic Church.
She is the impregnable wall of the city of the faithful, about which David said, "Who will lead me to the fortified city?" (Ps 59.11), which is the assembly of the faithful, gathered from the nations.
She is the healer of our infirmities.
She is the hope and helper of our souls.
- Maximus the Confessor, 7th century, as excerpted form the book "The Life of the Virgin" translated by Stephen J. Shoemaker.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Today, December 12th, is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe! Quite possibly the most important historical event to occur in the New World began 483 years ago, and Our Lady of Guadalupe spoke these magnificent words:
"Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that disturbs you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing. Do not let your countenance, your heart be disturbed. Do not fear this sickness of your uncle or any other sickness, nor anything that is sharp or hurtful. Am I not here, I, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you. Do not let your uncle's illness worry you, because he will not die now. You may be certain that he is already well."
The Immaculate, Blessed, Ever-Virgin Mary is our Mother and the powerful mediatrix with Christ. Truly, no cause is hopeless or beyond repair. Please pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe!
"Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that disturbs you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing. Do not let your countenance, your heart be disturbed. Do not fear this sickness of your uncle or any other sickness, nor anything that is sharp or hurtful. Am I not here, I, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you. Do not let your uncle's illness worry you, because he will not die now. You may be certain that he is already well."
The Immaculate, Blessed, Ever-Virgin Mary is our Mother and the powerful mediatrix with Christ. Truly, no cause is hopeless or beyond repair. Please pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe!
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
The Hoped for Benefits of the Immaculate Conception, by Bl. Pope Pius IX
Our soul overflows with joy and our tongue with exultation. We give, and we shall continue to give, the humblest and deepest thanks to Jesus Christ, our Lord, because through his singular grace he has granted to us, unworthy though we be, to decree and offer this honor and glory and praise to his most holy Mother. All our hope do we repose in the most Blessed Virgin—in the all fair and immaculate one who has crushed the poisonous head of the most cruel serpent and brought salvation to the world: in her who is the glory of the prophets and apostles, the honor of the martyrs, the crown and joy of all the saints; in her who is the safest refuge and the most trustworthy helper of all who are in danger; in her who, with her only-begotten Son, is the most powerful Mediatrix and Conciliatrix in the whole world; in her who is the most excellent glory, ornament, and impregnable stronghold of the holy Church; in her who has destroyed all heresies and snatched the faithful people and nations from all kinds of direst calamities; in her do we hope who has delivered us from so many threatening dangers. We have, therefore, a very certain hope and complete confidence that the most Blessed Virgin will ensure by her most powerful patronage that all difficulties be removed and all errors dissipated, so that our Holy Mother the Catholic Church may flourish daily more and more throughout all the nations and countries, and may reign “from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth,” and may enjoy genuine peace, tranquility and liberty. We are firm in our confidence that she will obtain pardon for the sinner, health for the sick, strength of heart for the weak, consolation for the afflicted, help for those in danger; that she will remove spiritual blindness from all who are in error, so that they may return to the path of truth and justice, and that here may be one flock and one shepherd.
Let all the children of the Catholic Church, who are so very dear to us, hear these words of ours. With a still more ardent zeal for piety, religion and love, let them continue to venerate, invoke and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, conceived without original sin. Let them fly with utter confidence to this most sweet Mother of mercy and grace in all dangers, difficulties, needs, doubts and fears. Under her guidance, under her patronage, under her kindness and protection, nothing is to be feared; nothing is hopeless. Because, while bearing toward us a truly motherly affection and having in her care the work of our salvation, she is solicitous about the whole human race. And since she has been appointed by God to be the Queen of heaven and earth, and is exalted above all the choirs of angels and saints, and even stands at the right hand of her only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, she presents our petitions in a most efficacious manner. What she asks, she obtains. Her pleas can never be unheard.
Given at St. Peter’s in Rome, the eighth day of December, 1854, in the eighth year of our pontificate.
Monday, March 31, 2014
On the Ave Maria and its power (by St. Louis De Montfort)
Are you in the miserable state of sin? Then call on the divine Mary and say to her: Ave, which means "I salute thee with the most profound respect, thou who are without sin" and she will deliver you from the evil of your sins.
Are you groping in the darkness of ignorance and error? Go to Mary and say to her: Hail Mary; which means "Hail thou who are bathed in the light of the Sun of Justice" - and she will give you some of her light.
Have you strayed from the path leading to heaven? Then call on Mary, for her name means "Star of the Sea, the North Star which guides the ships of our souls during the voyage of this life," and she will guide you to the harbor of eternal salvation.
Are you in sorrow? Turn to Mary, for her name means also "Sea of Bitterness which has been filled with sharp pain in this world but which is now turned into a Sea of the Purest Joy in heaven," and she will turn your sorrow to joy and your afflictions into consolation.
Have you lost the state of grace? Praise and honor the numberless graces with which God has filled the Blessed Virgin and say to her: Thou art full of grace and filled with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and she will give you some of these graces.
Are you all alone, having lost God's protection? Pray to Mary and say:"The Lord is with thee - and this union is far nobler and more intimate than that which he has with saints and the just - because thou art one with Him. He is thy Son and His Flesh is thy flesh; thou are united to the Lord because of thy perfect likeness to Him and by your mutual love - for thou art His Mother." And then say to her: "The Three Persons of the Godhead are with thee because thou are the Temple of the Most Blessed Trinity," and she will place you once more under the protection and care of Almighty God.
Have you become an outcast and have you been accursed by God? Then say to Our Lady: "Blessed are thou above all women and above all nations, by thy purity and fertility; thou has turned God's maledictions into blessings for us," and she will bless you.
Do you hunger for the bread of grace and the bread of life? Draw near to her who bore the Living Bread Which came down from heaven and say to her: Blessed be the Fruit of thy womb Whom thou hast conceived without the slightest loss of thy virginity, Whom thou didst carry without discomfort and to Whom thou didst give birth without pain. Blessed be Jesus who has redeemed our suffering world when we were in the bondage of sin, Who has healed the world of its sickness, Who has raised the dead to life, brought home the banished, restored sinners to a life of grace and Who has saved men from damnation." Without doubt, your soul will be filled with the bread of grace in this life and of eternal glory in the next. Amen.
Are you groping in the darkness of ignorance and error? Go to Mary and say to her: Hail Mary; which means "Hail thou who are bathed in the light of the Sun of Justice" - and she will give you some of her light.
Have you strayed from the path leading to heaven? Then call on Mary, for her name means "Star of the Sea, the North Star which guides the ships of our souls during the voyage of this life," and she will guide you to the harbor of eternal salvation.
Are you in sorrow? Turn to Mary, for her name means also "Sea of Bitterness which has been filled with sharp pain in this world but which is now turned into a Sea of the Purest Joy in heaven," and she will turn your sorrow to joy and your afflictions into consolation.
Have you lost the state of grace? Praise and honor the numberless graces with which God has filled the Blessed Virgin and say to her: Thou art full of grace and filled with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and she will give you some of these graces.
Are you all alone, having lost God's protection? Pray to Mary and say:"The Lord is with thee - and this union is far nobler and more intimate than that which he has with saints and the just - because thou art one with Him. He is thy Son and His Flesh is thy flesh; thou are united to the Lord because of thy perfect likeness to Him and by your mutual love - for thou art His Mother." And then say to her: "The Three Persons of the Godhead are with thee because thou are the Temple of the Most Blessed Trinity," and she will place you once more under the protection and care of Almighty God.
Have you become an outcast and have you been accursed by God? Then say to Our Lady: "Blessed are thou above all women and above all nations, by thy purity and fertility; thou has turned God's maledictions into blessings for us," and she will bless you.
Do you hunger for the bread of grace and the bread of life? Draw near to her who bore the Living Bread Which came down from heaven and say to her: Blessed be the Fruit of thy womb Whom thou hast conceived without the slightest loss of thy virginity, Whom thou didst carry without discomfort and to Whom thou didst give birth without pain. Blessed be Jesus who has redeemed our suffering world when we were in the bondage of sin, Who has healed the world of its sickness, Who has raised the dead to life, brought home the banished, restored sinners to a life of grace and Who has saved men from damnation." Without doubt, your soul will be filled with the bread of grace in this life and of eternal glory in the next. Amen.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
The Virgin Birth
As I knelt by the Crib of Our Lord at Bethlehem I saw a most beautiful Maiden, covered with a white mantle and a robe of fine texture. The time of her delivery seemed to be at hand. A venerable old man accompanied her. An ox and an ass were with them. When they had come into the cave, and the old man had tethered the ox and the ass to the manger, he went out and returned with a lighted torch which he fastened to the wall, and then he went out again so as not to be present at the birth of the child. Then Our Lady laid aside her white mantle, took off her shoes from her feet and the veil from her head so that she was clad only in her light robe. Her beautiful golden hair hung down over her shoulders. Then she took out two linen cloths and two woolen ones, very clean and white, to wrap the Child in as soon as It was born, and two smaller pieces of linen to swathe His head. When all things were prepared Our Lady knelt down with her back against the manger, her face uplifted and turned eastward. Her hands were raised, her eyes fixed above, her whole being absorbed in ecstatic contemplation, bathed in heavenly rapture. And in a moment as she prayed she had brought forth her Son, from Whom shone a light so great and so wonderful that the rays of the sun cannot be compared to it. The torch brought by Saint Joseph seemed to be extinguished, so far did that Divine light outshine all light which is of earth. The Infant was born so suddenly, so instantaneously, that I saw not how it happened. I only saw the Divine Child lying naked, white and shining on the ground. Then I heard the most wonderful singing of angels. When Our Lady, whose form was exceedingly delicate, slender, graceful, saw that her Child was born she bent her head, folded her hands, and adored the Infant with the deepest reverence and devotion. Then the Child began to weep and tremble with cold on the hard ground where He lay. He moved a little and stretched His tender limbs as though He desired the comfort of His Mother's caresses. The Mother took the Child in her arms, pressed It to her Heart and warmed It against her face and bosom with great gladness and tender motherly pity. Then she sat down on the ground, laid the Child on her lap, and began to swathe Him very carefully. First she wrapped Him in linen and then in the woolen cloths, binding His tender body and little arms with the swaddling bands which were sewn to the four corners of the outer woolen cloth. Then she wrapped and bound His head in the two smaller linen cloths which she had laid beside her. When all this was done the venerable old man came in again, and falling on his knees adored the Child with tears of joy. Then the Virgin rose with the infant in her arms, and she and Saint Joseph together laid Him in the manger and worshiped Him with great joy and gladness of heart.
-Saint Bridget of Sweden (+ 1373): Revelations, excerpt given in Fr. Reinhold's mystical anthology The Soul Afire, pp. 33, 34 (Pantheon Books, 1944).
-Saint Bridget of Sweden (+ 1373): Revelations, excerpt given in Fr. Reinhold's mystical anthology The Soul Afire, pp. 33, 34 (Pantheon Books, 1944).
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