Exterior Practices of True Devotion to Mary

247. Another reason is that this manner of speaking sets forth still more the intimate union between Jesus and Mary. They are so intimately united that the one is altogether in the other. Jesus is altogether in Mary and Mary is altogether in Jesus; or rather, she exists no more, but Jesus alone is in her, and it were easier to separate the light from the sun than Mary from Jesus; so that we might call Our Lord, "Jesus of Mary," and our Blessed Lady, "Mary of Jesus."

248. Time would not permit me to stop now to explain the excellences and grandeurs of the mystery of Jesus living and reigning in Mary; in other words, of the Incarnation of the Word. I will content myself with saying these few words: We have here the first mystery of Jesus Christ—the most hidden, the most exalted and the least known. It is in this mystery that Jesus, in His Mother's womb—which is for that very reason called by the saints "the cabinet of the secrets of God" (14)—has, in concert with Mary, chosen all the elect. It is in this mystery that He has wrought all the other mysteries of His life by the acceptance which He made of them. "When He cometh into the world, He saith: . . . Behold, I come to do Thy will, O God." (Heb. 10:5-9). Hence this mystery is an abridgement of all mysteries and contains the will and grace of all. Finally, this mystery is the throne of the mercy, of the liberality and of the glory of God. It is the throne of His mercy for us because, as we cannot approach Jesus but through Mary, we can see Jesus and speak to Him only by means of her. Jesus, who always hears His dear Mother, always grams His grace and mercy to poor sinners. "Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace." (Heb. 4:16). It is the throne of His liberality toward Mary, because while the New Adam dwelt in that true terrestrial paradise, He worked so many miracles in secret that neither angels nor men can comprehend them. It is on this account that the saints call Mary the "magnificence of God"—as if God were magnificent only in Mary. (Is. 33:21). It is the throne of His glory for His Father, because it is in Mary that Jesus Christ has calmed His Father, angered against men, and that He has made restitution of the glory which sin ravished from Him, and that, by the sacrifice He made of His own will and of Himself, He has given Him more glory than ever the sacrifices of the Old Law could give—an infinite glory, which He had never before received from man.

Devotion to the Hail Mary and to the Rosary

249. Those who adopt this slavery ought also to have a great devotion to saying the Hail Mary (the Angelical Salutation). Few Christians, however enlightened, know the real value, merit, excellence, and necessity of the Hail Mary. It was necessary for the Blessed Virgin to appear several times to great and enlightened saints to show them the merit of it. She did so to St. Dominic, St. John Capistran and Blessed Alan de la Roche. They have composed entire works on the wonders and efficacy of that prayer for converting souls. They have loudly proclaimed and openly preached that, salvation having begun with the Hail Mary, the salvation of each one of us in particular is attached to that prayer. They tell us that it is that prayer which made the dry and barren earth bring forth the fruit of life; and that it is that prayer well said which makes the word of God germinate in our souls, and bring forth Jesus Christ, the Fruit of Life. They tell us that the Hail Mary is a heavenly dew for watering the earth, which is the soul, to make it bring forth its fruit in season; and that a soul which is not watered by that prayer bears no fruit, and brings forth only thorns and brambles, and is ready to be cursed. (Heb. 6:8).

250. Listen to what Our Lady revealed to Blessed Alan de la Roche, as he has recorded in his book on the dignity of the Rosary: "Know, my son, and make all others know, that it is a probable and proximate sign of eternal damnation to have an aversion, a lukewarmness, or a negligence in saying the Angelical Salutation, which has repaired the whole world."(15) These words are at once terrible and consoling, and we should find it hard to believe them if we had not that holy man for a guarantee, and St. Dominic before him, and many great men since. But we have also the experience of several ages; for it has always been remarked that those who wear the outward sign of reprobation, like all impious heretics and proud worldlings, hate or despise the Hail Mary and the Rosary. Heretics still learn and say the Our Father, but not the Hail Mary nor the Rosary. They abhor it; they would rather wear a serpent than a Rosary. The proud also, although Catholics, have the same inclinations as their father Lucifer; and so have only contempt or indifference for the Hail Mary, and look at the Rosary as at a devotion which is good only for the ignorant and for those who cannot read. On the contrary, it is an equally universal experience that those who have otherwise great marks of predestination about them love and relish the Hail Mary, and delight in saying it. We always see that the more a man is for God, the more he likes that prayer. This is what Our Lady also said to Blessed Alan, after the words which I have just quoted.

251. I do not know how it is, nor why, but nevertheless I know well that it is true; nor have I any better secret of knowing whether a person is for God than to examine if he likes to say the Hail Mary and the Rosary. I say, if he likes; for it may happen that a person may be under some natural inability to say it, or even a supernatural one; yet, nevertheless, he likes it always, and always inspires the same liking in others.

252. O predestinate souls, slaves of Jesus in Mary, learn that the Hail Mary is the most beautiful of all prayers after the Our Father. It is the most perfect compliment which you can give to Mary, because it is the compliment which the Most High sent her by an archangel, in order to win her heart; and it was so powerful over her heart by the secret charms of which it is so full, that in spite of her profound humility she gave her consent to the Incarnation of the Word. It is by this compliment also that you will infallibly win her heart, if you say it as you ought.

253. The Hail Mary well said—that is, with attention, devotion, and modesty—is, according to the saints, the enemy of the devil which puts him to flight, and the hammer which crushes him. It is the sanctification of the soul, the joy of the angels, the melody of the predestinate, the canticle of the New Testament, the pleasure of Mary, and the glory of the most Holy Trinity. The Hail Mary is a heavenly dew which fertilizes the soul. It is the chaste and loving kiss which we give to Mary. It is a vermilion rose which we present to her; a precious pearl we offer her; a chalice of divine ambrosial nectar which we proffer to her. All these are comparisons of the saints.

254. I pray you urgently, by the love I bear you in Jesus and Mary, not to content yourselves with saying the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin, but to say five decades, or even, if you have time, fifteen decades of the Rosary every day. At the moment of your death you will bless the day and the hour in which you followed my advice. Having thus sown in the blessings of Jesus and Mary, you will reap eternal blessings in Heaven. "He who soweth in blessings, shall also reap blessings." (2 Cor. 9:6).

Devotion to the Magnificat

255. To thank God for the graces He has given to Our Lady, those who adopt this devotion will often say the Magnificat, as Blessed Mary d'Oignies did, and many other saints. It is the only prayer, the only work, which the holy Virgin composed, or rather, which Jesus composed in her; for He spoke by her mouth. It is the greatest sacrifice of praise which God ever received from a pure creature in the law of grace. It is, on the one hand, the most humble and grateful, and on the other hand, the most sublime and exalted, of all canticles. There are in that canticle mysteries so great and hidden that the angels do not know them. The pious and erudite Gerson employed a great part of his life in composing works upon the most difficult subjects; and yet it was only at the close of his career, and even with trembling, that he undertook to comment on the Magnificat, so as to crown ail his other works. He wrote a folio volume on it, bringing forward many admirable things about that beautiful and divine canticle. Among other things, he says that Our Lady often repeated it herself, and especially for thanksgiving after Communion. The learned Benzonius (Rutilio), in explaining the Magnificat, relates many miracles wrought by virtue of it, and says that the devils tremble and fly when they hear these words: "He hath showed might in His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart" (Lk. 1:51).

Contempt of and Flight from the World

256. Those faithful servants of Mary who adopt this devotion ought always greatly to despise, to hate and to eschew the corrupted world, and to make use of those practices of contempt of the world which we have given in the first part of this treatise. (16)

This article was excerpted from True Devotion to Mary, Tan, 1985.

Notes

(1) Cf. no. 119.

(2) Homilia 2a in evangelium.

(3) St. Louis De Montfort's wish has been realized. The Archconfraternity of Mary, Queen of All Hearts, has been canonically erected at Rome and has many affiliated confraternities in different countries throughout the world.

(4) These words seem to refer to some other work by St. Louis De Montfort which would have been used as an introduction to this treatise. Such might have been L'amour de la divine Sagesse; cf. chapter VII and XVI. Or, St. Louis may be referring to this treatise (True Devotion to Mary).

(5) St. Bernard, Inter opera. Meditation on the knowledge of our human condition.

(6) St. Augustine.

(7) Cf. no. 266 and following.

(8) For example, St. Augustine, Tract, de Symbolo ad Catechumenos, lib. IV, cap. I; St. Bernard, Sermo super Signum magnum, no. 3.

(9) "We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin."

(10) It might be objected that certain decrees of the Roman Congregations have absolutely forbidden the use of little chains. There is nothing in these decrees concerning the private use of chains, especially if worn as a sign of slavery of Jesus in Mary, which is precisely what St. Louis De Montfort teaches. See Analecta Juris Pontificii, First Series, col. 757. However, there is no obligation to wear such chains. The Montfort Fathers do not distribute any special chain as a sign of the Holy Slavery of Jesus in Mary. The ordinary chain which members of the Confraternity of Mary, Queen of All Hearts wear with their medal may serve—and most fittingly so—as a sign of their holy servitude to Jesus and His Blessed Mother.

(11) Cf. no. 170.

(12) Members of the Confraternity can gain a plenary indulgence on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25th.

(13) For instance, Father Boudon, in his book referred to in no. 159.

(14) St. Ambrose, De Instil. Virg. (caput VII, no. 50).

(15) Lib. de Dignitate Rosarii, caput II.

(16) Cf. no. 227 (note 4).