To thee do we cry, poor banished children of eve - 05

5.-THE GREATNESS OF MARY'S POWER TO DEFEND THOSE WHO INVOKE HER WHEN TEMPTED.

Beautiful is the explanation given by Richard St. Laurence of the following words of the Book Proverbs: The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no need of spoils (Prov. xxxi. 11). He says, applying them to Jesus and Mary: "The heart of her Spouse, that is Christ, trusteth in her, and He shall have no need of spoils; for she endows Him with those whom by her prayers, merits, and example, she snatches from the devil." "God has entrusted the Heart of Jesus to the hands of Mary, that she may insure it the love of men," says Cornelius a Lapide; and thus He will not need spoils; that is, He will be abudantly supplied with souls; for she enriches Him with those whom she has snatched from hell, and saved from the devil by her powerful assistance.

It is well known that the palm is a sign of victory and therefore our Queen is placed on a high throne, in sight of all the powers, as a palm, for a sign of the certain victory that all may promise themselves who place themselves under her protection. I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, says Ecclesiasticus (Ecclus. xxiv. 18) "that is, to defend," adds Blessed Albert the Great; "My children," Mary seems to say, "when the enemy assails you, fly to me; cast your eyes on me, and be of good heart; for as I am your defender, victory is assured to you." So that recourse to Mary is a most secure means to conquer all the assaults of hell; for she, says St. Bernardine of Sienna, is even the Queen of hell and sovereign mistress of the devils: since she it is who tames and crushes them, He thus expresses his thought; "The most Blessed Virgin rules over the infernal regions. She is therefore called the ruling mistress of the devils, because she brings them into subjection." For this reason Mary is said in the sacred Canticles to be terrible to the infernal powers as an army set in array (Cant. vi. 3), and she is called thus terrible, because she well knows how to array her power, her mercy, and her prayers, to the discomfiture of her enemies, and for the benefit of her servants, who in their temptations have recourse to her most powerful aid.

As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour (Ecclus. xxiv. 23). Thus does the Holy Ghost make Mary speak in the Book of Ecclesiasticus. "We are told," says St. Bernard on this passage, that "all venemous reptiles fly from flowering vines"; and as poisonous reptiles fly from flowering vines, so do devils fly from those fortunate souls in whom they perceive the perfume of devotion to Mary. And therefore she also calls herself, in the same Book, a cedar: I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus (Ecclus. xxiv. 17). Not only because she was untainted by sin, as the cedar is incorruptible, but also, as Cardinal Hugo remarks on the foregoing text, because, "like the cedar, which by its odour keeps off worms, so also does Mary by her sanctity drive away the devils."