St. Teresa's devotion to the blessed virgin and the glorious st. Joseph

It was given to St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi to behold Divine love under the form of a sweet liquid in a precious vessel, being dispensed by the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As all graces come to men through Mary, it is also through her that the gift of gifts Divine love, is bestowed on the faithful. From Mary let us seek it.

I. It was given to St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi to behold Divine love under the form of a sweet liquid in a precious vessel, being dispensed by the hands of the most Holy Mary. As all God's graces come to men through the hands of Mary, it is also through her that the gift of gifts, Divine love, is bestowed on the faithful.

Our Saint well knew that she had received all her graces, and above all, the gift of love, which made her beautiful soul so rich, through the hands of this most sweet Mother. And so, in order to testify her thankfulness to her most holy Mother, she thought she could never do enough for her love and honour. From her early childhood, while still an inmate of her parental home, she would go in quest of secluded spots to honour Mary by saying the Rosary and other pious prayers. On the death of her mother, she hastened to offer herself to her heavenly Queen with confidence and love to be her daughter, and protesting that from that moment she should be her only and her dearest Mother. In truth, in all her tribulations and in all her needs, the Saint ever had recourse to Mary, as to her most loving Mother. It was with the special object of seeing her honoured everywhere that she undertook the work of reforming the Carmelite Order, whose glory it is to fight under the banner and the especial protection of the Queen of Heaven.

Mary, on her part, who cannot do otherwise than love those that love her, or rather in the words of St. Ignatius the Martyr, "is always more loving towards them than they towards her, not wishing to be outdone by her children in this combat of love," this august Queen well knew how to return and to exceed the love that her dearest daughter bore towards her, by obtaining for her a great abundance of graces. On the day on which she condescended to come down so lovingly from Heaven, and with her own hands to decorate our Saint with a precious mystical necklace, she made her clearly understand how much satisfaction she felt at seeing her become, through her mediation, the most cherished spouse her Jesus had. It appears still more evident from the circumstances attending her death, how greatly she was loved by this affectionate Mother, for Mary then appeared standing beside her beloved daughter, to fortify her for her departure, and to receive into her arms her blessed soul.

O my Saint, address thyself to that Divine Mother whose power is universal: and because it is her glory to be the refuge of sinners, tell her that I am a sinner and the most wretched of them all. Entreat her henceforth to look with compassion upon me, commended to her as I am by thee, to succour me in my temptations, and to come to my assistance at the hour of my death. Tell her that I hope for eternal salvation through her hands. Tell her this, my Saint, and she will certainly listen to what thou sayest; for, loving thee so tenderly while thou wast upon earth, how much greater is her love for thee now in Heaven where thou dost honour and love her more than ever. As Mary is my advocate with Jesus mayest thou, O Teresa, be my advocate with Mary.

II. Our Saint had also a great devotion to the glorious spouse of Mary, St. Joseph. It may even be said, that the glory of kindling in the world devotion towards that great Saint was hers. She had felt, from her early childhood, an extreme affection for St. Joseph. She never took any affair in hand without commending it to St. Joseph, her father and her lord — styling him thus on account of the affection and reverence she bore him. All the convents she founded she consecrated under his invocation; and when she herself came to be honoured by the Church as a Saint, and some of her Religious substituted the title of St. Teresa for that of St. Joseph at Avila, she appeared to Sister Isabella of St. Dominic and enjoined upon her to restore the title of St. Joseph, as speedily as possible, bearing her testimony from Heaven itself that the glory of her beloved Saint was an object of greater concern to her than her own.

"How glad should I be if I could prevail upon all men," she says in her Life, "to cultivate a devotion towards this glorious Saint, by the results of my own experience of the great favours that he obtains from God. I have never known any persons that had this devotion who did not make uninterrupted progress in virtue. I only ask, for the love of God, that he that does not give credence to what I say would be at the pains of giving it a trial."

I rejoice, O Teresa, at thy being in Heaven in company with thy holy father St. Joseph, who loved thee so tenderly and conferred so many favours on thee upon earth. Now that thou art returning him thanks and enjoying the contemplation of that great glory wherewith Jesus has enriched him, commend me to the care of this powerful intercessor. Pray to him to take me also, miserable as I am, under his protection.