When I was a little one I pleased the most high - 7

Many learned Theologians say that a soul that possesses a habit of virtue, as long as it corresponds faithfully to the actual grace which it receives from God, always produces an act equal in intensity to the habit it possesses; so much so that it acquires each time a new and double merit, equal to the sum of all the merits previously acquired. This kind of augmentation was, it is said, granted to the Angels in the time of their probation; and if it was granted to the Angels, who can ever deny that it was granted to the Divine Mother when living in this world, and especially during the time of which I speak, that she was in the womb of her mother, in which she was certainly more faithful than the Angels in corresponding to Divine grace? Mary, then, during the whole of that time, in each moment, doubled that sublime grace which she possessed from the first instant; for, corresponding with her whole strength, and in the most perfect manner in her every act, she subsequently doubled her merits in every instance. So that, supposing she had a thousand degrees of grace in the first instant, in the second she had two thousand, in the third four thousand, in the fourth eight thousand, in the fifth sixteen thousand, in the sixth thirty-two thousand. And we are as yet only at the sixth instant; but multiplied thus for an entire day, multiplied for nine months, consider what treasures of grace, merit, and sanctity Mary had already acquired at the moment of her birth!

Let us, then, rejoice with our beloved infant Mary, who was born so holy, so dear to God, and so full of grace. And let us rejoice, not only on her account, but also on our own; for she came into the world full of grace, not only for her own glory, but also for our good. St. Thomas remarks that the most Blessed Virgin was full of grace in three ways: first, she was filled with grace as to her soul, so that from the beginning her beautiful soul belonged all to God. Secondly, she was filled with grace as to her body, so that she merited to clothe the Eternal Word with her most pure flesh. Thirdly, she was filled with grace for the benefit of all, so that all men might partake of it. The Angelical Doctor adds that some Saints have so much grace that it is not only sufficient for themselves, but also for the salvation of many, though not for all men; only to Jesus Christ and to Mary was such a grace given as sufficed to save all: "Should any one have as much as would suffice for the salvation of all, this would be the greatest: and this was in Christ and in the Blessed Virgin." So that what St. John (i. 16) says of Jesus: And of his fulness we all have received, the Saints say of Mary. St. Thomas of Villanova calls her "full of grace, of whose plenitude all receive"; so much so that St. Anselm says that "there is no one who does not partake of the grace of Mary." And who is there in the world to whom Mary is not benign, and does not dispense some mercy? Who was ever found to whom the Blessed Virgin was not propitious? Who is there whom her mercy does not reach?

From Jesus, however, it is that we receive grace as the Author of grace, from Mary as a Mediatress; from Jesus as a Saviour, from Mary as an Advocate; from Jesus as a Source, from Mary as a Channel. Hence St. Bernard says that God established Mary as the channel of the mercies that He wished to dispense to men; therefore He filled her with grace, that each one's part might be communicated to Him from her fulness: "A full aqueduct, that others may receive of her fulness, but not fulness itself." Therefore the Saint exhorts all to consider with how much love God wills that we should honour this great Virgin, since He has deposited the whole treasure of His graces in her; so that whatever we possess of hope, grace, and salvation, we may thank our most loving Queen for all, since all comes to us from her hands and by her powerful intercession. The Saint thus beautifully expresses himself: "Behold with what tender feelings of devotion God wills that we should honour her! He has placed the plenitude of all good in Mary, that thus, if we have any hope, or anything salutary in us, we may know that it was from her that it overflowed."

Miserable is that soul that closes this channel of grace against itself by neglecting to recommend itself to Mary! When Holofernes wished to gain possession of the city of Bethulia, he took care to destroy the aqueducts: He commanded their aqueduct to be cut off (Judith vii. 6). And this the devil does when he wishes to become master of a soul; he causes it to give up devotion to the most Blessed Virgin Mary; and when once this channel is closed, it easily loses supernatural light, the fear of God, and finally eternal salvation.