Salve, regina, mater misericordiae - 09

1-THE GREATNESS OF THE LOVE THIS MOTHER BEARS US

Another motive for the love of Mary towards us arises from the fact that in us she sees souls that have been purchased at the price of the death of Jesus Christ. If a mother knew that a servant had been ransomed by a beloved son at the price of twenty years of imprisonment and suffering, how greatly would she esteem that servant on this account alone! Mary well knows that her Son came into the world only to save us poor creatures, as He Himself protested: I am come to save that which was lost-(Lukexix.10). And to save us He was pleased even to lay down His life for us: becoming obedient unto death-(Phil. ii. 8). If, then, Mary loved us but little, she would show that she valued but little the Blood of her own Son, which was the price of our salvation. To St. Elizabeth of Hungary it was revealed that Mary, from the time she dwelt in the Temple, did nothing but pray for us, begging that God would hasten the coming of His Son into the world to save us. And how much more must we suppose that she loves us, now that she has seen that we are valued to such a degree by her Son, that He did not disdain to purchase us at such a cost!

Because all men have been redeemed by Jesus, therefore Mary loves and protects them all. It was she who was seen by St. John in the Apocalypse, clothed with the sun: And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun-(Apoc. xii. 1). She is said to be clothed with the sun because, as there is no one on earth who can be hidden from the heat of the sun, so there is no one living who can be deprived of the love of Mary.

There is no one that can hide himself from its heat-(Ps. xviii. 7); that is, as Blessed Raymond Jordano applies the words, “from the love of Mary.” “And who,” exclaims St. Antoninus, “can ever form an idea of the tender care that this most loving Mother takes of all of us ” “offering and dispensing her mercy to everyone” ; for our good Mother desired the salvation of all, and co-operated in obtaining it. “It is evident,” says St. Bernard, “that she was solicitous for the whole human race.” Hence the custom of some of Mary’s clients, which consists in asking our Lord to grant them the graces that our Blessed Lady seeks for them, succeeds most advantageously. They say: Lord, grant me that which the most Blessed Virgin Mary asks for me. “And no wonder,” says Cornelius a Lapide, “for our Mother desires for us better things than we can possibly desire ourselves.” The devout Bernardine de Eustis says that Mary “loves to do us good and dispense graces to us far more than we to receive them.” On this subject Blessed Albert the Great applies to Mary the words of the Book of Wisdom: She preventeth them that covet her, so that she first showeth herself unto them-(Wisd. vi. 14). Mary anticipates those who have recourse to her by making them find her before they seek her. “The love that this good Mother bears us is so great,” says Richard of St. Laurence, ” that as soon as she perceives our want she comes to our assistance. She comes before she is called.”