"...considering things as they are...He is God and therefore does not change in His thoughts or His way of acting..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We continue to listen to St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”, Chap.1 - “Necessity of Devotion to Our Lady”:

1. However, I declare that, considering things as they are, because God has decided to begin and accomplish His greatest works through the Blessed Virgin ever since He created her, we can safely believe that He will not change His plan in the time to come, for He is God and therefore does not change in His thoughts or His way of acting.
2. God the Father gave His only Son to the world only through Mary. Whatever desires the patriarchs may have cherished, whatever entreaties the prophets and saints of the Old Law may have had for 4,000 years to obtain that treasure, it was Mary alone who merited it and found grace before God by the power of her prayers and the perfection of her virtues. “The world being unworthy,” said Saint Augustine, "to receive the Son of God directly from the hands of the Father, He gave His Son to Mary for the world to receive Him from her."

The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary.

God the Holy Spirit formed Jesus Christ in Mary but only after having asked her consent through one of the chief ministers of his court.

The world today, seems to me, is not very interested in God nor His Mother whom Jesus gave us from His Cross. It is not too surprising, considering all Jesus suffered even from His own in this world. Yet, His Love brought Him to earth and in His Gospel today He tells us:

“…Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?.."

Come Holy Spirit!

 

[patricius79]

Yes, God gives every blessing through Mary’s hands, as Pope Pius XI says at the end of his Encylical on the Rosary ("Ingravescentibus Malis).

Here is a beautiful passage on this from “The Glories of Mary” (by St. Alponsus Liguori), which–like the Papacy–affirms the teachings of St. Bernard.

That it is most useful and holy to have recourse to the intercession of Mary can only be doubted by those who have not faith. But that which we intend to prove here is, that the intercession of Mary is even necessary to salvation; we say necessary—not absolutely, but morally. This necessity proceeds from the will itself of God, that all graces that he dispenses should pass through the hands of Mary, according to the opinion of St. Bernard, and which we may now with safety call the general opinion of theologians and learned men. The author of the Reign of Mary positively asserts that such is the case. It is maintained by Vega, Mendoza, Paciucchelli, Segneri, Poiré, Crasset, and by innumerable other learned authors. Even Father Natalis Alexander, who always uses so much reserve in his propositions, even he says that it is the will of God that we should expect all graces through the intercession of Mary. I will give his own words: “God wills that we should obtain all good things that we hope for from him through the powerful intercession of the Virgin Mother, and we shall obtain them whenever (as we are in duty bound) we invoke her”. In confirmation of this, he quotes the following celebrated passage of St. Bernard: “Such is God’s will, that we should have all through Mary”. Father Contenson is also of the same opinion; for, explaining the words addressed by our Lord on the cross to St. John: Behold thy Mother (John , xix, 27), he remarks, "That it is the same thing as if he had said: As no one can be saved except through the merits of my sufferings and death, so no one will be a partaker of the blood then shed otherwise than through the prayer of my Mother. He alone is a son of my sorrows who has Mary for his Mother. My wounds are ever-flowing fountains of grace; but their streams will reach no one but by the channel of Mary. In vain will he invoke me as a Father who has not venerated Mary as a Mother. And thou, my disciple John, if thou lovest me, love her; for thou wilt be beloved by Me in proportion to thy love for her.
Chapter V

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

Thanks posting the passage from St. Alphonsus’ book, “The Glories of Mary”. The saints are all so eloquent in their praise of Mary, it seems to me, because they heard Holy Spirit with the “ears of their hearts”.