Part eight (*), Chapter VIII: Heart of Mary, Inestimable Treasury

Heart of Mary, Inestimable Treasury

Of Riches

THE immense liberality of divine goodness has granted us possession of four great treasures here on earth.

The first is the most Holy Eucharist, containing all that is richest, most precious and most admirable in time and in eternity, in all the angels and all the Saints, in the Queen of saints and angels, in the sacred humanity of the Son of God and His divinity, in the divine Essence and in the three eternal Persons.

The second treasure is Sacred Scripture, which epitomizes all the truths, all the revelations, all the mysteries and every revealed secret of the Godhead, for which reason St. Augustine (1) and St. Gregory (2) call Sacred Scripture the Heart of God.

The third treasure is the relics of the saints, which the Church possesses, cherishes and honors as the dowry of her divine Spouse.

The fourth treasure is the admirable Heart of the glorious Virgin, whose riches are unfathomable.

In the first place, the Holy Heart of Mary is "the treasure of the love of the Eternal Father," says St. Methodius, (3) Bishop and Martyr, "because in her immaculate Heart the adorable Father placed His love," that is, His only and well-beloved Son, when He sent Him for the world's salvation into the virginal womb and maternal Heart of holy Mary. This beloved Son, the Heart and treasure of His most loving Father, was enclosed for nine months in the sacred bosom of the most pure Virgin, and He shall forever dwell in her maternal Heart; hence her virginal Heart must be honored as the precious treasure of the love of the Father of all goodness.

Secondly, the Queen of Heaven's most august Heart is the treasure of (1). In Ps. 21. (2). In 1 Reg. UP. 1. (3). In Orat. de Hypapante.

the only Son of God. In her marvellous Heart He hid and preserved all the mysteries and all the wondrous manifestations that took place in Him while He dwelt on earth, according to the divine text: "and his mother kept all these words in her heart." (4)

Jesus poured into the Heart of His Mother the plenitude of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that arc hid in His own Heart. Beyond that He has enriched it with all the treasures of grace and mercy acquired for us by His Precious Blood and His saving death. Christ imparted to Mary the power of distributing these treasures "to whom she pleases, when she pleases and as she pleases," says St. Bernard. "In thy hands, 0 Mary," says the pious and learned Dionysius the Carthusian, "are all the treasures of the multitudinous mercies of God." (5)

The most august Heart of the Queen of Angels is not only the treasure of the Father's love , and of the Son's goodness; it is also the treasure of the charity of the Holy Ghost. Into this treasure-chest the Holy Spirit poured Immeasurable wealth of graces: all the graces of the holy patriarchs and prophets, of the holy apostles and martyrs, of the holy priests and Levites, of the holy confessors and virgins, all the graces granted to every saint, and all gratuitous graces. In the treasury of her heart the divine Spirit has enthroned all the theological, cardinal and moral virtues to an incomparably higher degree than they are to be found in the hearts of all the angels and saints. In Mary's Heart the adorable Spirit has concentrated the plenitude of His sevenfold gifts, His twelve fruits, and the eight evangelical beatitudes. We may therefore say with St. Andrew of Crete that her most admirable Heart is itself "the most holy treasury of all sanctity." (6)

Let us add with St. Epiphanius that her most holy Heart is "the admirable treasure of the Church." (7) It is the store-house of glory, felicity and jubilation for the Church Triumphant. St. Bernard exclaims: "By thee! 0 holy Virgin, Heaven was peopled, hell emptied, and the ruins of the heavenly Jerusalem were rebuilt." Our Lady's Heart is likewise a treasury of graces and mercies for the Church Militant, for St. Germanus of Constantinople pronounced that 'no man is delivered or preserved from the world-wide snares of Satan save through Mary; and God grants His graces to no one except through her alone." (8) (4). Luke, 2, 5 1. (5). Opuscul. de Laud. vitae solitariae. (6). Orat de Assumpt. (7). Orat de Laud Deip. Serm. 94. (8). 'Nemo liberatur a malis, nisi per te, 0 Sanctissima! Nemo est, cui donum concedatur, nisi per Te, 0 Purissima. De Zona B. Virg.

Our loving Mother's heart is a treasury of solace and comfort for the Church Suffering because, as has beer shown, the pangs of Purgatory are constantly diminished, hour by hour, thanks to the marvellous charity of Mary's Heart.

Finally, no grace or favor ever comes to us from the lofty throne of Almighty God without passing through the merciful hands of Mary, Mother of Charity.

Let us join with St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, to salute our most lovable Mary with our whole heart, saying to her: "Hail, 0 holy Mother of God, thou art the most precious treasure of the entire universe:' 0 incomparable treasure! 0 admirable Heart! 0 ineffable goodness of the most adorable Trinity, to give us this marvellous maternal Heart and inestimable treasure, or rather, these most holy Hearts and very rich treasured Actually we possess four Hearts and four treasures: the adorable Heart of the Eternal Father, which is His Son Jesus Christ, whom we possess in the Holy Eucharist; the loving Heart of Jesus Christ Himself in the Relics of the Passion; the Divine Heart of the Holy Ghost, in Sacred Scripture; and the most tender Heart of Mary, Mother of God. What respect for the Sacred Relics! What veneration for Holy Writ! What devotion and tender affection for our dearest Mother's most excellent Heart!

How rich are we not rendered by the possession of these four great treasures, especially the first and the last, which are the divine Heart of Jesus and the most holy Heart of Mary! We surely thus possess the means to pay off all our debts and satisfy all our obligations. And indeed we are encumbered with three great debts, as well as three great obligations.

First of all, we are obliged to adore and glorify the Most Holy Trinity in all Its grandeurs and in all that It is, in Itself and in Its creatures. To meet this obligation, we shall offer to the three Divine Persons all the adoration, honor and glory that have been and ever shall be rendered to the Blessed Trinity by the most worthy Heart of Jesus and Mary.

Secondly, we are bound to love God with our whole heart, our whole soul, and with all our strength, as much for His own sake as because of His great love for us. Yet we have not even begun to love Him as we should. To pay this debt and to make up for our deficiency, let us offer to the Eternal Father the Divine Heart of His Only-Begotten Son, whose burning love for the Almighty Father i s truly worthy of Him; and let us offer to Jesus the most holy Heart of His Blessed Mother, whose love immeasurably surpasses that of all the angels and saints together.

Thirdly, we are obliged to Satisfy Divine justice for our innumerable

offenses, negligences and sins. To discharge this obligation, let us offer all the sorrow, anguish and sufferings endured by the all-perfect Heart of Jesus and Mary out of love for us, and let us offer ourselves to them that we also may endure, for their sake, whatever sufferings it may please them to make us bear.

Whenever we experience any spiritual or temporal necessity, let us beg the Eternal Father, with deep humility and greatest confidence, to grant our requests through the most loving Heart of His Divine Son. And let us implore the Son, through His Mother's tender Heart, to grant us the assistance we need in the manner most pleasing to Mother and Son; thus we shall certainly obtain our desire.

When we are sad and desolate, let us remember that we possess a treasury containing inestimable riches, the Blessed Virgin's most holy Heart, a Heart that holds more love and affection for us than the hearts of all the devoted fathers and mothers that ever were, are, or shall be, nay, than the united hearts of all the angels and saints. What a subject of joy and comfort this should be for us! If we but raised the wealth of love and tenderness stored for us in the admirable Heart of our good Mother, we would surely die of joy. 249-