CHAPTER II — Our Life, Our Sweetness

Section 1 — Mary is our life, because she obtains for us the pardon of our sins

To understand well why the holy Church has us call Mary our life, we must know that just as the soul gives life to the body, so divine grace gives life to the soul; for a soul without grace has the name of being alive, but in truth is dead, as was said in the Apocalypse: Nomen habes quod vivas, et mortuus es (Rev. 3:1). Mary, then, by obtaining through her intercession the gift of grace for sinners, restores them to life. Here is how the holy Church puts words in her mouth, applying to her the following passage from Proverbs (8:17): Qui mane vigilant ad me, invenient me: Those who are diligent to have recourse to me in the morning — that is, as soon as they can — will certainly find me. Invenient me, the Septuagint renders, invenient gratiam. So that to have recourse to Mary is the same as to find the grace of God. And shortly after she says: Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino: He who finds me finds life, and shall receive eternal salvation from God. Audite, exclaims St. Bonaventure on these words, audite qui cupitis regnum Dei: Virginem Mariam honorate, et invenietis vitam et salutem aeternam.

St. Bernardine of Siena says that God did not destroy mankind after sin on account of the singular love he bore this future daughter. And the saint adds that he has no doubt that all the mercies and pardons received by sinners under the old law were granted them by God solely out of regard for this blessed maiden: Omnes indulgentias factas in veteri Testamento, non ambigo Deum fecisse solum propter huius benedictae puellae virginis reverentiam et amorem. Hence St. Bernard well exhorts us: Quaeramus gratiam, et per Mariam quaeramus. If, being wretched, we have lost divine grace, let us seek to recover it; but let us seek it through Mary, for if we have lost it, she has found it; and therefore the saint calls her the Inventrix gratiae, the Finder of grace. The Archangel Gabriel expressed this for our consolation when he said to the Virgin: Ne timeas, Maria, invenisti... gratiam (Lk. 1:30). But if Mary was never deprived of grace, how could the holy Archangel say that she had found it? A thing is said to be found by someone who did not previously have it. The Virgin was always with God and with grace — indeed, full of grace, as the same Archangel declared when he greeted her: Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. If then Mary did not find grace for herself, since she had always been full of it, for whom did she find it? Cardinal Hugh answers, commenting on this passage: She found it for the sinners who had lost it. Currant ergo, says the devout writer, currant peccatores ad Virginem, qui gratiam amiserant peccando, et eam invenient apud ipsam. Secure dicant: Redde nobis rem nostram, quam invenisti. Let sinners run then to Mary, for they who have lost grace will surely find it with her; and let them say: Lady, this thing must be returned to whoever lost it; this grace that you have found is not yours — you never lost it; it is ours, since we have lost it; therefore you must return it to us. Hence Richard of St. Lawrence concludes on this thought: Cupientes invenire gratiam, quaeramus inventricem gratiae, quae, quia semper invenit, frustrari non poterit. If then we wish to find the grace of God, let us go to Mary, who has found it and always finds it. And since she has always been and always will be dear to God, if we have recourse to her, we shall certainly find it. She says of herself in the Canticle of Canticles (8:10) that God has placed her in the world to be our defense: Ego murus, et ubera mea sicut turris. And therefore she has been established as mediatress of peace between sinners and God: Ex quo facta sum coram eo quasi pacem reperiens. On which words St. Bernard encourages the sinner, saying: Vade ad matrem misericordiae, et ostende illi tuorum plagas peccatorum: et illa ostendet pro te ubera. Exaudiet utique Matrem Filius. Go to this Mother of Mercy and show her the wounds that your sins have made in your soul; then she will surely pray to the Son to forgive you, for the milk she gave him; and the Son, who loves her so much, will surely hear her. As indeed the holy Church has us pray to the Lord that he may grant us the powerful help of Mary's intercession to rise from our sins, in that familiar prayer: Concede, misericors Deus, fragilitati nostrae praesidium: ut qui sanctae Dei Genitricis memoriam agimus, intercessionis eius auxilio a nostris iniquitatibus resurgamus.

With good reason, then, St. Lawrence Justinian calls her the hope of evildoers, Spes delinquentium, since she alone is the one who obtains pardon for them from God. With good reason St. Bernard calls her the ladder of sinners, peccatorum scala, since to those poor fallen ones, the merciful Queen, extending her hand, draws them out of the abyss of sin and helps them ascend to God. With good reason St. Augustine calls her the sole hope of us sinners, since only through her do we hope for the remission of all our sins: Tu es spes unica peccatorum, quia per te speramus veniam omnium delictorum. And St. John Chrysostom says the same — that it is only through Mary's intercession that sinners receive pardon: Per hanc peccatorum veniam consequimur. Hence the saint, in the name of all sinners, greets her thus: Ave igitur, mater, caelum, thronus, Ecclesiae nostrae decus: assidue precare Iesum, ut per te misericordiam invenire in die iudicii, et quae reposita sunt iis qui diligunt Deum, bona consequi possimus. Hail, Mother of God and our Mother, heaven in which God resides, throne from which the Lord dispenses all graces; pray always to Jesus for us, that through your prayers we may obtain pardon on the day of judgment and the joys of eternal glory.

With good reason, finally, Mary is called the dawn: Quae est ista quae ascendit quasi aurora consurgens? (Cant. 6:9). Yes, for as Pope Innocent says: Cum aurora sit finis noctis et origo diei, vere per auroram designatur Maria Virgo, quae fuit finis vitiorum et origo virtutum. And the same effect that Mary produced in the world by her birth, she produces whenever devotion to her is born in a soul. She puts an end to the night of sin and makes the soul walk in the path of virtue. Hence St. Germanus says to her: O Mother of God, your defense is immortal; your intercession is life. And in another sermon the saint says that the name of Mary, spoken with affection, is either a sign of life already present or that life will soon come.

Mary sang: Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes (Lk. 1:48). Yes, my Lady, says St. Bernard: Ex hoc beatam te dicent omnes generationes, quae omnibus generationibus vitam et gloriam genuisti. Therefore all mankind shall call you blessed, because all your servants through you obtain the life of grace and eternal glory. In te peccatores veniam, iusti gratiam inveniunt in aeternum. In you sinners find pardon, and the just find perseverance and then eternal life. Do not despair, O sinner — here speaks the devout Bernardine de Busti — even if you have committed every sin, but confidently have recourse to this Lady, for you will find her with hands full of mercy: O peccator, ne diffidas, etiamsi commisisti omnia peccata: sed secure ad istam gloriosissimam Dominam recurras. Invenies eam in manibus plenam misericordia et largitate. For, he adds: Plus enim ipsa desiderat facere tibi bonum et largiri gratiam, quam tu accipere concupiscas. Mary desires more to bestow graces upon you than you desire to receive them.

By St. Andrew of Crete, Mary is called the surety of divine reconciliation: Fideiussio divinarum reconciliationum, quae dato pignore fit. This means that when sinners have recourse to Mary to be reconciled with God, God assures them of certain pardon and gives them the pledge of it. And this pledge is Mary herself, whom he has given us as our advocate, through whose intercession, by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, God then pardons all sinners who have recourse to her. St. Bridget heard from the angel (Serm. Ang., ch. 9) that the holy prophets rejoiced in knowing that God, through the humility and purity of Mary, would be appeased with sinners and receive into his grace those who had provoked his anger: Exsultabant autem praenoscentes, quod ipse Dominus ex tua humilitate et vitae puritate, o Maria stella praefulgida, placaretur, et quod reciperet eos in suam gratiam, qui ipsum ad iracundiam provocaverunt.

No sinner should ever fear being rejected by Mary when he has recourse to her mercy; no, for she is the Mother of Mercy, and as such she desires to save the most wretched. Mary is that blessed ark in which whoever takes refuge, says St. Bernard, shall not suffer the shipwreck of eternal perdition: Arca, in qua naufragium evadimus. In the ark of Noah at the time of the flood, even the brute beasts were saved. Under the mantle of Mary, even sinners are saved. One day St. Gertrude saw Mary with her mantle open, and beneath it many wild beasts had taken refuge — lions, bears, tigers — and she saw that Mary not only did not drive them away but with great tenderness welcomed and caressed them. And by this the saint understood that the most abandoned sinners, when they have recourse to Mary, are not rejected but welcomed and saved from eternal death.

Let us enter then into this ark; let us take refuge under the mantle of Mary, for she will certainly not reject us, and she will surely save us.

Example

It is related by Father Bovio that there was a wicked woman named Helen. Having gone to church, she chanced to hear a sermon on the Rosary; on leaving, she bought one, but wore it hidden so that no one would see it. She then began to recite it; but although she recited it without devotion, the Most Holy Virgin poured such consolation and sweetness into the recitation that she could no longer leave off saying it. And through this she acquired such a horror of her wicked life that she could find no rest; so that she felt compelled to go to confession, and confessed with such contrition that the confessor was astonished.

After her confession, she went at once to the foot of an altar of Mary to thank her advocate; she said the Rosary, and the divine Mother spoke to her from that image and said: Helen, enough of offending God and me; from this day forward change your life, and I will grant you a generous share of my graces. The poor sinner then, overcome with confusion, answered: Ah, Most Holy Virgin, it is true that until now I have been a wretch; but you, who can do all things, help me. I give myself to you and wish to spend the life remaining to me in penance for my sins.

Assisted by Mary, Helen distributed all her possessions to the poor and gave herself to rigorous penance. She was tormented by terrible temptations, but she did nothing but commend herself to the Mother of God, and so she always remained victorious. She came to receive many supernatural graces as well — visions, revelations, prophecies. Finally, before her death, which had been announced to her a few days in advance by Mary, the Blessed Virgin herself came with her Son to visit her; and as she died, the soul of this sinner was seen in the form of a most beautiful dove flying to heaven.

Prayer

Behold, O Mother of my God, my only hope Mary, behold at your feet a wretched sinner who asks you for pity. You are proclaimed and called by the whole Church and by all the faithful the refuge of sinners; you, then, are my refuge; you must save me.

You already know how much your Son loves our salvation: Scis, dulcissima Dei Mater, quantum placeat benedicto Filio tuo salus nostra. You already know what Jesus Christ suffered to save me. I present to you, my Mother, the sufferings of Jesus: the cold he endured in the stable, the steps he took on the journey to Egypt, his labors, his sweat, the blood he shed, the sorrow that killed him before your eyes on the cross. Show that you love this Son, by helping me for the love of this Son.

Give your hand to one who has fallen and seeks your compassion. If I were a saint, I would not ask you for mercy; but because I am a sinner, I have recourse to you, who are the Mother of Mercy. I know that your compassionate heart finds consolation in helping the wretched when you can assist them, provided they are not obstinate. Console then your compassionate heart and console me; since you have the occasion to save me, a poor soul condemned to hell, and you can help me, since I do not wish to be obstinate.

I place myself in your hands. Tell me what I must do, and obtain for me the strength to do it; for I resolve to do all I can to return to divine grace. I take refuge under your mantle. Jesus wills that I have recourse to you, so that to your glory and his — since you are his Mother — not only his blood but also your prayers may help me to be saved. He sends me to you, that you may assist me.

O Mary, here I am; I have recourse to you and I trust in you. You pray for so many others — pray, say a word also for me. Tell God that you wish me saved, and God will certainly save me. Tell him that I am yours, and I seek nothing more from you.

Section 2 — Mary is also our life because she obtains for us perseverance

Final perseverance is a divine gift so great that, as the holy Council of Trent has declared, it is a wholly gratuitous gift that cannot be merited by us. But, as St. Augustine teaches, all who ask God for perseverance obtain it; and according to Father Suarez, they infallibly obtain it, provided they are diligent to the end of their lives in asking God for it; for as Bellarmine writes, this perseverance quotidie petenda est, ut quotidie obtineatur. Now if it is true — as I hold for certain, according to the opinion commonly held today, as we shall demonstrate further on in chapter five — if it is true, I say, that all the graces dispensed by God to us pass through the hands of Mary, then it will also be true that we can only hope for and obtain this supreme grace of perseverance through Mary. And we shall certainly obtain it if we always seek it from Mary with confidence. This grace she herself promises to all those who serve her faithfully in this life: Qui operantur in me, non peccabunt: Qui elucidant me, vitam aeternam habebunt (Ecclus. 24:30–31), as the holy Church puts in her mouth.

For us to be preserved in the life of divine grace, we need spiritual strength to resist all the enemies of our salvation. And this strength is obtained only through Mary: Mea est fortitudo; per me reges regnant (Prov. 8:15–16). This strength is mine, says Mary; God has placed this gift in my hands so that I may distribute it to my devotees. Per me reges regnant: Through me, my servants reign and exercise dominion over all their senses and passions, and thus make themselves worthy to reign eternally in heaven. Oh, what strength the servants of this great Lady have to overcome all the temptations of hell! Mary is that tower of which it is said in the Canticle of Canticles: Sicut turris David collum tuum, quae aedificata est cum propugnaculis: mille clypei pendent ex ea, omnis armatura fortium (Cant. 4:4). She is, for her lovers who have recourse to her in battle, like a strong tower fortified with defenses; in her, her devotees find all the shields and all the weapons they need to defend themselves against hell.

Therefore the Most Holy Virgin is called a plane tree: Quasi platanus exaltata sum iuxta aquam in plateis (Ecclus. 24:19). Cardinal Hugh explains that the plane tree has leaves resembling shields: Platanus habet folia scutis similia. And by this is signified the defense Mary provides for those who take refuge in her. Blessed Amadeus gives another explanation, saying that she is called a plane tree because, just as the plane tree shelters travelers from the heat of the sun and the rain with the shade of its branches, so under the mantle of Mary, men find refuge from the burning heat of their passions and the fury of temptations: Virgo ramorum extensione se ubique expandit, ut filios Adae ab aestu et turbine umbra desiderabili protegeret.

Wretched are those souls who distance themselves from this defense and cease to be devout to Mary or to commend themselves to her in times of trial! If the sun were not to rise in the world, says St. Bernard, what would the world become but a chaos of darkness and horror? Tolle corpus hoc solare, says the saint, ubi dies? Tolle Mariam, quid nisi tenebre relinquentur? When a soul loses devotion to Mary, it is immediately filled with that darkness of which the Holy Spirit speaks: Posuisti tenebras, et facta est nox: in ipsa pertransibunt omnes bestiae silvae (Ps. 103:20). When the divine light no longer shines in a soul and night falls, it becomes a den of every sin and of demons. Vae, therefore says St. Anselm, vae eis qui solem istum aversantur! Woe to those who despise the light of this sun — that is, who despise devotion to Mary! St. Francis Borgia rightly feared for the perseverance of those in whom he did not find a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Once, asking some novices to which saint they had the greatest devotion, he noticed that some had no special devotion to Mary. He warned the novice master to keep a closer eye on those unfortunate ones; and it happened that they all miserably lost their vocation and left religious life.

St. Germanus had good reason, then, to call the Most Holy Virgin the breath of Christians; for just as the body cannot live without breathing, so the soul cannot live without having recourse to and commending itself to Mary, through whom we surely acquire and preserve in ourselves the life of divine grace: Sicut respiratio non solum est signum vitae, sed etiam causa; sic Mariae nomen, quod in servorum Dei ore versatur, simul argumentum est quod vere vivunt, simul etiam hanc vitam efficit et conservat omnemque eis opem impertitur. Blessed Alan, having been assailed by a strong temptation, was on the point of falling because he had not commended himself to Mary; but the Most Holy Virgin appeared to him, and to make him better remember for the future, she gave him a slap and said: "If you had commended yourself to me, you would not have found yourself in this danger."

On the other hand: Beatus homo, says Mary, qui audit me, et qui vigilat ad fores meas quotidie, et observat ad postes ostii mei (Prov. 8:34): Blessed is he who hears my voice and therefore is attentive to come continually to the doors of my mercy seeking light and help. Mary will surely be attentive to obtain light and strength for such a devout client of hers, to escape from vice and walk the path of virtue. Hence she is beautifully called by Innocent III: Luna in nocte, aurora in diluculo, sol in die. Moon for those who are blind in the night of sin, to illumine them to recognize the miserable state of their damnation; dawn — that is, precursor of the sun — for those who are already enlightened, to bring them out of sin and return them to divine grace; sun, finally, for those who are already in grace, so that they may not fall again into some precipice.

The Doctors apply to Mary those words of Ecclesiasticus: Vincula illius alligatura salutaris (Ecclus. 6:31). Quare vincula? asks St. Lawrence Justinian; nisi quia servos ligat, ne discurrant per campos licentiae. Mary binds her servants so that they do not stray along the paths of vice. St. Bonaventure, similarly explaining the words said in the Office of Mary — In plenitudine sanctorum detentio mea (Ecclus. 24:16) — says that Mary is not only placed in the fullness of the saints, but she also preserves the saints so that they do not fall back; she preserves their virtues so that they do not fail; and she restrains the demons so that they do not harm them: Ipsa quoque non solum in plenitudine sanctorum detinetur, sed etiam in plenitudine sanctos detinet, ne eorum plenitudo minuatur; detinet nimirum virtutes, ne fugiant; detinet daemones, ne noceant.

It is said that the devotees of Mary are clothed in double garments: Omnes... domestici eius vestiti sunt duplicibus (Prov. 31:21). Cornelius a Lapide explains what this double garment is: Duplici veste ipsa ornat sibi devotos, quia tam Christi quam suis virtutibus eos induit. Double garments, for she adorns her faithful servants with the virtues of the Son as well as with her own, and thus clothed they preserve holy perseverance. Therefore St. Philip Neri always admonished his penitents, saying to them: Children, if you desire perseverance, be devout to Our Lady. The Venerable Brother John Berchmans of the Society of Jesus likewise said: Whoever loves Mary will have perseverance. Abbot Rupert makes a beautiful reflection on the parable of the Prodigal Son. He says that this wayward son, had his mother been alive, would either never have left his father's house, or would have returned much sooner than he did: Si prodigus filius viventem matrem habuisset, vel a paterna domo numquam discessisset, vel forte citius rediisset. And by this he means that whoever is a child of Mary either never leaves God, or if by misfortune it happens that he does leave, through Mary he quickly returns.

Oh, if all mankind loved this most benign and most loving Lady, and in every temptation immediately and always had recourse to her, who would ever fall? Who would ever be lost? He falls and is lost who does not have recourse to Mary. St. Lawrence Justinian applies to the Virgin those words of Ecclesiasticus (24:8) — In fluctibus maris ambulavi — and has her say: Scilicet cum familiaribus meis, ut ipsos eruerem a naufragio peccatorum. I walk together with my servants in the midst of the storms in which they find themselves, in order to assist them and free them from falling headlong into sin.

Father Bernardine de Busti relates that a bird which had been taught to say the Ave Maria was seized by a hawk; the bird said Ave Maria, and the hawk fell dead. By this the Lord wished to signify that if even an unreasoning bird is delivered by invoking Mary, how much more will one who is attentive in the assaults of the enemy to invoke Mary be delivered from falling into the hands of the demons! Nothing more, then, is left for us to do, says St. Thomas of Villanova, than — when the demons come to tempt us — just as little chicks, when hawks appear, immediately run for shelter under the wings of their mother, so we, at the onset of the temptations that assail us, should immediately run, without reasoning with the temptation, and place ourselves under the mantle of Mary: Sicut pulli, volitantibus desuper milvis, ad gallinae alas accurrunt, ita nos sub velamento alarum tuarum abscondimur. And you, continues the saint, our Lady and Mother, must defend us, for after God we have no other refuge but you, who are our only hope and our sole protectress, in whom we confide: Nescimus aliud refugium nisi te; tu sola es unica spes nostra, tu sola patrona nostra, ad quam omnes aspicimus.

Let us conclude, then, with what St. Bernard says: O man, whoever you are, understand that in this life you are tossing about amid perils and storms rather than walking on solid ground; if you do not wish to be swallowed up, do not turn your eyes away from this star, Mary: O quisquis te intelligis in huius saeculi profluvio magis inter procellas et tempestates fluctuare, quam per terram ambulare, ne avertas oculos a fulgore huius sideris, si non vis obrui procellis. Respice stellam, voca Mariam. Gaze upon the star, call upon Mary. In periculis, in angustiis, in rebus dubiis Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca. In dangers of sinning, in the assaults of temptation, in uncertainty about what you should resolve, think that Mary can help you, and call upon her at once to come to your aid. Non recedat ab ore, non recedat a corde. Let her powerful name never leave your heart through confidence, nor your lips through invoking her. Ipsam sequens non devias: If you follow Mary, you will not stray from the path of salvation. Ipsam rogans non desperas: Whenever you commend yourself to her, you will not lose heart. Ipsa tenente non corruis: If she holds you, you will not fall. Ipsa protegente non metuis: If she protects you, you need not fear being lost. Ipsa duce non fatigaris: If she guides you, you will be saved without weariness. Ipsa propitia pervenis: In short, if Mary undertakes your defense, you will certainly reach the kingdom of the blessed. Sic fac et vives.

Example

The story of St. Mary of Egypt, found in Book I of the Lives of the Fathers, is well known. At the age of twelve she ran away from her parents' house and went to Alexandria, where, leading an infamous life, she became the scandal of that city. After sixteen years of sin, she wandered to Jerusalem, where the feast of the Holy Cross was then being celebrated. She too was moved to enter the church, more out of curiosity than devotion. But when she reached the entrance, she felt herself invisibly pushed back. She tried a second time and was again repelled; the same happened a third and a fourth time. Then the poor woman, standing in a corner of the atrium, was illuminated to see that God was repelling her from the church because of her wicked life. She raised her eyes — and by good fortune saw an image of Mary that was painted in the atrium. She turned to her, weeping, and said: "O Mother of God, have pity on this poor sinner. I see that for my sins I do not deserve that you should look upon me; but you are the refuge of sinners — for the love of Jesus your Son, help me; let me enter the church, and I wish to change my life and go to do penance wherever you show me." Then she heard an interior voice, as if the Blessed Virgin were answering her: "Go now, since you have had recourse to me and wish to change your life; enter the church, for the door will no longer be closed to you." The sinner entered, adored the Cross, and wept. She returned to the image: "Lady," she said, "here I am, ready: where do you wish me to go to do penance?" "Go," answered the Virgin, "cross the Jordan, and you will find the place of your rest." She confessed, received Communion, crossed the river, and arrived at the desert, and there she understood that this was the place of her penance.

Now in the first seventeen years that the saint spent in the desert, what assaults the demons gave her to make her fall again! But what did she do? She did nothing but commend herself to Mary, and Mary obtained for her the strength to resist throughout all those seventeen years, after which the battles ceased. Finally, after fifty-seven years in that desert, when she was eighty-seven years old, by divine providence she was found by the Abbot St. Zosimus; she told him the whole story of her life, and begged him to return the following year and bring her Holy Communion. The holy abbot returned and gave her Communion. Then the saint repeated her request that he come to see her again. St. Zosimus returned once more and found her dead, with her body surrounded by light, and at her head he saw these words written: Bury in this place the body of me, a wretched sinner, and pray to God for me. He buried her, a lion having come to dig the earth; and returning to the monastery, he told of the marvels of divine mercy shown to this happy penitent.

Prayer

O Mother of compassion, most holy Virgin, behold at your feet a traitor who, repaying with ingratitude the graces received from God through you, has betrayed you and God. But, Lady, know that my misery does not diminish but rather increases my confidence in you; for I see that my misery makes your compassion for me grow. Show me, O Mary, that you are the same to me as you are to all who invoke you — full of generosity and mercy. It is enough for me that you look upon me and have compassion on me. If your heart feels compassion for me, it cannot fail to protect me. And if you protect me, what can I fear? No, I fear nothing — not my sins, for you can remedy the harm done; not the demons, for you are more powerful than all hell; not your Son, justly angered with me, for at a word from you he will be appeased. I fear only that through my own fault I may fail to commend myself to you in my temptations, and so be lost. But this is what I promise you today: I wish always to have recourse to you; help me to keep this resolve. See what a beautiful opportunity you have to satisfy your desire to relieve a wretch such as I.

O Mother of God, I have great confidence in you. From you I await the grace to weep as I should for my sins; and from you I hope for the strength never to fall into them again. If I am sick, you can heal me, O heavenly physician. If my sins have made me weak, your help will make me strong. O Mary, I hope all things from you, because you can do all things with God. Amen.

Section 3 — Dulcedo — Mary makes death sweet for her devotees

Omni tempore diligit qui amicus est, et frater in angustiis comprobatur (Prov. 17:17). True friends and true relatives are not known in times of prosperity but in times of anguish and misery. The friends of the world do not abandon a friend as long as he is prosperous; but should he fall into some misfortune, and especially should he come to die, his friends at once abandon him. Not so does Mary treat her devotees. In their anguish, and especially in the anguish of death — which is the greatest that can be had on earth — this good Lady and Mother cannot abandon her faithful servants; and just as she is our life in the time of our exile, so she becomes our sweetness at the time of our death, obtaining for us a sweet and blessed death. For from the day on which Mary had the honor and the sorrow together of attending the death of Jesus her Son, who is the head of the predestined, she acquired the grace of assisting all the predestined at their death. Therefore the holy Church has us pray to the Blessed Virgin that she especially assist us at the hour of death: Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.

The anguish of the poor dying is exceedingly great — from the remorse of sins committed, from the horror of approaching judgment, from the uncertainty of eternal salvation. Above all at that moment, hell arms itself and employs all its forces to gain that soul about to pass into eternity, knowing that little time remains in which to gain it, and that if it is lost then, it is lost forever: Descendit diabolus ad vos, habens iram magnam, sciens quod modicum tempus habet (Rev. 12:12). And therefore the devil, accustomed to tempt the soul in life, is not content to be alone in tempting it at death but calls companions to help him: Implebuntur domus eorum draconibus (Is. 13:21). When someone is about to die, his house fills with demons that unite to work his ruin.

It is related of St. Andrew Avellino that at the time of his death ten thousand demons came to tempt him. And we read in his Life that during his agony he had so fierce a combat with hell that all his good religious who attended him were made to tremble. They saw the saint's face swell from agitation, turning completely black; they saw all his limbs trembling and thrashing, his eyes shedding a river of tears, his head jerking violently — all signs of the horrible battle he was waging against hell. Everyone wept with compassion, redoubled their prayers, and at the same time trembled with fear at seeing a saint die thus. They were consoled, however, in seeing the saint frequently turn his eyes, as though seeking help, toward a devout image of Mary, remembering that he himself had often said in life that at the hour of his death Mary was to be his refuge. At last it pleased God that the conflict should end in a glorious victory; for when the thrashing of the body ceased and the swelling went down and the natural color of his face returned, they saw the saint serenely fix his eyes upon that image, make a devout bow to Mary — who, it is believed, appeared to him at that moment — and, as if in an act of thanksgiving, peacefully breathe forth his blessed soul into the arms of Mary in an atmosphere of paradise. And at that same moment a Capuchin nun, in her own agony, turned to the sisters attending her and said: Say the Ave Maria, for a saint has just died.

Ah, at the presence of the Queen the rebels flee! If in the hour of death we have Mary on our side, what fear can we have of all the enemies of hell? David, dreading the anguish of death, took comfort in his confidence in the death of the future Redeemer and in the intercession of the Virgin Mother: Et si ambulavero in medio umbrae mortis... Virga tua et baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt (Ps. 22:4). Cardinal Hugh explains the staff as the wood of the cross, and the rod as the intercession of Mary, who was the rod foretold by Isaiah: Egredietur virga de radice Iesse, et flos de radice eius ascendet (Is. 11:1). This divine Mother, says St. Peter Damian, is that powerful rod by which the assaults of the infernal enemies are beaten back: Haec est illa virga, qua retunduntur impetus adversantium daemonum. Hence St. Antoninus encourages us, saying: Si Maria pro nobis, quis contra nos?

Father Manuel Padial of the Society of Jesus, being at the point of death, had a vision of Mary, who said to him to comfort him: Behold, at last the hour has come, when the angels, congratulating you, say to you: O blessed labors, O mortifications well repaid! And then an army of demons was seen fleeing in despair, crying out: Alas, we can do nothing, for she who is without stain defends him! Similarly, Father Gaspar Hayevod, assailed at death by the demons with a great temptation against faith, immediately commended himself to the Most Holy Virgin, and was then heard to exclaim: I thank you, Mary, for you have come to my aid!

St. Bonaventure says that Mary, in defense of her dying servants, sends the prince St. Michael with all the angels, that they may immediately defend them from the attacks of the demons and receive the souls of all those who have continually commended themselves to her: Michael dux et princeps militiae caelestis, cum omnibus administratoriis spiritibus, tuis, Virgo, paret praeceptis, in defendendis et suscipiendis de corpore animabus fidelium, specialiter tibi, Domina, die ac nocte se commendantium.

When a man departs from this life, says Isaiah, hell is stirred up and sends the most terrible demons to tempt that soul before it leaves the body, and then to accuse it when it must be presented before the tribunal of Jesus Christ for judgment: Infernus subter te conturbatus est in occursum adventus tui, suscitabit tibi gigantes (Is. 14:9). But Richard says that the demons, when that soul is defended by Mary, will not even dare to accuse it, knowing that no soul patronized by his great Mother has ever been condemned, nor ever will be, by the Judge: Quis apud iudicem accusare audeat, cui viderit Matrem patrocinantem? St. Jerome wrote to the virgin Eustochium that Mary not only assists her dear servants at death, but even comes to meet them in the passage to the next life, to encourage them and accompany them to the divine tribunal: Morientibus Beata Virgo non tantum succurrit, sed etiam occurrit. And this is consistent with what the Blessed Virgin said to St. Bridget, speaking of her devotees when they find themselves at the point of death: Tunc ego carissima eorum domina et mater occurram eis in morte, ut ipsi consolationem et refrigerium habeant. St. Vincent Ferrer adds: Beata Virgo animas morientium suscipit. The loving Queen receives their souls in her mantle, and she herself presents them to the Judge her Son, and so surely obtains their salvation. This is exactly what happened to Charles, the son of St. Bridget (bk. 7, Rev., ch. 13), who, having died in the dangerous profession of a soldier, and far from his mother, made the saint fear for his salvation. But the Blessed Virgin revealed to her that Charles was saved because of the love he had borne to her; she herself had assisted him at death and had suggested to him the Christian Acts necessary at that moment. The saint also saw Jesus on his throne and the devil bringing two accusations against the Most Holy Virgin: the first, that Mary had prevented him from tempting Charles at the point of death; the second, that Mary had herself presented the soul of Charles for judgment, and had thus saved it, without even giving him the opportunity to present his case, by which he claimed that soul was his. She then saw the Judge drive the devil away, and the soul of Charles carried to heaven.

Vincula eius alligatura salutaris: in novissimis invenies requiem in ea (Ecclus. 6:31). Oh blessed are you, brother, if at death you find yourself bound by the sweet chains of love to the Mother of God! These chains are chains of salvation that will assure you of your eternal salvation and will bring you to enjoy in death that blessed peace which will be the beginning of your peace and eternal rest. Father Binetti, in his book on the Perfections of Our Lord (ch. 31), relates that, having assisted at the death of a great devotee of Mary, he heard him say before dying these words: O my Father, if you only knew what contentment I feel for having served the Most Holy Mother of God! I could not describe the joy I feel at this moment. Father Suarez, because he had been very devout to Mary — whence he used to say that he would have traded all his learning for the merit of a single Ave Maria — died with such joy that he said as he was dying: Non putabam tam dulce esse mori. He could never have imagined, had he not then experienced it, that death could be so sweet for him. The same contentment and joy you too will undoubtedly feel, devout reader, if at the point of death you can recall having loved this good Mother, who does not know how to be unfaithful to her children who have been faithful in serving her and honoring her with visits, rosaries, fasts, and above all by often thanking her, praising her, and frequently commending themselves to her powerful patronage.

Nor will this consolation be denied you on account of your having been a sinner at one time, if from today onward you attend to living well and serving this most gracious and most kind Lady. In your anguish and in the temptations the devil will give you to make you despair, she will comfort you, even coming herself to assist you in your death. Marinus, the brother of St. Peter Damian — as the saint himself narrates — having offended God, one day went before an altar of Mary and dedicated himself as her slave, placing his belt around his neck as a sign of his servitude, and said: My Lady, mirror of purity, I, a poor sinner, have offended God and you by violating chastity; I have no other remedy than to offer myself as your slave. Behold me: I dedicate myself today as your servant; receive this rebel, and do not disdain me. He then left upon the step of the altar a certain sum of money, promising to pay it each year as a tribute of his servitude to Mary. In time Marinus came to die; but before dying, one morning he was heard to say: Rise, rise, and pay reverence to my Lady! And then: What grace is this, O Queen of heaven, that you deign to visit this poor servant? Bless me, Lady, and do not permit me to be lost, now that you have honored me with your presence. At this his brother Peter arrived. Marinus told him of the coming of Mary, and that she had blessed him, complaining that those assisting him had not risen from their seats in the presence of Mary; and shortly after he peacefully passed to the Lord. Such also shall be your death, my reader, if you are faithful to Mary, even though in the past you may have offended God; she will make you die a sweet and contented death.

And even if at that moment you are too greatly frightened and lose confidence at the sight of the sins you have committed, she will come to encourage you, as she came to Adolphus, Count of Alsace, who, having left the world and become a Franciscan religious — as is related in the Chronicles — was a great devotee of the Mother of God. Brought to the end of his days, and having his life in the world, the government of his vassals, and the rigor of divine judgment set before his mind, he began to fear death, uncertain of his eternal salvation. Then appeared Mary — who does not sleep during the anguish of her devotees — accompanied by many saints, and presenting herself to the dying man, she encouraged him with these tender words: Adulphe mi carissime, mori cur times, meus cum sis? My dearest Adolphus, you are mine; you gave yourself to me. Why do you fear death so much? At these words the servant of Mary was wholly revived; all fear vanished, and he died in great peace and contentment.

Let us too take heart, though we be sinners, and let us have this confidence: that Mary will come to assist us at death and console us with her presence, if we serve her with love in the life that remains to us on this earth. Our Queen, speaking one day to St. Matilda, promised that she would come to assist at death all her devotees who had faithfully served her in life: Ego omnibus qui mihi pie deserviunt, volo in morte fidelissime tamquam mater piissima adesse eosque consolari ac protegere. O God, what consolation it will be in that last hour of our life, when the cause of our eternal destiny must be decided, to see the Queen of heaven near us, assisting and consoling us with the promise of her protection!

Of these examples of Mary's assistance to her dying servants, besides those already narrated, there are innumerable ones recorded in books. This favor was shown to St. Clare, to St. Felix the Capuchin, to Blessed Clare of Montefalco, to St. Teresa, and to St. Peter of Alcantara; but for the common consolation let us mention a few more. Father Crasset relates that St. Mary of Oignies saw the Blessed Virgin at the bedside of a devout widow of Villambrosa, who was suffering a great burning from fever; Mary was standing beside her, consoling her, and with a cloth was drying the sweat of death from her brow. St. John of God, lying on his deathbed, was waiting for a visit from Mary, of whom he was very devout; but not seeing her appear, he was distressed, and perhaps even complained. Then, when the time came, the divine Mother appeared to him, and as if reproaching him for his small confidence, she spoke these tender words, which serve to encourage all the servants of Mary: Ioannes, non est meum, in hac hora meos devotos derelinquere. As if to say: My John, what were you thinking? That I had abandoned you? Do you not know that I never abandon my devotees at the hour of death? I did not come earlier because the time had not yet come; now that it has arrived, here I am, come to take you. Let us go to paradise. And shortly after, the saint died and flew to heaven to thank forever his most loving Queen.

Example

But let us end this discourse with one more example, in which we may see how far the tenderness of this good Mother reaches toward her children at the time of their death.

A parish priest was assisting at the death of a certain rich man, who was dying in a lavishly furnished house attended by servants, relatives, and friends; but he saw devils in the form of dogs standing ready to seize his soul — as indeed they did, for he died in sin.

In the meantime, the parish priest was called by a poor woman who, being at the end of her life, desired the holy sacraments. The parish priest, unable to leave the dying rich man who needed his assistance, sent another priest, who took the ciborium with the Blessed Sacrament and went.

When he arrived at the room of the good woman, he saw no servants, no attendants, no fine furnishings, for the sick woman was poor and perhaps lay on a bit of straw. But what did he see? He saw in that room a great light, and beheld standing near the bed of the dying woman the Mother of God, Mary, who was consoling her, and with a cloth in her hand was drying the sweat of death from her brow. The priest, seeing Mary there, did not have the courage to enter; but the Virgin made a sign for him to come in. The priest entered, and Mary took the stool for him so he could sit and hear the confession of her servant. The woman confessed, then received Communion with great devotion, and at last in the arms of Mary she happily breathed forth her soul.

Prayer

O my sweetest Mother, what shall become of me, a poor sinner, at death? Even now, thinking of that great moment when I must breathe my last and be presented before the divine tribunal, and remembering that I myself with my perverse consents have so many times written the sentence of my own condemnation, I tremble, I am confounded, and I greatly fear for my eternal salvation.

O Mary, in the blood of Jesus and in your intercession lie all my hopes. You are the Queen of heaven, the Lady of the universe; it is enough to say that you are the Mother of God. You are indeed great, but your greatness does not distance you from us — rather, it inclines you to have still more compassion on our miseries. Worldly friends, when raised to some dignity, draw away and disdain even to look upon their former friends who have fallen into low fortune. Your noble and loving heart does not act this way; where it sees greater misery, there it employs itself more in giving aid. You, when invoked, immediately come to our help; indeed, you anticipate our prayers with your favors. You console us in our afflictions; you scatter the storms; you cast down our enemies; in short, you miss no occasion to provide for our good.

May that divine hand be forever blessed which has united in you such majesty and such tenderness, such eminence and such love. I always thank my Lord for this, and I rejoice within myself, since in your happiness I place my own, and I count your fortune as my fortune.

O consoler of the afflicted, console one who is afflicted and commends himself to you. I feel oppressed by the remorse of a conscience burdened with so many sins; I am uncertain whether I have wept for them as I should; I see all my works full of defects; hell awaits my death to accuse me; offended divine justice demands satisfaction. My Mother, what will become of me? If you do not help me, I am lost. What do you say — will you help me?

O merciful Virgin, console me. Obtain for me a true sorrow for my sins; obtain for me the strength to amend and to be faithful to God in the life that remains to me. And then, when I find myself in the last anguish of death, O Mary my hope, do not abandon me. Then more than ever assist me and strengthen me, lest I despair at the sight of my sins, which the devil will set before me.

Lady, forgive my boldness — come yourself to console me with your presence. You have granted this grace to so many; I too desire it. If my boldness is great, greater still is your goodness, which goes in search of the most wretched to console them. In this I trust. May it be your eternal glory to have saved from hell a wretch who was condemned, and to have brought him to your kingdom, where I hope to console myself by remaining always at your feet, thanking you, blessing you, and loving you for all eternity. O Mary, I await you; do not leave me disconsolate. Fiat, fiat; amen, amen.