Introduction

My dear reader and brother in Mary — since the devotion that moved me to write and now moves you to read this book makes us both happy children of this good Mother — if anyone should ever tell you that I could have spared myself this labor, since there already exist so many learned and celebrated books treating of this subject, answer him, I pray, with the words left us by Abbot Franco in the library of the Fathers: that the praise of Mary is an inexhaustible fountain which the more it expands the more it fills, and the more it fills the more it expands: Laus Mariae fons est indeficiens, qui quanto amplius tenditur, tanto amplius impletur; quanto amplius impletur, tanto amplius dilatatur. This means that this blessed Virgin is so great and sublime that the more she is praised, the more there remains to praise her. So much so, says St. Augustine (ap. B. Dion. Carth.), that all the tongues of men would not suffice to praise her as she deserves, even if all their members were turned into tongues: Etiamsi omnium nostrum membra verterentur in linguas, eam laudare sufficeret nullus.

I have indeed examined innumerable books, great and small, treating of the glories of Mary; but considering that these were either rare, or bulky, or not suited to my purpose, I have endeavored, from as many authors as I could obtain, to collect in a brief compass — as I have done in this book — the choicest and most inspiring passages of the Fathers and theologians, in order to provide devout readers with the means, at little effort and expense, of kindling their love for Mary through this reading, and especially to furnish priests with material for promoting devotion to this divine Mother through their preaching.

It is the custom of worldly lovers to speak often of and to praise the persons they love, in order to see their own love praised and applauded by others. How slight, then, must be the love of those who boast of being lovers of Mary, yet think little of speaking of her or of causing others to love her. Not so the true lovers of this most lovable Lady: they would wish to praise her everywhere and to see her loved by all the world; and therefore, whenever they can, in public or in private, they seek to kindle in every heart those blessed flames of love with which they themselves burn for their beloved Queen.

Now, in order that all may be persuaded how important it is for their own good and for that of the faithful to promote devotion to Mary, it is useful to hear what the Doctors say. St. Bonaventure says that those who devote themselves to publishing the glories of Mary are assured of paradise. And Richard of St. Lawrence confirms it, saying that to honor this Queen of Angels is the same as to acquire eternal life: Honorare Mariam, est thesaurizare vitam aeternam (De laud. Virg., bk. 2). For this most gracious Lady, the same author adds, honorificantes se in hoc saeculo, honorificabit in futuro: she will surely honor in the next life those who honor her in this. And who does not know the promise made by Mary herself to those who labor to make her known and loved on this earth? Qui elucidant me, vitam aeternam habebunt (Ecclus. 24:31), as the holy Church applies to her in the feast of her Immaculate Conception. Exulta — therefore said St. Bonaventure, who devoted himself so greatly to publishing the praises of Mary — exulta, anima mea, et laetare in illa, quia multa bona sunt laudatoribus praeparata. And since all the divine Scriptures, he added, speak in praise of Mary, let us always strive, both with heart and tongue, to celebrate this divine Mother, that we may one day be led by her to the kingdom of the blessed: Si enim omnes Scripturae loquuntur de ea, Deiparam perpetuo corde et lingua celebremus, ut ab ipsa ad gaudia aeterna perducamur.

We learn from the revelations of St. Bridget that Bishop Hemming, who was accustomed to begin his sermons with the praises of Mary, once appeared to the saint, and the Virgin herself told her: Tell that prelate who customarily begins his sermons with my praises that I wish to be his mother, and that I will present his soul to God, and that he shall die a good death (Revel., ch. 104). And in fact he died a saint, praying, and with a peace of paradise. To another Dominican religious, who ended his sermons by speaking of Mary, she also appeared at his death, defended him from the demons, comforted him, and bore away his happy soul. The devout Thomas a Kempis represents Mary commending to her Son one who publishes her praises, saying: Fili, miserere animae amatoris tui, et laudatoris mei (Serm. 20, ad Nov.).

As to the profit of the faithful, St. Anselm says that since the sacred womb of Mary was made the way to save sinners, it cannot but happen that at sermons about Mary sinners are converted and saved: Quomodo fieri potest ut ex memoria laudum eius salus non proveniat peccatorum, cuius uterus facta est via ad peccatores salvandos? (St. Ans., bk. 3, De Exc. V., ch. 1). And if the opinion is true — as I hold it true and shall prove in chapter five, section one of this book — that all graces are dispensed only through the hands of Mary, and that all who are saved are saved only through this divine Mother; as a necessary consequence it may be said that the salvation of all depends upon the preaching of Mary and of confidence in her intercession. And so we know that St. Bernardine of Siena sanctified Italy; that St. Dominic converted so many provinces; that St. Louis Bertrand never failed in all his sermons to exhort devotion to Mary; and so did many others.

I find that Father Paul Segneri the Younger, the celebrated missionary, in all his missions always preached a sermon on devotion to Mary, and this he called his favorite sermon. And we in our own missions, where it is our unfailing rule never to omit the sermon on Our Lady, can attest in all truth that no sermon generally brings as much fruit and compunction to the people as this one on the mercy of Mary. I say on the mercy of Mary, for St. Bernard says that we do indeed praise her humility, we admire her virginity, but because we are poor sinners, it delights and pleases us more to hear of her mercy — we embrace this more dearly, recall it more often, and invoke it more frequently: Laudamus humilitatem, miramur virginitatem, sed miseris sapit dulcius misericordia: misericordiam amplectimur carius, recordamur saepius, crebrius invocamus (Serm. 4, de Ass.).

For this reason, in this little book of mine, leaving to other authors the description of the other glories of Mary, I have chosen mainly to speak of her great compassion and her powerful intercession, having collected, as far as I was able, with the labor of many years, all that the holy Fathers and the most celebrated authors have said about the mercy and the power of Mary. And because in the great prayer of the Salve Regina, already approved by the Church herself and prescribed by her to be recited for the greater part of the year by all clergy, both religious and secular, the mercy and the power of the Most Holy Virgin are wonderfully described, I have undertaken first of all to expound this most devout prayer in distinct discourses. In addition, I have thought it a pleasing thing for the devoted servants of Mary to add Readings, or Discourses, on her principal Feasts and on the Virtues of this divine Mother, concluding with the practices of the devotions most used by her servants and most approved by the Church.

Devout reader, if ever this little work of mine pleases you, as I hope it will, I beg you to commend me to the holy Virgin, that she may grant me a great confidence in her protection. Seek this grace for me, and this too I promise to seek for you, whoever you may be, who do me this charity.

O blessed is the one who clings with love and confidence to these two anchors of salvation — Jesus and Mary — for such a one will surely never be lost.

Let us then say from the heart, my dear reader, both of us together with the devout Alphonsus Rodriguez: Iesus et Maria, amores mei dulcissimi, pro vobis patiar, pro vobis moriar; sim totus vester, sim nihil meus. Let us love Jesus and Mary and make ourselves saints, for there is no greater fortune than this that we can aspire to or hope for. Farewell. Let us meet one day in paradise at the feet of this sweetest Mother and this most loving Son, to praise them, to thank them, and to love them together face to face for all eternity. Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin to Obtain a Happy Death

O Mary, sweet refuge of miserable sinners, when my soul must depart from this world, my sweetest Mother, by the sorrow you endured in attending the death of your Son on the cross, assist me then with your mercy. Drive from me the enemies of hell, and come yourself to receive my soul and to present it to the eternal Judge. My Queen, do not abandon me. After Jesus, you must be my comfort in that terrible hour. Pray to your Son that he may grant me by his goodness to die then clasping your feet, and to breathe forth my soul into his sacred wounds, saying: Jesus and Mary, I give you my heart and my soul.