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“Hail to you forever, O virgin mother of God, our unceasing joy…You are the pearl of great price that belongs to the kingdom; the fate of every victim, the living altar of the bread of life. Hail, O treasure of God. Hail, O fount of the Son’s love for man.”

                                                               St. Methodius of Olympus

For Reflection: 

Why do you think Mary is our “unceasing joy?” Why do you think she is the “pearl of great price that belongs to the kingdom?” How is Mary “the living altar of the bread of life” and therefore, the “fate of every victim?” Why do you think she is the “treasure of God” and the “fount of the Son’s love for man?” Which of these deepens your love and appreciation of Mary the most?

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“What a wonder is your Mother! The Lord entered her, and became a Servant; the Word entered her, and became silent within her; Thunder entered her, and His voice was still; the Shepherd of all entered her, and He became a Lamb.”

                                                                        St. Ephraem the Syrian

For Reflection; 

Prayerfully meditate on the juxtaposition of concepts presented here – Lord/Servant, Word/silent, Thunder/still voice; Shepherd/Lamb. What does this say about the power God gives to Mary? What does this say about the relationship between Mary and her Son? How does Mary exemplify the call of the disciple in this quote.  How can the same be said for you?

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“Always stay close to this Heavenly Mother because she is the sea to be crossed to reach the shores of Eternal Splendor.”

                                                                        St. Pio of Pietrelcina

For Reflection: 

Name three practical ways you can stay close to Mary. Begin to employ them right away. How is Mary “the sea to be crossed to reach the shores of Eternal Splendor?” Prayerfully consider this and journal your insights.

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“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”                                        St. Maximilian Kolbe

For Reflection: 

What position would Mary hold on Jesus’ own ranking of persons He loves? What indication do you have of this in Sacred Scripture. To what extent do you love Mary? How are you cultivating relationship with her? What one strategy can you employ today to make progress in this direction?

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“After the love which we owe Jesus Christ, we must give the chief place in our heart to the love of His Mother Mary.”

                                                                        St. Alphonsus Liguori

For Reflection: 

Why is this so? The Church teaches there are three forms of praise – latria, hyperdulia, and dulia. Latria refers to adoration and worship and is reserved for God alone. Dulia is the praise given to all of those who have achieved sanctity and accomplished much for the Kingdom of God. Hyperdulia is dulia to the superlative degree. This is reserved for Mary. What distinguishes Mary from every other saint, so much so that she is titled Queen of All Saints? How do all of the quotes we have discussed this month point to the hyperdulia owed to her?

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“Mary is the excellent masterpiece of the Most High, the knowledge and possession of which He has reserved to Himself. Mary is the ‘sealed fountain,’ the faithful spouse of the Holy Ghost, to whom He alone has entrance.”

                                                                        St. Louis de Montfort

For Reflection: 

Review the previous two quotes. In what way(s) do they parallel these comments of St. Louis de Montfort.  What do you make of the concept that the Most High has reserved for Himself the “knowledge and possession” of Mary?

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“Mary, give me your Heart: so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate; your Heart so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in the Bread of Life and love Him as you love Him and serve Him in the distressing guise of the poor.”

                                                                        Blessed Mother Teresa

For Reflection: 

St. Louis de Montfort tells us that when we entrust ourselves to her, Mary shares with us the operations of her own soul. Blessed Mother Teresa, as well as St. Maximilian in the preceding quote, give us insight into the soul of Mary. How do these qualities of Mary speak to strength and courage as well as humility and meekness? To what extent do you desire to share these aspects of Mary’s interior life? Go to her now and ask her as you humbly offer yourself to Jesus through her.

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“Mary, give me your Heart: so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate; your Heart so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in the Bread of Life and love Him as you love Him and serve Him in the distressing guise of the poor.”

                                                                        Blessed Mother Teresa

For Reflection: 

St. Louis de Montfort tells us that when we entrust ourselves to her, Mary shares with us the operations of her own soul. Blessed Mother Teresa, as well as St. Maximilian in the preceding quote, give us insight into the soul of Mary. How do these qualities of Mary speak to strength and courage as well as humility and meekness? To what extent do you desire to share these aspects of Mary’s interior life? Go to her now and ask her as you humbly offer yourself to Jesus through her.

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“She is a breath of divine power, a most pure effusion of the Most High; hence nothing sullied can ever contaminate her. She is a reflection of the eternal light, a spotless mirror of God’s activity, an image of his excellence…She is indeed more beautiful than the sun, surpasses all the constellations, and compared to light itself, she is more brilliant.”

                                          St. Maximilian Kolbe on the Blessed Virgin

For Reflection: 

Using the gift of your imagination, meditate on this quote. Which description strikes you the most? Why? How does it enhance your appreciation and understanding of Mary? In his writings, St. Maximilian Kolbe says to Our Lady with wonder, “Who are you, O Immaculata!” How does this quote incite the same wonder in you?

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“The greatest saints, those richest in grace and virtue will be the most assiduous in praying to the most Blessed Virgin, looking up to her as the perfect model to imitate and as a powerful helper to assist them.”

                                                                           St. Louis de Montfort 

For Reflection: 

Consider all of the great saints who have had a deep devotion to Our Lady. List a few of their names. In them, how do you see the imitation of Mary? To what extent does this inspire you to trust yourself more and more to her care and maternal beatitude? Tomorrow’s GraceLine gives us more reason to consider our consecration to her.

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