Month of our Lady
Fourth day
Mary’s Charity Towards Her Neighbor
Love towards God and love towards our neighbor are commanded by the same
precept: And this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God, love
also his brother. St. Thomas says that the reason for this is, that he who
loves God loves all that God loves. St. Catharine of Genoa one day said, Lord,
Thou willest that I should love my neighbor, and I can love none but Thee. God
answered her in these words: All who love Me love what I love. But as there
never was, and never will be, any one who loved God as much as Mary loved Him,
so there never was, and never will be, any one who loved her neighbor as much
as she did. Father Cornelius a Lapide, on these words of the Canticles, King Solomon hath made him a litter, of the
wood of Libanus, . . . the midst he covered with charity for the daughters of
Jerusalem,’ says, that ‘this litter was Mary’s womb, in which the Incarnate
Word dwelt, filling it with charity for the daughters of Jerusalem; for Christ,
who is love itself, inspired the Blessed Virgin with charity in its highest
degree, that she might succor all who had recourse to her.
So great was Mary’s charity when on earth, that she succored the needy
without even being asked, as was the case at the marriage-feast of Cana, when
she told her Son that family’s distress, 'They have no wine,’ and asked Him to
work a miracle. O, with what speed did she fly when there was a question of
relieving her neighbor! When she went to the house of Elizabeth to fulfill an
office of charity, she went into the hill country with haste. She could not,
however, more fully display the greatness of her charity than she did in the
offering which she made of her Son to death for our salvation. On this subject
St. Bonaventure says, Mary so loved the world as to give her only-begotten Son.
Hence, St. Anselm exclaims: O, blessed amongst women, thy purity surpasses that
of the angels, and thy compassion that of the Saints! Nor has this love of Mary
for us, says St. Bonaventure, diminished now that she is in heaven, but it has
increased; for now she better sees the miseries of men. And therefore the Saint
goes on to say: Great was the mercy of Mary towards the wretched when she was
still in exile on earth; but far greater is it now that she reigns in heaven.
St. Agnes assured St. Bridget, that there was no one who prayed without
receiving graces through the charity of the Blessed Virgin. Unfortunate indeed
should we be, did not Mary intercede for us! Jesus Himself, addressing the
same Saint, said, Were it not for the prayers of My Mother, there would be no
hope of mercy. Blessed is he, says the Divine Mother, who listens to my
instructions, pays attention to my charity, and in imitation of me, exercises
it himself towards others. ‘Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that
watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.
EXAMPLE
We read, in the life of Sister Domenica del Paradiso, written by the
Dominican Father Ignatius del Niente, that she was born of poor parents, in the
village of Paradiso, near Florence. From her very infancy she began to serve
the Divine Mother. She fasted every day in her honor, and on Saturdays gave her
food, of which she deprived herself, to the poor. Every Saturday she went into
the garden, and into the neighboring fields, and gathered all the flowers that she could find, and presented them before an image of the Blessed Virgin,
with the Child in her arms, which she kept in the house. But let us now see
with how many favors this most gracious Lady recompensed the homage of her servant.
One day, when Domenica was ten years of age, standing at the window, she
saw in the street a lady of noble mien, accompanied by a little child, and they
both extended their hands, asking for alms. She went to get some bread, when in
a moment, without the door being opened, she saw them by her side, and
perceived that the child’s hands and feet and side were wounded. She therefore
asked the lady who had wounded the child. The mother answered, ‘ It was love.’
Domenica, inflamed with love at the sight of the beauty and modesty of the
child, asked him if the wounds pained him. His only answer was a smile.
But as they were standing near the statue of Jesus and Mary, the lady
said to Domenica, Tell me, my child, what is it that makes thee crown these
images with flowers?’ She replied: It is the love that I bear to Jesus and Mary. And how much dost thou love them? I love them as much as I can. And how much
canst thou love them? As much as they enable me. Continue, then, added the
lady — continue to love them; for they will amply repay thy love in heaven. The little girl then, perceiving that a heavenly odor came forth from those
wounds, asked the mother with what ointment she anointed them, and if it could
be bought. The lady answered, It is bought with faith and good works. Domenica then offered the bread. The mother said: Love is the food of my son
tell him that thou lovest Jesus, and he will be satisfied. The child at the
word love seemed filled with joy, and turning towards the little girl, asked
her how much she loved Jesus. She answered that she loved Him so much, that
night and day she always thought of Him, and sought for nothing else but to
give Him as much pleasure as she possibly could. It’s well, he replied; 'love Him, for love will teach thee what to do to please Him.’ The sweet odor
which exhaled from those wounds then increasing, Domenica cried out, O God,
this odor makes me die of love! If the odor of a child is so sweet, what must
that of heaven be! But behold, the scene now changed; the Mother appeared
clothed as a Queen, and the Child resplendent with beauty like the sun. He took
the flowers and scattered them on the head of Domenica, who, recognizing Jesus
and Mary in those personages, was already prostrate adoring them. Thus the
vision ended. Domenica afterwards took the habit of a Dominicaness, and died in
the odor of sanctity, in the year 1553.
PRAYER
O beloved Mother of God, most amiable Mary! O, that as thou didst
consecrate thyself to the glory and love of God, with promptitude and without
reserve, I could offer thee, this day, the first years of my life, to devote
myself without reserve to thy service, my holy and most sweet Lady! But it is
now too late to do this; for, unfortunate creature that I am, I have lost so
many years in the service of the world and my own caprices, and have lived in
almost entire forgetfulness of thee and of God. But it is better to begin late
than not at all. Behold, O Mary, I this day present myself to thee, and I offer
myself without reserve to thy service for the long or short time that I still
have to live in this world; and in union with thee I renounce all creatures,
and devote myself entirely to the love of my Creator.
I consecrate my mind to thee, O Queen, that it may always think of the
love that thou deservest; my tongue to praise thee, my heart to love thee. Do
thou accept, O most holy Virgin, the offering which this miserable sinner now
makes thee. But since I enter thy service late, it is reasonable that I should
redouble my acts of homage and love, thereby to compensate for lost time. Do
thou help my weakness with thy powerful intercession, O Mother of Mercy, by
obtaining me perseverance from thy Jesus, and strength to be always faithful to
thee until death; that thus always serving thee in life, I may praise thee in
paradise for all eternity. Amen.
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