Sermon Xxiii Of The Devout Service Of The Blessed Virgin And The Remembrance Of Her Name
SERMON XXIII
OF THE DEVOUT SERVICE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN AND THE REMEMBRANCE OF HER NAME
BY memory is unto everlasting generations. Mary is the friend of poverty, the way of humility: the pattern of patience, and in all things perfect. From the beginning of the birth of Jesus she led a life of poverty: and unto its issue on the cross, she constantly held to patience. Let it please thee to follow her: to honour her with humble and devout service is befitting: and daily it behoves to weigh: what mark of thankfulness and special love should be most earnestly paid. Thou wouldst willingly rejoice with Mary in Heaven: bear also willingly poverty and contempt with Mary upon earth. Behold her humble ways, and her maidenly modesty amid her companions: and restrain thy levity, and shun tumult. Beware of displeasing Jesus and Mary by vain words: and unworthy actions. For it is not a light thing: to displease such dear Patrons. They see everything thou doest; and as thou showest thyself in amendment: so wilt thou experience them in thy aid. However their wisdom surpasses thy malice: and their indulgence brings thee to repentance. If thou dost recognize thy faults: change thy state unto a better. Persevere in good: and devoutly render thanks to God for His blessings. Thus did blessed Mary when she was filled with the Holy Ghost: and bare Jesus in her womb. Learn by the example of her mildness to bear piously the troubles that befall thee: and submit thyself to the divine ordinance, as it was ordained from eternity. Jesus will be thy helper; Mary will be to thee a faithful Mother: be thou a good son and a devout servant ready for ever good work.
Dost thou wish to do what is pleasing to the blessed Virgin?
Be humble, patient: sober, bashful, chaste.
Be fervent, mild: intern, of mind devout.
Go seldom forth: read, write, and often pray.
The service of Mary should not seem long, or burdensome. It is delightful and joyous: to serve such a Lady with heart and voice. For it shall not be without notable recompense: whatsoever little thing shall have been performed in her honour. The lowly Mother does not spurn little services; the loving Virgin willingly accepts small offerings: when they are offered freely and devoutly. She knows that we cannot give great things: nor does the pitiful Lady, the meek Queen demand impossibilities of her servants. That noble nature cannot refrain from pity for the needy: which brought forth mercy for the whole world. O how graciously she receives them that faithfully serve her: who has so frequently converted by her admonitions, and by evident miracles men who were living miserably in the world. How many would have been eternally damned, or would have bided obstinate in despair: if the most gentle Virgin Mary had not interceded for them with her Son. Meetly then is it said of her, that she is pitiful to all the wretched: and the help of all sinners. She does not seek, or need what we have: whose beck the heavens obey. She loves our good when she exacts service of us; she desires our salvation: when she requires that we pay her praise. And when she sees that the memory of her name is celebrated; thence she seeks an occasion to do us good: for she delights to repay her servants. She is most faithful to her promises: and most generous in her gifts. She is full of delights: and ever enjoys the harmony of the angels. Nevertheless she takes pleasure in the service of men: that the honour of God and the salvation of many may thence be more abundantly procured. She is moved by the tears of the wretched, she compassionates the sorrows of the distressed: she succours the perils of the tempted: she bows down to the prayers of the devout. If a man readily and humbly has recourse to her, and calls upon her sweet and glorious name: he shall not depart from her empty-handed. She has many who cleave to her; and the choirs of the angels obey her: and these she can send to the solace of the destitute. She commands the demons, that they presume not to trouble anyone: who submits himself to her dominion and charge. The evil spirits dread the Queen of Heaven: and they flee when they hear her holy name, as from fire. They fear the holy and terrible name of Mary: which to Christians is most lovable and ever glorious. They dare not appear and are unable to exercise their wiles: where they know that the name of Holy Mary shines forth. As if a thunderbolt had fallen from Heaven, they are overthrown at the sound of Holy Mary; and the more often it is uttered, and lovingly invoked: the more speedily and the further are they put to flight.
Again the holy angels and the spirits of the just rejoice, and are glad over the devotion of the faithful: that they so lovingly and earnestly celebrate the memory of Holy Mary: whose honourable name is shown forth in all the bounds of the churches: which have been especially dedicated to her name. And it is befitting and meet, that in preference to all the saints of God the Mother should be honoured by the dwellers of earth: whom the world of angels worships with highest praise. The name of Mary then is to be venerated by all the faithful, ever to be loved by the devout, embraced by religious, commended to the people, preached to sinners: suggested to the afflicted, invoked in all dangers. For she is the nearest to God and the most dear to the Son of God her Child the blessed Jesus; able faithfully to intercede for all the tearful sons of Adam: that He forgive their sins, and succour them in their perils. For when the occasion presents itself, she does not delay to whisper a good word in the ears of her Son: and to implore mercy for the needy. And she shall be most speedily heard in every cause entrusted to her, for her singular reverence: for her loving Son Jesus the Author of the salvation of the human race, honours her denying her nothing. Wherefore let all the faithful and devout desirous of escaping the shipwreck of the world, and of reaching the harbour of eternal salvation: fly to Our Lady St. Mary; whose unspeakable kindness tastes to the wretched most sweet, and cleaves to them most strongly: so that rightly may most abundant confidence be placed in her. Truly from infancy mercy grew up with her; nor hath it left her in Heaven that now she should be unmindful of her poor: but it has filled her most plentifully and sweetly. And although she be the highest of all, and encompassed with most blissful joys: nevertheless she is not forgetful of her lowliness: whereby she most worthily merited to be raised above all. And therefore does she know how to bow graciously to her least servants: rejoicing to become the advocate of the miserable: and to be called the mother of the orphaned. Amen.