Saint Alphonsus Liguori, the Prince of Moral Theologians, never fails to utter a stirring word on Our Lady and her graces. His work, The Glories of Mary, is the greatest compendium of Marian theology and exaltation ever written. In this excerpt, Saint Alphonsus describes ten virtues of Mary.
Humility
The first effect of humility of heart is a lowly opinion of ourselves: “Mary had always so humble an opinion of herself, that, although she saw herself enriched with greater graces than all other creatures, she never preferred herself to any one.”
Moreover, it is an act of humility to conceal heavenly gifts. Mary wished to conceal from Saint Joseph the great favour whereby she had become the Mother of God, although it seemed necessary to make it known to him.
It is also a part of humility to serve others. Mary did not refuse to go and serve Elizabeth for three months. For the same reason also when she was with the Apostles awaiting the coming of the Holy Ghost, she took the lowest place.
Charity Toward God
The more a heart is pure, and empty of itself, the greater is the fullness of its love towards God. The most holy Mary, because she was all humility, and had nothing of self in her, was filled with divine love, so that “her love towards God surpassed that of all men and angels.”
Charity Toward Man
So great was Mary’s charity when on earth, that she succoured 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 question of relieving her neighbour! 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.
Faith
As the Blessed Virgin is the mother of holy love and hope, so also is she the mother of faith: “I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.” Saint Augustine says, that “when Mary consented to the incarnation of the Eternal Word, by means of her faith she opened heaven to men.”
Hope
Mary was always perfectly detached from earthly affections, looking upon the world as a desert, and therefore, in no way relying either on creatures or on her own merits, but relying only on Divine grace, in which was all her confidence, she always advanced in the love of God. Ecclesiasticus tells us that thou art “the Mother of holy hope;” and the holy Church, that thou art our hope.
Chastity
God chose this most pure virgin for His Mother, that she might be an example of chastity to all. Therefore does Saint Ambrose call Mary “the standard-bearer of virginity.” By reason of her purity the Blessed Virgin was also declared by the Holy Ghost to be beautiful as the turtle-dove, and a lily among thorns.
Poverty
Mary could have lived in comfort on the property she inherited from her parents, but she preferred to remain poor, and reserving only a small portion for herself, distributed the rest in alms to the temple and the poor. Many authors are of opinion that Mary even made a vow of poverty; and we know that she herself said to Saint Bridget, “from the beginning I vowed in my own heart that I would never possess anything on earth.”
Prayer
From no one, says Saint Bonaventure, can we better take example, and learn how necessary is perseverance in prayer, than from Mary. In the first place, because her prayer was continual and persevering. In the very first moment, in which she had the perfect use of reason, which was, as we have said in the discourse on her nativity, in the first moment of her existence, she began to pray. Through love for prayer, the Blessed Virgin was so enamored of solitude.
Obedience
When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary God’s great designs upon her, she, through love for obedience, would only call herself a handmaid. Mary’s obedience was much more perfect than that of all other Saints; since all men, on account of original sin, are prone to evil, and find it difficult to do good; but not so the Blessed Virgin.
Patience
God gave us the Blessed Virgin Mary as a model of all virtues, but more especially as an example of patience. Compassion alone for the Redeemer’s sufferings sufficed to make her a martyr of patience.
Prayer of Mary the Handmaiden
Thy name, O Mother of God, is filled with all graces and divine blessings. Thou hast contained Him who cannot be contained, and nourished Him who nourishes all creatures. He who fills heaven and earth, and is Lord of all, was pleased to stand in need of thee, for it was thou who didst clothe Him with that flesh which He had not before. Rejoice then, O Mother and handmaid of God; be glad then, with exceeding great joy, for thou hast Him for thy debtor who gives their being to all creatures. We are all God’s debtors, but He is a debtor to thee. Hence it is, O most holy Mother of God, that thou hast greater goodness and greater charity than all the other Saints, and hast freer access to God than any of them, for thou art His Mother. Ah, deign, we beseech thee, to remember us in our miseries, who celebrate thy glories, and know how great is thy goodness.
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This article is taken from a chapter in The Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus Liguori which is available from TAN Books.
