A throne of divine mercy, Mary: Day 041

A throne of divine mercy

The Divine Mercy message didn’t begin with our Lord’s revelations to St. Faustina Kowalska in the twentieth century. Nearly seven centuries before, St. Alphonsus reports, St. Bonaventure wrote about Mary’s role in the Divine Mercy.

“Who can there be in the world,” exclaims St. Bonaventure, “who refuses to love this most amiable queen? She is more beautiful than the sun, and sweeter than honey. She is a treasure of goodness, lovable and courteous to all. I salute you, then,” continues the enraptured saint, “O my Lady and mother— no, my heart, my soul! Forgive me, Mary, if I say that I love you; for if I am not worthy to love you, at least you are all-worthy to be loved by me.”

It was revealed to St. Gertrude that when these words are addressed with devotion to the most Blessed Virgin—“Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us”—Mary cannot do otherwise than yield to the demand of anyone who calls on her this way. “Truly, O great Lady,” says St. Bernard, “the immensity of your mercy fills the whole earth.”

The prophet Isaiah foretold that, together with the great work of the redemption of the human race, a throne of divine mercy was to be prepared for us poor creatures: “And a throne shall be prepared in mercy” (see Is 16:5). What is this throne?

St. Bonaventure answers: “Mary is this throne, at which all—both the righ- teous and sinners—find the consolations of mercy.” He then adds: “For as we have a most merciful Lord, so also we have a most merciful Lady. Our Lord is plentiful in mercy to all who call upon him, and Our Lady is plentiful in mercy to all who call upon her.”

As our Lord is full of mercy, so also is Our Lady. And just as the Son doesn’t know how to refuse mercy to those who call upon him, neither does the mother. —St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
What does it mean to say that Mary is her Son’s throne? How is the mercy of God at the same time the mercy of his mother?

CLOSING PRAYER
From the “Divine Mercy Chaplet”: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

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