Imitate Mary’s patience, Mary: Day 076

Imitate Mary’s patience

If Mary is to be our model, says St. Alphonsus, we need to imitate her patience; for it’s patience that makes saints.

If we wish to be the children of Mary, we must seek to imitate her in her patience. “For what can enrich us with greater merit in this life,” asks St. Cyprian, “and greater glory in the next, than the patient endurance of sufferings?” Just as a hedge of thorns protects a vineyard, God protects his servants from the danger of attaching themselves to the things of this world by encompassing them with tribulations. For this reason, St. Cyprian concludes, it’s patience that delivers us from sin and from hell. It’s also patience that makes saints: “Let patience have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (see Jas 1:4). We must bear in peace, not only the crosses that come immediately from God, such as sickness and poverty, but also those that come from other people: perse- cutions, injuries, and all the rest.

St. John saw all the saints bearing palm branches—the emblem of martyr- dom—in their hands: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude . . . with palm branches in their hands” (Rv 7:9). These branches mean that all adults who are saved must be martyrs, either by shedding their blood for Christ or by patience. “Rejoice, then!” exclaims St. Gregory. “We can be martyrs without the executioner’s sword, if we only maintain patience.” “Provided only,” as St. Ber- nard says, “we endure the afflictions of this life with patience and joy.”

What fruit will be produced for us in heaven by every pain borne for God’s sake! That’s why the Apostle Paul encourages us with these words: “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor 4:17). When our crosses weigh heavily upon us, let’s turn to Mary, who is called by the Church “the Comforter of the Afflicted.” —St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
In which areas of my life do I need most to learn the virtue of patience? In particular, which people in my life are challenging me to exercise patience and endurance?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of St. Alphonsus: My most sweet Lady, you who were innocent suf- fered with so much patience. Should I, who deserve condemnation, refuse to suffer? My Mother, I now ask you this favor: not to be delivered from crosses, but to bear them with patience.

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