My soul, step joyfully forth!, Mary: Day 185

My soul, step joyfully forth!

Blessed Henry Suso urges his dejected soul, burdened with sins, to take heart and go to Mary for help.

When our poor souls are in the narrow prison house of unfathomable sorrow of heart, and we can stir neither here nor there, nothing remains for us except to lift up our miserable eyes to you, O chosen Queen of Heaven! For this reason, this day I and all penitent hearts salute you, you mirror reflecting the brightness of the Eternal Sun, you hidden treasure of infinite compassion!

You exalted spirits, you pure souls, stand forth, extol and praise, commend and exult in the ravishing paradise of all delight, the sublime queen! For I am not worthy to do so, unless in her goodness she should consent to allow me.

Mary—you chosen bosom friend of God, you fair, golden crown of Eternal Wisdom—permit me, a poor sinner, even me in my weakness, to speak to you a little in confidence. With a trembling heart, shame-faced, with dejected eyes, my soul falls down before you. You mother of all graces, I think that neither my soul nor any other sinful soul requires permission or a passport to turn to you.

Aren’t you the immediate mediatrix of all sinners? The more reasonable a soul is, the more reasonable it seems to her that she should have free access to you. The deeper she is in wickedness, the more reason she has to press forward to you.

Therefore, my soul, step joyfully forth! If your great crimes drive you away, her unfathomable goodness invites you to draw near.

For this reason, Mary—you sole consolation of sinful hearts, you sole refuge of guilty mortals, to whom so many a wet eye, so many a wounded heart is raised up—be a gracious mediatrix and channel of reconciliation between me and the Eternal Wisdom! —Blessed Henry Suso, Little Book of Eternal Wisdom

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Do I have days when the weight of my sins makes me reluctant even to seek mercy from God? Does Blessed Henry’s prayer encourage me to “step joyfully forth” to seek Mary’s help anyway?

CLOSING PRAYER
From “Thirty Days’ Prayer to the Blessed Virgin”: O Mary Immaculate, we honor your precious name of Mother of Confidence. It fills our hearts to overflowing with the sweetest consolation and moves us to hope for every blessing from you.

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