Mary will accept our meager praise, Mary: Day 355

Mary will accept our meager praise

St. John of Damascus recalls a story to illustrate that we should tell Mary our gratitude, even if we can’t adequately express it.

Neither  human  tongue  nor  angelic  mind  can  worthily  praise her through whom it is given to us to look clearly upon the Lord’s glory. What then? Shall we be silent through fear of our insufficiency? Certainly not. Mingling fear with desire, and weaving them into one crown with reverent hand and longing soul, let’s show forth the poor first fruits of our intelligence in gratitude to our queen and mother, the benefactor of all creation, as a repayment of our debt to her.

One day some peasants were ploughing up the soil when a king happened to pass by, in the splendor of his royal robes and crown and surrounded by countless gift bearers. As there was no gift to offer at that moment, one of the peasants was collecting water in his hands, as there happened to be a plentiful stream nearby. From this he prepared a gift for the king, who said, “What is this, my boy?”

The boy answered boldly: “I made the best of what I had, thinking it was better to show my willingness than to offer nothing. You don’t need our gifts, nor do you want anything from us except our good will. The need is on our side, and the reward is in the doing. I know that glory often comes to the grateful.”

Marveling, the king praised the boy’s cleverness, graciously acknowledged his willingness, and made him many rich gifts in return. Now, if that proud monarch so generously rewarded good intentions, won’t Our Lady, the Mother of God, accept our good will, not judging us by what we accomplish in praising her? —St. John of Damascus, First Homily on the Dormition

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . .  .

Do I ever worry that my lack of eloquence makes my prayers to Mary unwor- thy? Should a little child hesitate to tell his mother his gratitude because the only words he knows are “thank you”?

CLOSING PRAYER

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

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