Devotions to Mary should be joined with holiness, Mary: Day 088

Devotions to Mary should be joined with holiness

Even lavish devotions to Mary, says St. Alphonsus, are useless if they aren’t joined to personal holiness.

“The Queen of Heaven is so gracious and generous,” says St. Andrew of Crete, “that she rewards her servants with the greatest lavishness for the small- est devotions.” But there are conditions to this generosity. When we offer her our devotions, our souls should be free from sin. Otherwise, she might say to us what she said to a wicked soldier, once spoken of by St. Peter Celestine.

This soldier every day performed some devotion in honor of our Blessed Lady. One day he was suffering greatly from hunger, when Mary appeared to him and offered him some most delicious meats. But they were in such a filthy vessel that he couldn’t bring himself to taste them.

“I am the Mother of God,” the Blessed Virgin then said, “and I have come to satisfy your hunger.”

“But, Lady,” he answered, “I can’t eat out of such a dirty vessel.”

“And how,” replied Mary, “can you expect me to accept your devotions, offered to me with so defiled a soul as yours?”

On hearing this, the soldier was converted, became a hermit, and lived in a desert for thirty years. At his death, the Blessed Virgin again appeared to him, and took him herself to heaven.

It’s been said that it’s morally impossible for someone devoted to Mary to be lost. But this statement must be understood to have the condition that he lives either without sin, or at least lives with the desire to abandon it. For then the Blessed Virgin will help him. But if anyone, on the other hand, should sin in the hope that Mary will save him, he would render himself unworthy and unable to enjoy her protection.
—St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Do I ever find myself practicing exterior devotions to Mary while consciously disobeying God on some matter? What do I hope to gain from such devotions if my heart is in rebellion against God?

CLOSING PRAYER
Mary, help me hide these words in my heart: “The sacrifice of the  wicked is detestable;how much more when he brings it with evil intent” (see Prv 21:27).

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