Thirsty for the wine of Christ’s love St. Bernard prays to Our Lady using the image of wine, drawing from the Gospel account of her intercessory role at the marriage feast in Cana (see Jn 2:1–12). To you we cry, Queen of Mercy! Return to us, so that we may behold you dispensing favors, bestowing remedies, giving strength. Ah, tender mother! Tell your all-powerful Son that we have no more wine. We are thirsty for the wine of his love,... Read more

A magnet of hearts St. Alphonsus recalls a nobleman who despaired of his salvation, but found hope in the assistance of Mary. A certain nobleman despaired of his salvation on account of his many crimes. He was encouraged by a monk to turn to the most Blessed Virgin and, for this purpose, to visit a devout statue of Mary in a particular church. He went there and, on seeing the image, he felt as if she invited him to cast... Read more

The land overflowing with milk and honey Mercy is fruitful, St. Alphonsus assures us, so Mary is like the biblical Promised Land, “flowing with milk and honey.” St. Bernard, speaking of the great compassion of Mary toward us poor creatures, says, “She is the land overflowing with milk and honey promised by God” (see Ex 3:8, 17). For this reason Pope St. Leo the Great observes, “The Blessed Virgin has so merciful a heart, that she deserves not only to... Read more

The ladder by which God came down into the world It was Mary’s perfect humility, says St. Alphonsus, that became a ladder between heaven and earth. In admiring Mary’s humility, St. Bernard speaks beautifully: “O Lady, how could so humble an opinion of yourself be united in a heart with such great purity, with such innocence, and so great a fullness of grace as you possessed? And how, O Blessed Virgin, did this humility, such great humility, ever take such... Read more

Invoke Mary’s name for purity St. Alphonsus reports that Mary’s name is an especially powerful weapon against temptations to impurity. It’s well known, and daily experienced by those who seek Mary’s assis- tance, that her powerful name gives the specific strength necessary to overcome temptations against purity. Richard of Saint Lawrence comments on the words of St. Luke: “And the Virgin’s name was Mary” (Lk 1:27). He remarks that these two words, “Mary” and “Virgin,” are joined together by the... Read more

Mary comes immediately to our aid St. Bonaventure cried out for Mary to come running to help him, but as St. Alphonsus notes, he was in fact confident of her speed. She not only runs; she flies to our assistance. St. Bonaventure remarks that the biblical figure Ruth, whose name means “seeing and hurrying,” was a figure of Mary: “For Mary, seeing our miseries, hurries in her mercy to help us.” The spiritual writer Novarini adds: “Mary, in the greatness... Read more