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Virgin Most Powerful
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Books - The Glories of Mary
Written by St. Alphonsus de'Liguori   
Beloved reader and brother in Mary. Since the devotion that led me to write, and moves you to read, this book, makes us happy children of the same good Mother, should you hear it remarked that I might have spared myself the labour, as there are already so many celebrated and learned works on the same subject, I beg- that you will reply, in the words of the Abbot Franone, that ' the praise of Mary is an inexhaustible fount, the more it is enlarged the fuller it gets, and the more you fill it so much the more is it enlarged.' In short, this Blessed Virgin is so great and sublime, that the more she is praised the more there remains to praise; so much so, says an ancient writer ' that if all the tongues of men were put together, and even if each of their members was changed into a tongue, they would not suffice to praise her as much as she deserves.'

I have seen innumerable works, of all sizes, which treat of the glories of Mary, but finding that they were either rare, voluminous, or did not answer the object I had in view, I endeavored to collect, from as many authors as I could lay my hands on, the choicest passages, extracted from Fathers and Theologians; and those which seemed to me to be the most to the point, and have put them together in this book, in order that the devout may with little trouble and expense be able to inflame themselves with the love of Mary, and more particularly to furnish priests with matter for their sermons, wherewith to excite others to devotion towards this Divine Mother.

Worldly lovers often speak of and praise those whom they love, in order that the object of their affections may be praised and extolled by others. There are some who pretend to be lovers of Mary, and yet seldom either speak of or endeavor to excite others to love her; their love cannot be great. It is not thus that true lovers of this amiable Lady act; they desire to praise her on all occasions, and to see her loved by the whole world, and never lose an opportunity, either in public or private, of enkindling in the hearts of others those blessed flames of love with which they themselves burn towards their beloved Queen.

That every one may be persuaded how important it is, both for his own good and that of others, to promote devotion towards Mary, it is useful to know what Theologians say on the subject. St. Bonaventure says, ' that those who make a point of announcing to others the glories of Mary, are certain of heaven;' and this opinion is confirmed by Richard of St. Lawrence, who declares, ' that to honor this Queen of Angels is to gain eternal life; ' J and he adds ' that this most gracious Lady will honor in the next world those who honor her in this; ' " and who is ignorant of the promise made by Mary herself, in the words of Ecclesiastes, to those who endeavor to make her known and loved here below, " they that explain me shall have life everlasting;"for this passage is applied to her by the Church, in the office for the Immaculate Conception. ' Rejoice then,' exclaims St. Bonaventure, (who did so much to make the glories of Mary known) ' rejoice, my soul, and be glad in her; for many good things are prepared for those who praise her; ' and he says that ' the whole of the Sacred Scriptures speak in praise of Mary,'let us therefore always with our hearts and tongues honor this Divine Mother, in order that we may be conducted by her into the kingdom of the blessed.

We learn, from the revelations of St. Bridget, that the blessed Bishop Emingo was in the habit of always beginning his sermons with the praises of Mary. One day the Blessed Virgin herself appeared to the Saint, and desired her to tell him, that in consequence of his pious practice, ' she would be his mother, that he would die a holy death, and that she would herself present his soul to God;' he died like a Saint in the act of praying, and in the most heavenly peace. Mary also appeared to a Dominican friar, who always concluded his sermons by speaking of her; when on his deathbed this Blessed Virgin defended him from the devils, consoled him, and then she herself carried off his happy soul. The devout Thomas a Kempis represents us Mary recommending a soul who had honored her to her Son, and saying, ' my most loving Son, have mercy on the soul of this servant of Thine, who loved and extolled me.'

Next, as to the advantage of this devotion; to all St. Anselm says, that as the most sacred womb of Man- was the means of salvation for sinners, the hearing of her praises must necessarily convert them, and thus also be a means of their salvation; ' how can it be otherwise than that the salvation of sinners should come, from the remembrance of her praises, whose womb was made the
way through which the Saviour came to save sinners.'

And if the opinion is true, and I consider it as indubitably so (as I shall show in the sixth Chapter), that all graces are dispensed by Mary, and that all who are saved are saved only by the means of this Divine Mother, it is a necessary consequence that the salvation of all depends upon preaching Mary, and exciting all to confidence in  her intercession. It is well known that it was thus that St. Bernardine of Sienna, sanctified Italy, and that St. Dominic converted so many provinces. St. Louis Bertrand never omitted in his sermons to exhort all to love Mary; and how many others have done the same ?

I find that Father Paid. Segneri, the younger, who was a very celebrated missioner, in every mission preached a sermon on devotion to Mary, and always called it his beloved sermon. And in our own missions in which it is an inviolable rule to do the same, we can attest, with all truth, that in most cases no sermon is more profitable, or produces so much compunction in the, hearts of the people, as the one on the mercy of Mary. I say, on her mercy, for, in the words of St. Bernard, ' we praise her virginity, we admire her humility; but because we are poor sinners, mercy attracts us more and tastes sweeter; we embrace mercy more lovingly; we remember it oftener, and invoke it more earnestly; ' and for this reason I here leave other authors to describe the other prerogatives of Mary, and confine myself for the most part to that of her mercy and powerful intercession; having collected, as far as I was able, and with the labour of many years, all that the holy Fathers and the most celebrated writers have said on this subject; and as I find that the mercy and power of the most Blessed Virgin are admirably portrayed in the prayer ' Salve Regina,' the recital of which is made obligatory for the greater part of the year on all the clergy, secular and regular, I shall divide and explain this most devout prayer in separate chapters. In addition to this, I thought that I should be giving pleasure to Mary's devout clients, by adding discourses on the principal festivals and virtues of this Divine Mother, and by placing at the end of the work the devotions and pious practices most used by her servants, and most approved of by the Church.

Devout reader, should this work, as I trust it will, prove  acceptable to you, I beg that you will recommend me to the Blessed Virgin, that she may give me great confidence in her protection. Ask this grace for me, and I promise you, whoever you may be, that I will ask the same for you who do me this charity. Oh, blessed are they who bind themselves with love and confidence to these two anchors of salvation, Jesus and Mary ! Certainly they will not be lost. Let us then both say, devout reader, with the pious Alphonsus Rodriguez, 'Jesus and Mary, my most sweet loves, for you may I suffer, for you may I die; grant that I may be in all things yours and in nothing mine. Let us love Jesus and Mary, and become Saints; we can neither expect nor hope anything better. Farewell then, until we meet in Paradise, at the feet of this most sweet Mother and of this most loving Son; there to praise them, to love them face to face, for all eternity.

Amen.  
 
 
The Author's Prayer to Jesus and Mary PDF Print E-mail
Books - The Glories of Mary
Written by St. Alphonsus de'Liguori   

My most loving Redeemer and Lord Jesus Christ, I, thy miserable servant, well knowing what pleasure he gives Thee who endeavors to exalt thy most holy Mother, whom Thou lovest so much; knowing, too, how much Thou desirest to see her loved and honored by all, have determined to publish this work of mine, which treats of her glories. I know not, however, to whom I could better recommend it than to Thee, who hast her glory so much at heart. To Thee, therefore, do I dedicate and commend it. Accept this little homage of the love I bear Thee and thy beloved Mother. Do Thou protect it, by showering down on all who read it the light of confidence and flames of love towards this Immaculate Virgin, in whom Thou hast placed the hope and whom Thou hast made the refuge of all the redeemed. And as a reward for my poor labour, grant me, I beseech Thee, that love towards Mary which, by the means of this book, I desire to see enkindled in all who read it. And now I turn to thee, O my most sweet Lady and Mother Mary. Thou well knowest that, after Jesus, I have placed my entire hope of salvation in thee : for I acknowledge that everything good — my conversion, my call to renounce the world, and all the other graces that I have received from God — all were given me through thy means. Thou knowest that in order to see thee loved by all as thou deservest, and also as some mark of gratitude for the many benefits thou hast conferred upon me, I have always endeavored in my sermons, in public and in private, to insinuate into all thy sweet and salutary devotion. I hope to continue doing so until my last breath, but my advanced years and feeble health admonish me that I am near the end of my pilgrimage and my entry into eternity ; and therefore I wish, before dying, to leave this book to the world, in order that in my place it may continue to preach thee, and encourage others to announce thy glories, and the tender compassion thou showest to thy clients. I trust, my most beloved Queen, that this little gift, which is one of love, though far beneath thy merits, will yet be acceptable to thy most gracious heart. Extend, then, that most sweet hand with which thou hast drawn me from the world and delivered me from hell, and accept it and protect it as thine own. But at the same time thou must know that I expect a reward for my little offering; and that is, that from this day forward I may love thee more than ever, and that every one into whose hands this work may fall may at once be inflamed with love of thee ; and that his desire of loving thee, and of seeing thee loved by others, may be increased, so that he may labour with all affection to preach and promote, as far as he can, thy praises, and confidence in thy most powerful intercession. Amen.

Thy most loving though vile servant,

Alphonsus de'Liguori 
 
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin to Obtain a Good Death. PDF Print E-mail
Books - The Glories of Mary
Written by St. Alphonsus de' Liguori   

Mary, sweet refuge of miserable sinners, when my soul is on the point of leaving this world, oh my most sweet Mother, by that sorrow which thou didst endure when assisting at the death of thy Son on the cross, assist me with thy mercy. Drive the infernal enemy far from me, and do thou come and take my soul to thyself, and present it to the eternal Judge. My Queen, abandon me not. Thou, after Jesus, hast to be my comfort in that terrible moment. Entreat thy beloved Son, in His goodness, to grant me the grace to die, clinging to thy feet, and to breathe forth my soul in His wounds, saying, Jesus, and Mary, I give you my heart and my soul. 
 
To The Reader PDF Print E-mail
Books - The Glories of Mary
Written by St. Alphonsus de' Liguori   

In order that my present work may not be condemned by the over-critical, I think it well to explain certain propositions that will be found in it, and which may seem hazardous, or perhaps obscure. I have noticed some, and should others attract your attention, charitable reader, I beg that you will understand them according to the rules of sound theology and the doctrine of the holy Roman Catholic Church, of which I declare myself a most obedient son. In the Introduction referring to the sixth chapter of this work, I say that it is the will of God that all graces should come to us by the hands of Mary.

Now, this is indeed a most consoling truth for souls tenderly devoted to our most Blessed Lady, and for poor sinners who wish to repent. Nor should this opinion be looked upon as contrary to sound doctrine, since the father of theology, St. Augustine, in common with most writers, says, that Mary cooperated by her charity in the spiritual birth of all members of the Church.

A celebrated writer, and one who cannot be accused of exaggeration or of misguided devotion, says, 'that it was, properly speaking, on Mount Calvary that Jesus formed His Church: and then it is evident that the Blessed Virgin cooperated in a most excellent and especial manner in the accomplishment of this work. And in the same way it can be said, that though she brought forth the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, without pain, she did not bring forth the body of this Head without very great suffering; and so it was on Mount Calvary that Mary began, in an especial manner, to be the Mother of the whole Church. And now, to say all in a few words : God, to  glorify the Mother of the Redeemer, has so determined and disposed, that of her great charity she should intercede in behalf of all those for whom His Divine Son paid and offered the superabundant price of His precious blood, in which alone " is our salvation, life, and resurrection."

On this doctrine, and on all that is in accordance with it, I ground my propositions — propositions which the Saints have not feared to assert in their tender colloquies with Mary, and fervent discourses in her honor. Hence St. Sophronins says, that ' the plenitude of all grace which is in Christ came into Mary though in a different way ; ' - meaning that the plenitude of grace was in Christ, as the Head from which it flows, as from its source ; and in Mary, as in the neck through which it flows.

This opinion is clearly confirmed and taught by the angelical Doctor, St. Thomas, who says : ' Of the three ways in which the Blessed Virgin is full of grace, the third is that she is so for its transfusion into all men ;' and then he adds : ' This plenitude is great in any Saint when there is as much grace as would suffice for the salvation of many, but it is in its highest degree when there is as much as would suffice for the salvation of the world ; and it was in this degree in Christ and in the Blessed Virgin : for in all dangers thou canst obtain salvation of this glorious Virgin ; and therefore it is said in the sacred Canticles, that " a thousand bucklers," that is to say, means of protection against dangers, " hang upon it." Also, in every work of virtue thou canst have her for thy helper, for she says, in the words of Ecclesiastes, " In me is all hope of life and virtue."