The Month Of Mary, According To The Spirit Of St. Francis Of Sales

DON CASPAR GILLI.

Translated and abridged from the Italian by a...

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SISTER OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHARITY.

ROBERT WASHBOURNE, 18 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. 1890. Nihil Obstat. FR. T. A. SMITH, O.P. Censor deputatus Imprimatur. cross HENRICUS EDUARDUS, Card. Archep. Westmonast. Die 14 Martii, 1890....

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PROTESTATION.

IN conformity with the decree of the sovereign Pontiff Urban VIII., I declare that I wish to give only a purely human authority to all the miraculous facts related in this work, excepting those that are confirmed by the decisions of the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, to whose infallible judgment I intend to submit my person and my writings; nor shall I cease to declare myself her respectful son, believing all that she proposes to my belief, because she is the sole depositary here o

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PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION.

Doctrine of St. Francis of Sales upon Devotion to Mary. HOLY Church, speaking of the most Blessed Virgin, says that she went up from the desert of this world flowing with delights, leaning upon her Beloved . In fact, all the praises bestowed upon the Saints, and upon Mary in particular, terminate in Christ our Lord; because all these praises should be directed to the glory of her Divine Son, Who led her by His grace to the most exalted degree of merit and happiness. It is related in Scripture th

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THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

THE wonderful variety which is observable in the works of nature gives us a very high idea of the immeasurable riches of the Almighty Creator. And yet He manifests His power still more in the supernatural order, and the wonderful diversity of the works of grace preaches more loudly the munificence of His mercy. God, in the excess of His goodness, did not merely grant a general redemption to men, sufficient for the salvation of each one, but He diversified and multiplied the supernatural gifts wh

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FIRST DAY.

MARY, A MODEL OF PERFECT SELF-DENIAL FROM HER BIRTH. LET all who are devout to the most holy Virgin approach the cradle in which lies the royal infant, Mary. Consider attentively this sacred child, and you will see how perfectly she practises every virtue. Ask the Angels, the Cherubim and Seraphim, who surround her, if they equal this little creature in perfection, and they will all reply that they are immensely inferior to her in graces, in merits, and in virtue. Contemplate, Children of Mary,

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SECOND DAY.

MARY CONSECRATES HERSELF TO GOD IN THE TEMPLE. MARY was no sooner born than she consecrated her entire being to the service of Divine Love, and as soon as she acquired the use of her tongue she employed it in chanting the praises of the Lord. He inspired her, when she had attained the age of three years, to leave the home of her parents and retire into the Temple to serve Him more perfectly. During her tender years the life of this glorious Virgin was full of wisdom and discretion, and the cause

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THIRD DAY.

CONTINUATION OF THE PRECEDING SUBJECT. THE second point presented to our consideration in the presentation of Our Lady is that in order to consecrate herself to God in the Temple she was carried part of the way by her parents, and walked the remainder, being, however, always assisted by them. When St. Joachim and St. Anne arrived at a spot where the road was level they placed the little maiden on the ground, and allowed her to walk, but even then she lifted up her little hands to clasp theirs, t

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FOURTH DAY.

FIDELITY OF MARY IN FOLLOWING THE CALL OF GOD. LET us consider in this meditation the punctual care with which Mary always followed her vocation. God had uttered in her ears, or rather in the interior of her heart, the words of the psalm: Audi Fili, inclina aurem tuam, et obliviscere populum tuum, et domum patris tui et concupiscet rex decorem tuum—'Hearken, my child, incline thine ear to Me; forget thy people and thy father's house, and the King shall desire thy beauty .' Ponder attentively the

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FIFTH DAY.

MARY IS A MODEL TO RELIGIOUS PERSONS IN HER PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE. GOD had commanded all the Hebrews to visit the Temple, but all, rich and poor, were forbidden to enter it empty-handed: Non apparetis in conspectu meo vacuus . The offering, however, was not the same for all. The rich were to give according to their riches, the poor according to their poverty, and thus all were able to observe the precept. From this we may understand that when seculars come to God and offer Him the desire an

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SIXTH DAY.

THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN. WE read in the Gospel that the Angel Gabriel visited Our Lady in the town of Nazareth; and, as the word 'Nazareth' signifies 'flowers,' well is the Church represented in this town! What, in fact, is the Church but a house or a town adorned with flowers? All actions performed according to her laws are as so many flowers. Mortifications, humiliations, prayers—in short, all pious exercises are acts of virtue, which, like most beautiful flowers, diffuse a pl

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SEVENTH DAY.

THE EXCELLENCE OF THE VIRGINITY OF MARY. LET us consider attentively the virtues that were practised by the Most Holy Virgin on the day of her glorious Annunciation. The first was virginity and purity so perfect that nothing can be compared to it amongst the purest creatures. Secondly, a most profound humility, united with a most ardent charity. Although the angelic virtue of perfect chastity belongs more particularly to Angels than to men, nevertheless, Our Lady infinitely surpassed all the Ang

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EIGHTH DAY.

THE VISITATION. THOUGH Mary had thus humbled herself before God, she did not stop there, because she knew that humility and charity do not attain their highest degree of perfection until, for God's sake, they are exercised in behalf of our neighbour. True fraternal charity proceeds from the love of God, and in proportion as this increases, the love of our neighbour becomes more intense. The Apostle of Charity teaches us this truth, when he says: Qui enim non diliget fratrem suum quem vidit, Deum

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NINTH DAY.

THE CHARITY OF MARY IN THE VISITATION. WE must not imagine that the Blessed Virgin Mary was moved to undertake this long journey to visit her cousin, St. Elizabeth, by curiosity to know if what the Angel had told her were true, for she had not the slightest doubt of it. Our Blessed Lady was moved by a secret impulse of God, Who wished to commence the work of Redemption and the sanctification of souls in this visit, by the sanctification of the infant St. John. The most ardent charity and most pr

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TENTH DAY.

BY THE VISIT OF MARY, ELIZABETH IS FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST. LET us continue our Meditation on the sweet mystery of the Visitation. The visit which this incomparable Virgin made to St. Elizabeth was not useless, nor, like the visits of worldly people, a matter of ceremony. Such visits result in harm to the conscience, in offences against chastity or charity. The Most Holy Virgin was induced to visit her cousin Elizabeth from pure motives of charity, and the days she spent with her were not emp

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ELEVENTH DAY.

HUMILITY OF MARY. THE Blessed Virgin Mary surpassed all the Angels and Saints in perfection and merit; and of all creatures none as she was so pleasing to God. Who, indeed, ever possessed so ardent a charity and so profound a humility? Where shall we find humility equal to that which appeared in Mary when, in answer to Elizabeth, she confessed that the cause of her happiness was that the Lord had deigned to regard the humility of His handmaid, and that therefore all generations should call her b

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TWELFTH DAY.

THROUGH THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST RECEIVES THE MOST SPECIAL GRACES. WHO could number all the graces and favours showered upon the house of Zachary, when the Holy Virgin entered it? If Abraham received many graces for the hospitality he gave to three Angels; if Jacob was the cause of so many blessings to Laban, an idolater, in whose house he dwelt; if Lot was saved from the fire of Sodom, for having given shelter to two Angels; if the Prophet Elias filled with oil all the vess

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THIRTEENTH DAY.

THE TRIALS AND CONSOLATIONS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. WE can never meditate too much upon the great and cruel sorrows with which the heart of the august Virgin Mary was afflicted during the whole course of her life; yet she was the most holy of creatures, the most beloved by God. 'You,' exclaims St. Chrysostom, 'who bitterly weep and lament, under the contradictions and afflictions that assail you, are you not ashamed to desire and seek for such a happiness as even the Holy Family did not enjoy? Po

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FOURTEENTH DAY.

MARY AT BETHLEHEM. GOD resolved to confer on mankind the most signal and loving benefit of the Incarnation, and came down upon earth into the desert of this world like a celestial manna, that He might become our food, during our journey to the promised land of Paradise. Our adorable Saviour rendered Himself visible to us at His birth, as a beautiful little Infant, lying in a manger, and this was in the night, when the world was covered with darkness. The Divine Nature of Our Lord Jesus Christ is

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FIFTEENTH DAY.

THE UNION OF CHARITY AND HUMILITY IN THE HEART OF MARY AT THE INCARNATION. GOD is One; hence He loves unity and union, and hates all that is not in accordance with this unity. The reason is this—that as He is perfect in all His attributes, He must have a sovereign love for all that is perfect, and unity is perfection. He must also be averse to all disunion, because whatever is disunited is so far imperfect. As then God wished to show us how dear to Him is union, He effected three distinct modes

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SIXTEENTH DAY.

THE PURIFICATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. LET us meditate attentively upon the virtues of which Mary gives us so moving an example in the mystery of her Purification in the Temple. First of all, what more profound humility can be imagined than that practised by Our Saviour and Our Lady in their visit to the Temple? He comes to be offered, like all the sons of sinful men; she, to be purified like all other women. With regard to our adorable Redeemer, it is of Faith that He, being essential purity,

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SEVENTEENTH DAY.

MARY, THE MODEL OF PERFECT OBEDIENCE, IN THE MYSTERY OF THE PURIFICATION. LET us consider in this meditation how our adorable Saviour and His Most Holy Mother united perfect obedience to profound humility. Our Lord preferred the death of the Cross rather than fail in obedience. 'Jesus Christ,' says the great Apostle, 'was obedient unto death, even to the death of the Cross'— Factus obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis . And what signal obedience did not Mary exercise at the death of her

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EIGHTEENTH DAY.

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.—TRUST IN PROVIDENCE. THE unspeakable joy which Mary and Joseph experienced after the birth of Jesus was of short duration. The Angel of the Lord came again to visit Joseph in sleep, and said to him, 'Arise, and take the Child and His Mother and fly into Egypt, and be there until I shall tell thee, for it will come to pass that Herod will seek the Child to destroy Him.' See how the heavenly messenger treats Mary and Joseph, precisely as if they were true Religious! How many

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NINETEENTH DAY.

MARY, AT THE MARRIAGE OF CANA, TEACHES US THE BEST METHOD OF PRAYER. 'THERE was a marriage,' says St. John, 'in Cana of Galilee, and the Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited and His disciples.' Let us consider the goodness of our adorable Saviour in not refusing the invitation to the wedding. He had come to redeem and reform man, and therefore would not assume a rigid and austere manner. He was always gentle and courteous, so as to draw men to follow Him. His presence at the wed

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TWENTIETH DAY.

THE PETITION OF MARY AT THE MARRIAGE OF CANA WAS FULL OF CONFIDENCE. LET us endeavour, by the Divine assistance, to discover all the lessons contained in the petition of Mary and in the answer of Jesus. Mary turns to Jesus, and says to Him: Vinum non habent —'They have no wine;' and He replies: Quid mihi, et tibi est, mulier? Nondum venit hora mea —'Woman, what is there in common between Me and thee? My hour is not yet come.' This reply at first sight seems harsh, and it surprises us, coming fro

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TWENTY-FIRST DAY.

MARY OBTAINS THE FIRST MIRACLE FROM JESUS BY HER LIVELY FAITH. THAT we may conceive a just idea of the power the Most Holy Virgin possesses over the Heart of Jesus, let us meditate upon those other words which He addressed to her at the marriage of Cana: Nondum venit hora mea —'My hour is not yet come.' Without discussing the opinion of certain Doctors, who think that Our Lord, by these words, meant to say that the wine was not yet wanted, I shall call your attention to this reflection: that the

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TWENTY-SECOND DAY.

MARY CHOSE THE BETTER PART. WE read in the Gospel that Martha, into whose house Our Lord had entered, was busy and troubled about many things in her anxiety to serve Him, whilst her sister Mary remained at His feet, listening to His words. Martha was concerned about Our Lord's bodily comfort, but Mary, laying aside every other thought, nourished her soul with the sacred instructions of her Divine Master. A soul, recollected interiorly before God, is sometimes so sweetly attentive to the goodness

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TWENTY-THIRD DAY.

THE BLESSED VIRGIN DID NOT NEGLECT THE DUTIES OF MARTHA. THE conduct of Martha and Mary give us another touching subject for our meditation. These two sisters well represent to us Our Lady. Like Martha the Blessed Virgin Mary received her Son Our Lord into her house, and into her most chaste womb, when He came into this world, and with incomparable care she always served Him whilst He lived on earth, in reward of which He exalted her in heaven to an unparalleled glory. Like Mary, she listened to

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TWENTY-FOURTH DAY.

MARY IN HER SLEEP. WE can begin to love God in this life, but it is only in the next that we shall be able to love Him perfectly. In the expression we I do not intend to speak of the Most Holy Virgin, because she is the Daughter of beautiful Love, the one only dove, the perfect Spouse. Yes; the charity of Mary surpassed that of the Seraphim. 'If all the daughters have gathered riches, thou hast surpassed them all.' The Saints and Angels are compared to stars, but Mary is beautiful as the moon, d

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TWENTY-FIFTH DAY.

MARY ON CALVARY IS THE MOTHER OF ALL CHRISTIANS. OUR Beloved Saviour had instituted the Sacrament of Love that He might remain amid His children. He had poured forth all His Blood for us, and He wished moreover to bequeath us a legacy in the last Testament of His Love. But what more could He give us? He casts a compassionate look upon His tender Mother, who stands immovable at the foot of the Cross with His beloved disciple. It is not to enrich her with His grace, for she already possessed it mo

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TWENTY-SIXTH DAY.

MARY AFTER THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. GOD placed two beautiful luminaries in the heavens on the fourth day of the Creation; one called the greater , the other the lesser light ; the former to rule over the day, the latter, over the night. Although God decreed that darkness should succeed the day, He, the increated Light, would not allow the night to be entirely deprived of light. When, in His Providence, He wished to create the spiritual world in His Church, He placed in it, as in a Divine firmame

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TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY.

MARY IN THE UPPER ROOM AT JERUSALEM. THE Eternal Father bestowed an incomparable gift upon the world when He gave it His Only Son. Jesus Christ Himself said: 'God hath so loved the world as to give it His Only Son;' and St. Paul exclaims: 'How has He not with Him given us all things?'— Quomodo non etiam omnia cum illo nobis donavit? Almighty God, in the ancient Law, had bestowed an infinity of blessings upon His chosen people; but they were given according to measure. In the Law of Grace, howeve

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TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY.

HOW PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD WAS THE DEATH OF MARY. ACCORDING to the common opinion of the Doctors of the Church, when the Blessed Virgin Mary had attained the age of sixty-three she died, or rather, she slept the sleep of death. But how is it, some will say, that Our Lord, Who loved His Holy Mother so tenderly, did not grant her the privilege of exemption from death, since death is the wages of sin, and she had never sinned? How contrary are such thoughts to those of God, and how far remove

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TWENTY-NINTH DAY.

MARY, LIKE JESUS, DIES OF DIVINE LOVE. OUR Lady died of Divine love, like her adorable Son. The foundation of this belief is, that having but one life with her Divine Son, she could have but one and the same death. In reality, they were two distinct persons; but they had one heart, one soul, one mind, one life! If this was said of the first Christians; if Jesus Christ lived in St. Paul, because his spirit was dead in the Heart of his Saviour, with much greater truth could it be said that Jesus C

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THIRTIETH DAY.

THE DEATH OF MARY WAS SWEET AND TRANQUIL. As the peaceful morning dawns, not by fits and starts, but steadily and gradually, so that its progress is scarcely perceptible, so did Divine love increase in the heart of Our Lady, the glorious Virgin Mary. Her progress in charity was tranquil, uniform and uninterrupted, so that she continually pursued her course towards the Divinity Whom she loved. Consider that love is, in its nature, calm, tranquil, and full of sweetness, and becomes violent only wh

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THIRTY-FIRST DAY.

THE RESURRECTION AND ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. THERE can be no doubt whatever that Our Lord fulfilled towards Mary the precept which He gave in general to all children to honour their parents. Indeed, where is the son who would not raise his mother from the grave to lead her to Paradise, if he had it in his power? The great triumph of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is celebrated by all the Saints, and by the whole Church Militant. After the Ark of the Covenant had dwelt for a long

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ACT OF CONSECRATION OF ST. FRANCIS OF SALES TO THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN.

In concluding these pious exercises of the Month of Mary let us, in the spirit of St. Francis of Sales, recite the following Act of Consecration, which he often repeated to the Queen of Heaven, and in which the beauty of his soul and the purity of his heart are well depicted. I salute you, most sweet Virgin Mary, Mother of God; you are my Mother and my Mistress; and therefore, I entreat you to accept me as your son and your servant; I wish to have no other Mother than you. I beg you, then, my go

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'Who is like unto God!'

An Indulgence of 40 days is attached to the devout recital of this prayer. cross ETIENNE, Bishop of Lausanne . All ye holy Angels and Archangels keep us and defend us. Amen. O good and tender Mother! Thou shalt ever be our love and our hope. A Prayer in time of Temptation. O Divine Mother! Send thy Angels to defend me, and drive the cruel enemy from me. These prayers were approved by the Archbishop of Tours, and the Bishops of Bayonne and Nantes in the year 1863. ORIGIN OF THE MIRACULOUS PRAYER.

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She was:—

1. A true admirer of God. 2. A real lover of her Son. 3. A Virgin, both in body and mind. 4. Humble of heart. 5. Grave in speech. 6. Prudent in counsel. 7. Given to labour. 8. Reserved in discourse. 9. Fond of reading....

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She excelled:—

10. In Faith. 11. In Modesty. 12. In Piety. 13. In Silence....

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Never did She:—

14. Offend her parents. 15. Despise little ones. 16. Deride the weak. 17. Slight the poor....

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It was a principle with Her:—

18. To serve God above all. 19. To live in retirement. 20. To cause nobody trouble. 21. To do good to all. 22. To honour the aged. 23. Not to envy her equals. 24. To shun vainglory. 25. To love virtue. 26. To follow right reason in all things....

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There never appeared anything light or frivolous:

27. In her gait. 28. In her air. 29. In her discourse. 30. In her behaviour 31. In her looks. 32. In her actions. Copies of this "Concise Portrait" at 1s. the 100 can be had of R. WASHBOURNE, 18 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. Our Lady's Month; Or, Short Lessons for the Month of Mary, and the Feasts of Our Lady. By Very Rev. A. P. Canon BETHELL. 18mo., cloth, 1s. Extracts from the Writings of Cardinal Manning, Cardinal Newman, the Saints, and others. By J. S. FLETCHER. 32mo., cloth, 6d.; better bound,

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