Sweet and kind Virgin, full of dignity and bounty, Virgin sanctified in the womb, Virgin powerful as thou art pure, most glorious Mother of God, Mother most chaste, and Lady most reverently honored, I pray thee of thy goodness to preserve my body and my soul from all sin, and take them both into thy holy keeping. Amen.
Nineteenth Day. The Love of Mary.
O Mary most amiable, who can name thee and not be inflamed with love? What Mother so worthy of love, so kind and generous to us as Mary? To her heaven is indebted for the countless number of the elect redeemed by the blood of her dear Son. As Mother of Our Redeemer, Mary regards us as her own possession. She knows how costly was the ransom paid for us, therefore she never ceases to intercede that none may be lost. How then could we help loving this Daughter of the King, who interests herself so much in our behalf? If we love God we must love His holy Mother. It is our daily task to love Jesus more and more, and experience tells us that we never advance more rapidly in love of God than when we are accompanied by His Mother. There is no time lost in seeking Jesus if we go at once to Mary. She is the short road to Him, and speedy and full are the answers to the petitions which her hand presents. O Mary most admirable, obtain that we may love thee with all the powers of our soul, with all the tenderness of our heart, and with all our strength.
Prayer.
O Mother most amiable and admirable! O wondrous Mother, thou art all lovely and glorious! Thou art the most blessed and most perfect of all! Kind and gracious Mother, pray for us, win us grace to love thee with a most tender love, that we may thereby grow in love for Jesus, thy Son. Amen.
Twentieth Day. Imitation of Mary.
All true love consists in the imitation of what we honor. If we love the immaculate Mary, if we desire to please her, endeavor to imitate her virtues, we must first imitate her in her life of prayer. To lead a life of prayer it is not necessary to spend hours on our knees in the church, for every-day duties would not admit of that. We find that Our Lady always left her prayer to spend an allotted time at work. We should let the thought of God be the first object of our waking love, and the love of God be the absorbing feeling of our heart. During the day we should every now and then cast a loving glance towards heaven, and make acts of love and gratitude. “If you imitate and follow Mary,” says St. Bernard, “you cannot wander from the road. Our Blessed Lady will fill you with great confidence in God and in herself, because you will not be approaching to Jesus by yourself, but always by that good Mother.” O Mary, Mother of the divine Saviour, Who from the height of His cross, seeing each one of us in the person of the beloved disciple, pronounced the memorable words, “Behold thy son!” “Behold thy Mother,” obtain [pg 215] that we may love and imitate thee with all the tenderness and strength of our will.
Prayer.