The Month of Mary, According to the Spirit of St. Francis of Sales / Thirty-One Considerations With Examples, Prayers, Etc.

by Gaspar Gilli; Saint de Sales Francis

[Author's Preface]
[Protestation]
[Preliminary Instruction]
[The Eve of the Month of Mary]: The Immaculate Conception
[Example]: Devotion of St. Francis of Sales to the Blessed Virgin Mary
[First Day]: Mary, a Model of Perfect Self-denial from her Birth
[Example]: The Miraculous Medal of the Immaculate Conception
[Second Day]: Mary consecrates herself to God in the Temple
[Example]: The two Invocations of St. Philip Neri
[Third Day]: Continuation of the Preceding Subject
[Example]: The Feasts of the Blessed Virgin
[Fourth Day]: Fidelity of Mary in following the Call of God
[Example]: Lamps and Candles burnt in Honour of Mary
[Fifth Day]: Mary is a Model to Religious Persons in her Presentation in the Temple
[Example]: The edifying Death of St. Jane Frances de Chantal
[Sixth Day]: The Annunciation of the Most Holy Virgin
[Example]: St. Bernard's Love for Mary
[Seventh Day]: The Excellence of the Virginity of Mary
[Example]: The Love of St. Alphonsus for Mary
[Eighth Day]: The Visitation
[Example]: The Pilgrimage of St. Francis of Sales to Loreto
[Ninth Day]: The Charity of Mary in the Visitation
[Example]: Consecration of the Saturday to Mary
[Tenth Day]: By the Visit of Mary, Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Ghost
[Example]: Devotion of St. Thomas Aquinas to the 'Ave Maria'
[Eleventh Day]: Humility of Mary
[Example]: Origin of the Rosary
[Twelfth Day]: Through the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist receives the most special Graces
[Example]: Conversion of the celebrated Pianist, Hermann Cohenn
[Thirteenth Day]: The Trials and Consolations of the Blessed Virgin
[Example]: A Fortunate Mistake
[Fourteenth Day]: Mary at Bethlehem
[Example]: The Devotion of the Saints to the 'Angelus'
[Fifteenth Day]: The Union of Charity and Humility in the Heart of Mary at the Incarnation
[Example]: The Efficacy of the 'Salve Regina'
[Sixteenth Day]: The Purification of the Blessed Virgin
[Example]: Punishment of the Profaners of a Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin
[Seventeenth Day]: Mary, the Model of Perfect Obedience, in the Mystery of the Purification
[Example]: A Conquest of the Blessed Virgin's
[Eighteenth Day]: The Flight into Egypt.—Trust in Providence
[Example]: The Excellence of the 'Hail Mary'
[Nineteenth Day]: Mary, at the Marriage of Cana, teaches us the Best Method of Prayer
[Example]: The Advantages of the 'Hail Mary'
[Twentieth Day]: The Petition of Mary at the Marriage of Cana was full of Confidence
[Example]: Further Advantages of the 'Hail Mary'
[Twenty-first Day]: Mary obtains the first Miracle from Jesus by her lively Faith
[Example]: Most pleasing to Our Blessed Lord is our Devotion to His Mother
[Twenty-second Day]: Mary chose the Better Part
[Example]: Beauty of the 'Ave Maris Stella'
[Twenty-third Day]: The Blessed Virgin did not neglect the Duties of Martha
[Example]: The 'Magnificat'
[Twenty-fourth Day]: Mary in her Sleep
[Example]: Devotion to the 'Salve Regina'
[Twenty-fifth Day]: Mary on Calvary is the Mother of all Christians
[Example]: The 'Regina Cœli'
[Twenty-sixth Day]: Mary after the Ascension of Christ
[Example]: A courageous Son of Mary
[Twenty-seventh Day]: Mary in the Upper Room at Jerusalem
[Example]: The Prayer 'Memorare'
[Twenty-eighth Day]: How precious in the Sight of God was the Death of Mary
[Example]: Letters addressed to the Most Holy Virgin
[Twenty-ninth Day]: Mary, like Jesus, dies of Divine Love
[Example]: The Fourteen Joys of the Most Holy Virgin
[Thirtieth Day]: The Death of Mary was sweet and tranquil
[Example]: Novenas in Honour of the Blessed Virgin
[Thirty-first Day]: The Resurrection and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
[Example]: The Novena of St. Gertrude to the Blessed Virgin
[Act of Consecration of St. Francis of Sales to the Most Holy Virgin]

[PREFACE].

OF the many who by their writings have laboured to celebrate the sublime prerogatives and virtues of the Mother of God, there is not one whose language is more adapted to the devotions of the month of Mary than St. Francis of Sales. Everything, says a pious author, in this admirable Saint enchants and fascinates us; whoever reads his writings attentively, feels constrained, not only to honour and venerate him, but also to love him. With him there is a peculiar grace to console, as well as to perfect, the soul. He adapts himself to the capacities of humble minds, whilst no one has more knowledge than he of the most exalted perfection.

The sweet mildness of this Saint sprang from the meekness of which his soul was full. It is a difficult task to preserve peace in the soul, and well he knew it, declaring that he 'lived in a continual fear of losing, in one quarter of an hour, all that meekness which he had acquired by twenty years of combat.' St. Bonaventure learnt all his science at the foot of the Crucifix, and it was there, also, that St. Francis acquired all his benignity, fighting for it, we may say, hand-to-hand against his natural impetuosity. This virtue by degrees penetrated the inmost parts of his soul, so that it was not only manifested in all the actions of his life, but it directed also his pen, and enabled him to make use of the most delicate comparisons and ingenious images. All that is sweet, and pure, and amiable in Nature—doves, bees, flowers, all took hold of his imagination. From his lips, as well as from his pen, issued loving invitations to perfection. His singular privilege, however, is that this meekness and grace appear always fresh to the devout reader, and are ever pleasing, even when he lays open the festering wounds of the heart. The great Fénélon, whose spirit and heart so vividly retraced the holy Bishop of Geneva, thus wrote to a lady: 'The books most useful for you are those of St. Francis of Sales. Everything in them is amiable and consoling; everything is solid experience, simple practice, and the feeling and light of grace. To have become accustomed to this kind of food is a mark of great perfection.' Bishop Parisis also says: 'Everything that can contribute to make this most amiable of Saints more known to the world, is of the greatest utility to the cause of religion.'

For this reason we have composed this little work. It is a sort of résumé of the doctrine of St. Francis of Sales upon the prerogatives and virtues of the august Queen of Heaven, and we may gather a delicious bouquet for her month of May. Hence the devout reader will always meet with the genuine text of the Saint without any paraphrase, though not always in consecutive order. In each of the thirty-one considerations we have been obliged to discard those matters which did not relate to our subject. However, such suppressions only produce greater clearness in the whole work. We must say two words upon the manner in which this exercise can be rendered fruitful:

1. If you are not able to assist at the public services or devotions in honour of the Blessed Virgin in your own church, erect a little altar to Mary in your house, and adorn her picture, or statue, with flowers, and there, every day, either alone or with others of your household, meditate upon her virtues, and implore her powerful intercession.

2. It will be an excellent preparation to spend the last day of April in holy recollection, and to examine what is the principal passion that you will sacrifice to Mary during the course of the month, and the grace or virtue that you propose to obtain from God by recurring to her intercession. Do not fear to ask too much, she is the Mother of God, and our Mother also.

3. Read every day the appointed meditation, with tranquillity and recollection, that your soul may relish the subject, and apply what is read to its own necessities. After your lecture, follow this advice of St. Francis of Sales: 'When you have concluded your prayer, take a little walk and gather a small nosegay of devotion from the considerations you have made, that you may inhale its spiritual odour throughout the day.'

4. You should consider it a duty to approach the holy Sacraments more frequently than usual during the month, and never leave the Altar of Mary without having made a spiritual communion.

5. Let no day pass, or, at least, no Saturday, without practising some mortification, sanctified and directed by obedience. 'Our devotion, however small,' said St. John Berchmans, 'is always pleasing to Mary, provided it be constant.' But let us not forget that interior mortifications are the most perfect; such as to abstain from speaking or looking about without necessity, etc., because in such mortifications there is less danger of vainglory, and they attack our passions in the innermost depths of the heart.