AS THE BLESSED VIRGIN is the mother of holy love and hope, so also is she the mother of faith: I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. And with reason is she so, says St. Ireneus; for, "the evil done by Eve's incredulity was remedied by Mary's faith." This is confirmed by Tertullian, who says that because Eve, contrary to the assurance she had received from God, believed the serpent, she brought death into the world; but Our Queen, because she believed the angel when he said that she, remaining a virgin, would become the Mother of God, brought salvation into the world. For St. Augustine says, that "when Mary consented to the Incarnation of the Eternal Word, by means of her faith she opened heaven to men." Richard, on the words of St. Paul, for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, also says, that "Mary is the believing woman by whose faith the unbelieving Adam and all his posterity are saved." Hence, on account of her faith, Elizabeth called the holy Virgin blessed: Blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished in thee that were spoken by the Lord. And St. Augustine adds that Mary was rather blessed by receiving the faith of Christ than by receiving the flesh of Christ.

Father Suarez says that the most Holy Virgin had more faith than all men and angels. She saw her Son in the crib of Bethlehem, and believed Him the Creator of the world. She saw Him fly from Herod, and yet believed Him the King of kings. She saw Him born and believed Him Eternal. She saw Him poor and in need of food, and believed Him Lord of the universe. She saw Him lying on straw, and believed Him Omnipotent. She observed that He did not speak, and she believed Him infinite Wisdom. She heard Him weep, and believed Him the Joy of Paradise. In fine, she saw Him in death, despised and crucified, and, although faith wavered in others, Mary remained firm in the belief that He was God. On these words of the Gospel, there stood by the cross of Jesus, His Mother, St. Antoninus says, "Mary stood, supported by her faith, which she retained firm in the divinity of Christ." And for this reason it is, the Saint adds, that in the office of Tenebrae only one candle is left lighted. St. Leo on this subject, applies to Our Blessed Lady the words of Proverbs, Her lamp shall not be put out in the night. And on the words of Isaias, I have trodden the winepress alone. St. Thomas remarks that the prophet says "a man" on account of the Blessed Virgin, in whom faith never failed. Hence Blessed Albert the Great assures us that "Mary then exercised perfect faith; for even when the disciples were doubting she did not doubt."

Therefore Mary merited by her great faith to become "the light of all the faithful," as St. Methodius calls her; and the "Queen of the true faith," as she is called by St. Cyril of Alexandria. The holy Church herself attributes to the merits of Mary's faith the destruction of all heresies: "Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, for thou alone hast destroyed all heresies throughout the world." St. Thomas of Villanova, explaining the words of the Holy Ghost, Thou hast wounded my heart, my sisters, my spouse…with one of thy eyes, says that "these eyes denoted Mary's faith, by which she greatly pleased the Son of God."

St. Ildephonsus exhorts us to imitate Mary's faith. But how can we do so? Faith, at the same time that it is a gift, is also a virtue. It is a gift of God, inasmuch as it is a light infused by Him into our souls; and a virtue, inasmuch as the soul has to exercise itself in the practice of it. Hence faith is not only to be the rule of our belief, but also that of our actions; therefore St. Gregory says, "He truly believes who puts what he believes into practice;" and St. Augustine, "Thou sayest, I believe; do what thou sayest, and it is faith." This is to have a lively faith, to live according to our belief: My just man liveth by faith. Thus did the Blessed Virgin live very differently from those who do not live in accordance with what they believe, and whose faith is dead, as St. James declares, Faith without works is dead.

Diogenes sought for a man on earth; but God, amongst the many faithful, seems to seek for a Christian, for few there are who have good works; the greater part have only the name Christian. To such as these should be applied the words once addressed by Alexander to a cowardly soldier who was also named Alexander: "Either change thy name or change thy conduct." But as Father Avila used to say, "It would be better to shut up these poor creatures as madmen, believing, as they do, that an eternity of happiness is prepared for those who lead good lives, and an eternity of misery for those who lead bad ones, and who yet live as if they believed nothing." St. Augustine therefore exhorts us to see things with the eyes of Christians, that is to say, with eyes which look at all in the light of faith; for, as St. Teresa often said, "all sins come from a want of faith." Let us therefore entreat the Most Holy Virgin, by the merit of her faith, to obtain us a lively faith. "O Lady, increase our faith."

Mary's Hope

Hope takes its rise in faith; for God enlightens us by faith to know His goodness and the promises He has made, that by this knowledge we may rise by hope to the desire of possessing Him. Mary then, having had the virtue of faith in the highest degree, had also hope in the same degree of excellence; and this made her say with David, But it is good for me to adhere to my God, to put my hope in the Lord God.

Mary was indeed that faithful spouse of the Holy Ghost, of whom it was said, Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning on her beloved? For she was always perfectly detached from earthly affection, looking upon the world as a desert, and therefore in no way relying either on creatures or on her own merits, but relying only on divine grace, in which was all her confidence, she always advanced in the love of God. Thus Ailgrino said of her, "She ascended from the desert, that is, from the world, which she so fully renounced, and so truly considered as a desert, that she turned all her affections from it. She leant upon her Beloved, for she trusted not in her own merits, but in His graces who bestows graces."

The Most Holy Virgin gave a clear indication of the greatness of her confidence in God, in the first place, when she saw the anxiety of her holy spouse St. Joseph. Unable to account for her wonderful pregnancy, he was troubled at the thought of leaving her; but Joseph…minded to put her away privately. It appeared then necessary, as we have elsewhere remarked, that she should discover the hidden mystery to St. Joseph; but no, she would not herself manifest the grace she had received; she thought it better to abandon herself to Divine Providence, in full confidence that God Himself would defend her innocence and reputation. This is precisely what Cornelius Lapide says, in his commentary on the words of the Gospel quoted above: 'The Blessed Virgin was unwilling to reveal this secret to Joseph, lest she might seem to boast of her gifts; she therefore resigned herself to the care of God, in the fullest confidence that He would guard her innocence and reputation."

Mary again showed her confidence in God when she knew that the time for the birth of Our Lord approached, and was yet driven even from the lodgings of the poor in Bethlehem, and obliged to bring forth in a stable: and she laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for Him in the inn. She did not then let drop a single word of complaint, but abandoning herself to God, she trusted that He would there assist her.

The divine Mother also showed how great was her confidence in Divine Providence when she received notice from St. Joseph that they must fly into Egypt. On that very night she undertook so long a journey to a strange and unknown country without provisions, without money, accompanied only by her Infant Jesus and her poor spouse, who arose and took the Child and His Mother by night, and retired into Egypt.

But much more did she show her confidence when she asked her Son for wine at the marriage-feast of Cana; for when she had said, They have no wine, Jesus answered her, Woman, what is to thee and to Me? My hour is not yet come. After this answer, which seemed an evident refusal, her confidence in the divine goodness was such that she desired the servants to do whatever Her Son told them; for the favor was certain to be granted: Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye. It indeed was so: Jesus Christ ordered the vessels to be filled with water, and changed it into wine.

Let us, then, learn from Mary to have that confidence in God which we ought always to have, but principally in the great affair of our eternal salvation—an affair in which it is true that we must cooperate; yet it is from God alone that we must hope for the grace necessary to obtain it. We must distrust our own strength, and say with the Apostle, I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.

Ah, my most holy Lady, the Ecclesiasticus tells me that thou art the Mother of Holy Hope; and the holy Church, that thou art our hope. For what other hope, then, need I seek? Thou, after Jesus, art all my hope. Thus did St. Bernard call thee; thus will I also call thee: "Thou art the whole ground of my hope;" and, with St. Bonaventure, I will repeat again and again, "O salvation of all who call upon thee, save me!"

Mary's Charity

Love towards God and love towards our neighbor are commanded by the same precept: And this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God love also his brother. St. Thomas says that the reason for this is, that he who loves God loves all that God loves. St. Catherine of Genoa one day said, "Lord, Thou willest that I should love my neighbor, and I can love none but Thee." God answered her in these words: "All who love Me love what I love." But as there never was, and never will be, any who loved God as much as Mary loved Him, so there never was, and never will be, any one who loved her neighbor as much as she did.

Father Cornelius Lapide, on these words of the Canticles, King Solomon hath made him a litter of the wood of Libanus…the midst he covered with charity for the daughters of Jerusalem, says, that "this litter was Mary's womb, in which the Incarnate Word dwelt, filling it with charity for the daughters of Jerusalem; for Christ, who is Love itself, inspired the Blessed Virgin with charity in its highest degree, that she might succor all who had recourse to her."

So great was Mary's charity when on earth, that she succored the needy without even being asked; as was the case at the marriage-feast of Cana, when she told her Son that family's distress. They have no wine, and asked Him to work a miracle. O, with what speed did she fly when there was a question of relieving her neighbor! When she went to the house of Elizabeth to fulfil an office of charity, she went into the hill-country with haste. She could not, however, more fully display the greatness of her charity than she did in the offering which she made of her Son dying for our salvation. On this subject St. Bonaventure says, "Mary so loved the world as to give her only-begotten Son." Hence St. Anselm exclaims, "O blessed among women, thy purity surpasses that of the angels, and thy compassion that of the saints." "Nor has this love of Mary for us," says St. Bonaventure, "diminished now that she is in heaven, but it has increased; for now she better sees the miseries of men." And therefore the saint goes on to say: "Great was the mercy of Mary towards the wretched when she was still in exile on earth, but far greater is it now that she reigns in heaven." St. Agnes assured St. Bridget that "there was no one who prayed without receiving grace through the charity of the Blessed Virgin." Unfortunate, indeed, should we be, did not Mary intercede for us! Jesus Himself, addressing the same saint, said "Were it not for the prayers of My Mother, there would be no hope of mercy."

Blessed is he, says the divine Mother, who listens to my instructions, pays attention to my charity, and, in imitation of me, exercises it himself towards others: Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. St. Gregory Nazianzen assures us that "there is nothing by which we can with greater certainty gain the affection of Mary than by charity towards our neighbor." Therefore as God exhorts us, saying, Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful, so also does Mary seem to say to all her children, "Be ye merciful, as your Mother also is merciful." It is certain that our charity towards our neighbor will be the measure of that which God and Mary will show us: Give and it shall be given to you. For with the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. St. Methodius used to say, "Give to the poor, and receive paradise." For the Apostle writes that charity towards our neighbors renders us happy both in this world and in the next: But piety is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. St. John Chrysostom, on these words of Proverbs, He that hath mercy on the poor lendeth to the Lord, makes a remark to the same effect, saying, "He who assists the needy makes God his debtor."

O Mother of Mercy, thou art full of charity for all; forget not my miseries; thou seest them full well. Recommend me to God, who denies thee nothing. Obtain for me the grace to imitate thee in holy charity, as well towards God as towards my neighbor. Amen.