A mother’s love is a necessary impulse of her nature. Children are commanded to love their parents but no similar command is given to parents. Nature itself moves them to love their children. (St. Thomas) “Mothers will expose themselves to danger for their children.” (St. Ambrose) Mary makes her own the words of Isaiah, “Can a woman forget her infant so as not to have pity on the child of her womb? If she should forget, still I will not forget.” (49:15)
Our Mother By Love
Mary is our mother by love, and not by the flesh. “I am the mother of fair love.” (Eccl
24:24) Only her love makes her our mother. “She glories in being a mother of love. She is all love to those whom she had adopted.” Who can recount that love? “At the death of Christ, she also desired to die for love of me.” (Arnold of Chartres) “While her son was hanging on the cross, Mary offered her life to the executioners for love of us.” (St. Ambrose)
Reasons For Her Love
If we see the reason for her love we will better understand it.
She loves us so greatly because she loves God so greatly. Love of God and of neighbor
belong to the same commandment. “This commandment we have from God, that he who loves God must also love his brother.” (Jn 4:21)
The Saints
Out of love for God, St. Francis Xavier exposed himself to danger and even sought out
those living in caves, where wild bests were.
St. Francis de Sales risked his life every day, crawling on a frozen beam so he could preach on the other side of the river. St. Paulinus became a slave, to gain liberty for a widow’s son. St. Fidelis continued to preach to heretics, even knowing that he would lose his life.
Mary’s Love
The saints did so much for others because they loved God. Yet, what saint loved God as
much as Mary? In the first moment of her existence, she loved God more than all the saints and angels will ever love Him. Mary revealed to a saintly nun that all creation would be instantly consumed if placed in the fire of her love for God.
No one loves us as much as Mary does.
If we added together all the love that all mothers have for their children, all the love that spouses have for one another, and all the love of angels and saints for their charges, it would not equal Mary’s love for a single soul. She loves us more than all the angels and saints put together. When Jesus said, “Woman, behold your son.” (Jn 19:26), he placed each soul in her care. This was Jesus’ last wish and the last wish of a dying person is always treasured and never forgotten.
ST. ALPHONSUS LIGOURI
THE GLORIES OF MARY
THE GLORIES OF MARY