Mary's Charity Towards Her
Neighbor
TAKEN FROM THE GLORIES OF MARY
by Saint Alphonsus Liguori
with Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, 1931
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. [1 John 4:21] St.
Thomas [2. 2, q. 25, a. 1] 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, anyone who loved God as much as Mary loved Him,
so there never was, and never will be, anyone who loved her neighbor as
much as she did.
Father Cornelius à 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, [Cant. 3:9]
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, [John 2:3]
and asked Him to work a miracle. O, with what speed did she fly when
there was question of relieving her neighbor! When she went to the
house of Elizabeth to fulfill an office of charity, she went into the
hill-country with haste.
[Luke 1:39] She could not, however, more fully display
the greatness of her charity than she did in the offering which she
made of her Son to death 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 amongst 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. [Prov. 8:34] 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, [Luke 6:36] 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. [Ibid., 38] St. Methodius used to
say, "Give to
the poor, and receive paradise." For the Apostle writes, that
charity towards our neighbor 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. [1 Tim. 4:8] St. John Chrysostom, on these words of
Proverbs, He that hath mercy on the
poor lendeth to the Lord, [19:17] 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.
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