17th August : Our Lady Of Graces And Gifts
17th August
Our Lady Of Graces And Gifts
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Jesus received His human life from Mary, hence, all who wish to become His brothers and sisters must have Mary as their Mother; they must receive the life of grace from her. Jesus is the author of grace; Mary communicates it to us. We received that life through her in Baptism. Should we lose it through mortal sin, Mary will restore it to us.
Like any Mother, Mary cares for that life; it is she who nourishes it, develops it and protects it. We are taught that grace is a transitory help; it enables us to avoid evil and do good. Little do we appreciate actual graces; we can safely say that there is not one actual grace given here on earth that does not pass through Mary’s hands. In His supreme independence, God has ordained that no request will be accepted by Him unless it goes to Him by His Mother; and no grace will be granted unless it be given through her.
Mary is not the source of grace, but the treasurer of God. In her hands He has placed all gifts and all graces; He has given her the liberty that she gives to whom she wills, as she wills, also as much as she wills. Mary is God’s great reservoir of graces. To her, then, we must all turn for the graces we need in order that we live a holy life. She is the ocean of graces; from her all humanity must draw its needed grace. As St. Louis de Montfort tells us, even as God gathered all the waters to form the sea, He has made an assemblage of all His graces; and called it Mary.
We must not make the mistake of thinking of Mary as an intermediary who is unaware of this distribution of graces. Nor must we think that she does not have the time to concern herself with each person who prays to her. She is fully aware of every request made to her. Mary prays for all. For each one she intervenes in particular; she thinks of the rich and the poor – of the wise and the ignorant; of the sinner and the just or the saintly. Her prayers are all-powerful over the Heart of her Divine Son; for this reason she is known as the all-powerful suppliant.
Whenever we receive a favor, we receive it from God through His Mother. In the order of nature as well as the order of grace, everything we possess we receive through the hands of Mary.
All we have to do is look about us; everything we own comes to us through her; for the very fact that we are still alive we ought to thank Mary. Gifts or mind, talents – qualities worthy of admiration, for these too, we ought to thank Mary. Mary has heaped favors upon favors on us in order to make the work of our salvation easy. We might well say that Mary has covered us from head to foot with temporal and spiritual gifts. This is not exaggeration. Pope Pius XII, speaking to the Marian Congress of Chili, quoted an author of the Middle Ages, “If we are joyful and prosperous; if we practice virtue; if we have salvation, grace and virtue in our old age as well as in our youth – if we have great honors, a reputation – if we are worth something and if we have riches, however modest – it is certain that we have received them through the intercession of Mary”.
Shouldn’t we, then, bless such a generous benefactor? She is our Mother, who is constantly watching over us in order that we might one day come face to face with her Divine Son!
