"When Mary holds you up, you do not fall; when she protects you, you need not fear; when she leads you, you do not tire; when she is favorable to you, you arrive at the harbor of safety."
-- St. Louis de Montfort quoting St. Bernard in True Devotion to Mary, p. 111
Some strong words from our holy saint:
"If any critic who reads this shall take it into his head that I speak here exaggeratedly, and with an extravagance of devotion, alas! He does not understand me - either because he is a carnal man who has no relish for spiritual things; or because he is a worldling who cannot receive the Holy Ghost; or because he is proud and critical, condemning and despising whatever he does not understand himself. But the souls which are not born of blood, nor of flesh, nor of the will of man (Jn. 1:13), but of God and Mary, understand me and relish me - and it is for these that I also write."
-- True Devotion to Mary, p. 115
Of Mary's "charitable duty... toward her faithful servants":
"She gives them to eat of the most exquisite meats of the table of God; for she gives them to eat of the bread of life, which she herself has formed" (Sirach [Ecclesiasticus] 24:26)
-- T.D.M., p. 130-131
Of the "wonderful effects of this devotion" is "deliverance from scruples, cares, and fears":
"This Mother of fair love (Sirach[Eccles.] 24:24) will take away from your heart all scruple and all disorder of servile fear... If, unfortunately, you offend Him, you will at once humble yourself before Him. You will ask His pardon with great lowliness, but at the same time you will stretch your hand out to Him with simplicity, and you will raise yourself up lovingly, without trouble and disquietude, and go on your way to Him without discouragement."
-- T.D.M., p. 139
de Montfort (T.D.M., p. 140) quotes St. Bonaventure with the now-famous "I am altogether yours" that I believe is the source of our late Holy Father Pope John Paul the Great's motto: "Totus Tuus." Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong or if you know more accurately the reference. JPII did say this though:
"Totus Tuus. This phrase is not only an expression of piety, or simply an expression of devotion. It is more. During the Second World War, while I was employed as a factory worker, I came to be attracted to Marian devotion. At first, it had seemed to me that I should distance myself a bit from the Marian devotion of my childhood, in order to focus more on Christ. Thanks to Saint Louis of Montfort, I came to understand that true devotion to the Mother of God is actually Christocentric, indeed, it is very profoundly rooted in the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity, and the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption".
-- John Paul II in Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Arnoldo Mondadori Editori, 1994
"When we praise her, love her, honor her or give anything to her, it is God who is praised, God who is loved, God who is glorified, and it is to God that we give, through Mary and in Mary."
-- T.D.M., p. 145
Hooo-rah!!
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