The Month of Mary According to the Spirit of St. Francis of Sales
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OF JESUIT BIBL MAI. SEMINAR* THE MONTH OF MARY JESUIT BIBL MAJ. SEMINARY THE MONTH OF MARY, ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCIS OF SALES; OR, WITH EXAMPLES, PRAYERS, ETC. BY m DON CASPAR GILLI. $$ ani> JUmfc^i) front the Italian b$ a SISTER OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHARITY. JESUIT LMAJ. ROBERT WASHBOURNE, 1 8 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. 1890. /i a o, ^ o ihtl ODbstat. FR. T. A. SMITH, O.P. Censor deputatiis* Imprimatur. ^ HENRICUS EDUARDUS, Card. Archiep. Westmonast. Die 14 Martii, 1890. CONTENTS. PAGE Author s Preface - - ix Protestation - - xiv Preliminary Instruction - - xv The Eve of the Month of Mary : The Immaculate Con ception - 21 Example : Devotion of St. Francis of Sales to the Blessed Virgin Mary - - - 26 First Day : Mary, a Model of Perfect Self-denial from her Birth - 28 Example : The Miraculous Medal of the Immacu late Conception - - 34 Second Day : Mary consecrates herself to God in the Temple - 39 Example : The two Invocations of St. Philip Neri- 45 - Third Day : Continuation of the Preceding Subject 46 - Example : The Feasts of the Blessed Virgin 51 Fourth Day : Fidelity of Mary in following the Call of - - God . 53 Example : Lamps and Candles burnt in Honour of Mary - - 59 Fifth Day : Mary is a Model to Religious Persons in her Presentation in the Temple - 61 Example : The edifying Death of St. Jane Frances de Chantal - - - - 67 vi Contents. of the Most Sixth Day : The Annunciation Holy Virgin 69 s for - - 74 Example : St. Bernard Love Mary of the of Seventh Day : The Excellence Virginity Mary 76 for - 82 Example : The Love of St. Alphonsus Mary - - Eighth Day : The Visitation 85 of St. Francis of Sales Example : The Pilgrimage to Loreto - $9 of in the Visitation - Ninth Day : The Charity Mary 91 of the to - 96 Example : Consecration Saturday Mary Visit of Elizabeth is filled Tenth Day : By the Mary, with the Holy Ghost - 99 of St. to the Example : Devotion Thomas Aquinas 1 Ave Maria - IO4 of - 106 Eleventh Day : Humility Mary of the - -ill Example : Origin Rosary the Blessed St. Twelfth Day : Through Virgin Mary, John Graces - the Baptist receives the most special 113 of the celebrated Pianist, Example : Conversion Hermann Cohenn #?6/**t ^A^f - 117 of the : Trials and Consolations > Thirteenth Day The - I21 Blessed Virgin - Mistake - - 125 Example : A Fortunate - - 129 Fourteenth Day : Mary at Bethlehem of the Saints to the An- Example : The Devotion " - I 35 gelus of and in Fifteenth Day : The Union Charity Humility the Heart of Mary at the Incarnation - J 37 of the Salve - 142 Example : The Efficacy Regina Purification of the Blessed - 144 Sixteenth Day : The Virgin of the Profaners of a Sanc- Example : Punishment - - - tuary of the Blessed Virgin H9 of Perfect Obed Seventeenth Day : Mary, the Model Purification - ience, in the Mystery of the 152 of the Blessed s - 157 Example : A Conquest Virgin into Trust in Pro Eighteenth Day : The Flight Egypt. vidence *59 of the Hail - 164 Example : The Excellence Mary Contents. vii PAGE Nineteenth Day : Mary, at the Marriage of Cana, teaches us the Best Method of Prayer - - 167 - Example : The Advantages of the Hail Mary 171 Twentieth Day : The Petition of Mary at the Marriage of Cana was full of Confidence - 174 Example : Further Advantages of the Hail Mary 178 Twenty-first Day : Mary obtains the first Miracle from Jesus by her lively Faith - 180 Example : Most pleasing to Our Blessed Lord is our Devotion to His Mother - 184 - Twenty-second Day : Mary chose the Better Part 187 Example : Beauty of the Ave Maris Stella -192 Twenty-third Day : The Blessed Virgin did not neglect the Duties of Martha - - 195 - - Example : The Magnificat 199 - Twenty-fourth Day : Mary in her Sleep 201 - Example : Devotion to the Salve Regina 205 Twenty-fifth Day : Mary on Calvary is the Mother of all Christians - - 208 - Example : The Regina Cceli -212 Twenty-sixth Day : Mary after the Ascension of Christ 214 - - Example : A courageous Son of Mary 218 Twenty-seventh Day : Mary in the Upper Room at Jer usalem - - 220 * - - Example : The Prayer Memoraj^ 225 Twenty-eighth Day : How precious in the Sight of God was the Death of Mary - 227 Example : Letters addressed to the Most Holy Virgin - - 230 Twenty- ninth Day : Mary, like Jesus, dies of Divine Love - - 233 Example : The Fourteen Joys of the Most Holy Virgin - - 237 Thirtieth Day : The Death of Mary was sweet and tran - quil . 239 Example : Novenas in Honour of the Blessed Virgin 241 viii Contents. PAGE Thirty-first Day : The Resurrection and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin - - 243 Example : The Novena of St. Gertrude to the Blessed Virgin - - 247 Act of Consecration of St. Francis of Sales to the Most Holy Virgin ..... 248 PREFACE. OF the many who by their writings have laboured to celebrate the sublime prerogatives and virtues of the Mother of God, there is not one whose lan guage is more adapted to the devotions of the month of Mary than St. Francis of Sales. Every thing, says a pious author, in this admirable Saint enchants and fascinates us ; whoever reads his writings attentively, feels constrained, not only to honour and venerate him, but also to love him. With him there is a peculiar grace to con sole, as well as to perfect, the soul. He adapts himself to the capacities of humble minds, whilst no one has more knowledge than he of the most exalted perfection. The sweet mildness of this Saint sprang from the meekness of which his soul was full. It is a diffi cult task to preserve peace in the soul, and well he * knew it, declaring that he lived in a continual fear of losing, in one quarter of an hour, all that meek ness which he had acquired by twenty years of combat. St. Bonaventure learnt all his science at the foot of the Crucifix, and it was there, also, that x Preface. St. Francis acquired all his benignity, fighting for hand-to-hand his natural it, we may say, against impetuosity. This virtue by degrees penetrated the inmost parts of his soul, so that it was not only manifested in all the actions of his life, but it directed also his pen, and enabled him to make use of the most delicate comparisons and in and genious images. All that is sweet, and pure, amiable in Nature- -doves, bees, flowers, all took as well as hold of his imagination. From his lips, from his pen, issued loving invitations to perfection. is this meek His singular privilege, however, that ness and grace appear always fresh to the devout reader, and are ever pleasing, even when he lays heart. The open the festering wounds of the great so retraced Fenelon, whose spirit and heart vividly a : the holy Bishop of Geneva, thus wrote to lady 1 The books most useful for you are those of St. Francis of Sales. Everything in them is amiable is solid and consoling ; everything experience, of simple practice, and the feeling and light grace. To have become accustomed to this kind of food Parisis also is a mark of great perfection. Bishop that can contribute to make says : Everything this most amiable of Saints more known to the cause of world, is of the greatest utility to the religion. For this reason we have composed this little work. It is a sort of resume of the doctrine of St. Francis of Sales upon the prerogatives and virtues Preface. xi of the august Queen of Heaven, and we may gather a delicious bouquet for her month of May. Hence the devout reader will always meet with the genuine text of the Saint without any paraphrase, though not always in consecutive order. In each of the thirty-one considerations we have been obliged to discard those matters which did not relate to our subject. However, such suppressions only produce greater clearness in the whole work. We must say two words upon the manner in which this exercise can be rendered fruitful : 1. If you are not able to assist at the public services or devotions in honour of the Blessed Virgin in your own church, erect a little altar to Mary in your house, and adorn her picture, or statue, with flowers, and there, every day, either alone or with others of your household, meditate upon her virtues, and implore her powerful inter cession. 2. It will be an excellent preparation to spend the last day of April in holy recollection, and to examine what is the principal passion that you will sacrifice to Mary during the course of the month, and the grace or virtue that you propose to obtain from God by recurring to her intercession. Do not fear to ask too much, she is the Mother of God, and our Mother also. 3. Read every day the appointed meditation, with tranquillity and recollection, that your soul may relish the subject, and apply what is read to xii Preface. its own necessities. After your lecture, follow this advice of St. Francis of Sales : When you have concluded your prayer, take a little walk and gather a small nosegay of devotion from the considerations you have made, that you may inhale its spiritual odour throughout the day. 4. You should consider it a duty to approach the holy Sacraments more frequently than usual during the month, and never leave the Altar of Mary without having made a spiritual communion. 5. Let no day pass, or, at least, no Saturday, without practising some mortification, sanctified and directed by obedience. Our devotion, however small, said St.