Mother of Divine Grace . . .  

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Mary Introduction
Mary's Litany

As Mary gave life to God the Son clothed in human nature, so does Mary bring His life to us, the children of her Redeemer Son.  She gave her life to Him whom she nurtured for nine months in her womb.  So, through her intercession, Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, brings to us God's very life, the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit who nourishes us and makes us holy.  Mary leads us to grow in the life of her Son, and so we look to her as our mother and Mediatrix of Divine Grace, the very life of God.

The most sweet name of Mary is a precious ointment, which breaths forth the odor of divine grace.  Let this ointment of salvation enter the inmost recesses of our souls. (1)  St. Anselm of Canterbury

If we ask many graces of God, we will not obtain them; if we ask them of Mary, we will obtain them, not because she is more powerful but because God intends to honor her in this manner. (2)  St. Anselm of Canterbury

Nevertheless, such is the order freely determined by God, that Mary’s mediation always intervenes in the dispensation of grace.  This order admirably restores the plan vitiated and destroyed by sin; for a man and a woman concurred in our loss, a man and a woman ought to labor together to redeem us. (3)  St. Bernard-abbot of Clairvaux

The moon, between the sun and the earth, gives to the earth the light she receives from the sun.  Thus, Mary, Mediatrix between God and us, transmits to the earth the heavenly graces she receives from the divine sun.
  (4)  St. Bonaventure

The virgin is called, “Full of grace,” because she distributes this divine life to all men. (5)  St. Thomas Aquinas

Give us the courage to say "no" to the deceptions of power, money, pleasure; to dishonest earnings, corruption and hypocrisy, to selfishness and violence; "no" to the Evil One, the deceitful prince of this world; to say "yes" to Christ, who destroys the power of evil with the omnipotence of love. (6)  Benedict XVI, pope

As the Mother of Jesus our Savior, Mary was the Coredemptrix of the human race; as the spouse of the Holy Spirit, she shares in the distribution of all graces. (7)  St. Maximilian Kolbe

Mary . . . is the principal minister in the distribution of grace. (8)  St. Pius X, pope

It has been allowed to the august Virgin to be the most powerful Mediatrix and advocate of the whole world with her divine Son. (9)  St. Pius X, pope

If we hope to recover the grace of God, we must go to Mary, who has found it, and finds it always.
  (10)  Richard of St. Laurence

Hail, Mother of God and of us all, 'heaven,' where God dwells, 'throne,' from which our Lord dispenses all grace, 'fair daughter, Virgin, honor, glory and firmament of our Church,' assiduously pray to Jesus that in the day of judgment we may find mercy through you, and receive the reward prepared by God for those who love him.
(11)  St. John Chrysostom

Since all the graces which God deigns to bestow in pity upon men are dispensed through the Most Holy Virgin, we urge that . . . the trusting petitions of her most afflicted children be directed to the Mother of God . . . It is our fervent desire that mankind turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the throne of grace, and that recourse to this throne be made through Mary. (12)  Benedict XV, pope

God could have given us the Redeemer of the human race and the Founder of the Faith in another way than through the Virgin, but since divine Providence has been pleased that we should have the Man-God through Mary, who conceived him by the Holy Spirit and bore him in her womb, it only remains for us to receive Christ through the hands of Mary. (13)  St. Pius X, pope

Whenever we speak of Mary or speak to her, let us not forget that she is really our Mother, for through her we received divine life.  She gave us Jesus himself, the source of grace.  Mary is a Mediatrix and Dispenser of Graces.      (14)  Pius XII, pope

We are . . . very far from declaring the Mother of God to be the authoress of supernatural grace.  Grace comes from God alone.  But since she surpassed all in holiness and union with Christ and has been associated with Christ in the work of redemption, she merits what Christ merits, and is the principal minister in the distribution of grace.
  (15)  St. Pius X, pope

Mary is all powerful with her divine Son who grants all graces to mankind through her. (16)  Benedict XV, pope

May she be blessed whom he constituted mother of mercy, queen and our most loving advocate, Mediatrix of his graces, dispenser of his treasures! (17)  Pius XII, pope

She is associated with him for ever, with power so to speak infinite, in the distribution of the graces which flow from redemption. (18)  Pius XII, pope

Mary . . . is the principal minister in the distribution of grace. (19)  St. Pius X, pope

The faith of her believers and her children's love consider her not only God's Mother but also the Mediatrix with God.     (20)  Benedict XV, pope

Are you hoping one day to reach Paradise through the grace of perseverance in the last moment of your lives?  Are you trusting to die in the grace of God?  This grace also will come to you, as those devoted to Mary, through a smile of hers, as a ray from that Sun. (21)  Pius XII, pope

By you we have access to the Son, O blessed finder of grace, bearer of life, and mother of salvation, that we may receive him by you, who through you was given to us. (22)  St. Bernard

All the gifts and graces that we receive from God are dispensed by His hands to Mary, to whom, when, and as she pleases. (23)  St. Bernardine of Sienna

My Queen, if I love you, I no longer shall be poor as I am.  After God, I love you above all things; obtain for me greater tenderness and love for your goodness. (24)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

O salvation of all who call upon you, save me from hell; but first of all, save me from sin, which alone can take me to hell.
  (25)  St. Bonaventure

Mary is the throne of grace to which we should fly with confidence to Mary that we may obtain the divine mercy, and all the help we need for our salvation. (26)  St. Antoninus

When Mary was destined to be the Mother of God, she was also destined to become the Mediatrex between God and sinners.  Mary received sufficient grace to save all men. (27)  St. Thomas 

Mary, you obtain all that you will from God; then be graciously pleased to obtain for me the grace to be so united to the divine will that I may never more be separated from it. (28)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

The Blessed Virgin is full of grace, not with the fullness grace itself, for she had not grace in the highest degree of excellence in which it can be had, nor had she it as to all its effects; but she was said to be full of grace as to herself, because she had sufficient grace for that state to which she was chosen by God, that is, to be Mother of his only begotten Son. (29)  St. Thomas

Mary offered to God, her merits for the salvation of all men; and God as a favor, accepted them with the merits of Jesus Christ.
  (30)  St. Bonaventure

Everything good, and every gift in the order of grace, which each of the saints received from God, Mary obtained for them.
  (31)  Richard of St. Victor

The most Blessed Virgin was full of grace in three ways: first, she was filled with grace as to her soul, so that from the beginning her beautiful soul belonged all to God.  Secondly, she was filled with grace as to her body, so that she merited to clothe the Eternal Word with her most pure flesh.  Thirdly, she was filled with grace for the benefit of all, so that all men might partake of it: "She was also full of grace as to its overflowing for the benefit of all men."
  (32)  St. Thomas

Consider, with how much love God wills that we should honor this great Virgin, since he has deposited the whole treasure of his graces in her: so that whatever we possess of hope, grace, and salvation, we may thank our most loving Queen for all, since all comes to us from her hands and by her powerful intercession.
  (33)  St. Bernard

If all these first-fruits of Redemption passed through Mary as the channel through which grace was communicated to John the Baptist, the Holy Ghost to Elizabeth, the gift of prophecy to Zachary and so many other blessings to the whole house, the first graces that to our knowledge the Eternal Word had granted on earth after his Incarnation, it is quite correct to believe that thence-forward God made Mary the universal channel, through which all the other graces that our Lord is pleased to dispense to us should pass. (34)  St. Bernard

Mary is said to be full of grace, for in her all the treasures of graces were hidden. (35)  St. Gregory Thaumaturgus

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man having found hid it, and for joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field - Our Queen Mary is this field, in which Jesus Christ, the treasure of God the Father, is hidden. (36)  St. Bonaventure

Our Lord has deposited the plentitude of every grace in Mary, that we may know that if we possess hope, grace, or anything salutary, that it is from her that it came. (37)  St. Bernard

O Lady, all the graces that God has decreed for men he has determined to grant through your hands; and therefore to you has he committed all the treasures and ornaments of grace. (38)  St. Ildephonsus of Toledo

Mary, you have found uncreated grace; that is, God himself became your Son; and with that grace you have found and obtained every created good. (39)  St. Albert the Great

God made the sun, that by its means light might be diffused through the whole earth, so he made Mary, that by her all divine mercies may be dispensed to the world. (40)  Richard of St. Laurence
      
From the time that the Virgin Mother conceived the divine Word in her womb, she obtained a kind of jurisdiction, so to say, over all the temporal manifestations of the Holy Ghost; so that no creature can obtain any grace from God that is not dispensed by this tender and compassionate mother. (41)  St. Bernardine 

If we wish to obtain any grace, we must have recourse to Mary, the finder of grace, who cannot but obtain all that she asks for her servants; for she has recovered the divine grace which was lost, and always finds it. (42)  St. Laurence

The riches of salvation are in custody of the Blessed Virgin for our use.  Christ has made Mary's womb the treasury of the poor; thence the poor are enriched. (43)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Mary was given to the world that her graces might continually descend from heaven upon men.
  (44)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Blessed is he who finds Mary by having recourse to her.  He will find life, and will find it easily; for as it is easy to find and draw as much water as we please from a great fountain, so it is easy to find graces and eternal salvation by having recourse to Mary.  (45)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Because the Blessed Virgin was not yet born that in ancient times the great abundance of grace which we now see flow on the world was wanting; for Mary, this desirable channel, did not exist. (46)  St. Bernard

Mary is the city of refuge for all those who have recourse to her. (47)  St. John Damascene

Through Mary do the miserable obtain mercy, the ungracious grace, sinners pardon, the weak strength, the worldly heavenly things, mortals life, and pilgrims their country. (48)  St. Augustine

The charity of Mary toward men certainly did not cease when she went to heaven; it greatly increased there, for there she better knows our wants, and has still greater compassion for our miseries. (49)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Not only those, O Lady, offend you who outrage you, but you are also offended by those who neglect to ask your favors.
  (50)  St. Bonaventure

Mary invites all to have recourse to her; She expects all, she desires all, and she never despises any sinner, however unworthy he may be, who comes to seek her aid. (51)  Thomas à Kempis

Whoever goes to ask graces from Mary finds her always prepared to help; that is, she is always ready and inclined to help us, and to obtain for us every grace of eternal salvation by her powerful prayers. (52)  Richard of St. Laurence

Jesus is greatly pleased when Mary intercedes with him for us; for all the graces which he is, so to say, forced to grant through her prayers, he considers as granted not so much to us as to herself. (53)  Theophilus of Alexandria

Jesus cannot do otherwise than graciously accede to all that Mary asks; wishing, as it were, in this to obey  her as his true Mother.       
  (54)  St. Germanus

If we wish for graces, let us go the throne of grace, which is Mary; and let us go with the certain hope of being heard; for we have Mary's intercession, and she obtains from her Son all whatever she asks. (55)  St. Albert the Great

The Holy Ghost, filled Mary with all his sweetness,  and rendered her so dear to God, that whoever seeks graces through her intercession is certain to obtain them. (56)  St. Mechtilde

Salvation is occasionally more easily obtained by calling on the name of Mary than by invoking that of Jesus. (57)  St. Anselm

"Full of grace" . . . is Mary's most beautiful name, the name God himself gave to her to indicate that she has always been and will always be the beloved, the elect, the one chosen to welcome the most precious gift, Jesus: "the incarnate love of God."   (58)  Benedict XVI, pope

We know that only hearts converted to Love, which is God, can build a better future for all. (59)  Benedict XVI, pope

O my beloved Jesus!  O Mary, my beloved Lady!  Give me the grace to suffer and to die for love of you.
  (60)  St. Alphonsus Liguori

Just as grace cannot achieve its work in souls unless they open themselves to it in free decision, so also Mary cannot function fully as a mother if people do not entrust themselves to her. (61)  St. Edith Stein

Love Our Lady.  And She will obtain for you abundant grace to conquer in this daily struggle.  And the evil one will gain nothing from those foul things, that are continually boiling and rising within you, trying to engulf with their sweet-smelling corruption the high ideals, the sublime commands that Christ himself has placed in your heart.  Serviam!  I will serve! (62)  St. Josemaria Escrivá

To desire grace without recourse to the virgin Mother is to desire to fly without wings.  (63)  Pius XII, pope

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