Mother of our Savior . . .

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Mary Introduction
Mary's Litany

It was the angel Gabriel who told the sinless virgin Mary she had been prepared before time to bear a child who would, "Be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God.  ... He will be king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!"

It was Elizabeth who, upon Mary's visit, greeted her with the words, "Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me."  ... and Mary responded,  "My heart praises the Lord; my soul is glad because of God my Savior ...  ."

It was the message announced by the angel to the shepherds, ... "This very day in David's town your Savior was born - Christ the Lord!"

It was the prophecy of Simeon in the Temple which said, ... "With my own eyes I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel."

Anna was present in the Temple, who upon seeing the infant Jesus with Mary and Joseph, spoke about the child to all who were waiting for, "God to set Jerusalem free,"

Thus was announced to Mary and to the world that her son, Jesus, was both the savior of his people and redeemer.  By his death he paid the price of our freedom from slavery because of the sin of our first parents, thus gaining for us the opportunity to reach heaven.

All men, past, present and to come, should look upon Mary as the means and negotiator of the salvation of all ages, for when God was about to redeem the human race, he deposited the whole price in Mary's hands.
  (1)  St. Bernard-abbot of Clairvaux

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. (2)  St. Bernard-abbot of Clairvaux

The world being unworthy to receive the Son of God directly from the hands of the Father, he gave his Son to Mary for the world to receive him from her.  (3)  St. Augustine of Hippo

In that first ‘fusion’ with Jesus in holy communion, it was my Heavenly Mother again who accompanied me to the altar for it was she herself who placed her Jesus into my soul.  (4)  St. Therese of Lisieux

We never give more honor to Jesus than when we honor his Mother, and we honor her simply and solely to honor him all the more perfectly.  We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek – Jesus, her Son.
  (5)  St. Louis Marie de Montfort           

Mary having co-operated in our redemption with so much glory to God and so much love for us, Our Lord ordained that no one shall obtain salvation except through her intercession.  (6)  St. Louis Marie de Montfort

It seems unbelievable that a man should perish in whose favor Christ said to His Mother: "Behold your son," provided that he has not turned a deaf ear to the words, which Christ addressed to him: "Behold your Mother." (7)  St. Robert Bellarmine

Remember that Jesus, without delay, grants the requests of His mother. (8)  St. Vincent Pillotti

Mary presenting us her child, Jesus, tells us: "Behold the fruit of my womb.  Take Him.  I want you to know Him and make Him yours completely.  Never abandon Him." (9)  St. Vincent Pillotti

Mary is the sure path to our meeting with Christ.  Devotion to the Mother of the Lord, when it is genuine, is always an impetus to a life guided by the spirit and values of the Gospel. (10)  St. John Paul II, pope

For, since it is the will of Divine Providence that we should have the God-Man through Mary, there is no other way for us to receive Christ except from her hands. (11)  St. Pius X, pope

We were sinners and enemies of God.  Redemption has not only freed us from sin and reconciled us with Our Lord.  It has also made us into children of God and has given us a Mother, the very Mother who gave birth to the Word when he took human nature.
  (12)  St. Josemaria Escriva

While the prayers of those in heaven have certainly some claim on the watchful eye of God, Mary's prayers place their assurance on the right of a mother.  For that reason, when she  approaches the throne of her Divine Son, she begs as advocate, she prays as handmaid, but she commands as mother. (13)  St. Pius X, pope

Mary is the glorious intermediary.  She is the mighty Mother of God.  But - what is sweeter - she is gentle, exquisite in tenderness, and of a limitless love and kindness.  As such God gave her to us. having chosen her for the Mother of his only begotten Son, he taught her all a mother's feelings that breath nothing but pardon and love.  Such Christ desired that she should be. (14)  Leo XIII, pope

Let us with one heart entreat and beseech Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ and our Mother: 'Show thyself to be a mother; cause our prayers to be accepted by him who, born for us, consented to be your Son.' (15)  Leo XIII, pope

Mary can be called the Savior of the world and our Mediatress; that is, the Mediatress of grace, as Jesus Christ is the mediator of justice.  First, on account of the consent which she gave at the Incarnation of the Eternal Word; for by that consent, she procured us salvation.  Secondly, by the consent which Mary gave to the death of her Son, in which she expressed her willingness that he should be sacrificed on the cross for  our salvation. (16)  St. Bernadine

I remind you, then, O Mother of my Savior, that you did once offer the life of the Son to God; save me now by your intercession.  (17)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

After the birth of Jesus, Mary presented her son to God in the Temple, but the Blessed Virgin did not offer him as others mothers offered their sons.  Others offered them to God; but they knew that this oblation was simply a legal ceremony, and that by redeeming them they made them their own, without fear of having again to offer them to death.  Mary really offered her son to death, and knew for certain that the sacrifice of the life of Jesus which she then made was one day to be actually consummated on the altar of the cross; so that Mary, by offering the life of her Son, came, in consequence of the love she bore this Son, really to sacrifice her own entire self to God.  (18)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

The Eternal Father had already determined to save man, who was lost by sin, and to deliver him from eternal death.  But because he willed at the same time that his divine justice should not be defrauded of a worthy and due satisfaction, he spared not the life of his Son already become man to redeem man, but willed that he should pay with the utmost rigor the penalty which men had deserved.
  (19)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

The Eternal Father did not will that his divine Word should become Mary's son before she by an express consent had accepted him, so also he willed not that Jesus should sacrifice his life for the salvation of men without the concurrent assent of Mary; that, together with the sacrifice of the life of the Son, the mother's heart might also be sacrificed.
  (20)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

The quality of a mother gives her a special right over her children; therefore, Jesus being in himself innocent and undeserving of punishment, it seemed fitting that he should not be condemned to the cross as a victim for the sins of the world without the consent of his Mother, by which she should spontaneously offer him to death. (21)  St. Thomas

Already the most blessed Virgin was enlightened by the sacred Scriptures, and knew the sufferings that the Redeemer was to endure in his life, and still more at the time of his death. (22)  St. Jerome

Mary was silent during the Passion of Jesus, when he was unjustly accused.  She said nothing to Pilate, who was somewhat inclined to set him at liberty, knowing, as he did, his innocence; she only appeared in public to assist at the great sacrifice, which was to be accomplished on Calvary; she accompanied her beloved Son to the place of execution; she was with him from the first moment, when he was nailed on the cross: until she saw him expire, and the sacrifice was consummated.  And all this she did to complete the offering which she had made of him to God in the Temple. (23)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Mary had an only Son, and he was the most beautiful of all the sons of Adam - most amiable, for he had everything to make him so: he was obedient, virtuous, innocent, holy; suffice it to say, he was God. (24)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Mary's love was not divided amongst other objects; she had concentrated all her love in this only Son; nor did she fear to exceed in loving him; for this Son was God, who merits infinite love.  This Son it was who was the victim that she of her own free-will had to sacrifice to death. (25)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori 

The Blessed Virgin would have accepted the pains and death of her Son far more willingly for herself; but to obey God she made the great offering of the divine life of her beloved Jesus, conquering, but with an excess of grief, the tender love which she bore him.  (26)  St. Bonaventure

Mary surpassed all the martyrs in generosity; for the martyrs offered their own lives, but the Blessed Virgin offered the life of her son, whom she loved and esteemed infinitely more than her own life. (27)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Mary not only offered her Son to death in the Temple, but she renewed that offering every moment of her life.
  (28)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Because of the great merit that she acquired by this great sacrifice which she made to God for the salvation of the world, she was justly called by St. Augustine, "the repairer of the human race;" by St. Epiphanius, "the redeemer of captives;" by St. Anselm, "the repairer of a lost world;" by St. Germanus, "our liberator from our calamities;" by St. Ambrose, "the mother of all the faithful;" by St. Augustine, "the mother of the living;" and by St. Andrew of Crete, "the Mother of life." (29)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

The wills of Christ and of Mary were united, so that both offered the same holocaust; she producing with him the one effect, the salvation of the world.  (30)  Arnold of Chartres

The mother effected human redemption, and obtained salvation for men - Jesus by satisfying for our sins, Mary by obtaining the application of this satisfaction to us. (31)  Arnold of Chartres

The divine Mother can be called the savior of the world, since by the pain that she endured in commiserating her Son (willingly sacrificed by her to divine justice) she merited that through her prayers the merits of the Passion of the Redeemer should be communicated to men.     (32)  Denis the Carthusian 

Mary, then, having by the merit of her sorrows, and by sacrificing her Son, becomes the Mother of all the redeemed, it is right to believe that through her hands, divine graces, and the means to obtain eternal life, which are the fruits of the merits of Jesus Christ, are given to men. (33)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

O holy Mother of God, and my Mother Mary, you were so deeply interested in my salvation as to offer to death the dearest object of your heart, your beloved Jesus! (34)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Never permit me to lose by my sins this most amiable Redeemer, whom on this day you did offer with so bitter grief to the cruel death of the cross.  Remind him that I am your servant, that in you I have placed all my hope; say, that you will my salvation, and he will certainly graciously hear you. (35)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

It was because God's love for men was so truly great that he came upon earth and humbled himself to take flesh from a Virgin; and taking the form of a servant became man, - that is, he made himself a worm like us: He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit formed as a man. Philippians 2:7 
  (36)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Behold him as a child in the womb of his Mother.  He there conformed himself in all things to the will of his Father, and, inflamed with love for us, he offered himself willingly; to suffer all for our salvation. (37)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Why was he pleased to suffer so much for us ungrateful sinners?  It was because he loved us: "Who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.'  Apocalypse 1:5.  He saw us soiled with sin, and prepared us a bath in his own blood, that we might thereby be cleansed, and become dear to God. (38)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

He saw us condemned to death, and prepared to die himself, that we might live; and seeing us cursed by God on account of our sins, he was pleased to charge himself with the curses which we had deserved, that we might be saved. (39)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Knowing, that Jesus, who was truly God, has loved us, and loved us so much as to die, and to die on a cross, for us, is not this to have our hearts under a wine-press, and to feel them forced and so strongly pressed that love issues from them by the very violence with which they are pressed; and the greater this violence is with which they are pressed, the more sweet and amiable is it. (40)  St. Francis de Sales

God became man, that man might love him with greater freedom. (41)  Hugo of St. Victor

O holy Virgin, pray for me, recommend me to this Son, who loves you so much, and refuses nothing that you ask him.  Tell him to pardon me; tell him to give me his holy love; tell him to save me; that with you I may one day love him face to face in Paradise.  (42)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

O happy Virgin, who began to serve God so early, look at me, who have returned to him with such tardiness, after so many years lost in the love of creatures, and obtain for me the grace to give him at least the remainder of my life, be it long or short.  I know that I have very many times deserved to die in the state of sin; I know that it is you who did obtain for me the time to do penance - a grace that has not been granted to so many others. (43)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

O Mary, charitable mistress, since you have been so good to me in helping me while I little thought of imploring your aid and your advice, I do not fear that you will abandon me, now that I wish to obey you, and that I ask your aid. (44)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Mary is the Spiritual Mother of all humanity, because Jesus on the Cross shed his blood for all of us and from the Cross he entrusted us all to her maternal care. (45)  Benedict XVI, pope

In the Heart of the Redeemer we adore God's love for humanity, his will for universal salvation, his infinite mercy.  The heart that resembles that of Christ more than any other is without a doubt the Heart of Mary, his Immaculate Mother. (46)  Benedict XVI, pope

In your arms you hold Jesus, the Child who blesses, the Child who is also the Lord of the world.  By holding the Child who blesses, you have yourself become a blessing.  Bless us, this city and this country!  Show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb!  Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen! (47)  Benedict XVI, pope

The divine motherhood would have been of no value to her had Christ not borne her in his heart, with a destiny more fortunate than the moment when she conceived him in the flesh. (48)  Benedict XVI, pope

May Mary help us to recognize in the face of the Child of Bethlehem, conceived in her virginal womb, the divine Redeemer who came into the world to reveal to us the authentic face of God. (49)  Benedict XVI, pope

Bringing her Son to Jerusalem, the Virgin Mother offered him to God as a true Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.  She held him out to Simeon and Anna as the proclamation of redemption; she presented him to all as a light for a safe journey on the path of truth and love. (50)  Benedict XVI, pope

The words of elderly Simeon, anticipate, together with salvation, the contradictory sign of the Cross, and of the sword that beneath the Cross of the Son was to pierce the Mother's soul, thereby making her not only the Mother of God but also Mother of us all.
  (51)  Benedict XVI, pope

It seems unbelievable that a man should perish in whose favor Christ said to His Mother: "Behold your son," provided that he has not turned a deaf ear to the words, which Christ addressed to him: "Behold your Mother." (52)  St. Robert Bellarmine

The faithful, by thinking about the inexpressible love with which the Virgin Mother awaited her son, are invited to take her as a model and to prepare themselves to meet the Savior who is to come. (53)  Paul VI, pope

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