Mary’s sincere devotees will never perish, Mary: Day 131

Last updated on: November 29, 2015 at 3:30 am by Pete Socks

Mary’s sincere devotees will never perish, Mary: Day 131 2015-11-11T13:08:09-05:00 Pete Socks

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Mary’s sincere devotees will never perish

St. Alphonsus insists that those whose devotion to Mary is genuine have a firm hope of salvation.

It is impossible for someone who turns to Mary, who is faithful in hon- oring and entrusting himself to her, to be lost. To some this proposition may appear, at first sight, exaggerated. But anyone to whom this might seem to be the case, I would beg to suspend his judgment, and, first of all, read what I have to say on this subject.

When we say that it is impossible for a devotee of Mary to be lost, we must not be understood as speaking of those who take advantage of this devotion so that they may sin more freely. For this reason, those who disapprove of the great praises bestowed on the mercy of this most Blessed Virgin, because it causes the wicked to take advantage of it to sin with greater freedom, do so without foun- dation. For such people who practice that kind of presumption deserve chastise- ment, and not mercy, for their rash confidence.

Our claim is therefore to be understood of those devotees of Mary who, with a sincere desire to change, are faithful in honoring and entrusting themselves to the Mother of God. It is, I say, morally impossible that such as these should be lost.

St. Bonaventure says, “O Lady, whoever honors you will be far from damna- tion.” And this will still be the case, St. Hilary observes, even should the person in the past have greatly offended God. “However great a sinner he may have been previously,” says the saint, “if he shows himself devout to Mary, he will never perish.” —St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Do I consider myself a faithful devotee of Mary? If so, is my devotion genuine, or is it, as St. Alphonsus says, an occasion for a false confidence while I continue to sin freely?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of St. Germanus: My Lady, my refuge, my life, my help, my defense, my strength, my joy, my hope: Grant that I may one day be with you in heaven. I know that, being the Mother of God, you can, if you will, obtain this grace for me.

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