Spirituality of St. Louis de Montfort IV
By Father Anthony Mellace

1) She grants to them a great interior freedom.  It is the freedom of the sons of God that makes them pray to Jesus with a deep confidence. Devotion to Mary takes away all fears, whether they be servile or scrupulous.

2) She dilates one's heart, pouring into it a wonderful trust in  God as Father, and inspiring a tender and filial love for Him. order that He may be served in liberty.

3) Through Mary, sinners are converted and the souls in purgatory are helped. Those who love Mary, love their neighbors perfectly. There is not a better way to save someone except by being devoted to Mary. When we offer to her our works and prayers, Mary increases their value by purifying them in order that they may be effficacious for the benefit of our brothers and sisters. Without Mary, we are able to do little for them.

4) With Mary, we can persevere in virtue. Without Mary, we fall again into sin. Without Mary, we do not progress in sanctity. We need to trust in her fidelity, lean on her power, build on her mercy and charity. With Mary, we have no fears, we do not tire or fall because she secures and protects us. It is from Mary that the saints received their merits, virtues, graces and protection. "In Mary, the saints had their virtues retained in fullness in order not to be diminished. She prevented such virtues from being dissipated, merits from perishing and graces from being lost; and that the devil not create dangers nor  that Jesus not punish them." Mary recuperated all that Eve had lost. The grace of perseverance and fidelity come from her hands. She is the anchor that secures us in order to prevent a shipwreck. She is the ark that saves us from the waters of sin in order to bring us safely to the harbor.

5) Mary is very liberal with those who are liberal with her, giving everything without reserve to them. "Mary loves with an effective and efficacious love those who love her, and prevents, through an abundance of graces, them from going backward in the search for virtue...for an egg, she gives a bull." Mary loves gratefully those who gave themselves to her. She loves us with a tenderness greater than that of all the mothers of the world put together. She is always on the lookout to protect, promote, fulfill a good in us or enrich our being and hearts. She gives us good counsels and inspires us to fulfill all that Jesus spoke of and lived. She cleans our heart and roots out from it self-love and selfishness, killing all that is impure and sinful. She cleans the soul of its stains that come from evil and dresses it with virtues for the glory, pleasure and satisfaction of God. She makes us worthy to appear in glory before the Father, clothing us with the virtues of Jesus Christ. She increases and preserves all the good that we possess. She helps us to realize great works in benefit of our brothers and sisters. Mary nurtures her sons and daughters from the very best of the table of God. She leads and directs her children according to the Will of her Son Jesus, showing us the way to eternal life, and helping us to avoid dangers. She leads, sustains, raises, protects, defends, preserves, cares and watches out for her sons and daughters, granting them perseverance. She intercedes in their favor and unites them to her Son Jesus.

"On his part, the consecrated soul will experience the sweetness and maternal goodness of Mary and will love her tenderly like a well-behaved child; he will know the mercies of which she is full and of the necessary helps that he will need. He will have recourse to her for all things, as a dear advocate and mediatrix before Jesus...he will need to expose all his problems and necessities with an open heart; being dependent on the mercy and gentleness of Mary to obtain the forgiveness of his sins through her intercession; to taste her maternal sweetness in difficulties and fatigues. He needs to  throw, hide and lose himself in her viriginal bosom, in order to be inflamed with the fire of pure love; be purified of the least stains and to fully find Jesus...Mary is our refuge and shelter. He who imitates her is happy and sure of his salvation; happy and tranquil right up to the hour of his death, because she will be present." 

Devotion to Mary produces four marvellous effects in the soul of her devotee:

1) The soul acquires self-knowledge in the light of the Holy Spirit. The devotee of Mary recognizes himself as a sinner and is communicated to him her humility.

2) He participates in the faith of Mary. The faith of Mary was greater than all the saints put together. The devotee of Mary receives an unshakeable and firm faith, enlivened by charity and pure love, that will penetrate the mysteries of Christ. It will be a living faith that will realize great acts in benefit of our neighbors. It is a faith that illuminates the darkness, inflames hearts (lukewarm in sin) and overthrows the hardhearted, including the devil himself.

3) The spirit and soul of Mary is communicated to her devotees to glorify the Lord. The Holy Spirit fills with wisdom the souls of Mary's devotees in order to realize miracles of grace.

4) Mary transforms the faithful soul into the image of Jesus Christ.

 "...She is more precious than pearls,

      St. Louis teaches us how we are to perform our actions in the spirit of Mary:

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