-
December 10, 2023One need not look far into the tradition of the Catholic Church to see its extreme love and devotion to our Lord’s Blessed Mother. Alphonsus Liguori’s The Glories of Mary has stood the test of time as a classic among Marian devotional books in this tradition. From the 7 Sorrows of Mary to her virtues to a line by line meditation on the Salve Regina, St. Alphonsus gives us a masterfully crafted guide to why we should love Mary. First of all, she is the Mother of God. There is no one who loves Mary more than her Son, Jesus Christ. As we approach the feast of the Immaculate Conception, we are reminded of that love Jesus has for her. God, in creating his own mother, made her the most perfect and beautiful woman to ever live, free from the stain of Original Sin. Anything Mary asks of her Son is guaranteed to be given to her, leading St. Alphonsus to call Mary the “Treasurer of all Divine Graces.” It is through the hands of Mary that God’s grace flows onto his people because she is the most merciful of all the souls in heaven. Secondly, since Christ gave us his Mother to be our Mother, we are her children too. So, next to God himself, no one loves you more than Mary. She desires to bestow endless graces upon you from her Son and will always intercede for you before him if you have recourse to her. St. Alphonsus tells many stories throughout The Glories of Mary about how our Blessed Mother’s intercession saved poor souls from damnation and how one word from her in favor of you silences all accusations the devil can throw at you. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone searching for a way to deepen their devotion to Mary and, with the saints, fall in love with her.
