from Saint Bernardine of Siena
Had he not the Word of God to sustain him, what mortal would attempt, with his polluted. lips, to say much, or even to say a little, about the very Mother of the God-Man, whom before all ages God the Father predestinated to be the most worthy ever-Virgin; whom the Son chose for His Mother; whom the Holy Ghost prepared as the home of all grace? In what words, then, shall I - poor man! - set forth the profoundest sentiments of that virgin heart which her most holy lips expressed, seeing that no tongue of man nor even of angel could suffice for such a task? For the Lord says: 'A good man out of a good treasure (of his heart) bringeth forth good things' (Matthew 12:35). But of all our human kind who can be conceived better than she, who merited to become the Mother of God, who in her heart and in her womb received the very God as guest? What treasure is better than divine love itself, with which the Virgin's heart was all on fire? From this heart, as from a furnace of divine heat, the Blessed Virgin brought forth good words - I mean, words of the most ardent charity. For, as from a vase full of the choicest wine only choicest wine can be poured, or as from a furnace of greatest heat only burning fire can come forth, so from the heart of the Mother of Christ no word can issue but of the highest and the most highly divine life and fervour.
Seven words only - so far as we read - of wonderful judgment and virtue were spoken by the most 'blessed Mother of Christ, She spoke twice, and only twice, with the Angel. With Elizabeth twice also, And twice again with her Son. And she spoke once to the waiters at the marriage-feast. These seven words, expressive of seven acts of love, and spoken with gradation and order, are, as it were, seven flames from her heart. And the pious mind, meditating upon these words, says with the Prophet: 'How sweet are thy words to my palate!' (Psalm 118:103) - that is to say, how sweet to all my affections! Moreover, this sweetness which the devout mind feels in the words of the Blessed Virgin is an ardour of devout piety which the soul finds in them from experience. Let us, then, put separately, and in their sequence, these seven flames of love in the Blessed Virgin's words.
The first is the flame of discerning love - when Mary said to the Angel (of the Annunciation): 'How shall this be done, because I know not man?' The second is the flame of transforming love - when Mary consented to the mystery of the Incarnation, saying, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word.' The third is the flame of the communion of love - when Mary 'saluted Elizabeth.' The fourth is the flame of love's exultation - her Magnificat. The fifth is the flame of the savour of love - when she said to Jesus, who had been lost in Jerusalem: 'Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing.' The sixth is the flame of love's compassion - when she said to Jesus at Cana: 'They have no wine.' And the seventh is the flame of love's consummation - when our Lady said to them who were waiting on the will of our Divine Lord: 'Whatever He shall say to you, do ye.'
Let us pray
Almighty and everlasting God! who didst prepare, in the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a worthy dwelling for the Holy Ghost, mercifully grant that, while with pious mind we commemorate this most pure Heart of hers, we may be able to live according to Thy Heart.' Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the same Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Magnificat
My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is, from generation unto generations, to them that fear Him. He hath showed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers - to Abraham and to His seed, for ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Salve Regina!
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate! thine eyes of mercy towards us, and, after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God! That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Petition
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God! despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin!
- from The May-Book of the Breviary, by Father John Fitzpatrick