from Saint Bernard
We read in the Acts of the Apostles that, returning from the Mount of Olives, they 'persevered with one mind in prayer' (chapter 1). Who were they? If haply Mary was of the number, she is named first, since she is superior to them all by both the privilege of her Divine Maternity and the prerogative of her personal holiness. Peter and Andrew are mentioned, and James and John, and the rest of them. 'All these were persevering with one mind with the women, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus.' Does she make herself the least of even the women that she may be named the last of all? Truly, the disciples were still carnal-minded - for the Holy Ghost was not yet given to them, since Jesus was not yet glorified - when there arose a contention amongst them as to which of them was the greater. With Mary, the greater she was the more lowly she made herself, and not only amongst others, but even beneath all others. And deservedly the last was made first, since, though she was the first of all, she had made herself the lowest and the least. Deservedly has she been made the Lady and mistress of all, who made herself the handmaid of all. Deservedly, in fine, was she exalted above the Angels, who, with unutterable meekness, made herself more lowly than widows and than penitents, nay, more lowly than even she out of whom seven devils had been cast.
I beseech you, my little Children! if you love Mary, emulate this virtue; if you are striving to please her, imitate her modesty, for nothing so becomes a mortal, nothing so befits a Christian. And, in fact, the virtue of humility is clearly made manifest in the Virgin by this same mansuetude of hers. For humility and meekness are foster-sisters, and are joined together more closely still in Him who said: 'Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart' (Matthew 11:29). For as pride is the mother of presumption, so true meekness can come only from true humility. But it is not only from Mary's silence that her humility is seen, for it is yet more evident in the sound of her words. She had heard, 'The Holy which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God' (Luke 1:35), and her only answer is that she is His handmaid.
Later, on her visit to Elizabeth, at once the Virgin's singular glory is revealed to her by the Holy Ghost; and Elizabeth, marvelling at the person of her visitor, says: 'Whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?' and, further, she praises the voice that saluted her, adding: 'As soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.' And then she blessed the beliéver's faith, saying; 'Blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished which were spoken to thee by the Lord' (Luke 1:43-45). High praise, indeed, was this, but devoted also the humility which could not bear to take anything of all this to itself, but rather gave back again everything to Him whose bounteous favours had been lauded in herself. Thou dost magnify, she says, the Mother of the Lord, but 'my soul doth magnify the Lord.'
Who is this Virgin, worshipful enough to be saluted by an Angel, and humble enough to be espoused to a carpenter? Beautiful mixture of virginity and humility! And well-pleasing is that soul to God in which humility recommends virginity, and virginity enhances humility. But of how much greater worship, think you, is she worthy, in whom humility is exalted by motherhood, and child-bearing consecrates virginity? In naming her Virgin, you name also one who is humble. If you cannot copy the lowly one's virginity, imitate the Virgin's humility. Virginity is a laudable virtue, but humility is more necessary: that is of counsel, while this is of precept; the one you are invited to have, the other you are obliged to cultivate. Of the one is said: 'He that can take, let him take' (Matthew 19:12); but of the other we read: 'Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 18:3). In fine, you may be saved without virginity; you cannot without humility. Humility, I say, can please which deplores a lost virginity; without humility, I venture to say, not even the virginity of Mary would have been found pleasing. Upon whom, it is asked, shall rest my Spirit but on the humble and the peaceful? Upon the humble, is said, not on the virginal. It is plain also from this that, in order that she might conceive of the Holy Ghost, as she herself sets forth, God 'regarded the humility of His handmaid' rather than her virginity; and though she was pleasing by her virginity, yet it was by her humility that she conceived; whence it is manifest, and without a doubt, that it was only her humility which gave to her virginity any power to please.
What dost thou say, proud maiden? Mary, unmindful that she is a virgin, glories in her lowliness; and thou, neglecting humility, art vain of thy virginal estate? She says: 'He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid.' Who is she? In very truth, a holy Maiden, a modest Maiden, a pious Maiden. Art thou more chaste than she? Or, haply, is thy modesty so much more pleasing than Mary's chastity, that without humility thou shalt be able to be pleasing enough by thy purity where she could not by hers? Finally, the more worthy of honour thou art because of thine especial gift of purity, the more notable the injury thou doest thyself when thou dost defile its beauty within thee by any admixture of pride.
Let us pray
O God! who hast regard unto all that is lowly, and dost look upon all that is proud from afar off, grant to Thy servants to imitate with a pure heart the humility of the Blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, who, well-pleasing to Thee by her virginity, by her humility conceived our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the 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