TAKEN FROM THE GLORIES OF MARY
by Saint Alphonsus Liguori
with Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, 1931
Since the fall of Adam, the senses being rebellious to reason, chastity
is of all virtues the one that is the most difficult to practise. St.
Augustine says: "Of all the combats in which we are engaged, the most
severe are those of chastity; its battles are of daily occurrence, but
victory is rare." May God be ever praised, however, Who in Mary has
given us a great example of this virtue.
"With reason," says Blessed Albertus Magnus, "is Mary called the Virgin
of virgins; for she, without the counselor example of others, was the
first who offered her virginity to God." Thus did she bring all
virgins who imitate her to God, as David had already foretold: After
her shall virgins be brought ... into the temple of the King. [Ps.
counsel and without example. Yes; for St. Bernard says: "O Virgin, who
taught thee to please God by virginity, and to lead an Angel's life on
earth?" "Ah," replies St. Sophronius, "God chose this most
pure virgin for His Mother, that she might be an example of chastity to
all." Therefore does St. Ambrose call Mary "the standard-bearer of
By reason of her purity the Blessed Virgin was also declared by the
Holy Ghost to be beautiful as the turtle dove: Thy cheeks are
beautiful as the turtle-dove's. [Cant. 1:9] "Mary," says
Aponius, "was a most
pure turtle dove." For the same reason she was also called a lily: As
the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters. [Cant. 2:2] On this
passage Denis the Carthusian remarks, that "Mary was compared to a
lily amongst thorns, because all other virgins were thorns, either to
themselves or to others; but that the Blessed Virgin was so neither to
herself nor to others;" for she inspired all who looked at her with
chaste thoughts. This is confirmed by St. Thomas, who says, that the
beauty of the Blessed Virgin was an incentive to chastity in all who
beheld her. St. Jerome declared that it was his opinion that St. Joseph
remained a virgin by living with Mary; for, writing against the heretic
Helvidius, who denied Mary's virginity, he says, "Thou sayest that
Mary did not remain a virgin. I say that not only she remained a
virgin, but even that Joseph preserved his virginity through Mary."
St. Gregory of Nyssa, says, that so much did the Blessed Virgin love
this virtue, that, to preserve it, she would have been willing to
renounce even the dignity of Mother of God. This we may conclude from
her answer to the Archangel, How
shall this be done, because I
know not man? [Luke 1:34] and from the words she afterwards
added, Be it done
to me according to thy Word, [Ibid.,
38] signifying that she gave her
consent on the condition that as the Angel had assured her, she should
become a Mother only by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost.
St. Ambrose says, that "whoever has preserved chastity is an Angel,
and that he who has lost it is a devil." "Our Lord assures us that
those who are chaste become Angels, They
shall be as the Angels of
God in Heaven. [Matt. 22:30] But the impure becomes as devils,
hateful in the sight
of God. St. Remigius used to say that the greater part of adults are
lost by this vice. Seldom, as we have already said with St. Augustine,
is a victory gained over this vice. But why? It is because the means by
which it may be gained are seldom made use of.
These means are three, according to Bellarmine and the masters of a
spiritual life: fasting, the avoidance of dangerous occasions, and
1. By fasting, is to be understood especially mortification of the
eyes and of the appetite. Although our Blessed Lady was full of Divine
grace, yet she was so mortified in her eyes, that, according to St.
Epiphanius and St. John Damascene, she always kept them cast down, and
never fixed them on anyone; and they say that from her very childhood
her modesty was such, that it filled everyone who saw her with
astonishment. Hence St. Luke remarks, that, in going to visit St.
Elizabeth, she went with haste,
that she might be less seen in
public. Philibert relates, that, as to her food, it was revealed to a
hermit named Felix, that when a baby she only took milk once a day.
St. Gregory of Tours affirms that throughout her life she fasted; and
St. Bonaventure adds, "that Mary would never have found so much
grace, had she not been most moderate in her food; for grace and
gluttony cannot subsist together." In fine, Mary was mortified in all,
so that of her it was said my hands dropped with myrrh. [Cant. 5:5]
2, The second means is to fly the occasions of sin: He that is aware
of the snares shall be secure. [Prov. 11:15] Hence St. Philip
Neri says, that, "in the war of the senses, cowards conquer:" that is
to say those who
fly from dangerous occasions. Mary fled as much as possible from
the sight of men; and therefore St. Luke remarks; that in going to
visit St. Elizabeth, she went with haste into the hill country. An
author observes, that the Blessed Virgin left St. Elizabeth before St.
John was born, as we learn from the same Gospel, where it is said, that
Mary abode with her about three months, and she returned to her own
house. Now Elizabeth's full time of being delivered was come, and she
brought forth a son. [Luke 1:56] And why did she not wait for
this event? It was that she might avoid the conversations and visits
which would accompany it.
3. The third means is prayer. And as
I knew, said the wise man,
could not otherwise be continent except God gave it ... I went to the
Lord and besought Him. [Wisd. 8:21] The Blessed Virgin revealed
to St. Elizabeth
of Hungary, that she acquired no virtue without effort and continual
John Damascene says, that Mary "is pure, and a lover of purity."
Hence she cannot endure those who are unchaste. But whoever has
recourse to her will certainly be delivered from this vice, if he only
pronounces her name with confidence. The Venerable John d' Avila' used
to say, "that many have conquered impure temptations by only having
devotion to her Immaculate Conception."
O Mary, O most pure dove, how many are now in Hell on account of this
vice! Sovereign Lady, obtain us the grace always to have recourse to
thee in our temptations, and always to invoke thee, saying, "Mary,
Mary, help us." Amen.