Day: August 23, 2022

St. Paul says of Jesus Christ: He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Phil. ii. 7). On this text St. Bernard remarks: “He took not only the form of a servant, that He might obey, but that of a slave, that He might be beaten.” Our Redeemer, Who is the Lord of all, was willing not only to take upon Him the condition of a servant, but even that of a bad servant, that He might be punished as a malefactor, and thus make satisfaction for our sins.

To increase our confidence in Mary, St. Anselm says that “when we have recourse to this Divine Mother, not only may we be sure of her protection, but that often we shall be heard more quickly, and be thus preserved, if we have recourse to Mary and call on her holy name, than we should be if we called on the Name of Jesus our Saviour.” And the reason he gives for it is, that “to Jesus, as Judge, it belongs also to punish; but Mercy alone belongs to the Blessed Virgin as a patroness.”

After the Ascension of her Divine Son, Mary remained, indeed, willingly on this earth, knowing that such was the will of God, but she could not but feel the pain of being far from the sight of her beloved Son. Hence she was sending up continual sighs to her Lord, saying with the Psalmist: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly away and be at rest?