One of the most potent windows into this worldview is a centuries-old book called "The Glories of Mary." It’s not just a collection of prayers; it's a spiritual manifesto filled with ideas that feel incredibly powerful, and at times, astonishing to a contemporary reader. Crucially, the author tells us his goal was a practical one: to provide "materials to priests which may enable them to excite by their sermons devotion to the divine mother." It was a handbook for preachers, designed to equip them with memorable and emotionally resonant content. This purpose unlocks the psychology behind the entire text, revealing five of the most impactful takeaways about devotion, salvation, and mercy.
1. Praise Is an Infinite Fountain, Not a Finite Well
One of the first striking ideas is a radical reframing of what it means to offer praise. We often think of praise as a finite resource—that if you say too much, your words become repetitive or lose their meaning. The author, however, presents the exact opposite view: the more you praise Mary, the more there is to praise. The text embraces a maximalist style, quoting St. Augustine to capture this spirit: "All the tongues of men, even if all their members were changed to tongues, would not be sufficient to praise her as she deserves." This concept transforms praise from a duty into a generative act of discovery, a dynamic relationship where appreciation deepens with expression. As the author quotes from Francone the abbot:
...the praise of Mary is a fountain so full that the more it extends, the fuller it becomes, and the fuller it becomes the more it extends…
2. Talking About Mary Was Believed to Be a Guaranteed Path to Paradise
If praise is an infinite resource, the book then argues that offering it yields an infinite reward. Today, sharing one's faith is often seen as an act for the benefit of the listener. This book presents an astonishingly different and more self-interested motivation: those who worked to make Mary known and loved were themselves assured of salvation. The text isn't vague about this; it presents it as a direct and certain promise. The emotional reality of this belief comes to life in St. Bonaventure's personal cry: "Exult, exult, oh my soul!...and rejoice in her, because many good things are prepared for those who praise her." This reframes proselytizing from a simple act of persuasion into a profound act of personal gratitude that carries an eternal reward, as Richard of St. Laurence states with confidence, "to honor the queen of angels is to acquire life everlasting".
3. Preachers Were Promised a "Good Death" for Their Devotion
This general promise of salvation then becomes laser-focused on the book’s primary audience: preachers. To reinforce the importance of their work, the text offers tangible, narrative-driven assurances. These are not just quaint stories; they are potent, easily retold anecdotes designed to directly motivate religious leaders by promising personal, spiritual security. First is the story of Bishop Emingo, who began his sermons praising Mary and was promised by her that she would "be his mother" and he would die a "good death." The second involves a Dominican religious who ended his sermons by speaking of Mary. At his death, she personally appeared to comfort him, defend him from the assaults of demons, and carry his soul to heaven. For a preacher reading this manual, the message was clear: your work comes with direct heavenly protection at the most critical moment of life.
4. Universal Salvation Was Tied Directly to Preaching Her Name
These personal assurances then scale up to a breathtaking theological climax. The book builds a case on a simple, powerful premise: if all graces are dispensed by the hand of Mary, then a startling conclusion becomes necessary. In the book's own words, "the salvation of all depends upon preaching Mary and confidence in her intercession." This is not just a theologically intense argument; it is the ultimate motivational tool for a preacher. It transforms their job from important to cosmically essential. For a modern reader, this is a bold claim, primarily because it appears to position confidence in Mary as a necessary condition for salvation—a role typically reserved exclusively for Christ. It represents the logical extreme of the book's devotional framework, placing an immense responsibility on believers to spread the word.
5. For Sinners, Her Mercy Is More Magnetic Than Her Perfection
But how does one convince people of such a high-stakes message? The author, drawing from his own missionary experience, offers a surprisingly human insight. He acknowledges Mary's many admirable virtues, like her humility and virginity, but argues that for "poor sinners," it is her mercy that is the most attractive and compelling quality. He grounds this not in abstract theology, but in his own pastoral work, noting that the sermon on Mary's mercy was invariably the one that proved most effective at inspiring "compunction" among the people. It’s a recognition that for those who feel unworthy, the promise of compassion is more powerful than the example of perfection. The author supports this with a sentiment from St. Bernard:
...we may praise her humility and marvel at her virginity, but being poor sinners, we are more pleased and attracted by hearing of her mercy; for to this we more affectionately cling, this we more often remember and invoke.
Reading "The Glories of Mary" is like stepping into a spiritual world defined by passionate conviction. The devotion it describes is not quiet or reserved; it is profoundly personal, built on a framework of powerful promises and an unshakeable confidence in a heavenly advocate. It reveals a faith where love is not just a feeling but an action with eternal consequences. As we look back at this centuries-old perspective, it leaves us with a thought-provoking question for our own time: What can we learn from a spiritual worldview where love and devotion are seen not just as feelings, but as actions with eternal consequences?
No comments:
Post a Comment