Vessel of Honor . . .

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Mary Introduction
Mary's Litany

Because Mary was conceived without any stain of sin, her dignity as the Mother of God, is beyond that of any of God's creatures.  She accepted her role in God's plan for our Redemption when she said, "yes."  She carried the divine Son of God and is worthy of the highest honor and praise because of her choice.

Mary’s life was a continual sharing with the heavenly father and the Holy Spirit, her divine spouse.
  (1)  St. Francis de Sales

The prayers of this mother have a certain maternal authority with Jesus Christ; so that she obtains the grace of pardon even for those who have been guilty of grievous crimes, and who commend themselves to her.
  (2)  St. Germanus of Constantinople

The divine spirit, the love itself of the Father and the Son, came corporally into Mary, and enriching her with graces above all creatures, reposed in her and made her his spouse, the queen of heaven and earth.
  (3)  St. Anselm of Canterbury

No sooner had Mary consented to be mother of the eternal Word, that she merited by this consent to be made queen of the world and of all creatures. (4)  St. Bernadino of Siena

Oh Lady, since you are dispenser of all graces, and since the grace of salvation can only comes through your hands, our salvation depends on you. (5)  St. Bernadino of Siena

As every mandate of grace that is sent by a king passes through the palace gates, so does every grace that comes from heaven to the world pass through the hands of Mary the Gate of Heaven. (6)  St. Bernadino of Siena

By following Mary you can never go astray; by praying to her you will never fall; by thinking of her you will never err; protected by her, you need not fear; guided by her, you will reach salvation. (7)  St. Bernard-abbot of Clairvaux

No one can be filled by the thought of God except by the blessed virgin Mary. (8)  St. Germanus of Constantinople

Why did the mystery of the Incarnation take place only at the consent of Mary?  Because God wished her to be the beginning of every good. (9)  St. Irenaeus of Lyons

The son has his justice, the mother has nothing but her love, the heart of Mary.  No grace comes from heaven without passing through her hands. (10)  St. John Vianney

The father takes pleasure in looking upon the heart of the most holy virgin Mary, as the master piece of his hands; for we always like our own work, especially when it is well done. (11)  St. John Vianney

It was through the most holy virgin Mary that Jesus came into the world, and it is also through her that he has to reign in the world. (12)  St. Louis de Montfort

By the prayers of Mary, almost innumerable sinners are converted. (13)  St. Methodius of Olympus3

God could have given us the redeemer of the human race and the founder of the faith in another way than through the virgin, but since divine providence has been pleased that we should have the man-God through Mary, who conceived him by the Holy Ghost and bore him in her womb, it only remains for us to receive Christ from the hands of Mary. (14)  St. Pius X, pope

The prayers of his mother are a pleasure to the son, because he desired to grant all that is granted on her account, and thus recompense her for the favor she did him in giving him his body. (15)  St. Theophilus the Penitent

All true children of God have God for their father and Mary for their mother; anyone who does not have Mary for his mother, does not have God for his father.  (16)  St. Louis Marie de Montfort

If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother. 
  (17)  St. Maximilian Kolbe

Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much.  You can never love her more than Jesus did. 
  (18)  St. Maximilian Kolbe

Rejoice, my soul, and be glad in her; for many good things are prepared for those who praise her. (19)  St. Bonaventure

From Mary we learn to surrender to God's Will in all things.  From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone.  From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God! (20)  St. John Paul II, pope

Because we celebrate the glorification of our mother, it is only natural that we her children rejoice in a special way upon seeing how the most Blessed Trinity honors her. (21)  St. Josemaria Escriva

From the moment that this Virgin Mother conceived the divine Word in her womb, she acquired a special jurisdiction, so to say, over all the gifts of the Holy Ghost, so that no creature has since received any grace from God except through the hands of Mary.
  (22)  St. Bernardine

God would not become man without the consent of Mary; in the first place, that we might feel ourselves under great obligation to her; and in the second, that we might understand that the salvation of all is left to the care of this Blessed Virgin. (23)  St. Peter Damian

I desire to be the servant of the Son; but because no one will ever be so without serving the Mother, for this reason I desire the servitude of Mary. (24)  St. Ildephonsus of Toledo

Why is it that you alone have great power?  It is because you alone are the Mother of our common Redeemer; you are the spouse of God; you are the universal Queen of heaven and earth.  If you do not speak for us, no saint will pray for or help us.  But when you begin to pray for us, then all the saints do the same and assist us. (25)  St. Anselm

O most pure Virgin, you knew from your every childhood so well how to gain the heart of God, that he never did and never will refuse you anything, and grants you all that you ask.  My hopes are therefore in you; recommend me to your Son, and I shall be saved.
  (26)  St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Mary is called "a heavenly vessel," not because Mary was not earthly by nature, as heretics have dreamed, but because she was heavenly by grace; she was as superior to the angels of heaven in sanctity and purity, as it was becoming that she should be, in whose womb a king of glory was to dwell. (27)  St. Ambrose

It was not becoming that the King of Glory should repose otherwise than in a chosen vessel, exceeding all men and angels in purity.
  (28)  St. Bridget

Jesus preserved the body of Mary from corruption after death; for it would have redounded to his dishonor had that virginal flesh with which he had clothed himself become the food of worms. (29)  St. Alphonsus Liguori

The flesh of Christ is the flesh of Mary; and though it was glorified by the glory of his resurrection, yet it remains the same that was taken from Mary. (30)  St. Alphonsus Liguori

The flesh of Mary and that of Christ are one; and therefore I consider the glory of the Son as being not so much common    to, as one with, that of his Mother. (31)  Abbot Arnold of Charters

Since it was becoming that the Father should preserve Mary from sin as his daughter, and the Son as his Mother, it was also becoming that the Holy Spirit should preserve her as his spouse. (32)  St. Alphonsus Liguori

Our Lord, drawn as it were by the sweet odor of this humble Virgin, chose her for his Mother, when he was pleased to become man to redeem the world. (33)  St. Alphonsus Liguori

The mother is the one who gives life but also who helps and teaches how to live.  Mary is a Mother, the Mother of Jesus, to whom she gave her blood and her body.  And it is she who presents to us the eternal Word of the Father, who came to dwell among us.
  (34)  Benedict XVI, pope

The Virgin Mary, among all creatures, is a masterpiece of the Most Holy Trinity.  In her humble heart full of faith, God prepared a worthy dwelling place for himself in order to bring to completion the mystery of salvation. (35)  Benedict XVI, pope

Divine Love found perfect correspondence in her, and in her womb the Only-Begotten Son was made man.  Let us turn to Mary with filial trust, so that with her help we may progress in love and make our life a hymn of praise to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.
  (36)  Benedict XVI, pope

One cannot contemplate Mary without being attracted by Christ and one cannot look at Christ without immediately perceiving the presence of Mary.  There is an indissoluble link between the Mother and the Son generated in her womb by the work of the Holy Spirit, and this link we perceive in a mysterious way in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. (37)  Benedict XVI, pope

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