Ave Maria Meditations
Graces of Mary’s Immaculate Heart:
The Immaculate Heart of Mary is the principle of the life of a…world…. What is this world? It is the God Man, filled with countless rare marvels. Now, this God-Man is the Son of Mary, and Mary’s Heart is consequently the source of his life since the mother’s heart is the principle of the child’s life as well as her own.
St. John Chrysostom is surely right when he says that the heart of Saint Paul was “the heart of the whole world. For it is through that apostolic heart that the Spirit of Life was poured forth on all things and given to the members of Jesus Christ.” But how much more true is this of the incomparably loving Heart of the Queen of Apostles…
The holy Heart of Mary, from the moment of her Immaculate Conception, has been completely kept in motion by love for God and charity towards mankind…”Take away the sun that enlightens our material world,” says Saint Bernard, “what will become of day or light? Take away Mary, the Star of the Sea, or take away the Heart of Mary, the true Sun of the Christian World, and what would be left? Without Mary’s radiance nothing is left but enveloping darkness, the shadow of death and the frightful night of the grave.”
O excellent Heart of my Queen; my most amiable Sun, blessed are the hearts that love you! Happy the minds that meditate on your greatness, and the tongues that preach and praise you! Blessed are the eyes that contemplate you, O radiant Mary! The more they gaze on you, the greater their desire the stronger the light and strength they receive to enable them to gaze yet more upon your dazzling light!
St. John Eudes
