The Secret of Mary

Tomorrow is the liturgical memorial of Saint Louis–Marie Grignion de Montfort. His writings have been a lamp unto my feet and a fire in my heart for many years. If you are unfamiliar with Saint Louis–Marie, get to know him. If you once knew him and have put his writings on a shelf to gather dust, become reacquainted with him and discover his teaching anew. If having once attempted to read him, you were put off by him, it may have been because you were not yet ready to receive “the secret of Mary” that he, having received freely, offers freely to all who seek God.

Happy, indeed sublimely happy,
is the person to whom the Holy Spirit reveals the secret of Mary,
thus imparting to him true knowledge of her.
Happy the person to whom the Holy Spirit opens this enclosed garden for him to enter,
and to whom the Holy Spirit gives access to this sealed fountain
where he can draw water and drink deep draughts of the living waters of grace.
That person will find only grace and no creature in the most lovable Virgin Mary.
But he will find that the infinitely holy and exalted God is at the same time
infinitely solicitous for him and understands his weaknesses.
Since God is everywhere, He can be found everywhere, even in hell.
But there is no place where God can be more present to His creature
and more sympathetic to human weakness than in Mary.
It was indeed for this very purpose that He came down from heaven.
Everywhere else He is the Bread of the strong and the Bread of angels,
but living in Mary He is the Bread of children.
Saint Louis–Marie Grignion de Montfort