Mary's Faith
TAKEN FROM THE GLORIES OF MARY
by Saint Alphonsus Liguori
with Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, 1931
As the Blessed Virgin is the mother of holy love and hope, so also is
she the mother of faith: I am the
mother of fair love, and of fear, and
of knowledge, and of holy hope. [Ecclus. 24:24] And with reason
is she so, says St.
Ireneus; for "the evil done by Eve's incredulity was remedied by
Mary's faith." This is confirmed by Tertullian, who says that because
Eve, contrary to the assurance she had received from God, believed the
serpent, she brought death into the world; but our Queen, because she
believed the Angel when he said that she, remaining a virgin, would
become the mother of God, brought salvation into the world. For St.
Augustine says, that "when Mary consented to the Incarnation of the
Eternal Word, by means of her faith she opened Heaven to men," Richard,
on the words of St. Paul, for the
unbelieving husband is
sanctified by the believing wife, [1 Cor. 7:14] also says, that
"Mary is the
believing woman by whose faith the unbelieving Adam and all his
posterity are saved." Hence, on account of her faith, Elizabeth
called the holy Virgin blessed: Blessed
art thou that hast believed,
because those things shall be accomplished in thee that were spoken
by the Lord. [Luke 1:45] And St. Augustine adds, that Mary was
rather blessed by
receiving the faith of Christ than by conceiving the flesh of
Christ.

Father Suarez says, that the most holy Virgin had more faith than all
men and Angels. She saw her Son in the crib of
Bethlehem, and believed Him the Creator of the world. She saw Him fly
from Herod, and yet believed Him the King of kings. She saw Him born
and believed Him eternal, She saw Him poor and in need of food, and
believed Him the Lord of the universe. She saw Him lying on straw, and
believed Him omnipotent. She observed that He did not speak, and she
believed Him infinite wisdom. She heard Him weep, and believed Him the
joy of Paradise. In fine, she saw, Him in death, despised and
crucified, and, although faith wavered in others, Mary remained firm in
the belief that He was God.
On these words of the Gospel, their
stood by the Cross of Jesus His
Mother. [John 19:25] St. Antoninus. says, "Mary stood, supported
by her faith,
which she retained firm in the divinity of Christ." And for this
reason it is, the Saint adds, that in the office of Tenebræ only one
candle is left lighted. St. Leo, on this subject, applies to our
Blessed Lady the words of Proverbs, Her
lamp shall not be put out in the night. [31:18] And on the words
of Isaias, I have trodden the
wine-press alone, [63:3] St. Thomas remarks that the prophet
says "a man," on
account of the Blessed Virgin, in whom faith. never failed. Hence
Blessed Albert the Great assures us that "Mary then exercised perfect
faith; for even when the disciples were doubting she did not doubt."
Therefore Mary merited by her great faith to become "the light of all
the faithful," as St. Methodius calls her; and the "Queen of the true
faith," as she is called by St. Cyril of Alexandria. The holy Church
herself attributes to the merits of Mary's faith the destruction of all
heresies: "Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, for thou alone hast
destroyed all
heresies throughout the world." St. Thomas of Villanova, explaining
the words of the Holy Ghost, Thou
hast wounded my heart, my sister, my
spouse ... with one of thy
eyes, [Cant. 4:9] says that "these eyes denoted
Mary's faith, by which she greatly pleased the Son of God."
Here St. Ildephonsus exhorts us to imitate Mary's faith. But how can
we do so? Faith, at the same time that it is a gift, is also a virtue.
It is a gift of God, inasmuch as it is a light infused by Him into
our souls; and a virtue, inasmuch as the soul has to exercise itself in
the practice of it. Hence faith is not only to be the rule of our
belief, but also that of our actions; therefore St. Gregory says, "He
truly believes who puts what he believes into practice;" and St.
Augustine, "Thou sayest, I believe; do what thou sayest, and it is
faith." This is to have a lively faith, to live according to our
belief: My just man liveth by faith.
[Heb. 10:38] Thus did the Blessed Virgin live
very differently from those who do not live in accordance with what
they believe, and whose faith is dead, as St. James declares, Faith
without works is dead. [2:26]
Diogenes sought for a man on earth; but God, amongst the many faithful,
seems to seek for a Christian, for few there are who have good works;
the greater part have only the name of Christian. To such as these
should be applied the words once addressed by Alexander to a cowardly
soldier who was also named Alexander: "Either change thy name or
change thy conduct." But as Father Avila used to say, "It would be
better to shut up these poor creatures as madmen, believing, as they
do, that an eternity of happiness is prepared for those who lead good
lives, and an eternity of misery for those who lead bad ones, and who
yet live as if they believed nothing. St. Augustine therefore exhorts
us to see things with the eyes of Christians, that is to say, with eyes
which look at all in the light of faith; for, as St. Teresa often
said, all sins come from a want of faith. Let us therefore entreat the
most holy Virgin, by the merit of her faith, to obtain us a lively
faith. "O Lady, increase our faith."
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