Mother of beautiful love
Beloved in the Lord, a priest went to the house of a dying man, who was very rich. The man was surrounded by his assistants and maids, and in a luxurious house, but he thought little of religion and saw no need for the priest. He died in a bad state.
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But soon thereafter, the priest was called to a different home. The home of an old woman, quiet and poor, who had faith; and she also had a devotion to Mary in her life. There the priest found, in that poor place, no servants or maids, no fancy furniture or riches. But what does he see? He sees in that cottage a great light, and near the bed of the dying person, Mary the mother of God, who was consoling her, and with a cloth was wiping the sweat from her brow.
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The priest seeing Mary, had not the courage to enter, but she made a motion to him to approach. He entered, Mary pointed to a seat, that he might sit down and hear the confession of her daughter. The woman then made her confession, received Holy Communion, and at last expired happily in the arms of Mary.
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Friends in Christ, On this Saturday of Our Lady, let us consider this: Let us think of how much the saints loved their neighbor, because of their love of God. We can think of St Francis Xavier, and all that he did for the people of the Indies and the lands that he visited. The dangers that he went through, in the mountains and in caves, traversing the ocean in boats and storms, out of love of God and neighbor.
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Francis de Sales, who in order to convert the heretics of Chablais, risked his life every morning crawling on his hands and knees over a frozen beam in order that he might preach to them on the other side of the river. St. Paulinus became a slave in order to obtain freedom for the son of a poor widow. So many saints, because they so much loved God, did this much for their neighbor.
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But as St. Alphonsus says, who ever loved God more than Mary? She loved him more than all the saints and angels ever did. And therefore, how much does she love her neighbor?
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If we concentrate all the love of mothers for their children, husbands and wives for one another, all the love of angels and saints, it does not equal the love of Mary toward a single person. Mary is called the Mother of Beautiful love. Beautiful love, is to love God and our neighbor for his sake. And beyond all the angels and saints, Mary loves us most, and wishes to bring us safely to Jesus.
