Fr Bede Jarrett - Little Book of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Little Book of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Model of Christians, Cause of Our Joy

Raoul Plus, S.J.

SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS
Manchester, New Hampshire

The Little Book of the Blessed Virgin Mary was formerly published in 1940 by Frederick Pustet Co., Inc., New York, under the title Mary in Our Soul-Life, using the translation by Sister Mary Bertille and Sister Mary St. Thomas from the original French. This 2010 edition by Sophia Institute Press includes minor editorial revisions.

Copyright 2010 Sophia Institute Press

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved

Cover design by Theodore Schluenderfritz

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Sophia Institute Press
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Nihil obstat:
Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.,
Censor Librorum

Imprimatur:
Francis J. Spellman, D.D.
Archbishop of New York
New York, September 18, 1940

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Plus, Raoul, 1882-1958.
[Marie dans notre histoire divine. English] The little book of the Blessed Virgin Mary : model of Christians, cause of our joy / Raoul Plus.
p. cm.Translated by Mary Bertille and Mary St. Thomas.
Originally published: Mary in our soul-life. New York : F. Pustet Co., 1940. With minor editorial revisions.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-933184-69-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint Theology. I. Title.BT603.P58 2010
232.91 dc222009049792

Other books by Raoul Plus from Sophia Institute Press:

Holy Simplicity

How to Pray Always

How to Pray Well

Progress in Divine Union

Foreword

If the number of books treating of methods to acquire sanctity were indicative of the holiness of a generation, then, indeed, could ours claim the halo of blessedness. But such is not the case. The ever-increasing production of ascetical literature evidences rather our yearning for a fuller participation in the life of God and our great need to be shown the way to attain it. For although every soul feels within it the persistent urging of Christs injunction: Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect, nevertheless, modern materialism has so pitted its strength against spiritual endeavor that we often feel outwitted before we advance very far toward sainthood. Therefore, we eagerly thumb manuals of saintly living for successful techniques in the direction of our soul-life.

Too often, in the eagerness of our desire, we forget that, in pursuing the science of the saints, as in pursuing other sciences, original sources are to be studied first. We realize that progress in holiness is measured by growth in likeness to Christ, that perfect soul-life means Christ-life; yet we forget to go for guidance to her who beheld Christ daily advance in wisdom and age and grace with God and men. Although Mary kept the secrets of the King, her heart is not a closed book. It is open wide for all to read. But we must read it as it is revealed in the events of her life, for Marys attitudes, actions, words, and even her very silence, exemplifying as they did the principles treasured in her heart, teach us how to meet the advances of God so that our soul-life, like hers, may be full of grace.

Christ wants Mary to mother our soul-life as she mothered Him. The Holy Spirit cherishes her still as His Immaculate Spouse and desires to produce through her countless saints. Louis de Montfort insists that One of the great reasons why the Holy Ghost does not now do startling wonders in our souls is because He does not find there a sufficiently great union with His faithful and inseparable Spouse.

This book, then, makes an effort to weld our souls more closely to the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit. It is not a story of Marys life, although it deals with some of the incidents of her life. It is an attempt, rather, to teach us to read her heart and to realize more profoundly the position true theology accords her in our soul-life.

Assumption of Our Lady, 1940

Editors note: The biblical quotations in the following pages are taken from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Old and New Testaments. Where applicable, quotations have been cross-referenced with the differing names and enumeration in the Revised Standard Version, using the following symbol: (RSV =).

Book I

The price of Marys motherhood

The Glories of Mary and The Splendors of Mary are favorite titles. We seldom think of the Madonna without immediately calling to mind the fullness of her privileges, and too often perhaps slight meditation on the sublime sacrifices they entailed.

The word that most aptly summarizes the whole career of Mary is mother. Mother she is, and doubly so in the terms of Catholic belief: human Mother of Jesus, supernatural Mother of every Christian. Jesus, her Firstborn, she brought forth without pain; but in giving birth to her second-born, ah, what agony did she not have to endure! In dolore paries has been said in the beginning. Every childbirth means suffering, but Mary, chosen by God that she might in Jesus Christ bring men to divine life, had to struggle with anguish proportionate to her extraordinary maternity.

In dolore paries; suffering, the price of motherhood! We ought to weigh well at what price Mary became the Mother of the human race.

Chapter One

Mary is serene even in her sufferings

The sorrowful career of Mary dates, we might say, from the Purification. What Christian soul does not remember the tragic words of aged Simeon to the young mother who had come to offer her Son in the Temple? A sword of sorrow will pierce your heart.

According to Jewish custom, women came to the Temple a few weeks after the birth of a child to present their offspring to the Lord. Mary conformed to this law.

Simeon, moved by the Spirit of God, went to the Temple. He knew, as did all the Jews, that the Messiah was near; he had, moreover, received a revelation that he would not die before he had seen the Redeemer of Israel. And now the hour in which he could contemplate Him had come.

See, in truth, the Anointed of the Lord...

Over there, under the porticos, stands a young mother and a man carrying two doves; the young mother holds her newborn Babe close within her mantle. Salutare Dei the Salvation of God! It is He! The frail Nothing within this tender nest is the Strength of God, Salutare Dei. This little bright spot in the protecting shadow is the Light that is to dissipate the darkness of the nations.

Here at last is that hour Simeon had been waiting for all his life. From his lips rises the hymn of thanksgiving: Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine: Now, Lord, Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, for my eyes have seen Him whom all have so ardently desired!

Mary advances, holding her treasure, and Simeon, with clumsy hands, receives the Infant from her. Jesus feels, indeed, that He loses by the change; this is not the gentle embrace of the Virgin. He thinks of other arms, arms that later on will treat Him in a rougher fashion. The man of God raises toward the Lord this dear little one, a Victim marked for sacrifice, and then, the offering made, gives back the precious bundle to the young mother.

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