Mary, Our Hope - Cardinal Bacci

Mary, Our Hope

1. In the beautiful prayer known as the Salve Regina or Hail Holy Queen, the Church salutes Mary as "our life, our sweetness and our hope." Mary is our hope because she gave us our Saviour, Jesus, and because she prays to Him continually for the graces which we need. Following the example of Luther, modern Protestants raise the objection that Mary cannot be regarded as a source of hope because all our trust should be placed in God. Anyone who places his trust in creatures draws down God's curse upon himself, they say, and they go on to quote from Jeremias: “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.” (Jer. 17:5) But this is true only when we trust in creatures independently of God, as if we can derive any good from them without recourse to God. We invoke Mary, however, as the Mother of God and our mediatrix with Him. She is our hope in so far as she obtains for us from God the graces and favours which we require. St. Bernard assures us that God has placed in Mary's hands all the riches which He wishes to bestow on us. (Serm. De aquaed.) "He will never experience eternal ruin," says St. Anselm, "for whom Mary has once prayed." St. Bernard calls upon Mary as the foundation of all his hope. (Serm. De aquaed.) Let us remember that Mary is our loving Mother who wishes us to pray to her because she knows that if she intercedes on our behalf, she will certainly be heard. It should be most consoling to us to have such a good and powerful Mother in whom we can safely trust in every peril and in every necessity. Let us pray to her with love and faith in the certainty that we shall be answered in the way that is best for us. Let us say along with St. John Damascene: “O Mother of God, if I place my trust in you I shall be saved. If I am under your protection, I have nothing to fear, because to be devoted to you is to possess a weapon of salvation which God grants only to those whom He desires to redeem.” (Serm. de Nat., cap.4)

2. These expressions of confidence in Mary's powerful intercession should not lead us astray, however. They hold good with absolute certainty only for those who have true devotion to Mary. Even if they are sinners, such clients of Mary must have at least the good intention of changing their lives and never offending God anymore. Sin and sincere devotion to Our Lady cannot co-exist. "Relinquish every intention of sinning," St. Gregory VII wrote to the Princess Matilde, "and you will find Mary more eager to help you than any earthly mother." (Lib. I, Ep. 47) We should ask, furthermore, for spiritual favours first of all. Later we can ask for temporal favours if they are to our spiritual advantage. Finally, if we are to have a true devotion to Mary, we must love and imitate her as well as pray to her. Anyone who sincerely tries to do all this is certain of salvation.

3. O Mary, my Mother, I place my trust in you because I know that your intercession is all-powerful with your divine Son, Jesus. Help me to detach myself completely from sin and to conquer my rebellious inclinations. Grant that I may imitate the shining example of your sanctity in such a way that you may be truly my hope and my sure refuge now and at the hour of death. Amen.