The Lord has placed
in Mary the fullness of all good. So that if there is anything of hope in us,
if anything of grace, if anything of salvation, we may rest assured it has
overflowed into us from her. With every fiber of our being, every feeling of
our hearts, with all affections of our minds, and with all the ardor of our
souls let us honor Mary because this is the will of God, who would have us
obtain everything through her hands.
In the monastery we are reminded of Mary often; images of her are in many nooks and corners of the Abbey. And we go often to Mary for all we need from her Son, trusting that she will never forget those whom her Son has given to her.
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Gerard David (Netherlandish, ca. 1455–1523), oil on wood, 20" x 17.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Used with permission. Lines from Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon 6: For the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
