- To Mary (A Maria)
Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father! Hail Mary,
admirable Mother of the Son! Hail Mary, faithful spouse of the Holy
Ghost! Hail Mary, my dear Mother, my loving Mistress, my powerful
sovereign! Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul! Thou art all
mine by mercy, and I am all Thine by justice. But I am not yet
sufficiently Thine. I now give myself wholly to Thee without keeping
anything back for myself or others. If thou still seest in me anything
which does not belong to thee, I beseech thee to take it and to make
thyself the absolute Mistress of all that is mine. Destroy in me all
that may be displeasing to God, root it up and bring it to naught;
place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to Thee.
May the light of Thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind; may Thy
profound humility take the place of my pride; may Thy sublime
contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination; may
Thy continuous sight of God fill my memory with His presence; may the
burning love of Thy Heart inflame the Luke warmness of mine; may Thy
virtues take the place of my sins; may Thy merits be my only adornment
in the sight of God and make up for all that is wanting in me.
Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may
have no other spirit but Thine to know Jesus and His divine will; that
I may have no other soul but Thine to praise and glorify the Lord;
that I may have no other heart but Thine to love God with a love as
pure and ardent as Thine. I do not ask thee for visions, revelations,
sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privilege to see
God clearly; it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy
privilege to triumph gloriously in Heaven at the right hand of Thy Son
and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons; it is thy
privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as thou willest.
Such is, Oh heavenly Mary, the "best part," which the Lord has given
thee and which shall never be taken away from Thee and this thought
fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I wish for no
other than that which was thine: to believe sincerely without
spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully without human consolation; to
die continually to myself without respite; and to work zealously and
unselfishly for Thee until death as the humblest of Thy servants. The
only grace I beg Thee to obtain for me is that every day and every
moment of my life I may say: Amen, So be it to all that Thou didst do
while on earth; Amen, so be it to all that Thou art now doing in
Heaven; Amen, so be it to all that Thou art doing in my soul, so that
Thou alone meets fully to glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity.
Amen.