Catholic Virtues
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Following the Example of Saints,
We Must Honor Our Lady
It is not an uncommon fact that we learn best from the actions and examples of those who have gone before us, and so I compile here a list of examples and stories from devoted slaves of Mary to help the reader to serve Our Lady better.
The long history of devotion to Mary
Throughout the History of the Church there has never been a lack in devotion and love shown to the Blessed Virgin. The Saints and Ancient Fathers, with the greatest conviction, taught the faithful that devotion to Mary was not only commendable but morally necessary for their salvation. For just as without the tree, there is no fruit, without Mary, the Sacred Fruit of her womb Jesus Christ cannot be found in a soul.
How different this is from the stance of so many modern theologians and preachers who, for fear of harming the “ecumenical spirit” of the post Vatican II Church, leave the Blessed Virgin aside, as if devotion to her were nothing but some outdated practice.
Truly, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Louis de Montfort, St. Dominic and other great Saints and Doctors would have shed tears of blood to see the decline in devotion to Mary because “we cannot offend the protestants!”
Many young Catholics, who were raised in the Vatican II Church never learned the importance of Our Lady in the economy of salvation. They would be surprised to learn that the great Doctors of the Church St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas were some of the greatest servants of Mary.
In the 11th century, St. Anselm remarked: "When we implore the Holy Virgin to obtain graces for us, it is not that we distrust the divine mercy, but rather that we distrust our own unworthiness, and commend ourselves to Mary that her merits may compensate for our unworthiness.” Devotion to Mary teaches us great humility and knowledge of our own unworthiness, a lesson so many modern Catholics have need to learn since they were taught that they should go straight to Jesus and speak casually with Him, as if with a friend from whom we supposedly deserve everything.
In the 12th century St. Bernard taught: “Let no one think that by greatly praising the Mother he will throw into the shade the glories of the Son; for the more he honors the Mother, so much more he honors the Son.”
If the praise given to one’s mother is received with great joy by a good child, why should the same not be true for Our Lord, who was the most perfect Son who ever existed?
The biblical nature of Marian devotion
In the book of Genesis, God predicted that the Woman shall crush the Devil’s head. The Church Fathers taught that this is why the Devil fears her, in a sense even more than he fears God. For it is obvious that God could easily defeat the Devil, but to be crushed by a humble maiden more greatly humiliates the proud serpent.
The Book of Kings also points to Our Lady and her role as intercessor before Christ the King: When the mother of King Solomon went to speak to him on behalf of Adonias, the King rose to meet her, bowed to her, and set up a throne for her at his right hand. Then he told her: “My mother, ask what you may, for I must not turn away thy face.” (1 Kings 2:19-20)
Scripture gives us this example as a foreshadowing of the even greater love that the Divine Wisdom Himself would have for His perfect and Immaculate Mother, who pleased Him more than all of His other creatures combined, and to Whom he denies nothing.
In the New Testament, Our Lord referred to His Mother as “woman” at times. This is far from disrespectful as protestants would have us believe. Rather, as Adam called his wife “woman” prior to the fall, Our Lord was calling the new Eve “woman” to tell us that she was as Eve should have been, had she retained her original innocence.
Every Saint was devoted to Our Lady
It is indisputable that devotion to Our Lady makes – and will always continue to make – men holy and saintly. In the life of every Saint there is always an indicator of Our Lady guiding them. St. Alphonsus writes: “As Holofernes, in order to gain the city of Bethulia, directed the aqueducts to be broken, so the Devil makes every effort to deprive souls of their devotion to the Mother of God. For if this channel of grace were closed, he could easily succeed in gaining them to himself.”
This is sadly why so many souls are lukewarm or cold, for they have been deprived of God’s channel of grace, the Blessed Virgin.
St. Matilda was known to recite three “Hail Mary’s” every day in honor of the power, wisdom and goodness of Our Lady, after our Blessed Mother promised her a good death for this simple devotion.
St. Conrad of Parzham was one of the many Saints who would kiss the ground every time he recited the angelic salutation.
St. Charles Borromeo practiced the devotion of fasting on bread and water every Saturday in order to honor the constant and unwavering Faith maintained by Our Lady alone on the Saturday after the death of her Son.
St. Alphonsus de Liguori recalls the story of a bandit chief who, because he practiced this simple devotion, was permitted to remain alive even after his head had been cut off and was able to make his confession due to the intercession of Our Lady.
Fasting in devotion to Our Lady is therefore a practice not only approved by the Church and practiced by the greatest Saints, but one that will give pleasure and win the favor of so lovable and loving a Lady.
To counter the courtly love that was starting in his time, the great St. Bernard taught his monks to address the Virgin Mary as "Our Lady" and to serve her as her army of knights.
Pilgrimages & litanies to honor Our Lady
Another devotion that many Catholics today overlook is the visiting of the holy images of Mary.
In his book The Glories of Mary, St. Alphonsus recounts how whenever St. Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (973-1024), entered a city, before anything else he always visited a church of Our Lady.
Many other religious souls tread miles and miles on pilgrimages just to be pay homage to a miraculous icon or image of the Blessed Mother.
Litanies and hymns to Our Lady should also be revived among the faithful today. Our Lady ordered St. Bridget to recite the Ave Maris Stella every day. More than others, she is pleased by the Magnificat, a beautiful hymn through which we praise our Queen in the very words with which she praised God.
Hearing Mass in honor of Our Lady, reading daily from a book that speaks of her glories and virtues, having devotion to the Saints who were close to her in her life (St. Joachim, St. Anne, St. Joseph among others) as well as her devoted servants (St. Ildephonsus, St. Dominic, St. Bernard, St. Louis de Montfort and more), preaching, writing or speaking of her and her boundless mercy: All these are recommended by St. Alphonsus as means to grow in devotion to our great Queen.
I shall conclude with the words St. Alphonsus used to close his admirable book, The Glories of Mary, the source for this article. He quotes the beautiful words of praise that St. Bernardine of Sienna gives to Our Lady:
“Oh Woman, blessed among all women, thou art the honor of the human race, the salvation of our people. Thou hast a merit that has no limits, and an entire power over all creatures. Thou art the Mother of God, the Mistress of the World, the Queen of Heaven.
“Thou art the dispenser of all graces, the glory of the Holy Church. Thou art the example of the just, the consolation of the Saints, and the source of our salvation. Thou art the joy of Paradise, the gate of Heaven, the glory of God.
“Behold, we have published thy praises. We supplicate thee then, o Mother of Mercy, to strengthen our weakness, to pardon our boldness, to accept our service, to bless our labors, and impress thy love upon the hearts of all, that after having honored and loved thy Son on earth, we may praise and bless Him eternally in Heaven. Amen.”
The long history of devotion to Mary
Throughout the History of the Church there has never been a lack in devotion and love shown to the Blessed Virgin. The Saints and Ancient Fathers, with the greatest conviction, taught the faithful that devotion to Mary was not only commendable but morally necessary for their salvation. For just as without the tree, there is no fruit, without Mary, the Sacred Fruit of her womb Jesus Christ cannot be found in a soul.
Every Saint had a strong devotion to Mary
Truly, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Louis de Montfort, St. Dominic and other great Saints and Doctors would have shed tears of blood to see the decline in devotion to Mary because “we cannot offend the protestants!”
Many young Catholics, who were raised in the Vatican II Church never learned the importance of Our Lady in the economy of salvation. They would be surprised to learn that the great Doctors of the Church St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas were some of the greatest servants of Mary.
In the 11th century, St. Anselm remarked: "When we implore the Holy Virgin to obtain graces for us, it is not that we distrust the divine mercy, but rather that we distrust our own unworthiness, and commend ourselves to Mary that her merits may compensate for our unworthiness.” Devotion to Mary teaches us great humility and knowledge of our own unworthiness, a lesson so many modern Catholics have need to learn since they were taught that they should go straight to Jesus and speak casually with Him, as if with a friend from whom we supposedly deserve everything.
In the 12th century St. Bernard taught: “Let no one think that by greatly praising the Mother he will throw into the shade the glories of the Son; for the more he honors the Mother, so much more he honors the Son.”
If the praise given to one’s mother is received with great joy by a good child, why should the same not be true for Our Lord, who was the most perfect Son who ever existed?
The biblical nature of Marian devotion
In the book of Genesis, God predicted that the Woman shall crush the Devil’s head. The Church Fathers taught that this is why the Devil fears her, in a sense even more than he fears God. For it is obvious that God could easily defeat the Devil, but to be crushed by a humble maiden more greatly humiliates the proud serpent.
The winged Virgin of the Apocalypse crushes the serpent’s head
Scripture gives us this example as a foreshadowing of the even greater love that the Divine Wisdom Himself would have for His perfect and Immaculate Mother, who pleased Him more than all of His other creatures combined, and to Whom he denies nothing.
In the New Testament, Our Lord referred to His Mother as “woman” at times. This is far from disrespectful as protestants would have us believe. Rather, as Adam called his wife “woman” prior to the fall, Our Lord was calling the new Eve “woman” to tell us that she was as Eve should have been, had she retained her original innocence.
Every Saint was devoted to Our Lady
It is indisputable that devotion to Our Lady makes – and will always continue to make – men holy and saintly. In the life of every Saint there is always an indicator of Our Lady guiding them. St. Alphonsus writes: “As Holofernes, in order to gain the city of Bethulia, directed the aqueducts to be broken, so the Devil makes every effort to deprive souls of their devotion to the Mother of God. For if this channel of grace were closed, he could easily succeed in gaining them to himself.”
This is sadly why so many souls are lukewarm or cold, for they have been deprived of God’s channel of grace, the Blessed Virgin.
St. Conrad of Parzham was one of the many Saints who would kiss the ground every time he recited the angelic salutation.
St. Charles Borromeo practiced the devotion of fasting on bread and water every Saturday in order to honor the constant and unwavering Faith maintained by Our Lady alone on the Saturday after the death of her Son.
St. Alphonsus de Liguori recalls the story of a bandit chief who, because he practiced this simple devotion, was permitted to remain alive even after his head had been cut off and was able to make his confession due to the intercession of Our Lady.
Fasting in devotion to Our Lady is therefore a practice not only approved by the Church and practiced by the greatest Saints, but one that will give pleasure and win the favor of so lovable and loving a Lady.
To counter the courtly love that was starting in his time, the great St. Bernard taught his monks to address the Virgin Mary as "Our Lady" and to serve her as her army of knights.
Pilgrimages & litanies to honor Our Lady
Another devotion that many Catholics today overlook is the visiting of the holy images of Mary.
In his book The Glories of Mary, St. Alphonsus recounts how whenever St. Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (973-1024), entered a city, before anything else he always visited a church of Our Lady.
Many other religious souls tread miles and miles on pilgrimages just to be pay homage to a miraculous icon or image of the Blessed Mother.
Pilgrims holding candlelights
at Fatima on May 12, 2025
Hearing Mass in honor of Our Lady, reading daily from a book that speaks of her glories and virtues, having devotion to the Saints who were close to her in her life (St. Joachim, St. Anne, St. Joseph among others) as well as her devoted servants (St. Ildephonsus, St. Dominic, St. Bernard, St. Louis de Montfort and more), preaching, writing or speaking of her and her boundless mercy: All these are recommended by St. Alphonsus as means to grow in devotion to our great Queen.
I shall conclude with the words St. Alphonsus used to close his admirable book, The Glories of Mary, the source for this article. He quotes the beautiful words of praise that St. Bernardine of Sienna gives to Our Lady:
“Oh Woman, blessed among all women, thou art the honor of the human race, the salvation of our people. Thou hast a merit that has no limits, and an entire power over all creatures. Thou art the Mother of God, the Mistress of the World, the Queen of Heaven.
“Thou art the dispenser of all graces, the glory of the Holy Church. Thou art the example of the just, the consolation of the Saints, and the source of our salvation. Thou art the joy of Paradise, the gate of Heaven, the glory of God.
“Behold, we have published thy praises. We supplicate thee then, o Mother of Mercy, to strengthen our weakness, to pardon our boldness, to accept our service, to bless our labors, and impress thy love upon the hearts of all, that after having honored and loved thy Son on earth, we may praise and bless Him eternally in Heaven. Amen.”
Posted June 14, 2025
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