MOTHER MOST AMIABLE

(1) MARY, you are the Mother Most Amiable in the eyes of God. You are a source of never-ending joy to Him, and the object of His most tender love. God the Father loves you more than all His other creatures, for you are more than His child—you are the Mother of His only-begotten Son. You also enjoy the most tender love of the Son of God, the Divine Word, for He elevated you alone of all women in the world to the dignity of divine motherhood. As the God-Man He showed His love for you in being subject to you for thirty years, in performing His first miracle at your request, and in remembering you with tender pity on the cross when He said to the beloved Apostle John, "Son, behold thy mother."

(2) MARY, the Holy Spirit gives you all His love, for you are the Masterpiece of His power. For love of you He worked a miracle at your conception, which preserved you from the stain of original sin and infused into your soul the fullness of grace in the first instant of your existence. He enlightened the Prophets concerning you many centuries before your birth, and bade them announce to the nations of the earth the happiness which would be given to the world through you. After Your birth He watched over you with great care in order to preserve you from even the least sin. He worked wonders for you by overshadowing you with the power of His Godhead, and accomplished in your virginal womb the Incarnation of the Son of God. No creature in heaven or on earth was ever loved so much by the Blessed Trinity.

Mother Most Amiable, God loved you so much because you loved Him above all things. Help me to love God above all things all the days of my life, just as you did. Help me to guard against sin and to observe the commandments, for Jesus said, "He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me" (John 14,21). Let me prove my love for God by frequent Communion and prayer—the most effective means of strengthening and preserving the love of God in my heart.

(3) MARY, you are the Mother Most Amiable also to men. You love us all more than our own mothers can, for you have cherished us all in your heart ever since the day your dying Son entrusted us to your care. Your heart is full of love and mercy toward us, and is always ready to do us good. In fact, you never feel happier than when you find an opportunity of doing us a favor.

On account of your holiness you are so amiable that after God there is nothing on earth that can be compared to you. What the sun is among the stars, you are among the angels and saints. You are a Lady of surpassing mildness, love and goodness. And since you are most gracious to all, all hearts turn to you in devoted affection.

Mother Most Amiable, obtain for me the grace to cherish a tender love for you, for I can do nothing better than to imitate God in His love for you; and I certainly cannot love you more than He does. Be to me a Mother Most Amiable in life and in death, but above all for all eternity in heaven.

O Lord God, we beg You to forgive the sins of Your servants, that we who are unable to please You by our own deeds, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Your Son, our Lord. Who lives and reigns with You forever. Amen. (Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 15)