Chapter VIII
Et Jesum, benedictum Fructum ventris
tui nobis post hoc exilium ostende
And after this, our Exile, show unto Us
the Blessed Fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus

Chapter VIII
Et Jesum, benedictum Fructum ventris
tui nobis post hoc exilium ostende
And after this, our Exile, show unto Us
the Blessed Fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus

by Saint Alphonsus Liguori

Chapter VIII, Section I
Mary delivers her Clients from Hell

It is impossible for a client of Mary, who is faithful in honoring and recommending himself to her, to be lost.  To some this proposition may appear, at first sight, exaggerated; but any one to whom this might seem to be the case I would beg to suspend his judgment, and, first of all, read what I have to say on this subject.

When we say that it is impossible for a client of Mary to be lost, we must not be understood as speaking of those clients who take advantage of this devotion that they may sin more freely.  And therefore, those who disapprove of the great praises bestowed on the clemency of this most Blessed Virgin, because it causes the wicked to take advantage of it to sin with greater freedom, do so without foundation, for such presumption people deserve chastisement, and not mercy, for their rash confidence.  It is therefore to be understood of those clients who, with a sincere desire to amend, are faithful in honoring and recommending themselves to the Mother of God.  It is, I say, morally impossible that such as these should be lost.  And I find that Father Crasset (Vér. Dév. p. 1, t. 1, q. 7), in his book on devotion towards the Blessed Virgin Mary, says the same thing.  As did also Vega, before him, in his Marian Theology, Mendoza, and other theologians.  And that we may see that they did not speak at random, let us examine what other saints and learned men have said on this subject; and let no one be surprised if many of these quotations are alike, for I have wished to give them all, in order to show how unanimous the various writers have been on the subject.

Saint Anselm says, "that as it is impossible for one who is not devout to Mary, and consequently not protected by her, to be saved; so is it impossible for one who recommends himself to her, and consequently is beloved by her, to be lost" - ("Sicut, O Beatissima! omnis a te aversus et a te despectus necesse est ut intereat, ita omnis ad te converses et a te respectus impossibile est ut pereat"—Orat. 51).  Saint Antoninus repeats the same thing and almost in the same words: "As it is impossible for those from whom Mary turns her eyes of mercy to be saved; so also are those towards whom she turns these eyes, and for whom she prays, necessarily saved and glorified" - ("Sicut impossibile est, quod illi, a quibus Maria oculos suae misericordiae avertit, salventur; ita necessarium quod hi, ad quos convertit oculos suos, pro eis advocans, justificentur et glorificentur"—P. 4, tit. 15, c. 14, #7).  Consequently the clients of Mary will necessarily be saved.

Let us pay particular attention to the first part of the opinions of these saints, and let those tremble who make but little account of their devotion to this divine Mother, or from carelessness, give it up.  They say that the salvation of those who are not protected by Mary is impossible.  Many others declare the same thing; such as Blessed Albert, who says, that "all those who are not thy servants, O Mary, will perish" - ("Gens quae non servierit tibi peribit"—Bibl. Mar. Is. n. 20).  And Saint Bonaventure: "He who neglects the service of the blessed Virgin will die in his sins" - ("Qui neglexerit illam, morietur in peccatis suis").  Again, "He who does not invoke thee, O Lady, will never get to Heaven" -("Qui te non invocat in hac vita, non perveniet ad regnum Dei").  And, on the 99th Psalm the saint even says, "that not only those from whom Mary turns her face will not be saved, but that there will be no hope of their salvation" - ("A quibus averteris vultum tuum non erit spes ad salutem"—Psalt. B. V. ps. 116, 86, 99).  Before him, Saint Ignatius the martyr said, "that it was impossible for any sinner to be saved without the help and favor of the most Blessed Virgin; because those who are not saved by the justice of God are with infinite mercy saved by the intercession of Mary" - ("Impossibile est aliquem salvari peccatorem, nisi per tuum, O Virgo! auxilium et favorem; quia, quos non salvat Dei justitia, salvat sua intercessione Mariae misericordia infinita"—Ap. Lyr. Tris. Mar. l. ii. m. 45).  Some doubt as to whether this passage is truly of Saint Ignatius, but, at all events, as Father Crasset remarks, it was adopted by Saint John Chrysostom.  It is also repeated by the Abbot of Celles (Cont. de V. M. in prol.).  And in the same sense does the Church apply to Mary the words of Proverbs, "All that hate me, love death" - ("Omnes qui me oderunt, diligent mortem"—Proverbs 8:36): that is, all who do not love me, love eternal death.  For, as Richard of Saint Laurence says on the words of the same book, "She is like the merchant's ship" - ("Facta est quasi navis institoris"—Proverbs 31:14), "All those who are out of this ship will be lost in the sea of the world" - ("In mare mundi submergentur omnes illi, quos non suscepit Navis ista"—De Laud. V. l. 11).  Even the heretical Oecolampadius looked upon little devotion to the Mother of God as a certain mark of reprobation: and therefore he said, "Far be it from me ever to turn from Mary" - ("Nunquam de me audietur, quasi averser Mariam, erga quam minus bene affici, reprobatae mentis certum existimem indicium"—S. de Laud. D. in M.).   

But, on the other hand, Mary says in the words applied to her by the Church, "He that harkeneth to me shall not be confounded" - (Qui audit me non confundetur"—Ecclesiasticus 24:30); that is to say, he that listeneth to what I say shall not be lost.  On which Saint Bonaventure says, "O Lady, he who honors thee will be far from damnation" - ("Qui praestat in obsequio tuo, procul fiat a perditione"—Psalt. B. V. ps. 118).  And this will still be the case, Saint Hilary observes, even should the person during the past time have greatly offended God.  "However great a sinner he may have been", says the saint, "if he shows himself devout to Mary, he will never perish" - ("Quantumcumque quis fuerit peccator, si Mariae devotus exstiterit, nunquam in aeternum peribit).

For this reason the Devil does his utmost with sinners in order that, after they have lost the grace of God, they may also lose devotion to Mary.  When Sarah saw Isaac in company with Ishmael, who was teaching him evil habits, she desired that Abraham would drive away both Ishmael and his mother Agar: "Cast out this bond-woman and her son" - ("Ejice ancillam hanc et filium ejus"—Genesis 21:10).  She was not satisfied with the son being turned out of the house, but insisted on the mother going also, thinking that otherwise the son, coming to see his mother, would continue to frequent the house.  The Devil, also, is not satisfied with a soul turning out Jesus Christ, unless it also turns out His Mother: Cast out this bond-woman and her son.  Otherwise he fears that the Mother will again, by her intercession, bring back her Son.  "And his fears are well grounded", says the learned Paciucchelli: "for he who is faithful in serving the Mother of God will soon receive God Himself by the means of Mary" - ("Qui Dei Genitrici perseveranter obsequitur, non multa mora, et Deum ipsum in se recipient"—In Salv. Reg. exc. 5).

Saint Ephrem, then, was right in calling devotion to our Blessed Lady "a charter of liberty" - ("Charta libertatis"—Or. de Laud.), our safeguard from Hell ("Patrocinatrix damnatorum").  The same saint also calls the divine Mother, "the only hope of those who are in despair".  That which Saint Bernard says is certain true, "that neither the power nor the will to save us can be wanting to Mary" - ("Nec facultas ei deesse poterit, nec voluntas"—In Assumpt. s. 1); the power cannot be wanting, for it is impossible that her prayers should not be heard; as Saint Antoninus says, "It is impossible that a Mother of God should pray in vain" - ("Impossibile erat Deiparam non exaudiri"—P. 4, tit. 15, c. 17); and Saint Bernard says the same thing: "that her requests can never be refused, but that she obtains whatever she wills" - ("Quod quaerit, invenit; et frustrari non potest"—De Aquaed.).  The will to save us cannot be wanting, for Mary is our Mother, and desires our salvation more than we can desire it ourselves.  Since, then, this is the case, how can it be possible for a client of Mary to be lost?  He may be a sinner, but if he recommends himself to this good Mother with perseverance and purpose of amendment, she will undertake to obtain him light to abandon his wicked state, sorrow for his sins, perseverance in virtue, and, finally, a good death.  And what mother would not deliver her son from death if it only depended on her asking the favor to obtain it from the judge?  And can we think that Mary, who loves her clients with a mother's most tender love, will not deliver her child from eternal death when she can do it so easily?

Ah! devout reader, let us thank Our Lord if we see that He has given us affection for the Queen of Heaven, and confidence in her: "for", says Saint John Damascene, "God only grants this favor to those whom He is determined to save".  The following are the beautiful words of the saint, and with which he rekindles his own and our hope: "O Mother of God, if I place my confidence in thee, I shall be saved.  If I am under thy protection, I have nothing to fear, for the fact of being thy client is the possession of a certainty of salvation, and which God only grants to those whom He intends to save" (Crasset, Vér. Dév. p. 1, tr. 1, q. 6).  Therefore, Erasmus salutes the Blessed Virgin in these words: "Hail! O terror of Hell; O hope of Christians; confidence in thee is a pledge of salvation" - ("Salve, inferorum Formido, Christianorum Spes! quo major est tua praecellentia, hoc certior est nostra fiducia"—Paean ad Virg.).

O, how enraged is the Devil when he sees a soul persevering in devotion to the divine Mother!  We read in the Life of Blessed Alphonsus Rodriguez, who was very devout to Mary, that once when in prayer, finding himself much troubled by the Devil with impure thoughts, this enemy said, "Give up thy devotion to Mary, and I will cease to tempt thee".

We read in Blosius that God revealed to Saint Catherine of Sienna, "that in His goodness, and on account of the Incarnate Word, He had granted to Mary, who was His Mother, that no one, not even a sinner, who devoutly recommends himself to her should ever become the prey of Hell" - ("Mariae, Filii mei Genitrici, a bonitate mea concessum est, propter incarnate Verbi reverentiam, ut quicumque etiam peccator, ad eam cum devota veneratione recurrit, nullo modo diripiatur a daemone infernali"—Conc. An. fid. p. 2, c. 1).  Even the Prophet David prayed to be delivered from Hell, for the sake of the love he bore to Mary.  "I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of Thy house . . . take not away my soul, O God, with the wicked" - ("Domine, dilexi decorum Domus tuae . . .: ne perdas cum impiis, Deus, animam meam"—Psalm 25:8,9).  He says of "Thy house", for Mary was the house that God Himself constructed for His dwelling on earth, and in which He could find repose on becoming man, as it is written in the Book of Proverbs, "Wisdom hath built herself a house" - ("Sapientia aedificavit sibi Domum"—Proverbs 9:1).

"No", says Saint Ignatius the martyr; "he who is devout to the Virgin Mother will certainly never be lost" - ("Numquam peribit, qui Genitrici Virgini devotus, sedulusque exstiterit"—Lohner, Bibl. t. 70, #3).  And Saint Bonaventure confirms this, saying, "Thy lovers, O Lady, enjoy peace in this life, and will never see eternal death" - ("Pax multa diligentibus te, Domina: anima eorum non videbit mortem in aeternum"—Psalt. B. V. ps. 67).  The devout Blosius assures us, "that the case never did and never will occur in which a humble and attentive servant of Mary was lost" - ("Fieri non potest, ut pereat, qui Mariae sedulous et humilis cultor fuerit"—Par. An. fid. p. 1, c. 18).

"O, how many would have remained obstinate in sin, and have been eternally lost", says Thomas à Kempis, "if Mary had not interposed with her Son, that He might show them mercy!" - ("Quot fuissent aeternaliter condemnati, vel in desperatione permansissent obstinate, nisi benignissima Virgo Maria pro eis interpellasset ad Filium!"—Ad Nov. s. 23).  It is also the opinion of many theologians, and of Saint Thomas (Summa Theologica) in particular, that for many who have died in mortal sin the divine Mother has obtained from God a suspension of their sentence and a return to life to do penance.

Trustworthy authors give us many instances in which this has occurred (In view of these examples and of those that we read farther on, there arises the twofold question, De jure et de factor.  Question de jure: Can God hinder, and can the Blessed Virgin obtain by her prayers, that condemnation to Hell be not put in execution?  With these theologians, and notably with Saint Alphonsus, there is no one who could not answer, Yes.  Question de facto: Has it happened, thanks to the prayers of the Blessed Virgin, that sinners condemned to Hell have not been plunged into it, and that by a good confession they have effaced the sentence of their condemnation?  Yes; for the facts that I cite, says Saint Alphonsus, are affirmed by trustworthy authors as real and public facts.—ED).  Amongst others, Flodoardus, who lived about the ninth century, relates in his Chronicles, that a certain deacon named Adelman, who was apparently dead, and was being buried, returned to life, and said "that he had seen Hell, to which he was condemned, but that, at the prayers of the Blessed Virgin, he had been sent back to this world to do penance" (Chron. Eccl. Rem. Anno 934).

Surius relates a similar case (4 Dec. S. Ann. l. 1, c. 35) of a Roman citizen named Andrew, who had died impenitent, and for whom Mary obtained that he should come to life again, that he might be pardoned.  Pelbertus (Stellar. B. V. l. 12, p. 2, a. 1) says, "that in his time, when the Emperor Sigismund was crossing the Alps with his army, a voice was heard coming from a skeleton, asking for a confessor, and declaring that the Mother of God, for whom he had tender devotion when a soldier, had obtained that he should thus live until he had been able to make his confession; and, having done so, the soul departed" - (This is undoubtedly a very strange fact.  However, who will dispute it, either by limiting the power of God or the influence of the Blessed Virgin, or by refusing to believe the authority of a writer such as Father Pelbart, who, in a book dedicated to Pope Sixtus IV, relates in detail this prodigy as having happened at his time in the presence of an illustrious emperor and the members of his court, several of whom, as they were yet living, could have convicted him of falsehood, if he had not told the truth!  This reflection is made by Father Crasset: it may also be applied to other examples not less wonderful.  Moreover, the miracle of which there is question here is affirmed by a great number of most respectable authors; among them Lyraeus is distinguished by his most circumstantial narrative in his Trisagion Marianum, l. 1, son. 31.—ED).

These, and other such examples, however, must not encourage rash persons to live in sin, with the hope that Mary will deliver them from Hell even should they die in this state; for as it would be the height of folly for any one to throw himself into a well with a hope that Mary would preserve his life because she has occasionally preserved some under similar circumstances, still greater folly would it be to run the risk of dying in sin, in the hope that the Blessed Virgin would save him from Hell.  But these examples serve to revive our confidence with the reflection, that if the divine Mother has been able to deliver from Hell even some who have died in sin, how much more will she be able to preserve from a similar lot those who, during life, have recourse to her with a purpose of amendment, and who serve her faithfully.

"What, then, will be our lot, O tender Mother", let us ask with Saint Germanus, "who are sinners, but desire to change, and have recourse to thee, who art the life of Christian?" - ("Quid autem de nobis fiet, O Sanctissima Virgo, O Vita Christianorum!"—De Zona Virg.)  As Anselm says, "that he will not be lost from whom thou once prayest" ("Aeternum vae non sentiet ille, pro quo semel oraverit Maria").  O, pray, then, for us, and we shall be preserved from Hell.  "Who", exclaims Richard of Saint Victor, "will presume to say, if I have thee to defend me, O Mother of mercy, that the Judge will be unfavorable to me when I am presented before the divine tribunal!" - ("Si accedam ad judicium, et Matrem misericordiae in causa habuero mecum, quis Judicem denegabit propitium?"—In Cant. c. 39)  Blessed Henry Suso used to say, "that he had placed his soul in the hands of Mary, and that if he was condemned, the sentence must pass through her hands" - ("Si Judex servum suum damnare voluerit, per manus tuas piissimas noc taciat"—Hor. Sap. aet. l. 1, c. 16); being confident that if it was in such hands, this tender Virgin would certainly prevent its execution.  The same do I hope for myself, O my own most holy Queen; and therefore I will always repeat the words of Saint Bonaventure: "In thee, O Lady, have I placed all my hopes; and thus I confidently trust that I shall never be lost, but praise and love thee forever in heaven" ("In te, Domina, speravi; non confundar in aeternum"—Psalt. B. V. ps. 30).

Example

In the year 1604, in a city of Belgium, there were two young men, students, but who, instead of attending to their studies, gave themselves up to a life of debauchery.  One night they were both in the house with an evil companion, when one of them, named Richard, returned home, leaving his companion there.  After he had reached home, and had begun to undress, he remembered he had not that day said some "Hail Marys", that he was in the habit of reciting.  Feeling very sleepy he was loth to say them; he did himself violence, and repeated them, though without devotion, and half asleep.  He then lay down, and had fallen into a sound slumber, when he was suddenly roused by a violent knocking at the door, and without its opening he saw his companion, deformed and hideous, standing before him.  "Who art thou?" he cried out.  "What! Dost thou not know me?"  "Ah, yes! but how thou art changed; thou seemest to me a devil".  "Truly", he exclaimed, "poor unfortunate creature that I am, I am damned; and how?  When I was leaving that wicked house, a devil came and strangled me; my body is in the street, and my soul in Hell; and thou must know", added he, "that the same fate awaited thee, had not the Blessed Virgin preserved thee in consideration of that little act of homage of the 'Hail Mary.'  Fortunate art thou if only thou knowest how to take advantage of this warning sent thee by the Mother of God".  With these words he opened his mantle, and, showing the flames and serpents by which he was tormented, he disappeared.  Richard immediately burst into sobs and tears, and, casting himself prostrate on the ground, he returned thanks to Mary, his protectress; and, whilst thinking how to change his life, he heard the bell of the Franciscan monastery ringing for matins.  "Ah! it is there", says he, "that God calls me to do penance".  He went immediately to the convent, and implored the Fathers to admit him.  But they were hardly willing to do so, knowing his wicked life; but he, sobbing bitterly, told all that had taken place; and two Fathers being sent to the street, and having found the strangled body, which was as black as a coal, they admitted him.  From that time forward Richard led a most exemplary life, and at last went to preach the Gospel in the Indies, and thence to Japan, where he had the happiness of giving his life for Jesus Christ, being burnt alive for the faith - (Lyraeus, Tris. Mar. l. 3).  (In the church of Ham-sur-Heure, in Hainault, there is a picture of the martyrdom of Father Richard of Saint Anne with the following inscription: "The Blessed Father Richard of Saint Anne, born at Ham-sur-Heure in 1589, made his religious profession as a Recollect at Nivelles, April 13, 1605, and having been ordained Priest in the Philippine Isles, was martyred at Nagasaki, September 10, 1622, being put to death by a slow fire."  He was beatified in 1867.  (See Annals of the Franciscan Missions, May, 1867.—ED.).

Prayer

O Mary, my most dear Mother, in what an abyss of evils should I not now be, if thou hadst not so many times delivered me with thy compassionate hand!  How many years ago should I not have been in Hell, hadst thou not saved me by thy powerful prayers!  My grievous sins already drove me there; divine justice had already condemned me; the devils already longed to execute the sentence; and thou didst fly to my aid, and save me without being even called or asked.  And what return can I make to thee, O my beloved protectress, for so many favors and for such love?  Thou also didst overcome the hardness of my heart, and didst draw me to thy love and to confidence in thee.  And into how many other evils should I not have fallen, if with thy compassionate hand thou hadst not so often helped me in the dangers into which I was on the point of falling!  Continue, O my hope, to preserve me from Hell, and from the sins into which I may still fall.  Never allow me to have this misfortune—to curse thee in Hell.  My beloved Lady, I love thee.  Can thy goodness ever endure to see a servant of thine that loves thee lost?  Ah! then, obtain that I may never more be ungrateful to thee and to my God, Who for the love of thee has granted me so many graces.  O Mary, tell me, shall I be lost?  Yes, if I abandon thee.  But is this possible?  Can I ever forget the love thou has borne me?  Thou, after God, art the love of my soul.  I can no longer trust myself to live without loving thee.  O most beautiful, most holy, most amiable, sweetest creature in the world, I rejoice in thy happiness.  I love thee, and I hope always to love thee both in time and in eternity. 

Amen