the-glories-of-mary

GLOBIES OP MAEY.
cause, as St. Bonaventure remarks, as the moon
is between the sun and the earth, and reflects upon
the latter what she receives from the former, so
Mary receives the celestial influences of grace
from the divine Son, to transfuse them into us
who are upon the earth.*
For this reason, too, she is called the gate of
heaven by the holy Church: "Felix coeli porta;"
because, St. Bernard again observes, as every
rescript of grace sent by the king comes through
the palace gate, so it is
given to Mary, that
through her thou shouldst receive whatever thou
hast.f St. Bonaventure, moreover, says that
Mary is called the gate of heaven, because, no
one can enter heaven if he does not pass through
Mary, who is the door of it.J
St. Jerome confirms us in the same sentiment
(or, as some persons think, another ancient au
thor of a sermon upon the Assumption which is
inserted among the works of St. Jerome), when
he says, that in Jesus Christ was the fulness of
grace as in the head, whence descend to the
members, which we are, all the vital spirits, that
is, the divine aids for attaining eternal salva
tion: in
Mary likewise was fulness as in the
neck,
* Quia eicut luna Inter corpora ccelestia et terrena est media, et
quod ab illis accipit ad inferiora refundit; sic et Virgo rcgina inter nos
et Deum est media, et gratiam ipsa nobis refundit. Serin. 74, de Nat.
Dom.
t Datum est Marise, ut per illam acciperes quicquid baberes.
Senn. 3, in Virg. Nat.
$ Nullns potcst coelum, Intrare, nisi per Maxiam transeat tamauam
perportun.