the-glories-of-mary

192 GLORIES OF MARY.
tercession of Mary, namely that through Mary we
might be received by that Saviour who, through
Mary, has been given to us; and therefore the
saint calls her the mother of grace and of our
salvation. Then, resumes St. Germ anus, what
would become of us? what hope of salvation
would remain to us if thou, oh Mary, didst
abandon us, thou who art the life of Christians?*
But, the modern author above quoted remarks:
If all graces pass through Mary, when we
implore the intercession of the saints, they must
have recourse to the meditation of Mary to ob
tain for us these graces. This, however, says
he, no one believes, or has ever thought of. I
reply, that there can be no error or difficulty in
believing this. What difficulty is there in saying
that God, to honor his mother, having crowned her
queen of the saints, and having ordained that
all graces should be dispensed by her hands
would have the saints also invoke her to obtain
favors for their clients? As to saying that no
one has ever thought of it, I find that St. Ber
nard, St. Anselm, St. Bonaventure, Father Suarezf
also, and others expressly assert it. In vain,
says St. Bernard, would one pray to the other
saints for a desired favor, if
Mary did not inter
cede to obtain it for them. {
Thus also a cer
tain author explains, in this connection, that
* Si nos deserueris, quid erit de nobis, Vita Christianorum? Sena,
de Zona Virg.
t Tom. 2, in 3, p. D. 28, sect. 3.
Fruatra alios sanctos oraret, quern ista non adjuvaret.