the-glories-of-mary

604 GLORIES OP MART.
the divine mother had not perfectly fulfilled it;
These are the words of Albertus: Either some
one fulfils this precept or no one; if any one, it
is the most blessed Virgin.* And this is con
firmed by Richard of St. Victor, who says: The
mother of our Emmanuel was perfect in all vir
tues. Who has ever fulfilled as she did that
first commandment: "Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with thy whole heart?" In her the
divine love was so ardent, that there could be
no defect of any-kind in her.f Divine love, says
St. Bernard, so penetrated and pervaded the
soul of Mary, that no part was left untouched
by it, so that she loved with her whole heart,
her whole soul, and her whole strength, and was
full of grace. Wherefore J Mary might well
have said: My beloved has given himself wholly
to me, and I have given myself wholly to him:
My beloved to me, and I to him: "Dilectus
meus mihi, et ego Ah, illi." says Richard,
well might even the seraphim descend from
* Aut aliquis implet hoc preceptum, aut nullus; si aliquis, ergo
beatissima Virgo. Super. Miss. c. 76.
t Emraanuelis nostri puerpera in onvni fult virtutum consnmmatione
perfecta Quis illud primum mandatum sic unquam implevit:
.
Diliges Dominum Deum tuumextoto corde tuo? In ea divinus amor
adeo concaluit, ut qualiscumque defectus in earn incidere non posset.
L. 2, de Em. c. 26.
J Amor Christi Mariae animam non modo confixit, sed etiam
pertransivit ;
ut nullam in pectore virginal! particularn vacuam
relinqueret, sed toto corde, tota anima, tota Yirtute diligerett
wet gratia plena. Serm. 29, in Cant.
| Cant. ii. 10,