The Visit to the Blessed Virgin

According to St. Alphonsus de Liguori the opinions of St. Bernard regarding the most Blessed Virgin Mary is as follows:

"God dispenses no graces otherwise than through the hands of Mary - 'God wills that we should receive nothing that does not pass through Mary's hands.'

Hence Father Suarez declares that it is now the sentiment of the universal Church, that 'the intercession of Mary is not only useful, but even necessary to obtain graces.'"

This declaration is based on Sacred Scripture according to St. Bernard.

In me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me. Eccl 24:26

Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. Prov.8:34

He that shall find me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord. Prov. 8:35

Hence it is not without reason that the Holy Church wills that we should all call her our common hope, by saluting her, saying, 'Hail, our hope!'"

St. Bernard called Mary the "the whole ground of our hope." He said "seek for graces" and "seek them through Mary".

St. Antoninus taught that if we ask for graces without her intercession, we shall be making an effort to fly without wings, and we shall obtain nothing. He wrote: "He who asks without her as his guide, attempts to fly without wings."

St. Alphonsus writes of a Father Auriemma's book Affetti Scambievoli where the good Father wrote of innumerable favors granted by the Mother of God to those who practiced the devotion of visiting her often in her churches or before her image.

The Blessed Mother of God would grant many graces, especially in the gift of understanding to those who visited her regularly such as St. Albert the Great, Abbot Rupert, the aforementioned Fr. Suarez. They became renowned throughout the Church for their great learning.

She also granted graces to St. John Berchmans who visited our Lady daily in the chapel of the Roman college. He declared that he renounced all earthy love, to love no other after God than the Most Blessed Virgin and had written at the foot of the image of his beloved lady "I will never rest until I shall have obtained a tender love for my Mother".

St. Bernadine of Sienna visited our lady, in his youth and declared that Our Lady had ravished his heart. He referred to her as his beloved and visited her often. She in turn obtained for him the graces necessary to renounce the world.

So says St. Alphonsus:

"Do you then, be also careful always to join to your daily visit to the Most Blessed Sacrament a visit to the most holy Virgin Mary in some church, or at least before a devout image of her in your own house. If you do this with tender affection and confidence, you may hope to receive great things from this most gracious Lady, who, as St. Andrew of Crete says, always bestows great gits on those who offer her event he least act of homage."

Mary, Queen of sweetest hope,
Who can e'er forget thee?
By thy mercy, by thy love.
Have pity, Queen on me?

-from the Holy Eucharist by St. Alphonsus de Liguori