Page:MaryHelpOfChristians.djvu/62

 Mary's intercession  with  the  Heart  of  her  divine Son. Some say  that  having  been  subject  to  her on earth,  He  desires  to  be  so  in  heaven,  inasmuch as to  refuse  her  nothing  she  asks. Hence St. Bernard calls her  the  "Intercessory  Omnipotence." Indeed, when  all  the  angels  and  saints  in  heaven join in  supplication  to  God,  their  prayers  are  but those of  servants;  but  when  Mary  prays  her  intercession is  that  of  His  Mother.

Therefore we  can  not  sufficiently  thank  God for having  given  us  in  Mary  so  powerful  an  advocate. St. Bernard  aptly  says:  "The  angel  announces, 'thou  hast  found  grace  before  God.'  O supreme  happiness!  Mary  shall  always  find grace.  And  what  else  could  we  wish?  If  we  seek grace,  let  us  seek  it  through  Mary;  for  what she  seeks,  she  finds.  Never  can  she  plead  ineffectually."

God, then,  who  in  His  infinite  mercy  has  been pleased to  provide  for  all  our  needs,  desires through Mary  to  console  us,  to  comfort  us,  to remove  all  distrust,  to  strengthen  our  hope. How consoling to  him  who  calls  upon  God  in  sore  distress, or  implores  His  pardon  for  sins  committed, is the  thought  that  at  the  throne  of  divine  Mercy he has  in  Mary  an  advocate  as  mighty  as  she  is gracious,  who  supplements  his  great  unworthiness  by  her  sublime  dignity,  and  who  makes  good the defects  of  his  prayer  by  her  intercession!