Chapter IX "THE LORD IS WITH THEE"

We must now consider that this Lord, of whom it is said, "The Lord is with thee," is in a special manner the Lord of rational creatures, as man, the rational creature himself, says in the eighth Psalm: "O Lord, our Lord," etc. He is the Lord of all men; He is especially our Lord. As it is said in Isaias: "The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king" (Is. XXXIII, 22.) The Lord is our lawgiver in this world; the Lord is our judge at the last judgment; the Lord is our King who will crown us in Heaven. This particular Lord of ours was with Mary in such a manner that He made her also our special Lady. Which St. Bernard acknowledged when he said: "Our Lady, our mediatrix, our advocate, reconcile us to thy Son, commend us to thy Son, present us before thy Son." But behold, this Lord of ours is a most loving, a most just, a most sure, a most renowned Lord. A Lord who was not loving in benefits, just in judgments, true in promises, nor renowned among his people, would not be thought much of. But Our Lord is most loving in liberality; most just in equity; most true in fidelity; most renowned in fame.

First, therefore, we must note that our own Lord, who is with Mary, is a most loving Lord in His infinite mercy. For He is the Lord of whom the Prophet saith: "Thou, Lord, art sweet and mild, and of much mercy to those who invoke Thee" (Ps. LXXXV, 5.) He is a Lord of much mercy in many temporal benefits, also in spiritual and eternal ones, which out of his great mercy He has bestowed upon us, and never ceases to bestow. Would that we were not ungrateful for so great mercies ! Would that to such a merciful Lord we were very grateful as Isaias was, who said: "I will remember the tender mercies of the Lord, the praise of the Lord for all the things that the Lord hath bestowed upon us" (Is. LXIII, 7.) Behold, Mary, what a Lord He is, how loving, how merciful, the Lord who is with thee. And because this most merciful Lord is so merciful with thee, therefore thou art most merciful with Him, and truly of thee can it be said: "A throne shall be prepared in mercy, and one shall sit upon it in truth" (Is. XVI, 5.) The throne of divine mercy is Mary, the Mother of mercy, in whom all find the solace of mercy. For as we have a most merciful Lord, so have we a most merciful Lady. Our Lord is of much mercy to all who invoke Him, and our Lady is of much mercy to all who invoke her. Therefore St. Bernard excellently saith: "Let him be silent on the subject of thy mercy, O blessed Virgin, who, having invoked it in his necessities, found it wanting." The Lord, therefore, is with thee, O most merciful Mary.

Secondly, note that our own special Lord, who is with Mary, is the most just Lord of equity, as it is well said in the Psalms: "The Lord is just and hath loved justices" (Ps. X, 8.) And again: "Thou art just, O Lord, and Thy judgment is right" (Ps. CXVIII, 137.) The Lord is most certainly just in all His judgments, in all causes, in all His deeds, as it is once more said in the Psalms: "The Lord is just in all His ways" (Ps. CXLIV, 17.) The Lord is so just in every path of justice that for no one will He depart from the way of justice. And therefore it is well said: "God will not except any man's person, neither will he stand in awe of any man's greatness, for He made the little and the great, and He hath equally care of all." Behold, O Mary, what kind of a Lord He is, what a just Lord, the Lord who is with thee ! And because the Lord is most just with thee, therefore art thou most just together with Him. For thou art the rod of Aaron, straight, erect, flowering and fruitful; straight and erect, by justice and equity; flowering, by virginity; fruitful, by fecundity. For who would be the straight rod or stem, the upright rod or stem, if the rod of Aaron were not upright? What soul would be just, if Mary were not just ? This is why St. Bernard says: "Who is just, if not the just Mary, from whom sprang the Sun of Justice?" The Lord is, therefore, with thee, O most just Mary.

Thirdly, note that our own special Lord, who is with Mary, is most sure in fidelity and most faithful in surety, as the Prophet testifies, saying: "The Lord is faithful in all His ways." Think, therefore, upon those words of His, in which He has promised a crown to the just and hell to the wicked; and know that the faithful Lord will keep His words faithfully. He will faithfully do what He has spoken, as Ezechiel testifies: "I the Lord have spoken, and I will do" (Ezech. XXX, 12.) The most faithful Lord will most faithfully keep His words, as He Himself says in the Gospel: "Heaven and earth shall pass away," etc. Behold, O Mary, what kind of a Lord He is, what a faithful Lord He is, the Lord who is with thee! And because the most faithful Lord is faithfully with thee, therefore art thou most faithful together with Him. For thou art that most faithful dove of Noe, who hast most faithfully stood forth as mediatrix between the Most High God and the world submerged in a spiritual deluge. The crow was unfaithful, the dove most faithful. So also was Eve unfaithful; but Mary was found faithful. Eve was the unfaithful mediatrix of perdition; Mary was the faithful mediatrix of salvation. St. Bernard saith: "Mary was the faithful mediatrix, who prepared the antidote of salvation for both men and women." The Lord, therefore, is with thee, O most faithful Mary.

Fourthly, note that our special Lord, who is with Mary, is the Lord who is most renowned for fame. He is of a great name, as St. Jerome testifies, saying: "There is none like to Thee, O Lord, and great art Thou, and great is Thy name" (Jerem. X, 6.) The name of the Lord is indeed of great fame and of great praise among all peoples, as the Royal Prophet testifies: "Kings of the earth, and all ye people, princes and all ye judges of the earth, young men and maidens, the old and the young, praise ye the name of the Lord !" (Ps. CXLVIII, I 1-12.) The praise and fame of the name of God has extended not only to every people, but also to all time, as is manifest from the same Prophet who says: "May the name of the Lord be blessed from henceforth, now and forever." Likewise, the fame and praise of the name of the Lord has not only extended to every people and to all Lime, but also to every place, as the same Prophet says: "From the rising of the sun even to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised" (Ps. CXII, 2.) Behold, O Mary, how great a Lord, what a renowned Lord, is He who is with thee! And because He is a renowned and famous Lord, who is with thee in so renowned a manner, therefore art thou most renowned together with Him. For thou art well prefigured by Ruth, of whom it is written: "Be thou the example of virtue in Ephrata, and have a celebrated name in Bethlehem" (Ruth IV, 11.) O Mary of the most renowned name, how can thy name not be celebrated, which cannot even be devoutly uttered by anyone without some good coming to him ? St. Bernard testifies to this, saying: "O great, O loving, O most praiseworthy Mary, thou canst not even be named, but thou enkindlest love; nor canst thou be thought of, without renewing the affection of those who love thee; thou canst never enter the portals of a loving memory without bringing with thee the sweetness which is divinely inseparable from thee." Mary, therefore, is well prefigured by that woman of renown, Judith, of whom it is written: "And she was greatly renowned among all, because she feared the Lord very much; neither was there any one that spoke an ill word of her" (Jud. VIII, 8.) Mary is indeed renowned because of her virtues and her praiseworthy example; but she is even more renowned because of her mercies and her unspeakable benefits, and more renowned still because of her graces and wonderful privileges. For what is more wonderful than to be a virgin mother, and the Mother of God ? What wonder if Mary is renowned in the world from so many thousand benefits of her mercy, who is so renowned for that one benefit which she bestowed on man? St. Bernard says: "The renown of thy highest favor is that bestowed on the God-loving soul, who was reinstated by thee." The Lord is, therefore, with thee, O most renowned Mary. Rejoice, rejoice! Behold the most loving Lord is with thee in such a manner that thou also art most loving. The most just Lord is so with thee that thou, together with Him, art most just; the most renowned Lord is with thee in such a manner that thou also, together with Him, art most renowned. O most loving Mary, save us impious souls by thy merciful, loving kindness! O most just Mary, save us unjust souls by thy just equity! O most faithful Mary, save us perfidious souls by thy fidelity! O most renowned Mary, save us by thy sweet renown!