Syndarnas tillflykt

Mary is our life, because she obtains for us the Pardon of our Sins.

To understand why the holy Church makes us call Mary our life, we must know, that as the soul gives life to the body, so does divine grace give life to the soul; for a soul without grace has the name of being alive but is in truth dead, as it was said of one in the Apocalypse, You have the name of being alive, and you are dead. Mary, then, in obtaining this grace for sinners by her intercession, thus restores them to life.

See how the Church makes her speak, applying to her the following words of Proverbs: They that in the morning early watch for me shall find me. They who are diligent in having recourse to me in the morning, that is, as soon as they can, will most certainly find me. In the Septuagint the words shall find me are rendered shall find grace. So that to have recourse to Mary is the same thing as to find the grace of God. A little further on she says, He that shall find me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord. "Listen," exclaims St. Bonaventure on these words, "listen, all you who desire the kingdom of God: honor the most Blessed Virgin Mary, and you will find life and eternal salvation"

St Alphonsus de'Liguori biskop och kyrkolärare.