The Glories Of Mary
by ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI
DEVOTION VIII. OF ALMS IN HONOR OF MARY.
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THE servants of Mary are accustomed, especially on Saturday, to give alms in honor of the
divine mother. That holy shoemaker called St. Deusdedit (God gave), as St. Gregory relates in
his Dialogues, dispensed to the poor on Saturday
all that he earned during the week. And an
other holy soul saw in a vision a sumptuous
palace which God was preparing in heaven for
this servant of Mary, in the building of which
nothing was done except on Saturday. St. Ger
ard never refused anything that was asked him
in the name of Mary. Father Martin Guttierez,
of the Society of Jesus, did the same, and he
confessed that he had never asked a favor from
Mary that he had not received it. And this servant of hers having been slain by the Huguenots,
the divine mother appeared to his companions,accompanied
by some virgins, whom she directed
to wrap the body in a sheet and carry it away.
St. Eberard of Salisbury practised the same devotion, and on this account a holy monk saw him,
in the form of a child, in the arms of Mary, who
said: "This is my Son Eberard, who never has refused me any thing." Alexander de Hales practised the same who, having been requested by a
lay-brother of St. Francis, in the name of Mary,
to become a Franciscan, left the world and entered into the order. Let not the servants of
the Virgin then be weary of giving daily some
little alms in her honor, and increase it every
Saturday. And if they can do nothing else, at
least for love of Mary, perform some other act
of charity, as visiting the sick, praying for sinners and for the souls in purgatory, &c. Works
of mercy are very pleasing to this mother of mercy.
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