The Blessed Virgin Mary.
Illustration: WALLPAPER CAVE
The Blessed Virgin Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven
by Her Beloved Son.
Illustration: CALEFACTORY.ORG
Text is from UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON
By: Father Johann Roten, S.M.
Q: What is the earliest reference to the promise, "A devout child of Mary will never be lost"?
A: There are many variations of the expression "A devout child of Mary will never be lost" or "A devout servant of Mary will never be lost." It became the “cri de guerre”, of sorts, for many Founders of Marian Movements and Congregations, as well as countless Marian devotees during the 19th-Century and the first half of the 20th-Century.
In The Society of Mary (Marianists), Founded in 1817, it took on the form of "A true child of Mary will never be defeated." It is not exaggerated to say that the expression "Servus Mariæ non peribit" has axiomatic value.
The equation: Enfant de Marie=enfant du Paradis (Marienkind = Himmelskind) is deeply engrained in the popular Catholic understanding of Salvation, and has been so for Centuries. The champion and promoter of this expression in the 18th-Century is Saint Alphonse de Liguori.
He frequently expounds on the topic and develops its positive and negative formulations in the “Glorie di Maria” (especially in Chapter Eight of the first part), in the collection of popular meditations called “Apparecchio alla morte” (see here Meditation Thirty-Two as an example of a popular formulation of the axiom) or in “La vera sposa di Cristo”, his most important writing for Religious (see Chapter Two) for what is probably the most concise formulation of the expression . . . to mention only the most important writings.
We find in these expressions a Century-old history. Saint Alphonse de Liguori is aware of his indebtedness and gives many references of authors of the past (see, for example, references in “Opere ascetiche” VI, 255). There exist more or less explicit mentions of the idea contained in the expression, "Servus Mariæ non peribit," already in the Aprocryphal writings of the 6th-Century A.D. and the 7th-Century A.D., and in Liturgical Texts of The Eastern Church dating from the 8th-Century A.D. and the 9th-Century A.D.
We find in these expressions a Century-old history. Saint Alphonse de Liguori is aware of his indebtedness and gives many references of authors of the past (see, for example, references in “Opere ascetiche” VI, 255). There exist more or less explicit mentions of the idea contained in the expression, "Servus Mariæ non peribit," already in the Aprocryphal writings of the 6th-Century A.D. and the 7th-Century A.D., and in Liturgical Texts of The Eastern Church dating from the 8th-Century A.D. and the 9th-Century A.D.
It is stipulated that Mary protects all those from Eternal Damnation who venerate her (M. Jugie, “La mort et l'assumption de la Sainte Vierge” (1944)). The classical negative formulation seems to originate in the 11th-Century, “A Marian devotee will never be lost”. Maurillus of Rouen (☩ 1067) and Peter Damian (☩ 1072) are among the pioneers of the negative formulation.
Generically, it may be said that the expression was coined by Benedictines for Benedictines. It stands for the spiritual result of an intense (Liturgical) Meditation on The Incarnation and Mary's Divine Motherhood.
The classical formulation is generally attributed to Saint Anselm of Canterbury (☩ 1109), as can be found in the famous Oratio 52: "Sicut enim, o beatissima, omnis a te aversus et a te despectus necesse est, ut intereat, ita omnis a (ad) te conversus et a te respectus impossibile est, ut pereat." Or, as is formulated by one of his spiritual disciples (Eadmer ?), "Impossibile est ut aliquis homo ad eam conversus et ab ea respectus damnetur".
The list of spiritual authors who used one or the other formulation of this saying is long. It holds names such as Richard of Saint Laurent (☩ 1530),Vincent of Beauvais (☩ 1264), Antonin of Florence (☩ 1530), and John Herolt (☩ 1504). The expression became even more important in modern times. Not only Miechow and Paciuchelli, but also Gibieuf and Eudes, used and propagated it. It was, of course, of major importance in the devotional literature of those times.
Not to forget that it was also combated, or, at least questioned, by people like Pascal, Widenfels and Muratori. Saint Aphonse de Liguori reaffirmed the importance of the "Servus Mariæ non peribit" and gave it theological strength as well as spiritual dynanism. Thus, it should not come as a surprise that the expression can be found in magisterial pronouncements of the so-called Marian era (1830 - 1950).
The Irish Provincial Council of Tuam (1858) uses it in Chapter 11 of its Acta (1875), "Servus Mariæ non peribit" ! and so does Pope Benedict XV in “Inter Sodalicia”, "Constantissima vero apud christifideles opinio est, diuturno probata experimento, quotquot eadem Virgine utantur Patrona, eos haud esse in æternum perituros."
Always interesting, your careful development of a doctrinal idea, thank you, Zephyrinus. (I could have done so much more benefit to myself attending your blog than over many years attending many parish seminars and classes, and even some formal Catholic university education classes, the best of which to remember were the coffee and cookies afterwards. “The good stuff “) -Note, Dante P
ReplyDeleteDelighted that you found this particular Article of interest, Dante P.
DeleteThe photo near the beginning of this excellent doctrinal article on the protection of Mary to those devoted to her, Our Lady of Grace, is of course related to the image that the Blessed Virgin herself described to S. Catherine Laboure the night of Nov. 27, 1830– her second and final revelation.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting because the tradition of Our Lady of Grace, as we have discussed before, is a very ancient devotion and goes back many centuries. We have commented before that a statue of Our Lady of Grace was saved in a way that can only be described as miraculous from the destructive actions of Thomas Cromwell (1536-1541) during the “Dissolution of the Monasteries,” and then taken by a crew of English sailors to where it ended up at the shrine at Nettuno, Italy where it can be seen today.
The image and the design of the “Miraculous Medal,” directly related to the image of Our Lady of Grace from the apparitions to S. Catherine Laboure, is notable for its extraordinary miracles and conversions, and part of a coherent development of messages from Our Lady over “recent” decades. To whom the revelations were given was known only to the cardinal archbishop of Paris and to the provincial general of the Daughters of Charity order. Yet, the Jewish agnostic banker, Alphonse Ratisbonne, while traveling on a pleasure trip to Rome, entered a Roman church (Sant’ Andrea dells Frate) 20th January 1842, and had an overwhelming conversion experience and viewed very certainly Our Lady of Grace calling him. Eventually he converted to the Catholic faith; but then he later traveled to the Daughters’ convent 140 Rue de Bac, Paris and asked “to meet the sister to whom the revelation had been granted.” No one in the convent of the Daughters of Charity knew of whom he was speaking, because to protect her, all her life, S. Catherine’s identity had been kept confidential. Yet Alphonse Ratisbonne knew that the Blessed Virgin who had appeared to him had appeared to S. Catherine Laboure—even though no human had told him so. Interesting, isn’t it? -Notes by Dante P
We are most grateful to Dante P for this valuable contribution.
ReplyDeleteThe conversion and story, concerning Alphonse Ratisbonne, is captivating. Zephyrinus Posted an Article on this conversion at https://zephyrinus-zephyrinus.blogspot.com/2021/11/la-medaille-miraculeuse-miraculous.html
Our Lady of Grace, Pray for us.
Thank you, Zephyrinus, for directing me to your article in November 2021 on the “Miraculous Medal.” -Dante P
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