The Glories of Mary

The Ascetical Works #VII-VIII

by Alfonso María de Liguori

The Glories of Mary by St. Alponsus Ligouri (1696-1787) is one of the greatest Catholic books ever written.

Actually, it is five complete books in one volume. Here the great Doctor of the Church has assembled the very finest information about Our Lady that he could find, all taken from many writings of Saints, Doctors of the Church and other holy authors, as well as from Sacred Scripture.

The first book (called the "First Part") explains the words of the Salve Regina (the "Hail Holy Queen"), showing how God has given Mary to mankind to be the "Gate of Heaven," even for those who may presently be entrenched in mortal sin.

The second book explains Our Lady's principal feasts-the Immaculate Conception, Nativity, Purification, Annunciation, Assumption, etc.-revealing to the reader's mind fresh truths about these mysteries in her life.

The third book explains the Seven Sorrows of Mary, showing why Our Lady's "martyrdom" was longer and greater than that of all other martyrs.

The fourth book describes ten different virtues of Our Lady, and the fifth book gives dozens of famous prayers, meditations and devotions to her.

Actually, The Glories of Mary contains even more than all the above, for St. Alphonsus' books are always packed with treasures on every page. For example, he also includes here the theological proofs for the Immaculate Conception, explanations of the mysterious invocations in the Litany of Loreto, and a description of Our Lady's death.

In all, The Glories of Mary amounts to nothing less than the greatest compendium of nearly 18 centuries of Catholic teaching on and devotion to Our Lady. Easily understood by all, this famous book is undoubtedly the best composite of teaching about the Blessed Virgin Mary ever penned and is one that will lead many souls to a greater love of Jesus through a more intimate knowledge of Mary and her exalted role in our salvation.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Spirituality, Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction, Faith

864 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1750

About the author

Saint Alfonso María de Liguori, CSsR (1696–1787), was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian.

He founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists). In 1762 he was appointed Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti. A prolific writer, he published nine editions of his "Moral Theology" in his lifetime, in addition to other devotional and ascetic works and letters. Among his best known works are "The Glories of Mary" and "The Way of the Cross", the latter still used in parishes during Lenten devotions.

He was canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871. One of the most widely read Catholic authors, he is the patron saint of confessors.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful tribute to the Mother of God and her role as our mother as well. She spent more time with Jesus during His time on earth than anyone else and so knows Him better than any other human being. As such, she is best suited to know His heart and mind and our perfect advocate with Her Son, who in turn is The Advocate with the Heavenly Father.

St. Liguori's work on Mary collects together writings from the saints from the Fathers of the church until his own time (1696-1787) to present their testimonies, stories and prayers about Our Lady and her great desire to help humanity, especially in our times of greatest trials.



September 11, 2021: 20th anniversary of 9/11, sober day-good day to dedicate to Our Lady. Love the arrangement of this book: text, followed by example and then a heartfelt prayer. Language is old-fashioned and heavy on the negative side of humanity and yet this sober approach is a good balance to the modern, which goes too-far to the side of leniency. I already want to go back and reread this on kindle so I can highlight so much; right now only using sticky tabs. I am less inclined to mark books now than in former days; that is what kindle books are for!


August 16, 2021: ANF and TFP send me free books all the time and they are often classics like this which I have been meaning to read. Yesterday, in honor of the 8th anniversary of my Consecration to Jesus through Mary, I started this and it is already amazing! Why have I waited so long?!

*As a side note, my copy has a different cover, showing the painting of Mary, Help of Christians, in the cathedral of the same name in Turin, IT, but this is the cover shown at the website so I went with this. I think they have recently reissued this and the website does not reflect the latest cover change.

[Zelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful explanation of the glories of Mother Mary. It is one of the most in-depth writings ever written on Mary and includes information about her power of intercession, her miracles, her sorrows, her virtues, an explanation of her titles given by the Church, etc. It is sad that protestants so viciously attack the Catholic faith-which is true Christianity-especially on the teachings of the Eucharist, the Papacy, and on honoring Mary the Mother of God. The protestants are wrong when they attack the Blessed Virgin Mary and falsely accuse Catholics of "Worshiping" her; for the Bible proves the teachings of the Catholic Church. Protestants keep in mind that the Bible says,"All generations shall call her blessed." "Luke 1:48-Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." Where do protestants fit into that prophecy? The answer is: Nowhere! Indeed the Hail Mary is a Biblical prayer though protestants loath to admit it. Protestants beware. You are outside the one true faith of Jesus Christ. Unless you convert to the traditional Catholic faith you will without a doubt perish in eternity. I tell you this fact in true charity. If you begin to be honest you will see that there is overwhelming evidence that the Catholic faith is the one true faith of Jesus Christ. A Christian can lose his salvation. For the proof see these 2 videos.
The Key to John 3:16-(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyXQS...)
Can a Christian Lose Salvation? - 1 Corinthians-(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_4RF...)

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book!

I have always appreciated his writings. Despite the antiquity of his treatises, (he wrote this in the 1700s), I have always found them both profound and accessible. His works have become some of my favorites alongside those of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Theresa of Avila.

One section in particular really had in impact on me: the meditations on the Seven Dolors of our Blessed Mother. Those were some powerful meditations! I have always loved Mary since as far back as I can remember. These meditations, actually the whole book!, just brought me to love my Blessed Mama more.

[Fiza Pathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Glories of Mary' is a devotional & theological compendium of most of the Feasts, Devotions & Religious practices pertaining to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The book is easy to read like all of Saint Alphonsus' writings but is repetitive towards the Part 3 of the text. This book is a ideal beginning to study Mariology in the light of the Western Latin Doctors of the Church & a few of the Eastern Greek Church. It is nearly impossible to ignore this book if one is interested in Mariology. The book is well divided & in Parts 1 & 2, each question or Marian Feast is dwelt upon with a testimonial from the Medieval Era as well as a devotional prayer penned by Saint Alphonsus. Saint Alphonsus has done the almost perfect research that he could in his day & age & has produced a variety of Catholic Western Theological testimonials from Doctors of the Church to the Fathers of the Church to Medieval Theologians to Eastern Orthodox Biblical Scholars et al., which is interesting to study & dwell upon. His answers to protestant theologians of his day publishing books against the significance of the Blessed Virgin Mary could have been a little more convincing, but Catholic Tradition testimonials & Pontiff Bulls & indulgences are used as a form of Apologetics. The most fascinating part of the compendium were the many notations & quotes from the writings of past Mariologists before & during the time of Saint Alphonsus; the Redemtorist Doctor of the Church has gone out of his way to clarify his points meticulously with notations that can prove as a great guiding light to beginners in this field. Saints such as Saint Bernard, Saint Bonaventure, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Saint Bridget, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Jerome, Saint Augustine, Saint Peter Damascene, Saint Gregory the Great et al., are quoted in great detail in the book. My version of the book had the Latin translation of these texts which was not very useful to me because of my weakness where languages are concerned, but it can be very useful for Latin readers especially those in the clergy. My version also had a few of the good Doctor's sermons on the Feast Days of Mary printed which was also good to read though repetitive. The compendium of the devotions to Mother Mary for Catholic believers is astounding & very useful - use of Scapulars, the recitation of the Rosary, the Novenas of the Holy Mother, the devotion to her in the form of prayers, her confraternities etc., are highlighted here in the text. 'The Glories of Mary' was very enlightening & it gets 5 stars from me for the excellently organized content.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I even say? I thought I had a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother before starting this life-changing book. Now I feel so much closer to her, the Mother of Christ! St. Alphonsus' love for the Holy Virgin penetrates every page, making one stop and stare at a wall with one's mouth agape for a good ten minutes after reading only a single sentence. I have nearly every page "dog-eared" and many paragraphs highlighted so I can go back and read about the amazing, tender mercy of God, Who gave us the greatest gift- His own Mother, "while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8) on the Cross when He spoke the words, "behold, your Mother!" (John 19:27.)
I implore you to read this book, whether you are a Catholic or not. It will certainly change your outlook on Mary, and if you truly understand this phenomenal little book, you will no doubt find the path to holiness much more attainable, through the intercession of the clement, loving, sweet Virgin Mary.
Ave Maria!

[Yenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I say, this is one of the best books ever written about BVM? Even when I haven't read a lot of books about her?

Hands down... This book was very well written. The chapters are breaking down the Salve Regina prayer. Took me a year to finish, after so much slacking.

From this book I knew a lot about Mary, her apparitions, her messages, devotions to her and how generous and eager she is in helping souls get to heaven. This book also helps me to see how Mary is the greatest saint ever that we can ask for guidance, protection, and role model of living a heroic love here and after.

I can say I am in love with Mother of God again and wish to delight her bcs of this book. Will recommend this book tirelessly to everyone.

[Galen Rohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and simple work, frequently citing multiple Saints and Doctors. Here are a few citations I found noteworthy:

1. Why then is she called terrible as an army set in battle array?
“’No,’ says St. Gregory VII, ‘for the higher and more holy she is, the greater is her sweetness and compassion towards sinners, who have recourse to her with a desire to amend their lives.’ Kings and queens, with their ostentation and majesty, inspire terror and cause their subjects to fear to approach them. But, ‘what fear,’ says St. Bernard, ‘can the miserable have to approach this queen of mercy? For she inspires no terror and shows no severity to those who come to her, but is all sweetness and gentleness.’ Why should human frailty fear to go to Mary? In her there is no austerity, nothing terrible. She is all sweetness, offering milk and wool to all.” (Liguori, Ch. 1-1).
I assume this is said of her only with respect to those who have obstinately refused her help, and determined to make themselves her enemies. But I do not know.


2. Mary sacrificed her son.
“St. William says that Mary, in order that she might save many souls, exposed her own to death, meaning that to save us, she sacrificed the life of her Son. And who but Jesus was the soul of Mary? He was her life and all her love. And therefore, the prophet Simeon foretold that a sword of sorrow would one day transpierce her own most blessed soul. And it was precisely the lance which transpierced the side of Jesus, who was the soul of Mary. Then it was that this Most Blessed Virgin brought us forth by her sorrows to eternal life, and thus, we can all call ourselves the children of the sorrows of Mary. Our most loving mother was always and in all united to the will of God. ‘And therefore,’ says St. Bonaventure, ‘When she saw the love of the Eternal Father towards men to be so great, that, in order to save them, He willed the death of His Son.’ And on the other hand, seeing the love of the Son and wishing to die for us, in order to conform herself to the success of love of both the Father and the Son towards the human race, she also, with her entire will, offered, and consented to, the death of her Son, in order that we might be saved. It is true that, according to the prophecy of Isaias, Jesus, in dying for the redemption of the human race chose to be alone. I have trodden the wine press alone, but seeing the ardent desire of Mary to aid in the salvation of man, He disposed it so that she, by the sacrifice and offering of the life of her Jesus, should cooperate in the life of our salvation, and thus become the mother of our souls. This our Savior signified when, before expiring, He looked down from the cross on His mother, and on the disciple St. John, who stood at its foot, and first addressing Mary, He said, ‘behold thy Son,’ as it were saying, behold the whole human race, which, by the offer thou makest of my life for the salvation of all is even now being born to the life of Grace. Then, turning to the disciple, he said, ‘Behold thy Mother.’” (Liguori, Ch. 1-2).

3. Mothers feel their children’s sorrow as if it were their own.
“And as a mother, she cannot do otherwise than compassionate them, nay more, she seems to feel the miseries of her poor children as if they were her own. When the Canaanite woman begged Our Lord to deliver her daughter from the devil who possessed her, she said, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David, my daughter is grievously troubled by a devil.’ But since the daughter and not the mother was tormented, she should rather have said, ‘Lord, take compassion on my daughter,’ and not, ‘have mercy on me.’ But no, she said, ‘have mercy on me,’ and she was right. For the sufferings of children are felt by their mother as if they were their own. ‘And it is precisely thus,’ says St. Richard of St. Lawrence, ‘that Mary prays to God when she recommends a sinner to Him who has had recourse to her.’ She cries out for the sinful soul, ‘have mercy on me. My Lord,’ she seems to say, ‘this pour soul that is in sin is my daughter. And therefore, pity not so much her as me who am her mother.’ Would that all sinners have recourse to this sweet mother, for then certainly all would be pardoned by God.” (Liguori, Ch. 1-4).

4. Mary as a true and complete Co-Redemptrix, and on the right disposition of those who find themselves in Mortal Sin:
“St. Bernardine of Sienna says that, ‘If God did not destroy man after his first sin, it was on account of His singular love for this Holy Virgin, who was destined to be born of this race.’ And the Saint adds, ‘that He has no doubt but that all the mercies granted by God under the old dispensation were granted only in consideration of this Most Blessed Lady.’ Hence St. Bernard was right in exhorting us to seek for Grace, and to seek it by Mary, meaning, that if we had the misfortune to lose the Grace of God, we should seek to recover it, but we should do so through Mary, for though we may have lost it, she has found it. And hence the Saint calls her, ‘The finder of Grace.’” (Liguori, Ch. 2-1).

5. Mary saves a Soldier at death.
“St. Vincent Ferrer says, ‘that not only does the Most Blessed Virgin console and refresh them, but that, she receives the souls of the dying. This loving queen takes them under her mantle, and thus, presents them to the judge, her Son, and most certainly obtains their salvation.’ This really happened to Charles, the son of St. Bridgette, who died in the army far from his mother. She feared much for her salvation, on account of the dangers to which young men are exposed in a military career. But the Blessed Virgin revealed to her that he was saved on account of his love for her, and that in consequence, she herself had assisted him at death, and had suggested to him the acts that should be made at that terrible moment. At the same time, the Saint saw Jesus on His throne and the devil bringing two accusations to Him against the Most Blessed Virgin. The first was that Mary had prevented him from tempting Charles at the moment of death. And the second was that this Blessed Virgin had herself presented his soul to the judge and so saved it without even giving him the opportunity of exposing the grounds on which he claimed it. She then saw the judge drive the devil away, and Charles’ soul carried to heaven.” (Liguori, Ch. 2-3).

6. The Hail Mary must be accompanied by a true purpose of amendment.
“For as Blessed Alan remarks, ‘At the very sound of these words, Hail Mary, Satan flies and Hell trembles.’ Our Blessed Lady herself revealed to St. Bridgette that the enemy flies even from the most abandoned sinners, and who constantly are the farthest from God, and fully possessed by the devil, if they only invoke her most powerful name with a true purpose of amendment. All devils, on hearing this name of Mary, filled with terror, leave the soul. ‘But at the same time,’ Our Blessed Lady added, ‘that if the soul does not amend and obliterate its sins by sorrow, the devils almost immediately return and continue to possess it.’” (Liguori, Ch. 4-2).

7. On Intercession by the Saints
“The necessity of the intercession of Mary for our salvation: that it is not only lawful but useful to invoke and pray to the Saints, and more especially to the Queen of Saints, the Most Holy and Ever Blessed Virgin Mary, in order that they may obtain us the Divine Grace is an Article of Faith and has been defined by General Councils, against heretics, who condemned it as injurious to Jesus Christ, who is our only mediator. But if a Jeremias after his death prayed for Jerusalem, if the ancients of the apocalypse presented the prayers of the Saints to God, if a St. Peter promises his disciples that after his death he will be mindful of them, if a holy Steven prays for his persecutors, if a St. Paul prays for his companions, if in fine, the Saints can pray for us, why cannot we beseech the Saints to intercede for us? … Noone denies that Jesus Christ is our only mediator of justice, and that He, by His merits has obtained our reconciliation with God. But on the other hand it is impious to assert that God is not pleased to grant Graces at the intercession of His Saints, and more especially of Mary His Mother, whom Jesus desires so much to see loved and honored by all. Who can pretend that the honor bestowed on the Mother, does not redound the honor of the Son?” (Liguori, Ch. 5-1).

8. A single sigh of Mary is worth more than all the suffrages of the Saints
“… ‘A single sigh from Mary was worth more before God than the united suffrages of all the Saints.’” (Liguori, Ch. 6-1).

9. There is no severity in Mary
“St. Bernard … says, ‘Christ is a faithful and powerful mediator between God and men, but in Him, men fear the majesty of God. A mediator then was needed with the mediator Himself. Nor could a more fitting one be found than Mary. But,’ continues the same Saint, ‘should anyone fear to go to the feet of this Most Sweet Advocate, who has nothing in her of severity, nothing terrible, but who is all courteous, amiable, and benign, he would indeed be offering an insult to the tender compassion of Mary. And,’ he adds, ‘read, and read as often as you please all that is said of her in the Gospels. And if you can find the least trait of severity recorded of her, then fear to approach her. But know, this you can never find. And therefore go to her with a joyful heart and she will save you by her intercession.’” (Liguori, Ch. 6-2).

10. God only allows devotion to the Blessed Virgin to those He will save
“Why, then, should we trouble ourselves about the opinions of scholastics as to whether predestination to glory precedes or follows the prevision of merits. If we are true servants of Mary, and obtain her protection, we most certainly shall be inscribed in the book of life. ‘For,’ says St. John Damascene, ‘God only grants devotion towards His Most Holy Mother to those whom He will save.’ This is also clearly expressed by Our Lord in St. John: ‘He that shall overcome, I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the City of My God.’ ‘And who but Mary is this City of God,’ observes St. Gregory on the words of David, ‘Glorious things are said of thee, O City of God.’ Correctly, then, can we here say with St. Paul, ‘having this seal, the Lord knoweth who are His.’ That is to say, ‘whoever carries with him the mark of devotion to Mary is recognized by God as His.’ Hence, St. Bernard writes that, ‘devotion to the Mother of God is a most certain mark of eternal salvation.’ Blessed Alan, speaking of the Hail Mary, also says that, ‘whoever often honors Our Blessed Lady with this angelical salutation has a very great mark of predestination.’ He says the same thing of perseverance in the daily recital of the Rosary, that those who do so have a very great assurance of salvation.” (Liguori, Ch. 8-3).

11. On doubtful thoughts of impurity, if you call on the name of Mary, it is a sure sign that you have not sinned
“Richard... in his commentary on the words of St. Luke, ‘and the Virgin’s name was Mary,’ remarks, ‘that these two words, Mary, and Virgin, are joined together by the evangelist to denote that the name of this Most Pure Virgin should always be coupled with the virtue of Chastity.’ Hence, St. Peter Chysologus says, ‘that the name of Mary is an indication of Chastity,’ meaning, that when we doubt as to whether we have consented to thoughts against this virtue, if we remember having invoked the name of Mary, we have a certain proof that we have not sinned. Let us therefore always take advantage of the beautiful advice given us by St. Bernard in these words: ‘in dangers, in perplexities, in doubtful cases – think of Mary. Call on Mary. Let her not leave thy lips; let her not depart from thy heart. In every danger of forfeiting Divine Grace, we should think of Mary and invoke her name, together with that of Jesus. For these two names always go together. O, then, never let us permit these two most sweet names to leave our hearts or be off our lips, for they will give us strength not only not to yield, but to conquer all our temptations.” (Liguori, Ch. 10).

12. In the Catholic Church the Apostolic See has always been spotless and unblemished.
“On the other hand, I hold it as certain that the Church cannot celebrate anything which is not holy, according to the doctrine of the holy Pope, St. Leo, and that of the sovereign Pontiff, St. Eusebius. In the Apostolic See the Catholic Religion was always preserved spotless. All theologians with St. Augustine, St. Bernard, and St. Thomas agree on this point, and the latter to prove that Mary was sanctified before her birth makes use of this very argument. The Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin; but a feast is celebrated only for a Saint. Therefore the Blessed Virgin was sanctified in her mother’s womb. But if it is certain, as the angelic doctor says, that Mary was sanctified in her mother’s womb, because it is only on that supposition that the Church can celebrate her nativity, why are we not to consider it as equally certain that Mary was preserved from Original Sin from the first moment of her conception, knowing as we do that it is in this sense that the Church herself celebrates the feast?” (Liguori, Discourse 1).

13. On the Power of Marian Intercession
“A woman came to a house of our little congregation in this kingdom to let one of the Fathers know that her husband had not been to Confession for many years, and the poor creature could no longer tell by what means to bring him to his duty, for if she named Confession to him he beat her. The Father told her to give him a picture of Mary Immaculate. In the evening the woman once more begged her husband to go to Confession, but he, as usual, turned a deaf ear to her entreaties. She gave him the picture. Behold, he had scarcely received it when he said, ‘well, when will you take me to Confession, for I am willing to go.’ The wife on seeing this instantaneous change began to weep for joy. In the morning, he really came to our Church, and, when the Father asked him how long it was since he had been to Confession, he answered, ‘28 years.’ The Father again asked him what had induced him to come that morning. ‘Father,’ he said, ‘I was obstinate, but last night my wife gave me a picture of Our Blessed Lady, and in the same moment I felt my heart change, so much so, that during the whole night, every moment seemed a thousand years. So great was my desire to go to Confession.’ He then confessed his sins with great contrition, changed his life, and continued for a long time to go frequently to Confession, to the same Father.” (Liguori, Discourse 1).

14. Mary saved the Angels also
“At least meriting de congruo to become the Mother of the Messiah, she merited for the angels that the thrones lost by the devils should be filled up. Thus, she at least merited this accidental glory for them. And therefore Richard of St. Victor says, ‘by her, every creature is repaired. By her, the ruin of the angels is remedied. And by her, human nature is reconciled.’ And before him St. Anselm said, ‘all things are recalled and reinstated in their primitive state by this Blessed Virgin.’” (Liguori, Discourse 2).

15. God does not accept a divided heart
“The enlightened child well knew that God does not accept a divided heart, but wills that, as He has commanded, it should be consecrated to His love without the least reserve. ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart.’ Hence, from the first moment of her life she began to love God with all her strength, and gave herself entirely to Him. But still, her most holy soul awaited with the most ardent desire the moment when she might consecrate herself to Him in a more solemn and public way. Let us then consider with what fervor this loving and tender Virgin, on finding herself actually enclosed in the holy place, first prostrate, kissed that ground as the house of her Lord, and then adored His infinite majesty, thanked Him for the favor she had received in being thus brought to dwell for a time in His house, and then offered her entire self to God, wholly, without reserving anything – all her powers and all her senses, her whole mind and her whole heart, her whole soul and her whole body. For then it was according to many authors that to please God she vowed Him her virginity, a vow which according to the Abbot Rupert, Mary was the first to make…” (Liguori, Discourse 3).

16. On how Mary lived
“St. Elizabeth on hearing this said, ‘But Lady, wast thou not full of Grace and virtue?’ Mary replied: ‘know that I consider myself most vile and unworthy of Divine Grace, and therefore thus earnestly pray for Grace and virtue.’ And finally, that we might be convinced of the absolute necessity under which we all are of asking the Graces that we require from God, she added, ‘Dost thou think that I possessed Grace and virtue without effort? Know that I obtained no Grace from God without great effort, constant prayer, ardent desire, and many tears and mortifications.’ But above all, we should consider the revelation made to St. Bridgette of the virtues and practices of the Blessed Virgin in her childhood, in the following words: ‘From her childhood, Mary was full of the Holy Ghost, and as she advanced in age, she advanced also in Grace. Thenceforward, she determined to love God with her whole heart, so that she might never offend Him, either by her words, or actions, and therefore, she despised all earthly goods. She gave all that she could to the poor. In her food, she was so temperate that she only took as much as was barely necessary to sustain her body. Afterwards on discovering in the Sacred Scriptures that God was to be born of a virgin, that He might redeem the world, her soul was to such a degree inflamed with Divine Love, that she could desire and think of nothing but God. And finding pleasure in Him alone, she avoided all company, even that of her parents, lest their presence might deprive her of His remembrance. She desired with the greatest ardor to live until the time of the coming of the Messiah, that she might be the servant of that Happy Virgin, who merited to be His Mother.’ Thus far the revelations of St. Bridgette.” (Liguori, Discourse 3).

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lengthy tome is one of the masterpieces of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, noted civil and canon lawyer of the 16th century and one of the great theologians of the Catholic Reformation. In this work, St. Alphonsus tackles the issue of Mary. Why should Christians honor Mary? What is to be gained by it? Why were the Protestants wrong when they uniformly rejected devotion to Mary, and why are Catholics ill advised to follow their lead? In this book St. Alphonsus addresses these questions headlong.

He structures this book around a number of themes. At first comes a basic apologetic that defends traditional Catholic teaching on Mary and demonstrates how the true Christian should always have a devotion to her. Then he goes into the great Marian themes; the Marian feasts, the seven sorrows of Mary, the mysteries of the Rosary. He describes how Catholics can have a devotion to her centered around these mysteries, and how this devotion will deepen our prayer lives and make us more fervent lovers and servants of God. At the end of each chapter comes a short anecdote about some happening relating to Mary and a prayer about the theme.

There are really two things that disturb me about this book, and which prevent me from giving it five stars. First of all, there is the repeated tendency to make a proclaimation in the book and then follow it up with the exact same phrase in the Latin. Now, I understand that there is a certain "gravitas" that comes with stating something in the Latin. But when you repeat the same phrase in Latin that you just gave in the vernacular, and you do this several times on each page, then that gets tedious. I'm not sure if this is St. Alphonsus' style or if it is the fault of the translator. The other thing is the nature of the stories. St. Alphonsus tells tales that read like fairy tales, about people who have been seduced by the devil, for example, or who have been rescued from a life of deep perdition by some miracle of Mary. Surely these miraculous events would have been famous if they were true, but I have never heard of them anywhere except in the pages of this book. So perhaps St. Alphonsus has some insight into these events that nobody else knows about, or they are pious myths. If they are, then that's fine, but they don't really belong in the pages of a book with an apologetic intent. Such things tend to cast doubt on the credibility of the entire work.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about devotion to Mary and about Marian doctrine in general. Prior to the 19th Century, this work really was the "magnum opus" of Catholic Marian devotion.

[Talkador · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is often used by protestants to 'proof' that Catholics worship Mary. And through the eyes of a protestant, a Muslim and a religious Jew; the honor given to Mary in Catholicism might be considered worship. Yet when approaching it from a theological perspective we need to look at what Catholics themselves believe. The 255 Infallibly Declared Dogmas of the Catholic Faith clearly teach that only God is to be worshiped and therefore one should not claim that Catholics worship Mary. St Alphonsus de Liguori himself explains what he means when he says: "Oh pure creature, who dost appear so like God, and whom I should have esteemed God, if faith had not taught me that thou art not God, although thou hast a splendor and I know not what of supreme Deity!". And he also says: "With reason, then, did St. George of Nicomedia declare that the praises given to Mary God accepts, as if offered to himself". Mary is placed between creation and God, it is up to the reader to decide what to think of this practice.

[Mariana Clament · Rating 1 out of 5]

I haven't read the entire book but ive read a few pages of it and i feel so disgusted because of the blasphemous statements that are repeatedly uttered by the author who continues to debunk the sovereignty and the eternal love of the God of the universe Jesus Christ. Jesus loved us so much that he died for all our sins. And the bible clearly says that God is the refuge of sinners. And Jesus spent most of his time in ministry reaching out lovingly to sinners so that they will repent and enter into the kingdom of God. And He (Jesus)said that He is the only door to heaven and He is the one and only Mediator between Man and God. This book is an insult to the Word of God and the eternal sacrifice made by Jesus.

[Missy Funderburk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I firmly believe there is no better way to know and understand and love a man than to know and understand and love his mother. This book gives a thorough knowledge of the mother of Jesus, bringing us ever closer to Him. I look no further than the system of human family that God created to know the importance of a mother in His plan. If she is important to God, then she must be important to me. St Alphonsus Ligouri explains Mary in intricate detail, opening the door to a better capability of knowing and understanding God. Mary has helped increase my love for Him a thousand times. This book has a permanent spot in my collection, as she has a permanent place in my heart.

[Briana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! My favorite part was that it wasn't just a litany of how great our Blessed Mother is but it included examples of how she's aided those with even slight devotion to her. I also enjoyed that the prayers at the end of each section wrapped up what each section was about. Finally, I love that Liguori reiterates throughout the book that Mary is not equal by any means to Jesus. Rather, she is the guide to deeper love of him. My favorite analogy was that while Jesus is the sun, Mary is the moon, reflecting the Son's light and love.

[Lawrence Jakows · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author begins with a (two-page) prayer: "I, thy miserable servant, well knowing what pleasure he gives Thee who endeavours to exalt thy most holy Mother, whom Thou lovest so much."

In this book, he encourages us to speak of, praise and "be lovers of Mary." And our saint is very mindful of "sound theology and the doctrine of the holy Roman Catholic Church."

He tells us of the revelations of St. Bridget and many other saints.

"How great should be our confidence in Mary, who is the Queen of Mercy."

This book should be read and enjoyed.

[Angel7]

What can I say? It just doesn't get any better than this if you're devoted to Our Lady. I had bought a smaller hardcover version of this one 20+ years ago at my local Catholic bookstore and read it a zillion times. By far my favorite Marian book. Imagine my delight when I discovered years later my small book was just part of this huge original. Wow!! I couldn't buy this big one fast enough. It does not disappoint. If you're a follower of Our Lady, this book is a MUST!!

[Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The holy man in a fittingly scholastic style, develops and extols the many virtues of devotion to the Blessed Virgin. However, spiritual insights are more like solitary flowers, rather than a bouquet in this work. An excellent meditation on Mary, but it didn't ring deep chords like I had hoped.

[Simon Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few works have done more for opening eyes to the vital role our Blessed Mother has to offer in our salvation. The Glories of Mary, along with True Devotion, should be compulsory catechesis for all Catholics.

[Regina OF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro me dejó sin palabras. Indescriptible lo precioso que está y la paz interna que deja el saber que la Virgen María es madre y abogada nuestra.

La Virgen María es la REINA DE REINAS.

Opinión y calificación de DeLibris:

https://www.delibris.org/es/las-glori...

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well...I "listened" to it. See, I used my Mac to turn the text into an audio book.

If you want the church fathers' perspective from this eminent and holy Doctor of the Church, this is for you.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good work...............Everyone should have devotion to Mary,Our dear blessed mother :-)

[Abin · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful book...a must read for every catholic

[ShepherdsDelight · Rating 5 out of 5]

99/100 (= 5.9/6) ≈ 5 Stars

-----------------------------------------
Life changing. Wood for the fire of devotion to Our Lady. Incredible.

[Matthew Henry · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a vile book that reveals the crass idolatry of the RCC.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently I have found myself drawn to Our Lady, and in an effort to distance myself from sinful temptations and unchaste actions, I sought to consecrate myself towards her, burning a candle for her statue at church, and making a prayer of consecration each day - in conjunction with reading this, and the third volume of Mary of Agreda's admirable City of God. I can truly declare that on these occasions where I have specifically asked her to assist me in modelling myself more towards her divine son, I have felt an inner strength and resolve to live more correctly. And I was given the grace again this time, as always, and I even managed to successfully respond to it for a short while. However, since then I have again fallen, and through nothing but my own faults, have failed to use the grace given me by God, through the intercession of Our Lady. As many Catholics should understand, life is a constant struggle with our sinful nature, the battle between the flesh and the spirit.

On the book, Saint Alfonso has written a beautiful series of meditations on the abundant grace and compassion of Our Holy Mother Mary. Replete with examples (quite a few of which, by today's standards, cannot help sounding far-fetched - the nature of which the reader is left to their own conclusions) of Mary coming to the aid of repentant sinners, and many heartfelt prayers, this is a wonderful book for any Catholic who wishes to deepen their knowledge and living relationship with this wonderful heavenly Queen. Granted, some of the language is a little over the top, and I can see why Protestant readers are put off by its seeming idolatry. But irrespective of Alfonso's often overly-colourful proclamations, it is not at all blasphemous and is indeed a very worthy book that will deepen your love for Mary and, most importantly, her most Holy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Ce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deo gratias!
Esta obra es elemental para los que quieran conocer, seguir y caminar con María Santísima al corazón de su Hijo. San Alfonso María de Ligorio logra compilar y explicar de manera clara, cómo es que María se convierte en nuestra Madre y Abogada, además de por qué es ella la más hermosa de todas las criaturas.

[John T Eivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautiful Mary

The author provides an excellent biography of Blessed Mary while giving an amazingly simple explanations of many facets of the Catholic religious beliefs. I recommend this book to all readers.

[Vinicius Cheliga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este pode ser considerado o melhor livro mariano já escrito, no mesmo nível do Tratado da Verdadeira Devoção da Virgem Maria. Escrito com uma boa prosa, sendo leitura fácil e cativante. Leitura recomendadíssima, sendo quase um compêndio de mariologia.

[Emily Giuffre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words to describe this beautiful book other than what Pope Pius XII said, "If you could only possess one book, this would be the one!" Such a beautiful testament of God's love for us through Mary his Mother. <3

[maura]

Amazing

After sixteen years of Catholic education I finally come to understand the power of Mary the Mother of God ---- her humility. Thank you most Holy Virgin for opening my heart and my eyes. I am forever your most humble servant.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am glad I didn't rush through this one, and I may reread it at some point.

[Santiago Vieto Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes us grow in devotion to the Holy Mother of God, Mary. Full of historical facts that have made clearly the solicitude
of Our Lady for their children. Very advisable to read to children.