Servant of Mary new file

of many graces which God bestowed upon the Polish nation. The manifestations of this devotion are the church- es, altars, pictures, religious orders, and fraternities dedicat- ed to the Mother of God. The devout give constant praise to her honor in prayers, hymns, and songs, and ask her intercession with God in their needs, relying on her most effective help … There are many faithful, too, who under- take the effort to make pilgrimages to her holy and miracu- lous pictures. There is also quite a number of women and men who, having abandoned the goods of this world, give themselves to Mary for the eternal service in the religious orders under her name … Many a time did the Polish knights enter a fight with the enemies of her holy name … The imitation of Mary’s virtues and life must be added as the most important feature to all these manifestations of the devotion to her. She was endowed by God in a particu- lar way. Jesus praised His mother for listening to the word of God ardently and keeping it in the practice of everyday life. Hence, Father Casimir emphasizes what St. Augustine had declared, namely, that Mary was much more blessed due to her deep faith than due to the fact that she was the mother of God. The Servant of God reminds his countrymen : … if we want to show real veneration for the Virgin Mary and be her servants, it is not enough to have knowledge about her majesty, nobility, privileges, and virtues with which she shined. We must not be satisfied with simply proclaiming her praise in prayers and hymns, with making sacrifices The Propogator of Devotion to Mary 64