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Legion HANDBOOK D10944_1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 24

24 THE DEVOTIONAL OUTLOOK OF THE LEGION CHAPTER 5
it causes in his soul, will soon convince him of its otherwise
almost incredible efficacy as a means for the salvation of men,
and for the coming of the Kingdom of Christ.”
“To the powerful Virgin it is given to crush the serpent’s head; to
souls who are united to her, it is given to overcome sin. In this we
must believe with an unshaking faith, with a firm hope.
God is willing to give us all. All now depends on us, and on thee
by whom all is received and treasured up, by whom all is transmitted,
O Mother of God! All depends on the union of men with her who
receives all from God.” (Gratry)

7. BRINGING MARY TO THE WORLD

If devotion to Mary will work such wonders, then the great
purpose must be to bring that instrument to bear, to bring
Mary to the world. And how more effectively can this be done
than through an apostolic organisation; lay—hence unlimited
as to numbers; active—hence penetrating everywhere; loving
Mary with all its might, and binding itself to involve the
hearts of all others in that love; utilising all its avenues of
action to fulfil this purpose.
And so, bearing her name with an inexpressible pride; built
as an organisation upon an unbounded and childlike trust in
her, to which it gives solidity by planting it in the heart of
each individual one of its members: possessing then these
members as working parts acting in a perfect harmony of
loyalty and discipline—the Legion of Mary does not think it
presumption, but rather a right degree of confidence to
believe that its system forms, as it were, a mechanism which
only requires operating by the hand of authority to compass
the world, and which Mary will deign to use as an agency to
accomplish her maternal work for souls, and to carry on her
perpetual mission of crushing the head of the serpent.
“‘Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and
mother.’ (Mk 3:35) What a marvel! What an honour! To what a
height of glory Jesus elevates us! The women proclaim as most happy
her who brought him into the world; but what prevents them from
participating in that same maternity? For here the Gospel speaks of a
new mode of generation, a new parenthood.” (St. John Chrysostom)