Page 283 - 聖母軍團員手冊（英文版，2014年5月-2022年1月更新版）

Legion HANDBOOK D10944_1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 278

278 CARDINAL POINTS OF THE LEGION APOSTOLATE CHAPTER 39
placate God’s justice. Hence it may justly be said that with
Christ she redeemed the human race.”

The Holy Spirit operates always with her. — Come a little
further to the feast of Pentecost — that tremendous occasion
when the Church was launched upon its mission. Mary was
there. It was by her prayer that the Holy Spirit descended on
the Mystical Body and came to abide in it with all his
“greatness, power, glory, victory and majesty.” (1 Chron
29:11) Mary reproduces in respect of the Mystical Body of
Christ every service which she rendered to his actual Body.
This law applies to Pentecost, which was a sort of new
Epiphany. She is necessary to the one as she had been to the
other. And so of all divine things to the end: if Mary is left
out, God’s Plan is not conformed to, no matter what one’s
prayers and works and strivings may be. If Mary is not there,
the grace is not given. This is an overpowering thought. It
may provoke the question: “Do those who ignore or insult
Mary receive no graces?” They do, indeed, receive graces, for
failure to acknowledge Mary may be excused on grounds of
utter ignorance. But what a sorry title to Heaven! and what a
way of treating her who helps us! Moreover, the graces which
come in such circumstances are but a fraction of what should
flow, so that one’s life’s work is largely failing.

What place must we assign her? — Some may take alarm
and say it is a slight to God to credit such a universal power to
a creature. But if it has pleased God to make it so, how does it
slight his dignity? How foolish it would sound were anyone
to say that the force of gravity derogates from God’s power!
That law of gravity is from God, and accomplishes his
purposes throughout all nature. Why should one think it
disrespectful to allow as much to Mary in the universe of
Grace? If the laws which God has made for nature show forth
his might, why should the law which he has made for Mary
do otherwise than manifest his goodness and omnipotence?
But even if it is conceded that acknowledgment is due to
Mary, there still remains the question of its manner and
amount. “How”— some will say — “am I to apportion prayer
to Mary and prayer to the Divine Persons or to the saints?
What is the exact amount — neither too much nor too little —