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Legion HANDBOOK D10944_1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 34

34 THE DUTY OF LEGIONARIES TOWARDS MARY CHAPTER 6
Kingship. Because she was united to the King of Martyrs, as his
mother and his assistant, in the stupendous work of redeeming the
human race, she remains for ever united to him, vested with a
practically unlimited power in the distributing of the graces which
flow from the Redemption. Her empire is vast like that of her Son;
such indeed that nothing is outside her sway.” (Pope Pius XII:
Discourses of 21 April, 1940, and 13 May, 1945)

4. INTENSITY OF EFFORT IN MARY’S SERVICE
In no circumstances should the spirit of dependence upon
Mary be made an excuse for lack of effort or for defects in
system. Indeed the exact contrary must obtain. Because one
works with Mary and for her so completely it follows that
one’s gift to her must be the choicest that can be offered. One
must always work with energy and skill and fineness. Now
and then, fault has had to be found with branches or
members who did not appear to be making sufficient effort in
connection with the ordinary Legion work or with extension
or recruiting. Sometimes this kind of answer is forthcoming:
“I distrust my own powers. I rely altogether on Our Blessed
Lady to bring about the right result in her own way.” Often
this reply proceeds from earnest persons who are inclined to
ascribe to their own inactivity a sort of virtue, as if method
and effort implied a littleness of faith. There may be, too, a
certain danger of applying human ideas to these things and of
reasoning that if one is the instrument of a simply immense
power, the exact degree of one’s own effort does not so greatly
matter. Why, it may be argued, should a poor man who is in
partnership with a millionaire, exhaust himself to contribute
an extra penny to the already overflowing common purse?
It is necessary, therefore, to emphasise a principle which
must govern the attitude of the legionary towards his work. It
is that legionaries are no mere instruments of Mary’s action.
There is question of a true co-operation with her for the
purpose of enriching and ransoming the souls of men. In that
co-operation each supplies what the other cannot give. The
legionary gives his action and his faculties: that is all of
himself; and Mary gives herself with all her purity and power.
Each is bound to contribute without reserve. If the spirit of
this partnership is honoured by the legionary, Mary will never