MARY, OUR MOTHER

THE MAGNIFICAT

2. According to the Promise Which He made to Our Forefathers Abraham and His Posterity for Ever More.

How well did God keep His word! He had made a promise to Abraham and to his sons, the other great Patriarchs of the Old Testament, and He fulfilled His word. He was well aware what they would do with His benefits. Nevertheless, He does not go back on His word nor does He cancel His promise. God is faithful.

But as Our Lady says, God's fidelity and exactitude is for ever more; in other words, as He abode by His promise, so will He keep His word in His subsequent promises. In fact, according to St. Paul this fidelity of God shines forth in three things:

a) In not letting the devil tempt us above our strength, since it is clear that if He gave him a free hand, the devil, such being his shrewdness, his power and knowledge, would conquer us;

b) He is faithful by not abandoning us in temptation. It is not so in human friendships. Earthly friends leave us in the lurch in the trials of life and especially in the most frightful trial, that of death. Then we are alone. They are of no help. But with God it is not so. The greater the temptation and the trial, the more loving and effective His help and grace. He gives us grace to the measure of our needs. He never fails us, although we have so many times failed Him.

c) Finally, He is faithful in giving us His eternal reward once we have, with the help of His grace, accomplished our fight and achieved victory. In this fidelity of God lies our hope. Heaven will be ours. We shall possess God most certainly, because His word never falters. What encouragement and consolation flows into our daily life from a look at God, from a glance at Heaven.

What should you say to God in front of the example of fidelity given you by His Holy Mother? Is it not a shame that you should have been so many times unfaithful, inconstant in your promises to God? If you had kept just half of the promises that you have so often made Him, how great would your present sanctity be! Ask Our Lady the grace of being faithful and exact; the grace to fulfill your promises made to God.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]