Stories of Mary 27: Mary Breaks Impurity

With A Simple Morning & Night Prayer
Mary Breaks Impurity

A well-known incident is related by Father Paul Segneri in his “Christian Instructed”
A Roman youth, of evil habits and laden with sins, went to confession to Father Niccolas Zucchi. The confessor received him kindly, compassionated his misery, and told him that devotion to the blessed Lady would free him from his accursed vices.

He therefore imposed it upon him as a penance, that until the time of his next confession, every morning and evening, on rising and going to bed, he should recite a “Hail Mary” to the Virgin; making an offering to her of his eyes, hands, and his whole body, praying her to keep him as her own; and that he should kiss the ground three times.
The young man practiced this penance, and at first with very little improvement; but the father continued to exhort him never to give it up, encouraging him to trust in the patronage of Mary.
In the mean time, the penitent left home with some other companions, and travelled over the world. Having returned to Rome, he went again to seek his confessor, who to his great joy and surprise, found him entirely changed, and free from his former impurities.
“My son,” he said, “how have you obtained from God so happy a change?”

“Father,” answered the youth, “the blessed Virgin, for that little devotion which you taught me, has obtained for me this grace.”

Barred From The Door Of Sin
But the wonder did not cease here. The same confessor related this [next] fact from the pulpit.
An officer, who, for several years, had kept up an illicit intercourse with a certain woman, heard [the above story], and proposed also himself to practice the same devotion, in order to free himself from that horrible tie which held him a slave of the devil (which intention is necessary for all such sinners, that the Virgin may aid them): and he also quitted his bad practices and changed his life.
But what followed? At the end of six months, foolishly and too confidently trusting in his strength, he wished, one day, to go and find that woman, to see if she had also changed her way of life.
But on approaching the door of her house, where he was in manifest danger of falling again into sin, he felt himself thrust back by an invisible force, and soon found himself distant from the house the whole length of the street, and before his own door.
He was then enlightened to see clearly that Mary had thus rescued him from his destruction. Thus we perceive how solicitous is our good mother, not only to save us from sin, if we for that end commend ourselves to her, but also to protect us from the danger of falling into it again.

In Praise of Mary
Oh immaculate and holy Virgin: oh creature the most humble and the greatest before God! thou wast so small in thy own eyes, but so great in the eyes of thy Lord, that He exalted thee even to choose thee for His mother, and therefore to make thee Queen of Heaven and of Earth.
I then thank that God Who hath so much exalted thee, and rejoice with thee in seeing thee so closely united to God, that more is not permitted to a pure creature. I am ashamed to appear before thee who art so humble, with so many graces; I, a miserable sinner, and so proud with so many sins.
But wretched as I am, I, too wish to salute thee: Hail Mary, full of grace: “Ave Maria, gratia plena.” Thou art already full of grace; obtain a share of it also for me.
The Lord is with thee: “Dominus tecum.” The Lord who hath ever been with thee even from the first moment of thy creation, is now more intimately with thee, by making himself thy Son.
Blessed art thou among women: “Benedicta tu in mulieribus.” Oh woman, blessed among all women, obtain for us also the divine benediction.
Oh blessed plant which hath given to the world a fruit so noble and so holy: “Et benedictus fructus ventris tui.”
Holy Mary, mother of God: “Sancta Maria, mater Dei.” Oh Mary, I confess that thou art the true mother of God, and for this truth I would give my life a thousand times.
Pray for us sinners; “Ora pro nobis peccatoribus.” But if thou art the Mother of God, thou art also the mother of our salvation, and of us poor sinners; since it is to save sinners that God made Himself man; and He has made thee His mother that thy prayers may have the power to save every sinner.
Pray for us, oh Mary. Now and in the hour of our death: “Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.” Pray always; pray now, while we are in life, in the midst of so many temptations and so great danger of losing God; but still more, pray in the hour of our death, when we are on the point of leaving this world and being presented at the divine tribunal; that being saved by the merits of Jesus Christ, and by thy intercession, we may one day come, without the danger of losing thee any more, to salute thee and praise thee, with thy Son, in heaven, for all eternity. Amen.

A Prayer For Purity

Blessed be Thy purity forever:
For in Thy graceful beauty,
None other than God is formed.
I offer Thee today,
O heavenly Princess,
Holy Virgin Mary,
My life, heart and soul;
Look upon me with compassion
And leave me not, O Mother.

---

This “Stories of Mary – Stories of the Rosary” is taken from the Glories of Mary, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus Liguori; New Revised Edition, P.J. Kennedy & Sons. Copyright 1888 by P.J