the heart of her divine Son, where her wishes, her sentiments, find an echo. She fears no refusal. The love of the Son makes Him lend a favorable ear to the request of His Mother.
"Our blessed Lady is able and willing to help us, but in order to secure her powerful and kind assistance we must have a sincere devotion to her. This devotion must be practical: it ought not to consist in words only, but in actions. A person truly devout to Mary will enroll himself in her confraternities, especially in the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary; he will celebrate her feasts, venerate her images, visit her temples, and endeavor to imitate her virtues. Certainly, he cannot be said to have a true devotion toward the Mother of God who does not honor and invoke her by frequent and fervent prayers. Among the various exercises in her honor, comes in the first place the Mass of our blessed Lady. Pious historians record many favors obtained by those who celebrated or heard Mass in her honor. The Church also grants special privileges to the Mary-Mass on Saturdays. The Office of the Blessed Virgin, her Litanies, and the holy Rosary are singularly pleasing to her. Let us not imagine, however, that to secure the special protection of the Mother of God our prayers must needs be very long; much will depend upon circumstances; but let us not forget the advice which blessed John Berchmans gave to his companions at his death: 'The least homage
