A story for every day...

St. Anscharius, Archbishop of Magdeburg, had just lost his mother when he was still a child. One night, he had a vision in which he saw a great and majestic Queen all radiant, and escorted by a multitude of ladies dressed in white and crowned with glory. In the midst of them, he recognized his mother, and ran towards her at once. But he could not reach her. “My child,” said Mary, the Queen of the procession, “you want to join your mother; but first, in imitation of My Son Jesus, flee from all vanity; leave frivolous amusements behind, and keep yourself in the gravity of a pure life. We hate all that is vain and futile; and he who puts his happiness in worldly frivolities, he cannot have part with Us.”

Anschaire profited so well from the lesson of the Blessed Virgin, that from that moment on his life was a model of piety, application, docility, self-denial; he became a living copy of the Child of Nazareth, and edified all who saw him.

Such is the conduct that devotion to Mary demands of us. Could we be careful to greet her frequently every day, and not take pains to please her by imitating her divine Son?