Mary's Part in the Sanctification of Christians

Introduction

Many Catholics devote themselves to Mary purely out of love for
the Mother of God. Also, many have inherited this devotion from
their parents or have learned to value its effectiveness from
being involved in Marian groups and associations. But if we want
to find a solid reason for the necessity of devotion to the
Blessed Mother, St. Louis-Marie de Montfort in his book, "True
Devotion to Mary", gives an important purpose for this devotion:
Mary has a role in our journey to wholeness and holiness.

The "treasury of the Lord"

Montfort says that as the Father and Creator of the world
gathered all the waters together and called them the seas, in the
same way He gathered "all His graces together and called them
Mary" (True Devotion #23). That is why the gospel of Luke also
tells of the angel calling Mary "highly favoured" or "full of
grace" (in Greek, 'kekaritomene'). The saints call Mary the
"treasury of the Lord" because from all the graces God has given
her, we who are her children are made rich.

The 'mystic channel': Christ's aqueduct

By His life and death, Jesus imparted to His mother His infinite
merits and His eminent virtues. Through her, He applies His
merits to those devoted to her; He transmits His virtues and
distributes His graces. Mary is, as it were, a mystic channel,
through which He causes His waters of mercy to flow gently and
abundantly to arid souls (True Devotion #24).

The Holy Spirit sanctifies us through Mary

Montfort also states that the Holy Spirit wishes to mold each and
everyone of us in holiness "in and through Mary". The Spirit
wills that Mary's virtues also take root in us that we "may grow
from strength to strength and from grace to grace". He also
wills that Mary reproduce herself in all her devotees that the
following virtues may take root in us: Mary's invincible faith,
profound humility, total mortification, sublime prayer, ardent
charity, and firm hope (True Devotion #34).

The formation and education of great saints

Together with the Holy Spirit, Mary produced the greatest miracle
that ever was or ever will be: the Word of God incarnate, a God-
man, Christ the Eternal Wisdom of God. In the same way, when
Mary has taken root in souls, in her "school of holiness", she
will form and educate great saints - "wonders of grace" which
only Mary can produce. These great saints will "come at the end
the world" and their formation and education are reserved only
through Mary's school of holiness (True Devotion #35).

Conclusion

Devotion to Mary is not only meant for intercessory prayers and
daily petitions that we entreat for the necessities of our
everyday living: health, work, success for the work of our hands,
protection against adversities and dangers, security from the
onslaught of evil within and around us, and peace for ourselves
and the members of our family. Much more than these, according
to Montfort, devotion to Mary is a school of holiness - one in
which we grow in faith, humility, mortification, prayer, charity
and hope. Mary is the treasury of the Lord by which Jesus
distributes the Father's graces to us, and the spiritual mold by
which the Holy Spirit forms us in the likeness of Christ's
holiness.