Our Lady of Grace in the Augustinian Tradition

Blessed Virgin Mary, who can possibly number the reasons for our praise and our thanks to you? You, the chosen one among all creatures, now in heavenly glory, are concerned for us, your fallen children. How can we, in our sad condition, sing your praise, since the possibility of raising ourselves depends entirely on your coming to our aid? Nevertheless, gentle Virgin, accept our thanks, poor and feeble as they are, and not in proportion to your worth. As you listen to our earnest desires, forgive us our sins by interceding with your Son, our Lord and Judge.

Holy Mary, comfort of the sorrowful, encourage the doubtful, and strengthen those who are faltering. Pray for your people, be close to priests and religious, intercede for those who are consecrated to virginity. Let all who celebrate your memory experience your loving presence. Listen willingly to the prayers of those who call on you, and grant to all the favors they desire.Pray always for the People of God - you, O Blessed Virgin, who were worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world. Be compassionate with those who are suffering, and show your motherly love to us who are on the way to our fatherland in heaven. Guard us that we may not fall, save us that we may not perish, help us to win the crown of victory. Amen.¹

The Original Augustinian Devotion to Our Lady devotion to Our Lady of Grace. Today, we have seen that Our Mother of Good Counsel, and Our Lady of Consolation have taken precedence in recent centuries. In the origins of the Thirteenth Century Origins of the Order, we find Our Lady of Grace being the principle devotion.

The Augustinian Order throughout its history has venerated the Blessed Virgin Mary under particular titles. Mary, Mother of Grace, is the oldest marian devotion of the Order, first mentioned as early as 1282. It highlights Mary’s role in the mystery of the incarnation.²

The Archangel St. Gabriel refers to the Virgin Mary as full of Grace. Although the word grace is found frequently in Scripture, applied here, it is highly significant. This phrase will shape Catholic Devotion to the Blessed Virgin for centuries, in addition to the character of Augustinian Devotion to the Virgin of Grace.

St. Augustine of Hippo, our spiritual father is sometimes called “The Doctor of Grace.” Augustine saw our journey to salvation being aided by God’s Grace. Without it, there would not be any salvation to speak of, considering the seriousness of our sinfulness. The Theological Concept of Grace, most significantly, speak of an active compassionate God who loves exceedingly, to the point of working out our salvation for us. If there be a word in Augustine’s works that is often repeated, it would be Love. Grace, itself, only gives more evidence of God’s love for us.

In Augustine’s writings on Virginity, he holds the Blessed Virgin out with special significance, as God would work salvation out, but only with a man and a woman.

The Lord Jesus Christ came to free men; both male and female are predestined to salvation. For this reason he rejected neither man nor woman: in fact, he took the male sex for himself and was born of a woman. A great sacrament is hidden here, because, just as death came to us through a woman, so through a woman was Life born to us. Thus was the devil defeated by both sexes, male and female.The union between the Word and the flesh is a nuptial union. The nuptial chamber of this union is the womb of the Virgin, for there the body was joined to the Word. The Word is the groom and human flesh is the bride. Both together constitute the only Son of God, who is at the same time the son of man. The womb of the Virgin Mary is the nuptial chamber where he became head of the Church. Physically, Mary gave to the world the head of this Body, while the Church begets the members of the Body spiritually. In each of them virginity is not an obstacle to fecundity; in each of them fecundity does not take away virginity.³

This passage becomes a significant piece for Augustinian Devotion to Our Lady. In contrast to the accusation, that Augustine had a very dismal view of humanity, we see that Augustine wrote of the importance of humanity, should we cooperate with God’s grace. In the case of the Blessed Virgin, something more spectacular happened. We also find Augustine echoing the other Church Fathers who saw Mary as a New Eve (In the same way that Jesus is the New Adam). This passage of Augustine will form Marian Devotion around Matins (or what we in modern times refer to as the Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours).

This prayer to Our Lady of Grace, quoted above, finds itself at the same time at the origins of the Order. For centuries, this prayer was attributed to Saint Augustine himself. There is, however not a whole lot of evidence of its existence prior to the 13th Century. This does not discredit, the significance it would have for Augustinian Devotion to Our Lady, and the significance it could still have today. If Augustine’s name was attached to it, it only speaks of the fact that it ought to be just as timeless as Augustine’s other writings. We see many Augustinian themes, like the significance of Grace for our own spiritual progression to salvation, as well as the healing image of medicine that Augustine often used to refer to Christ the Divine Physician. So whether or not Augustine himself wrote it, I will still find it significant for my own spirituality, as well as recommending it to others who seek an Augustinian approach to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Although the Augustinian Family’s first devotion is Our Lady of Grace, the principal title of Marian veneration in the Augustinian Family is Our Lady of Consolation. For more information about Augustinian devotion to Mary, and the other Saints of the Augustinian Family, click here.

1. From a 13ᵗʰ century prayer attributed to Saint Augustine, has been in use in the Order of Saint Augustine for devotional purposes.

2. From the Ritual of the Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian General Curia, Rome, May 2000.

3. Saint Augustine, On Holy Virginity.