Today's Council 15 September 2020 of St. Louis Maria Grignion de Montfort

St. Louis Maria Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)
preacher, founder of religious communities

Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, § 214
Mary, support for carrying the cross
Marial devotion is the privileged way to reach union with our Lord, which is the perfection of the Christian; it is the path that Jesus Christ made in coming to us, and in which there is no obstacle to get to him.

In truth, union with God can be reached through other paths; but we will go through many more crosses, particular deaths and with many more difficulties, which we will not easily overcome. It will be necessary to go through dark nights, strange struggles and agonies, steep mountains, very painful thorns and terrible deserts. While on the way of Mary we go gently and more calmly.

Of course, we also find great struggles to fight and difficulties to overcome; but this good Mother and Teacher makes herself so present and close to her servants to enlighten them in the darkness, to help them in doubts, to comfort them in fears, to support them in struggles and difficulties, that in truth this virginal path to find Jesus is a path of roses and honey in comparison to the others.