Mary-Likeness

Mary-like in soul and body!
Mary-like in mind and heart!
Mary-like in every action –
Child of God, how fair thou art!
Fair to Christ and all His angels,
Fair to earth since thou art seen
To be like her – like MARY
Earth’s and Heaven’s fairest Queen.
Mary-like in soul! What beauty
When thy soul is full of grace!
What a Mary-smile will greet thee
When thou’lt meet her face to face!
Mary-like in body! Keeping
All the sense in control;
Looks and bearing both revealing
A Mary-temple for thy soul.

Mary-like in mind and memory!
Sinful thoughts and fancies flee;
Idle dreams and selfish musings
Find no place, fair child, in thee.
For the Mary-mind is lifted
From all sordid thoughts to live
On the high and noble promptings
That a Mary-soul would give.

Mary-like in thy affections,
Loving all, excluding none –
Loving, as you think our Lady
Ever faithful, would have done;
Mary-like in every action
In enjoyment, work or prayer,
Watching Mary, copying Mary,
Loving Mary, everywhere.

Mayst thou catch her gentle manner,
And her calm and queenly ways,
Mayst thou learn her art of bearing
Words of censure or of praise;
Mayst thou learn the hidden secret
Of her smile, so kind, so true,
Which reflects the radiant beauty
Of her pure soul gleaming through.

In a word, may all the greatness,
All the sweetness of her ways,
All the inner grace and beauty,
Heaven and earth delight to praise,
Find their likeness in thine own soul
Child of Mary, as thou art,
Making these more like thy mother,
Ever dearer to her heart.

Night and day, in joy and sorrow,
Night and day, ’neath crushing care,
Ask of Christ true Mary-likeness,
Through the year be this thy prayer,
Christ will hear, and Christ will answer
If thy pleading but ring true,
“JESUS, make me just like MARY,
MARY, make me just like YOU.”

Nihil Obstat
Joseph R. Casey
Censor Deputatus
April 11, 1941

Source: Louis W. Bernicken, Box 413, Mt. Vernon, Ohio.