Flower of Devotion

St. Bridget once heard the Lord Jesus praise His Blessed Mother in rapture: 

Blessed are you, My Mother, for you are a Virgin and a Mother! You are the ark that contained three things: the rod of Moses, the manna, and the tablets of commandments. Three things happened to the staff: first, it was transformed into a serpent that was not venomous; secondly, through it the sea was parted; Thirdly, she brought the water out of the rock.
I am the rod that lay in Your life and took humanity from You.
I am first, like the serpent of Moses, terrible to My enemies. For they flee from Me as if at the sight of a serpent. They fear Me and hate Me like a serpent, even though I have no poison or anger in Me, and I am full of gentleness and mercy. I also allow myself to be grasped by them, if only they would like to draw near to Me. I want to return to them if they seek Me. I run after them, as a mother runs after her lost and re-found son when they cry out to Me. This I do for them, and yet they abhor Me like a serpent.
Secondly, the sea was divided by the rod of Moses. When, through My Blood and through My suffering, the way to Heaven, which was closed by sins, was opened again, then the sea was indeed parted. The wilderness became the way when the sorrow of all My members rose to the Heart, and the Heart was broken by violent suffering. When the people of Israel were led through the Red Sea, Moses did not immediately lead them into the Promised Land, but into the wilderness to be tried and instructed. In the same way, I do not immediately lead the people who have received My faith and My commandments into Heaven, for it is necessary that in the wilderness, that is, in the world, they should be tested to see how they love God.
Through the rod of Moses the rock also brought forth water. Such a rock is the hard heart of man. For when fear of Me and love for Me strike them, tears of sorrow and repentance immediately flow. No one is so unworthy or so wicked that, if he came to Me, if he contemplated My Passion, if he realized My power or My goodness, he should not be moved to such an extent that his face would not be flooded with tears, and his limbs would not feel the invitation to devotion.
Manna was also lying in the ark. Thus lay in you, my virgin Mother, the Bread of the Angels and the Bread of pious and holy souls on earth. They like nothing but My sweetness, to them the whole world is dead, and they would gladly, if it were My will, do without the food of the flesh.
There were also tablets of commandments in the ark. Thus dwelt in you, O my Mother, the Lord of all laws! Therefore, be blessed above all that is created in Heaven and on earth!