“St. Bernadine of Siena even says, that, ‘the sufferings of Mary were such, that had they been divided amongst all creatures capable of suffering, they would have caused their immediate death.’ Who, then, can ever doubt that the martyrdom of Mary was without its equal, and that it exceeded the sufferings of all the martyrs; since, as Saint Antoninus says, ‘they suffered in the sacrifice of their own lives; but the Blessed Virgin suffered by offering the life of her Son to God, a life which she loved far more than her own.’” (Pg. 599 from ‘The Glories of Mary’ by St. Alphonsus de Liguori, from his Sermon the Dolors of Mary)