(see here)
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 12-38:
12. Finally, we must say in the words of the apostle Paul, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has the heart of man understood" the beauty, the grandeur, the excellence of Mary, who is indeed a miracle of miracles of grace, nature and glory. "If you wish to understand the Mother," says a saint, "then understand the Son. She is a worthy Mother of God." Hic taceat omnis lingua : Here let every tongue be silent.
13. My heart has dictated with special joy all that I have written to show that Mary has been unknown up till now, and that that is one of the reasons why Jesus Christ is not known as he should be.
If then, as is certain, the knowledge and the kingdom of Jesus Christ must come into the world, it can only be as a necessary consequence of the knowledge and reign of Mary. She who first gave him to the world will establish his kingdom in the world
Necessity of Devotion to Our Lady
14. With the whole Church I acknowledge that Mary, being a mere creature fashioned by the hands of God is, compared to his infinite majesty, less than an atom, or rather is simply nothing, since he alone can say, "I am he who is". Consequently, this great Lord, who is ever independent and self-sufficient, never had and does not now have any absolute need of the Blessed Virgin for the accomplishment of his will and the manifestation of his glory. To do all things he has only to will them.
15. However, I declare that, considering things as they are, because God has decided to begin and accomplish his greatest works through the Blessed Virgin ever since he created her, we can safely believe that he will not change his plan in the time to come, for he is God and therefore does not change in his thoughts or his way of acting.
16. God the Father gave his only Son to the world only through Mary. Whatever desires the patriarchs may have cherished, whatever entreaties the prophets and saints of the Old Law may have had for 4,000 years to obtain that treasure, it was Mary alone who merited it and found grace before God by the power of her prayers and the perfection of her virtues. "The world being unworthy," said Saint Augustine, "to receive the Son of God directly from the hands of the Father, he gave his Son to Mary for the world to receive him from her."
The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary.
God the Holy Spirit formed Jesus Christ in Mary but only after having asked her consent through one of the chief ministers of his court.
17. God the Father imparted to Mary his fruitfulness as far as a mere creature was capable of receiving it, to enable her to bring forth his Son and all the members of his mystical body.
18. God the Son came into her virginal womb as a new Adam into his earthly paradise, to take his delight there and produce hidden wonders of grace.
God-made-man found freedom in imprisoning himself in her womb. He displayed power in allowing himself to be borne by this young maiden. He found his glory and that of his Father in hiding his splendours from all creatures here below and revealing them only to Mary. He glorified his independence and his majesty in depending upon this lovable virgin in his conception, his birth, his presentation in the temple, and in the thirty years of his hidden life. Even at his death she had to be present so that he might be united with her in one sacrifice and be immolated with her consent to the eternal Father, just as formerly Isaac was offered in sacrifice by Abraham when he accepted the will of God. It was Mary who nursed him, fed him, cared for him, reared him, and sacrificed him for us.
The Holy Spirit could not leave such wonderful and inconceivable dependence of God unmentioned in the Gospel, though he concealed almost all the wonderful things that Wisdom Incarnate did during his hidden life in order to bring home to us its infinite value and glory. Jesus gave more glory to God his Father by submitting to his Mother for thirty years than he would have given him had he converted the whole world by working the greatest miracles. How highly then do we glorify God when to please him we submit ourselves to Mary, taking Jesus as our sole model.
19. If we examine closely the remainder of the life of Jesus Christ, we see that he chose to begin his miracles through Mary. It was by her word that he sanctified Saint John the Baptist in the womb of his mother, Saint Elizabeth; no sooner had Mary spoken than John was sanctified. This was his first and greatest miracle of grace. At the wedding in Cana he changed water into wine at her humble prayer, and this was his first miracle in the order of nature. He began and continued his miracles through Mary and he will continue them through her until the end of time.
20. God the Holy Spirit, who does not produce any divine person, became fruitful through Mary whom he espoused. It was with her, in her and of her that he produced his masterpiece, God-made-man, and that he produces every day until the end of the world the members of the body of this adorable Head. For this reason the more he finds Mary his dear and inseparable spouse in a soul the more powerful and effective he becomes in producing Jesus Christ in that soul and that soul in Jesus Christ.
21. This does not mean that the Blessed Virgin confers on the Holy Spirit a fruitfulness which he does not already possess. Being God, he has the ability to produce just like the Father and the Son, although he does not use this power and so does not produce another divine person. But it does mean that the Holy Spirit chose to make use of our Blessed Lady, although he had no absolute need of her, in order to become actively fruitful in producing Jesus Christ and his members in her and by her. This is a mystery of grace unknown even to many of the most learned and spiritual of Christians.
2. Mary's part in the sanctification of souls
22. The plan adopted by the three persons of the Blessed Trinity in the Incarnation, the first coming of Jesus Christ, is adhered to each day in an invisible manner throughout the Church and they will pursue it to the end of time until the last coming of Jesus Christ.
23. God the Father gathered all the waters together and called them the seas (maria). He gathered all his graces together and called them Mary (Maria). The great God has a treasury or storehouse full of riches in which he has enclosed all that is beautiful, resplendent, rare, and precious, even his own Son. This immense treasury is none other than Mary whom the saints call the "treasury of the Lord". From her fullness all men are made rich.
24. God the Son imparted to his mother all that he gained by his life and death, namely, his infinite merits and his eminent virtues. He made her the treasurer of all his Father had given him as heritage. Through her he applies his merits to his members and through her he transmits his virtues and distributes his graces. She is his mystical channel, his aqueduct, through which he causes his mercies to flow gently and abundantly.
25. God the Holy Spirit entrusted his wondrous gifts to Mary, his faithful spouse, and chose her as the dispenser of all he possesses, so that she distributes all his gifts and graces to whom she wills, as much as she wills, how she wills and when she wills. No heavenly gift is given to men which does not pass through her virginal hands. Such indeed is the will of God, who has decreed that we should have all things through Mary, so that, making herself poor and lowly,, and hiding herself in the depths of nothingness during her whole life, she might be enriched, exalted and honoured by almighty God. Such are the views of the Church and the early Fathers.
26. Were I speaking to the so-called intellectuals of today, I would prove at great length by quoting Latin texts taken from Scripture and the Fathers of the Church all that I am now stating so simply. I could also instance solid proofs which can be read in full in Fr. Poiré’s book "The Triple Crown of the Blessed Virgin". But I am speaking mainly for the poor and simple who have more good will and faith than the common run of scholars. As they believe more simply and more meritoriously, let me merely state the truth to them quite plainly without bothering to quote Latin passages which they would not understand. Nevertheless, I shall quote some texts as they occur to my mind as I go along.
27. Since grace enhances our human nature and glory adds a still greater perfection to grace, it is certain that our Lord remains in heaven just as much the Son of Mary as he was on earth. Consequently he has retained the submissiveness and obedience of the most perfect of all children towards the best of all mothers.
We must take care, however, not to consider this dependence as an abasement or imperfection in Jesus Christ. For Mary, infinitely inferior to her Son, who is God, does not command him in the same way as an earthly mother would command her child who is beneath her. Since she is completely transformed in God by that grace and glory which transforms all the saints in him, she does not ask or wish or do anything which is contrary to the eternal and changeless will of God. When therefore we read in the writings of Saint Bernard, Saint Bernardine, Saint Bonaventure, and others that all in heaven and on earth, even God himself, is subject to the Blessed Virgin, they mean that the authority which God was pleased to give her is so great that she seems to have the same power as God. Her prayers and requests are so powerful with him that he accepts them as commands in the sense that he never resists his dear mother's prayer because it is always humble and conformed to his will.
Moses by the power of his prayer curbed God's anger against the Israelites so effectively that the infinitely great and merciful Lord was unable to withstand him and asked Moses to let him be angry and punish that rebellious people. How much greater, then, will be the prayer of the humble Virgin Mary, worthy Mother of God, which is more powerful with the King of heaven than the prayers and intercession of all the angels and saints in heaven and on earth.
28. Mary has authority over the angels and the blessed in heaven. As a reward for her great humility, God gave her the power and the mission of assigning to saints the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride.
Such is the will of almighty God who exalts the humble, that the powers of heaven, earth and hell, willingly or unwillingly, must obey the commands of the humble Virgin Mary. For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keeper of his treasures, dispenser of his graces, worker of his wonders, restorer of the human race, mediatrix on behalf of men, destroyer of his enemies, and faithful associate in his great works and triumphs.
29. God the Father wishes Mary to be the mother of his children until the end of time and so he says to her, "Dwell in Jacob", that is to say, take up your abode permanently in my children, in my holy ones represented by Jacob, and not in the children of the devil and sinners represented by Esau.
30. Just as in natural and bodily generation there is a father and a mother, so in the supernatural and spiritual generation there is a father who is God and a mother who is Mary. All true children of God have God for their father and Mary for their mother; anyone who does not have Mary for his mother, does not have God for his father. This is why the reprobate, such as heretics and schismatics, who hate, despise or ignore the Blessed Virgin, do not have God for their father though they arrogantly claim they have, because they do not have Mary for their mother. Indeed if they had her for their mother they would love and honour her as good and true children naturally love and honour the mother who gave them life.
An infallible and unmistakable sign by which we can distinguish a heretic, a man of false doctrine, an enemy of God, from one of God's true friends is that the heretic and the hardened sinner show nothing but contempt and indifference for our Lady. He endeavours by word and example, openly or insidiously - sometimes under specious pretexts - to belittle the love and veneration shown to her. God the Father has not told Mary to dwell in them because they are, alas, other Esaus.
31. God the Son wishes to form himself, and, in a manner of speaking, become incarnate every day in his members through his dear Mother. To her he said: "Take Israel for your inheritance." It is as if he said, God the Father has given me as heritage all the nations of the earth, all men good and evil, predestinate and reprobate. To the good I shall be father and advocate, to the bad a just avenger, but to all I shall be a judge. But you, my dear Mother, will have for your heritage and possession only the predestinate represented by Israel. As their loving mother, you will give them birth, feed them and rear them. As their queen, you will lead, govern and defend them.
32. "This one and that one were born in her." According to the explanation of some of the Fathers, the first man born of Mary is the God-man, Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ, the head of mankind, is born of her, the predestinate, who are members of this head, must also as a necessary consequence be born of her. One and the same mother does not give birth to the head without the members nor to the members without the head, for these would be monsters in the order of nature. In the order of grace likewise the head and the members are born of the same mother. If a member of the mystical body of Christ, that is, one of the predestinate, were born of a mother other than Mary who gave birth to the head, he would not be one of the predestinate, nor a member of Jesus Christ, but a monster in the order of grace.
33. Moreover, Jesus is still as much as ever the fruit of Mary, as heaven and earth repeat thousands of times a day: "Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." It is therefore certain that Jesus is the fruit and gift of Mary for every single man who possesses him, just as truly as he is for all mankind. Consequently, if any of the faithful have Jesus formed in their heart they can boldly say, "It is thanks to Mary that what I possess is Jesus her fruit, and without her I would not have him." We can attribute more truly to her what Saint Paul said of himself, "I am in labour again with all the children of God until Jesus Christ, my Son, is formed in them to the fullness of his age." Saint Augustine, surpassing himself as well as all that I have said so far, affirms that in order to be conformed to the image of the Son of God all the predestinate, while in the world, are hidden in the womb of the Blessed Virgin where they are protected, nourished, cared for and developed by this good Mother, until the day she brings them forth to a life of glory after death, which the Church calls the birthday of the just. This is indeed a mystery of grace unknown to the reprobate and little known even to the predestinate!
34. God the Holy Spirit wishes to fashion his chosen ones in and through Mary. He tells her, "My well-beloved, my spouse, let all your virtues take root in my chosen ones that they may grow from strength to strength and from grace to grace. When you were living on earth, practising the most sublime virtues, I was so pleased with you that I still desire to find you on earth without your ceasing to be in heaven. Reproduce yourself then in my chosen ones, so that I may have the joy of seeing in them the roots of your invincible faith, profound humility, total mortification, sublime prayer, ardent charity, your firm hope and all your virtues. You are always my spouse, as faithful, pure, and fruitful as ever. May your faith give me believers; your purity, virgins; your fruitfulness, elect and living temples."
35. When Mary has taken root in a soul she produces in it wonders of grace which only she can produce; for she alone is the fruitful virgin who never had and never will have her equal in purity and fruitfulness. Together with the Holy Spirit Mary produced the greatest thing that ever was or ever will be: a God-man. She will consequently produce the marvels which will be seen in the latter times. The formation and the education of the great saints who will come at the end of the world are reserved to her, for only this singular and wondrous virgin can produce in union with the Holy Spirit singular and wondrous things.
36. When the Holy Spirit, her spouse, finds Mary in a soul, he hastens there and enters fully into it. He gives himself generously to that soul according to the place it has given to his spouse. One of the main reasons why the Holy Spirit does not work striking wonders in souls is that he fails to find in them a sufficiently close union with his faithful and inseparable spouse. I say "inseparable spouse", for from the moment the substantial love of the Father and the Son espoused Mary to form Jesus, the head of the elect, and Jesus in the elect, he has never disowned her, for she has always been faithful and fruitful.
3. Consequences
37. We must obviously conclude from what I have just said:
First, that Mary received from God a far-reaching dominion over the souls of the elect. Otherwise she could not make her dwelling-place in them as God the Father has ordered her to do, and she could not conceive them, nourish them, and bring them forth to eternal life as their mother. She could not have them for her inheritance and her possession and form them in Jesus and Jesus in them. She could not implant in their heart the roots of her virtues, nor be the inseparable associate of the Holy Spirit in all these works of grace. None of these things, I repeat, could she do unless she had received from the Almighty rights and authority over their souls. For God, having given her power over his only-begotten and natural Son, also gave her power over his adopted children - not only in what concerns their body - which would be of little account - but also in what concerns their soul.
38. Mary is the Queen of heaven and earth by grace as Jesus is king by nature and by conquest. But as the kingdom of Jesus Christ exists primarily in the heart or interior of man, according to the words of the Gospel, "The kingdom of God is within you", so the kingdom of the Blessed Virgin is principally in the interior of man, that is, in his soul. It is principally in souls that she is glorified with her Son more than in any visible creature. So we may call her, as the saints do, Queen of our hearts.
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Consecration: Twenty-Fifth Day
(see here)
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 213-225: (Wonderful effects of this devotion)
213. My dear friend, be sure that if you remain faithful to the interior and exterior practices of this devotion which I will point out, the following effects will be produced in your soul:
1. Knowledge of our unworthinessBy the light which the Holy Spirit will give you through Mary, his faithful spouse, you will perceive the evil inclinations of your fallen nature and how incapable you are of any good apart from that which God produces in you as Author of nature and of grace. As a consequence of this knowledge you will despise yourself and think of yourself only as an object of repugnance. You will consider yourself as a snail that soils everything with its slime, as a toad that poisons everything with its venom, as a malevolent serpent seeking only to deceive. Finally, the humble Virgin Mary will share her humility with you so that, although you regard yourself with distaste and desire to be disregarded by others, you will not look down slightingly upon anyone.
2. A share in Mary's faith
214. Mary will share her faith with you. Her faith on earth was stronger than that of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and saints. Now that she is reigning in heaven she no longer has this faith, since she sees everything clearly in God by the light of glory. However, with the consent of almighty God she did not lose it when entering heaven. She has preserved it for her faithful servants in the Church militant. Therefore the more you gain the friendship of this noble Queen and faithful Virgin the more you will be inspired by faith in your daily life. It will cause you to depend less upon sensible and extraordinary feelings. For it is a lively faith animated by love enabling you to do everything from no other motive than that of pure love. It is a firm faith, unshakable as a rock, prompting you to remain firm and steadfast in the midst of storms and tempests. It is an active and probing faith which like some mysterious pass-key admits you into the mysteries of Jesus Christ and of man's final destiny and into the very heart of God himself. It is a courageous faith which inspires you to undertake and carry out without hesitation great things for God and the salvation of souls. Lastly, this faith will be your flaming torch, your very life with God, your secret fund of divine Wisdom, and an all-powerful weapon for you to enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. It inflames those who are lukewarm and need the gold of fervent love. It restores life to those who are dead through sin. It moves and transforms hearts of marble and cedars of Lebanon by gentle and convincing argument. Finally, this faith will strengthen you to resist the devil and the other enemies of salvation.
3. The gift of pure love
215. The Mother of fair love will rid your heart of all scruples and inordinate servile fear. She will open and enlarge it to obey the commandments of her Son with alacrity and with the holy freedom of the children of God. She will fill your heart with pure love of which she is the treasury. You will then cease to act as you did before, out of fear of the God who is love, but rather out of pure love. You will look upon him as a loving Father and endeavour to please him at all times. You will speak trustfully to him as a child does to its father. If you should have the misfortune to offend him you will abase yourself before him and humbly beg his pardon. You will offer your hand to him with simplicity and lovingly rise from your sin. Then, peaceful and relaxed and buoyed up with hope you will continue on your way to him.
4. Great confidence in God and in Mary
216. Our Blessed Lady will fill you with unbounded confidence in God and in herself:
1) Because you will no longer approach Jesus by yourself but always through Mary, your loving Mother.
2) Since you have given her all your merits, graces and satisfactions to dispose of as she pleases, she imparts to you her own virtues and clothes you in her own merits. So you will be able to say confidently to God: "Behold Mary, your handmaid, be it done unto me according to your word."
3) Since you have now given yourself completely to Mary, body and soul, she, who is generous to the generous, and more generous than even the kindest benefactor, will in return give herself to you in a marvellous but real manner. Indeed you may without hesitation say to her, "I am yours, O Blessed Virgin, obtain salvation for me," or with the beloved disciple, St. John, "I have taken you, Blessed Mother, for my all." Or again you may say with St. Bonaventure, "Dear Mother of saving grace, I will do everything with confidence and without fear because you are my strength and my boast in the Lord," or in another place, "I am all yours and all that I have is yours, O glorious Virgin, blessed above all created things. Let me place you as a seal upon my heart, for your love is as strong as death." Or adopting the sentiments of the prophet, "Lord, my heart has no reason to be exalted nor should my looks be proud; I have not sought things of great moment nor wonders beyond my reach; nevertheless, I am still not humble. But I have roused my soul and taken courage. I am as a child, weaned from earthly pleasures and resting on its mother's breast. It is upon this breast that all good things come to me."
4) What will still further increase your confidence in her is that, after having given her in trust all that you possess to use or keep as she pleases, you will place less trust in yourself and much more in her whom you have made your treasury. How comforting and how consoling when a person can say, "The treasury of God, where he has placed all that he holds most precious, is also my treasury." "She is," says a saintly man, "the treasury of the Lord."
5. Communication of the spirit of Mary
217. The soul of Mary will be communicated to you to glorify the Lord. Her spirit will take the place of yours to rejoice in God, her Saviour, but only if you are faithful to the practices of this devotion. As St. Ambrose says, "May the soul of Mary be in each one of us to glorify the Lord! May the spirit of Mary be in each one of us to rejoice in God!" "When will that happy day come," asks a saintly man of our own day whose life was completely wrapped up in Mary, "when God's Mother is enthroned in men's hearts as Queen, subjecting them to the dominion of her great and princely Son? When will souls breathe Mary as the body breathes air?" When that time comes wonderful things will happen on earth. The Holy Spirit, finding his dear Spouse present again in souls, will come down into them with great power. He will fill them with his gifts, especially wisdom, by which they will produce wonders of grace. My dear friend, when will that happy time come, that age of Mary, when many souls, chosen by Mary and given her by the most High God, will hide themselves completely in the depths of her soul, becoming living copies of her, loving and glorifying Jesus? That day will dawn only when the devotion I teach is understood and put into practice. Ut adveniat regnum tuum, adveniat regnum Mariae: "Lord, that your kingdom may come, may the reign of Mary come!"
6. Transformation into the likeness of Jesus
218. If Mary, the Tree of Life, is well cultivated in our soul by fidelity to this devotion, she will in due time bring forth her fruit which is none other than Jesus. I have seen many devout souls searching for Jesus in one way or another, and so often when they have worked hard throughout the night, all they can say is, "Despite our having worked all night, we have caught nothing." To them we can say, "You have worked hard and gained little; Jesus can only be recognised faintly in you." But if we follow the immaculate path of Mary, living the devotion that I teach, we will always work in daylight, we will work in a holy place, and we will work but little. There is no darkness in Mary, not even the slightest shadow since there was never any sin in her. She is a holy place, a holy of holies, in which saints are formed and moulded.
219. Please note that I say that saints are moulded in Mary. There is a vast difference between carving a statue by blows of hammer and chisel and making a statue by using a mould. Sculptors and statue-makers work hard and need plenty of time to make statues by the first method. But the second method does not involve much work and takes very little time. St. Augustine speaking to our Blessed Lady says, "You are worthy to be called the mould of God." Mary is a mould capable of forming people into the image of the God-man. Anyone who is cast into this divine mould is quickly shaped and moulded into Jesus and Jesus into him. At little cost and in a short time he will become Christ-like since he is cast into the very same mould that fashioned a God-man.
220. I think I can very well compare some spiritual directors and devout persons to sculptors who wish to produce Jesus in themselves and in others by methods other than this. Many of them rely on their own skill, ingenuity and art and chip away endlessly with mallet and chisel at hard stone or badly- prepared wood, in an effort to produce a likeness of our Lord. At times, they do not manage to produce a recognisable likeness either because they lack knowledge and experience of the person of Jesus or because a clumsy stroke has spoiled the whole work. But those who accept this little-known secret of grace which I offer them can rightly be compared to smelters and moulders who have discovered the beautiful mould of Mary where Jesus was so divinely and so naturally formed. They do not rely on their own skill but on the perfection of the mould. They cast and lose themselves in Mary where they become true models of her Son.
221. You may think this a beautiful and convincing comparison. But how many understand it? I would like you, my dear friend, to understand it. But remember that only molten and liquefied substances may be poured into a mould. That means that you must crush and melt down the old Adam in you if you wish to acquire the likeness of the new Adam in Mary.
7. The greater glory of Christ
222. If you live this devotion sincerely, you will give more glory to Jesus in a month than in many years of a more demanding devotion. Here are my reasons for saying this:
1) Since you do everything through the Blessed Virgin as required by this devotion, you naturally lay aside your own intentions no matter how good they appear to you. You abandon yourself to our Lady's intentions even though you do not know what they are. Thus you share in the high quality of her intentions, which are so pure that she gave more glory to God by the smallest of her actions, say, twirling her distaff, or making a stitch, than did St. Laurence suffering his cruel martyrdom on the grid-iron, and even more than all the saints together in all their most heroic deeds! Mary amassed such a multitude of merits and graces during her sojourn on earth that it would be easier to count the stars in heaven, the drops of water in the ocean or the sands of the sea-shore than count her merits and graces. She thus gave more glory to God than all the angels and saints have given or will ever give him. Mary, wonder of God, when souls abandon themselves to you, you cannot but work wonders in them!
223. 2) In this devotion we set no store on our own thoughts and actions but are content to rely on Mary's dispositions when approaching and even speaking to Jesus. We then act with far greater humility than others who imperceptibly rely on their own dispositions and are self-satisfied about them; and consequently we give greater glory to God, for perfect glory is given to him only by the lowly and humble of heart.
224. 3) Our Blessed Lady, in her immense love for us, is eager to receive into her virginal hands the gift of our actions, imparting to them a marvellous beauty and splendour, and presenting them herself to Jesus most willingly. More glory is given to our Lord in this way than when we make our offering with our own guilty hands.
225. 4) Lastly, you never think of Mary without Mary thinking of God for you. You never praise or honour Mary without Mary joining you in praising and honouring God. Mary is entirely relative to God. Indeed I would say that she was relative only to God, because she exists uniquely in reference to him.
She is an echo of God, speaking and repeating only God. If you say "Mary" she says "God". When St. Elizabeth praised Mary calling her blessed because she had believed, Mary, the faithful echo of God, responded with her canticle, "My soul glorifies the Lord." What Mary did on that day, she does every day. When we praise her, when we love and honour her, when we present anything to her, then God is praised, honoured and loved and receives our gift through Mary and in Mary.
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 213-225: (Wonderful effects of this devotion)
213. My dear friend, be sure that if you remain faithful to the interior and exterior practices of this devotion which I will point out, the following effects will be produced in your soul:
1. Knowledge of our unworthinessBy the light which the Holy Spirit will give you through Mary, his faithful spouse, you will perceive the evil inclinations of your fallen nature and how incapable you are of any good apart from that which God produces in you as Author of nature and of grace. As a consequence of this knowledge you will despise yourself and think of yourself only as an object of repugnance. You will consider yourself as a snail that soils everything with its slime, as a toad that poisons everything with its venom, as a malevolent serpent seeking only to deceive. Finally, the humble Virgin Mary will share her humility with you so that, although you regard yourself with distaste and desire to be disregarded by others, you will not look down slightingly upon anyone.
2. A share in Mary's faith
214. Mary will share her faith with you. Her faith on earth was stronger than that of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and saints. Now that she is reigning in heaven she no longer has this faith, since she sees everything clearly in God by the light of glory. However, with the consent of almighty God she did not lose it when entering heaven. She has preserved it for her faithful servants in the Church militant. Therefore the more you gain the friendship of this noble Queen and faithful Virgin the more you will be inspired by faith in your daily life. It will cause you to depend less upon sensible and extraordinary feelings. For it is a lively faith animated by love enabling you to do everything from no other motive than that of pure love. It is a firm faith, unshakable as a rock, prompting you to remain firm and steadfast in the midst of storms and tempests. It is an active and probing faith which like some mysterious pass-key admits you into the mysteries of Jesus Christ and of man's final destiny and into the very heart of God himself. It is a courageous faith which inspires you to undertake and carry out without hesitation great things for God and the salvation of souls. Lastly, this faith will be your flaming torch, your very life with God, your secret fund of divine Wisdom, and an all-powerful weapon for you to enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. It inflames those who are lukewarm and need the gold of fervent love. It restores life to those who are dead through sin. It moves and transforms hearts of marble and cedars of Lebanon by gentle and convincing argument. Finally, this faith will strengthen you to resist the devil and the other enemies of salvation.
3. The gift of pure love
215. The Mother of fair love will rid your heart of all scruples and inordinate servile fear. She will open and enlarge it to obey the commandments of her Son with alacrity and with the holy freedom of the children of God. She will fill your heart with pure love of which she is the treasury. You will then cease to act as you did before, out of fear of the God who is love, but rather out of pure love. You will look upon him as a loving Father and endeavour to please him at all times. You will speak trustfully to him as a child does to its father. If you should have the misfortune to offend him you will abase yourself before him and humbly beg his pardon. You will offer your hand to him with simplicity and lovingly rise from your sin. Then, peaceful and relaxed and buoyed up with hope you will continue on your way to him.
4. Great confidence in God and in Mary
216. Our Blessed Lady will fill you with unbounded confidence in God and in herself:
1) Because you will no longer approach Jesus by yourself but always through Mary, your loving Mother.
2) Since you have given her all your merits, graces and satisfactions to dispose of as she pleases, she imparts to you her own virtues and clothes you in her own merits. So you will be able to say confidently to God: "Behold Mary, your handmaid, be it done unto me according to your word."
3) Since you have now given yourself completely to Mary, body and soul, she, who is generous to the generous, and more generous than even the kindest benefactor, will in return give herself to you in a marvellous but real manner. Indeed you may without hesitation say to her, "I am yours, O Blessed Virgin, obtain salvation for me," or with the beloved disciple, St. John, "I have taken you, Blessed Mother, for my all." Or again you may say with St. Bonaventure, "Dear Mother of saving grace, I will do everything with confidence and without fear because you are my strength and my boast in the Lord," or in another place, "I am all yours and all that I have is yours, O glorious Virgin, blessed above all created things. Let me place you as a seal upon my heart, for your love is as strong as death." Or adopting the sentiments of the prophet, "Lord, my heart has no reason to be exalted nor should my looks be proud; I have not sought things of great moment nor wonders beyond my reach; nevertheless, I am still not humble. But I have roused my soul and taken courage. I am as a child, weaned from earthly pleasures and resting on its mother's breast. It is upon this breast that all good things come to me."
4) What will still further increase your confidence in her is that, after having given her in trust all that you possess to use or keep as she pleases, you will place less trust in yourself and much more in her whom you have made your treasury. How comforting and how consoling when a person can say, "The treasury of God, where he has placed all that he holds most precious, is also my treasury." "She is," says a saintly man, "the treasury of the Lord."
5. Communication of the spirit of Mary
217. The soul of Mary will be communicated to you to glorify the Lord. Her spirit will take the place of yours to rejoice in God, her Saviour, but only if you are faithful to the practices of this devotion. As St. Ambrose says, "May the soul of Mary be in each one of us to glorify the Lord! May the spirit of Mary be in each one of us to rejoice in God!" "When will that happy day come," asks a saintly man of our own day whose life was completely wrapped up in Mary, "when God's Mother is enthroned in men's hearts as Queen, subjecting them to the dominion of her great and princely Son? When will souls breathe Mary as the body breathes air?" When that time comes wonderful things will happen on earth. The Holy Spirit, finding his dear Spouse present again in souls, will come down into them with great power. He will fill them with his gifts, especially wisdom, by which they will produce wonders of grace. My dear friend, when will that happy time come, that age of Mary, when many souls, chosen by Mary and given her by the most High God, will hide themselves completely in the depths of her soul, becoming living copies of her, loving and glorifying Jesus? That day will dawn only when the devotion I teach is understood and put into practice. Ut adveniat regnum tuum, adveniat regnum Mariae: "Lord, that your kingdom may come, may the reign of Mary come!"
6. Transformation into the likeness of Jesus
218. If Mary, the Tree of Life, is well cultivated in our soul by fidelity to this devotion, she will in due time bring forth her fruit which is none other than Jesus. I have seen many devout souls searching for Jesus in one way or another, and so often when they have worked hard throughout the night, all they can say is, "Despite our having worked all night, we have caught nothing." To them we can say, "You have worked hard and gained little; Jesus can only be recognised faintly in you." But if we follow the immaculate path of Mary, living the devotion that I teach, we will always work in daylight, we will work in a holy place, and we will work but little. There is no darkness in Mary, not even the slightest shadow since there was never any sin in her. She is a holy place, a holy of holies, in which saints are formed and moulded.
219. Please note that I say that saints are moulded in Mary. There is a vast difference between carving a statue by blows of hammer and chisel and making a statue by using a mould. Sculptors and statue-makers work hard and need plenty of time to make statues by the first method. But the second method does not involve much work and takes very little time. St. Augustine speaking to our Blessed Lady says, "You are worthy to be called the mould of God." Mary is a mould capable of forming people into the image of the God-man. Anyone who is cast into this divine mould is quickly shaped and moulded into Jesus and Jesus into him. At little cost and in a short time he will become Christ-like since he is cast into the very same mould that fashioned a God-man.
220. I think I can very well compare some spiritual directors and devout persons to sculptors who wish to produce Jesus in themselves and in others by methods other than this. Many of them rely on their own skill, ingenuity and art and chip away endlessly with mallet and chisel at hard stone or badly- prepared wood, in an effort to produce a likeness of our Lord. At times, they do not manage to produce a recognisable likeness either because they lack knowledge and experience of the person of Jesus or because a clumsy stroke has spoiled the whole work. But those who accept this little-known secret of grace which I offer them can rightly be compared to smelters and moulders who have discovered the beautiful mould of Mary where Jesus was so divinely and so naturally formed. They do not rely on their own skill but on the perfection of the mould. They cast and lose themselves in Mary where they become true models of her Son.
221. You may think this a beautiful and convincing comparison. But how many understand it? I would like you, my dear friend, to understand it. But remember that only molten and liquefied substances may be poured into a mould. That means that you must crush and melt down the old Adam in you if you wish to acquire the likeness of the new Adam in Mary.
7. The greater glory of Christ
222. If you live this devotion sincerely, you will give more glory to Jesus in a month than in many years of a more demanding devotion. Here are my reasons for saying this:
1) Since you do everything through the Blessed Virgin as required by this devotion, you naturally lay aside your own intentions no matter how good they appear to you. You abandon yourself to our Lady's intentions even though you do not know what they are. Thus you share in the high quality of her intentions, which are so pure that she gave more glory to God by the smallest of her actions, say, twirling her distaff, or making a stitch, than did St. Laurence suffering his cruel martyrdom on the grid-iron, and even more than all the saints together in all their most heroic deeds! Mary amassed such a multitude of merits and graces during her sojourn on earth that it would be easier to count the stars in heaven, the drops of water in the ocean or the sands of the sea-shore than count her merits and graces. She thus gave more glory to God than all the angels and saints have given or will ever give him. Mary, wonder of God, when souls abandon themselves to you, you cannot but work wonders in them!
223. 2) In this devotion we set no store on our own thoughts and actions but are content to rely on Mary's dispositions when approaching and even speaking to Jesus. We then act with far greater humility than others who imperceptibly rely on their own dispositions and are self-satisfied about them; and consequently we give greater glory to God, for perfect glory is given to him only by the lowly and humble of heart.
224. 3) Our Blessed Lady, in her immense love for us, is eager to receive into her virginal hands the gift of our actions, imparting to them a marvellous beauty and splendour, and presenting them herself to Jesus most willingly. More glory is given to our Lord in this way than when we make our offering with our own guilty hands.
225. 4) Lastly, you never think of Mary without Mary thinking of God for you. You never praise or honour Mary without Mary joining you in praising and honouring God. Mary is entirely relative to God. Indeed I would say that she was relative only to God, because she exists uniquely in reference to him.
She is an echo of God, speaking and repeating only God. If you say "Mary" she says "God". When St. Elizabeth praised Mary calling her blessed because she had believed, Mary, the faithful echo of God, responded with her canticle, "My soul glorifies the Lord." What Mary did on that day, she does every day. When we praise her, when we love and honour her, when we present anything to her, then God is praised, honoured and loved and receives our gift through Mary and in Mary.
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
the abortion clinic
I just got back from the abortion clinic with Max, my fellow seminarian. We went to the 8:15am Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen and then went to the clinic afterwards.
The Holy Spirit was very affirming today. First the Mass... and then after Mass, Max recognized a tall, slender, older French lady who used to join our community for Evening Prayer. She hadn't been coming because the seminarian that used to invite her graduated last May... so Max invited her. She said that she is praying for us every day and asked us to pray for her son. Seeing her really touched my heart. Then Max and I, feeling emboldended (sp?), went to the clinic and setup up our "Women Deserve Better" signs along the side of the road.
Before we knelt down on the sidewalk to pray a young lady who was walking in to the building (there's also a pharmacy in the same building... I think alot of people don't know the abortuary is in there) saw the signs we were holding and walked up to us. She said, "OK, what do got to give me? I have one minute." So Max, assuming she was pregnant and going in for an abortion, stepped up and just allowed the Holy Spirit to speak through him. He introduced himself and then told her that she was a beautiful young lady and a beautiful mother, not just in the future, but a beautiful mother now who deserves better than abortion and doesn't have to kill her baby. She said, "Oh, there's a clinic in there?" I said yes, and that we were there just to pray for an end to abortion and increase awareness of what goes on there. She said "well I respect you guys for what you're doing" and then shook Max's hand and left. I pray that we've planted a seed in her to change her mind about abortion if she is pro-choice or to have courage to defend life, is she is pro-life.
Then Max and I prayed morning prayer, a rosary, the Litany of the Holy Spirit, the Litany of the Blessed Mother, Ave Maris Stella, St. Louis de Montfort's Prayer to Mary, the Prayer to end Abortion, the Litany of the Saints, and Act of Contrition for reparation of sin, the Office of Readings, and other spontaneous prayers.
Praise be to God!
St. Gianna Beretta Molla, pray for us!
The Holy Spirit was very affirming today. First the Mass... and then after Mass, Max recognized a tall, slender, older French lady who used to join our community for Evening Prayer. She hadn't been coming because the seminarian that used to invite her graduated last May... so Max invited her. She said that she is praying for us every day and asked us to pray for her son. Seeing her really touched my heart. Then Max and I, feeling emboldended (sp?), went to the clinic and setup up our "Women Deserve Better" signs along the side of the road.
Before we knelt down on the sidewalk to pray a young lady who was walking in to the building (there's also a pharmacy in the same building... I think alot of people don't know the abortuary is in there) saw the signs we were holding and walked up to us. She said, "OK, what do got to give me? I have one minute." So Max, assuming she was pregnant and going in for an abortion, stepped up and just allowed the Holy Spirit to speak through him. He introduced himself and then told her that she was a beautiful young lady and a beautiful mother, not just in the future, but a beautiful mother now who deserves better than abortion and doesn't have to kill her baby. She said, "Oh, there's a clinic in there?" I said yes, and that we were there just to pray for an end to abortion and increase awareness of what goes on there. She said "well I respect you guys for what you're doing" and then shook Max's hand and left. I pray that we've planted a seed in her to change her mind about abortion if she is pro-choice or to have courage to defend life, is she is pro-life.
Then Max and I prayed morning prayer, a rosary, the Litany of the Holy Spirit, the Litany of the Blessed Mother, Ave Maris Stella, St. Louis de Montfort's Prayer to Mary, the Prayer to end Abortion, the Litany of the Saints, and Act of Contrition for reparation of sin, the Office of Readings, and other spontaneous prayers.
Praise be to God!
St. Gianna Beretta Molla, pray for us!
fifth paper
Here is my Political Philosophy paper, mentioned here
I got it back a few days ago and got an A. The topic is a little different than how I originally planned. I decided to write it in a way that would show that the voice of the Church and the voice of the Courts (the ones that are still sound), when heard together, can actually provide a better defense of the traditional defintion of marriage than if one would only hear one or the other, as is the tendency today. I tried to show the striking parallels between statements from both institutions. It took a lot of work but I found the resulting body of evidence pretty interesting.
Now, just a little disclaimer to my "separated brethren" ;) a.k.a. Non-Catholics :)
This paper was written to a very narrow audience: my professor. So I was free to start with certain presumptions that I didn't have to build from the ground up. Also, I take the Church a little bit out of context so I highly encourage any readers to look up the relevant documents online and read the full context - they're pretty short - I'll provide links to them in the paper, for footnote 3:
Of the issues affecting society today, few are as highly debated as gay “marriage.”[1] From the halls of Supreme Courts to lecture halls of colleges and universities across the country, few people are neutral on its legality. When addressing it, one cannot ignore the two institutions with arguably the most authoritative voices on the matter: the Supreme Courts (federal and state) and the Catholic Church. But there are two tendencies involved here. The first is to hear one over the other: the Courts over the Church, because the Courts are more “reasonable” (or more suited to the public square); or the Church over the Courts, because she is more “faithful” (or more suited to the pulpit). The second tendency, which on many occasions includes the first, is to hear them both, giving them each their due, but separately, as if they contradict each other. In seeking to avoid both tendencies, brief arguments from both institutions will be highlighted in communio.[2] Starting from the conclusion that gay “marriage” has a negative impact on society[3], this essay will show that both institutions have very compelling reasons for one to oppose it – reasons that compliment rather than conflict with each other – and that if spoken in concert a more robust defense of the traditional understanding and definition of marriage can be made.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in the beginning of its March 2003 document regarding homosexual unions said, “Since this question relates to the natural moral law, the arguments that follow are addressed not only to those who believe in Christ, but to all persons committed to promoting and defending the common good of society.”[4] Here we see that Christians and non-Christians, Catholics and Protestants should all listen without fear. Here we also have the Church, as she always has, placing the issue of marriage (and in this case homosexual unions and by extension, gay “marriage”) at the level of the common good. The Courts would concur. Justice Martha B. Sosman in her dissent from the majority in Goodridge v Dept. of Pub. Health – the case that legalized gay “marriage” in Massachusetts – said, “this proffered change affects not just a load-bearing wall of our social structure but the very cornerstone of that structure.”[5] Indeed Maynard v. Hill proclaimed that marriage “is an institution, in the maintenance of which in its purity the public is deeply interested, for it is the foundation of the family and of society, without which there would be neither civilization nor progress.”[6] It is interesting to note that the institution declared most capable of furthering authentic human progress is the one Goodridge declares to be our greatest enemy: “[It] ruled that our current marriage system is ‘caste-like’ resting upon ‘invidious distinctions’ that are ‘totally repugnant.’”[7]
Goodridge’s assault on the institution of marriage is not a recent phenomenon in our society. Casti Connubii (“Christian Marriage”), an encyclical letter of Pope Pius XI, says, “[It] appears all the more regrettable that particularly in our day we should witness this divine institution [marriage] often scorned and on every side degraded.” It goes on to speak of, “[T]hat genius… which, anxious only for truth, [considers itself]… emancipated… from all those old-fashioned and immature opinions of the ancients; and to the number of these antiquated opinions they relegate the traditional doctrines of Christian marriage.”[8] This “particular day” was December 1930.
How does this longstanding “scorn” of marriage, this “emancipation” from the “old-fashioned” and “caste-like” definition of marriage toward one that embraces homosexual unions, negatively impact the common good of society? The Congregation, in the document above, answers this question by looking at the ethical considerations of different “orders”: the “order of right reason,” the “biological and anthropological order,” the “social order,” and the “legal order.” Here we will see how considerations from each one matches up with those of Supreme Court cases in the United States.
Speaking from the “order of right reason,” the Congregation states that legalized gay “marriage” assumes “a more wide-reaching and profound influence, and would result in changes to the entire organization of society, contrary to the common good.” One of the “patterns of thought and behavior” it would influence would be “the younger generation’s perception and evaluation of forms of behavior. Legal recognition of homosexual unions would obscure certain basic moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage.”[9] Justice Robert J. Cordy, who also dissented in Goodridge, mirrors the Congregation:
As long as marriage is limited to the opposite-sex couples who can at least theoretically procreate, society is able to communicate a consistent message to its citizens [and especially its youth] that marriage is a (normatively) necessary part of their procreative endeavor; that if they are to procreate, then society has endorsed the institution of marriage as the environment for it and for the subsequent rearing of their children… [Gay “marriage”] would be a diminution in society’s ability to steer the acts of procreation and child rearing into their most optimal setting.[10]
Commonwealth v. Stowell and Hall-Omar Baking Co. v. Commissioner of Labor & Indus. would both agree.[11]
From the “biological and anthropological order,” the Congregation speaks more explicitly about the youth of society. It says that “as experience has shown, the absence of sexual complementarity in these unions creates obstacles in the normal development of children who would be placed in the care of such persons.”[12] Justice Cordy, again, gives a similar response. Referring to Baker v. State, he says
[T]he raising of children by same-sex couples, who by definition cannot be the two sole biological parents of a child and cannot provide children with a parental authority figure of each gender, presents an alternative structure for child rearing that has not yet proved itself beyond reasonable scientific dispute to be as optimal as the biologically based marriage norm.[13]
Granted, the Church is more certain of these “obstacles” than the courts, but the similarity in their messages is still noteworthy.
Arguing from the “social order,” the Congregation adds:
Society owes its continued survival to the family, founded on marriage… If from the legal standpoint, marriage between a man and woman were to be considered just one possible form of marriage, the concept of marriage would undergo a radical transformation, with grave detriment to the common good.[14]
Skinner v. Oklahoma comments: “Marriage and procreation are fundamental to the very existence and survival of the [human] race”[15] Justice Cordy, once more in agreement, says, “The alternative, a society without the institution of marriage, in which heterosexual intercourse, procreation, and child care are largely disconnected processes, would be chaotic.” Maggie Gallagher, President of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, adds an interesting opinion: “[T]he most likely result of same-sex marriage will not be the expansion of marriage benefits to more and more relationships, but the elimination of marriage as a legal status.”[16]
Finally, from the “legal order” we have our last parallel statement. Speaking of homosexual persons and the “real recognition of their rights as persons and citizens,” the Congregation concludes that “It would be gravely unjust to sacrifice the common good and just laws on the family in order to protect personal goods that can and must be guaranteed in ways that do not harm the body of society.” It suggests they should “make use of the provisions of law,” rather than marriage to ensure, as Maggie Gallagher calls it, an “administrative benefits package.”[17] Moe v. Secretary of Admin. & Fin. says, “[T]he state retains wide latitude to decide the manner in which it will allocate benefits.”[18] Justice Cordy adds, “There is no reason to believe that legislative processes are inadequate to effectuate legal changes in response to evolving evidence, social values, and views of fairness.” Massachusetts Fed’n of Teachers v. Board of Educ. and Mobile Oil v. Attorney Gen. both attest to the fact that the “Legislature may proceed piecemeal in addressing perceived injustices or problems [no matter how painfully slow this process may be to those seemingly offended]”[19]
At this point, we have seen several ways in which the Supreme Courts and the Catholic Church, both speaking on the negative impact of gay “marriage” on society, have very similar if not identical arguments. And we only looked at two key documents from the Church! We have shown that even in select documents, the Church is very much aware of the public landscape before her and the Courts (those that are still sound) are equally aware of the common good that she works so diligently to protect. In no way should the Courts and the Church be discouraged from speaking together in the public square. When separated or pitted against each other, their common outcry against a redefinition of marriage is only partially heard and those to be protected are slighted. Seeing their complimentarity here should give those in support of traditional marriage a more balanced, clearer, deeper, and louder (but not shrill) voice to be heard.[20]
[1] I’m working from the premise that since marriage is, by definition, between a man and a woman, gay “marriage” is an anomaly and so must be referred to in quotes. It is outside the scope of this essay to present the logical and moral foundation for marriage’s traditional definition.
[2] Or “in communion.” Dr. Paul Seaton points out in “Progress or Tyranny? The Goodridge Dissents,” (Fordham University), n. ii “The major Christian and Jewish traditions expressly make room for reason and reason’s deliverances in the economy of their faith: the Catholic, as is (or should be) well known, endorses natural law reasoning, the Jewish appeals to the Noahide Code, the Reformers and their followers appealed to the ‘first grace’ (natural law) and ‘the dictates of nature’; all refer to the second table of the Decalogue as moral-social truths available to unaided reason.” (Hereafter, “Progress or Tyranny?”)
[3] See the dissenting opinions in Goodridge v. Dept of Pub. Health, 798 N.E.2d (Mass. 2003) (hereafter, “Goodridge”); “(How) Will Gay Marriage Weaken Marriage as a Social Institution: A Reply to Andrew Koppelman,” by Maggie Gallagher, University of St. Thomas Law Journal, Fall 2004 (hereafter, “Maggie Gallagher”); “Love and Marriage – and Family Law,” Public Interest, Spring 2005; “Progress or Tyranny?” supra; The Institute for Marriage and Public Policy at http://www.marriagedebate.com; Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, March 2003 (hereafter, “The Congregation”); Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii (“Christian Marriage,” [hereafter, id.]), Dec. 1930; The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1601-1666 (hereafter, “CCC”); and many, many other sources.
[4] The Congregation, supra, #1
[5] Goodridge, supra
[6] Maynard v. Hill, 125 U.S. 190, 211 (1888)
[7] Maggie Gallagher, supra, p. 65
[8] Christian Marriage, supra, #44-45
[9] The Congregation, supra, #9
[10] Goodridge, supra
[11] See Commonwealth v. Stowell, 389 Mass. 171, 175 (1983) (given State’s broad concern with institution of marriage, it has “legitimate interest in prohibiting conduct which may threaten that institution”) and Hall-Omar Baking Co. v. Commissioner of Labor & Indus., 344 Mass. 695, 700 (1962) (“Legislative classification is valid if it is rational and bears some relationship to the object intended to be accomplished” [emphasis added]).
[12] The Congregation, supra, #7. The Congregation actually goes on to say, “They would be deprived of the experience of either fatherhood or motherhood. Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of dependency would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their full human development. This is gravely immoral and in open contradiction to the principle, recognized also in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, that the best interests of the child, as the weaker and more vulnerable party, are to be the paramount consideration in every case.”
[13] Goodridge, supra. See Baker v. State, 170 Vt. 194,222 (1999) (“conceivable that the Legislature could conclude that opposite-sex partners offer advantages in the[e] area [of child rearing], although… experts disagree and the answer is decidedly uncertain”). Cf. Marcoux v. Attorney Gen., 375 Mass. 63, 65 (1978).
[14] The Congregation, supra, #8
[15] Skinner v. Oklahoma, 316 U.S. 535, 541 (1942)
[16] Maggie Gallagher, supra, p. 37, n. 12
[17] Maggie Gallagher, supra, p. 35-43 goes into great depth on the idea of marriage as being an “administrative benefits package.” She says, “Since the advent of the gay marriage debate, the most prominent way of thinking about the relationship between law and marriage is to say that the law provides important marriage ‘benefits’” etc.
[18] Goodridge, supra, Justice Cordy’s dissent, [FN38]: Moe v. Secretary of Admin. & Fin., 382 Mass. 629,652 (1981).
[19] Goodridge, supra, Justice Cordy’s dissent: See, e.g., Massachusetts Fed’n of Teachers v. Board of Educ., 436 Mass. 763, 778 (2002); Mobile Oil v. Attorney Gen., 361 Mass. 401, 417 (1972)
[20] One final parallel statement gives us a glimpse of the magnitude of what is at stake, the first from Murphy v. Ramsey, 114 U.S. 15, 45 (1885); and the second from CCC, supra, #1657:
[N]o legislation can be supposed more wholesome and necessary in the founding of a free, self-governing commonwealth… than that which seeks to establish it on the basis of the idea of the family, as consisting in and springing from the union for life of one man and one woman… the sure foundation of all that is stable and noble in our civilization; the best guaranty of that reverent morality which is the source of all beneficent progress in social and political improvement.
-- and –
It is [in the home] that the father of the family, the mother, children, and all members of the family… ‘by the reception of the sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, and self-denial and active charity’… [make up] the first school of Christian life and ‘a school of human enrichment.’ Here one learns endurance and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous – even repeated – forgiveness, and above all divine worship in prayer and the offering of one’s life. (emphasis added)
I got it back a few days ago and got an A. The topic is a little different than how I originally planned. I decided to write it in a way that would show that the voice of the Church and the voice of the Courts (the ones that are still sound), when heard together, can actually provide a better defense of the traditional defintion of marriage than if one would only hear one or the other, as is the tendency today. I tried to show the striking parallels between statements from both institutions. It took a lot of work but I found the resulting body of evidence pretty interesting.
Now, just a little disclaimer to my "separated brethren" ;) a.k.a. Non-Catholics :)
This paper was written to a very narrow audience: my professor. So I was free to start with certain presumptions that I didn't have to build from the ground up. Also, I take the Church a little bit out of context so I highly encourage any readers to look up the relevant documents online and read the full context - they're pretty short - I'll provide links to them in the paper, for footnote 3:
Of the issues affecting society today, few are as highly debated as gay “marriage.”[1] From the halls of Supreme Courts to lecture halls of colleges and universities across the country, few people are neutral on its legality. When addressing it, one cannot ignore the two institutions with arguably the most authoritative voices on the matter: the Supreme Courts (federal and state) and the Catholic Church. But there are two tendencies involved here. The first is to hear one over the other: the Courts over the Church, because the Courts are more “reasonable” (or more suited to the public square); or the Church over the Courts, because she is more “faithful” (or more suited to the pulpit). The second tendency, which on many occasions includes the first, is to hear them both, giving them each their due, but separately, as if they contradict each other. In seeking to avoid both tendencies, brief arguments from both institutions will be highlighted in communio.[2] Starting from the conclusion that gay “marriage” has a negative impact on society[3], this essay will show that both institutions have very compelling reasons for one to oppose it – reasons that compliment rather than conflict with each other – and that if spoken in concert a more robust defense of the traditional understanding and definition of marriage can be made.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in the beginning of its March 2003 document regarding homosexual unions said, “Since this question relates to the natural moral law, the arguments that follow are addressed not only to those who believe in Christ, but to all persons committed to promoting and defending the common good of society.”[4] Here we see that Christians and non-Christians, Catholics and Protestants should all listen without fear. Here we also have the Church, as she always has, placing the issue of marriage (and in this case homosexual unions and by extension, gay “marriage”) at the level of the common good. The Courts would concur. Justice Martha B. Sosman in her dissent from the majority in Goodridge v Dept. of Pub. Health – the case that legalized gay “marriage” in Massachusetts – said, “this proffered change affects not just a load-bearing wall of our social structure but the very cornerstone of that structure.”[5] Indeed Maynard v. Hill proclaimed that marriage “is an institution, in the maintenance of which in its purity the public is deeply interested, for it is the foundation of the family and of society, without which there would be neither civilization nor progress.”[6] It is interesting to note that the institution declared most capable of furthering authentic human progress is the one Goodridge declares to be our greatest enemy: “[It] ruled that our current marriage system is ‘caste-like’ resting upon ‘invidious distinctions’ that are ‘totally repugnant.’”[7]
Goodridge’s assault on the institution of marriage is not a recent phenomenon in our society. Casti Connubii (“Christian Marriage”), an encyclical letter of Pope Pius XI, says, “[It] appears all the more regrettable that particularly in our day we should witness this divine institution [marriage] often scorned and on every side degraded.” It goes on to speak of, “[T]hat genius… which, anxious only for truth, [considers itself]… emancipated… from all those old-fashioned and immature opinions of the ancients; and to the number of these antiquated opinions they relegate the traditional doctrines of Christian marriage.”[8] This “particular day” was December 1930.
How does this longstanding “scorn” of marriage, this “emancipation” from the “old-fashioned” and “caste-like” definition of marriage toward one that embraces homosexual unions, negatively impact the common good of society? The Congregation, in the document above, answers this question by looking at the ethical considerations of different “orders”: the “order of right reason,” the “biological and anthropological order,” the “social order,” and the “legal order.” Here we will see how considerations from each one matches up with those of Supreme Court cases in the United States.
Speaking from the “order of right reason,” the Congregation states that legalized gay “marriage” assumes “a more wide-reaching and profound influence, and would result in changes to the entire organization of society, contrary to the common good.” One of the “patterns of thought and behavior” it would influence would be “the younger generation’s perception and evaluation of forms of behavior. Legal recognition of homosexual unions would obscure certain basic moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage.”[9] Justice Robert J. Cordy, who also dissented in Goodridge, mirrors the Congregation:
As long as marriage is limited to the opposite-sex couples who can at least theoretically procreate, society is able to communicate a consistent message to its citizens [and especially its youth] that marriage is a (normatively) necessary part of their procreative endeavor; that if they are to procreate, then society has endorsed the institution of marriage as the environment for it and for the subsequent rearing of their children… [Gay “marriage”] would be a diminution in society’s ability to steer the acts of procreation and child rearing into their most optimal setting.[10]
Commonwealth v. Stowell and Hall-Omar Baking Co. v. Commissioner of Labor & Indus. would both agree.[11]
From the “biological and anthropological order,” the Congregation speaks more explicitly about the youth of society. It says that “as experience has shown, the absence of sexual complementarity in these unions creates obstacles in the normal development of children who would be placed in the care of such persons.”[12] Justice Cordy, again, gives a similar response. Referring to Baker v. State, he says
[T]he raising of children by same-sex couples, who by definition cannot be the two sole biological parents of a child and cannot provide children with a parental authority figure of each gender, presents an alternative structure for child rearing that has not yet proved itself beyond reasonable scientific dispute to be as optimal as the biologically based marriage norm.[13]
Granted, the Church is more certain of these “obstacles” than the courts, but the similarity in their messages is still noteworthy.
Arguing from the “social order,” the Congregation adds:
Society owes its continued survival to the family, founded on marriage… If from the legal standpoint, marriage between a man and woman were to be considered just one possible form of marriage, the concept of marriage would undergo a radical transformation, with grave detriment to the common good.[14]
Skinner v. Oklahoma comments: “Marriage and procreation are fundamental to the very existence and survival of the [human] race”[15] Justice Cordy, once more in agreement, says, “The alternative, a society without the institution of marriage, in which heterosexual intercourse, procreation, and child care are largely disconnected processes, would be chaotic.” Maggie Gallagher, President of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, adds an interesting opinion: “[T]he most likely result of same-sex marriage will not be the expansion of marriage benefits to more and more relationships, but the elimination of marriage as a legal status.”[16]
Finally, from the “legal order” we have our last parallel statement. Speaking of homosexual persons and the “real recognition of their rights as persons and citizens,” the Congregation concludes that “It would be gravely unjust to sacrifice the common good and just laws on the family in order to protect personal goods that can and must be guaranteed in ways that do not harm the body of society.” It suggests they should “make use of the provisions of law,” rather than marriage to ensure, as Maggie Gallagher calls it, an “administrative benefits package.”[17] Moe v. Secretary of Admin. & Fin. says, “[T]he state retains wide latitude to decide the manner in which it will allocate benefits.”[18] Justice Cordy adds, “There is no reason to believe that legislative processes are inadequate to effectuate legal changes in response to evolving evidence, social values, and views of fairness.” Massachusetts Fed’n of Teachers v. Board of Educ. and Mobile Oil v. Attorney Gen. both attest to the fact that the “Legislature may proceed piecemeal in addressing perceived injustices or problems [no matter how painfully slow this process may be to those seemingly offended]”[19]
At this point, we have seen several ways in which the Supreme Courts and the Catholic Church, both speaking on the negative impact of gay “marriage” on society, have very similar if not identical arguments. And we only looked at two key documents from the Church! We have shown that even in select documents, the Church is very much aware of the public landscape before her and the Courts (those that are still sound) are equally aware of the common good that she works so diligently to protect. In no way should the Courts and the Church be discouraged from speaking together in the public square. When separated or pitted against each other, their common outcry against a redefinition of marriage is only partially heard and those to be protected are slighted. Seeing their complimentarity here should give those in support of traditional marriage a more balanced, clearer, deeper, and louder (but not shrill) voice to be heard.[20]
[1] I’m working from the premise that since marriage is, by definition, between a man and a woman, gay “marriage” is an anomaly and so must be referred to in quotes. It is outside the scope of this essay to present the logical and moral foundation for marriage’s traditional definition.
[2] Or “in communion.” Dr. Paul Seaton points out in “Progress or Tyranny? The Goodridge Dissents,” (Fordham University), n. ii “The major Christian and Jewish traditions expressly make room for reason and reason’s deliverances in the economy of their faith: the Catholic, as is (or should be) well known, endorses natural law reasoning, the Jewish appeals to the Noahide Code, the Reformers and their followers appealed to the ‘first grace’ (natural law) and ‘the dictates of nature’; all refer to the second table of the Decalogue as moral-social truths available to unaided reason.” (Hereafter, “Progress or Tyranny?”)
[3] See the dissenting opinions in Goodridge v. Dept of Pub. Health, 798 N.E.2d (Mass. 2003) (hereafter, “Goodridge”); “(How) Will Gay Marriage Weaken Marriage as a Social Institution: A Reply to Andrew Koppelman,” by Maggie Gallagher, University of St. Thomas Law Journal, Fall 2004 (hereafter, “Maggie Gallagher”); “Love and Marriage – and Family Law,” Public Interest, Spring 2005; “Progress or Tyranny?” supra; The Institute for Marriage and Public Policy at http://www.marriagedebate.com; Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, March 2003 (hereafter, “The Congregation”); Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii (“Christian Marriage,” [hereafter, id.]), Dec. 1930; The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1601-1666 (hereafter, “CCC”); and many, many other sources.
[4] The Congregation, supra, #1
[5] Goodridge, supra
[6] Maynard v. Hill, 125 U.S. 190, 211 (1888)
[7] Maggie Gallagher, supra, p. 65
[8] Christian Marriage, supra, #44-45
[9] The Congregation, supra, #9
[10] Goodridge, supra
[11] See Commonwealth v. Stowell, 389 Mass. 171, 175 (1983) (given State’s broad concern with institution of marriage, it has “legitimate interest in prohibiting conduct which may threaten that institution”) and Hall-Omar Baking Co. v. Commissioner of Labor & Indus., 344 Mass. 695, 700 (1962) (“Legislative classification is valid if it is rational and bears some relationship to the object intended to be accomplished” [emphasis added]).
[12] The Congregation, supra, #7. The Congregation actually goes on to say, “They would be deprived of the experience of either fatherhood or motherhood. Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of dependency would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their full human development. This is gravely immoral and in open contradiction to the principle, recognized also in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, that the best interests of the child, as the weaker and more vulnerable party, are to be the paramount consideration in every case.”
[13] Goodridge, supra. See Baker v. State, 170 Vt. 194,222 (1999) (“conceivable that the Legislature could conclude that opposite-sex partners offer advantages in the[e] area [of child rearing], although… experts disagree and the answer is decidedly uncertain”). Cf. Marcoux v. Attorney Gen., 375 Mass. 63, 65 (1978).
[14] The Congregation, supra, #8
[15] Skinner v. Oklahoma, 316 U.S. 535, 541 (1942)
[16] Maggie Gallagher, supra, p. 37, n. 12
[17] Maggie Gallagher, supra, p. 35-43 goes into great depth on the idea of marriage as being an “administrative benefits package.” She says, “Since the advent of the gay marriage debate, the most prominent way of thinking about the relationship between law and marriage is to say that the law provides important marriage ‘benefits’” etc.
[18] Goodridge, supra, Justice Cordy’s dissent, [FN38]: Moe v. Secretary of Admin. & Fin., 382 Mass. 629,652 (1981).
[19] Goodridge, supra, Justice Cordy’s dissent: See, e.g., Massachusetts Fed’n of Teachers v. Board of Educ., 436 Mass. 763, 778 (2002); Mobile Oil v. Attorney Gen., 361 Mass. 401, 417 (1972)
[20] One final parallel statement gives us a glimpse of the magnitude of what is at stake, the first from Murphy v. Ramsey, 114 U.S. 15, 45 (1885); and the second from CCC, supra, #1657:
[N]o legislation can be supposed more wholesome and necessary in the founding of a free, self-governing commonwealth… than that which seeks to establish it on the basis of the idea of the family, as consisting in and springing from the union for life of one man and one woman… the sure foundation of all that is stable and noble in our civilization; the best guaranty of that reverent morality which is the source of all beneficent progress in social and political improvement.
-- and –
It is [in the home] that the father of the family, the mother, children, and all members of the family… ‘by the reception of the sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, and self-denial and active charity’… [make up] the first school of Christian life and ‘a school of human enrichment.’ Here one learns endurance and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous – even repeated – forgiveness, and above all divine worship in prayer and the offering of one’s life. (emphasis added)
Friday, November 11, 2005
Consecration: Twenty-Fourth Day
(see here)
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 152-164:
152. This devotion is a smooth, short, perfect and sure way of attaining union with our Lord, in which Christian perfection consists.
(a) This devotion is a smooth way. It is the path which Jesus Christ opened up in coming to us and in which there is no obstruction to prevent us reaching him. It is quite true that we can attain to divine union by other roads, but these involve many more crosses and exceptional setbacks and many difficulties that we cannot easily overcome. We would have to pass through spiritual darkness, engage in struggles for which we are not prepared, endure bitter agonies, scale precipitous mountains, tread upon painful thorns, and cross frightful deserts. But when we take the path of Mary, we walk smoothly and calmly.
It is true that on our way we have hard battles to fight and serious obstacles to overcome, but Mary, our Mother and Queen, stays close to her faithful servants. She is always at hand to brighten their darkness, clear away their doubts, strengthen them in their fears, sustain them in their combats and trials. Truly, in comparison with other ways, this virgin road to Jesus is a path of roses and sweet delights. There have been some saints, not very many, such as St. Ephrem, St. John Damascene, St. Bernard, St. Bernardine, St. Bonaventure, and St. Francis de Sales, who have taken this smooth path to Jesus Christ, because the Holy Spirit, the faithful Spouse of Mary, made it known to them by a special grace. The other saints, who are the greater number, while having a devotion to Mary, either did not enter or did not go very far along this path. That is why they had to undergo harder and more dangerous trials
153. Why is it then, a servant of Mary might ask, that devoted servants of this good Mother are called upon to suffer much more than those who serve her less generously? They are opposed, persecuted, slandered, and treated with intolerance. They may also have to walk in interior darkness and through spiritual deserts without being given from heaven a single drop of the dew of consolation. If this devotion to the Blessed Virgin makes the path to Jesus smoother, how can we explain why Mary's loyal servants are so ill-treated?
154. I reply that it is quite true that the most faithful servants of the Blessed Virgin, being her greatest favourites, receive from her the best graces and favours from heaven, which are crosses. But I maintain too that these servants of Mary bear their crosses with greater ease and gain more merit and glory. What could check another's progress a thousand times over, or possibly bring about his downfall, does not balk them at all, but even helps them on their way. For this good Mother, filled with the grace and unction of the Holy Spirit, dips all the crosses she prepares for them in the honey of her maternal sweetness and the unction of pure love. They then readily swallow them as they would sugared almonds, though the crosses may be very bitter. I believe that anyone who wishes to be devout and live piously in Jesus will suffer persecution and will have a daily cross to carry. But he will never manage to carry a heavy cross, or carry it joyfully and perseveringly, without a trusting devotion to our Lady, who is the very sweetness of the cross. It is obvious that a person could not keep on eating without great effort unripe fruit which has not been sweetened.
155. (b) This devotion is a short way to discover Jesus, either because it is a road we do not wander from, or because, as we have just said, we walk along this road with greater ease and joy, and consequently with greater speed. We advance more in a brief period of submission to Mary and dependence on her than in whole years of self-will and self-reliance. A man who is obedient and submissive to Mary will sing of glorious victories over his enemies It is true, his enemies will try to impede his progress, force him to retreat or try to make him fall. But with Mary's help, support and guidance, he will go forward towards our Lord. Without falling, retreating and even without being delayed, he will advance with giant strides towards Jesus along the same road which, as it is written, Jesus took to come to us with giant strides and in a short time.
156. Why do you think our Lord spent only a few years here on earth and nearly all of them in submission and obedience to his Mother? The reason is that "attaining perfection in a short time, he lived a long time", even longer than Adam, whose losses he had come to make good. Yet Adam lived more than nine hundred years!
Jesus lived a long time, because he lived in complete submission to his Mother and in union with her, which obedience to his Father required. The Holy Spirit tells us that the man who honours his mother is like a man who stores up a treasure. In other words, the man who honours Mary, his Mother, to the extent of subjecting himself to her and obeying her in all things will soon become very rich, because he is amassing riches every day through Mary who has become his secret philosopher's stone.
There is another quotation from Holy Scripture, "My old age will be found in the mercy of the bosom". According to the mystical interpretation of these words it is in the bosom of Mary that people who are young grow mature in enlightenment, in holiness, in experience and in wisdom, and in a short time reach the fullness of the age of Christ. For it was Mary's womb which encompassed and produced a perfect man. That same womb held the one whom the whole universe can neither encompass nor contain.
157. (c) This devotion is a perfect way to reach our Lord and be united to him, for Mary is the most perfect and the most holy of all creatures, and Jesus, who came to us in a perfect manner, chose no other road for his great and wonderful journey.
The Most High, the Incomprehensible One, the Inaccessible One, He who is, deigned to come down to us poor earthly creatures who are nothing at all. How was this done? The Most High God came down to us in a perfect way through the humble Virgin Mary, without losing anything of his divinity or holiness. It is likewise through Mary that we poor creatures must ascend to almighty God in a perfect manner without having anything to fear.
God the Incomprehensible, allowed himself to be perfectly comprehended and contained by the humble Virgin Mary without losing anything of his immensity. So we must let ourselves be perfectly contained and led by the humble Virgin without any reserve on our part.
God, the Inaccessible, drew near to us and united himself closely, perfectly and even personally to our humanity through Mary without losing anything of his majesty. So it is also through Mary that we must draw near to God and unite ourselves to him perfectly, intimately, and without fear of being rejected.
Lastly, He who is deigned to come down to us who are not and turned our nothingness into God, or He who is. He did this perfectly by giving and submitting himself entirely to the young Virgin Mary, without ceasing to be in time He who is from all eternity. Likewise it is through Mary that we, who are nothing, may become like God by grace and glory. We accomplish this by giving ourselves to her so perfectly and so completely as to remain nothing, as far as self is concerned, and to be everything in her, without any fear of illusion.
158. Show me a new road to our Lord, pave it with all the merits of the saints, adorn it with their heroic virtues, illuminate and enhance it with the splendour and beauty of the angels, have all the angels and saints there to guide and protect those who wish to follow it. Give me such a road and truly, truly, I boldly say - and I am telling the truth - that instead of this road, perfect though it be, I would still choose the immaculate way of Mary. It is a way, a road without stain or spot, without original sin or actual sin, without shadow or darkness,. When our loving Jesus comes in glory once again to reign upon earth - as he certainly will - he will choose no other way than the Blessed Virgin, by whom he came so surely and so perfectly the first time. The difference between his first and his second coming is that the first was secret and hidden, but the second will be glorious and resplendent. Both are perfect because both are through Mary. Alas, this is a mystery which we cannot understand, "Here let every tongue be silent."
159. (d) This devotion to our Lady is a sure way to go to Jesus and to acquire holiness through union with him.
(1) The devotion which I teach is not new. Its history goes back so far that the time of its origin cannot be ascertained with any precision, as Fr. Boudon, who died a holy death a short time ago, states in a book which he wrote on this devotion. It is however certain that for more than seven hundred years we find traces of it in the Church.
St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny, who lived about the year 1040, was one of the first to practise it publicly in France as is told in his life.
Cardinal Peter Damian relates that in the year 1076 his brother, Blessed Marino, made himself the slave of the Blessed Virgin in the presence of his spiritual director in a most edifying manner. He placed a rope around his neck, scourged himself and placed on the altar a sum of money as a token of his devotion and consecration to our Lady. He remained so faithful to this consecration all his life that me merited to be visited and consoled on his death-bed by his dear Queen and hear from her lips the promise of paradise in reward for his service.
Caesarius Bollandus mentions a famous knight, Vautier de Birback, a close relative of the Dukes of Louvain, who about the year 1300 consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin.
This devotion was also practised privately by many people up to the seventeenth century, when it became publicly known.
160. Father Simon de Rojas of the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives, court preacher to Philip III, made this devotion popular throughout Spain and Germany. Through the intervention of Philip III, he obtained from Gregory XV valuable indulgences for those who practised it.
Father de los Rios, of the Order of St. Augustine, together with his intimate friend, Father de Roias, worked hard, propagating it throughout Spain and Germany by preaching and writing. He composed a large volume entitled "Hierarchia Mariana", where he treats of the antiquity, the excellence and the soundness of this devotion, with as much devotion as learning.
The Theatine Fathers in the seventeenth century established this devotion in Italy and Savoy.
161. Father Stanislaus Phalacius of the Society of Jesus spread this devotion widely in Poland.
Father de los Rios in the book quoted above mentions the names of princes and princesses, bishops and cardinals of different countries who embraced this devotion.
Father Cornelius a Lapide, noted both for holiness and profound learning, was commissioned by several bishops and theologians to examine it. The praise he gave it after mature examination, is a worthy tribute to his own holiness. Many other eminent men followed his example.
The Jesuit Fathers, ever zealous in the service of our Blessed Lady, presented on behalf of the sodalities of Cologne to Duke Ferdinand of Bavaria, the then archbishop of Cologne, a little treatise on the devotion, and he gave it his approval and granted permission to have it printed. He exhorted all priests and religious of his diocese to do their utmost to spread this solid devotion.
162. Cardinal de Bérulle, whose memory is venerated throughout France, was outstandingly zealous in furthering the devotion in France, despite the calumnies and persecutions he suffered at the hands of critics and evil men. They accused him of introducing novelty and superstition. They composed and published a libellous tract against him and they - rather the devil in them - used a thousand stratagems to prevent him from spreading the devotion in France. But this eminent and saintly man responded to their calumnies with calm patience. He wrote a little book in reply and forcefully refuted the objections contained in it. He pointed out that this devotion is founded on the example given by Jesus Christ, on the obligations we have towards him and on the promises we made in holy baptism. It was mainly this last reason which silenced his enemies. He made clear to them that this consecration to the Blessed Virgin, and through her to Jesus, is nothing less than a perfect renewal of the promises and vows of baptism. He said many beautiful things concerning this devotion which can be read in his works.
163. In Fr. Boudon's book we read of different popes who gave their approval to this devotion, the theologians who examined it, the hostility it encountered and overcame, the thousands who made it their own without censure from any pope. Indeed it could not be condemned without overthrowing the foundations of Christianity. It is obvious then that this devotion is not new. If it is not commonly practised, the reason is that it is too sublime to be appreciated and undertaken by everyone.
164. (2) This devotion is a safe means of going to Jesus Christ, because it is Mary's role to lead us safely to her Son; just as it is the role of our Lord to lead us to the eternal Father. Those who are spiritually-minded should not fall into the error of thinking that Mary hinders our union with God. How could this possibly happen? How could Mary, who found grace with God for everyone in general and each one in particular, prevent a soul from obtaining the supreme grace of union with him? Is it possible that she who was so completely filled with grace to overflowing, so united to Christ and transformed in God that it became necessary for him to be made flesh in her, should prevent a soul from being perfectly united to him?
It is quite true that the example of other people, no matter how holy, can sometimes impair union with God, but not so our Blessed Lady, as I have said and shall never weary of repeating. One reason why so few souls come to the fullness of the age of Jesus is that Mary who is still as much as ever his Mother and the fruitful spouse of the Holy Spirit is not formed well enough in their hearts. If we desire a ripe and perfectly formed fruit, we must possess the tree that bears it. If we desire the fruit of life, Jesus Christ, we must possess the tree of life which is Mary. If we desire to have the Holy Spirit working within us, we must possess his faithful and inseparable spouse, Mary the divinely-favoured one whom, as I have said elsewhere, he can make fruitful.
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 152-164:
152. This devotion is a smooth, short, perfect and sure way of attaining union with our Lord, in which Christian perfection consists.
(a) This devotion is a smooth way. It is the path which Jesus Christ opened up in coming to us and in which there is no obstruction to prevent us reaching him. It is quite true that we can attain to divine union by other roads, but these involve many more crosses and exceptional setbacks and many difficulties that we cannot easily overcome. We would have to pass through spiritual darkness, engage in struggles for which we are not prepared, endure bitter agonies, scale precipitous mountains, tread upon painful thorns, and cross frightful deserts. But when we take the path of Mary, we walk smoothly and calmly.
It is true that on our way we have hard battles to fight and serious obstacles to overcome, but Mary, our Mother and Queen, stays close to her faithful servants. She is always at hand to brighten their darkness, clear away their doubts, strengthen them in their fears, sustain them in their combats and trials. Truly, in comparison with other ways, this virgin road to Jesus is a path of roses and sweet delights. There have been some saints, not very many, such as St. Ephrem, St. John Damascene, St. Bernard, St. Bernardine, St. Bonaventure, and St. Francis de Sales, who have taken this smooth path to Jesus Christ, because the Holy Spirit, the faithful Spouse of Mary, made it known to them by a special grace. The other saints, who are the greater number, while having a devotion to Mary, either did not enter or did not go very far along this path. That is why they had to undergo harder and more dangerous trials
153. Why is it then, a servant of Mary might ask, that devoted servants of this good Mother are called upon to suffer much more than those who serve her less generously? They are opposed, persecuted, slandered, and treated with intolerance. They may also have to walk in interior darkness and through spiritual deserts without being given from heaven a single drop of the dew of consolation. If this devotion to the Blessed Virgin makes the path to Jesus smoother, how can we explain why Mary's loyal servants are so ill-treated?
154. I reply that it is quite true that the most faithful servants of the Blessed Virgin, being her greatest favourites, receive from her the best graces and favours from heaven, which are crosses. But I maintain too that these servants of Mary bear their crosses with greater ease and gain more merit and glory. What could check another's progress a thousand times over, or possibly bring about his downfall, does not balk them at all, but even helps them on their way. For this good Mother, filled with the grace and unction of the Holy Spirit, dips all the crosses she prepares for them in the honey of her maternal sweetness and the unction of pure love. They then readily swallow them as they would sugared almonds, though the crosses may be very bitter. I believe that anyone who wishes to be devout and live piously in Jesus will suffer persecution and will have a daily cross to carry. But he will never manage to carry a heavy cross, or carry it joyfully and perseveringly, without a trusting devotion to our Lady, who is the very sweetness of the cross. It is obvious that a person could not keep on eating without great effort unripe fruit which has not been sweetened.
155. (b) This devotion is a short way to discover Jesus, either because it is a road we do not wander from, or because, as we have just said, we walk along this road with greater ease and joy, and consequently with greater speed. We advance more in a brief period of submission to Mary and dependence on her than in whole years of self-will and self-reliance. A man who is obedient and submissive to Mary will sing of glorious victories over his enemies It is true, his enemies will try to impede his progress, force him to retreat or try to make him fall. But with Mary's help, support and guidance, he will go forward towards our Lord. Without falling, retreating and even without being delayed, he will advance with giant strides towards Jesus along the same road which, as it is written, Jesus took to come to us with giant strides and in a short time.
156. Why do you think our Lord spent only a few years here on earth and nearly all of them in submission and obedience to his Mother? The reason is that "attaining perfection in a short time, he lived a long time", even longer than Adam, whose losses he had come to make good. Yet Adam lived more than nine hundred years!
Jesus lived a long time, because he lived in complete submission to his Mother and in union with her, which obedience to his Father required. The Holy Spirit tells us that the man who honours his mother is like a man who stores up a treasure. In other words, the man who honours Mary, his Mother, to the extent of subjecting himself to her and obeying her in all things will soon become very rich, because he is amassing riches every day through Mary who has become his secret philosopher's stone.
There is another quotation from Holy Scripture, "My old age will be found in the mercy of the bosom". According to the mystical interpretation of these words it is in the bosom of Mary that people who are young grow mature in enlightenment, in holiness, in experience and in wisdom, and in a short time reach the fullness of the age of Christ. For it was Mary's womb which encompassed and produced a perfect man. That same womb held the one whom the whole universe can neither encompass nor contain.
157. (c) This devotion is a perfect way to reach our Lord and be united to him, for Mary is the most perfect and the most holy of all creatures, and Jesus, who came to us in a perfect manner, chose no other road for his great and wonderful journey.
The Most High, the Incomprehensible One, the Inaccessible One, He who is, deigned to come down to us poor earthly creatures who are nothing at all. How was this done? The Most High God came down to us in a perfect way through the humble Virgin Mary, without losing anything of his divinity or holiness. It is likewise through Mary that we poor creatures must ascend to almighty God in a perfect manner without having anything to fear.
God the Incomprehensible, allowed himself to be perfectly comprehended and contained by the humble Virgin Mary without losing anything of his immensity. So we must let ourselves be perfectly contained and led by the humble Virgin without any reserve on our part.
God, the Inaccessible, drew near to us and united himself closely, perfectly and even personally to our humanity through Mary without losing anything of his majesty. So it is also through Mary that we must draw near to God and unite ourselves to him perfectly, intimately, and without fear of being rejected.
Lastly, He who is deigned to come down to us who are not and turned our nothingness into God, or He who is. He did this perfectly by giving and submitting himself entirely to the young Virgin Mary, without ceasing to be in time He who is from all eternity. Likewise it is through Mary that we, who are nothing, may become like God by grace and glory. We accomplish this by giving ourselves to her so perfectly and so completely as to remain nothing, as far as self is concerned, and to be everything in her, without any fear of illusion.
158. Show me a new road to our Lord, pave it with all the merits of the saints, adorn it with their heroic virtues, illuminate and enhance it with the splendour and beauty of the angels, have all the angels and saints there to guide and protect those who wish to follow it. Give me such a road and truly, truly, I boldly say - and I am telling the truth - that instead of this road, perfect though it be, I would still choose the immaculate way of Mary. It is a way, a road without stain or spot, without original sin or actual sin, without shadow or darkness,. When our loving Jesus comes in glory once again to reign upon earth - as he certainly will - he will choose no other way than the Blessed Virgin, by whom he came so surely and so perfectly the first time. The difference between his first and his second coming is that the first was secret and hidden, but the second will be glorious and resplendent. Both are perfect because both are through Mary. Alas, this is a mystery which we cannot understand, "Here let every tongue be silent."
159. (d) This devotion to our Lady is a sure way to go to Jesus and to acquire holiness through union with him.
(1) The devotion which I teach is not new. Its history goes back so far that the time of its origin cannot be ascertained with any precision, as Fr. Boudon, who died a holy death a short time ago, states in a book which he wrote on this devotion. It is however certain that for more than seven hundred years we find traces of it in the Church.
St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny, who lived about the year 1040, was one of the first to practise it publicly in France as is told in his life.
Cardinal Peter Damian relates that in the year 1076 his brother, Blessed Marino, made himself the slave of the Blessed Virgin in the presence of his spiritual director in a most edifying manner. He placed a rope around his neck, scourged himself and placed on the altar a sum of money as a token of his devotion and consecration to our Lady. He remained so faithful to this consecration all his life that me merited to be visited and consoled on his death-bed by his dear Queen and hear from her lips the promise of paradise in reward for his service.
Caesarius Bollandus mentions a famous knight, Vautier de Birback, a close relative of the Dukes of Louvain, who about the year 1300 consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin.
This devotion was also practised privately by many people up to the seventeenth century, when it became publicly known.
160. Father Simon de Rojas of the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives, court preacher to Philip III, made this devotion popular throughout Spain and Germany. Through the intervention of Philip III, he obtained from Gregory XV valuable indulgences for those who practised it.
Father de los Rios, of the Order of St. Augustine, together with his intimate friend, Father de Roias, worked hard, propagating it throughout Spain and Germany by preaching and writing. He composed a large volume entitled "Hierarchia Mariana", where he treats of the antiquity, the excellence and the soundness of this devotion, with as much devotion as learning.
The Theatine Fathers in the seventeenth century established this devotion in Italy and Savoy.
161. Father Stanislaus Phalacius of the Society of Jesus spread this devotion widely in Poland.
Father de los Rios in the book quoted above mentions the names of princes and princesses, bishops and cardinals of different countries who embraced this devotion.
Father Cornelius a Lapide, noted both for holiness and profound learning, was commissioned by several bishops and theologians to examine it. The praise he gave it after mature examination, is a worthy tribute to his own holiness. Many other eminent men followed his example.
The Jesuit Fathers, ever zealous in the service of our Blessed Lady, presented on behalf of the sodalities of Cologne to Duke Ferdinand of Bavaria, the then archbishop of Cologne, a little treatise on the devotion, and he gave it his approval and granted permission to have it printed. He exhorted all priests and religious of his diocese to do their utmost to spread this solid devotion.
162. Cardinal de Bérulle, whose memory is venerated throughout France, was outstandingly zealous in furthering the devotion in France, despite the calumnies and persecutions he suffered at the hands of critics and evil men. They accused him of introducing novelty and superstition. They composed and published a libellous tract against him and they - rather the devil in them - used a thousand stratagems to prevent him from spreading the devotion in France. But this eminent and saintly man responded to their calumnies with calm patience. He wrote a little book in reply and forcefully refuted the objections contained in it. He pointed out that this devotion is founded on the example given by Jesus Christ, on the obligations we have towards him and on the promises we made in holy baptism. It was mainly this last reason which silenced his enemies. He made clear to them that this consecration to the Blessed Virgin, and through her to Jesus, is nothing less than a perfect renewal of the promises and vows of baptism. He said many beautiful things concerning this devotion which can be read in his works.
163. In Fr. Boudon's book we read of different popes who gave their approval to this devotion, the theologians who examined it, the hostility it encountered and overcame, the thousands who made it their own without censure from any pope. Indeed it could not be condemned without overthrowing the foundations of Christianity. It is obvious then that this devotion is not new. If it is not commonly practised, the reason is that it is too sublime to be appreciated and undertaken by everyone.
164. (2) This devotion is a safe means of going to Jesus Christ, because it is Mary's role to lead us safely to her Son; just as it is the role of our Lord to lead us to the eternal Father. Those who are spiritually-minded should not fall into the error of thinking that Mary hinders our union with God. How could this possibly happen? How could Mary, who found grace with God for everyone in general and each one in particular, prevent a soul from obtaining the supreme grace of union with him? Is it possible that she who was so completely filled with grace to overflowing, so united to Christ and transformed in God that it became necessary for him to be made flesh in her, should prevent a soul from being perfectly united to him?
It is quite true that the example of other people, no matter how holy, can sometimes impair union with God, but not so our Blessed Lady, as I have said and shall never weary of repeating. One reason why so few souls come to the fullness of the age of Jesus is that Mary who is still as much as ever his Mother and the fruitful spouse of the Holy Spirit is not formed well enough in their hearts. If we desire a ripe and perfectly formed fruit, we must possess the tree that bears it. If we desire the fruit of life, Jesus Christ, we must possess the tree of life which is Mary. If we desire to have the Holy Spirit working within us, we must possess his faithful and inseparable spouse, Mary the divinely-favoured one whom, as I have said elsewhere, he can make fruitful.
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Pre-Theology Ministry Log 04
(see here)
Pre-Theologian Ministry Log
Date: Thursday, Nov 10, 2005
Event: St. Ambrose Family Outreach Center: Tutored Ms. Jenkins for her G.E.D.
Name the feelings you experienced during the event: Tonight I realized that I’m walking Ms. Jenkins through her lessons a little too much. I’ve noticed that after each step of a problem she asks me if it’s right or not. This certainly isn’t going to help her when she’s taking the G.E.D. and I’m not there. Hehe, she asked me if she could spray paint me black, put a wig on me, and take me to the G.E.D. with her! We got a good laugh out of that! She also has a little multiplication table that she always refers to rather than trying to figure it out herself (or actually memorize the table). I noticed I was getting a little frustrated with her as the evening progressed which I felt a little bad about. Part of me wants to take this seriously and wants to be stern with her so that she’ll take it seriously too…she often gets sidetracked and just wants to breeze through it so she can get it done and go out with her friends. But at the same time, she is my elder, and though I am her tutor, I have no right to talk down to her like she’s my student or something. I asked her if I was being too hard on her, but she said No.
Our conversation digressed wildly from our work too, but I can’t quite remember how. At one point she mentioned that her mother was a very devout Catholic and “boy, she loved her Catholicism!” Then she said, “but this is 2005, don’t ‘nobody carry on like that anymore.” I just laughed and said kinda jokingly “now, now, there’s nothing wrong with Catholicism.” When I think back on it there were probably 101 other more articulate ways to defend the faith at that moment but, oh well. I didn’t pursue it further than that, but I was a little worried that she had left her faith. At one point (again, I’m don’t know how we got on the subject…I promise we actually DO study!) she lamented how sexual “everybody was” when she was younger, but “that don’t mean you can’t still give your life to Jesus.” I remember thinking to myself that that’s not how Catholics usually articulate it. Finally, right before we left she started talking about her colonoscopy and how the guy studying next to her should get his checked! I felt pretty embarrassed then! So, anyway, I’m a little concerned about the digression of our conversation and the best way to keep us on task!
What was difficult and or troubling? Why? A little guilt over getting frustrated with her. I wasn’t totally impatient but I could tell that I wasn’t being as completely patient as I could have been. Also some embarrassment (and some scandal) at her digressions.
Where was God in this event? Outside of the Sister, His abiding presence was silent to me, at least from what I can discern for now.
What have you learned about yourself in the wake of this event? I have a tendency to get impatient and should be careful to avoid that.
Pre-Theologian Ministry Log
Date: Thursday, Nov 10, 2005
Event: St. Ambrose Family Outreach Center: Tutored Ms. Jenkins for her G.E.D.
Name the feelings you experienced during the event: Tonight I realized that I’m walking Ms. Jenkins through her lessons a little too much. I’ve noticed that after each step of a problem she asks me if it’s right or not. This certainly isn’t going to help her when she’s taking the G.E.D. and I’m not there. Hehe, she asked me if she could spray paint me black, put a wig on me, and take me to the G.E.D. with her! We got a good laugh out of that! She also has a little multiplication table that she always refers to rather than trying to figure it out herself (or actually memorize the table). I noticed I was getting a little frustrated with her as the evening progressed which I felt a little bad about. Part of me wants to take this seriously and wants to be stern with her so that she’ll take it seriously too…she often gets sidetracked and just wants to breeze through it so she can get it done and go out with her friends. But at the same time, she is my elder, and though I am her tutor, I have no right to talk down to her like she’s my student or something. I asked her if I was being too hard on her, but she said No.
Our conversation digressed wildly from our work too, but I can’t quite remember how. At one point she mentioned that her mother was a very devout Catholic and “boy, she loved her Catholicism!” Then she said, “but this is 2005, don’t ‘nobody carry on like that anymore.” I just laughed and said kinda jokingly “now, now, there’s nothing wrong with Catholicism.” When I think back on it there were probably 101 other more articulate ways to defend the faith at that moment but, oh well. I didn’t pursue it further than that, but I was a little worried that she had left her faith. At one point (again, I’m don’t know how we got on the subject…I promise we actually DO study!) she lamented how sexual “everybody was” when she was younger, but “that don’t mean you can’t still give your life to Jesus.” I remember thinking to myself that that’s not how Catholics usually articulate it. Finally, right before we left she started talking about her colonoscopy and how the guy studying next to her should get his checked! I felt pretty embarrassed then! So, anyway, I’m a little concerned about the digression of our conversation and the best way to keep us on task!
What was difficult and or troubling? Why? A little guilt over getting frustrated with her. I wasn’t totally impatient but I could tell that I wasn’t being as completely patient as I could have been. Also some embarrassment (and some scandal) at her digressions.
Where was God in this event? Outside of the Sister, His abiding presence was silent to me, at least from what I can discern for now.
What have you learned about yourself in the wake of this event? I have a tendency to get impatient and should be careful to avoid that.
Consecration: Twenty-Third Day
(see here)
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 120-121: (Nature of perfect devotion to the Blessed Virgin or perfect consecration to Jesus Christ)
120. As all perfection consists in our being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus it naturally follows that the most perfect of all devotions is that which conforms, unites, and consecrates us most completely to Jesus. Now of all God's creatures Mary is the most conformed to Jesus. It therefore follows that, of all devotions, devotion to her makes for the most effective consecration and conformity to him. The more one is consecrated to Mary, the more one is consecrated to Jesus.
That is why perfect consecration to Jesus is but a perfect and complete consecration of oneself to the Blessed Virgin, which is the devotion I teach; or in other words, it is the perfect renewal of the vows and promises of holy baptism.
121. This devotion consists in giving oneself entirely to Mary in order to belong entirely to Jesus through her. It requires us to give:
(1) Our body with its senses and members;
(2) Our soul with its faculties;
(3) Our present material possessions and all we shall acquire in the future;
(4) Our interior and spiritual possessions, that is, our merits, virtues and good actions of the past, the present and the future.
In other words, we give her all that we possess both in our natural life and in our spiritual life as well as everything we shall acquire in the future in the order of nature, of grace, and of glory in heaven. This we do without any reservation, not even of a penny, a hair, or the smallest good deed. And we give for all eternity without claiming or expecting, in return for our offering and our service, any other reward than the honour of belonging to our Lord through Mary and in Mary, even though our Mother were not - as in fact she always is - the most generous and appreciative of all God's creatures.
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 120-121: (Nature of perfect devotion to the Blessed Virgin or perfect consecration to Jesus Christ)
120. As all perfection consists in our being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus it naturally follows that the most perfect of all devotions is that which conforms, unites, and consecrates us most completely to Jesus. Now of all God's creatures Mary is the most conformed to Jesus. It therefore follows that, of all devotions, devotion to her makes for the most effective consecration and conformity to him. The more one is consecrated to Mary, the more one is consecrated to Jesus.
That is why perfect consecration to Jesus is but a perfect and complete consecration of oneself to the Blessed Virgin, which is the devotion I teach; or in other words, it is the perfect renewal of the vows and promises of holy baptism.
121. This devotion consists in giving oneself entirely to Mary in order to belong entirely to Jesus through her. It requires us to give:
(1) Our body with its senses and members;
(2) Our soul with its faculties;
(3) Our present material possessions and all we shall acquire in the future;
(4) Our interior and spiritual possessions, that is, our merits, virtues and good actions of the past, the present and the future.
In other words, we give her all that we possess both in our natural life and in our spiritual life as well as everything we shall acquire in the future in the order of nature, of grace, and of glory in heaven. This we do without any reservation, not even of a penny, a hair, or the smallest good deed. And we give for all eternity without claiming or expecting, in return for our offering and our service, any other reward than the honour of belonging to our Lord through Mary and in Mary, even though our Mother were not - as in fact she always is - the most generous and appreciative of all God's creatures.
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Consecration: Twenty-Second Day
(see here)
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 105-110: (The characteristics of true devotion)
105. After having explained and condemned false devotions to the Blessed Virgin we shall now briefly describe what true devotion is. It is interior, trustful, holy, constant and disinterested.
106. First, true devotion to our Lady is interior, that is, it comes from within the mind and the heart and follows from the esteem in which we hold her, the high regard we have for her greatness, and the love we bear her.
107. Second, it is trustful, that is to say, it fills us with confidence in the Blessed Virgin, the confidence that a child has for its loving Mother. It prompts us to go to her in every need of body and soul with great simplicity, trust and affection. We implore our Mother's help always, everywhere, and for everything. We pray to her to be enlightened in our doubts, to be put back on the right path when we go astray, to be protected when we are tempted, to be strengthened when we are weakening, to be lifted up when we fall into sin, to be encouraged when we are losing heart, to be rid of our scruples, to be consoled in the trials, crosses and disappointments of life. Finally, in all our afflictions of body and soul, we naturally turn to Mary for help, with never a fear of importuning her or displeasing our Lord.
108. Third, true devotion to our Lady is holy, that is, it leads us to avoid sin and to imitate the virtues of Mary. Her ten principal virtues are: deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom.
109. Fourth, true devotion to our Lady is constant. It strengthens us in our desire to do good and prevents us from giving up our devotional practices too easily. It gives us the courage to oppose the fashions and maxims of the world, the vexations and unruly inclinations of the flesh and the temptations of the devil. Thus a person truly devoted to our Blessed Lady is not changeable, fretful, scrupulous or timid. We do not say however that such a person never sins or that his sensible feelings of devotion never change. When he has fallen, he stretches out his hand to his Blessed Mother and rises again. If he loses all taste and feeling for devotion, he is not at all upset because a good and faithful servant of Mary is guided in his life by faith in Jesus and Mary, and not by feelings.
110. Fifth, true devotion to Mary is disinterested. It inspires us to seek God alone in his Blessed Mother and not ourselves. The true subject of Mary does not serve his illustrious Queen for selfish gain. He does not serve her for temporal or eternal well-being but simply and solely because she has the right to be served and God alone in her. He loves her not so much because she is good to him or because he expects something from her, but simply because she is lovable. That is why he loves and serves her just as faithfully in weariness and dryness of soul as in sweet and sensible fervour. He loves her as much on Calvary as at Cana. How pleasing and precious in the sight of God and his holy Mother must these servants of Mary be, who serve her without any self-seeking. How rare they are nowadays! It is to increase their number that I have taken up my pen to write down what I have been teaching with success both publicly and in private in my missions for many years.
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 105-110: (The characteristics of true devotion)
105. After having explained and condemned false devotions to the Blessed Virgin we shall now briefly describe what true devotion is. It is interior, trustful, holy, constant and disinterested.
106. First, true devotion to our Lady is interior, that is, it comes from within the mind and the heart and follows from the esteem in which we hold her, the high regard we have for her greatness, and the love we bear her.
107. Second, it is trustful, that is to say, it fills us with confidence in the Blessed Virgin, the confidence that a child has for its loving Mother. It prompts us to go to her in every need of body and soul with great simplicity, trust and affection. We implore our Mother's help always, everywhere, and for everything. We pray to her to be enlightened in our doubts, to be put back on the right path when we go astray, to be protected when we are tempted, to be strengthened when we are weakening, to be lifted up when we fall into sin, to be encouraged when we are losing heart, to be rid of our scruples, to be consoled in the trials, crosses and disappointments of life. Finally, in all our afflictions of body and soul, we naturally turn to Mary for help, with never a fear of importuning her or displeasing our Lord.
108. Third, true devotion to our Lady is holy, that is, it leads us to avoid sin and to imitate the virtues of Mary. Her ten principal virtues are: deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom.
109. Fourth, true devotion to our Lady is constant. It strengthens us in our desire to do good and prevents us from giving up our devotional practices too easily. It gives us the courage to oppose the fashions and maxims of the world, the vexations and unruly inclinations of the flesh and the temptations of the devil. Thus a person truly devoted to our Blessed Lady is not changeable, fretful, scrupulous or timid. We do not say however that such a person never sins or that his sensible feelings of devotion never change. When he has fallen, he stretches out his hand to his Blessed Mother and rises again. If he loses all taste and feeling for devotion, he is not at all upset because a good and faithful servant of Mary is guided in his life by faith in Jesus and Mary, and not by feelings.
110. Fifth, true devotion to Mary is disinterested. It inspires us to seek God alone in his Blessed Mother and not ourselves. The true subject of Mary does not serve his illustrious Queen for selfish gain. He does not serve her for temporal or eternal well-being but simply and solely because she has the right to be served and God alone in her. He loves her not so much because she is good to him or because he expects something from her, but simply because she is lovable. That is why he loves and serves her just as faithfully in weariness and dryness of soul as in sweet and sensible fervour. He loves her as much on Calvary as at Cana. How pleasing and precious in the sight of God and his holy Mother must these servants of Mary be, who serve her without any self-seeking. How rare they are nowadays! It is to increase their number that I have taken up my pen to write down what I have been teaching with success both publicly and in private in my missions for many years.
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Consecration: Twenty-First Day
(see here)
Secret of Mary by St. Louis de Montfort: Nos. 23-24: (True Devotion to Our Blessed Lady)
23. The difficulty, then, is how to arrive at the true knowledge of the most holy Virgin and so find grace in abundance through her. God, as the absolute Master, can give directly what he ordinarily dispenses only through Mary, and it would be rash to deny that he sometimes does so. However, St Thomas assures us that, following the order established by his divine Wisdom, God ordinarily imparts his graces to men through Mary. Therefore, if we wish to go to him, seeking union with him, we must use the same means which he used in coming down from heaven to assume our human nature and to impart his graces to us. That means was a complete dependence on Mary his Mother, which is true devotion to her.
24. There are indeed several true devotions to our Lady. I do not intend treating of those which are false
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Secret of Mary by St. Louis de Montfort: Nos. 23-24: (True Devotion to Our Blessed Lady)
23. The difficulty, then, is how to arrive at the true knowledge of the most holy Virgin and so find grace in abundance through her. God, as the absolute Master, can give directly what he ordinarily dispenses only through Mary, and it would be rash to deny that he sometimes does so. However, St Thomas assures us that, following the order established by his divine Wisdom, God ordinarily imparts his graces to men through Mary. Therefore, if we wish to go to him, seeking union with him, we must use the same means which he used in coming down from heaven to assume our human nature and to impart his graces to us. That means was a complete dependence on Mary his Mother, which is true devotion to her.
24. There are indeed several true devotions to our Lady. I do not intend treating of those which are false
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
checking in
Well, I'm still alive even though I haven't posted in a while. I've been very, very busy here at St. Mary's with midterms, papers and reading. I will post soon to update on the consecration, the Vatican Visitation, a good friend of mine leaving, major feast days since I last posted, my ministry log, good news from back home, discernment, and recent papers. I'll also reply to friends that have emailed me! (Anne, if you see Jeff or Julie, tell them I'll reply soon!)
There was just no way I could have spent time on this blog with all of the things I had going on. I'm glad to see I was able to take time away from it... I guess I'm not too addicted too it! I would like to keep it up though, just when it's prudent to do so.
God Bless!
There was just no way I could have spent time on this blog with all of the things I had going on. I'm glad to see I was able to take time away from it... I guess I'm not too addicted too it! I would like to keep it up though, just when it's prudent to do so.
God Bless!
Monday, November 07, 2005
Consecration: Twentieth Day
(see here)
St. Luke: Chapter 2, 16-21; 42-52
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
St. Luke: Chapter 2, 16-21; 42-52
and
Prayers for Part 3
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Consecration: Part 3
(see here)
Theme: Knowledge of Mary
Acts of love, pious affections for the Blessed Virgin, imitation of her virtues, especially her profound humility, her lively faith, her blind obedience, her continual mental prayer, her mortification in all things, her surpassing purity, her ardent charity, her heroic patience, her angelic sweetness and her divine wisdom: "these being," as St. Louis de Montfort says, "the ten principal virtues of the Blessed Virgin."
We must unite ourselves to Jesus through Mary - this is the characteristic of our devotion; therefore Saint Louis de Montfort asks that we employ ourselves in acquiring a knowledge of the Blessed Virgin. Mary is our sovereign and our mediatrix, our Mother and our Mistress. Let us then endeavor to know the effects of this royalty, of this mediation, and of this maternity, as well as the grandeurs and prerogatives which are the foundation or consequences thereof. Our blessed Mother is also perfect - a mold wherein we are able to be molded in order to make her intentions and dispositions ours. This we cannot achieve without studying the interior life of Mary, namely, her virtues, her sentiments, her actions, her participation in the mysteries of Christ and her union with Him.
Prayers to be Recited During These Next Seven Days
Litany of the Holy Ghost
(For private devotion only)
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Father, all powerful, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, save us.
Spirit of the Father and the son, boundless life of both, sanctify us.
Holy Trinity, hear us.
Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Holy Ghost, Who are equal to the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Promise of God the Father, have mercy on us.
Ray of heavenly light, have mercy on us.
Author of all good, have mercy on us.
Source of heavenly water, have mercy on us.
Consuming fire, have mercy on us.
Ardent Charity, have mercy on us.
Spiritual unction, have mercy on us.
Spirit of wisdom and understanding, have mercy on us.
Spirit of counsel and fortitude, have mercy on us.
Spirit of knowledge and piety, have mercy on us.
Spirit of fear of the Lord, have mercy on us.
Spirit of grace and prayer, have mercy on us.
Spirit of peace and meakness, have mercy on us.
Spirit of modesty and innocence, have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost, the Comforter, have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost, the Sactifier, have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church, have mercy on us.
Gift of God, the Most High, have mercy on us.
Spirit Who fillest the universe, have mercy on us.
Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin.
Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls.
Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts.
Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy Love.
Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces.
Holy Ghost, teach us pray well.
Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations.
Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation.
Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge.
Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good.
Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues.
Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice.
Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, send us Thy Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, pour down into our souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, grant us the Spirit of wisdom and piety.
V/. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful.
R/. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy Love.
Let us pray
Grant, O merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit enlighten, inflame and purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us fruitful in good works; through our Lord Jeus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee, in the unity of the Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and ever. Amen.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant, pray for us.
Gate of Heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of angels, pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of prophets, pray for us.
Queen of apostles, pray for us.
Queen of martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of confessors, pray for us.
Queen of virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of peace, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V/. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy Servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and unjoy enternal happiness. Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Ave Maris Stella
Hail, bright star of ocean,
God's own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,Gate of heavenly rest.
Theme: Knowledge of Mary
Acts of love, pious affections for the Blessed Virgin, imitation of her virtues, especially her profound humility, her lively faith, her blind obedience, her continual mental prayer, her mortification in all things, her surpassing purity, her ardent charity, her heroic patience, her angelic sweetness and her divine wisdom: "these being," as St. Louis de Montfort says, "the ten principal virtues of the Blessed Virgin."
We must unite ourselves to Jesus through Mary - this is the characteristic of our devotion; therefore Saint Louis de Montfort asks that we employ ourselves in acquiring a knowledge of the Blessed Virgin. Mary is our sovereign and our mediatrix, our Mother and our Mistress. Let us then endeavor to know the effects of this royalty, of this mediation, and of this maternity, as well as the grandeurs and prerogatives which are the foundation or consequences thereof. Our blessed Mother is also perfect - a mold wherein we are able to be molded in order to make her intentions and dispositions ours. This we cannot achieve without studying the interior life of Mary, namely, her virtues, her sentiments, her actions, her participation in the mysteries of Christ and her union with Him.
Prayers to be Recited During These Next Seven Days
Litany of the Holy Ghost
(For private devotion only)
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Father, all powerful, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, save us.
Spirit of the Father and the son, boundless life of both, sanctify us.
Holy Trinity, hear us.
Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Holy Ghost, Who are equal to the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Promise of God the Father, have mercy on us.
Ray of heavenly light, have mercy on us.
Author of all good, have mercy on us.
Source of heavenly water, have mercy on us.
Consuming fire, have mercy on us.
Ardent Charity, have mercy on us.
Spiritual unction, have mercy on us.
Spirit of wisdom and understanding, have mercy on us.
Spirit of counsel and fortitude, have mercy on us.
Spirit of knowledge and piety, have mercy on us.
Spirit of fear of the Lord, have mercy on us.
Spirit of grace and prayer, have mercy on us.
Spirit of peace and meakness, have mercy on us.
Spirit of modesty and innocence, have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost, the Comforter, have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost, the Sactifier, have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church, have mercy on us.
Gift of God, the Most High, have mercy on us.
Spirit Who fillest the universe, have mercy on us.
Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin.
Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls.
Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts.
Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy Love.
Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces.
Holy Ghost, teach us pray well.
Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations.
Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation.
Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge.
Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good.
Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues.
Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice.
Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, send us Thy Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, pour down into our souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, grant us the Spirit of wisdom and piety.
V/. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful.
R/. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy Love.
Let us pray
Grant, O merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit enlighten, inflame and purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us fruitful in good works; through our Lord Jeus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee, in the unity of the Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and ever. Amen.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant, pray for us.
Gate of Heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of angels, pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of prophets, pray for us.
Queen of apostles, pray for us.
Queen of martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of confessors, pray for us.
Queen of virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of peace, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V/. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy Servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and unjoy enternal happiness. Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Ave Maris Stella
Hail, bright star of ocean,
God's own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Taking that sweet Ave
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva's name.
Break the captives' fetters,
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
Show thyself a Mother;
My the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine.
Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus
Joy forevermore.
Through the highest heaven
To the Almighty Three,
Father, Son, and Spirit,
One same glory be. Amen.
St. Louis de Montfort's Prayer to Mary
Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father. Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son. Hail Mary, faithful Spouse of the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary, my Mother, my loving Mistress, my powerful sovereign. Hail, my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul. Thou art all mine by mercy, and I am thine by justice. But I am not yet sufficiently thine. I now give myself wholly to thee without keeping anything back for myself or others. If thou seest anything in me which does not belong to thee, I beseech thee to take it and make thyself the absolute Mistress of all that is mine.
Destroy in me all that may displease God; root it up and bring it to nought. Place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to thee. May the light of thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind. May thy profound humility take the place of my pride; may thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination. May the continuous sight of God fill my memory with His presence; may the burning love of thy heart inflame the lukewarmness of mine. May thy virtues take the place of my sins; may thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of God and make up for all that is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but thine to know Jesus, and His Divine Will; that I may have no other soul but thine to praise and glorify God; that I may have no other heart but thine to love God with a love as pure and ardent as thine.
I do not ask thee for visions, revelations, sensible devotions, or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privilege to see God clearly, it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumph gloriously in heaven at the right hand of thy Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons.
It is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as thou willest. Such, O heavenly Mary, the 'best part', which the Lord has given thee, and which shall never be taken away from thee - and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I wish for no other than that which was thine, to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures, to suffer joyfully without human consolation, to die continually to myself without respite, and to work zealously and unselfishly for thee until death, as the humblest of thy servants. The only grace I beg thee, for me, is that every moment of the day, and every moment of my life, I may say "Amen, so be it, to all that thou art doing in heaven. Amen, so be it, to all that thou didst do while on earth. Amen, so be it, to all thou art doing in my soul," so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen.
Recitation of the Rosary...
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Consecration: Nineteenth Day
(see here)
St. Luke: Chapter 18:15-30
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
St. Luke: Chapter 18:15-30
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Consecration: Eighteenth Day
(see here)
St. Luke: Chapter 17:1-10
Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: Book 3, Chapter 47 (That all grievous things are to be endured for life everlasting)
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
St. Luke: Chapter 17:1-10
Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: Book 3, Chapter 47 (That all grievous things are to be endured for life everlasting)
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Friday, November 04, 2005
Consecration: Seventeenth Day
(see here)
Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: Book 1, Chapter 24 (Of judgement and punishment of sinners)
St. Luke: Chapter 16:1-8 (The crafty steward)
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: Book 1, Chapter 24 (Of judgement and punishment of sinners)
St. Luke: Chapter 16:1-8 (The crafty steward)
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Pre-Theology Ministry Log 03
(see here)
Pre-Theologian Ministry Log
Date: Thursday, Nov 3, 2005
Event: St. Ambrose Family Outreach Center: Tutored Ms. Jenkins for her G.E.D.
Name the feelings you experienced during the event: Today was Ms. Jenkin’s 48’th birthday, so she made Vic and I guess how old she was: I guessed 26 to be on the safe side ;) and then we both agreed on 36 :)
Each evening, after the people studying there have worked on English, reading, spelling, grammer etc. for one hour, the Sister in charge has everyone move to another table and start studying math, I guess so they don’t stay on one subject the whole time. When it was time to switch, Sister had Ms. Jenkins and I move to a table off to the side (I’m usually the only tutor in there besides Sister, so our talking could disturb the others studying).
Before we began the math lessons Ms. Jenkins said a prayer out loud that Jesus would help her understand math then she prayed another prayer silently to herself. I was happy to see her pray for assistance in her studies and to pray with her. After we prayed she began to tell me about how she had struggled with drugs in her past but she had been clean for 20 years. She said that Jesus didn’t let the devil snatch her out of his grip. I gave her a big smile and congratulated her. She said she’s trying to be a good role model for her children and grandchildren. She bragged about them, how they were all in school and doing well and had nice jobs and that she felt bad harping on them to stay in school when she herself dropped out after eighth grade. So that’s why she’s working on her G.E.D. so she can show her kids that she can do it, and also because she wants to get a better job. Ms. Jenkins is such a good-spirited and joyful woman, not “down in the dumps” at all, at least not from what I could tell (she’s a wild one alright!). All of the adults studying for their G.E.D. seemed that way, as a matter of fact… all very determined and focused. I’m very impressed by them.
Ms. Jenkins then asked me how she can stay on task with her studying because she’s always tempted to go home and relax or go out to bars with her relatives rather than study. I said that the little prayer that she said before we began is exactly the right idea, that she should turn to that prayer as often as she needs to, that the Holy Spirit help her achieve this very good goal. I also encouraged her that if she can kick drugs she can certainly kick distractions from studying! She asked me, “does someone intelligent as you are ever get distracted?” I laughed and said, “all the time.”
What was difficult and or troubling? Why? Nothing troubling, per se, just got a little nervous at the point where she began to ask me for advice… hoping I would know the right thing to say. I said a quick prayer to myself, for the Holy Spirit to inspire me.
Where was God in this event? In her prayer before we studied.
What have you learned about yourself in the wake of this event? Nothing new
Pre-Theologian Ministry Log
Date: Thursday, Nov 3, 2005
Event: St. Ambrose Family Outreach Center: Tutored Ms. Jenkins for her G.E.D.
Name the feelings you experienced during the event: Today was Ms. Jenkin’s 48’th birthday, so she made Vic and I guess how old she was: I guessed 26 to be on the safe side ;) and then we both agreed on 36 :)
Each evening, after the people studying there have worked on English, reading, spelling, grammer etc. for one hour, the Sister in charge has everyone move to another table and start studying math, I guess so they don’t stay on one subject the whole time. When it was time to switch, Sister had Ms. Jenkins and I move to a table off to the side (I’m usually the only tutor in there besides Sister, so our talking could disturb the others studying).
Before we began the math lessons Ms. Jenkins said a prayer out loud that Jesus would help her understand math then she prayed another prayer silently to herself. I was happy to see her pray for assistance in her studies and to pray with her. After we prayed she began to tell me about how she had struggled with drugs in her past but she had been clean for 20 years. She said that Jesus didn’t let the devil snatch her out of his grip. I gave her a big smile and congratulated her. She said she’s trying to be a good role model for her children and grandchildren. She bragged about them, how they were all in school and doing well and had nice jobs and that she felt bad harping on them to stay in school when she herself dropped out after eighth grade. So that’s why she’s working on her G.E.D. so she can show her kids that she can do it, and also because she wants to get a better job. Ms. Jenkins is such a good-spirited and joyful woman, not “down in the dumps” at all, at least not from what I could tell (she’s a wild one alright!). All of the adults studying for their G.E.D. seemed that way, as a matter of fact… all very determined and focused. I’m very impressed by them.
Ms. Jenkins then asked me how she can stay on task with her studying because she’s always tempted to go home and relax or go out to bars with her relatives rather than study. I said that the little prayer that she said before we began is exactly the right idea, that she should turn to that prayer as often as she needs to, that the Holy Spirit help her achieve this very good goal. I also encouraged her that if she can kick drugs she can certainly kick distractions from studying! She asked me, “does someone intelligent as you are ever get distracted?” I laughed and said, “all the time.”
What was difficult and or troubling? Why? Nothing troubling, per se, just got a little nervous at the point where she began to ask me for advice… hoping I would know the right thing to say. I said a quick prayer to myself, for the Holy Spirit to inspire me.
Where was God in this event? In her prayer before we studied.
What have you learned about yourself in the wake of this event? Nothing new
Consecration: Sixteenth Day
(see here)
Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: Book 2, Chapter 5 (Of self-consideration)
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 228: (Preparatory Exercises)
228. During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and acts of devotion to acquire knowledge of themselves and sorrow for their sins.
Let them perform all their actions in a spirit of humility. With this end in view they may, if they wish, meditate on what I have said concerning our corrupted nature, and consider themselves during six days of the week as nothing but sails, slugs, toads, swine, snakes and goats. Or else they may meditate on the following three considerations of St. Bernard: "Remember what you were - corrupted seed; what you are - a body destined for decay; what you will be -food for worms."
They will ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to enlighten them saying, "Lord, that I may see," or "Lord, let me know myself," or the "Come, Holy Spirit". Every day they should say the Litany of the Holy Spirit, with the prayer that follows, as indicated in the first part of this work. They will turn to our Blessed Lady and beg her to obtain for them that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: Book 2, Chapter 5 (Of self-consideration)
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 228: (Preparatory Exercises)
228. During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and acts of devotion to acquire knowledge of themselves and sorrow for their sins.
Let them perform all their actions in a spirit of humility. With this end in view they may, if they wish, meditate on what I have said concerning our corrupted nature, and consider themselves during six days of the week as nothing but sails, slugs, toads, swine, snakes and goats. Or else they may meditate on the following three considerations of St. Bernard: "Remember what you were - corrupted seed; what you are - a body destined for decay; what you will be -food for worms."
They will ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to enlighten them saying, "Lord, that I may see," or "Lord, let me know myself," or the "Come, Holy Spirit". Every day they should say the Litany of the Holy Spirit, with the prayer that follows, as indicated in the first part of this work. They will turn to our Blessed Lady and beg her to obtain for them that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Consecration: Fifteenth Day
(see here)
St. Luke: Chapter 13:1-5 (Examples inviting repentance)
and
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 81, 82: (We need Mary in order to die to ourselves)
81. Secondly, in order to empty ourselves of self, we must die daily to ourselves. This involves our renouncing what the powers of the soul and the senses of the body incline us to do. We must see as if we did not see, hear as if we did not hear and use the things of this world as if we did not use them. This is what St. Paul calls "dying daily". Unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain and does not bear any good fruit. If we do not die to self and if our holiest devotions do not lead us to this necessary and fruitful death, we shall not bear fruit of any worth and our devotions will cease to be profitable. All our good works will be tainted by self-love and self-will so that our greatest sacrifices and our best actions will be unacceptable to God. Consequently when we come to die we shall find ourselves devoid of virtue and merit and discover that we do not possess even one spark of that pure love which God shares only with those who have died to themselves and whose life is hidden with Jesus Christ in him.
82. Thirdly, we must choose among all the devotions to the Blessed Virgin the one which will lead us more surely to this dying to self. This devotion will be the best and the most sanctifying for us. For we must not believe that all that glitters is gold, all that is sweet is honey, or all that is easy to do and is done by the majority of people is the most sanctifying. Just as in nature there are secrets enabling us to do certain natural things quickly, easily and at little cost, so in the spiritual life there are secrets which enable us to perform works rapidly, smoothly and with facility. Such works are, for example, emptying ourselves of self-love, filling ourselves with God, and attaining perfection.
The devotion that I propose to explain is one of these secrets of grace, for it is unknown to most Christians. Only a few devout people know of it and it is practised and appreciated by fewer still. To begin the explanation of this devotion here is a fourth truth which is a consequence of the third.
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
St. Luke: Chapter 13:1-5 (Examples inviting repentance)
and
True Devotion by St. Louis de Montfort: No. 81, 82: (We need Mary in order to die to ourselves)
81. Secondly, in order to empty ourselves of self, we must die daily to ourselves. This involves our renouncing what the powers of the soul and the senses of the body incline us to do. We must see as if we did not see, hear as if we did not hear and use the things of this world as if we did not use them. This is what St. Paul calls "dying daily". Unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain and does not bear any good fruit. If we do not die to self and if our holiest devotions do not lead us to this necessary and fruitful death, we shall not bear fruit of any worth and our devotions will cease to be profitable. All our good works will be tainted by self-love and self-will so that our greatest sacrifices and our best actions will be unacceptable to God. Consequently when we come to die we shall find ourselves devoid of virtue and merit and discover that we do not possess even one spark of that pure love which God shares only with those who have died to themselves and whose life is hidden with Jesus Christ in him.
82. Thirdly, we must choose among all the devotions to the Blessed Virgin the one which will lead us more surely to this dying to self. This devotion will be the best and the most sanctifying for us. For we must not believe that all that glitters is gold, all that is sweet is honey, or all that is easy to do and is done by the majority of people is the most sanctifying. Just as in nature there are secrets enabling us to do certain natural things quickly, easily and at little cost, so in the spiritual life there are secrets which enable us to perform works rapidly, smoothly and with facility. Such works are, for example, emptying ourselves of self-love, filling ourselves with God, and attaining perfection.
The devotion that I propose to explain is one of these secrets of grace, for it is unknown to most Christians. Only a few devout people know of it and it is practised and appreciated by fewer still. To begin the explanation of this devotion here is a fourth truth which is a consequence of the third.
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Consecration: Fourteenth Day
(see here)
Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: Book 3, Chapter 13 (Of the obedience of a humble heart; after the example of Jesus Christ)
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: Book 3, Chapter 13 (Of the obedience of a humble heart; after the example of Jesus Christ)
and
Prayers for Part 2
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
St. Mary, pray for us!
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