Advent - time: "Quiet Prayer" and a "Pause" in posts on "True Devotion"

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Advent offers time to prepare for Christ’s coming. God willing, I hope to spend this Advent in more quiet prayer than usual. Today’s paragraphs are a good place to pause in these threads on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” as St. Louis concludes this section on the Hail Mary and the Rosary.

Let us listen, prayerfully now and during Advent for that “still small Voice of the Holy Spirit” and God willing I’ll resume threads after Christmas.:

1. I do not know how this should be, but it is perfectly true; and I know no surer way of discovering whether a person belongs to God than by finding out if he loves the Hail Mary and the Rosary. I say, “if he loves”, for it can happen that a person for some reason may be unable to say the Rosary, but this does not prevent him from loving it and inspiring others to say it.
2. Chosen souls, slaves of Jesus in Mary, understand that after the Our Father, the Hail Mary is the most beautiful of all prayers. It is the perfect compliment the most High God paid to Mary through his archangel in order to win her heart. So powerful was the effect of this greeting upon her, on account of its hidden delights, that despite her great humility, she gave her consent to the incarnation of the Word. If you say the Hail Mary properly, this compliment will infallibly earn you Mary’s good will.
3. When the Hail Mary is well said, that is, with attention, devotion and humility, it is, according to the saints, the enemy of Satan, putting him to flight; it is the hammer that crushes him, a source of holiness for souls, a joy to the angels and a sweet melody for the devout. It is the Canticle of the New Testament, a delight for Mary and glory for the most Blessed Trinity. The Hail Mary is dew falling from heaven to make the soul fruitful. It is a pure kiss of love we give to Mary. It is a crimson rose, a precious pearl that we offer to her. It is a cup of ambrosia, a divine nectar that we offer her. These are comparisons made by the saints.
4. I earnestly beg of you, then, by the love I bear you in Jesus and Mary, not to be content with saying the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin, but say the Rosary too, and if time permits, all its fifteen decades, every day. Then when death draws near, you will bless the day and hour when you took to heart what I told you, for having sown the blessings of Jesus and Mary, you will reap the eternal blessings in heaven.

Come Holy Spirit, purify our hearts to welcome Jesus, as Mary did. Make room in us – for Jesus through Mary this Advent, and always.

 

[StephieNorthCo]

Thank you and I hope your Advent time is prayerfully fulfilling.

Traditionally, I have my outside decorations uo between Advent thru Jan 6. Part of those is a very subtle Advent wreath. When I get home from work, after the hour commute, that subtle reminds me of the beautiful season we are entering.

God bless,
Stephie

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie,

Thanks so much for your “faithful heart” to let us know you read and appreciated St. Louis de Monfort’s words. Sharing his book on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin is such a blessing!

God willing, we’ll complete the book after Christmas. Thanks also for your sweet reply and your hopes for this Advent to be a prayerful one for us, and every member of Christ’s Body. When one member grows in holiness, by God’s Grace, we all grow. We are members of Christ and members of one another.

The preparation we make for Christ’s coming is not only for this particular coming at Christmas, but for His Final Coming in Glory to take us to our eternal home – either at end of our lives here or at the end of this world as we know it. We need this precious Advent time to begin to live more fully in Christ now – to live with Him forever.

The world has become so “busy” about so many things, God is often neglected – as is our Mother. There is far less silence for prayer. This Advent is especially important for me and perhaps others to focus on God first and foremost, as Mary did in the final weeks before His birth.

Please let us pray for one another, for the Church and for all in need of God’s Mercy.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

Thanks for your “faithful heart”, dear brother! Mary our Mother held Christ within her for nine months, physically, and we are given an opportunity to dwell on that beautiful truth-- as we ponder with her especially during Advent – the wonderful Mystery of God’s Love for us.

Please let us pray for one another, for the Church, and for all in need of His Mercy, that like our Mother, we may keep the eyes of our hearts on Him and ponder with Mary all the Wonder of His Love poured into her heart for us. May your Advent be a precious one filled with God’s Grace coming to you through Mary!

God willing, after Christmas, we’ll complete St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin – with even stronger faith, hope and above all Charity!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Blimp,

Thanks for your heart, which lets us know that you read the words God gave St. Louis de Montfort in his Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. and appreciated these words which have been passed on now for 2 centuries!

I didn’t recognize you name as one who has read any of my previous threads on this little spiritual classic, but I’ve posted a few paragraphs each day beginning with Chapter 1 and Paragraph 1 and today I’m taking a “pause” from posting more because Advent begins this Sunday and I need to spend more time in “Quiet Prayer” but I still hope to take up the threads again, God willing, after Christmas.

If you have never read this little book yourself, you can click on the title and it will take you to an online version. It may be a good book for you to read during Advent, if you haven’t read it before. It is a book that needs to be read slowly and prayerfully, and more than once to appreciate the depth of Wisdom God gave this saint for the Church.

If you have questions write them down and I’ll be happy to reply AFTER CHRISTMAS.
May the Lord bless all of us with His Grace this Advent, by the power of His Holy Spirit in and through Mary our Mother. Thanks for reading today’s thread and hope to see you again!