Aug. 10 - Day 4 - "continuing to rid oneself of..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We’re continuing our journey of 33 days, toward Total Consecration (or renewal) of ourselves to Jesus through Mary, as explained by St. Louis De Montfort in his treatise on “True Devotion”. During the first 12 days, we’re seeking to rid ourselves of the spirit of the world which is opposed to the Spirit of Christ. We hear an “echo of Scripture” in St. Louis’ words:

1. … 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.

How imporatnt for us to listen to Jesus as He speaks through His Saints!
St. Louis de Montfort, like St. Paul, was steeped in Scripture. The New Testament writers often drew from God’s words in the Old Testament. John’s Gospel for instance, begins with these words:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (Jn 1: 1)

John’s First Letter, (1 Jn.2,: 15 - 17) helps us understand “the spirit of the world” :

Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Holy Trinity, enable us to hear and do Your Will. Mary, our Mother intercede for us. St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us. St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, pray for us.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie,

Thanks again for your “ever Faith-Full heart”. While I see a fair number of persons viewing these posts on “Preparation for Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary” according to St. Louis de Montfort’s writing in “True Devotion”, not many seem willing to indicate whether they like what they read or to comment at all.

It is sad that more persons are not willing to learn from the wisdom of saints like St. Louis de Montfort, who was so influential in lives of other great saints of our own time, like St. John Paul II, St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta and also the lay persons whose “causes” for sainthood have been introduced in Rome, such as Venerable Edel Quinn, and Servants of God, Frank Duff and Alphonsus Lamb; all three of whom were devoted to Mary through practicing True Devotion

If ever there was a time when the world needed our Mother Mary, given to us by Jesus from His Cross, it is now! Thank you for your daily encouragement to keep writing to help others “hear” God’s Truth through the words of St. Louis de Montfort. How truly, St. Louis de Montfort himself listened to God’s Word and pondered it in his heart. How truly he lived the Truth he heard! By God’s Grace, may we do the same.

 

[hazcompat]

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS X

ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

TO THE PATRIARCHS, PRIMATES, ARCHBISHOPS,

BISHOPS, AND OTHER ORDINARIES

IN PEACE AND COMMUNION WITH THE APOSTOLIC SEE

…

1. But the first and chief reason, Venerable Brethren, why the fiftieth anniversary of the
   proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception should excite a singular fervour in the souls of Christians lies for us in that restoration of all things in Christ which we have already set forth in Our first Encyclical letter. For can anyone fail to see that there is no surer or more direct road than by Mary for uniting all mankind in Christ and obtaining through Him the perfect adoption of sons, that we may be holy and immaculate in the sight of God? For if to Mary it was truly said: “Blessed art thou who hast believed because in thee shall be fulfilled the things that have been told thee by the Lord” (Luke i., 45); or in other words, that she would conceive and bring forth the Son of God and if she did receive in her breast Him who is by nature Truth itself in order that “He, generated in a new order and with a new nativity, though invisible in Himself, might become visible in our flesh” (St. Leo the Great, Ser. 2, De Nativ. Dom.): the Son of God made man, being the “author and consummator of our faith”; it surely follows that His Mother most holy should be recognized as participating in the divine mysteries and as being in a manner the guardian of them, and that upon her as upon a foundation, the noblest after Christ, rises the edifice of the faith of all centuries.

Peace

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Thanks so much for quoting from Pope St. Pius X’s Encyclical “On the Immaculate Conception”! How very important his words are in our time!

Would that Catholics and those who have left our Faith to seek another path, could hear deeply in their hearts these words from Pope St. Pius X:

… can anyone fail to see that there is no surer or more direct road than by Mary for uniting all mankind in Christ and obtaining through Him the perfect adoption of sons, that we may be holy and immaculate in the sight of God?

And Pope St. Pius X also quotes Pope St. Leo the Great’s Sermon on the Nativity:

… “He, generated in a new order and with a new nativity, though invisible in Himself, might become visible in our flesh: the Son of God made man, being the “author and consummator of our faith”; it surely follows that His Mother most holy should be recognized as participating in the divine mysteries and as being in a manner the guardian of them, and that upon her as upon a foundation, the noblest after Christ, rises the edifice of the faith of all centuries.

If ever we needed Mary our Mother, we need her now! Holy Trinity, One God, enable Your pople to “see” with the Supernatural Faith You gave us in Baptism!

 

[mary77]

thank you , im reading your posts.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thank you, also Mary – it is such an encouragement to know others are on the journey with me. As one member grows in holiness, we all grow in holiness by God’s Grace. Please let us pray for one another, for the Church and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy.