Aug. 11 - Day 5 - "...emptying ourselves of self-love, filling ourselves with God, and attaining perfection."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

By God’s Grace we continue our 33 day journey toward Total Consecration (or renewal of it), following the words of St. Louis de Montfort in his treatise on True Devotion to Jesus through Mary.

1. … 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…

Hopefully, some of those who are reading these threads have also begun to read the online version of True Devotion or begun to reread their own copy. I’ve taken these paragraphs from “Chapter 2 - In what Devotion to Mary Exists” since it so closely parallels the 12 preliminary days of ridding oneself of the spirit of the world., but “Chapter 1 - Necessity of Devotion to Our Lady” is also very important."

This s a book to be read slowly and prayerfully and definitely more than once! May the Lord continue to enable us each day to draw closer to Him as we listen to His Holy Spirit sent to bring us into all Truth Who is Jesus, God’s only Son who became incarnate by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary.

Those who have already prayed their Act of Total Consecration may be led as Pope St.John Paul II was to pray the prayer of Consecration written by St. Louis de Montfort, every day, not only on Marian Feasts. I’ve begun to do that and it has been a special blessing. These beginning words especially:

O ETERNAL and Incarnate Wisdom! O sweetest and most adorable Jesus! True God and true man, only Son of the Eternal Father, and of Mary, always virgin! I adore Thee profoundly in the bosom and splendors of Thy Father during eternity; and I adore Thee also in the virginal bosom of Mary, Thy most worthy Mother, in the time of Thine incarnation.

I give Thee thanks for that Thou hast annihilated Thyself, taking the form of a slave in order to rescue me from the cruel slavery of the devil. I praise and glorify Thee for that Thou hast been pleased to submit Thyself to Mary, Thy holy Mother, in all things, in order to make me Thy faithful slave through her…

 

[hazcompat]

The most extensive synthesis of Marian doctrine ever elaborated​

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

By a decree signed on February 11, 2018—the 160th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes—Pope Francis established the liturgical memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, and inserted it in the Roman calendar. The Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments explained that this decision was taken “considering the importance of the mystery of the spiritual motherhood of the Blessed Virgin who, in waiting for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (cf. Acts 1:14), has never ceased to take maternal care of the pilgrim Church.” Cardinal Robert Sarah also believes that "the promotion of this devotion can foster among pastors, religious and the faithful the growth of a maternal sense of the Church and of true Marian devotion.

The term “Mater Ecclesiae” had already been used by Saint Paul VI on November 21, 1964, when he promulgated the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium , whose Chapter VIII, entirely dedicated to the Virgin Mary, explores her role in the mystery of Christ and the Church. Pope Paul VI, who had a deep devotion to the Mother of God, saw in Lumen Gentium “the most extensive synthesis of Marian doctrine ever elaborated by an ecumenical council, with a view to manifesting the face of the holy Church, to which Our Lady is intimately associated.”

Vatican News

Read more on mariedenazareth.com:​

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Thanks so much for the beautiful Icon and for your reply to this post. Cardinal Robert Sarah has great devotion to Mary and it is a joy to read the Truth of the statement you quoted on the:

“…importance of the mystery of the spiritual motherhood of the Blessed Virgin who, in waiting for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost has never ceased to take maternal care of the pilgrim Church”

While I agree with Cardinal Sara also in believing “the promotion of this devotion can foster among pastors, religious and the faithful the growth of a maternal sense of the Church and of true Marian devotion,” There still are too few Catholics (Priests and People) today who have the same devotion, as Cardinal Sarah. By God’s Grace, may we all ponder more deeply, Jesus’ words on Calvary: “Behold your Mother!” By God’s Grace, coming to us through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, may we do the Truth we hear from Jesus, Who is our Way, our Truth and our Life!

Totus Tuus!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie,

Thanks so much for your “ever-Faith-Full” heart! I trust tht God is blessing you abundantly for your love of Jesus through Mary, for we cannot even imagine how much He loves Mary – and how much it pleases Him when we honor her.

Please let us continue to ask Him for all the graces we need to persevere in Faith during these difficult times. Let us pray for the Church and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy. Thanks again, dear heart!