Aug. 25 - Wk 1 - Day 7 - Joy in Hope

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the last few days “hearts” were missing, so I wonder – did St. Louis de Montfort’s descriptions of our “corrupted nature” turn anyone “off”?

Hopefully not, because true self-knowledge which includes an acknowledgement of our sinfulness due to the consequences of original sin, is really very necessary – in fact essential.

St. Theresa of Avila in writing her classic book on “The Interior Castle”, when describing the “different rooms” in the Castle wrote that there is one room we never leave and that is the room of self-knowledge!

So I begin this last day of Wk 1- "seeking true self-knowledge in Joyful Hope". Let us trust God to enable us to “see by faith” all He wants us to see in ourselves order to go from “disordered self-Love” to Loving Him totally as Mary our Mother loves Him.

In St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on True Devotion, he encourages us:

1. Rest assured that the more you turn to Mary in your prayers, meditations, actions and sufferings, seeing her if not perhaps clearly and distinctly, at least in a general and indistinct way, the more surely you will discover Jesus. For He is always greater, more powerful, more active, and more mysterious when acting through Mary than He is in any other creature in the universe, or even in heaven. Thus Mary, so divinely-favoured and so lost in God, is far from being an obstacle to good people who are striving for union with Him. There has never been and there never will be a creature so ready to help us in achieving that union more effectively, for she will dispense to us all the graces to attain that end. As a saint once remarked, “Only Mary knows how to fill our minds with the thought of God.” Moreover, Mary will safeguard us against the deception and cunning of the evil one.
2. Where Mary is present, the evil one is absent. One of the unmistakable signs that a person is led by the Spirit of God is the devotion he has to Mary, and his habit of thinking and speaking of her. This is the opinion of a saint, who goes on to say that just as breathing is a proof that the body is not dead, so the habitual thought of Mary and loving converse with her is a proof that the soul is not spiritually dead in sin.

Prayers - daily for Wk 1:
Litany of the Holy Spirit -https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/litany-of-the-holy-ghost-11854

Ave Maris Stella -The Prayer, Ave Maris Stella

Litany of the Blessed Virgin - Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Litany of Loreto | EWTN

“Totus Tuus” I am all Yours Jesus, through Mary, by the power of Your Holy Spirit.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Thanks for your “heart”. It is good to hear from you. God’s Word assures us in the letter of James to “Count it all joy when we undergo various trials…” (James 1: 2-11)

When God permits us to “See” by His grace, our “corrupted nature” and “our disordered self-love” it can be painful and yet we can be joyful in the hope that He will not only show us what we need to see, but He has already given us the key to His Heart in saying:

“Behold your Mother”

Mary is the refuge of sinners and never was it know that anyone who fled to her protection was left unaided. She has lived her human life on this earth, “Full of Grace” and shows us how we can follow Jesus in this world.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary said “Be it done to me…” and she conceived Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God, Who is our Way, our Truth and our Life. They both suffered in this world and so shall we, but because of God’s Love, He sent Jesus to free us from our slavery to sin, sin by His Life, Death, Resurrection and Ascension and then the Father and Son sent the Holy Spirit to the Church that we might share His Love with others.

Mary our Mother is called “Cause of our Joy”. The more we behold her, the more joy we see and learn from her as she learned from God! Thanks again hazcompat - may your heart overflow with Joyful Hope, persevering to the end of our journey here on earth until we are Home in heaven at last!

 

[hazcompat]

How generous God is that we hold these things in earthen vessels!

Peace

 

[MariaChristi]

It certainly is amazing to ponder how God’s Love endures – time after time- He continues to care for us, and leaving the earth, dying on His Cross, Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God gave us His Mother to be be our Mother also. Those Two Hearts, pierced for love of us, show the men and women of the world how God’s Love – which He shares with us in our Baptism, giving us Supernatural Charity, will last forever.

Faith and Hope will not be needed in heaven but Divine Charity remains.
Today we will begin Week 2 - “seeking a better understanding of Our Mother Mary”, Mother of Love born Incarnate, Jesus our Savior.

Thanks for your reply, dear hazcompat!