Aug. 8 - Day 2 , preparing for Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we continue in our 33 day journey, preparing to Consecrate (or re-consecrate) ourselves to Jesus through Mary. We began with 12 preliminary days to “rid ourselves of the spirit of the world which is opposed to the spirit of Jesus”, not that we can rid ourself in 12 days, but to realize in those 12 days, how much we are influenced by the world.

During these 12 days, St. Louis de Montfort directs us to:

…spend at least twelve days in emptying themselves of the spirit of the world, which is opposed to the spirit of Jesus, as I have recommended in the first part of this preparation for the reign of Jesus Christ…

Let us continue from yesterday pondering what he wrote regarding emptying ourselves:

1. To rid ourselves of selfishness, we must first become thoroughly aware, by the light of the Holy Spirit, of our tainted nature. Of ourselves we are unable to do anything conducive to our salvation. Our human weakness is evident in everything we do and we are habitually unreliable. We do not deserve any grace from God. Our tendency to sin is always present. The sin of Adam has almost entirely spoiled and soured us, filling us with pride and corrupting every one of us, just as leaven sours, swells and corrupts the dough in which it is placed. The actual sins we have committed, whether mortal or venial, even though forgiven, have intensified our base desires, our weakness, our inconstancy and our evil tendencies, and have left a sediment of evil in our soul.

Our bodies are so corrupt that they are referred to by the Holy Spirit as bodies of sin, as conceived and nourished in sin, and capable of any kind of sin. They are subject to a thousand ills, deteriorating from day to day and harbouring only disease, vermin and corruption.

Our soul, being united to our body, has become so carnal that it has been called flesh. “All flesh had corrupted its way”. Pride and blindness of spirit, hardness of heart, weakness and inconstancy of soul, evil inclinations, rebellious passions, ailments of the body, - these are all we can call our own. By nature we are prouder than peacocks, we cling to the earth more than toads, we are more base than goats, more envious than serpents, greedier than pigs, fiercer than tigers, lazier than tortoises, weaker than reeds, and more changeable than weather-cocks. We have in us nothing but sin, and deserve only the wrath of God and the eternity of hell.

St. Louis de Montfort is speaking of our “disordered” nature, because we can be so deceived by the devil who daily works building up the spirit of the world and opposing the Spirit of Jesus. The devil makes evil “look good” and makes good “look evil”. He is a liar and the father or lies.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your Faithful. Eternal Father, enable us to Listen to Jesus, and do the Truth we hear. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Saints Louis de Montfort and St. Dominic - preachers of the Church, devoted to Mary, pray for us.

 

[hazcompat]

n, “Entrustment to Christ through the hands of Mary” is an effective means to faithfully live our baptismal vows. (3)

There are different steps to this entrustment:

“Who will take a second step? (…) the one to whom the Spirit of Jesus reveals this secret. The Holy Spirit himself will lead the faithful soul from strength to strength, from grace to grace, from light to light, until at length he attains transformation into Jesus in the fullness of his age on earth and his glory in heaven.” (4)

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(3) John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater § 48

(4) Montfort, Treatise on True Devotion §119

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Thanks for your reply and the quotes. Did you leave part of the first quote out? The letter "n’ with a comma introduces your first quote and I’m wondering if when you copied and pasted from the Encyclical by Pope St. John Paul II, part of your post got cut off.

The second quote from paragraph 119 of “True Devotion” is very significant. Please allow me to repeat it here in full:

1. As this devotion essentially consists in a state of soul, it will not be understood in the same way by everyone. Some - the great majority - will stop short at the threshold and go no further. Others - not many - will take but one step into its interior. Who will take a second step? Who will take a third? Finally who will remain in it permanently? Only the one to whom the Spirit of Jesus reveals the secret. The Holy Spirit himself will lead this faithful soul from strength to strength, from grace to grace, from light to light, until at length he attains transformation into Jesus in the fullness of his age on earth and of his glory in heaven.

The more we listen to the words God gave to St. Louis the more we hear how steeped in Scripture he was, and how he lived the Truth he heard from God until he attained “transformation into Jesus in the fullness of His age on earth and of his glory in heaven” !

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks dear Stephie,

How good it is to see your “Faith-FULL” heart each time! I hope you are reading the online version of True Devotion, if you don’t already have a copy of your own.

As I’ve said so often, the more I read this little book, the more I learn and I’m also realizing more and more how many “echoes” from the Gospel I hear. In my paperback copy, I’m glad there are footnotes indicating direct references to the Scriptures

 

[StephieNorthCo]

Thank you. It sure is interesting the way we are made…

The more we learn, the more we realize how much more there is to learn.

God bless you amply during these 12 days.

 

[MariaChristi]

Yes, dear Stephie, and your words reminded me of Psalm 139:14

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

The Lord made us in His Image and Likeness – the saints kept opening their hearts to Him and they were filled, yet hungered for more. May we continue to listen and learn from Him who loves us with an everlasting love.

By God’s Grace, may we continue learning and giving thanks to Him and to all His Saints who learned to be Meek and Humble of Heart as Jesus and Mary are!

 

[hazcompat]

I do not know where the “n” is from. Probably a copy and paste error. What I have is not achieved. It is received. Blessed be God!
Peace

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks for coming back to take a look at it! How true it is that what we have (that is good) is from Him! St. Louis de Montfort helps us, as do all the saints, to “see” this Truth by the Supernatural Faith, God has given us in our Baptism.

Today, we celebrate the Lord’s Day and also the Feast of Saint Edith Stein, Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, martyr who received her crown of Glory – may we one day join her.