"Blessed is the man who..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we conclude Chapter 4 in St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” on the motives which recommend this devotion. God willing tomorrow we’ll begin Chapter 5 which gives a Biblical Figure of this Devotion. How grateful are we who have either begun, or are praying to begin, or are continuing to persevere in this true devotion to our Mother given to us by Jesus, dying on His Cross!

1. Blessed is the man who has given everything to Mary, who at all times and in all things trusts in her, and loses himself in her. He belongs to Mary and Mary belongs to him. With David he can boldly say, “She was created for me”, or with the beloved disciple, “I have taken her for my own”, or with our Lord himself, "All that is mine is yours and all that is yours is Mine."
2. If any critic reading this should imagine that I am exaggerating or speaking from an excess of devotion, he has not, alas, understood what I have said. Either he is a carnal man who has no taste for the spiritual; or he is a worldly man who has cut himself off from the Holy Spirit; or he is a proud and critical man who ridicules and condemns anything he does not understand. But those who are born not of blood, nor of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God and Mary, understand and appreciate what I have to say. It is for them that I am writing.
3. Nevertheless, after this digression, I say to both the critics and the devout that the Blessed Virgin, the most reliable and generous of all God’s creatures, never lets herself be surpassed by anyone in love and generosity. For the little that is given to her, she gives generously of what she has received from God. Consequently, if a person gives himself to her without reserve, she gives herself also without reserve to that person provided his confidence in her is not presumptuous and he does his best to practise virtue and curb his passions.
4. So the faithful servants of the Blessed Virgin may confidently say with St. John Damascene, "If I confide in you, Mother of God, I shall be saved. Under your protection I shall fear nothing. With your help I shall rout all my enemies. For devotion to you is a weapon of salvation which God gives to those He wishes to save."

Men, women and children who have given themselves to Mary truly are blessed! Come Holy Spirit, fill the Hearts of Your Faithul, as you filled Mary our Mother and Model with Jesus, Who is our Way, our Truth and our Life. Bring us into ALL Truth.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks Stephie,

For your faithful “heart” and I trust you are one of those men, women and children who have already given all and who are thus “blessed”!

 

[patricius79]

• Blessed is the man who has given everything to Mary, who at all times and in all things trusts in her, and loses himself in her. He belongs to Mary and Mary belongs to him. With David he can boldly say, “She was created for me”, or with the beloved disciple, “I have taken her for my own”, or with our Lord himself, "All that is mine is yours and all that is yours is Mine."
• If any critic reading this should imagine that I am exaggerating or speaking from an excess of devotion, he has not, alas, understood what I have said.

This is one my favorite and most-consoling passages in True Devotion to Mary. If one has even an inkling of how good, tender, and holy Our Lady is, they must see that we can rejoice greatly everyday at our Lord’s gift to us.

 

[MariaChristi]

Yes, dear patricius, it is likewise one of my favorite passages too!

In giving ALL to Jesus through Mary, we can truly rejoice in The Lord as Mary herself did. How our Good God has blessed us in sending Jesus through Mary so that we could return to Him in the same way! Thank you again for your faithfulness to Jesus and Mary, loving them especially in these days when they are so neglected.

Please let us continue to pray for one another, for the Church and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy through Mary.

 

[StephieNorthCo]

Thanks Stephie,

For your faithful “heart” and I trust you are one of those men, women and children who have already given all and who are thus “blessed”!

I try. I don’t always succeed. This life is a journey towards Our Lord.

 

[patricius79]

In giving ALL to Jesus through Mary, we can truly rejoice in The Lord as Mary herself did.

Yes. There is so much peace in having Mary as our only treasure, and all other things only for her sake. In this way, we can love Jesus fully, with Mary’s own Immaculate Heart, despite all our weakness.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie,

Ah, but our effort counts a lot!!! Jesus and Mary, remember are never “outdone in generosity”. Somewhere in his treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” St. Louis wrote that when we give but an egg, she gives us an ox, – that’s not a direct quote, but I think you get the idea. We need to keep trying to do the Truth as we hear it from God in Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church.

God is a good Father as Jesus has taught us – He knows how to give good gifts to His Children. Mary as a good Mother does the same in sharing all she has with us. Thanks so much for loving Jesus through Mary. Please let us continue to pray for one another, for the Church and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy, through Mary. Yes, life here on earth is only a journey toward Our Lord and our eternal home. It’s so good to have companions to share the journey too!

 

[StephieNorthCo]

Amen.

12ish years ago I was reasonable but not 1000% committed in my Faith Then a near death issue and Our Dear Lord basically had me trust Him to jump off the proverbial cliff, with no net, just trust Him - a total life changing situation. I did, and my life has never been the same.

Thank you Mary. Thank you Lord.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie,

Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful Grace from God! Yes, I thank Him and Our Mother with you, for without His working through Mary in our souls, none of us can do anything!