Day 12 - last day of preliminary period

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we come to the end of the first 12 days of preparation, St. Louis de Montfort described in True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary:

1. Those who desire to take up this special devotion… should spend at least twelve days in emptying themselves of the spirit of the world, which is opposed to the spirit of Jesus…

By God’s Grace, hopefully, we’ve been learning from Him to recognize “the spirit of the world” more and the temptations to cooperate with that spirit rather than to empty ourselves of all which opposes the spirit of Jesus growing within us. He is Love and He is our goal in this life that we may finally attain union with Him in the perfection of charity. Perhaps another way of looking at these 12 days is to seek purity of heart. Jesus taught in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”. Here, we “see” by faith, depending upon His Grace, each moment of everyday.

Mary our Mother lived in faith. Immaculately conceived, she was full of grace before the annunciation, and after she conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, she continued to grow in grace. She believed God’s Word, and when she saw Jesus her Baby, she believed He was her God because she “saw by faith”. Today’s Gospel describes the apostle St. Bartholomew’s encounter with Christ. Pope Emeritus gives this commentary:

Nathaniel-Bartholomew recognises the Messiah, the Son of God - Benedict XVI, pope from 2005 to 2013 General Audience of 04/10/06

The Evangelist John tells us that when Jesus sees Nathaniel approaching, he exclaims: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!” (Jn 1,47). This is praise reminiscent of the text of a Psalm: “Blessed is the man… in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Ps 32[31],2), but provokes the curiosity of Nathaniel who answers in amazement: “How do you know me?”. Jesus’ reply cannot immediately be understood. He says: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you”. We do not know what had happened under this fig tree. It is obvious that it had to do with a decisive moment in Nathaniel’s life. His heart is moved by Jesus’ words, he feels understood and he understands: “This man knows everything about me, he knows and is familiar with the road of life; I can truly trust this man”. And so he answers with a clear and beautiful confession of faith: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

In this confession is conveyed a first important step in the journey of attachment to Jesus. Nathaniel’s words shed light on a twofold, complementary aspect of Jesus’ identity: he is recognized both in his special relationship with God the Father, of whom he is the Only-begotten Son, and in his relationship with the People of Israel, of whom he is the declared King, precisely the description of the awaited Messiah. We must never lose sight of either of these two elements because if we only proclaim Jesus’ heavenly dimension, we risk making him an ethereal and evanescent being; and if, on the contrary, we recognize only his concrete place in history, we end by neglecting the divine dimension that properly qualifies him.

Come Holy Spirit, by the Fire of Your Love, burn away any “spirit of deceit” remaining in our hearts. Enable us to empty ourselves of the spirit of the world. The evil one is a liar, and we need Your Grace to see by faith, the Love to Whom we are called. Mary, Mother of Faith, pray for us, that we may have pure hearts, like yours, that the spirit of Jesus may grow in us unto perfection, and we may live forever with you in the Home of our Father.

 

[Jeannie52]

I love reading the indepth insight you share on each day of our special journey for Total Consecration. What you share gives me more insight to a deeper understanding that praying to Jesus as God the Father AND the long awaited for Messiah. All this helps me open up my heart more wide open to allow all God’s light into the inner Spirit in me so the darkness is dispelled and stays away.

Any insight into how I can open up my heart more to Jesus through Mary is so greatly appreciated! Thank you so much.

 

[MariaChristi]

I love reading the indepth insight you share on each day of our special journey for Total Consecration. What you share gives me more insight to a deeper understanding that praying to Jesus as God the Father AND the long awaited for Messiah. All this helps me open up my heart more wide open to allow all God’s light into the inner Spirit in me so the darkness is dispelled and stays away.

Any insight into how I can open up my heart more to Jesus through Mary is so greatly appreciated! Thank you so much.

Dear Jeannie,

Thanks so much for your encouragement. I’ve always found the beginning period (and especially the first week which we begin tomorrow) particularly hard because we’re called to see what we don’t like to see around us and see things within which we don’t like to admit about ourselves. We need humility to persevere, believing more in God’s Love than in anything else. The evil one seeks to discourage us, and we need to stand firm in faith as Mary and all the saints did, by God’s Grace. All our trials and difficulties are really opportunities for us to grow in faith, hope and above all love. (cf James 1 :2-4).

As I finished my post this morning and was looking at the link to “True Devotion” I came across these words of St. Louis and I want to share them with you. St. Louis is comparing Mary to Rebecca and us to Jacob in the OT:

…5. She intercedes for them

1. Finally, the fifth and greatest service which this loving Mother renders her faithful followers is to intercede for them with her Son. She appeases him with her prayers, brings her servants into closer union with him and maintains that union.

Rebecca made Jacob approach the bed of his father. His father touched him, embraced him and even joyfully kissed him after having satisfied his hunger with the well-prepared dishes which Jacob had brought him. Then inhaling most joyfully the exquisite perfume of his garments, he cried: “Behold the fragrance of my son is as the fragrance of a field of plenty which the Lord has blessed.” The fragrance of this rich field which so captivated the heart of the father, is none other than the fragrance of the merits and virtues of Mary who is the plentiful field of grace in which God the Father has sown the grain of wheat of the elect, his only Son.

How welcome to Jesus Christ, the Father of the world to come, is a child perfumed with the fragrance of Mary! How readily and how intimately does he unite himself to that child! But this we have already shown at length.

1. Furthermore, once Mary has heaped her favours upon her children and her faithful servants and has secured for them the blessing of the heavenly Father and union with Jesus Christ, she keeps them in Jesus and keeps Jesus in them. She guards them, watching over them unceasingly, lest they lose the grace of God and fall into the snares of their enemies. “She keeps the saints in their fullness” (St. Bonaventure), and inspires them to persevere to the end, as we have already said.

Such is the explanation given to this ancient allegory which typifies the mystery of predestination and reprobation.

Underlining is mine for emphasis – these words gave me courage this morning and I’m hoping they encourage you.

 

[Casilda]

How welcome to Jesus Christ, the Father of the world to come, is a child perfumed with the fragrance of Mary! How readily and how intimately does he unite himself to that child! But this we have already shown at length.

http://rs133.pbsrc.com/albums/q56/pamelasag61/Need tags/tiptowingtoMary.jpg~320x480

 

[MariaChristi]

http://rs133.pbsrc.com/albums/q56/pamelasag61/Need tags/tiptowingtoMary.jpg~320x480

Dear Casilda,

Thanks so much for posting this. The former President of our Legion of Mary group had this very clipping on the President’s notebook she passed on to me when she moved and I assumed her office. It remains on the cover and God willing I shall be posting the same clipping to the next President in just 2 years from now.

It is such a sweet image of anyone who loves Mary as Mother and trust in her as a child. May God continue to teach all of us how to be children of our Mother, as Jesus continues to be her Faithful Son.

 

[GLam8833]

the Lord has been working on me since '12
to purify me from the “spirit of this world”!!
I view myself as a self-made mystic, fasting
and praying and doing w/o many worldly
things which had a hold on my life, Praise
be Mary Immaculate the Mother of Jesus
and our Mother!!

 

[MariaChristi]

the Lord has been working on me since '12
to purify me from the “spirit of this world”!!
I view myself as a self-made mystic, fasting
and praying and doing w/o many worldly
things which had a hold on my life, Praise
be Mary Immaculate the Mother of Jesus
and our Mother!!

Dear Glam,

Thanks for your reply, but I’m wondering of you wrote with “tongue in cheek” about being a “self-made mystic”. It’s hard to imagine “self-made” in the same phrase as “mystic”, considering Jesus words in John 15: 3 – “without Me you can do nothing”. But I’m sure you know that chapter and verse as Mary’s child.

I thank our Mother, with you, for all her prayers through many years for me, too, and for all of us. Had it not been for her prayers, I’d be lost. Please let us continue to pray, fast, give alms, and all we need to do with Her Heart. St. Louis de Montfort in suggestions for receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, wrote:

…Implore Mary to lend you her heart so that you may receive her Son with her dispositions…

What a phrase to ponder! “Lend me your heart”, Mother of Jesus and our Mother!