Dec. 17 - Wk 2 - Day 1 - to acquire an understanding of Mary

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

St. Louis wrote in “True Devotion”:

1. Each day of the second week they should endeavour in all their prayers and works to acquire an understanding of the Blessed Virgin and ask the Holy Spirit for this grace. They may read and meditate upon what we have already said about her. They should recite daily the Litany of the Holy Spirit and the Ave Maris Stella as during the first week. In addition they will say at least five decades of the Rosary for greater understanding of Mary.

Let us ponder what St. Louis wrote about Mary and our Faith! His emphasis on Faith, is so needed in these difficult times. In Chapter 6, he writes of the wonderful effects of True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin:

1. Mary will share her faith with you. Her faith on earth was stronger than that of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and saints. Now that she is reigning in heaven she no longer has this faith, since she sees everything clearly in God by the light of glory. However, with the consent of almighty God she did not lose it when entering heaven. She has preserved it for her faithful servants in the Church militant. Therefore the more you gain the friendship of this noble Queen and faithful Virgin the more you will be inspired by faith in your daily life. It will cause you to depend less upon sensible and extraordinary feelings. For it is a lively faith animated by love enabling you to do everything from no other motive than that of pure love. It is a firm faith, unshakable as a rock, prompting you to remain firm and steadfast in the midst of storms and tempests. It is an active and probing faith which like some mysterious pass-key admits you into the mysteries of Jesus Christ and of man’s final destiny and into the very heart of God himself. It is a courageous faith which inspires you to undertake and carry out without hesitation great things for God and the salvation of souls. Lastly, this faith will be your flaming torch, your very life with God, your secret fund of divine Wisdom, and an all-powerful weapon for you to enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. It inflames those who are lukewarm and need the gold of fervent love. It restores life to those who are dead through sin. It moves and transforms hearts of marble and cedars of Lebanon by gentle and convincing argument. Finally, this faith will strengthen you to resist the devil and the other enemies of salvation.

Come Holy Spirit, enable us to grow in the Supernatural Baptismal gifts of Faith, Hope and above all the Divine Love of Holy Charity, through Mary.

 

[Odilon]

Let us not put her on the same pedestal as Jesus Christ, the savior of us all. While she deserves honor for her role in the salvation narrative, she is not the Incarnate God Jesus Christ. Many of our Protestant brothers and sisters give her little to no respect, but many Catholics place too much emphasis on her (witness the recent thread on praying the rosary at Mass). Someone on that thread said she “leads us to Jesus”, well once finding Jesus it is time to focus on Him and not the woman who bore Him into this world.

 

[hazcompat]

Luke 2:16—21, 45—52​

And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child. And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And after eight days were accomplished, that the child should be circumcised, his name was called JESUS, which was called by the angel, before he was conceived in the womb…

And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers. And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? did you not know, that I must be about my father’s business? And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men.

 

[hazcompat]

Latria – An act of adoration or worship due to God (Holy Trinity) alone (This is what Catholics do during the Holy Mass). Exodus 20:1-5

Hyperdulia – An of respect towards the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 1:48)

Dulia – An of respect towards the saints (Romans 13:7)

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Odilon’

Let us not put her on the same pedestal as Jesus Christ, the savior of us all. While she deserves honor for her role in the salvation narrative, she is not the Incarnate God Jesus Christ. Many of our Protestant brothers and sisters give her little to no respect, but many Catholics place too much emphasis on her (witness the recent thread on praying the rosary at Mass). Someone on that thread said she “leads us to Jesus”, well once finding Jesus it is time to focus on Him and not the woman who bore Him into this world.

Dear Odilon,

I was saddened to read your reply. Since you profess to be Catholic, I wonder if you have ever read St. Louis de Montfort’s entire treatise, on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. If you click on the link you can read it online. It is not very long and St. Louis de Montfort, goes to great lengths to show how Mary is “not the Incarnate God. Jesus Christ” as you seem to be accusing others of saying.

Let us not put her on the same pedestal as Jesus Christ, the savior of us all. While she deserves honor for her role in the salvation narrative, she is not the Incarnate God Jesus Christ. Many of our Protestant brothers and sisters give her little to no respect, but many Catholics place too much emphasis on her (witness the recent thread on praying the rosary at Mass). Someone on that thread said she “leads us to Jesus”, well once finding Jesus it is time to focus on Him and not the woman who bore Him into this world.

In your reply, you quoted someone as saying, she “leads us to Jesus” and then your opinion that “once finding Jesus, it is time to focus on Him and not the woman who bore Him into this world.” God chose Mary to be the Mother of His Incarnate Son, He gave her unique and tremendous honor. None of us can honor her as much as The Holy Trinity has already honored her. St. Bernard is credited as saying: “De Maria, nunc satis” of Mary there is never enough."

Hopefully you will read “True Devotion” and or works of other Saints who honored Mary without dishonoring Jesus. Mary was given to us by Jesus from His Cross, saying:

Behold Your Mother

We need to “see” by Supernatural Faith given us in Baptism Mary is both Mother and Model for us. She is the Human Person who perfectly followed Jesus and Mary takes her motherhood of the Church very seriously. She does “lead us to Jesus” by her intercessory prayer offered in union with the Love of her Son who loved her more than we can even imagine. I hope you will ponder the Gift of Mary given to the Church by Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary.

As hazcompat pointed out in his replies citing both the Gospel of Luke and other Scriptures, Mary is honored as God is honored but but she deserves deserve special honor.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Thanks so much for both your replies. In your first reply, The excerpts from the Gospel of Luke are among my favorite scenes from the Gospel, because in both passages I hear God’s Word conveying as it always does - His Truth!

Your second reply also was a blessing in citing New Testament passages to help anyone not convinced of the special ways we honor Mary and the Saints without dishonoring God Who is alone worthy of the Highest Praise and Adoration we can give.

 

[Odilon]

Since you profess to be Catholic

From my baptism as an infant no less!

Look, most of what we know about Mother Mary that isn’t written in the Scriptures is pure speculation. For example, as it says in “True Devotion” according to St. Bonaventure, “all the angels in heaven unceasingly call out to her: “Holy, holy, holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God.” They greet her countless times each day with the angelic greeting, “Hail, Mary”, while prostrating themselves before her, begging her as a favor to honor them with one of her requests”. This is nothing less than pure speculation on his part!

The “True Devotion” treatise is full of things like that, things that were just made up with no basis in fact. There is also no “necessity of devotion” as it states in the treatise to Mother Mary for salvation, nope, that is not a requirement for eternal life. I do not understand how anyone can come to that conclusion.

I believe she is the “Mother of God”, she indeed does have that high honor. I also pray the rosary several times a week, but sorry the whole cult that has been raised up around her is too much, way too much.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Odilion,

Yes, Baptism is such a beautiful profession, whether as an infant or as an adult. It is the beginning of our journey to holiness. The gifts of Supernatual Faith, Hope and Charity are infused into our souls and are intended by God to grow.

St. Louis de Montfort writes from that beautiful fount of God’s Wisdom given to him by his asking, seeking and knocking on the door. (cf Mt 7:7-11). I believe it was in writing his first book “The Love of Eternal Wisdom” that God gave him the grace to “see” by Supernatural Faith, and thus to believe in the unique “gift” Mary is from God to us.

The saints were not merely giving their opinions as much as they were expressing the beautiful mysteries of God which they had learned to ponder as Mary our Mother pondered them in her Immaculate Heart. St. Louis de not just “make up” things. Perhaps if you would read his small treatise prayerfully, and slowly, asking the Holy Spirit to give you more light on it, you would understand more about Mary and also deepen your understanding of Jesus’ words to us all from His Cross:

Behold your Mother
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Please let us pray for one another and for all to open our hearts to this beautiful Mystery of God Incarnate born of Mary, and be blessed with the True Joy of Christmas!

 

[Odilon]

The saints were not merely giving their opinions as much as they were expressing the beautiful mysteries of God which they had learned to ponder as Mary our Mother pondered them in her Immaculate Heart. St. Louis de not just “make up” things.

I love the Catholic faith and one of the reasons is that it gives each one of us the ability to decide for ourselves whether or not accept certain things like what certain saints have written. There are teachings that we as Catholics are required to believe and then there are other things that the Church says might be profitable for us but are not something to be believed in order to be a faithful Catholic. I’m sorry, but the personal revelations of St. Louis do not entice me into believing more about the BVM than Mother Church requires. Now, the writings of someone like Sister Faustina concerning the “Divine Mercy” revelations peaks my interest and thus something that I can believe.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Odilon,

If you have already read the Catechism of the Catholic Church you may have overlooked this:

II. DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

971 “All generations will call me blessed”: “The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.” The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of ‘Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs… This very special devotion … differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration."…

The word “intrinsic” is very important in the first sentence. The word means (essential, something we cannot do without). Please consider what the Church is teaching about Mary, and has taught about her for centuries. It is important for us to understand how very important and essential Mary is to our worship of God. The Catechism in fact put the word intrinsic in italics. I put it in bold to emphasize it even more because people simply miss it! We are not perfectly worshiping God without special devotion to Mary. It is essential to our Worship of God.

I too was blessed in reading St. Faustina’'s Diary and the Revelations given to her by Jesus. I pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet daily. St. Faustina has a very beautiful devotion to Mary also. I believe all the saints have had a special devotion to Mary and I pray all of us may grow in our understanding of Mary and thus grow in holiness as all the saints did.