Devotion to the Immaculate Heart

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In chapter 13 of her last book written before her death, Sister Lucia wrote on “The Call to devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary”. Sister opens the chapter quoting words Mary spoke to her:

“Jesus wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart”

Sister then continues with these opening paragraphs:

To establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary means to bring people to a full consecration through conversion, self-dedication, intimate esteem, veneration and love. Thus, it is in this spirit of consecration and conversion that God wishes to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We all know that a mother’s heart represents love in the bosom of a family. In fact it is love which makes the mother bend over her baby’s cradle, sacrifice herself for it, give herself, rush to the defense of her child. All children trust in the heart of their mother, and we all know in her a place of special affection. The same applies to the Virgin Mary. Thus the Message says: “My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the that will lead you to God.” Hence, the Heart of Mary is the refuge and the way to God for all His children.

This refuge and this way were proclaimed to all humanity immediately after the fall of our first parents. To the devil, who had tempted the first human beings, and had induced them to disobey the divine order they had been given, the Lord said: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. (Gen 3:15). The “new generation” that God foretold wuld be born of this woman, will triumph in the battle against the progeny of Satan to the point of crushing its head. Mary is the Mother of this new generation, as if she were a new tree of life, planted by God in the graden of the wold so that all her children can partake of her fruit…

These are words written by Sister Lucia who saw our Blessed Mother and Sister wrote to share this message with us. I hope you may read this book: “Calls” From the Message of Fatima.

 

[NuclearReceptor]

has anyone heard of the Our Lady of America devotion? She said she was pleased that our country recognized her Immaculate Conception very early through the national basilica. She emphasized purifying our lives, and she held a lily to signify her Immaculate-ness. She requested a solemn procession of her statue at the basilica and promised protection of our nation.

it would be great to honor her Immaculate Conception and Heart by doing so in a national ceremony…

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear NuclearReceptor,

Yes, I have heard of this devotion and wondered why the Bishops seem reluctant to have this procession at the National Shrine in Washington, DC. I hope it is not that many of our Bishops are also into “political correctness”! I pray for our clergy every day for there are seemingly fewer among the clergy today promoting the Church’s devotion to Mary, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church states is “intrinsic” to Christian worship! The word “intrinsic” is significant – it means we cannot do without it!

DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

CCC - 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 liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an “epitome of the whole Gospel,” express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I read that while the devotion to Our Lady of America has been approved for faith expression (and Cardinal Burke supports it ), no decision has been rendered regarding the authenticity of the visions behind it, and there are not huge numbers of US people practicing the devotion. I suspect many more people in USA know about Medjugorje than about the Rome, Indiana apparitions of Our Lady of America. So maybe those two things are why the bishops won’t put the statue in the basilica.

 

[NuclearReceptor]

If the Russian consecration was done as requested earlier, perhaps the errors would not have spread as much and not as many people would have died.

It seems when the Immaculate Mother asks for something, there’s a very good reason to do it. It is quite obvious our nation is in need of divine intervention. Does no one in the American hierarchy feel the need for greater investigation and speedy action?

Maybe I’m just impatient and sinning.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks Tis_Bearself,

If it has been approved for “faith expression” I still wonder why Bishops have not desired to honor Mary with a procession. Of course, that is not the first thing I have not understood. I leave it in the Lord’s Hands.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear NuclearReceptor,

Pope St. John Paul II Consecrated Russia (although not by name) in his Act of Consecration of 1984. When asked if our Lady’s request had been answered by Pope St. John Paul’s prayer in union with Bishops of the world, Sister Lucia of Fatima responded “Yes”. I believe Sister Lucia knew the truth and told the truth with the utmost humility and honesty.

The world is in great need, and all of us need to do as our Lady asked and that is to stop offending God Who is already so much offended. All of us in every nation need to repent and believe in the Good News Jesus came to give us. Mary is repeating at Fatima the words she spoke at Cana: “Do whatever He tells you”.

When Pope Benedict was the Prefect of the CDF, Pope St. John Paul II asked him (then Cardinal Ratzinger) to write a Theological Commentary on the Message of Fatima. In concluding that document, he wrote:

… “my Immaculate Heart will triumph”. What does this mean? The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world—because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this: “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.

For more info on this Consecration and Lucia’s response see : http://theotokos.org.uk/pages/fatima/consecra.html