Easter - "New Life" and Mary

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In listening to the Readings for Easter Sunday, I was especially blessed by the second reading from Colossians on Easter Morning:

Reading 2 COL 3:1-4

Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.

Having once more made the journey of 33 Days and having consecrated myself to Jesus through Mary on Good Friday (Mar.25), I was more ready to hear those words than I can ever remember. The life given to us in Baptism is “supernatural” – it is a participation in the Life of God, made possible for us by Jesus who reconciled us with God and gained back for us what was lost by the sin of Adam and Eve.

The Total Consecration of oneself to Jesus through Mary, as explained by St. Louis de Montfort is a perfect renewal of our Baptism promises and urges us to LIVE truly “with Christ in God”. God’s grace is “new” every morning and from the moment of our Baptism we were meant to grow spiritually – just as in our natural life we are expected to grow physically. After explaining the preparation and the consecration, St. Louis writes in True Devotion how to grow in Jesus through Mary:

1. We must do everything through Mary, that is, we must obey her always and be led in all things by her spirit, which is the Holy Spirit of God. “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God,” says St. Paul. Those who are led by the spirit of Mary are children of Mary, and, consequently children of God, as we have already shown. Among the many servants of Mary only those who are truly and faithfully devoted to her are led by her spirit.

I have said that the spirit of Mary is the spirit of God because she was never led by her own spirit, but always by the spirit of God, who made himself master of her to such an extent that he became her very spirit. That is why St. Ambrose says, “May the soul of Mary be in each one of us to glorify the Lord. May the spirit of Mary be in each one of us to rejoice in God.” Happy is the man who follows the example of the good Jesuit Brother Rodriguez, who died a holy death, because he will be completely possessed and governed by the spirit of Mary, a spirit which is gentle yet strong, zealous yet prudent, humble yet courageous, pure yet fruitful.

The Easter season is a time of “new life” and the Baptismal font has been called “the womb of Mary” for she is the icon of the Church. We have been reborn in Christ. By God’s grace and the intercession of Mary, may we live His life, by the power of His Holy Spirit, as Mary did.

 

[Googler]

Thanks!, dear sister, and congratulations on another renewal of your consecration to Our Blessed Mother. It would be nice to know a little more about Brother Rodriguez and his exercise of these wonderful gifts and virtues.

I’ve had the tendency to focus too much on my struggles and also to project future events. I’m learning to ignore the past, leave the future to God and Mary, and live in God’s graces for today.

Before my Mom passed, who sometimes knew me better than I knew myself at the time, gave me a little bookmark with this quote:

Quit Supposin’!
If you desire to be HAPPY,
Don’t think of the things that you dread—
Just give up
“SUPPOSIN’ THE WORST THINGS”
And look for
“THE BEST THINGS”
instead!
~Helen Steiner Rice

We ought to keep reminding the reluctant that True Devotion to Mary has Jesus for it’s final end.
Poor sinners ought to hurry up and get over their fear of possible idolatry, or remain clueless.
Imitation of Christ involves loving His Mother.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks!, dear sister, and congratulations on another renewal of your consecration to Our Blessed Mother. It would be nice to know a little more about Brother Rodriguez and his exercise of these wonderful gifts and virtues.

I’ve had the tendency to focus too much on my struggles and also to project future events. I’m learning to ignore the past, leave the future to God and Mary, and live in God’s graces for today.

Before my Mom passed, who sometimes knew me better than I knew myself at the time, gave me a little bookmark with this quote:

Quit Supposin’!
If you desire to be HAPPY,
Don’t think of the things that you dread—
Just give up
“SUPPOSIN’ THE WORST THINGS”
And look for
“THE BEST THINGS”
instead!
~Helen Steiner Rice

We ought to keep reminding the reluctant that True Devotion to Mary has Jesus for it’s final end.
Poor sinners ought to hurry up and get over their fear of possible idolatry, or remain clueless.
Imitation of Christ involves loving His Mother.

Dear Googler,

Thanks for your rely. How good to hear from you again! It seems a long time.

Yes, by God’s Grace, I’ve been blessed by another 33 Day Journey and been given the opportunity to totally consecrate myself to Jesus through Mary. That humble Jesuit lay brother whom St. Louis De Montfort mentions in the book, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary was canonized by Pope Leo XIII, Jan. 15, 1888. For more on St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, SJ see HERE. There are several sites which give more information, but I chose just one. I don’t have time right now to search for more on the special relationship this dear lay brother had with Mary, but it seems obvious that he learned from Jesus, as Mary did, to be meek and humble of heart, and lived in close union with Jesus and Mary in all he did, in his simple task as “gate-keeper”.

If we are to live truly in Christ, if we are to remain in Him moment by moment, I believe we need to take Mary as our human model, who shows us how we can grow in Christ. I believe St. Louis De Montfort, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, and all the saints, by God’s Grace learned to die to their own will in order to live totally given to God’s Will. They lived their “Yes” faithfully to the end as Jesus and Mary did, lovingly. Each of us is called to holiness; please let us pray for one another and to persevere in the Way, the Truth and the Life (Who is Jesus) through Mary.

“O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in your servants, in the spirit of holiness, in the fullness of your power, in the perfection of your ways, in the truth of your virtues, in the communion of your mysteries. Rule over every adverse power, in your Spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen.” – prayer of Fr. Jean Jacques Olier, S.S. (1608-1657)

 

[Googler]

Pax et bonum. Ave Maria!
Thanks for the link. It didn’t say much about his True Devotion, but boy, did he have a rough life like a victim soul.
Another source I came upon mentioned that Alphonsus had a devotion to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception over two centuries before it was defined and urged everyone he met to invoke Our Lady under that title. He had many copies of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin and advocated its recitation.
With all his hardships, Alphonsus held his deep humility and saw God in every event of his life never giving in to despair.
He was also immediately obedient to his superiors no matter the request.
He had spiritual wisdom and thousands sought direction from him. He also knew that the only way to have the grace of strength to cope with all his trials and temptations was constant prayer. Yet Alphosus was always at peace because had no anxiety about the future but daily perseverence.
St. Alphonsus, like the little flower, was content having an unimportant hidden life and knew that what God really wants is our heart.

Last week I had decided to take up this devotion. Of course I’ll never abandon my daily Rosary. But I decided to take up the Little Office instead of the Divine Office. I ordered these two books to get me going:

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Living the Little Office: Reflections on the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Replace my heart with thine, Oh Immaculate Virgin, and most of all grant me the grace of true humility! Help me every day to recognize my own nothingness, and to admit my own powerlessness, so that I may confidently depend upon you, and place my trust in you to obtain God’s mercy for me in everything. Amen.

 

[MariaChristi]

Pax et bonum. Ave Maria!
Thanks for the link. It didn’t say much about his True Devotion, but boy, did he have a rough life like a victim soul.
Another source I came upon mentioned that Alphonsus had a devotion to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception over two centuries before it was defined and urged everyone he met to invoke Our Lady under that title. He had many copies of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin and advocated its recitation.
With all his hardships, Alphonsus held his deep humility and saw God in every event of his life never giving in to despair.
He was also immediately obedient to his superiors no matter the request.
He had spiritual wisdom and thousands sought direction from him. He also knew that the only way to have the grace of strength to cope with all his trials and temptations was constant prayer. Yet Alphosus was always at peace because had no anxiety about the future but daily perseverence.
St. Alphonsus, like the little flower, was content having an unimportant hidden life and knew that what God really wants is our heart.

Last week I had decided to take up this devotion. Of course I’ll never abandon my daily Rosary. But I decided to take up the Little Office instead of the Divine Office. I ordered these two books to get me going:

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Living the Little Office: Reflections on the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Dear Googler,

Thanks again for your continued love for God through Mary. My husband and I pray only Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours but we prefer that Office because it puts us in union with the Universal Church. The two little books you ordered may indeed be God’s way of encouraging you into an even deeper devotion to Mary – I prayed that “Little Office of the Virgin Mary” daily for a while many years ago. I’m not familiar with the other book.

Humility is such an important virtue. As I was praying the Divine Mercy Novena this morning I was again aware of Jesus’ strong words to His disciples in Mt. 18:

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become as little children you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt. 18: 3)

I believe humility is Mary’s outstanding virtue among all her virtues, and I think than St. Alphonsus as a humble Jesuit lay brother was an example dear to the heart of a man like St. Louis who saw so much pride among people – even some called into sacred orders.

May God enable us to denounce any temptations to pride as they creep into our lives through the suggestions of the serpent who is most subtle. The evil one is the father of lies and can deceive us, if we are not prayerful and watchful. May our Blessed Mother keep us in the “crossing of her arms” close to Jesus, Meek and Humble of Heart. The devil flees whenever we call on Jesus and Mary.