"... faithful servants of the Blessed Virgin, ... receive from her the best graces ... which are crosses..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

If you have read anything about the life of St. Louis de Montfort, you know he writes many times without mentioning his own sufferings, but he truly suffered as a devoted servant of our good Mother. In his book on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, his writing shares in many ways his own experience of learning to embrace the Cross in order to follow Jesus with ALL his heart, mind, soul and strength. as Mary our Mother did on this earth:

1. Why is it then, a servant of Mary might ask, that devoted servants of this good Mother are called upon to suffer much more than those who serve her less generously? They are opposed, persecuted, slandered, and treated with intolerance. They may also have to walk in interior darkness and through spiritual deserts without being given from heaven a single drop of the dew of consolation. If this devotion to the Blessed Virgin makes the path to Jesus smoother, how can we explain why Mary’s loyal servants are so ill-treated?
2. I reply that it is quite true that the most faithful servants of the Blessed Virgin, being her greatest favourites, receive from her the best graces and favours from heaven, which are crosses. But I maintain too that these servants of Mary bear their crosses with greater ease and gain more merit and glory. What could check another’s progress a thousand times over, or possibly bring about his downfall, does not balk them at all, but even helps them on their way. For this good Mother, filled with the grace and unction of the Holy Spirit, dips all the crosses she prepares for them in the honey of her maternal sweetness and the unction of pure love. They then readily swallow them as they would sugared almonds, though the crosses may be very bitter. I believe that anyone who wishes to be devout and live piously in Jesus will suffer persecution and will have a daily cross to carry. But he will never manage to carry a heavy cross, or carry it joyfully and perseveringly, without a trusting devotion to our Lady, who is the very sweetness of the cross. It is obvious that a person could not keep on eating without great effort unripe fruit which has not been sweetened.

Come Holy Spirit, enlighten our minds and hearts. Fill us with Jesus as you filled Mary with the Fire of Your Love! Enable us to take up our Cross and follow Jesus through Mary.

 

[patricius79]

For this good Mother, filled with the grace and unction of the Holy Spirit, dips all the crosses she prepares for them in the honey of her maternal sweetness and the unction of pure love.

What can one say? That’s awesome!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

Thanks again for your faithful "heart " and for this reply! Yes, sometimes we can only stand (or sit, or kneel) in awe at the words of the Saints, who have learned God’s Truth from His Word, and His Church, by the power of His Holy Spirit.

How truly we see and hear from these great witnesses, their love for God’s Mother, whom Jesus gave to us from His Cross. Mary suffered the spiritual piercing of her Immaculate Heart, as she saw His Sacred Heart pierced physically. By God’s design Mary hears our pleas and sees our suffering and we can be consoled by her compassion joined with His.

Silence and awe are very much in order, dear brother.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie,

Thank you also for your faithful “heart”. It is so good to see you’re continuing to appreciate the words of St. Louis de Montfort in his treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”. May all those who continue to read these threads be blessed to grow in their love for Jesus through Mary.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Dante,

Thanks for your “heart” also. I hope you and others will continue to read these thread and eventually if you have not read the entire little book of St Louis de Montfort on “True Devotion to the Blessed Vigin” you will by God’s Grace read it and hearing the Truth, you’ll begin to practice it in an ever deeper way. You can read the online version HERE.

 

[Lazybones]

St. Teresa, whose feast day was during the week, said “accept the crosses that come to you and don’t go seeking more”. Padre Pio spoke about the difficulty of actually suffering.
I would be content, God willing, to never suffer again.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Lazybones,

Thanks for your reply, and it’s always good to read words from the saints. Not sure I fully understand these final words you wrote:

…I would be content, God willing, to never suffer again.

Both saints you mentioned sufferd in many ways and saw “by faith”, God’s Grace working powerfully through their suffering. If we are unwilling to suffer whatever God permits in our lives, we need to ask for His Grace to grow more like Him Who emptied Himself on the Cross for us and like Mary our Mother who offered herself with Him to our Father.

God made us to be happy with Him, forever, but beginning with the Original sin of our first parents, sin and suffering entered the world and will remain until the end of time. I believe St. Teresa of Avila wrote in one of her books that we can make a virtue of necessity. We will all suffer at times, but offering our sufferings in union with Jesus through Mary enables us to grow in virtue.

Mary our Mother, as St. Louis shares with us, helps us immensely by her powerful intercession and her tender love for us. Suffering is hard as St. Pio said but he suffered much and suffered with love by God’s Grace, as Mary did.