"If we knew the value of the Cross..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

God willing, tomorrow we’ll conclude Chapter 14, “Triumph of Eternal Wisdom in and by the Cross.” There are only 3 chapters remaining in St. Louis de Montfort’s book: “The Love of Eternal Wisdom”.

1. If we knew the value of the Cross, we would, like St. Peter of Alcantara, have novenas made in order to acquire such a delightful morsel of paradise. We would say, like St. Teresa, “Either to suffer or to die;” or with St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi, “Not to die but to suffer.” Like blessed John of the Cross we would ask only for the grace to suffer and be despised. Heaven esteems nothing in this world except the Cross, he said after his death to a saintly person. And our Lord said to one of His servants, “I have crosses of such great value that my Mother, most powerful as she is, can procure from Me nothing more precious for her faithful servants.”
2. Wise and honest people living in this world, you do not understand the mysterious language of the Cross. You are too fond of sensual pleasures and you seek your comforts too much. You have too much regard for the things of this world and you are too afraid to be held up to scorn or looked down upon. In short, you are too opposed to the Cross of Jesus. True, you speak well of the Cross in general, but not of the one that comes your way. You shun this as much as you can or else you drag it along reluctantly, grumbling, impatient and protesting. I seem to see in you the oxen that drew the Ark of the Covenant against their will, bellowing as they went, unaware that what they were drawing contained the most precious treasure upon earth. (1 Kgs 6.12).

We were made for happiness and God continues working in us to prepare us to enjoy all He has prepared for us. Jesus has won by HIs Life and Death, all our our first parents lost by sin. Jesus told His Disciples:

In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. (John 14: 2-3)

St. Louis in his writing shared what he preached throughout France in his day. It seems to me, by God’s Grace, we can learn from what he is saying today, if we listen with the ears of our hearts.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your Faithful with the Fire of Your Love. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

We would say, like St. Teresa, “Either to suffer or to die;” or with St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi, “Not to die but to suffer.” Like blessed John of the Cross we would ask only for the grace to suffer and be despised.

Man, this is hardcore

But we are very blessed to have the saints like our cool older friends in Heaven who “went there” and “did that”!

The Litany Of Humility ties in with all this—to be little and forgotten. It goes against everything we’re taught by the world to desire, but it also has its own sweet charm.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear OScarlett,

Thanks for your “wholehearted reply”!

Yes, it seems to me too, that we are blessed in reading the testimonies of our brothers and sisters - our saints – who lived on earth and did the Truth they heard from Jesus in His Words and Actions, as our Mother Mary did. They followed Him to heaven as she did, remembering His words:

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Mt 11: 28 - 30)

The Litany of Cardinal Merry del Val ties in with with all this. If anyone is unfamiliar with this “Litany of Humility”, see HERE

 

[patricius79]

• If we knew the value of the Cross, we would…” Like blessed John of the Cross we would ask only for the grace to suffer and be despised. Heaven esteems nothing in this world except the Cross, he said after his death to a saintly person. And our Lord said to one of His servants, “I have crosses of such great value that my Mother, most powerful as she is, can procure from Me nothing more precious for her faithful servants.”

MariaChristi,

I find it very confusing, difficult, and irritating to be despised. So this is helpful. I think that I cannot bear these beautiful truths without devotion to Mary, which is the sweetness of the Cross.

Here is a passage which is helpful to me from True Devotion:

It is true that on our way we have hard battles to fight and serious obstacles to overcome, but Mary, our Mother and Queen, stays close to her faithful servants. She is always at hand to brighten their darkness, clear away their doubts, strengthen them in their fears, sustain them in their combats and trials… t 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… 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.
https://www.ewtn.com/library/Montfort/TRUEDEVO.HTM

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

Thanks so much for your reply, and for the beautiful excerpt from St. Louis de Montfort’s “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”.

Truly Jesus knew all the human weaknesses we experience, as He looked down from His Cross on Calvary, and it seems to me His Compassionate Heart had mercy on us in giving Mary to us to be our Mother in His Words:

“Behold your Mother”

Let us be ever grateful for His gift to us, for in beholding her, and taking her into our lives, we find our Mother and Model for the Church.

 

[patricius79]

Thank you, MariaChristi.

Yes, God’s Mercy is great in giving us His Mother to be ours.

I think Mary is helping me to see that one of the main ways the devil tempts me is to see my crosses as punishment, and as negative things, rather than as gifts which help me be closer to Jesus. If the devil can get me to see my crosses as punishment, it puts the focus on me rather than on Jesus and His Goodness to me in letting me share in the glory of His Passion.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brother patricious,

What a great grace God is giving you to see this! The devil will try anything to keep our focus off Jesus and Mary and he will keep trying to put our focus on our “self” to keep us from the Goodness of God in letting us share the glory of His Passion.

I copied this quote from JPII years ago and perhaps I’ve already shared it with you, but your words in your reply reminded me of these words of Pope St John Paul II:

“The revelation of the glory of the Trinity in the passion of Jesus becomes a promise –
that our pain and darkness , too, can become a dialogue of love, in which there shines forth
in our lives, the glory of the Trinity.” – Pope St. John Paul II, May 3, 2000

 

[patricius79]

What a great grace God is giving you to see this! The devil will try anything to keep our focus off Jesus and Mary and he will keep trying to put our focus on our “self” to keep us from the Goodness of God in letting us share the glory of His Passion.

Yes, and once we really trust that Jesus is Infinite Goodness, then we are free because we no longer have excessive fear the Cross. Rather we love the Cross.

It seems to me that everything Jesus wants from is can be summed up by the words “active receptivity”. Mary actively received everything God gave her. She trusted God and knew he would only do good in her and in all of us.

That quotation from Mother Teresa which you gave helps me:

Suffering is not a punishment. Jesus does not punish. Suffering is a sign: a sign that we have come so close to Jesus on the cross that he can kiss us, and show that He is in love with us, by giving us an opportunity to share in His passion.

Because Mary understood this so well, St. John Eudes could say:

“So when the Mother of Jesus was crucified and reviled with her Son, the bitter anguish and inconceivable torments she endured in her senses and in the inferior part of her soul did not prevent her from enjoying in her spirit and in her Heart, a profound peace and an unutterable contentment, for she knew that such was God’s will and His good pleasure.”