Is all pride sinful, and how can I overcome it?

[redrosetea]

Thanks, I really like that idea. Yesterday, before starting, I prayed that everything I did would serve to glorify God, and prayed similarly afterwards, both times ending with the sign of the cross. I’m going to try to do that more.

That is a very good thing to do…The flutist James Galway does this very thing …

You don’t say your age, but I have a feeling you might be rather young…I think the young are a bit more susceptible to pride than older people are…Life is a great leveler, and as we age we usually see how empty most of the things connected with success can be or become

 

[vergenzt]

I know precisely what you mean when you say you have issues with pride. I’m a pianist myself and, although I’m not quite as accomplished as you, I’m not that bad at it. I’ve been playing for about eight years (I’m 16 now), but haven’t had any formal lessons.

I really struggle with pride a lot when people ask if I’ve ever taken lessons, because I don’t want to be boastful about it, but I don’t want to lie, either.

I think I may begin praying the Litany of Humility daily, as well.

 

[seeker_of_God]

That is a very good thing to do…The flutist James Galway does this very thing …

Interesting. I’ve not heard of him.

You don’t say your age, but I have a feeling you might be rather young…I think the young are a bit more susceptible to pride than older people are…Life is a great leveler, and as we age we usually see how empty most of the things connected with success can be or become

Yeah, I’m 20. I think most of my pride is in my music, because I really want to become very good and master everything I’m given to learn. It’s just really hard, like I said, when objectively I’m much better than many, though still I know of course that I have a far way to go, too.

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

I will post everything in True Devotion to Mary on humility, for a greater understanding for you and me both on the value of humility, the effects of humility, and the benefit of fostering humility through Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin montfort.org.uk/Writings/TrueDev.html

**2. ** Because Mary remained hidden during her life she is called by the Holy Spirit and the Church, Alma Mater, Mother hidden and unknown. So great was her humility that she desired nothing more upon earth than to remain unknown to herself and to others, and to be known only to God.

**3. ** In answer to her prayers to remain hidden, poor and lowly, God was pleased to conceal her from nearly every other human creature in her conception, her birth, her life, her mysteries, her resurrection and assumption. Her own parents did not really know her; and the angels would often ask one another, “Who can she possibly be?” (Song of Songs 3:6,8:5) for God had hidden her from them, or if he did reveal anything to them, it was nothing compared with what he withheld.

**4. ** God the Father willed that she should perform no miracle during her life, at least no public one, although he had given her the power to do so. God the Son willed that she should speak very little although he had imparted his wisdom to her.

Even though Mary was his faithful spouse, God the Holy Spirit willed that his apotles and evangelists should say very little about her and then only as much as was necessary to make Jesus known.

**5. ** Mary is the supreme masterpiece of Almighty God and he has reserved the knowledge and possession of her for himself. She is the glorious Mother of God the Son who chose to humble and conceal her during her lifetime in order to foster her humility. He called her “Woman” as if she were a stranger, although in his heart he esteemed and loved her above all men and angels. Mary is the sealed fountain and the faithful spouse of the Holy Spirit where only he may enter. She is the sanctuary and resting-place of the Blessed Trinity where God dwells in greater and more divine splendour than anywhere else in the universe, not excluding his dwelling above the cherubim and seraphim. No creature, however pure, may enter there without being specially priveleged.

**6. ** I declare with the saints: Mary is the earthly paradise of Jesus Christ the new Adam, where he became man by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to accomplish in her wonders beyond our understanding. She is the vast and divine world of God where unutterable marvels and beauties are to be found. She is the magnificence of the Almighty where he hid his only Son, as in his own bosom, and with him everything that is most excellent and precious. What great and hidden things the all-powerful God has done for this wonderful creature, as she herself had to confess in spite of her great humility, “The Almighty has done great things for me.” The world does not know these things because it is incapable and unworthy of knowing them.

** 7. ** The saints have said wonderful things of Mary, the holy City of God, and, as they themselves admit, they were never more eloquent and more pleased than when they spoke of her. And yet they maintain that the height of her merits rising up to the throne of the Godhead cannot be measured; the greatness of the power which she wields over one who is God cannot be conceived; and the depths of her profound humility and all her virtues and graces cannot be sounded. What incomprehensible height! What indescribable breadth! What an impenetrable abyss!

** 19. ** If we examine closely the remainder of the life of Jesus Christ, we see that he chose to begin his miracles through Mary. It was by her word that he sanctified St. John the Baptist in the womb of his mother, St. Elizabeth; no sooner had Mary spoken than John was sanctified. This was his first and greatest miracle of grace. At the wedding in Cana he changed water into wine at her humble prayer, and this was his first miracle in the order of nature. He began and continued his miracles through Mary and he will continue them through her until the end of time.

** 27. ** Since grace enhances our human nature and glory adds a still greater perfection to grace, it is certain that our Lord remains in heaven just as much the Son of Mary as he was on earth. Consequently he has retained the submissiveness and obedience of the most perfect of all children towards the best of all mothers.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[seeker_of_God]

I know precisely what you mean when you say you have issues with pride. I’m a pianist myself and, although I’m not quite as accomplished as you, I’m not that bad at it. I’ve been playing for about eight years (I’m 16 now), but haven’t had any formal lessons.

I really struggle with pride a lot when people ask if I’ve ever taken lessons, because I don’t want to be boastful about it, but I don’t want to lie, either.

I think I may begin praying the Litany of Humility daily, as well.

I know what you mean. It is awkward when someone asks, “are you very good at it?” What am I supposed to say to that? I usually say something like, “Others say I am,” at which point someone else who has heard me before comes in with the time they heard me at this or that event or talent show, and it’s so hard to stay humble.

Also, when people ask about how I learn music, since I can’t read it because I’m blind. I say that I have to get someone to read it to me and I memorize it note-by-note, about a page an hour give or take some, obviously while I’m also playing what they are reading. And people are generally impressed with that, though sometime today, someone asked “is that pretty good?” referring to the rate at which I learn, and all I could say was, “I have no idea,” because I’ve never really compared it with anything or anyone else.

In short, there are of course many extraordinary circumstances surrounding me playing the piano, and it is hard to not get caught up in that.

On an aside, if you are considering doing anything with the piano, or even want to get much better at it, you do really need the training that can only be obtained through taking piano lessons from a compotent teacher. I know some people say they really don’t need it, but good training will accelerate your progress even more, and will help develop good habits and break bad ones when it comes to playing.

 

[redrosetea]

Interesting. I’ve not heard of him.

Why not google him and see what he has to say…he is world renowned, and had all sorts of honors bestowed on him

Yeah, I’m 20. I think most of my pride is in my music, because I really want to become very good and master everything I’m given to learn. It’s just really hard, like I said, when objectively I’m much better than many, though still I know of course that I have a far way to go, too.

It is nice to take pride in your abilities but I think you should find a mentor if possible to deflate you when you seem to be getting too full of yourself

Some of the least attractive people were so pompous it ruined what talent they had…You are wise to look ahead and to avoid this

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

We must take care, however, not to consider this dependence as an abasement or imperfection in Jesus Christ. For Mary, infinitely inferior to her Son, who is God, does not command him in the same way as an earthly mother would command her child who is beneath her. Since she is completely transformed in God by that grace and glory which transforms all the saints in him, she does not ask or wish or do anything which is contrary to the eternal and unchangeable will of God. When therefore we read in the writings of St. Bernard, St. Bernardine, St. Bonaventure, and others that all in heaven and on earth, even God himself, is subject to the Blessed Virgin, they mean that the authority which God was pleased to give her is so great that she seems to have the same power as God. Her prayers and requests are so powerful with him that he accepts them as commands in the sense that he never resists his dear mother’s prayer because it is always humble and conformed to his will.

Moses by the power of his prayer curbed God’s anger against the Israelites so effectively that the infinitely great and merciful Lord was unable to withstand him and asked Moses to let him be angry and punish that rebellious people. How much greater, then, will be the prayer of the humble Virgin Mary, worthy Mother of God, which is more powerful with the King of heaven than the prayers and intercession of all the angels and saints in heaven and on earth!

**28. ** Mary has authority over the angels and the blessed in heaven. As a reward for her great humility, God gave her the power and the mission of assigning to saints the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride.

Such is the will of almighty God who exalts the humble, that the powers of heaven, earth and hell, willingly or unwilligly, must obey the commands of the humble Virgin Mary. For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keeper of his treasures, dispenser of his graces, worker of his wonders, restorer of the human race, mediatrix on behalf of men, destroyer of his enemies, and faithful associate in his great works and triumphs.

34. ** God the Holy Spirit wishes to fashion his chosen ones in and through Mary. He tells her, “My well-beloved, my spouse, let all your virtues take root in my chosen ones”(Ecclus 24:13)** that they may grow from strength to strength and from grace to grace. When you were living on earth, practising the most sublime virtues, I was so pleased with you that I still desire to find you on earth without your ceasing to be in heaven. Reproduce yourself then in my chosen ones, so that I may have the jhoy of seeing in them the roots of your invincible faith, profound humility, total mortification, sublime prayer, ardent charity, your firm hope and all your virtues. You are always my spouse, as faithful, pure, and fruitful as ever. May your faith give me believers; your purity, virgins; your fruitfulness, elect and living temples.

**(1) God wishes to make Mary better known in the latter times. **
**50. ** God wishes therefore to reveal Mary, his master-piece and make her known in these latter times.
a) Because she kept herself hidden in this world and in her great humility considered herself lower than dust, having obtained from God, his apostles and evangelists the favour of not being made known.
b) Because, as Mary is not only God’s masterpiece of glory in heaven, but also his masterpiece of grace on earth, he wishes to be glorified and praised because of her by those living upon earth
c) Since she is the dawn which precedes and discloses the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ, she must be known and acknowledged so that Jesus may be known and acknowledged.
d) As she was the way by which Jesus first came to us, she will again be the way by which he will come to us the second time though not in the same manner.
e) Since she is the sure means, the direct and immaculate way to Jesus and the perfect guide to him, it is through her that souls who are to shine forth in sanctity, must find him. He who finds Mary finds life, (Prov 8:35), that is, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. But no one can find Mary who does not look for her. No one can look for her who does not know her, for no one seeks or desires something unknown. Mary then must be better known than ever for the deeper understanding and the greater glory of the Blessed Trinity.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

f) In these latter times Mary must shine forth more than ever in mercy, power and grace: in mercy, to bring back and welcome lovingly the poor sinners and wanderers who are to be converted and return to the Catholic Church; in power, to combat the enemies of God who will rise up menacingly to seduce and crush by promises and threats all those who oppose them; finally, she must shine forth in grace to inspire and support the valiant soldiers and loyal servants of Jesus Christ who are fighting for his cause.
g) Lastly, Mary must become as terrible as an army in battle array (Song of Songs, 6:3) to the devil and his followers, especially in these latter times. For Satan, knowing that he has little time (Revelations 12:12) – even less than ever – to destroy souls, intensifies his efforts and his onslaughts every day. He will not hesitate to stir up savage persecutions and set treacherous snares for Mary’s faithful servants and children whom he finds more difficult to overcome than others.

**51. ** It is chiefly in reference to these last wicked persecutions of the devil, daily increasing until the advent of the reign of anti-Christ, that we should understand that first and well-known prophecy and curse of God uttered against the serpent in the garden of paradise. It is opportune to explain it here for the glory of the Blessed Virgin, the salvation of her children and the confusion of the devil. “I will place enmities between you and the woman, between your race and her race; she will crush your head and you will lie in wait for her heel.”

**52. **God has established only one enmity – but it is an irreconcilable one – which will last and even go on increasing to the end of time. That enmity is between Mary, his worthy Mother, and the devil, between the children and the servants of the Blessed Virgin and the children and followers of Lucifer.

Thus, the most fearful enemy that God has set up against the devil is Mary, his holy Mother. From the time of the earthly paradise, although she existed then only in his mind, he gave her such a hatred for his accursed enemy, such ingenuity in exposing the wickedness of the ancient serpent and such power to defeat, overthrow and crush this proud rebel, that Satan fears her not only more than angels and men but in a certain sense more than God himself. This does not mean that the anger, hatred and power of God are not infinitely greater than the Blessed Virgin’s, since her attributes are limited. It simply means that Satan, being so proud, suffers infinitely more in being vanquished and punished by a lowly and humble servant of God, for her humility humiliates him more than the power of God. Moreover, God has given Mary such great power over the evil spirits that, as they have often been forced unwillingly to admit though the lips of possessed persons, they fear one of her pleadings for a soul more than the prayers of all the saints, and one of her threats more than all their other torments.

**53. ** What Lucifer lost by pride Mary won by humility. What Eve ruined and lost by disobedience Mary saved by obedience. By obeying the serpent, Eve ruined her children as well as herself and delivered them up to him. Mary, by her perfect fidelity to God, saved her children with herself and consecrated them to his divine majesty.

**54. ** God has established not just one enmity but “enmities”, and not only between Mary and Satan but between her race and his race. That is, God has put enmities, antipathies and hatreds between the true children of the Blessed Virgin and the children and slaves of the devil. THey have no love and no sympathy for each other. The children of Belial, the slaves of Satan, the friends of the world – for they are all one and the same – have always persecuted and will persecute more than ever in the future those who belong to the Blessed Virgin, just as Cain of old persecuted his brother Abel, and Esau his brother Jacob. These are the types of the wicked and of the just. But the humble Mary will always triumph over Satan, the proud one, and so great will be her victory that she will crush his head, the very seat of his pride. She will always unmask his serpent’s cunning and expose his wicked plots. She will scatter to the winds his devilish plans and to the end of time keep her faithful servants from his cruel claws.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[m134e5]

I tend to think I have a problem with pride, though when I asked a friend, he didn’t think so.

I’m a pianist, and most people would say that I’m quite accomplished at it. I’ve been playing for 15 years. It is really hard for me to not have pride over this, though. Sometimes I desire to have recognition, though I might not verbalize it.

It’s been a rare occasion that I play something, and not get some significant reaction out of it. I’ve won about 15-20 talent shows growing up. I got into a music school that is well-respected. I won an award in the music school last year for being one of the best at jury (like a final for piano, when one has to play in front of a panel of judges).

I point all that out because, I fear that I continue to seek that. Though I might not go around and say I think I’m the best or am better than other people, I do seek recognition and am jealous if I hear someone playing a piece that seems really difficult.

It really bothers me. I don’t want to think like that, and I know that pride is a grave sin, is it not? I’ve been praying for more humility, but I don’t know what else to do. I want to glorify God with everything I do, most especially with the piano, but it’s hard when I’m so focused on myself.

When is pride a sin? When is it mortal? How can I overcome it?

I am a performer as well. When I do a good job, I know it! I enjoy listening to recordings of myself, and performing for whoever wants to listen. I enjoy having people come up to me and talk about my performance (positively of course) afterwards. Why? Because I have worked hard to get where I am today. I have spent hours and hours practicing, and learning how to perform- and I can hear for myself the progress I have made.

It is NOT a sin to recognize when you are good at something. If you cannot acknowledge your own talents, how will you decide what to do with your life? That is not the kind of pride that is sinful. The kind of pride that is sinful is the kind where you rely on yourself, rather than God, for supernatural things- like salvation.

Of course, I recognize that these talents are things that God has given me- and I try to direct others to Him- through everything I do. I try to do my very best, and I have learned to know when it is good, and when it isn’t, and ultimately God knows that I’m trying to do it for His glory- that he may be glorified in his creation.

…that doesn’t mean I don’t acknowledge the time and hard work I have put into something, or that I don’t acknowledge the progress I have made, or that I don’t acknowledge when a performance really is a good performance.

 

[seeker_of_God]

It is nice to take pride in your abilities but I think you should find a mentor if possible to deflate you when you seem to be getting too full of yourself

Some of the least attractive people were so pompous it ruined what talent they had…You are wise to look ahead and to avoid this

Hmm, you mean spiritual mentor, or for piano? I of course already have a piano teacher, and she is very difficult and intimidating. She rarely compliments me, though I think like I said before, once last semester she said that I was better than some of her grad students. That meant so much to me, because she had never complimented me before, and I didn’t know if I was doing that well because of that.

I don’t think it would become that much of an issue that it would ruin my talent. I mean, I don’t see myself having anymore pride than any other pianist, including those who have posted in this thread. I just wanted to see if that pride that every musician has for his/her own work, is sinful and how to overcome it, and how to put the focus more on God.

 

[seeker_of_God]

I am a performer as well. When I do a good job, I know it! I enjoy listening to recordings of myself, and performing for whoever wants to listen. I enjoy having people come up to me and talk about my performance (positively of course) afterwards. Why? Because I have worked hard to get where I am today. I have spent hours and hours practicing, and learning how to perform- and I can hear for myself the progress I have made.

Yeah, that’s exactly how I feel. There’s a lot of work and much frustration that goes into making it performance-ready. There are difficult passages I may have worked on for weeks or even months to get at the level I want them to be at. I’m really happy when it turns out well, and proud of myself. The same goes for when something shifts and a passage that I had been working on a lot becomes easier and I play it at speed without mistakes and without too much stress in my hands.

It is NOT a sin to recognize when you are good at something. If you cannot acknowledge your own talents, how will you decide what to do with your life? That is not the kind of pride that is sinful. The kind of pride that is sinful is the kind where you rely on yourself, rather than God, for supernatural things- like salvation.

Thanks; that’s the kind of explanation I was looking for. Pride is such a common thing and I didn’t know when it crosses into sinfulness.

Of course, I recognize that these talents are things that God has given me- and I try to direct others to Him- through everything I do. I try to do my very best, and I have learned to know when it is good, and when it isn’t, and ultimately God knows that I’m trying to do it for His glory- that he may be glorified in his creation.

…that doesn’t mean I don’t acknowledge the time and hard work I have put into something, or that I don’t acknowledge the progress I have made, or that I don’t acknowledge when a performance really is a good performance.

Great, thanks for that. There seems such a subtle difference, but I will work on it.

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immacuate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

• I am going to interrupt my exposition of the importance of devotion to the Blessed Virgin in the spiritual warfare against pride with a few comments about my own life and then continue. I have pride in another area - my academics and intellectual matters - where that hurts me -
  (1) gives the the danger of feeling that I am above certain forms of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary that are so simple such as the Most Holy Rosary or adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
  (2) descends into idolatry - I am willing to give so much to the accomplishment of an academic dream that I may become sick but not so much into my prayer life - I am worshiping the Created and not the Creator
  (3) threatens my charity - I may want to backlash against someone who attempts to prevent me for achieving my academic dream
  (4) threatens my charity - I may find it difficult to associate with people who are not so accomplished as I am for unconsciously looking down on them, not valuing their talents
  (5) threatens my devotion to God - will I sacrifice God’s work for my own work? will I devote myself to an area that God is not calling for me to devote myself to out of pride when he can use me better in another area? if God calls me into greater service of him in some other way that earns me less prestige - can I go? can I adapt to the lack of worldly esteem in this other endeavour?
  (6) can make it hard for me to follow, value, and understand the Way of the Cross - that God glorifies himself, using your weakness and not always your strength in ways that cannot be easily understood - See **1 Corinthians 1:20-25 ** (Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the fooolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength."
  (7) threatens my self-worth, should be most worthy because I am called slave/servant/child of God, just as the Sacred Heart of Jesus was by coming down here to be crucified when he had all power, the worth in me is not based on my worldly success. I can fall into despair or bitter regret when my worldly success is impeded or when obstructions to achieving my academic goal fall into my way. Can I follow the path of Eric Liddell, Olympic gold medal runner who left all this to become a Chinese missionary? Eric Liddell said, “I believe that God made me for a purpose but he also made me fast and when I run I feel His pleasure.” Will I bend to the wordly rules? He refused to compete in any competition that threatened his service to God - for example, he would not run on Sundays. (He is Christian, unknown denomination)
  (8) even pride in spiritual matters is a problem - say I am doing the right thing for the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary but bearing no apparent fruit… will I give up because I can’t see the effects of my work? St. Louis Mary de Montfort traveled to Rome to visit the Holy Father himself and ask for advice given the relentless persecution and obstacles that he encountered when spreading devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Maybe after finding such opposition, I might give up and think - this is not the will of God. Yet, centuries later, Polish saint Maximilian Maria read his book and followed its precepts. What kind of life did this man live?

Polish Saint Maximilian Maria studied philosophy, theology, mathematics, and physics as a college student, before earning a doctorate in philosophy and a doctorate in theology in Rome, while suffering from tuberculosis. He became a priest, changed his name to Maria from Kolbe to venerate the Immaculate Heart of Mary, sheltered 2,000 Jews in his friary during the Holocaust, and when taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp offered to die in place of another man since that man had family and he did not as an abstinent fiar. During his time in the cell, he led the men in songs and prayer. Finally, after three weeks of dehydration and starvation, he was injected with carbolic acid and died. He is reported on the Jewish Virtual Library as Righteous Among the Nations.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

His life shows that no matter how dire the situation, the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary can continue to strengthen us. jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Kolbe.html.He founded Slaves of the Immaculata, www.consecration.com.

St. Therese of Liseux also read the True Devotion to Mary and followed it. Though she died at 24 of tuberculosis at a Carmelite convent, she is called by some the “greatest saint of modern times”. She is said to have said at her deathbed, “I can reached the point of being able to suffer no more, because all suffering is sweet to me.” She wanted to be a missionary but could not due to illness so she prayed for missionaries. Yet, centuries later, Mother Theresa named herself after her.

Maybe the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary wants to use our life to create a masterpiece for God. Yet, if we do not devote ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, maybe we are like a student that does not let itself be molded by an instructor resulting from pride, and at the end of our lives, the masterpiece created is not the same as that which would have been created had we let ourselves be shaped.

Will continue posting the excerpts of True Devotion to Mary that deal with humility…

But Mary’s power over the evil spirits will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lie in wait for her heel, that is, for her humble servants and her poor children whom she will rouse to fight against him. In the eyes of the world they will be little and poor and, like the heel, lowly in the eyes of all, downtrodden and crushed, as is the heel by the other parts of the body. But in compensation for this they will be rich in God’s graces, which will be abundantly bestowed on them by Mary. They will be superior to all creatures by their great zeal and so strongly will they be supported by divine assitance that, in union with Mary, they will crush the head of Satan with their heel, that is, their humility, and bring victory to Jesus Christ.

**59. ** Lastly, we know they will be true disciples of Jesus Christ, imitating his poverty, his humility, his contempt of the world and his love. They will point out the narrow way to God in pure truth according to the holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world. Their hearts will not be troubled, nor will they show favour to anyone; they will not spare or heed or fear any man, however powerful he may be. They will have the two-edged sword of the Word of God in their mouths and the blood-stained standard of the Cross on their shoulders. They will carry the crucifix in their right hand and the rosary in their left, and the holy names of Jesus and Mary on their heart. The simplicity and self-sacrifice of Jesus will be reflected in their whole behavior.

Such are the great men who are to come. By the will of God Mary is to prepare them to extend his rule over the impious and unbelievers. But when and how will this come about? Only God knows. For our part we must yearn and wait for it in silence and in prayer: “I have waited and waited.”(Psalm 39:2)

**It is more humble to have an intermediary with Christ **
**83. ** It is more perfect because it supposes greater humility to approach God through a mediator rather than directly by ourselves. Our human nature, as I have just shown, is so spoilt that if we rely on our own work, effort and preparedness to reach and please him, it is certain that our good works will be tained and carry little weight with him. They will not induce him to unite himself to us or answer our prayers. He saw our unworthiness and helplessness and had pity on us. To give us access to his mercies he provided us with powerful advocates, so that to neglect these mediators and to approach his infinite holiness directly and without help from any one of them, is to be lacking in humility and respect towards God who is so great and so holy. It would mean that we have less esteem for the King of kings than for an earthly king or ruler, for we would not dare approach an earthly king without a friend to speak for us.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

**88. ** 2) The evil spirits, cunning theives that they are, can take us by surprise and rob us of all we possess. They are watching day and night for the right moment. They roam about incessantly seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8) and to snatch from us in one brief moment of sin all the grace and merit we have taken years to acquire. Their malice and their experience, their cunning and their numbers out to make us ever fearful of such a misfortune happening to us. People richer in grace and virtue, more experienced and advanced in holiness than we are, have been caught off their guard and robbed and stripped of everything. How many cedars of Lebanon, how many stars of the firmament have we sadly watched fall and lose in a short time thier loftiness and their brightness!

What has brought about this unexpected reverse? Not the lack of grace, for this is denited no one. It was a lack of humility; they considered themselves well able to hold on to their treasures. They believed their house secure enough and their coffers strong enough to safeguard their precious treasure of grace. It was because of their unconscious reliance on self - although it seemed to them that they were relying solely on the grace of God - that the most just Lord left them to themselves and allowed them to be despoiled. If they had only known of the wonderful devotion that I shall later explain, they would have entrusted their treasure to Mary, the powerful and faithful Virgin. She would have kept it for them as if it were her own possession and even have considered that trust an obligation of justice.

**93. ** Critical devotees are for the most part proud scholars, people of independent and self-satisifed minds, who deep down in their hearts have a vague sort of devotion ot Mary. However, they criticise nearly all those forms of devotion to her which simple and pious people use to honour their good Mother just because such practices do not appeal to them. They question all miracles and stories which testify to the mercy and power of the blessed Virgin, even those recorded by trustworthy authors or taken from the chronicles of religious orders. They cannot bear to see simple and humble people on their knees before an altar or statue of our Lady, or at prayer before some outdoor shrine. They even accuse them of idolatry as if they were adoring the wood or the stone. They say that as far as they are concerned they do not care for such outward display of devotions and that they are not so gullible as to believe all the fairy tales and stories told of our blessed Lady. When you tell them how admirably the Fathers of the Church praised our Lady, they reply the Fathers exaggerated as orators do, or that their words are misreprsented. These false devotees, these proud worldly people are greatly to be feared. They do untold harm to devotion to our Lady. While pretending to correct abuses, they succeed only too well in turning people away from this devotion.

**143. ** Moreover, this devotion is an expression of great humility, a virtue which God loves above all others. A person who exalts himself debases God, and a person who humbles himself exalts God. “God opposes the proud, but gives his graces to the humble.” If you humble yourself, convinced that you are unworthy to appear before him, or even to approach him, he condescends to come down to you. He is pleased to be with you and exalts you in spite of yourself. But, on the other hand, if you venture to go towards God boldly without a mediator, he vanishes and is nowhere to be found. How dearly he loves the humble of heart! It is to such humility that this devotion leads us, for it teaches us never to go alone directly to our Lord, however gentle and merciful though he may be, but always to use Mary’s power of intercession, whether we want to enter his presence, speak to him, be near him, offer him something, seek union with him or consecrate ourselves to him.

**3. It obtains many blessings from our Lady **
** 144. ** The Blessed Virgin, mother of gentleness and mercy, never allows herself to be surpassed in love and generosity. When she sees someone giving himself entirely to her in order to honour and serve her, and depriving himself of what he prizes most in order to adorn her, she gives herself completely in a wondrous manner to him. She engulfs him in the ocean of her graces, adorns him with her merits, supports him with her power, enlightens him with her light, and fills him with her love.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

She shares her virtues with him - her humility, faith, purity, etc. She makes up for his failings and becomes his representative with Jesus. Just as one who is consecrated belongs entirely to Mary, so Mary belongs entirely to him. We can truthfully say of this perfect servant and child of Mary what St. John in his gospel says of himself, “He took her for his own.”

**147. ** 2) She enriches our good works by adorning them with her own merits and virtues. It is as if a poor peasant, wishing to win the friendship and favour of the king, were to go to the queen and give her an apple - his only possession - for her to offer it to the king. The queen, accepting the peasant’s humble gift, puts it on a beautiful golden dish and presents it to the king on behalf of the peasant. THe apple in itself would not be a gift worthy of a king, but presented by the queen in person a dish of gold, it becomes fit for any king.

**157. ** 3) This devotion is a perfect way to reach our Lord and be united to him, for Mary is the most perfect and the most holy of all creatures, and Jesus, who came to us in a perfect manner, chose no other road for his great and wonderful journey. The Most High, the Incomprehensible One, the Inaccessible One, He who is, deigned to come down to us poor earthly creatures who are nothing at all. How was this done?

The Most High God came down to us in a perfect way through the humble Virgin Mary, without losing anything of his divinity or holiness. It is likewise through Mary that we poor creatures must ascend to almighty God in a perfect manner without having anything to fear.

God, the Incomprehensible, allowed himself to be perfectly comprehended and contained by the humble Virgin Mary without losing anything of his majesty. So it is also through Mary that we must draw near to God and unite ourselves to him perfectly, intimately, and without fear of being rejected.

Lastly, He who is deigned to come down to us who are not and turned our nothingness into God, or He who is. He did this perfectly by giving and submitting himself entirely to the young Virgin Mary without ceasing to be in time He who is from all eternity. Likewise it is through Mary that we, who are nothing, may become like God by grace and glory. We accomplish this by giving ourselves to her so perfectly and so completely as to remain nothing, as far as self is concerned, and to be everything in her, without any fear of illusion.

Chapter 6: WONDERFUL EFFECTS OF THIS DEVOTION
**213. ** My dear friend, be sure that if you remain faithful to the interior and exterior practices of this devotion which I will point out, the following effects will be produced in your soul:

**1. Knowledge of our unworthiness **
By the light which the Holy Spirit will give you through Mary, his faithful spouse, you will perceive the evil inclinations of your fallen nature and how incapable you are of any good apart from that which God produces in you as Author of nature and of grace. As a consequence of this knowledge you will despise yourself and think of yourself only as an object of repugnance. You will consider yourself as a snail that soils everything with its slime, as a toad that poisons everything with its venom, as a malevolent serpent seeking only to deceive. Finally, the humble Virgin Mary will share her humility with you so that, although you regard yourself with distaste and desire to be disregarded by others, you will not look down slightingly upon anyone.

**223. ** 2) In this devotion we set no store on our own thoughts and actions but are content to rely on Mary’s dispositions when approaching and even speaking to Jesus. We then act with far greater humility than others who, imperceptibly, rely on their own dispositions and are self-satisifed about them; and consequently, we give greater glory to God, for perfect glory is given to him only by the lowly and humble of heart.

**253. ** When the Hail Mary is well said, that is, with attention, devotion and humility, it is, according to the saints, the enemy of Satan, putting him to flight; it is the hammer that crushes him, a source of holiness for souls, a joy to the angels and a sweet melody for the devout. It is the Canticle of the New Testament, a delight for Mary and glory for the most Blessed Trinity. The Hail Mary is a dew falling from heaven to make the soul fruitful. It is a pure kiss of love we give to Mary. It is a crimson rose, a precious pearl that we offer to her. It is a cup of ambrosia, of divine nectar that we give her. These are comparisons made by the saints.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

• b) Praying the Magnificat *
  **255. ** To thank God for the graces he has given to our Lady, her consecrated ones will frequently say the Magnificat, following the example of Blessed Marie d’Oigies and several other saints. The Magnificant is the only prayer we have which was composed by our Lady, or rather, composed by Jesus in her, for it was he who spoke through her lips. It is the greatest offering of praise that God ever received under the law of grace. On the one hand, it is the most humble hymn of thanksgiving, and on the other, it is the most sublime and exalted. Contained in it are mysteries so great and so hidden that even the angels do not understand them.

Gerson, a pious and learned scholar, spent the greater part of his life writing tracts full of erudition and love on the most profound subjects. Even so, it was with apprehension that he undertook, towards the end of of his life, to write a commentary on the Magnificat which was the crowning point of all his works. In a large volume on the subject he says many wonderful things about this beautiful and divine canticle. Among other things he tells us that Mary herself frequently recited it, especially as thanks-giving after Holy Communion. The learned Benzonius, in his commentary on the Magnificat, cites several miracles worked through the power of this prayer. The devils, he declares, take to flight when they hear these words. “He puts forth his arm in strength and scatters the proud-hearted.”

Through Mary
258. ** 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,”(Rom 8:14)** says St. Paul, 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 came her very spirit. That is why St. Ambrose says, “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 Rodriquez, who died in the odour of sanctity, 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.

With Mary
**260. ** We must do everything with Mary, that is to say, in all our actions we must look upon Mary, although a simple human being, as the perfect model of every virtue and perfection, fashioned by the Holy Spirit for us to imitate, as far as our limited capacity allows. In every action then we should consider how Mary performed it or how she would perform it if she were in our place. For this reason, we must examine and meditate on the great virtues she practised during her life, especially:

1. Her lively faith, by which she believed the angel’s word without the least hesitation, and believed faithfully and constantly even to the foot of the Cross on Calvary.

1. Her deep humility, which made her prefer seclusion, maintain silence, submit to every eventuality and put herself in the last place.

1. Her truly divine purity, which never had and never will have its equal on this side of heaven.

And so on for her other virtues.
Remember what I told you before, that Mary is the great, unique mould of God, designed to make living images of God at little cost and in a short time. Anyone who finds this mould and casts himself into it, is soon transformed into our Lord because it is the true likeness of him.

In Mary
**261. ** We must do everything in Mary. To understand this we must realize that the Blessed Virgin is the true earthly paradise of the new Adam and that the ancient paradise was only a symbol of her. (the whole of this number is a commentary on Gen, 2:8-10) There are in this earthly paradise untold riches, beauties, rarities and delights, which the new Adam, Jesus Christ, has left there. It is in this paradise that he took his delights for nine months, worked his wonders and displayed his riches with the magnificence of God himself. This most holy place consists of only virgin and immaculate soil from which the new Adam was formed with neither spot nor stain by the operation of the Holy Spirit who dwells there.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

In this earthly paradise grows the real Tree of Life which bore our Lord, the fruit of Life, and the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, which bore the Light of the world.

In this divine place, there are trees planted by the hand of God and watered by his divine unction which have borne and continue to bear fruit that is pleasing to him. There are flowerbeds studden with a variety of beautiful flowers of virtue, diffusing a fragrance which delights even the angels. Here there are meadows verdant with hompe, impregnable towers of fortitude, enchanting mansions of confidence, and many other delights.

Only the Holy Spirit can teach us the truths that these material objects symbolise. In this place the air is perfectly pure. There is no night, but only the brilliant day of the sacred humanity, the resplendent spotless sun of the Divinity, the blazing furnace of love, melting all the base metal thrown into it and changing it into gold. There the river of humility gushes forth from the soil, divides into four branches and irrigates the whole of this enchanted place. These branches are the four cardinal virtues.

**273. ** There are innumerable other thoughts with which the Holy Spirit will inspire you, which he will make yours if you are thoroughly recollected and mortified, and constantly faithful to the great and sublime devotion which I have been teaching you. But remember the more you let Mary act in your Communion the more Jesus will be glorified. The more you humble yourself and listen to Jesus and Mary in peace and silence – with no desire to see, taste, or feel - then the more freedom you will give to Mary to act in Jesus’ name and the more Jesus will act in Mary. For the just man lives everywhere by faith (Heb 10:38, Rom 1:17, Gal. 3:11) but especially in Holy Communion, which is an action of faith.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and learn in this thread!! May the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary be glorifed by, though, and in us!! Jesus, I trust in you!! Jesus, I trust in you!! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!! Jesus, I trust in you!! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!! May the Holy Spirit through the Immaculate Heart of Mary grace us with the gifts that we most desperately need!!

For further information on the Most Holy Rosary, the Catholic devotion second to the Eucharist, by the same saint who wrote True Devotion to Mary, click on this link: **Secret of the Rosary ** montfort.org.uk/Writings/Rosary.html

To adore the Sacred Heart of Jesus online, click on this link: Pereptual online Adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus louisville-catholic.net/WebCameras/AdorationChapel/tabid/825/Default.aspx

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *