"...Jesus is always and everywhere the fruit and Son of Mary..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are almost at the end of Chapter 1 of St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”, and hopefully those devoted to Mary are growing ever closer to Jesus because as St. Louis pointed out in the first paragraph of Chap. 1:

1. With the whole Church I acknowledge that Mary, being a mere creature fashioned by the hands of God is, compared to his infinite majesty, less than an atom, or rather is simply nothing, since He alone can say, “I am He who is”. Consequently, this great Lord, who is ever independent and self-sufficient, never had and does not now have any absolute need of the Blessed Virgin for the accomplishment of His will and the manifestation of His glory. To do all things He has only to will them.
2. However, I declare that, considering things as they are, because God has decided to begin and accomplish His greatest works through the Blessed Virgin ever since He created her, we can safely believe that He will not change His plan in the time to come, for He is God and therefore does not change in His thoughts or His way of acting.

We need prayerfully to listen to the whole of this little treatise, remembering the Infinite and Eternal Wisdom of God and His Infinite and Eternal Love in sending Jesus through Mary by the power of His Holy Spirit. We continue now in Chap. 1 of the treatise where we left off yesterday:

1. If devotion to the Blessed Virgin is necessary for all men simply to work out their salvation, it is even more necessary for those who are called to a special perfection. I do not believe that anyone can acquire intimate union with our Lord and perfect fidelity to the Holy Spirit without a very close union with the most Blessed Virgin and an absolute dependence on her support.
2. Mary alone found grace before God without the help of any other creature. All those who have since found grace before God have found it only through her. She was full of grace when she was greeted by the Archangel Gabriel and was filled with grace to overflowing by the Holy Spirit when He so mysteriously overshadowed her. From day to day, from moment to moment, she increased so much this twofold plenitude that she attained an immense and inconceivable degree of grace. So much so, that the Almighty made her the sole custodian of His treasures and the sole dispenser of His graces. She can now ennoble, exalt and enrich all she chooses. She can lead them along the narrow path to heaven and guide them through the narrow gate to life. She can give a royal throne, sceptre and crown to whom she wishes. Jesus is always and everywhere the fruit and Son of Mary and Mary is everywhere the genuine tree that bears that Fruit of life, the true Mother who bears that Son.

God willing, tomorrow we celebrate the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary. Let us today remember with loving gratitude the Indwelling Trinity infused into our souls in Baptism. Let us ask Jesus and Mary to reign in our hearts as King and Queen now and forever!

 

[patricius79]

From day to day, from moment to moment, she increased so much this twofold plenitude that she attained an immense and inconceivable degree of grace.

It’s wonderful to think of that the worthy Mother of God is mother to each of us.

We have the feast day today of another especially-Marian saint: Pope St. Pius X. Here is a passage from an encyclical he wrote about Mary:

1. How think otherwise? Could not God have given us, in another way than through the Virgin the Redeemer of the human race and the Founder of the Faith? But, since Divine Providence has been pleased that we should have the Man-God through Mary, who conceived Him by the Holy Ghost and bore Him in her breast, it only remains for us to receive Christ from the hands of Mary. Hence whenever the Scriptures speak prophetically of the grace which was to appear among us, the Redeemer of mankind is almost invariably presented to us as united with His mother. The Lamb that is to rule the world will be sent - but He will be sent from the rock of the desert; the flower will blossom, but it will blossom from the root of Jesse. Adam, the father of mankind, looked to Mary crushing the serpent’s head, and he dried the tears that the malediction had brought into his eyes. Noë thought of her when shut up in the ark of safety, and Abraham when prevented from the slaying of his son; Jacob at the sight of the ladder on which angels ascended and descended; Moses amazed at the sight of the bush which burned but was not consumed; David escorting the arc of God with dancing and psalmody; Elias as he looked at the little cloud that rose out of the sea. In fine, after Christ, we find in Mary the end of the law and the fulfillment of the figures and oracles.
   http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-x...x_enc_02021904_ad-diem-illum-laetissimum.html

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

Thanks for your reply and for your continuing love for Jesus through Mary. Yes, it is wonderful and calls forth great gratitude and love from our hearts to receive the gift of Mary as our Mother from Jesus on Calvary, with His precious words to John and to us:

“Behold your Mother!”

“From day to day, moment by moment” may we too grow spiritually by God’s Grace as our Humble Mother did. Looking at Mary with the eyes of Supernatural Faith, Hope, and above all Charity, may we become true chldren of God – “perfect as Our Heavenly Father is perfect” in Love.

 

[patricius79]

If devotion to the Blessed Virgin is necessary for all men simply to work out their salvation, it is even more necessary for those who are called to a special perfection. I do not believe that anyone can acquire intimate union with our Lord and perfect fidelity to the Holy Spirit without a very close union with the most Blessed Virgin and an absolute dependence on her support.

These threads are helpful because the words of St. Louis are so beautiful and it’s helpful to prayerfully think about them in communion with others.

What St. Louis says here makes sense, because the ordinary Magisterium teaches that Mary is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and–in complete dependence on Her Divine Son–the Mediatrix of All Grace.

As. Fr. Gaitley notes in his book “33 Days to Morning Glory”, this is why it is “easy” to become a saint if one stays close to Mary. And why wouldn’t we want to do that? She is so good that we can’t express it.
The ordinary Magisterium even teaches that under God, we cannot even imagine a greater innocence and holiness than that of our Mother.

It’s so wonderful to depend on her help, invoking her frequently and repeating, with her, the Name of Jesus Christ, which contains everything and which is the easiest way of praying always and glorifying the Eternal Father.

As Vatican II tells us, Mary’s role as our Mother in the order of grace does not diminish Christ, but actually shows his power. Everything she is and does comes from Him.

If we only knew how Jesus, our Lord and One Mediator loves Mary, and how much they love us!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

These threads are helpful to me as well. Slowing down to ponder the Wisdom God gives to his Saints is always a blessing.