"...Listen to Him" - Feast of the Transfiguration - Aug. 6

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord – a beautiful and significant account is given from Mark’s Gospel in today’s Mass readings, the First Reading from the book of Daniel and the Second letter from Peter also are helpful for us to ponder. There is an important connection to Mary, it seems to me, In the words God spoke on the Mount of the Transfiguration :

"This is My Chosen Son, listen to Him"

Before continuing with the next paragraph from St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on “True Devotion to the Virgin Mary”, it is good to remember that Mary had begun to “listen” to God very early in her life on this earth. She heard and kept all God revealed in the Scriptures passed on through centuries of Jewish history. When Mary listened to the Angel announce God’s Plan to send Jesus she gave herself to be His totally.

In the first and second Mass readings today, we can “see connections” to Mary: Daniel the Prophet wrote: “…I saw: One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven…” We know Jesus will come in Glory at the end of time, but He came first through Mary. St. Peter wrote: "…we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. " I’m reminded of the Hymn: “Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day”.

True Devotion to Mary is important for us, because it is God’s Plan. He sent Jesus to us through Mary, and the more we listen to all Jesus said and did as Mary listened, the more like Him , by His Grace, we become. Jesus knew dying on the Cross, Mary knew Him best, so He told us: “Behold Your Mother”. In her, we see Jesus living and active as He invites us to live and remain in Him.

St. Louis de Montfort continues in his treatise to praise Mary:

1. Every day, from one end of the earth to the other, in the highest heaven and in the lowest abyss, all things preach, all things proclaim the wondrous Virgin Mary. The nine choirs of angels, men and women of every age, rank and religion, both good and evil, even the very devils themselves are compelled by the force of truth, willingly or unwillingly, to call her blessed.

According to St. Bonaventure, all the angels in heaven unceasingly call out to her: “Holy, holy, holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God.” They greet her countless times each day with the angelic greeting, “Hail, Mary”, while prostrating themselves before her, begging her as a favour to honour them with one of her requests. According to St. Augustine, even St. Michael, though prince of all the heavenly court, is the most eager of all the angels to honour her and lead others to honour her. At all times he awaits the privilege of going at her word to the aid of one of her servants.

Come Holy Spirit, open the ears of our hearts, help us to listen!

 

[patricius79]

Jesus is telling us that he wants us to trust in His Mercy, and that Mary is our “mother in the order of grace”.

Jesus told St. Faustina:

[Let] the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice…
DIARY III (1001-1230) - Divine Mercy in my SOUL

And Vatican II tells us:

1. Predestined from eternity by that decree of divine providence which determined the incarnation of the Word to be the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin was on this earth the virgin Mother of the Redeemer, and above all others and in a singular way the generous associate and humble handmaid of the Lord. She conceived, brought forth and nourished Christ. She presented Him to the Father in the temple, and was united with Him by compassion as He died on the Cross. In this singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the work of the Saviour in giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of grace.
   http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_...s/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

Thanks for your post, and your reference to Mercy. Certainly, we hear in today’s Feast the Father of Mercy Who tells us:

This is My Chosen Son, listen to Him.

It is so beautiful to “see” by faith how God so loved the world He sent His Son born of a woman, by the power of His Holy Spirit. Your quote from the Vatican II Document on the Church is so appropriate to include on this thread:

1. Predestined from eternity by that decree of divine providence which determined the incarnation of the Word to be the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin was on this earth the virgin Mother of the Redeemer, and above all others and in a singular way the generous associate and humble handmaid of the Lord. She conceived, brought forth and nourished Christ. She presented Him to the Father in the temple, and was united with Him by compassion as He died on the Cross. In this singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the work of the Saviour in giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of grace.
   http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_...s/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html

St. Louis de Montfort rightly praises Mary for God Himself has so honored her! The Vatican Document “Lumen Gentium” in chapter 8 extols Mary and we do well to ponder the whole chapter. You chose only one of several beautiful paragarphs but it is good to link as you did the Mercy of Jesus and the compassion of Mary. Mary is never considered “equal” to God but always His Humble Handmaid. Exalted in her role as Mother of God yet she is not God, She is human and in her perfection a model for the Church. She listened to all Jesus said and did as the Church is called to do.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary are united in a unique relationship and we are invited to ponder the mystery of the Word Made Flesh in Mary that we may likewise come by God’s Grace into union with Him in the perfection of charity.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful. Kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. Enable us to listen to Jesus and ponder as Mary pondered all in her heart.

 

[patricius79]

Predestined from eternity by that decree of divine providence which determined the incarnation of the Word to be the Mother of God,

That is so mysterious. God did not decree that the Word would become flesh, and then also decree that this would be done through Mary. It was one decree: that the Eternal Word would become flesh in Mary.

In “Mother of the Redeemer”. Pope St. John Paul II states that Mary is “present before the creation of the world”:

In the mystery of Christ she is present even “before the creation of the world,” as the one whom the Father “has chosen” as Mother of his Son in the Incarnation.
Redemptoris Mater (25 March 1987) | John Paul II

 

[patricius79]

There is a similar statement in even a higher document, the Apostolic Constitution on the Immaculate Conception:

From the very beginning, and before time began, the eternal Father chose and prepared for his only-begotten Son a Mother in whom the Son of God would become incarnate and from whom, in the blessed fullness of time, he would be born into this world.
Ineffabilis Deus - Papal Encyclicals

To think that she is also the mother of each of us, uniquely, is awesome!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

Thanks again for your replies which reveal time and again your love for Jesus through Mary. I continue to ponder the great Humility of God in choosing to send His son born of a human mother – by the power of His Holy Spirit, and to endow her with an Immaculate Conception that she might share in His Humility and be a worthy tabernacle in which to hide her Incarnate Son – The Word of God Made Flesh.

By His Grace may we, from the depths of our hearts, with our Mother cry out: “My Soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoieces in God my Saviour…”

 

[patricius79]

Yes, and it’s a reminder that the things which are hidden, the things which are little, and which don’t matter to the world, do matter to God.

St. Louis talks about how the mystery of the Incarnation contains the grace of His whole life, and that in the womb of Mary he worked secret miracles:

The Incarnation is the first mystery of Jesus Christ; it is the most hidden; and it is the most
exalted and the least known… It is the seat of liberality for Mary, because while the new Adam dwelt in this truly earthly paradise
God performed there so many hidden marvels beyond the understanding of men and angels. For this reason,
the saints call Mary “the magnificence of God”, as if God showed his magnificence only in Mary.
http://www.montfort.org/content/uploads/pdf/PDF_EN_26_1.pdf

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

At the same time, as my re-reading of St. Louis de Montfort’s books: on “The Love of Eternal Wisdom” and now re-reading his treatise on “True Devotion”, and posting continuous threads on those books, I’ve also begun re-reading “The Interior Castle” by St. Teresa of Avila. It is my favorite of all her books, and God willing, I hope to write my next series (after we complete the series on “True Devotion”) on St. Teresa of Avila’s book “The Interior Castle”. It was the last book she wrote and I’m finding it has a certain resonance with our Mother Mary’s “hiddenness”.

As St. Louis de Montfort was given grace to “see and write” as you quoted him:

God performed there so many hidden marvels beyond the understanding of men and angels. For this reason, the saints call Mary “the magnificence of God”, as if God showed His magnificence only in Mary.

Of course, they could only say “as if” for no one could contain and show the complete Magnificence of God but God Himself. Mary showed the most possible for any human person for she held within her womb the Incarnate Son of God who allowed Himself to shine through her.

I believe God wants to shine through each member of His Body as He shone through Mary but we must cooperate with the Grace He gives us. I believe it was Mary’s lowliness, her humility which gave ALL to Him and thus He gave her “so many hidden marvels” beyond the understanding of men and angels.