Mar. 15 - Wk 2 - Day 5 - "Seeking understanding of Mary and praying to the Holy Spirit for this grace."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Ending Chapter 2 in “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”, St Louis de Montfort humbly wrote:

1. I have already said many things about the Blessed Virgin and, as I am trying to fashion a true servant of Mary and a true disciple of Jesus, I have still a great deal to say, although through ignorance, inability, and lack of time, I shall leave infinitely more unsaid.
2. But my labour will be well rewarded if this little book falls into the hands of a noble soul, a child of God and of Mary, born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor of the will of man. My time will be well spent if, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, after having read this book he is convinced of the supreme value of the solid devotion to Mary I am about to describe. If I thought that my guilty blood could help the reader to accept in his heart the truths that I set down in honour of my dear Mother and Queen, I, her most unworthy child and slave, would use it instead of ink to write these words. I would hope to find faithful souls who, by their perseverance in the devotion I teach, will repay her for the loss she has suffered through my ingratitude and infidelity.
3. I feel more than ever inspired to believe and expect the complete fullfilment of the desire that is deeply engraved on my heart and what I have prayed to God for over many years, namely, that in the near or distant future the Blessed Virgin will have more children, servants and slaves of love than ever before, and that through them Jesus, my dear Lord, will reign more than ever in the hearts of men.

How encouraging for us all to read! When God engraves upon our hearts, a love for Mary, it is a gift He wants us to share, and He will make fruitful in his own time. Mary listened and so must we to the Holy Spirit – Saints like St. Louis did as Mary did. Mary listened to everything Jesus said and did, and pondered all in her heart. Mary lived the Truth Who is Jesus, born from her womb.

O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in Your servants, in the spirit of Your holiness, in the fullness of Your power, in the perfection of Your ways, in the truth of Your virtues, in the communion of Your mysteries. Rule over every adverse power, in Your Spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen. - (Fr. Olier)

Litany of the Holy Spirit: HERE
Ave Maris Stella HERE
Five decades of the Holy Rosary – praying with Faith, each “Our Father” slowly to listen , as Mary does with a humble and unselfish heart.

 

[hazcompat]

Sermons of the Cure of Ars-Excerpts
THE SERVICE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
If I wanted to, I would show you that in all walks of life there have been great servants of the Blessed Virgin. I would find for you, among them, those who begged their bread from door to door. I would find for you, among them, those who lived in much the same sort of state in life as many of you. I would find them for you among the wealthy, and in great number, too. We read in the Gospel that our Lord always treated people with great tenderness, except
for one type of people whom He treated with severity; these were the Pharisees, and they were so treated because they were proud and hardened in sin. They would willingly have hindered, if they could, the accomplishment of the will of the Father. What is more, our Lord called them “whited sepulchers, hypocrites, brood of vipers, offspring of vipers, who devour the breasts of their mothers.”
We can say the same thing on the subject of devotion to the Blessed Virgin. All Christians have a great devotion to Mary except those old and hardened sinners who, for a very long time, having lost the faith, wallow in the slime of their brute passions. The Devil tries to keep them in this state of blindness until that moment when death opens their eyes. Ah! If they had but the happiness to have recourse to Mary they would not fall into Hell, as will happen to them! No, my dear children, let us not imitate such people! On the contrary, let us follow the
footsteps of all those true servants of Mary. Belonging to this number were St. Charles Borromeo, who always said his rosary on his knees. What is more, he fasted on all vigils of the feasts of the Blessed Virgin. He was so careful about saluting her on the stroke of the bell that when the Angelus rang, wherever he was, he went down on his knees, sometimes even in the middle of the road when it was full of mud. He desired that his whole diocese should have a great devotion to Mary and that her name would be uttered everywhere with the utmost respect. He had a number of chapels built in her honor.
Now then, my dear brethren, why should not we imitate these great saints who obtained so many graces from Mary to preserve them from sin? Have we not the same enemies to fight, the same Heaven to hope for? Yes, Mary always has her eyes upon us. Do we suffer temptations? Let us turn our hearts towards Mary and we shall be delivered.

Peace

 

[MariaChristi]

…Now then, my dear brethren, why should not we imitate these great saints who obtained so many graces from Mary to preserve them from sin? Have we not the same enemies to fight, the same Heaven to hope for? Yes, Mary always has her eyes upon us. Do we suffer temptations? Let us turn our hearts towards Mary and we shall be delivered.

Yes, dear hazcompat, the wisdom of the Saints can help us all, because the Queen of ALL Saints has helped them to become Saints themselves!

The Cure of Ars, St. John Mary Vianney’s definition of prayer is so simple and true, and so like our Mother Mary as he beheld her : “Prayer is nothing other than union with God”. He bids us to do as Mary did. She listened to all Jesus said and pondered all in her heart.

The Pharisees had no room for Jesus or His Words to them, for as He told them, they were seeking the praise of men. The Pharisees of today and in every age do the same. Puffed up with pride and hardened in sin, they want to appear white as snow but they are “whited spulchers, hypocrites…”
By God’s Grace let us not imitate them but rather, let us hear and obey Jesus’ words from the Cross:

Behold your Mother

Like John the Beloved Disciple, let us take Mary our Mother into our lives!