Mar. 2 - Day 11

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We come today to the 5th principle St. Louis wrote in Chap. 2, explaining "True Devotion":

Fifth principle: It is difficult to keep the graces received from God

87. It is very difficult, considering our weakness and frailty, to keep the graces and treasures we have received from God.

1. We carry this treasure, which is worth more than heaven and earth, in fragile vessels, that is, in a corruptible body and in a weak and wavering soul which requires very little to depress and disturb it.

88. 2. The evil spirits, cunning thieves 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 incessantly seeking to devour us 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 ought 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 their loftiness and their brightness!

What has brought about this unexpected reverse? Not the lack of grace, for this is denied no one. It was a lack of humility; they considered themselves stronger and more self-sufficient than they really were. They thought 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.

89. 3. It is difficult to persevere in holiness because of the excessively corrupting influence of the world. The world is so corrupt that it seems almost inevitable that religious hearts be soiled, if not by its mud, at least by its dust. It is something of a miracle for anyone to stand firm in the midst of this raging torrent and not be swept away; to weather this stormy sea and not be drowned, or robbed by pirates; to breathe this pestilential air and not be contaminated by it. It is Mary, the singularly faithful Virgin over whom Satan had never any power, who works this miracle for those who truly love her.

Of course, we know that Mary works miracles (as can other holy persons) only because of her union with Jesus. She pleads for us as she interceded for the couple at the Wedding in Cana, who had no wine. Jesus sees in Mary His Father's Will and the work of the Holy Spirit: Jesus answers her prayer for our greater participation in God's Holiness -- our union with Him in the perfection of Charity. He wants to fulfill that which He himself has told us: "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect"

 

[EIF5A]

Thank you for posting this!

It is too true (and sad) how little it takes to get me to hate or commit mortal sins…

Pray for us, Blessed Virgin Mary!

 

[GLam8833]

I think KEYWORD here is
HUMILITY.
If we want humility, we will look to the Virgin Mary,
and emulate and pray to her and be devoted to
OUR MOTHER and trust in her powerful intercession!

 

[MariaChristi]

Thank you for posting this!

It is too true (and sad) how little it takes to get me to hate or commit mortal sins…

Pray for us, Blessed Virgin Mary!

Dear EIF5A,

Thanks for your reply. As many times as I have read De Montfort’s little treatise True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, this current re-reading in preparation to re-consecrate myself on March 25 has been the most – what word can I use to describe my experience in these 11 days? Certainly “blessed”, “grace-filled”, “surprising” are all words I might use, but they seem inadequate to express God’s work in my soul, or the work I see He has yet to do, as I listen to St. Louis De Montfort’s words.

If we are truly honest with ourselves, I think all of us can identify with this paragraph:

1. It is very difficult, considering our weakness and frailty, to keep the graces and treasures we have received from God.

1. We carry this treasure, which is worth more than heaven and earth, in fragile vessels, that is, in a corruptible body and in a weak and wavering soul which requires very little to depress and disturb it.

However, we need to keep listening to the encouragement that De Montfort offers us as well:

88…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.

Recognizing our need for humility is a great grace. Looking to Mary for help is another great grace. And the hope of final perseverance keeps us looking to her and trusting in Jesus to accomplish in us the good work He has begun!

 

[MariaChristi]

I think KEYWORD here is
HUMILITY.
If we want humility, we will look to the Virgin Mary,
and emulate and pray to her and be devoted to
OUR MOTHER and trust in her powerful intercession!

Dear GLam8833,

Thanks for your reply. I think it was St. Bernard who said that the 3 most important things in the spiritual life are: 1) Humility 2) Humility and 3) Humility.

Mary, our Mother, shows us how marvelously God works in a fragile human person who is humble.Not only does He work great things through humble people but He shares His Love with them so they are happy to let Him work His Perfect Will in them without counting the cost. He also enables them to share His Love with others.

It’s not easy to become Meek and Humble as Jesus Who emptied Himself for us, yet Mary gave herself totally to God in her every “Fiat” including her gift of “Yes” to and with Him on Calvary. So are we called to give our all to Him – whole hearts, souls, minds and strengths, in love, and to love others as ourselves.

…Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen

 

[tawny]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We come today to the 5th principle St. Louis wrote in Chap. 2, explaining "True Devotion":

Of course, we know that Mary works miracles (as can other holy persons) only because of her union with Jesus. She pleads for us as she interceded for the couple at the Wedding in Cana, who had no wine. Jesus sees in Mary His Father's Will and the work of the Holy Spirit: Jesus answers her prayer for our greater participation in God's Holiness -- our union with Him in the perfection of Charity. He wants to fulfill that which He himself has told us: "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect"

Praying with all.

 

[MariaChristi]

Praying with all.

Thanks again, dear tawny!