Mar. 20 - Wk 3 - Day 3- "seek to understand Jesus better!

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

How blessed we are in the Catholic Church to have Saints to help us in our own following of Jesus? Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of St. Joseph and how great a saint he is!

Pondering the few Gospel passages we have which include St. Joseph, Mary’s husband, we can “see” by faith how close he is to God – for it was God who chose him to be Guardian and Protector of both Mary and Jesus. Today we recognize St. Joseph as the Guardian and Protector of the Body of of Christ on earth, the Church for whom Mary is both Mother and Model.

As we continue this final week of Preparation in our Journey of 33 Days toward Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, Let us consider how the Child Jesus obeyed both Mary and Joseph! Let us consider the great Humility and Meekness of Jesus, not only as a Child but in His Perfect Manhood.

Holy Family of Nazareth, and Holy Family of God’s Children already in Heaven, pray for us that we may understand Jesus better. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your Faithful; kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. St. Jospeph, pray for us. Jesus, we trust in You! St. Louis de Montfort and all you holy Saints and Angels, pray for us.

Litany of the Holy Spirit: see HERE

Ave Maris Stella: see HERE

Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus: see HERE

 

[hazcompat]

1. As the Council teaches, "‘The obedience of faith’ (Rom. 16:26; cf. Rom. 1:5; 2 Cor. 10:5-6)
   must be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man entrusts his whole self freely to God."29 This description of faith found perfect realization in Mary. The “decisive” moment was the Annunciation, and the very words of Elizabeth: “And blessed is she who believed” refer primarily to that very moment.30 Indeed, at the Annunciation Mary entrusted herself to God completely, with the “full submission of intellect and will,” manifesting “the obedience of faith” to him who spoke to her through his messenger.31 She responded, therefore, with all her human and feminine “I,” and this response of faith included both perfect cooperation with “the grace of God that precedes and assists” and perfect openness to the action of the Holy Spirit, who "constantly brings faith to completion by his gifts."32
   The word of the living God, announced to Mary by the angel, referred to her: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son” (Lk. 1:31). By accepting this announcement, Mary was to become the “Mother of the Lord,” and the divine mystery of the Incarnation was to be
   accomplished in her: "The Father of mercies willed that the consent of the predestined Mother should precede the Incarnation."33 And Mary gives this consent, after she has heard everything the messenger has to say. She says: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38). This fiat of Mary-“let it be to me”-was decisive, on the human level, for the accomplishment of the divine mystery. There is a complete harmony with the words of the Son, who, according to the Letter to the Hebrews, says to the Father as he comes into the world: “Sacrifices and offering you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me… Lo, I have come to do your will, O God” (Heb. 10:5-7). The mystery of the Incarnation was accomplished when Mary uttered her fiat: “Let it be to me according to your word,” which made possible, as far as it depended upon her in the divine plan, the granting of her Son’s desire. Mary uttered this fiat in faith. In faith she entrusted herself to God without reserve and "devoted herself totally as the handmaid of the Lord to the person and work of her Son."34 And as the Fathers of the Church teach-she conceived this Son in her mind before she conceived him in her womb: precisely in faith!35 Rightly therefore does Elizabeth praise Mary: “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” These words 9 have already been fulfilled: Mary of Nazareth presents herself at the threshold of Elizabeth and Zechariah’s house as the Mother of the Son of God. This is Elizabeth’s joyful discovery: “The mother of my Lord comes to me”!

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks hazcompat, for continuing to post the words os St. John Paul II, from his encyclical, “Mother of the Redeemer”. Since we are seeking to understand Jesus better, we look to Mary since her fiat “was decisive on the human level for the Mystery of the Incarnation” (as JPII wrote):

“The Father of mercies willed that the consent of the predestined Mother should precede the Incarnation.” And Mary gives this consent, after she has heard everything the messenger has to say. She says: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38). This fiat of Mary-“let it be to me”-was decisive, on the human level, for the accomplishment of the divine mystery. There is a complete harmony with the words of the Son, who, according to the Letter to the Hebrews, says to the Father as he comes into the world: “Sacrifices and offering you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me… Lo, I have come to do your will, O God” (Heb. 10:5-7). The mystery of the Incarnation was accomplished when Mary uttered her fiat: “Let it be to me according to your word,” which made possible, as far as it depended upon her in the divine plan, the granting of her Son’s desire. Mary uttered this fiat in faith. In faith she entrusted herself to God without reserve and "devoted herself totally as the handmaid of the Lord to the person and work of her Son."

When we are praying in union with Jesus through Mary, it seems to me that Elizabeth’s joyful discovery becomes ours as well:

“The mother of my Lord comes to me”!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear KBS,

Thanks, again, for your “faith - full” heart! It is such a mystery to me that Mary has become so neglected by many Christians (even by some Catholics). Worse still, there are some who so demean our Mother as to treat her as if she doesn’t really “matter” all that much.

Reading the quote today from Pope St. JPII’s encyclical on the “Mother of the Redeemer” we see that the Catholic Church in her teaching gives special honor to Mary because God honored her above all women. It is encouraging even if only a few let me know they continue reading these threads and hopefully will offer themselves totally to Jesus through Mary by praying St. Louis de Montfort’s “Act of Total Consecration” on March 25.

For those who will be Consecrating themselves for the first time, there is a website on which you can enter you name and date of Consecration AFTER you pray your Act of Consecration.

St. Louis had desired there be an Confraternity specifically for this and the Congregation of Priests which St. Louis de Montfort founded has done so in establishing “The Association of Mary, Queen of All Hearts.” You can learn more HERE