Mar. 4 - Wk 1 - day 1 - "to acquire knowledge of ourselves and sorrow for our sins"

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

By God’s Grace, we continue our 33 Day Preparation for Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, given by St. Louis de Montfort in his treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. He wrote:

1. During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and acts of devotion to acquire knowledge of themselves and sorrow for their sins.

Let them perform all their actions in a spirit of humility. With this end in view they may, if they wish, meditate on what I have said concerning our corrupted nature, and consider themselves during six days of the week as nothing but snails, slugs, toads, swine, snakes and goats. Or else they may meditate on the following three considerations of St. Bernard: “Remember what you were - corrupted seed; what you are - a body destined for decay; what you will be -food for worms.”

They will ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to enlighten them saying, “Lord, that I may see,” or “Lord, let me know myself,” or the “Come, Holy Spirit”. Every day they should say the Litany of the Holy Spirit, with the prayer that follows, as indicated in the first part of this work. They will turn to our Blessed Lady and beg her to obtain for them that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

Litany of the Holy Spirit is found HERE

Litany of the Blessed Virgin - HERE

Ave Maris Stella - HERE

Notice St. Louis uses the words “They may, if they wish meditate on what I have said about our Corrupted nature…” He realizes some will not want to look upon themselves and their sins in this way, but some of us need to, who have not reached that degree of humility to see how ugly sin is. We don’t like to look at ourselves, in some ways, but we need to repent and ask God’s Grace to acquire the grace of true self-knowledge and true sorrow for our sins. Please let us pray for one another, and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy.

 

[hazcompat]

He bears our iniquity on His strong left arm, and with His right arm He brings our salvation.

To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. Is 53

Peace

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Thanks for your reply – as always “poetic”.

God’s Word speaking to us through Isaiah 53 is good for us to ponder, as Mary must have pondered the Scriptures. She who was sinless herself , having said her “Yes” to God would have her heart pierced also. How much more, ought we then to pray for knowledge of ourselves that we may repent of our sins, as St. Louis encourages us to do! Let us ponder:

Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
He had no majestic bearing to catch our eye,
no beauty to draw us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by men,
a man of suffering, knowing pain,
Like one from whom you turn your face,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our pain that he bore,
our sufferings he endured.

We thought of him as stricken,
struck down by God and afflicted,
But he was pierced for our sins,
crushed for our iniquity.
He bore the punishment that makes us whole,
by his wounds we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
all following our own way;
But the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.

Though harshly treated, he submitted
and did not open his mouth;
Like a lamb led to slaughter
or a sheep silent before shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
Seized and condemned, he was taken away.
Who would have thought any more of his destiny?
For he was cut off from the land of the living,
struck for the sins of his people.
He was given a grave among the wicked,
a burial place with evildoers,
Though he had done no wrong,
nor was deceit found in his mouth.
But it was the LORD’s will to crush him with pain.
By making his life as a reparation offering
he shall see his offspring, shall lengthen his days,
and the LORD’s will shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his anguish he shall see the light;
because of his knowledge he shall be content;
My servant, the just one, shall justify the many,
their iniquity he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the many,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
Because he surrendered himself to death,
was counted among the transgressors,
Bore the sins of many,
and interceded for the transgressors. - Isaiah 53

St. Louis de Montfort was steeped in Scripture and his 33 Days of preparation for Total Consecration reveals his pondering the Scriptures as Mary did in order to learn from God Revealed in His Incarnate Word, Jesus.