Mar. 6 - Wk 1, Day 3 on our journey toward Consecration

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today’s Gospel is from Mt 25 and we hear Jesus giving us a “picture” of the General Judgment. All of us will face both a "Particular Judgment’ at the moment of death, as well as the “General Judgment” at the end of the world. This First Monday in Lent prepares us. Jesus shows us again the choice we heard during the preliminary 12 days on our journey - "emptying ourselves of the spirit of the world: Whom do we love? Whom do we serve? We cannot love God and the spirit of the world which is opposed to Jesus. We cannot serve two Masters. Are we sheep or goats?

Today, we continue our First Week described in St Louis De Montfort’s, “True Devotion” as a time “to acquire knowledge of themselves and sorrow for their sins.”

How do we do this? St. Louis directs us to pray:

…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 (Pray) 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 (pray) each day the Ave Maris Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin

I’m not sure who translated "True Devotion"from the original French, but I put the word (pray) after the English word “say”. St. Louis wants us to pray with attention and devotion, and not merely to “say words”. St. Louis knew Scripture very well and heard Jesus tell his disciples not to think that in heaping up many words they would be heard. Prayer is a relationship. We are asking the Lord and His Holy Spirit to enlighten us. We are begging Mary to help us receive the grace of self-knowledge.

Litany of the Holy Spirit is HERE
Ave Maris Stella is HERE
Litany of the Blessed Virgin is HERE

 

[patricius79]

Dear big sister, MariaChristi,

I hope it’s okay–if not, please let me know-- that I post this quotation from St .Louis’s the Secret of Mary.

I haven’t read this book, but I ran across this quotation today.

As we realize how sinful we are, we want to do so in light of our goal and of God’s Infinite Mercy in Mary, His channel.

How consoling this quotation is!.

Happy, indeed sublimely happy, is the person to whom the Holy Spirit reveals the secret of Mary, thus imparting to him true knowledge of her. Happy the person to whom the Holy Spirit opens this enclosed garden for him to enter, and to whom the Holy Spirit gives access to this sealed fountain where he can draw water and drink deep draughts of the living waters of grace. That person will find only grace and no creature in the most lovable Virgin Mary. But he will find that the infinitely holy and exalted God is at the same time infinitely solicitous for him and understands his weaknesses. Since God is everywhere, he can be found everywhere, even in hell. But there is no place where God can be more present to his creature and more sympathetic to human weakness than in Mary. It was indeed for this very purpose that he came down from heaven. Everywhere else he is the Bread of the strong and the Bread of angels, but living in Mary he is the Bread of children.
–from The Secret of Mary, by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort
whitelilyoftrinity.com/saints_quotes_mary.html

 

[JimB4]

Dear MariaChristi,

I want to thank you for leading us in this journey for our Consecration to Mary. I too, seek a rich devotion, and love, for the Blessed Mother.

One day, each week for the last 3 years, when I go to my visit with the Blessed Sacrament in Church, I have pleaded incessantly for that devotion to her. But there has always been a “block” that prevents me from allowing that to happen.

Because of my upbringing, and through adulthood, I have lost all trust in a “mother.” I always in some way think that the Blessed Mother will find some fault with me, reject me, and call me, “stupid.”

I pray with my whole being, that this Consecration will remove that, “block.”

In Christ,

Jim

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear MariaChristi,

I want to thank you for leading us in this journey for our Consecration to Mary. I too, seek a rich devotion, and love, for the Blessed Mother.

One day, each week for the last 3 years, when I go to my visit with the Blessed Sacrament in Church, I have pleaded incessantly for that devotion to her. But there has always been a “block” that prevents me from allowing that to happen.

Because of my upbringing, and through adulthood, I have lost all trust in a “mother.” I always in some way think that the Blessed Mother will find some fault with me, reject me, and call me, “stupid.”

I pray with my whole being, that this Consecration will remove that, “block.”

In Christ,

Jim

Dear Jim,

Thanks so much for your beautiful reply. We have Jesus’ promise that if we ask we will receive… (cf Mt 7:7-11) Let us, please, keep asking together that all of us by God’s Grace, will continually grow in the Church’s True Devotion to Mary – the Mother Christ gave us from His cross, telling us “Behold Your Mother”.

You are not alone in that difficulty of not being able to “see” Mary in Faith strong enough to overcome that “block” of mistrust. Nevertheless Jesus tells us that even if we have faith like a mustard seed, we can do more than we think. (cf Mt 17:20 and Luke 17:6)

God does not ask us to do the impossible, He gives us grace to do the Truth He speaks, and to be like Him Who is the Truth. Let the Holy Spirit teach you, as you continue to ask Him for all the graces you need. Listen to Mary’s words at Cana; she doesn’t scold the servants but merely tells them to do whatever Jesus tells them. Mary is always interceding for us, and helping us even when we don’t “see” her.

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.
Jesus, we trust in You!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear big sister, MariaChristi,

I hope it’s okay–if not, please let me know-- that I post this quotation from St .Louis’s the Secret of Mary.

I haven’t read this book, but I ran across this quotation today.

As we realize how sinful we are, we want to do so in light of our goal and of God’s Infinite Mercy in Mary, His channel.

How consoling this quotation is!.

Happy, indeed sublimely happy, is the person to whom the Holy Spirit reveals the secret of Mary, thus imparting to him true knowledge of her. Happy the person to whom the Holy Spirit opens this enclosed garden for him to enter, and to whom the Holy Spirit gives access to this sealed fountain where he can draw water and drink deep draughts of the living waters of grace. That person will find only grace and no creature in the most lovable Virgin Mary. But he will find that the infinitely holy and exalted God is at the same time infinitely solicitous for him and understands his weaknesses. Since God is everywhere, he can be found everywhere, even in hell. But there is no place where God can be more present to his creature and more sympathetic to human weakness than in Mary. It was indeed for this very purpose that he came down from heaven. Everywhere else he is the Bread of the strong and the Bread of angels, but living in Mary he is the Bread of children.
–from The Secret of Mary, by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort
whitelilyoftrinity.com/saints_quotes_mary.html

Thanks, dear brother Pat,

The “Secret of Mary” is a sweet summary of “True Devotion”. I’m glad you quoted from it, because it helps us to keep asking the Holy Spirit for the Graces we need. I underlined above the graces especially we need this week as we are to seek true knowledge of ourselves. We may see more faults than we thought we had, and it is good to see our faults so we can ask God for grace to open our hearts to be purified. It is good to know how the Holy Spirit reveals Mary to us and Jesus comes closer to us through her. Truly, we need to turn and become as little children!

 

[patricius79]

Thanks, dear brother Pat,

The “Secret of Mary” is a sweet summary of “True Devotion”. I’m glad you quoted from it, because it helps us to keep asking the Holy Spirit for the Graces we need. I underlined above the graces especially we need this week as we are to seek true knowledge of ourselves. We may see more faults than we thought we had, and it is good to see our faults so we can ask God for grace to open our hearts to be purified. It is good to know how the Holy Spirit reveals Mary to us and Jesus comes closer to us through her. Truly, we need to turn and become as little children!

Yes, dear sister MariaChrist, little children don’t depend on themselves, but rather on their mother and father.

As St. Alphonsus says, little children always have their mother’s name on their lips.

A couple of years ago I had influenza, felt pretty miserable, and God helped me with the music of the retired Christian rock band Barlowgirl.

I was listening to them today, and these lyrics reminded me of our goal during this week (to see how much we need God’s mercy).

“I am the comfortable, secure,
the definition, of this Western world.
I have perfected deceit.
Even I believe, I’m above saving”
youtube.com/watch?v=M2hIQkkEgIE&index=11&list=PLnPag9oVET_5G-M_iTFK0INkjuAI88mV0

 

[JimB4]

Dear Jim,

Thanks so much for your beautiful reply. We have Jesus’ promise that if we ask we will receive… (cf Mt 7:7-11) Let us, please, keep asking together that all of us by God’s Grace, will continually grow in the Church’s True Devotion to Mary – the Mother Christ gave us from His cross, telling us “Behold Your Mother”.

You are not alone in that difficulty of not being able to “see” Mary in Faith strong enough to overcome that “block” of mistrust. Nevertheless Jesus tells us that even if we have faith like a mustard seed, we can do more than we think. (cf Mt 17:20 and Luke 17:6)

God does not ask us to do the impossible, He gives us grace to do the Truth He speaks, and to be like Him Who is the Truth. Let the Holy Spirit teach you, as you continue to ask Him for all the graces you need. Listen to Mary’s words at Cana; she doesn’t scold the servants but merely tells them to do whatever Jesus tells them. Mary is always interceding for us, and helping us even when we don’t “see” her.

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.
Jesus, we trust in You!

Thanks to the many graces that our Lord Jesus “rains down” upon me, my faith in the Blessed Trinity, is like a Rock. I have long, long ago emptied myself of all the things of the world, and count them all as rubbish. The only three things that I pray for each day, is to love the Blessed Trinity more, and to give that love to my neighbor, and lastly the grace to fulfill, the perfect accomplishment of His Will for me. I am just an empty vessel, which has the capacity to be filled by the Blessed Trinity only.

I have had a very profound, "Near Death Experience, with our Lord, that resulted from a very severe car accident, and in another experience, I and two others, were granted, and were, “in” a miracle instantly after we prayed for it.

I do not boast… I am just so eternally grateful for the many blessings that God has given to me, and the very deep closeness that I feel with Him… a wife that is so beautiful, both inside and out, and our happy prayer-life together… what more can a person ask for?

I was granted all this, after decades of suffering and hardship with an abusive ex-wife, but always remaining faithful to Jesus. My only solace during those years was going to visit Jesus in the Tabernacle, for an hour before Mass each day and talking with Jesus.

So as I say, my life on earth has been truly a blessed one.

Jim

 

[MariaChristi]

Yes, dear sister MariaChrist, little children don’t depend on themselves, but rather on their mother and father.

As St. Alphonsus says, little children always have their mother’s name on their lips.

A couple of years ago I had influenza, felt pretty miserable, and God helped me with the music of the retired Christian rock band Barlowgirl.

I was listening to them today, and these lyrics reminded me of our goal during this week (to see how much we need God’s mercy).

“I am the comfortable, secure,
the definition, of this Western world.
I have perfected deceit.
Even I believe, I’m above saving”
youtube.com/watch?v=M2hIQkkEgIE&index=11&list=PLnPag9oVET_5G-M_iTFK0INkjuAI88mV0

Thanks, dear brother, for your reply.

I listened to the video and heard the full lyrics. The songwriter has captured much of the “spirit of the world” but still recognizes there is One who can save – the sad part for me is that the writer “presumes” at the end there is “time” to cry out, but one cannot presume to have more than today – one must persevere in hope doing the truth one knows now and not “tomorrow”!

God’s Mercy endures forever, yet He does not ever take away our free will. We choose every day Whom we will serve. By God’s Grace and by the intercession of Mary, our Mother, may we choose God and not the world, Life and not death, Today and not presume we have tomorrow.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks to the many graces that our Lord Jesus “rains down” upon me, my faith in the Blessed Trinity, is like a Rock. I have long, long ago emptied myself of all the things of the world, and count them all as rubbish. The only three things that I pray for each day, is to love the Blessed Trinity more, and to give that love to my neighbor, and lastly the grace to fulfill, the perfect accomplishment of His Will for me. I am just an empty vessel, which has the capacity to be filled by the Blessed Trinity only.

I have had a very profound, "Near Death Experience, with our Lord, that resulted from a very severe car accident, and in another experience, I and two others, were granted, and were, “in” a miracle instantly after we prayed for it.

I do not boast… I am just so eternally grateful for the many blessings that God has given to me, and the very deep closeness that I feel with Him… a wife that is so beautiful, both inside and out, and our happy prayer-life together… what more can a person ask for?

I was granted all this, after decades of suffering and hardship with an abusive ex-wife, but always remaining faithful to Jesus. My only solace during those years was going to visit Jesus in the Tabernacle, for an hour before Mass each day and talking with Jesus.

So as I say, my life on earth has been truly a blessed one.

Jim

Dear Jim,

Again, thanks for your testimony to the Good God Who has worked and is working in your life. May He continue to speak deeply into your heart, His words from the cross: “Behold your Mother”. I’m so grateful He has led you to these threads on the 33 Day Preparation for Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. It has been one of the greatest graces of my life to have made this Total Consecration, many, many years ago as a teenager.

Like yourself, I’ve been blessed many times in many ways. My husband is also among God’s Great Gifts to me. You and your wife my be interested in reading some of his blog articles and some of the pages from our website: See HERE

 

[patricius79]

I have a friend who also has trouble with the emotional connection to our Blessed Mother, in her case because of a mentally ill, abusive mother.

We can pray that these people find in this devotion to Jesus through Mary the love they need.

 

[MariaChristi]

I have a friend who also has trouble with the emotional connection to our Blessed Mother, in her case because of a mentally ill, abusive mother.

We can pray that these people find in this devotion to Jesus through Mary the love they need.

I join you in praying for your friend and for your friend’s mother, and all those who suffer because of childhood experiences. Mary remains the refuge of sinners – she is God’s Mother, given to us by Jesus from His Cross. Her arms are open to receive all who are in special need of a Mother’s Love.