"Marks of false and authentic devotion to Mary"

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Continuing to ponder St. Louis de Montfort’s “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary”:

1. 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.

2. Marks of false and authentic devotion to Mary

1. Now that we have established these five basic truths, it is all the more necessary to make the right choice of the true devotion to our Blessed Lady, for now more than ever there are false devotions to her which can easily be mistaken for true ones. The devil, like a counterfeiter and crafty, experienced deceiver, has already misled and ruined many Christians by means of fraudulent devotions to our Lady. Day by day he uses his diabolical experience to lead many more to their doom, fooling them, lulling them to sleep in sin and assuring them that a few prayers, even badly said, and a few exterior practices, inspired by himself, are authentic devotions. A counterfeiter usually makes coins only of gold and silver, rarely of other metals, because these latter would not be worth the trouble. Similarly, the devil leaves other devotions alone and counterfeits mostly those directed to Jesus and Mary, for example, devotion to the Holy Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin, because these are to other devotions what gold and silver are to other metals.
2. It is therefore very important, first, to recognise false devotions to our Blessed Lady so as to avoid them, and to recognise true devotion in order to practise it. Second, among so many different forms of true devotion to our Blessed Lady we should choose the one most perfect and the most pleasing to her, the one that gives greater glory to God and is most sanctifying for us.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful; enlighten our minds; strengthen our wills, kindle in us the Fire of Your Love!

 

[patricius79]

The wonderful thing is that whenever we are concerned about anything–such as wanting to have a true and complete devotion to Jesus through her–we can bring it to our heavenly Mother and ask her to take care of it.

Here is St. Bonaventure again, from the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary

I have loved the Mother of the Lord my God: and the light of her compassion she hath
shined upon me.
The sorrows of death have encompassed me: and the visitation of Mary hath rejoiced me.
I have incurred grief and danger: and I have been recreated by her grace.
Let her name and her memory be in the midst of our heart: and the blow of the malignant
will not injure us.
Be converted, my soul, unto her praise: and thou shalt find refreshment in thy last end.
Glory be to the Father, etc.
https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.n...re-The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary.pdf

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks patricius, for your heart and for another beautiful quote from St. Bonaventure. Ah, the Wisdom of the Saints! God fills them with his Grace and they honor Him so well and especially because they seek the aid of Mary. As St. Bonaventure wrote:

I have loved the Mother of the Lord my God: and the light of her compassion she hath
shined upon me.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks for your reply, Billy,

Yes, true devotion to any saint has results, however, the Mother of God is not just “any saint” . Mary is the Queen of All Saints! No other saint has been filled with grace and made Immaculate from the first moment of Conception. No other of all the holy women in Jewish History was so favored as to carry the Incarnate Word of God made Flesh in her womb! Mary never sinned and was always pleasing to God. No human person was ever as close to Jesus as Mary is! We cannot say enough in praise of her. As St. Bernard said: “De Maria numquam satis” - “There is never enough of Mary!”

The treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” St. Louis wrote is a gift to all who embrace it. I hope you may read this little book and see for yourself what a unique and beautiful treasure you’ll find.

 

[patricius79]

Yes, Mary’s cooperation with our Savior is “wholly singular”, as the Catechism tells us:

[968] Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further. In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Savior’s work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace."511

[971] All generations will call me blessed ": "The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship."515 The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of ‘Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration."516 The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an “epitome of the whole Gospel,” express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.517
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p6.htm

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie, tony-nj, and Torolf,

Thank you all — for your “hearts” – to let us know you read and appreciated the words of St. Louis de Montfort. I hope you will continue to ponder what he shares in this book, for I believe God has given him the wisdom he so earnestly sought in prayer and in pondering God’s Holy Word in both Old and New Testaments. I believe God gave him insights into the great gift of Mary, Jesus spoke from His Cross:

Behold your Mother

By God’s Grace, let us pray to the Holy Spirit that we may listen ever more attentively and devotedly to those words, pondering them in our hearts. Let us please pray for one another and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy, through Mary.

 

[MariaChristi]

Absolutely! Billy, the Catholic Church has for centuries recognized Mary as having a unique relationship with God. Mary is Not Divine, and in no way do we worship her as some non-Catholics claim but we honor her with special reverence. The Catechism of the Catholic Church assures us:

DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

971 “All generations will call me blessed”: "The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of ‘Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs… This very special devotion … differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration.") The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an “epitome of the whole Gospel,” express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.

If you do not have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd edition) you can purchase one and check the index to find more of the Church’s teachings on Mary. Just look under the index heading “Mary”. Please notice in the paragraph I posted the word “intrinsic” which means: “essential” I put sentences in the paragraph in bold, to help you and any others who have perhaps not realized before the importance God has given Mary. May Jesus deepen in all our hearts His Love for her when He said from His Cross:

Behold your Mother

Thanks for your reply, Billy. Hopefully you will continue to read more of St. Louis de Montfort’s “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” and also the Catechism of the Catholic Church – both of which have Sacred Scripture as their Primary Source.

 

[patricius79]

Yes, and we can agree with Popes like Blessed Pius IX, who teach us that every grace is given by Jesus through Mary. This cannot be said of any other saint besides the Mother of God.

Here is Blessed Pope Pius IX in the Encyclical Ubi Primum:

1. And likewise in our own day, Mary, with the ever merciful affection so characteristic of her maternal heart, wishes, through her efficacious intercession with God, to deliver her children from the sad and grief-laden troubles, from the tribulations, the anxiety, the difficulties, and the punishments of God’s anger which afflict the world because of the sins of men. Wishing to restrain and to dispel the violent hurricane of evils which, as We lament from the bottom of Our heart, are everywhere afflicting the Church, Mary desires to transform Our sadness into joy. The foundation of all Our confidence, as you know well, Venerable Brethren, is found in the Blessed Virgin Mary. For, God has committed to Mary the treasury of all good things, in order that everyone may know that through her are obtained every hope, every grace, and all salvation. For this is His will, that we obtain everything through Mary.[3]
   Ubi Primum - Papal Encyclicals