"...Mary...fashioned by the Holy Spirit...for us to imitate..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

By God’s Grace, we continue today, to listen with the ears of our hearts to the Wisdom, God gave to St. Louis de Montfort, in writing his treatise on "True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin". As we are coming close to the end of his treatise we are hearing: “some very sanctifying interior practices for those souls who feel called by the Holy Spirit to a high degree of perfection. They may be expressed in four words, doing everything through Mary, with Mary, in Mary, and for Mary, in order to do it more perfectly through Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus, and for Jesus.”

With Mary

1. We must do everything with Mary, that is to say, in all our actions we must look upon Mary, although a simple human being, as the perfect model of every virtue and perfection, fashioned by the Holy Spirit for us to imitate, as far as our limited capacity allows. In every action then we should consider how Mary performed it or how she would perform it if she were in our place. For this reason, we must examine and meditate on the great virtues she practised during her life, especially:

1) Her lively faith, by which she believed the angel’s word without the least hesitation, and believed faithfully and constantly even to the foot of the Cross on Calvary.

2) Her deep humility, which made her prefer seclusion, maintain silence, submit to every eventuality and put herself in the last place.

3) Her truly divine purity, which never had and never will have its equal on this side of heaven.

And so on for her other virtues.

Remember what I told you before, that Mary is the great, unique mould of God, designed to make living images of God at little expense and in a short time. Anyone who finds this mould and casts himself into it, is soon transformed into our Lord because it is the true likeness of Him.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the Hearts of Your faithful. Kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks for your “heart”, Stephie! This year, I pray to be more mindful of the Holy Spirit, that He may fashion each of Mary’s children to be more and more as she is! May this year of 2020 be one of great graces for all of us. As one member of the Body of Christ grows we all grow.

 

[patricius79]

2) Her deep humility, which made her prefer seclusion, maintain silence, submit to every eventuality and put herself in the last place.

St. Faustina said–or maybe the Lord said to her–that there is nothing better for the soul than humiliation.

This fits with something I heard recently from a person who had a deep conversion experience, and said that everything that happens to us is the best thing an all-knowing and all-loving God could arrange, and especially those things which we consider the most challenging.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

Yes, if we are to learn from Jesus to be Meek and Humble of Heart, we need His Grace to endure whatever He permits. Only He knows what is best for us, and when situations arise that humble us, we need to thank Him for His working good in our lives.

Scripture tells us to count it all joy when we undergo various trials…(see Letter of James 1: 2-8) It is not always easy to accept humiliations but God knows how much we need them to become humble.