"Mary is still today with our Church"

[MariaChristi]

Mary is still today with our Church as it is charged to witness to Jesus in a culture where the presence of God is constantly being pushed back into the corners of public life and also into a position of less relevance in the lives and the hearts of many individuals. She accompanies the apostles of today in the New Evangelisation.

As at Pentecost she is there with us encouraging us to be present in our secularised culture, witnessing through the integrity of our lives to the love of Jesus through works of service and of evangelisation.

She sustains us to be present in that world untouched by worldliness.

– Most Reverend Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin

Today is the Feast of St. Louis Marie De Montfort, April 28. It is not a Feast celebrated universally by the entire Church but one that many Catholics, like me, celebrate with great thanks to God, Who gave this saint such wisdom to write his treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. This book is not only online but continues to be published over 200 years after it was written. I believe it may be even more relevant today!

St. Louis was a tireless missionary preacher and great champion of Mary. He wrote other books such as Love of Eternal Wisdom which I have also read (more than once). One of the reasons I am blessed by this saint is that he is steeped in Scripture. As Mary pondered in her heart all that Jesus said and did, so must the Church. We cannot give what we do not have – we need to know Jesus in Spirit and in Truth, by the power of His Holy Spirit, coming to us through Mary.

If you’ve never read his book on True Devotion, I encourage you to read it online or purchase it. If you’ve read it but have not yet consecrated yourself totally to Jesus through Mary, and are not yet living that total consecration, perhaps you need to read it again. If you prayed the Act of Consecration but never really practiced true devotion, please continue to pray for God’s Grace to be “totally” His through Mary. As little St. Theresa of Lisieux wrote: “Everything is Grace”! All the saints learned from Jesus as Mary did. Jesus Himself told us:

Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened… (cf Mt 7:7-11)

P.S. I’d be very grateful to hear from those who have read this classic book on Mary, and been blessed by it. Also I’d be happy to hear from those who may have questions. Can’t guarantee to have every answer to satisfy all but will pray and do my best!

 

[Dorothy]

Many years ago, when I first started meeting with the Lay Carmelites, I overheard two ladies talking to one another about the book “True Devlotion to Mary” by St.Louis Marie de Montfort.

One lady spoke in such glowing terms about what the de Montfort consecration to Our Lady did for her. I made a note of that and ordered the book. That was over thirty years ago, and I have made the consecration many times. Many blessings flow from that; I highly recommend it!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Dorothy,

Thanks so much for your reply and for your continuing love for Jesus through Mary. I too have made and renewed my Total Consecration many times, and continue to be blessed by it.

It seems to me more now than in the past, I am seeing some connection between Fatima and Total Consecration than I had seen before. God willing, I may begin another thread on that after I have more time to ponder it, but have you ever considered any deeper connection between DeMontfort’s True Devotion and Consecration in the Light of Mary’s Apparitions at Fatima?

I’d be grateful to hear from you on that connection, and/or from any others who may be reading this thread. Thanks again for your faithfulness to the Heart of God and His Mother’s Immaculate Heart.

 

[Dorothy]

Yes, I do believe there is a connection between Fatima and Total Consecration, as Lucia saw, on the last day of the Fatima apparitions an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel holding the Child Jesus.

I have been to many four-day ladies retreats at the Monastery of the Visitation in Mobile, and the most profound ones were when the retreat master promoted True Devotion to Mary.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks again, dear Dorothy, for your reply. That final apparition in which Mary appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Joseph holding the Baby Jesus and blessing the people was very significant as Sister Lucia described it in her book, “Calls” from the Message of Fatima., specifically in Chapter 18, entitled “The Call to the sanctification of the Family.”

My growing sense of a deeper “connection” between Fatima and Total Consecration as explained by St. Louis De Montfort in His treatise on True Devotion has to do with Mary’s Immaculate Heart. As I said I need to ponder this some more.

The fact that St. John Paul II’s Papal Motto, “Totus Tuus” (All Yours) was directly from St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion and JPII was so connected with Sister Lucia and Fatima especially after he was shot on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13) seems more significant to me now for some reason than previously. His Prayer of Entrusting the World to Mary, at Fatima is something I want to re-read and ponder prayerfully as well.

Thanks again, Dorothy, I really appreciate your joining me on this Feast Day of St. Louis de Montfort and sharing your love for Mary. I hope others may share their blessings as well.

Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the Fire of Your Love!
Jesus, we trust in You!
Mary, Mother and Model for the Church, pray for us.
St. Joseph, Patron of the Church, St. Louis de Montfort, St. John Paul II, pray for us.

 

[SonofJoseph]

I made my consecration to Mary January 1, 2016. After that, I really began to see Mary’s hand in my life. Over the past year, everything has begun to piece together. Basically my life fell apart over the first year until almost a year ago. She put it back together. Almost a year ago, I began my discernment of the priesthood, and also began to say the rosary everyday. I kid you not every single step along the way, Mary has made Her presence known to me. For example, the day of my psychological evaluation was on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary. The day I happened to submit my application was the Feast or vigil of Our Lady of the Rosary. I was accepted into Seminary on the vigil of Our Lady of Guadalupe and my acceptance letter is dated on the Feast day itself.

I can just go on and on. She has helped me heal in several places of deep woundedness. She has led me to Her Son in the most beautiful way. And He has led me to the Father. It is wonderful. I try to encourage Marian devotion whenever the opportunity arises! I owe God everything THROUGH Mary, Ave Maria!

 

[OsculeturMeOsculo]

Secret of the Rosary has been a very good book and has been very helpful. I am waiting for the Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus to arrive in mail. Hopefully it will help cultivate a better devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

 

[MariaChristi]

WOW! Dear Son of Joseph,

So glad I asked you and others to share the blessings God gives through Mary. He has truly done wonders already for you, and as you continue to put your trust in Him as Mary our Mother did, the more He will work in and through you. I trust that your days in the Seminary will be days of great graces and I’m mindful of St. John Paul II who encouraged us all with his words:

“Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

The evil one will continue to prowl around for he hates Mary and her children, but “Greater is He who is In you…(1 John 4:4)” and remember these words of St. JPII as well:

Where the Mother is, there too is the Son. When one moves away from the Mother, sooner or later he ends up keeping distant from the Son as well. It is no wonder that today, in various sectors of secularised society, we note a widespread crisis of faith in God, preceded by a drop in devotion to the Virgin Mother. (Address to Legion of Mary, Oct .30, 1982)

Thanks so much for your beautiful testimony! You will be in my prayers. Please let us for one another and together pray for the Church and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear SammyRose,

Yes, I found the “Secret of the Rosary” by St. Louis de Montfort very helpful as well as his “Secret of Mary” (which is a shorter work than True Devotion but basically gives the essence of True Devotion in more of a pamphlet form rather than a short book as his treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin is.)

I’ve read parts of St. Alphonsus’ “Glories of Mary” but not all of it. Anything written by the saints on Mary is generally good for our souls, it seems to me. Have you ever read the poem “Why I Love You O Mary” by St. Therese of Lisieux? It is a beautiful meditation on Mary, as Therese saw her through the Gospels.

Thanks for your reply and your continuing to love Jesus through Mary!

 

[holybull]

Excellent book am just starting to follow the instructions. The rosary has been my best aide to getting me through the toughest situation in my life presently. Our Lady has always taken care of me and now Am starting to understand there may have been a purpose. God Bless and Hail Mary

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks so much for sharing your blessings from Our Blessed Mother! I’m so grateful that God has led you to start prayerfully reading St. Louis De Montfort’s treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

Yes, the Rosary is a gift to the Church and it is no surprise that our Our Lady asks us to pray and ponder those mysteries of her life with Jesus. When we focus on Jesus through Mary, we begin to do as she told the servants at Cana:

His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”. (Jn 2:5)

Yes, every life has a purpose! God creates each of as unique and unrepeatable persons. All of us are given a gift or gifts for others that no one else can give. We need to pay attention to God’s Word today in this Sunday’s Gospel. He tells us that without Him we can do nothing but He encourages us to “Remain in Him, and Remain in His Love”! He encourages us to bear fruit even as branches bear fruit remaining on the Vine. He is the Vine and we are the branches.

Mary is both Mother and Model for the Church. She helps us to say “Yes” as she did and to do whatever He tells us. Please let us pray for one another, for the Church and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy.

 

[holybull]

Thank you. I am one of the branches being pruned at this time I believe . It is not easy but have to look it as a blessing and prepare to bear the fruit. God Bless

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[MariaChristi]

Ah yes, let us all be “willing” to let God prune us, that by His Grace, we may all bear fruit for His Glory!

Thanks again for your reply. The lives of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on this earth, were not “easy”, but they believed in, and trusted in, God’s Love, and gave themselves totally to His Will for them. The Gospels help us to see this.

The more we ponder all that Jesus said and did, even as Mary pondered all these thing in her heart, the more we see the blessings God gives in the “pruning process”, and the more patient we become in waiting for Him to bring forth fruit at the proper time.

Thanks again for your reply.