Mary's "Apostolic Mission"

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MariaChristi

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Discussing “Living in Mary”, someone asked me if I had ever read the works of Fr. Emil Neubert, SM. The name sounded familiar but I decided to search the internet. What an inspiring search into this holy priest’s life, works and vocation in the Society of Mary founded by Fr. Chaminade! I discovered a connection between the Society of Mary (Marianists) and the University of Dayton which I’d been unaware of, also, until I followed a link . See HERE

It was at this link that I came across the words Mary’s “Apostolic Mission”:
Vignette 25
TODAY’S CHURCH ECHOES CHAMINADE
Recent writings of theologians and popes have stressed the universal role of Mary in the life of the Church. An increasing awareness of the universality of Mary’s relation to all persons, to all Christians, to the apostolate of the Church is plainly evident in the teaching of the ordinary magisterium, especially in the documents of recent popes.
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Although Mary’s Apostolic Mission has not been solemnly defined, it has certainly been stressed implicitly by recent papal pronouncements on Mary’s Spiritual Motherhood, Co-redemption, Distribution of grace, and Queenship. For, it is contained and implied in these other doctrines.
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Father Chaminade taught explicitly the apostolic role of Mary. Later Marianist writers, notably Father Emil Neubert, expanded this teaching. Theologians and popes have frequently alluded to it in modern times and taught it implicitly. Most of the non-Marianist writers who have treated the topic do not state clearly that Mary’s maternal responsibility is a continuous mission and not a single act which ended on Calvary. But the apostolic responsibility of her Spiritual Maternity is part of her vocation. It is a participation and sharing in the apostolate of Christ our Redeemer.
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The social and apostolic dimensions of Marian doctrine and cult are being developed only in modern times. The dynamic relations of Mary to us are both personal and communitarian; that is, she concerns herself with the welfare of individuals and also of social institutions. Mary’s place in Christian spirituality and in the Christian apostolate regarding all members of the Mystical Body – clergy, religious, laity – is coming more plainly to the fore.
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This concept of an “apostolic thrust” was what urged me to pray St. Maxmillian Kolbe’s Act of Consecration about 6 or 7 years ago. Interestingly, I learned Fr. Neubert had corresponded with St. Maximillian Kolbe. (Fr. Neubert died in 1967). It was interesting to me that Father also knew the Servant of God, Frank Duff, who had founded the Legion of Mary, the largest Catholic Lay apostolate in the world, with a small group who had consecrated themselves to Jesus through Mary using St. Louis De Montfort’s “True Devotion”.

I want to continue pondering Mary’s union with Jesus on Calvary during Holy week and in particular to ponder again, Mary as our Mother and Model in the Apostolic Mission of the Church. We are all called by Baptism to bring Jesus into the world as Mary did. I believe the Church continues Mary’s “apostolic responsibility of her Spiritual Maternity” as part of her vocation and her share in the Apostolate of Christ.
 
MariaChristi said:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Discussing “Living in Mary”, someone asked me if I had ever read the works of Fr. Emil Neubert, SM. The name sounded familiar but I decided to search the internet. What an inspiring search into this holy priest’s life, works and vocation in the Society of Mary founded by Fr. Chaminade! I discovered a connection between the Society of Mary (Marianists) and the University of Dayton which I’d been unaware of, also, until I followed a link . See HERE

It was at this link that I came across the words Mary’s “Apostolic Mission”:

This concept of an “apostolic thrust” was what urged me to pray St. Maxmillian Kolbe’s Act of Consecration about 6 or 7 years ago. Interestingly, I learned Fr. Neubert had corresponded with St. Maximillian Kolbe. (Fr. Neubert died in 1967). It was interesting to me that Father also knew the Servant of God, Frank Duff, who had founded the Legion of Mary, the largest Catholic Lay apostolate in the world, with a small group who had consecrated themselves to Jesus through Mary using St. Louis De Montfort’s “True Devotion”.

I want to continue pondering Mary’s union with Jesus on Calvary during Holy week and in particular to ponder again, Mary as our Mother and Model in the Apostolic Mission of the Church. We are all called by Baptism to bring Jesus into the world as Mary did. I believe the Church continues Mary’s “apostolic responsibility of her Spiritual Maternity” as part of her vocation and her share in the Apostolate of Christ.
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Very interesting, God Bless, Memaw
 
A mother is one who gives life. Mary has given you life—the most real life.
On Calvary, she brought you forth when she offered her Son as a sacrifice for you.
Your deliverance from sin and death was only consummated on Golgotha. It was there that Jesus “destroyed him who had the empire of death,” and by His death merited for you the grace of living His life. Now, it was in union with Mary that He accomplished this work. She had conceived Him as a Victim; she had nourished and brought Him up for the Sacrifice, and at the supreme moment, she offered Him to the Father for your salvation and renounced in your favor her maternal rights over Him. And she who, ever Virgin, experienced only joy in the birth of her Firstborn Son, gave birth to you and your brothers amid the most agonizing sorrow. At that moment, her Motherhood in your regard was consummated.
 
Googler said:
A mother is one who gives life. Mary has given you life—the most real life.
On Calvary, she brought you forth when she offered her Son as a sacrifice for you.
Your deliverance from sin and death was only consummated on Golgotha. It was there that Jesus “destroyed him who had the empire of death,” and by His death merited for you the grace of living His life. Now, it was in union with Mary that He accomplished this work. She had conceived Him as a Victim; she had nourished and brought Him up for the Sacrifice, and at the supreme moment, she offered Him to the Father for your salvation and renounced in your favor her maternal rights over Him. And she who, ever Virgin, experienced only joy in the birth of her Firstborn Son, gave birth to you and your brothers amid the most agonizing sorrow. At that moment, her Motherhood in your regard was consummated.
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Dear Googler,

Thanks so much for the beautiful words above. Are they drawn from your own pondering of this mystery of Mary’s continuing maternity in her “Apostolc Mission”?

I continue to ponder the beauty of this concept as expressed in the vignette on Fr. Chaminade at the University of Dayton’s website:
…Mary’s maternal responsibility is a continuous mission and not a single act which ended on Calvary. But the apostolic responsibility of her Spiritual Maternity is part of her vocation. It is a participation and sharing in the apostolate of Christ our Redeemer.
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May God continue to guide the Church through His Holy Spirit, that we may become more and more like Mary our Mother, bringing Jesus into this world. How dark it is without His Light, shining through Mary.

“O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in your servants, in the spirit of holiness, in the fullness of your power, in the perfection of your ways, in the truth of your virtues, in the communion of your mysteries. Rule over every adverse power, in your Spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen.” – prayer by Jean Jacques Olier, S.S. (1608-1657)
 
Oh, how it goes on from there!!

The words are derived from Fr. Emil’s book, My Ideal—Jesus Son of Mary. In the book, it is Jesus doing the talking. I took the liberty of revising it a bit. I apologize for any confusion.

Father Maximilian was a lover of the Blessed Virgin. He had called himself the Knight of the Immaculate, of the most chaste Virgin. He wanted to recruit an immense army of knights of the Blessed Virgin, who would be dedicated both body and soul to the Immaculate and be ready to fight without end and even to die for the love of Her.
 
Googler said:
Oh, how it goes on from there!!

The words are derived from Fr. Emil’s book, My Ideal—Jesus Son of Mary. In the book, it is Jesus doing the talking. I took the liberty of revising it a bit. I apologize for any confusion.

Father Maximilian was a lover of the Blessed Virgin. He had called himself the Knight of the Immaculate, of the most chaste Virgin. He wanted to recruit an immense army of knights of the Blessed Virgin, who would be dedicated both body and soul to the Immaculate and be ready to fight without end and even to die for the love of Her.
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St. Maximillian Kolbe and Fr. Emil corresponded, being contemporaries. I’m sure they were an encouragement to one another as they pondered all the beauty God gave to our Immaculate Mother! 🙂

I wonder if any letters remain from their correspondence.
 
I have read several of Fr. Emil Neubert’s books. They are excellent!
 
ready said:
I have read several of Fr. Emil Neubert’s books. They are excellent!
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Dear ready,

Thanks for your reply. I’ve only read excerpts, but I’ve been blessed by what I have read by Fr. Neubert and also by the Founder of the Marianists, Fr. Chaminade. The Catholic Church has such a wealth of holy spiritual writers! 🙂
 
MariaChristi said:
Dear ready,

Thanks for your reply. I’ve only read excerpts, but I’ve been blessed by what I have read by Fr. Neubert and also by the Founder of the Marianists, Fr. Chaminade. The Catholic Church has such a wealth of holy spiritual writers! 🙂
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Yes, she does!
 
You are most welcome, MariaChristi! Thank you for your threads and posts about our Blessed Mother. I can imagine how much you love our Lady! Let us always be docile instruments in her service and imitate her as much as possible. God bless you.
 
ready said:
You are most welcome, MariaChristi! Thank you for your threads and posts about our Blessed Mother. I can imagine how much you love our Lady! Let us always be docile instruments in her service and imitate her as much as possible. God bless you.
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Dear ready,

Please know I am very far from the total gift of Love I want to give Mary our Mother. My hope comes often in remembering the words of St. Augustine: “The will to love is already love”.

Yes, by God’s Grace, I will to love Mary; and by her intercession, I hope to enter the fullness of love in the Beatific Vision of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I try to look at her and not myself but the battle of prayer is a fierce one often, isn’t it? God knew how much we all need Mary and in His great love He gave her to us as His Gift. Like us she is only human and yet by His Grace, she continually said “Yes” to His Will.

May the Holy Spirit Whom Jesus sent to bring us into His complete Truth, daily teach us and guide us. May He overshadow us in a spiritual way that we may be like Mary, truly bringing Jesus into our world.

Thanks again for your reply and for your part in continuing with Mary, the Apostolic Mission of Christ.
 
Dear MariaChristi,

I love Mary so much, but I, too, wish to love her much more. Please pray that my love for Mary increases exponentially and that all my confidence will be in her. She really is my hope – I truly need to be aware of this fact, always.

Yours in Mary’s Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart,
ready
 
ready said:
Dear MariaChristi,

I love Mary so much, but I, too, wish to love her much more. Please pray that my love for Mary increases exponentially and that all my confidence will be in her. She really is my hope – I truly need to be aware of this fact, always.

Yours in Mary’s Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart,
ready
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Dear ready,

When we experience a desire to love Mary more, I believe it is a blessing. God’s Mercy comes to our need and the Holy Spirit works in us conforming us to Christ, her firstborn. The Holy Spirit is God’s Love poured into our hearts at Baptism to teach us the complete Truth of Jesus and our place within His Body. We are born of water and the Holy Spirit and baptized into the Church, of whom Mary is both Mother and Model. We are called to continue Christ’s Mission just as Mary did on this earth. The same love God poured into Mary’s heart is given to us: God is Love and Grace is a participation in His Life.

Mary helps us to be hopeful because she lived our human journey on earth, saying her “Yes” even when she did not fully understand all God was asking of her, or saying to her. Neither Mary nor Joseph understood the Boy Jesus’ words to them after they found Him in the temple. Nevertheless, they continued to listen and to do God’s Will as He revealed it to them. Scripture tells us when God spoke to Mary, she kept His Word and pondered His Word, in order to live His Word.

We can find in Mary’s faith, hope and above all her love, encouragement that God continues to look on the humility of His children and does marvelous things for us. Mary grew as we must grow from grace to grace. She was full of grace when the angel Gabriel came to her, yet she continued to grow as God continued to enlarge her capacity to know, love and serve Him. Love grows as we continue to give ourselves to God’s Will as she did.

Yes, please let us continue to pray for one another, for the Church and for all those in most need of His Mercy that through Mary we may bring Jesus to others. Let us have great confidence that God will make fruitful our obedience to His Word: “Behold your Mother”. Like John let us take her into our lives, each day, and often during the day, in order to grow more like Christ through her – and to continue with Mary, the Apostolic Mission of Christ.
 
Thanks for sharing all those wonderful thoughts, MariaChristi! God bless you and Mary keep you!
 
ready said:
Thanks for sharing all those wonderful thoughts, MariaChristi! God bless you and Mary keep you!
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Dear ready,

“Back at you” as the slang expression goes. I had a teacher who tried to keep us from using slang, but she admitted it is a strong temptation to use slang because the expressions are so “picturesque”. 🙂

Thanks for your reply and I sincerely want to say “Thank you” right back to you because we are members of the same Body of Christ and when each member functions properly the whole body builds itself up in Love. (cf Ephesians 4:16)

When persons hear the Truth of God within their hearts and minds and strive to speak and do the Truth, we need to listen and encourage or if we don’t understand but sense it may be true, ask questions. If we perceive something does not ring true with what we hear in the Gospels, again we need to ask and pray to discern what God would have us say or do.

Mary is as misunderstood today, as Her Son Our Lord is also misunderstood. We shouldn’t be surprised if we are misunderstood as Catholic Christians in our time here on earth. Let us strive, by God’s Grace to remain close to Jesus and Mary on Calvary and learn from them how to love one another truly and to share God’s Love with all in most need of His Mercy.
 
😉 Officer, Request permission to come aboard. I ain’t at ease. I will offer it up.
If this ain’t relevant here, so sorry.
A brief contribution all’s I have for now.
This poor sinner prays Mary lead him closer to her Son. More knowledge of God is a heavier cross to bear. More Love makes it free and clear! If the Christian can find a trust in His Grace once free from the nightmare of sin and daily beg Jesus, Mary, the Holy Ghost, Angels, Saints, … For each and every worthy consolation she can get to just ride this journey to eternal life and avoid the fires of hell, only then will the Immaculata smile (a little bit). :rolleyes:
 
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