Mary's "training" for servants of God

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In reading St. Louis De Montfort’s little treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, I was blessed by the following paragraphs. I’ve underlined the sentiences which prompted me to begin this thread:

1. But what will they be like, these servants, these slaves, these children of Mary?

They will be ministers of the Lord who, like a flaming fire, will enkindle everywhere the fires of divine love. They will become, in Mary’s powerful hands, like sharp arrows, with which she will transfix her enemies.

They will be as the children of Levi, thoroughly purified by the fire of great tribulations and closely joined to God. They will carry the gold of love in their heart, the frankincense of prayer in their mind and the myrrh of mortification in their body. They will bring to the poor and lowly everywhere the sweet fragrance of Jesus, but they will bring the odour of death to the great, the rich and the proud of this world.

1. They will be like thunder-clouds flying through the air at the slightest breath of the Holy Spirit. Attached to nothing, surprised at nothing, troubled at nothing, they will shower down the rain of God’s word and of eternal life. They will thunder against sin, they will storm against the world, they will strike down the devil and his followers and for life and for death, they will pierce through and through with the two-edged sword of God’s word all those against whom they are sent by Almighty God.

1. They will be true apostles of the latter times to whom the Lord of Hosts will give eloquence and strength to work wonders and carry off glorious spoils from his enemies. They will sleep without gold or silver and, more important still, without concern in the midst of other priests, ecclesiastics and clerics. Yet they will have the silver wings of the dove enabling them to go wherever the Holy Spirit calls them, filled as they are with the resolve to seek the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Wherever they preach, they will leave behind them nothing but the gold of love, which is the fulfillment of the whole law.

1. Lastly, we know they will be true disciples of Jesus Christ, imitating his poverty, his humility, his contempt of the world and his love. They will point out the narrow way to God in pure truth according to the holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world. Their hearts will not be troubled, nor will they show favour to anyone; they will not spare or heed or fear any man, however powerful he may be. They will have the two-edged sword of the word of God in their mouths and the blood-stained standard of the Cross on their shoulders. They will carry the crucifix in their right hand and the rosary in their left, and the holy names of Jesus and Mary on their heart. The simplicity and self-sacrifice of Jesus will be reflected in their whole behaviour.

Such are the great men who are to come. By the will of God Mary is to prepare them to extend his rule over the impious and unbelievers. But when and how will this come about? Only God knows. For our part we must yearn and wait for it in silence and in prayer: “I have waited and waited.”

Mary, my Queen and my Mother I am all yours. Keep me; guard me as your property and possession. You have been given to us by Jesus from His Cross. Intercede for us, prepare us, keep us in “training” to fight the spiritual battles of our time, that by God’s Grace we may extend the power of the Holy Spirit and the Reign of Christ for the Glory of our Father. Amen…

 

[friardchips]

Great thread!

A truly inspiring and powerful revelation by the Saint and a much needed reminder for all of us to fight for what is good in this world, with our prayers and increased dedication through devotion to our most Holy Mother, who is the quickest and surest way to her son.

Ave Maria!

 

[MariaChristi]

Great thread!

A truly inspiring and powerful revelation by the Saint and a much needed reminder for all of us to fight for what is good in this world, with our prayers and increased dedication through devotion to our most Holy Mother, who is the quickest and surest way to her son.

Ave Maria!

Dear friardchips,

Thanks for your reply. Having read this quote at our Legion of Mary Meeting yesterday, and reflected upon it with others, I wanted to underline a few more sentences. We do not know if it will be in our own day that these prophetic words of St. Louis will be realized, but it is possible. In the meantime, By God’s Grace, may we strive to be such men and women as he described. In his day “priests, ecclesiastics and clerics” were the ones teaching the faithful, but we know lay persons (past and present) carry Jesus to others. Especially in times of persecution or in places of great priest-shortage, it was holy lay people who kept the Faith alive in the past, and in similar conditions do so again in our time.

One of our Legion members was especially blessed by the words “gold of love in their hearts” – and rightly so – for as St. John of the Cross reminds us “in the evening of life we’ll be judged on our love”. Scripture also emphasizes the importance of love when Jesus told His disciples, “This is My Commandment that you love one another AS I have loved you” (John 13) and St. Paul reminds us that without love we are nothing (1 Cor 13). I’ll repeat the words of St. Louis De Montfort with some additional underlining:

1. But what will they be like, these servants, these slaves, these children of Mary?

They will be ministers of the Lord who, like a flaming fire, will enkindle everywhere the fires of divine love. They will become, in Mary’s powerful hands, like sharp arrows, with which she will transfix her enemies.

They will be as the children of Levi, thoroughly purified by the fire of great tribulations and closely joined to God. They will carry the gold of love in their heart, the frankincense of prayer in their mind and the myrrh of mortification in their body. They will bring to the poor and lowly everywhere the sweet fragrance of Jesus, but they will bring the odour of death to the great, the rich and the proud of this world.

1. They will be like thunder-clouds flying through the air at the slightest breath of the Holy Spirit. Attached to nothing, surprised at nothing, troubled at nothing, they will shower down the rain of God’s word and of eternal life. They will thunder against sin, they will storm against the world, they will strike down the devil and his followers and for life and for death, they will pierce through and through with the two-edged sword of God’s word all those against whom they are sent by Almighty God.

1. They will be true apostles of the latter times to whom the Lord of Hosts will give eloquence and strength to work wonders and carry off glorious spoils from his enemies. They will sleep without gold or silver and, more important still, without concern in the midst of other priests, ecclesiastics and clerics. Yet they will have the silver wings of the dove enabling them to go wherever the Holy Spirit calls them, filled as they are with the resolve to seek the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Wherever they preach, they will leave behind them nothing but the gold of love, which is the fulfillment of the whole law.

1. Lastly, we know they will be true disciples of Jesus Christ, imitating his poverty, his humility, his contempt of the world and his love. They will point out the narrow way to God in pure truth according to the holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world. Their hearts will not be troubled, nor will they show favour to anyone; they will not spare or heed or fear any man, however powerful he may be. They will have the two-edged sword of the word of God in their mouths and the blood-stained standard of the Cross on their shoulders. They will carry the crucifix in their right hand and the rosary in their left, and the holy names of Jesus and Mary on their heart. The simplicity and self-sacrifice of Jesus will be reflected in their whole behaviour.

Such are the great men who are to come. By the will of God Mary is to prepare them to extend his rule over the impious and unbelievers. But when and how will this come about? Only God knows. For our part we must yearn and wait for it in silence and in prayer: “I have waited and waited.”

Mary, Mothr of the Church train us, prepare us to be all God intends us to be and continue to prepare those great men and women who will be His true disciples in the end times to come.