We continue today in Chap. 4 of St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on "True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin" in which we hear motives which recommend this devotion:
Other congregations, associations, and confraternities set up in honour of our Lord and our Blessed Lady, which do so much good in the Church, do not require their members to give up absolutely everything. They simply prescribe for them the performance of certain acts and practices in fulfilment of their obligations. They leave them free to dispose of the rest of their actions as well as their time. But this devotion makes us give Jesus and Mary all our thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings and every moment of our lives without exception. Thus, whatever we do, whether we are awake or asleep, whether we eat or drink, whether we do important or unimportant work, it will always be true to say that everything is done for Jesus and Mary. Our offering always holds good, whether we think of it or not, unless we explicitly retract it. How consoling this is!
Moreover, as I have said before, no other act of devotion enables us to rid ourselves so easily of the possessiveness which slips unnoticed even into our best actions. This is a remarkable grace which our dear Lord grants us in return for the heroic and selfless surrender to him through Mary of the entire value of our good works. If even in this life he gives a hundredfold reward to those who renounce all material, temporal and perishable things out of love for him, how generously will he reward those who give up even interior and spiritual goods for his sake!
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your Faithful; kindle in us the Fire of Your Love enlighten our minds, and strengthen our wills to give ALL to Jesus through Mary. Jesus “emptied Himself on the Cross” ( cf Phil 2:7) for us and Mary gave herself with Him repeating her “Yes” through all her life.
So many Saints and spiritual writers tell us that the root cause of sinfulness is our “self-love”. The possessiveness, we need to be rid of is that love of self which we need to “let go” in order to love God with our whole heart and all others because of our love for Him.
When we surrender ALL to Him, that includes ourselves, trusting He will purify us and perfect us in His Love.
Thank you all for your dear “hearts”. Today in the next thread we will continue in Chapter 4 and begin to hear move motives which recommend this devotion.
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