St. Kolbe, Militia Immaculata, Mary, etc

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RevDrNorth

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I have developed a great(er) appreciation of the Catholic faith the more I delve into issues like the life of Fr. Kolbe, Fatima and Mary.

Fr. Kolbe was a highly intelligent priest and in the end a “Martyr of Charity” at Auschwitz. The blessing he provided to the man whose place he took at Auschwitz was something that Francis Gajowniczek never forgot. My understanding is that he spent much of his life sharing the story of this Saint.
kolbenet.com/pages/library/st_max_kolbe.html

Fr. Kolbe (like Pope JP II) was devoted to Our Mother and founded the Militia of the Immaculata to spread devotion and evangelization. consecration.com/

Reading into these issues deepened my desire to find out about Mary, Fatima and so on. As I posted on another thread, I have been impressed by the biblical basis that Fr. Mateo draws out in relation to the Catholic Church’s Marian theology. He has 6 or 7 articles on Catholic.com that address all aspects of Marian doctrine in response to CRI’s attack on the doctrines.

I also was one of those that dismissed Fatima out of hand until I began to read and attempt to understand more about it and the message. That Pope John Paul the II credited Our Lady of Fatima with saving his life was intriguing (shot on the anniversary of Fatima) The Pope in Crossing the Threshold of Hope noted that the three children of Fatima could not have invented the predictions made in the revelations since “they did not know enough about history or geography , much less social movements and ideological developments (p. 131). That three peasants (children) on the eve of the October revolution prior to mass communication could predict what they did stretches credulity. It also answers one critic on this forum who noted that these apparitions appear to uneducated children and women peasants and not educated men so they should be dismissed. As scripture notes, God has chosen the simple things of the world to make the wise look foolish.

The Church is not perfect and is made up of sinful human beings (Popes and so on) but it is also filled with men and women of extraordinary depth of character (like Fr. Kolbe) and spirituality who sacrificed much for the cause of Christ.

PS Another favorite is Blessed .Francis Seelos. seelos.org/index.html EWTN had an excellent production on his life in New Orleans.
 
Thank you so much, RevDrNorth, for sharing your thought and desire to find out more about Virgin Mary, and other Catholic devotions. Those links you provided are awesome. I’d like to thank the Lord for you being here and sharing with us your desire and what God has given to you. I wanted to say that you had no idea how your post affect me and many readers out there. Your desire of wanting to know more about Virgin Mary and other saints inspire us to desire to know more about our faith, and thank you for that.

Wow, the MI Consecration is so similar to the Total Consecration to Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Louis de Montfort; I am in the middle of the consecration. About 6 months ago, when I read on this forum about the consecration. I was reluctant about it; however, I knew in my heart that Virgin Mary should lead me closer to God. I spent couple of months praying and asking God to help me trust in Her. More than a month ago, an unexpected event happened, and I found myself that I must need Mother Mary more and more. All helps and many retreats on Mother Mary coming to me. Without questions and reasonings, I took it at a sign that God is answering to my prayer and responded to the call to the Consecration.

Thank you again for the links and your post also helps me during this time of my consecration, I’ll definitely spend time reading them. I also like to point you to this link about Saint Louis de Montfort and his devotion to Blessed Virgin Mary montfort.org/English/SpiritLM.htm

God bless!
 
RevDrNorth said:
It also answers one critic on this forum who noted that these apparitions appear to uneducated children and women peasants and not educated men so they should be dismissed. As scripture notes, God has chosen the simple things of the world to make the wise look foolish.
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Yes, it was also the poor shepherds whom Angel appeared to and told them about the new Born Baby Jesus.
 
RevDrNorth said:
I have developed a great(er) appreciation of the Catholic faith the more I delve into issues like the life of Fr. Kolbe, Fatima and Mary.

As scripture notes, God has chosen the simple things of the world to make the wise look foolish.
Click to expand...
RevDrNorth, I was slightly startled to see your profile (Protestant). Please post any other really good links that you find about the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The biggest thing that I discovered in “crossing the Tiber” is Mary. She is so wonderful and has such a positive and encouraging attitude. I hope you will also discover praying the Rosary (if you haven’t yet) and how personal and meaningful it can be. Many people (and many Catholics) consider praying the Rosary to be so many repetitious words. It frequently seems to me that there is a whole world that imagination and faith can open up.

See Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter “Rosarium Virginis Mariae” section 15.
“Rosarium Virginis Mariae” section 15:
… The Rosary mystically transports us to Mary’s side as she is busy watching over the human growth of Christ in the home of Nazareth. This enables her to train us and to mold us with the same care, until Christ is “fully formed” in us (cf. Gal 4:19). This role of Mary, totally grounded in that of Christ and radically subordinated to it, “in no way obscures or diminishes the unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power”. This is the luminous principle expressed by the Second Vatican Council which I have so powerfully experienced in my own life and have made the basis of my episcopal motto: Totus Tuus. The motto is of course inspired by the teaching of Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, who explained in the following words Mary’s role in the process of our configuration to Christ: “Our entire perfection consists in being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus Christ. Hence the most perfect of all devotions is undoubtedly that which conforms, unites and consecrates us most perfectly to Jesus Christ. Now, since Mary is of all creatures the one most conformed to Jesus Christ, it follows that among all devotions that which most consecrates and conforms a soul to our Lord is devotion to Mary, his Holy Mother, and that the more a soul is consecrated to her the more will it be consecrated to Jesus Christ”. Never as in the Rosary do the life of Jesus and that of Mary appear so deeply joined. Mary lives only in Christ and for Christ!
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Soon after John Paul II became Pope, I was disappointed when I found out that he had great devotion to Mary and that his favorite prayer was the Rosary. I was so ignorant years ago.

I really like the quote from paragraph 15. Because it confirms to me what I have figured is going on sometimes when I pray the Rosary. Just think – Mary is really there when we pray the Rosary sincerely and with devotion. And I suppose we are not only mystically transported in space to Mary’s side, but also mystically transported in time to the time of Christ. This is how we can use our imagination – even to talk with those present at the Wedding at Cana. Or to walk along with Mary as she is going to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s house. When we pray, we enable Mary – we put ourselves in her hands – as a child of Mary we are spending time with Our Mother.

jmm08
 
jmm08 said:
RevDrNorth, I was slightly startled to see your profile (Protestant). Please post any other really good links that you find about the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The biggest thing that I discovered in “crossing the Tiber” is Mary. She is so wonderful and has such a positive and encouraging attitude. I hope you will also discover praying the Rosary (if you haven’t yet) and how personal and meaningful it can be. Many people (and many Catholics) consider praying the Rosary to be so many repetitious words. It frequently seems to me that there is a whole world that imagination and faith can open up.

See Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter “Rosarium Virginis Mariae” section 15.

Soon after John Paul II became Pope, I was disappointed when I found out that he had great devotion to Mary and that his favorite prayer was the Rosary. I was so ignorant years ago.

I really like the quote from paragraph 15. Because it confirms to me what I have figured is going on sometimes when I pray the Rosary. Just think – Mary is really there when we pray the Rosary sincerely and with devotion. And I suppose we are not only mystically transported in space to Mary’s side, but also mystically transported in time to the time of Christ. This is how we can use our imagination – even to talk with those present at the Wedding at Cana. Or to walk along with Mary as she is going to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s house. When we pray, we enable Mary – we put ourselves in her hands – as a child of Mary we are spending time with Our Mother.

jmm08
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Your post was excellent and right on in terms of Mary. Marian Theology is a hidden treasure of the Church that helps lead us to Christ. When I read Fr. Mateo’s biblical argumentation and perspective I was shocked to find it was logical and provided answers to Protestant objections.

I do indeed pray the Rosary at night. It has deepened my prayer life and focus on the life of Christ in each mystery. I then also reflect on the readings in an old book by Fr. Leo Krenz, SJ for Religious called Our Way to the Father. It is a four volume set (written in the late 40’s) that has readings and reflections for each day and church season of the year (there is good intellectual depth and multi page devotions for each day). Fr. Krenz obviously also had(s) great devotion to Mary. I was blessed to come across it in a used book store.

(PS If you want another confession, I also wear a Brown Scapular. It serves as a reminder of my calling as a servant of Christ and of Our Lady’s prayers, intercession, example, and leading to her Son). I pray to Christ but I also know that I am never without Mary’s prayer and intercession for me.
 
jmm,

Since you asked for some other links, here are some I have enjoyed:

World Apostolate of Fatima (Blue Army). This is the official Fatima site (you can join the Apostlate for free but you have certain obligations). It is one of only 11 Public Associations of the Faithful (Vatican recognized). Latest edition of Soul Magazine is on line (cool interactive magazine)

wafusa.org/

Also, the Association of the Miraculous Medal:

amm.org/

A comprehensive Anglican site devoted to Mary (includes Anglican sites such as Walsingham and Catholic sites):

societyofmary.net/
 
water said:
wow! Thanks Rev Dr North! it’s awesome, and I love those Franciscan friars.
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I listened to one of the lectures by Scott Hahn on Mary as the new ark (terrific).

I used to disregard Mary “stuff” as superstitious fluff and was amused by Catholics who saw Mary on water towers and grilled cheese sandwiches. That certainly is one aspect of extreme and illogical focus. I suppose no more so than Protestants and their Benny Hinn healing services and Pentecostal snake handlers, or words of knowledge.

BUT I have been amazed when I read Fr. Mateo’s writing at Catholic.com on a biblical basis for Mary, when I hear Dr. Hahn discuss Mary from historical and biblical point of view, or when I read about Fatima and the Pope’s words regarding the implausibility of the apparitions & Mary’s message being conjured up by peasant children. In fact, I am ashamed to have so arrogantly disregarded the respect given to Mary since the early church (there is a prayer to Mary that dates back from around 200 AD). I have also failed to divide excess from the solid biblical foundation and reasoning of the church in regard to Mary. How can we laugh at Mary’s bodily assumption and yet there have been Old Testament prophets bodily assumed. No conservative Christians would say we need to disregard biblical testimony and assume that it was the work of over zealous Old testament writers.

Mary has not been given a fair shake in the Protestant community and a bit of a double standard has been applied in terms of doctrines about her versus other biblical doctrines/supernatural events that we accept without thinking.

PS I enjoy seeing and hearing from Religious (Monks, Nuns, etc)as well 👍
 
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