"Superficial devotees ... whose entire devotion to our Lady consists in exterior practices"

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We continue today pondering St. Louis de Montfort’s, “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” as he describes the third type of “false devotion” to Mary.

1. Superficial devotees are people whose entire devotion to our Lady consists in exterior practices. Only the externals of devotion appeal to them because they have no interior spirit. They say many rosaries with great haste and assist at many Masses distractedly. They take part in processions of our Lady without inner fervour. They join her confraternities without reforming their lives or restraining their passions or imitating Mary’s virtues. All that appeals to them is the emotional aspect of this devotion, but the substance of it has no appeal at all. If they do not feel a warmth in their devotions, they think they are doing nothing; they become upset, and give up everything, or else do things only when they feel like it. The world is full of these shallow devotees, and there are none more critical of men of prayer who regard the interior devotion as the essential aspect and strive to acquire it without, however, neglecting a reasonable external expression which always accompanies true devotion.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful with Your Truth. Enable us to pray for the Holy Catholic Church Jesus founded. He died that we might share in His Life though the Church, many of whose members in our time are confused and in such great need of Your Truth.

Brothers and Sisters, if you unaware of “A CRUSADE OF PRAYER AND FASTING: TO IMPLORE GOD THAT ERROR AND HERESY DO NOT PERVERT THE COMING SPECIAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS FOR THE PAN-AMAZON” - I encourage you to read HERE. This effort urged by Cardinals Burke and Schneider begins tomorrow (Sept. 17) imploring God’s help through the intercession of Mary. It is a long documnet but even if you scroll down and read only the “Conclusion”, it will help you to understand our need to pray and fast for 40 days beginning tomorrow.

Prayer and fasting for 40 days will mean nothing if it is merely “superficial”. We need to pray with attention and devotion. Let us begin to grow more fervent interiorly than ever before this critical time in which we are living now. Jesus, we trust in You! Mary, Mother and Model of the Church pray for us. St. Joseph, and all you Holy Saints and Angels pray for us.

 

[fide]

Thank you for this segment from St. Louis, and for the pointer to the CRUSADE. Concerning the matter of this 3rd type of "false devotion, I would add to your prayer “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful with Your Truth,” this also: “and kindle in them the fire of your love.”

The embrace of His Truth does ignite the fire of His Love, and authentic zeal reveals His holy Life within the soul. The haste, the distraction, the shallowness and superficiality - the interior emptiness of the merely external - all of that is consumed in the fire, and replaced with the true devotion appropriate to living Faith.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Fide,

Thanks so much for your reply. You are absolutely right in adding the usual addition to the prayer : “Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.” Without the Love which is Divine Charity, we can do nothing, and we need that warmth of God’s Love together with God’s Truth to do His Holy Will as He intends.

It was a blessing for me to read of the “Crusade of Prayer and Fasting” which Cardinal Burke and Cardinal Schneider are urging the Clergy and the Laity to begin tomorrow – imploring God through the intercession of Mary in regard to the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon, and so I wanted to pass it on to the Readers at Catholic Answers, as well as those in my own parish and among Legion of Mary Members some of whom are living in other countries. This an opportunity for us to unite in prayer for the Church.

It is certainly consistent with the preaching of St. Louis de Montort in his time seeking to make Jesus better known through Mary in order for the Kingdom of God to come! Mary is the Mother and Model for the Church. Jesus came to us the first time through Mary and to reign in this world He continues coming through her into our hearts, until He comes again in Glory at the end of time!

 

[patricius79]

Thanks, MariaChristi. Pope Saint Pius X says the same things in his Encyclical Ad Diem Illum:

1. For to be right and good, worship of the Mother of God ought to spring from the heart; acts of the body have here neither utility nor value if the acts of the soul have no part in them. Now these latter can only have one object, which is that we should fully carry out what the divine Son of Mary commands. For if true love alone has the power to unite the wills of men, it is of the first necessity that we should have one will with Mary to serve Jesus our Lord. What this most prudent Virgin said to the servants at the marriage feast of Cana she addresses also to us: “Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye” ( John ii., 5). Now here is the word of Jesus Christ: “If you would enter into life, keep the commandments” ( Matt . xix., 17). Let them each one fully convince himself of this, that if his piety towards the Blessed Virgin does not hinder him from sinning, or does not move his will to amend an evil life, it is a piety deceptive and Iying, wanting as it is in proper effect and its natural fruit.
   Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum (February 2, 1904) | PIUS X

 

[MariaChristi]

…Let them each one fully convince himself of this, that if his piety towards the Blessed Virgin does not hinder him from sinning, or does not move his will to amend an evil life, it is a piety deceptive and Iying, wanting as it is in proper effect and its natural fruit.
http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-x...x_enc_02021904_ad-diem-illum-laetissimum.html

Thanks patricius for your “heart” and for this reply. How truly and powerfully clear Pope St. Pius X was in writing the words you quoted from his encyclical. The final words in the paragraph above, which I copied from your reply are words that need to be taught again and again to every generation. The evil one is a deceiver, a liar, and the father of lies – yet he is so crafty – he convinces people to avoid the “narrow way” Jesus taught and Mary followed so perfectly. May all who read these threads begin to learn the Truth and the Love The Holy Spirit teaches to Mary’s children “who have one will with her to serve Jesus our Lord”.