"The greatest means of all...a loving and genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today, Chapter 16 ends in “The Love of Eternal Wisdom” and we begin Chapter 17 - “The greatest means of all for obtaining and keeping divine Wisdom…”

In these last 2 paragraphs on mortification, please read prayerfully and carefully what St. Louis de Montfort wrote. Jesus told us to deny ourselves, so the universal mortification, denying self, St. Louis speaks of needs discernment and guidance, as he points out.

1. 1. If we would possess Wisdom, we must mortify the body, not only by enduring patiently our bodily ailments, the inconveniences of the weather and the difficulties arising from other people’s actions, but also by deliberately undertaking some penances and mortifications, such as fasts, vigils and other austerities practised by holy penitents. It requires courage to do that because the body naturally idolises itself, and the world considers all bodily penances as pointless and rejects them. The world does and says everything possible to deter people from practising the austerities of the saints. Of every saint, it can be said, with due allowances, “the wise or the saintly man has brought his body into subjection by vigils, fasts and disciplines, by enduring the cold and nakedness and every kind of austerity, and he has made a compact not to give it any rest in this world” (cf Rom. Brev. St. Peter of Alcantara). The Holy Spirit says of all the saints, that they were enemies of the stained robe of the flesh (Jude 23).
2. 1. For exterior and voluntary mortification to be profitable, it must be accompanied by the mortifying of the judgement and the will through holy obedience, because without this obedience all mortification is spoiled by self-will and often becomes more pleasing to the devil than to God. That is why no exceptional mortification should be undertaken without seeking counsel. “I, Wisdom, dwell in counsel.” (Prov 8.12) “He who trusts in himself, trusts in a fool.” (Prov 28.26) “The prudent man does all things with counsel.” (Prov 13.16) And the great counsel given by the Holy Spirit is this: Do nothing without counsel and you shall have nothing to regret afterwards. (Sir 32.24) Seek counsel always of a wise man. (Tob 4.19) By holy obedience we do away with self-love, which spoils everything; by obedience the smallest of our actions become meritorious. It protects us from illusions of the devil, enables us to overcome our enemies, and brings us surely, as though while sleeping, into the harbor of salvation. All that I have just said is contained in this one great counsel: “Leave all things and you will find all things by finding Jesus Christ, incarnate Wisdom.” (Imitation of Christ, III, c. 32, No. 1)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

FOURTH MEANS: A LOVING AND GENUINE DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

1. The greatest means of all, and the most wonderful of all secrets for obtaining and preserving divine Wisdom is a loving and genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin…

Come Holy Spirit, teach us Wisdom through Mary.

 

[hazcompat]

Our mission is to prepare all our retreatants to make the Consecration to Jesus by Mary, written by Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, and to place them everyone in Mary’s womb. We are doing this in the spirit of a total gift. We are boldly confident that this is expected of us, by the Church, and by the Blessed Virgin. …

What does this total gift encompass? A total abandonment of our own will, of our own judgments, etc. We should pay attention to the profound meaning of our commitment.

The New Pentecost of Love will be a gift from Mary, through Mary, with Mary and for Mary: the “Earthly Paradise of the New Adam.” This is why, in our Foyers of Charity (1), we have the mission to place all our retreatants in the earthly paradise of the New Adam, which is Mary’s womb.

This is why from the first retreat, in 1936, until the 700th one tonight, we have always made the Consecration. And in all our homes, we place souls in the Blessed Virgin’s womb.

So let me ask you: How much do you know about the Secret of Mary or the Treatise on True Devotion ?

(1) There are currently 75 Foyers of Charity the world, established in all continents.

Father Georges Finet (2)

Excerpt from his writings from 1975, used during Father Dominique Bostyn’s workshop during the International Meeting at Saint Laurent sur Sèvre in 2004.

(1) Father Finet (1898-1990) was a Catholic priest and preacher, spiritual father of French mystic Marthe Robin, and co-founder with her of the Foyers of Charity in Châteauneuf de Galaure.

Read more on mariedenazareth.com:​

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.
Amen.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Thanks for your reply. I’ve read the treatise on True Devotion more times than I can recount – over many, many years. “The Secret of Mary” is a smaller version but I’ve read that several times as well. Each time I read any of St. Louis de Montfort’s writings I am blessed anew.

It seems to me St. Louis de Montfort wrote his book on The Love of Eternal Wisdom before he wrote the treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.” He develops far more in “True Devotion” on what True Devotion is, the reasons and necessity for making the Act of Total Consecration and the method for renewing it as the perfect renewal of our Baptismal promises. He also provides the 33 Day Preparation for Total Consecration which is excellent for renewing Total Consecration as well as for consecrating oneself totally the first time. Chapter 17 is the final chapter in his book on the Love of Eternal Wisdom and it is followed by:

CONSECRATION OF ONESELF TO JESUS CHRIST, WISDOM INCARNATE
THROUGH THE HANDS OF MARY

1. Eternal and incarnate Wisdom, most lovable and adorable Jesus, true God and true man, only Son of the eternal Father and of Mary always Virgin, I adore you profoundly, dwelling in the splendour of your Father from all eternity and in the virginal womb of Mary, your most worthy Mother, at the time of your incarnation…

I’m not familiar with the “Foyers of Charity” but I’ve been a member of the Legion of Mary founded in 1921by Servant of God Frank Duff in Ireland and which has spread to almost every country now. I made my first Act of Total Consecration as a teenager in the Junior Legion of Mary. I’m currently a member of the Adult Legion of Mary. The Deacon who gave the Keynote address at the Legion of Mary Congress told us he found the Legion of Mary to be a beautiful way to live “True Devotion”.

Thanks for the info on Father Finet and the Foyers of Charity. As St. Bernard is credited with saying: "Numquam satis de Maria! " i.e. “Never enough of Mary!”