"When the Holy Spirit, her spouse, finds Mary in a soul, He hastens there ..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Reading these words in St. Louis de Montfort’s"True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin", how can we not be blessed? So much grace given and shared as God reveals Himself more and more:

1. God the Holy Spirit wishes to fashion His chosen ones in and through Mary. He tells her, "My well-beloved, my spouse, let all your virtues take root in My chosen ones that they may grow from strength to strength and from grace to grace. When you were living on earth, practising the most sublime virtues, I was so pleased with you that I still desire to find you on earth without your ceasing to be in heaven. Reproduce yourself then in My chosen ones, so that I may have the joy of seeing in them the roots of your invincible faith, profound humility, total mortification, sublime prayer, ardent charity, your firm hope and all your virtues. You are always My spouse, as faithful, pure, and fruitful as ever. May your faith give Me believers; your purity, virgins; your fruitfulness, elect and living temples."
2. When Mary has taken root in a soul she produces in it wonders of grace which only she can produce; for she alone is the fruitful virgin who never had and never will have her equal in purity and fruitfulness. Together with the Holy Spirit Mary produced the greatest thing that ever was or ever will be: a God-man. She will consequently produce the marvels which will be seen in the latter times. The formation and the education of the great saints who will come at the end of the world are reserved to her, for only this singular and wondrous virgin can produce in union with the Holy Spirit singular and wondrous things.
3. When the Holy Spirit, her spouse, finds Mary in a soul, He hastens there and enters fully into it. He gives Himself generously to that soul according to the place it has given to His spouse. One of the main reasons why the Holy Spirit does not work striking wonders in souls is that He fails to find in them a sufficiently close union with His faithful and inseparable spouse. I say “inseparable spouse”, for from the moment the substantial love of the Father and the Son espoused Mary to form Jesus, the head of the elect, and Jesus in the elect, He has never disowned her, for she has always been faithful and fruitful.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful!

 

[GiftofMercy]

St Joseph is the most chaste spouse of Mary. This is included in one of the Eucharistic Prayers.

Are you in the Legion of Mary?

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Gift of Mercy,

Thanks so much for your reply and YES - I have been a member of the Legion of Mary since I was in High School, in the Junior Legion then, and now in an adult Legion Praesidium. God’s great gift ot me, among the many was to be in a Catholic school with a Dominican Sister who introduced me to St. Louis de Montfort and his Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. Sister was the Spiritual Directress of our Praesidium “Mary, Praise of the Trinity”.

Interesting that you mention St. Joseph, because one eveing Sister told us that on her way from the Convent over to the school where we held our Legion Meeting, she was passing a statue of Our Lady and asked Mary: “What shall I share with the girls tonight?” Sister did not hear an audible voice but heard in her heart, and she told us: "Mary said, ‘Tell them about my husband’… " I was so struck with that simple answer because it made Mary so “real” to me. I’ve never forgotten and that was said to me over 60 years ago!!! I am now a member of an Adult Legion of Mary in our parish.

Every morning before beginning anything on the computer, I pray my “Catena” (Mary’s “Magnificat” from Luke) and then a short prayer to St. Joseph - “Man of Unshakable Hope”. Yes, Joseph is the chaste spouse of Mary, but that does not negate in any way the Truth in St. Louis de Montfort’s words.

Joseph and Mary were husband and wife on earth according to Jewish tradition. Just as my husband and I are husband and wife here on earth in our Catholic tradition, but in the Mystical Body of Christ we have a union with God that is Supernatural. The Holy Trinity lives in the Baptized, infused into our souls at Baptism.

Mary’s union with God was unique from her Immaculate Conception. Mary is unique in her union with God, having conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. In God’s design He intended that we too become “Temples of the Holy Spirit” – men and women “born again” by water and the Holy Spirit. Mary was totally HIs from the beginning. We are called likewise to holiness. Totus Tuus. Hope that helps.

 

[patricius79]

When the Holy Spirit, her spouse, finds Mary in a soul, He hastens there and enters fully into it. He gives Himself generously to that soul according to the place it has given to His spouse

It makes sense that the Holy Spirit works in us to the extent we are in union with Mary, His Spouse.

Pope St. John Paul II refers to her as the Spouse of the Holy Spirit in the Encyclical “Mother of the Redeemer”:

In a sense her journey of faith is longer. The Holy Spirit had already come down upon her, and she became his faithful spouse at the Annunciation, welcoming the Word of the true God, offering “the full submission of intellect and will…and freely assenting to the truth revealed by him,” indeed abandoning herself totally to God through “the obedience of faith,” whereby she replied to the angel: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” The journey of faith made by Mary, whom we see praying in the Upper Room, is thus longer than that of the others gathered there: Mary “goes before them,” “leads the way” for them. The moment of Pentecost in Jerusalem had been prepared for by the moment of the Annunciation in Nazareth, as well as by the Cross. In the Upper Room Mary’s journey meets the Church’s journey of faith.
Redemptoris Mater (25 March 1987) | John Paul II

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear patricius,

Thanks much for your “heart” letting us know you appreciated the words of St. Louis de Montfort. Thanks also for your reply, and the quote from Pope St. John Paul II in his Encyclical on “Mother of the Redeemer” along with that beautiful sentence from paragraph 36 in St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.”

Both quotes encourage us to grow in our own “obedience of faith”, believing that the Holy Spirit was given to us at Baptism and Confirmation, and continues to bring us into all Truth. Jesus is our Way, our Truth and our Life, and so our journey to the Father’s House begins with our New Birth and continues for us as it continued for Mary. St. Louis de Montfort and St. John Paul II (who wrote that his reading of St. Louis’ treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” as a young person, was a turning point in his life), both understood by God’s Grace the importance of Mary for all the baptized. God sent His Son through Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit and He continues to send Him to us through Mary.

Who was the human person who knew Jesus best? Mary, of course. If any would follow Him, then as Pope St. John Paul II wrote: Mary “goes before them,” “leads the way” for them . – for she is Mother and Model for the Church.

 

[patricius79]

Yes, Mary leads the way for us like a good mother, holding us by the hand. The gift of Mary shows how God makes all things work for good, even including sin.

In “The Glories of Mary”, the first part is St. Alphonsus’s exquisite commentary on the Hail Holy Queen Prayer". Under Chapter 6, “Most Gracious Advocate”, St. Alphonsus wrote:

St. John Chrysostom says, “that another purpose for which the Blessed Virgin Mary was made the Mother of God was, that she might obtain salvation for many who, on account of their wicked lives, could not be saved according to the rigor of divine justice, but might be so with the help of her sweet mercy and powerful intercession”. This is confirmed by St. Anselm, who says, “that Mary was raised to the dignity of Mother of God rather for sinners than for the just, since Jesus Christ declares that he came to call not the just, but sinners” (De Excell. V . c. 1). For this reason, the holy Church sings, “Thou dost not abhor sinners, without whom thou wouldst never have been worthy of such a Son” (Crasset. Vér. Dév . p. 1, tr. 1, q. 10). For the same reason William of Paris, invoking her, says: “O Mary, thou art obliged to help sinners for all the gifts, the graces, and high honors which are comprised in the dignity of Mother of God that thou hast received; thou owest all, so to say, to sinners; for on their account thou wast made worthy to have a God for thy Son"(De Rhet. Div . c. 18). If then, Mary," concludes St. Anselm, "was made Mother of God on account of sinners, how can I, however great my sins may be, despair of pardon?” ( De Excell. V. c. 1).

The holy Church tells us, in the prayer said in the Mass of the vigil of the Assumption, "that the divine Mother was taken from this world that she might interpose for us with God, with certain confidence of obtaining all"
…
"Go then, have recourse to Mary, and thou wilt be saved."
Chapter VI

 

[GiftofMercy]

I have recently joined, It is a very prayerful group that does a lot of good works.

St Joseph is the protector of the Church and of families. And has a wonderful 30 day Novena. Have you heard the Eucharistic Prayer that says
‘and St Joseph, her most Chaste spouse’ or and St Joseph , her Spouse’

The Catholic Church considers St Joseph her Spouse, rather then the Holy Spirit, if we are to go by the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Yes Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit, we must not confuse this with her one true spouse, St Joseph

 

[Asonglaw]

I don’t think their roles are opposing in the life of Mary.

[Why Is the Holy Spirit Called Mary's Spouse? | Catholic Answers]

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks, Asonglaw – I agree with you – it is not really a matter of “either/or” it seems to me “both/and”.

Fr. Charles Grondin gives a good answer with some excellent Scriptural references to: “Why Is the Holy Spirit Called Mary’s Spouse?” at the link you posted/ Father’s answer is below:

St. Joseph was the husband of Mary in the common usage of the idea of marriage.

The pious custom of referring to the Holy Spirit as the spouse of Mary is a symbolic expression of Mary’s perpetual virginity and the virgin birth of Jesus. It is not meant in a literal manner but rather in terms of Mary’s singular devotion to God and unique relationship to the Trinity. It is similar to how religious sisters sometimes refer to Jesus as their spouse.

Scripture contains several examples of a mystical spousal relationship:

• For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name . . . (Isaiah 54:5).
• . . . as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (Isaiah 62:5).
• . . . my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD (Jeremiah 31:32).
• I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband (2 Cor. 11:2).

Thanks again

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Gift of Mercy,

So happy to know you have joined the Legion of Mary. Yes, it is truly a gift to the Church, and I’m grateful for the beautiful work it has done and continues to do since it’s humble beginning on Sept. 7, 1921. We will soon celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of this Largest Lay Apostolate in the Church.

If you’ve begun to learn the history you know that the founder of the Legion, Frank Duff (whose cause is in Rome along with two younger Legionaries,) consecrated himself Totally to Jesus through Mary after reading St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” about 1/2 a dozen times! He wasn’t too impressed at the first reading, but explained later at one point he simply realized it was true! You can read what he wrote HERE

The Legion Began when Frank Duff met with his parish priest and a small group who also had consecrated themselves by praying St. Louis de Montfort’s Total Consecration prayer and they wanted to LIVE their Consecration. They gathered on the evening of Sept. 7, 1921 prayed to the Holy Spirit, for guidance and then prayed the Rosary - it was the “birth” of the Legion. Every Legion Meeting now begins the same way. Significantly, Sept. 7 is the vigil of the Feast of Mary’s Nativity.