SECTION 2: Contemplate the Our Father as we take St. Maximilian Kolbe as our guide.
Action:
1. Resolve to pray a complete set of mysteries of the Rosary every day – as an act of love to God and in fulfillment of Mary’s requests to us.
So, therefore, PRAY the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary today and every day – see day 8 for instructions/ guidance on how to fit this into your day.
2. Skim through the accompanying pictures and the extraordinary wisdom of St. Louis and St. Maximilian Kolbe, and read through as much (below) as possible.
3. Continue to choose to enter more deeply into the daily prayer program (below) at least in this way:
Ponder and pray the Our Father today and the accompanying Scripture texts as you meditate and PRAY THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES – while praying for the grace to listen, to hear and respond to God as Mary does.
Praying also for the grace to surrender whatever is keeping me from responding fully – in and through and with Mary’s love and help.
the light of our meditations on the Rosary and the wisdom of the saints below, let us begin,
then, by praying the Our Father, with all of these mysteries in mind – while entering into the depth of this most perfect prayer that Jesus taught us:
Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Today we contemplate how God has sent Mary to save us again and again through the power and miracles of the Rosary.
Watch for astounding miracles, many of which have taken place in our lifetime!
When we pray the rosary, we have the power to change history and the lives of countless souls who have not yet come to know the love of God!
Imagine the power in our hands!
Imagine!
God has sent us his Divine Intervention: Mary and the Holy Rosary.
May we not reject them because they seem too insignificant.
May we not be too proud to listen and obey God speaking through Mary, Whom He has sent:
Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” Luke 10: 16
As Maximilian said:
“the first fundamental priority of the Church’s mission is to imitate the Lord Jesus, the Missionary of the Father par excellence, to do as He did, that is, emptying ourselves in the womb of the same mother, Mary.”
He also explains how we are to join our loved ones to her and our prayers for them – while also only and always giving her everything and only praying for her intentions to be realized. We do this when we entrust them to her and place them into her heart – a place of grace incomparably better than all our mere efforts that we can offer them on our own:
“Serving the Immaculata with fidelity, we can give the best service to
our family. In fact, is she not able to help our families incomparably
better than we can ourselves? Let us entrust to her all of those close
to our hearts, and she, the best among mothers, will help them in the
best way possible.”
Entrusting ourselves to Mary and living in her is like being joined to the strength of God Himself, for He has poured in her every grace and blessing and strength and courage of Himself.
We learned today in our lesson on praying the rosary that it is infinitely better to pray with others than alone – because we are like an army fighting against evil instead of a single soul – citing the analogy of how much easier it is to break a single stick than a bundle…
While that’s true and I do believe its infinitely more powerful to gather together to pray…
it is also true that if we’ve consecrated ourselves to Mary – even if we are unable to pray with others – we are still joined to a powerful army of souls consecrated to God through her – for then we are united to all who have also come to live in her.
As Jesus did in the womb, we are called to live in her in our consecration.
In this is our confidence. For when we are united to Mary and live in her – we live united to Jesus and the Blessed Trinity in and through Mary’s completely open heart, not our own cluttered heart (that puts up barriers of sin and pride and selfishness that keep us being fully united to God)!
Thus we can be fully confident – no matter what happens in our lives – that we have all of heaven with us – in and through our Mother’s heart and soul.
How beautiful!
Daily Prayer Program for these 33 Days:
is important to make a commitment to strive to pray more deeply, more
intensely and with more of your heart during these days of preparation.
Here are some guidelines and suggestions for how to live these days.
Pray about how you can grow in each of these areas listed below and
while living out this prayer program it is especially important to
• To Jelena: “I’m going to reveal a spiritual secret to you:
if you want to be stronger than evil, make yourself a plan of personal
prayer. Take a certain time in the morning, read a text from Holy
Scripture, anchor the Divine word in your heart, and strive to live it
during the day, particularly during the moment of trials. In this way,
you will be stronger than evil.” (Our Lady of Medjugorje, April 19,
1984)
• St. Louis de Montfort – Mary will form the greatest saints
who ever lived – easiest shortest most sure way to sanctity
PART 2: Incomparable Joy and Protection Amid Suffering: Day 6 in the Preparation
for Total Consecration According to St. Maximilian Kolbe
On
Day 6 of our preparation we will contemplate how Total Consecration to
Jesus through Mary offers both protection from evil, as well as great
joy in the midst of suffering, if we are living in union with Christ.
Midst of Nuclear Warfare:
When
the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in
1945, everything was destroyed except for one monastery in Hiroshima
(that is often written about) and another one in Nagasaki –
How did I not know that two monasteries, filled with monks who lived a life of complete devotion and Total Consecration to Mary were the only places to survive amid such annihilation?!
First of all, in Nagasaki:
Amazingly,
it was the monastery that St. Maximilian founded in Nagasaki, Japan – The
“Garden of the Immaculata” (that we read about on Day 5 of the preparation) – that would be the only place to survive the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.
For,
providentially, and what must have been obedience to instructions
received in prayer, St. Maximilian built the “Garden of the Immaculate”
in a place that was ill-advised by everyone at the time. However, it was
because he chose such a spot, that the brothers and the monastery were
shielded from the atomic blast fifteen years later, (as they were on the
opposite side of a mountain from the blast).
Secondly, the other monastery of Hiroshima is one that I so often speak and write about. It is one of the great miracles of the rosary:
In
contrast and astoundingly, the monastery in Hiroshima was within
a kilometer of ground zero. There was complete and utter devastation for
miles except for this one monastery. The eight priests who lived there
were not only not harmed by the blast, but they suffered no ill effects
from the radiation throughout their lives, which
killed and sickened so many. Thus, they were a constant source of
examination. One of the Jesuits, Fr. Schiffer, remarked over 200
times in interviews, “we believe that we survived because we were living the message of
Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary
daily in that home.”
O, the wonders and protection Mary offers, for through her humility she is the one God has chosen to crush Satan’s head.
Thus, our devotion to Mary offers a shield of protection from even one of the greatest evils imaginable – nuclear war!
But,
sometimes in God’s almighty plan, Mary doesn’t seem to shield us and we
are allowed to suffer, and in the eyes of the world, all seems lost…
Life in the City of the Immaculate in Poland
“After
having initiated the undertaking and seeing it flourish in Japan, his
major superiors appointed [Maximilian to be] the superior of the Polish
City of the Immaculate whose apostolic potentials had peaked at that
moment in time. Upon his return to Poland, with somewhat of a prophetic
“instinct,” knowing perhaps his end was approaching, he busied himself
giving continuous and regular spiritual conferences to the friars, so as
to consolidate his spiritual and apostolic legacy.
Such
preparation became the spiritual strength of the friars themselves.
Shortly afterwards, the Nazis occupied Poland in September, 1939. Father
Maximilian and many of the friars were arrested. https://saintmaximiliankolbe.com/biography/
“When first arrested he said:
“Courage, my
sons. Don’t you see that we are leaving on a mission? They pay our fare
in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do now is to
pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then, tell
the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us
anything she wishes” (Maximilian Mary Kolbe, source).
How beautiful! How well Maximilian understood the great joy that comes from doing God’s will!
This first imprisonment lasted approximately three months.
“Upon his release from prison on December 8, 1939, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of his Heavenly Queen,
Father Maximilian returned to a ransacked Niepokalanów. The Nazis
suppressed his printing and publishing apostolate. Without being
disheartened, his zeal remained unabated. Due to the harsh war
conditions of the time, Niepokalanów was quickly turned into a refugee
center for displaced families, Jews and victims of political unrest [as
Kolbe and his community helped “hide, feed and clothe 3,000 Polish
refugees, (of which approximately
1,500 were Jews). In 1941, his newspaper “The Knight of the Immaculate”
offered strong criticism of the Nazis.” https://www.biographyonline.net/spiritual/maximilian-kolbe.html] While “his solicitude for these war victims had no sectarian boundaries; he
fostered in them the need to forgive their enemies, and to acknowledge
that hatred is destructive and love alone is creative.” https://saintmaximiliankolbe.com/biography/
From the Writings of St. Maximilian Kolbe (KW 149):
“You
must be prepared for moments of darkness, anguish, uncertainty, fear,
sometimes very insistent temptations, and suffering of the body and of
the soul—that are a hundred times more severe. In fact, if there were
nothing to bear, for what would you go to heaven? Without struggle
victory would be impossible and without victory there can be no crown,
there can be no reward [cf. 1 Cor 9:25]. Therefore, from now on be
prepared for anything. However, we must not be afraid of anything,
because we can and we must win. But how? Here is how: by not trusting
ourselves in any way and by offering all of ourselves, all the
temptations, and our difficulties to the Immaculata, surely we will
always be victorious (it is obvious that on our part we have to do what
we can not to fall). The Immaculata cannot abandon her children. Satan
never sleeps and—with the permission of God—he often will suggest “wise”
propositions, he will show you other “pseudo-duties,” other
“happiness,” but he who loves the Immaculata sincerely and
wholeheartedly, will easily recognize the enemy and will cast him out.
Serving the Immaculata with fidelity, we can give the best service to
our family. In fact, is she not able to help our families incomparably
better than we can ourselves? Let us entrust to her all of those close
to our hearts, and she, the best among mothers, will help them in the
best way possible.
This
joy and trust in the will of God, stemmed from years of living
completely abandoned to Jesus through, with and imitation of Mary. For
“In his desire to attract all men to God’s love, Maximilian Kolbe understood that the first fundamental priority of the Church’s mission is to imitate the Lord Jesus, the Missionary of the Father par excellence, to do as He did, that is, emptying ourselves in the womb of the same mother, Mary. Therefore Fr. Maximilian, going straight to the essence of things, realized that the strength of the mission consists in belonging totally to Mary, in striving to be like her, to become her (cf. KW508 and 1210), to allow her divine Spouse, the Holy Spirit, the main Protagonist of mission, to continue to bring Christ into the world through us.
…St. Maximilian’s missionary manner … was born … from the daily contemplation of Mary, the Woman of the Gospel, this great and humble Woman, who walked the dusty roads of her land carrying God in the heart and singing her Magnificat … this strong Woman who advanced in her pilgrimage of faith (Cf.Lumen Gentium, 58) repeating her fiat to the Will of God in all the seasons of her life, under the Cross… and beyond! Kolbe’s missionary approach everywhere [was] to be a reflection of Mary.” http://missionimmaculata.com/images/Documents/preparation_for_consecration/Preparation_for_MI_Consecration_Part_6.pdf:
It
was in this imitation of Mary, in two ways in particular, that
Maximilian and the friars were guided to trust God in all things:
1. In Prayer, for it is only in prayer that we can hear and be attentive to the voice of the Father:
His words about prayer reflect his beliefs, but above all his experience: “Prayer
is a means that people do not know about, and yet it is the most
effective way to restore peace in the soul, to give them happiness,
because it serves to bring them closer to God’s love. Prayer revives the
world. Prayer is the indispensable condition for the regeneration and
the life of every soul. By means of prayer, St. Thérèse de Lisieux,
without leaving the walls of her convent, became the patron of all
missions and not only the titular patron saint, as experience shows. Let
us pray, let us pray well, pray much, both with our lips and in our
thought, and we shall experience in ourselves how the Immaculata will
take increasing possession of our souls, how our belonging to her will
deepen more and more in every respect, how our sins will vanish, and our
flaws will weaken, how gently and powerfully we will come ever closer
to God… To the extent in which we burn more and more with divine love,
we will kindle a similar love even in others.”(KW903).http://missionimmaculata.com/images/Documents/preparation_for_consecration/Preparation_for_MI_Consecration_Part_6.pdf
2. In holy obedience, for after hearing the voice of the Lord, we must act upon it:
Here is what he wrote in 1931… to the seminarians of Niepokalanów: “You yourself will experience in your lives, even on this earth, that all of the perfection of holiness, all the fervor of action, all the usefulness of the missionary ministry consists not in great wisdom, nor in great intelligence, nor in great skills or even in the amount of prayers and penitence, but solely in the perfection of Holy Obedience. Why is this? Because through Holy Obedience the certain will of God, the will of the Immaculata manifest themselves; through Holy Obedience we truly become an instrument in her hands….”(KW 380). http://missionimmaculata.com/images/Documents/preparation_for_consecration/Preparation_for_MI_Consecration_Part_6.pdf
It
is when we become accustomed to listening to the Voice of God and
living in obedience to His Will, like Jesus and Mary, that we draw ever
deeper into union. A union that seeks only the Will of God, no matter
the human cost:
From the Writings of St. Maximilian Kolbe (KW 987C and 1080)
Truly supreme and incomparable joy is infused by the Holy Spirit, when one suffers for love of Christ. [The purpose of the MI] is to make humanity happy, by instilling into each soul—which thirsts and craves for happiness every moment of its life—the love of the one who can and wants to introduce peace and joy into each heart, during this earthly exile, in the midst of the confusion that surrounds us, of the concerns and headaches that beset us everywhere, of the pain that reaches the very depths of our hearts. Those who truly love the Immaculata and flee to her with filial love and affection at times of temptation and hardship in life, will surely take down all the obstacles on the road to happiness, and foretaste the joys of heaven. Those who in their lifetime have worked with zeal to expand the reign of the Immaculata will be happy at death.
In this preparation, then, may we strive also to live completely abandoned to God
– like Jesus, who first abandoned Himself to Mary.
And in imitation of Mary
– by continually giving our Fiat to God, and saying only and always, whether in times of great suffering or in great joy:
“Let it be done unto me according to your will”
in order to “expand the reign of the Immaculata” in our hearts and the hearts of all her children.
For it is living a life of prayer in this way,
that we come to know joy even when all our human efforts are destroyed and our very lives are stripped from us…
For the one who loves Jesus and Mary
and is truly living in union with them
is at peace and can never be really harmed or dismayed.
For in all of these sufferings we realize it is in dying that we are born to eternal life!
So let us pray:
Come Holy
Spirit, living in Mary, help us to prepare well for our Total Consecration.
St. Maximilian,
Be with us and help us to become the love of Mary and Jesus and to pray deeply and listen attentively to the voice of God
so to give
ourselves entirely and without reserve to both of them in complete
surrender.
So that Mary, in turn, can draw us ever closer to Jesus
and make of us great saints!
Pray
for us and help us to love even to the point of suffering in order to
win all souls for Christ through Mary and the Miraculous Medal and the
most Holy Rosary!
We ask this in Jesus’s Name, Amen.
Lastly, may
we never forget to recognize that the prayer Mary taught us, that wearing the miraculous medal and the Most Holy Rosary are true gifts of heaven.
May we utilize them daily to help us become a garden of Mary’s and Jesus’s love even in the midst of great evil and destruction:
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you,
and for all those who do not have recourse to you, especially the
enemies of Holy Church and all those recommended to you.
PART 3: Readings and Prayers for St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary
FIRST WEEK
THEME FOR THE WEEK: KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
Prayers,
examinations, reflection, acts of renouncement of our own will, of
contrition for our sins, of contempt of self, all performed at the feet
of Mary, for it is from her that we hope for light to know ourselves. It
is near her, that we shall be able to measure the abyss of our miseries
without despairing.
We
should employ all our pious actions in asking for a knowledge of
ourselves and contrition of our sins: and we should do this in a spirit
of piety. During this period, we shall consider not so much the
opposition that exists between the spirit of Jesus and ours, as the
miserable and humiliating state to which our sins have reduced us.
Moreover, the True Devotion being an easy, short, sure and perfect way
to arrive at that union with Our Lord which is Christlike perfection, we
shall enter seriously upon this way, strongly convinced of our misery
and helplessness. But how attain this without a knowledge of ourselves’?
Day 14 of 33:
Meditate on Imitation of Christ, by Thomas á Kempis: Book 3, Chapter 13
Of the Obedience of One in Humble Subjection,
After the Example of Jesus Christ
My son, he that endeavoreth to withdraw himself from obedience, withdraweth himself from grace; and he who
seeketh for himself private benefit (Matt. 16:24), loseth those which are common. He that doth not cheerfully and
freely submit himself to his superior, it is a sign that his flesh is not as yet perfectly obedient unto him, but
oftentimes kicketh and murmureth against him. Learn thou therefore quickly to submit thyself to thy superior, if
thou desire to keep thine own flesh under the yoke. For more speedily is the outward enemy overcome, if the
inward man be not laid waste. There is no worse nor more troublesome enemy to the soul than thou art unto
thyself, if thou be not well in harmony with the Spirit. It is altogether necessary that thou take up a true contempt
for thyself, if thou desire to prevail against flesh and blood. Because as yet thou lovest thyself too inordinately,
therefore thou art afraid to resign thyself wholly to the will of others. And yet, what great matter is it, if thou, who
art but dust and nothing, subject thyself to a man for God’s sake, when I, the Almighty and the Most Highest who
created all things of nothing, humbly subjected Myself to man for thy sake?
I became of all men the most humble and the most abject (Luke 2:7; John 13:14), that thou mightest overcome
thy pride with My humility. O dust! learn to be obedient. Learn to humble thyself, thou earth and clay, and to bow
thyself down under the feet of all men. Learn to break thine own wishes, and to yield thyself to all subjection.
Litany of the Holy Ghost, Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, & Ave Maris Stella
Litany of the Holy Ghost
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Father all powerful, have mercy on us
Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, save us.
Spirit of the Father and the Son, boundless life of both, sanctify us.
Holy Trinity, hear us
Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Holy Ghost, Who art equal to the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Promise of God the Father, have mercy on us.
Ray of heavenly light, have mercy on us
Author of all good, have mercy on us
Source of heavenly water, have mercy on us
Consuming fire, have mercy on us
Ardent charity, have mercy on us
Spiritual unction, have mercy on us
Spirit of love and truth, have mercy on us
Spirit of wisdom and understanding, have mercy on us
Spirit of counsel and fortitude, have mercy on us
Spirit of knowledge and piety, have mercy on us
Spirit of the fear of the Lord, have mercy on us
Spirit of grace and prayer, have mercy on us
Spirit of peace and meekness, have mercy on us
Spirit of modesty and innocence, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, the Comforter, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church, have mercy on us
Gift of God, the Most High, have mercy on us
Spirit Who fillest the universe, have mercy on us
Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin.
Holy Ghost, come and renew the face of the earth.
Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls.
Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts
Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy love.
Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces
Holy Ghost, teach us to pray well.
Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations.
Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation
Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge.
Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good.
Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues.
Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice.
Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Send us Thy Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, pour down into our
souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, grant us the Spirit of
wisdom and piety.
V. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful,
R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Let Us Pray
Grant, 0 merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit may enlighten, inflame and
purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us
fruitful in good works, through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with
Thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and
ever. R. Amen.
Ave Maris Stella
Hail, bright star of ocean,
God’s own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest.
Taking that sweet Ave
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva’s name.
Break the captives’ fetters,
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
Show thyself a Mother;
May the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine.
Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus
Joy forevermore.
Through the highest heaven
To the Almighty Three,
Father, Son and Spirit,
One same glory be. Amen.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins,
pray for us.
Mother of Christ,
pray for us.
Mother of divine grace,
pray for us.
Mother most pure,
pray for us.
Mother most chaste,
pray for us.
Mother inviolate,
pray for us.
Mother undefiled,
pray for us.
Mother most amiable,
pray for us.
Mother most admirable,
pray for us.
Mother of good counsel,
pray for us.
Mother of our Creator,
pray for us.
Mother of our Savior,
pray for us.
Virgin most prudent,
pray for us.
Virgin most venerable,
pray for us.
Virgin most renowned,
pray for us.
Virgin most powerful,
pray for us.
Virgin most merciful,
pray for us.
Virgin most faithful,
pray for us.
Mirror of justice,
pray for us.
Seat of wisdom,
pray for us.
Cause of our joy,
pray for us.
Spiritual vessel,
pray for us.
Vessel of honor,
pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion,
pray for us.
Mystical rose,
pray for us.
Tower of David,
pray for us.
Tower of ivory,
pray for us.
House of gold,
pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant,
pray for us.
Gate of Heaven,
pray for us.
Morning star,
pray for us.
Health of the sick,
pray for us.
Refuge of sinners,
pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted,
pray for us.
Help of Christians,
pray for us.
Queen of angels,
pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs,
pray for us.
Queen of prophets,
pray for us.
Queen of apostles,
pray for us.
Queen of martyrs,
pray for us.
Queen of confessors,
pray for us.
Queen of virgins,
pray for us.
Queen of all saints,
pray for us.
Queen conceived without Original Sin,
pray for us.
Queen assumed into Heaven,
pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
pray for us.
Queen of peace,
pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy Servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal happiness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
THEME FOR THE WEEK: KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
Prayers,
examinations, reflection, acts of renouncement of our own will, of
contrition for our sins, of contempt of self, all performed at the feet
of Mary, for it is from her that we hope for light to know ourselves. It
is near her, that we shall be able to measure the abyss of our miseries
without despairing.
should employ all our pious actions in asking for a knowledge of
ourselves and contrition of our sins: and we should do this in a spirit
of piety. During this period, we shall consider not so much the
opposition that exists between the spirit of Jesus and ours, as the
miserable and humiliating state to which our sins have reduced us.
Moreover, the True Devotion being an easy, short, sure and perfect way
to arrive at that union with Our Lord which is Christlike perfection, we
shall enter seriously upon this way, strongly convinced of our misery
and helplessness. But how attain this without a knowledge of ourselves’?
Day 14 of 33:
Meditate on Imitation of Christ, by Thomas á Kempis: Book 3, Chapter 13
Of the Obedience of One in Humble Subjection,
After the Example of Jesus Christ
My son, he that endeavoreth to withdraw himself from obedience, withdraweth himself from grace; and he who
seeketh for himself private benefit (Matt. 16:24), loseth those which are common. He that doth not cheerfully and
freely submit himself to his superior, it is a sign that his flesh is not as yet perfectly obedient unto him, but
oftentimes kicketh and murmureth against him. Learn thou therefore quickly to submit thyself to thy superior, if
thou desire to keep thine own flesh under the yoke. For more speedily is the outward enemy overcome, if the
inward man be not laid waste. There is no worse nor more troublesome enemy to the soul than thou art unto
thyself, if thou be not well in harmony with the Spirit. It is altogether necessary that thou take up a true contempt
for thyself, if thou desire to prevail against flesh and blood. Because as yet thou lovest thyself too inordinately,
therefore thou art afraid to resign thyself wholly to the will of others. And yet, what great matter is it, if thou, who
art but dust and nothing, subject thyself to a man for God’s sake, when I, the Almighty and the Most Highest who
created all things of nothing, humbly subjected Myself to man for thy sake?
I became of all men the most humble and the most abject (Luke 2:7; John 13:14), that thou mightest overcome
thy pride with My humility. O dust! learn to be obedient. Learn to humble thyself, thou earth and clay, and to bow
thyself down under the feet of all men. Learn to break thine own wishes, and to yield thyself to all subjection.
Litany of the Holy Ghost, Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, & Ave Maris Stella
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Father all powerful, have mercy on us
Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, save us.
Spirit of the Father and the Son, boundless life of both, sanctify us.
Holy Trinity, hear us
Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Holy Ghost, Who art equal to the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Promise of God the Father, have mercy on us.
Ray of heavenly light, have mercy on us
Author of all good, have mercy on us
Source of heavenly water, have mercy on us
Consuming fire, have mercy on us
Ardent charity, have mercy on us
Spiritual unction, have mercy on us
Spirit of love and truth, have mercy on us
Spirit of wisdom and understanding, have mercy on us
Spirit of counsel and fortitude, have mercy on us
Spirit of knowledge and piety, have mercy on us
Spirit of the fear of the Lord, have mercy on us
Spirit of grace and prayer, have mercy on us
Spirit of peace and meekness, have mercy on us
Spirit of modesty and innocence, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, the Comforter, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church, have mercy on us
Gift of God, the Most High, have mercy on us
Spirit Who fillest the universe, have mercy on us
Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin.
Holy Ghost, come and renew the face of the earth.
Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls.
Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts
Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy love.
Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces
Holy Ghost, teach us to pray well.
Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations.
Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation
Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge.
Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good.
Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues.
Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice.
Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Send us Thy Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, pour down into our
souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, grant us the Spirit of
wisdom and piety.
V. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful,
R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Let Us Pray
Grant, 0 merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit may enlighten, inflame and
purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us
fruitful in good works, through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with
Thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and
ever. R. Amen.
God’s own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest.
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva’s name.
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
May the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine.
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus
Joy forevermore.
Through the highest heaven
To the Almighty Three,
Father, Son and Spirit,
One same glory be. Amen.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins,
pray for us.
Mother of Christ,
pray for us.
Mother of divine grace,
pray for us.
Mother most pure,
pray for us.
Mother most chaste,
pray for us.
Mother inviolate,
pray for us.
Mother undefiled,
pray for us.
Mother most amiable,
pray for us.
Mother most admirable,
pray for us.
Mother of good counsel,
pray for us.
Mother of our Creator,
pray for us.
Mother of our Savior,
pray for us.
Virgin most prudent,
pray for us.
Virgin most venerable,
pray for us.
Virgin most renowned,
pray for us.
Virgin most powerful,
pray for us.
Virgin most merciful,
pray for us.
Virgin most faithful,
pray for us.
Mirror of justice,
pray for us.
Seat of wisdom,
pray for us.
Cause of our joy,
pray for us.
Spiritual vessel,
pray for us.
Vessel of honor,
pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion,
pray for us.
Mystical rose,
pray for us.
Tower of David,
pray for us.
Tower of ivory,
pray for us.
House of gold,
pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant,
pray for us.
Gate of Heaven,
pray for us.
Morning star,
pray for us.
Health of the sick,
pray for us.
Refuge of sinners,
pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted,
pray for us.
Help of Christians,
pray for us.
Queen of angels,
pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs,
pray for us.
Queen of prophets,
pray for us.
Queen of apostles,
pray for us.
Queen of martyrs,
pray for us.
Queen of confessors,
pray for us.
Queen of virgins,
pray for us.
Queen of all saints,
pray for us.
Queen conceived without Original Sin,
pray for us.
Queen assumed into Heaven,
pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
pray for us.
Queen of peace,
pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy Servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal happiness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Read:
St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary paragraphs 115-119.
3. Principal practices of devotion to Mary
115. There are several interior practices of true devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
Here briefly are the main ones:
(1)
Honouring her, as the worthy Mother of God, by the cult of hyperdulia,
that is, esteeming and honouring her more than all the other saints as
the masterpiece of grace and the foremost in holiness after Jesus
Christ, true God and true man.
(2) Meditating on her virtues, her privileges and her actions.
(3) Contemplating her sublime dignity.
(4) Offering to her acts of love, praise and gratitude.
(5) Invoking her with a joyful heart.
(6) Offering ourselves to her and uniting ourselves to her.
(7) Doing everything to please her.
(8)
Beginning, carrying out and completing our actions through her, in her,
with her, and for her in order to do them through Jesus, in Jesus, with
Jesus, and for Jesus, our last end. We shall explain this last practice
later.
116. True devotion to our Lady has also several exterior practices. Here are the principal ones:
(1) Enrolling in her confraternities and joining her sodalities.
(2) Joining religious orders dedicated to her.
(3) Making her privileges known and appreciated.
(4) Giving alms, fasting, performing interior and exterior acts of self-denial in her honour.
(5) Carrying such signs of devotion to her as the rosary, the scapular, or a little chain.
(6)
Reciting with attention, devotion and reverence the fifteen decades of
the Rosary in honour of the fifteen principal mysteries of our Lord, or
at least five decades in honour of the Joyful mysteries – the
Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of our Lord, the Purification,
the Finding of the Child Jesus in the temple; or the Sorrowful
mysteries: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging, the Crowning with
thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion; or the Glorious
mysteries: The Resurrection of our Lord, the Ascension, the Descent of
the Holy Spirit, the Assumption of our Lady, body and soul, into heaven,
the Crowning of Mary by the Blessed Trinity.
One
may also choose any of the following prayers: the Rosary of six or
seven decades in honour of the years our Lady is believed to have spent
on earth; the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin in honour of her crown
of twelve stars or privileges; the Little Office of our Lady so widely
accepted and recited in the Church; the Little Psalter of the Blessed
Virgin, composed in her honour by St. Bonaventure, which is so
heart-warming, and so devotional that you cannot recite it without being
moved by it; the fourteen Our Fathers and Hail Marys in honour of her
fourteen joys. There are various other prayers and hymns of the Church,
such as, the hymns of the liturgical seasons, the Ave Maris Stella, the O
Gloriosa Domina; the Magnificat and other prayers which are found in
all prayer-books.
(7) Singing hymns to her or teaching others to sing them.
(8)
Genuflecting or bowing to her each morning while saying for example
sixty or a hundred times, “Hail Mary, Virgin most faithful”, so that
through her intercession with God we may faithfully correspond with his
graces throughout the day; and in the evening saying “Hail Mary, Mother
of Mercy”, asking her to obtain God’s pardon for the sins we have
committed during the day.
(9) Taking charge of her confraternities, decorating her altars, crowning and adorning her statues.
(10)
Carrying her statues or having others carry them in procession, or
keeping a small one on one’s person as an effective protection against
the evil one.
(11)
Having statues made of her, or her name engraved and placed on the
walls of churches or houses and on the gates and entrances of towns,
churches and houses.
(12) Solemnly giving oneself to her by a special consecration.
117. The
Holy Spirit has inspired saintly souls with other practices of true
devotion to the Blessed Virgin, all of which are conducive to holiness.
You can read of them in detail in “Paradise opened to Philagia”, a
collection of many devotions practised by holy people to honour the
Blessed Virgin, compiled by Fr. Paul Barry of the Society of Jesus.
These devotions are a wonderful help for souls seeking holiness provided
they are performed in a worthy manner, that is:
(1)
With the right intention of pleasing God alone, seeking union with
Jesus, our last end, and giving edification to our neighbour.
(2) With attention, avoiding wilful distractions.
(3) With devotion, avoiding haste and negligence.
(4) With decorum and respectful bodily posture.
4. The Perfect Practice
118. Having
read nearly every book on devotion to the Blessed Virgin and talked to
the most saintly and learned people of the day, I can now state with
conviction that I have never known or heard of any devotion to our Lady
which is comparable to the one I am going to speak of. No other devotion
calls for more sacrifices for God, none empties us more completely of
self and self-love, none keeps us more firmly in the grace of God and
the grace of God in us. No other devotion unites us more perfectly and
more easily to Jesus. Finally no devotion gives more glory to God, is
more sanctifying for ourselves or more helpful to our neighbour.
119. As
this devotion essentially consists in a state of soul, it will not be
understood in the same way by everyone. Some – the great majority – will
stop short at the threshold and go no further. Others – not many – will
take but one step into its interior. Who will take a second step? Who
will take a third? Finally who will remain in it permanently? Only the
one to whom the Spirit of Jesus reveals the secret. The Holy Spirit
himself will lead this faithful soul from strength to strength, from
grace to grace, from light to light, until at length he attains
transformation into Jesus in the fullness of his age on earth and of his
glory in heaven.
PART 4: A taste of Fr. Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory if you have time:
“Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary, Prepare me to give all to the Immaculata for the sake of the kingdom.”
CLICK HERE for Podcast of Day 14
© Janet Moore 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Read:
St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary paragraphs 115-119.
115. There are several interior practices of true devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
Here briefly are the main ones:
(1)
Honouring her, as the worthy Mother of God, by the cult of hyperdulia,
that is, esteeming and honouring her more than all the other saints as
the masterpiece of grace and the foremost in holiness after Jesus
Christ, true God and true man.
(2) Meditating on her virtues, her privileges and her actions.
(3) Contemplating her sublime dignity.
(4) Offering to her acts of love, praise and gratitude.
(5) Invoking her with a joyful heart.
(6) Offering ourselves to her and uniting ourselves to her.
(7) Doing everything to please her.
(8)
Beginning, carrying out and completing our actions through her, in her,
with her, and for her in order to do them through Jesus, in Jesus, with
Jesus, and for Jesus, our last end. We shall explain this last practice
later.
116. True devotion to our Lady has also several exterior practices. Here are the principal ones:
(1) Enrolling in her confraternities and joining her sodalities.
(2) Joining religious orders dedicated to her.
(3) Making her privileges known and appreciated.
(4) Giving alms, fasting, performing interior and exterior acts of self-denial in her honour.
(5) Carrying such signs of devotion to her as the rosary, the scapular, or a little chain.
(6)
Reciting with attention, devotion and reverence the fifteen decades of
the Rosary in honour of the fifteen principal mysteries of our Lord, or
at least five decades in honour of the Joyful mysteries – the
Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of our Lord, the Purification,
the Finding of the Child Jesus in the temple; or the Sorrowful
mysteries: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging, the Crowning with
thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion; or the Glorious
mysteries: The Resurrection of our Lord, the Ascension, the Descent of
the Holy Spirit, the Assumption of our Lady, body and soul, into heaven,
the Crowning of Mary by the Blessed Trinity.
One
may also choose any of the following prayers: the Rosary of six or
seven decades in honour of the years our Lady is believed to have spent
on earth; the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin in honour of her crown
of twelve stars or privileges; the Little Office of our Lady so widely
accepted and recited in the Church; the Little Psalter of the Blessed
Virgin, composed in her honour by St. Bonaventure, which is so
heart-warming, and so devotional that you cannot recite it without being
moved by it; the fourteen Our Fathers and Hail Marys in honour of her
fourteen joys. There are various other prayers and hymns of the Church,
such as, the hymns of the liturgical seasons, the Ave Maris Stella, the O
Gloriosa Domina; the Magnificat and other prayers which are found in
all prayer-books.
(8)
Genuflecting or bowing to her each morning while saying for example
sixty or a hundred times, “Hail Mary, Virgin most faithful”, so that
through her intercession with God we may faithfully correspond with his
graces throughout the day; and in the evening saying “Hail Mary, Mother
of Mercy”, asking her to obtain God’s pardon for the sins we have
committed during the day.
(9) Taking charge of her confraternities, decorating her altars, crowning and adorning her statues.
(10)
Carrying her statues or having others carry them in procession, or
keeping a small one on one’s person as an effective protection against
the evil one.
(11)
Having statues made of her, or her name engraved and placed on the
walls of churches or houses and on the gates and entrances of towns,
churches and houses.
(12) Solemnly giving oneself to her by a special consecration.
117. The
Holy Spirit has inspired saintly souls with other practices of true
devotion to the Blessed Virgin, all of which are conducive to holiness.
You can read of them in detail in “Paradise opened to Philagia”, a
collection of many devotions practised by holy people to honour the
Blessed Virgin, compiled by Fr. Paul Barry of the Society of Jesus.
These devotions are a wonderful help for souls seeking holiness provided
they are performed in a worthy manner, that is:
(1)
With the right intention of pleasing God alone, seeking union with
Jesus, our last end, and giving edification to our neighbour.
(2) With attention, avoiding wilful distractions.
(3) With devotion, avoiding haste and negligence.
(4) With decorum and respectful bodily posture.
4. The Perfect Practice
118. Having
read nearly every book on devotion to the Blessed Virgin and talked to
the most saintly and learned people of the day, I can now state with
conviction that I have never known or heard of any devotion to our Lady
which is comparable to the one I am going to speak of. No other devotion
calls for more sacrifices for God, none empties us more completely of
self and self-love, none keeps us more firmly in the grace of God and
the grace of God in us. No other devotion unites us more perfectly and
more easily to Jesus. Finally no devotion gives more glory to God, is
more sanctifying for ourselves or more helpful to our neighbour.
119. As
this devotion essentially consists in a state of soul, it will not be
understood in the same way by everyone. Some – the great majority – will
stop short at the threshold and go no further. Others – not many – will
take but one step into its interior. Who will take a second step? Who
will take a third? Finally who will remain in it permanently? Only the
one to whom the Spirit of Jesus reveals the secret. The Holy Spirit
himself will lead this faithful soul from strength to strength, from
grace to grace, from light to light, until at length he attains
transformation into Jesus in the fullness of his age on earth and of his
glory in heaven.
CLICK HERE for Podcast of Day 14