First fervor versus lukewarmness. The first has one potential weakness that the evil one can use. I believe the Lord includes an element of joyous emotion to set us on the path of renouncing sinful habits and beginning a habitual prayer life. I've seen some who have walked away when that emotion or consolation is removed by God. He wants us to love Him and not the gifts He gives. So hold fast to good habits so they are not lost. On the other hand, lukewarmness is even more dangerous for me because I might retain good habits but believe they are a sign of having arrived. Good habits are an illusion if I am not growing in self-knowledge, and more importantly, charity. Growing love for Jesus will always demonstrate itself in growing charity toward others. I must see growth in the fruit of the Spirit in my life. If not, I will begin to turn to earthly things and not heavenly, growing increasingly lukewarm. From Song of Songs: Show me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou lieth at midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions.
True Devotion to Mary Eighth Day (4/17) Imitation: Book 1, Chapter 13 Of resisting temptations. As long as we live in this world, we cannot be without temptations and tribulations. Hence it is written in Job "Man's life on earth is a temptation." Everyone therefore should be solicitous about his temptations and watch in prayer lest the devil find an opportunity to catch him: who never sleeps, but goes about, seeking whom he can devour. No one is so perfect and holy as sometimes not to have temptations and we can never be wholly free from them. Nevertheless, temptations are very profitable to man, troublesome and grievous though they may be, for in them, a man is humbled, purified and instructed. All the Saints passed through many tribulations and temptations and were purified by them. And they that could not support temptations, became reprobate, and fell away. Many seek to flee temptations, and fall worse into them. We cannot conquer by flight alone, but by patience and true humility we become stronger than all our enemies. He who only declines them outwardly, and does not pluck out their root, will profit little; nay, temptations will sooner return and he will find himself in a worse condition. By degrees and by patience you will, by God's grace, better overcome them than by harshness and your own importunity. Take council the oftener in temptation, and do not deal harshly with one who is tempted; but pour in consolation, as thou wouldst wish to be done unto yourself. Inconstancy of mind and little confidence in God, is the beginning of all temptations. For as a ship without a helm is driven to and fro by the waves, so the man who neglects and gives up his resolutions is tempted in many ways. Prayers Veni Creator Spiritus, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, Glory Be Prayers can be found in this sticky: http://motheofgod.com/threads/prayers-recited-during-st-louis-de-montforts-consecration.9040/ St. Louis de Montfort - Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary - Preliminary Twelve Days
33 Days to Morning Glory (4/17) DAY 8: Who are you, St. Maximilian Kolbe? This week, we'll focus on the example and words of the 20th century apostle of Marian consecration, St. Maximilian Kolbe. Kolbe knew well de Montfort's Marian teaching and spoke enthusiastically about it. In formulating his own expression of true devotion to Mary, he not only deepened several of de Montfort's insights but added many new ideas from his own contemplation of the mystery of Mary. Before we turn to his Marian teaching, let's first get to know the man. "Who are you, St. Maximilian Kolbe?" If we were to ask the saint this question in an interview, we might be disappointed, at least initially. With gentleness and humility, he would probably reply: "Now that question is not so important. What's really important is this one: 'Who are you, O Immaculate Conception?'" This answer shouldn't disappoint us if our goal in the interview were to get to know St. Maximilian, for his answer actually tells us a lot about him. In fact, one great passion of his life was to come to know the mystery of Mary, particularly as she revealed herself to St. Bernadette of Lourdes, "I am the Immaculate Conception." Why did she call herself "The Immaculate Conception?" Isn't her name Mary? Tomorrow, we'll begin to reflect on this intriguing mystery. Today, let's see what, in our hypothetical interview, Kolbe wouldn't have answered. Who is St. Maximilian Kolbe? He's known by many titles: Martyr of Charity, The Saint of Auschwitz, Founder of the Militia Immaculata, Apostle of Mary, and Patron Saint of the 20th Century. But before all this, he was just Raymond, Raymond Kolbe, who in 1894 was born into a poor, Polish farming family. And from the beginning, one wouldn't have guessed he'd eventually be a great saint. In fact, one day, his mother was so frustrated with his behavior that she yelled at him in exasperation: "Raymond, what will become of you?!" This shook the boy to the core. Filled with grief, he immediately turned to the Mother of God, asking her, "What will become of me?" Then he went to a church and repeated his question. The future saint recounted what happened next: Then the Virgin Mother appeared to me holding in her hands two crowns, one white and one red. She looked at me with love and she asked me if I would like to have them. The white meant that I would remain pure and red that I would be a martyr. I answered yes, I wanted them. Then the Virgin looked at me tenderly and disappeared. The white crown of purity came first. Raymond confirmed himself in it when, as Brother Maximilian, he professed religious vows, one of which was chastity. But his purity was not just of the body. For there's another kind of purity: purity of intention. A person practices purity of intention when he directs his thoughts, words, and actions not to himself or another creature but to a divine purpose or mission, and ultimately to God. Perhaps because of his natural intensity and passion, Kolbe felt a particularly strong desire to give himself to a specific mission or goal. One of his classmates in the minor seminary relates, "He often said that he desired to consecrate his entire life to a great idea." Kolbe's "great idea" eventually crystallized into what he called the "Militia Immaculata," which he started in 1917 with six of his fellow seminarians. The "M.I.," as they called it, truly was a "great idea," at least in the sense of its ambition. Its goal was nothing less than to bring the whole world to God through Christ under the generalship of Mary Immaculate, and to do so as quickly as possible. Fulfilling this mission through obedience to God's will, in union with Mary Immaculate, was Kolbe's entire concern — his pure intention — and he sacrificed everything for its accomplishment, which brings us to the red crown. In 1941, after decades of incredibly fruitful apostolic labors in Poland and Japan, Kolbe was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Before his arrest, his brother Franciscans had pleaded with him to go into hiding. He said he was grateful for their loving hearts but couldn't follow their advice. Later, he explained why, "I have a mission — the Immaculata has a mission to fulfill." That mission was accomplished on the eve of the feast of Mary's Assumption into heaven, when, after having volunteered to take the place of a prisoner condemned to starvation, the impatient Nazis finished Kolbe off with a lethal injection. Thus, St. Maximilian died a martyr of charity and received his second crown from his Immaculata. Today's Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Make me pure in body and spirit and help me to die to myself. http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-8-Who-are-you-St-Maximilian-Kolbe-6494
True Devotion to Mary Ninth Day (4/18) Imitation: Book 1, Chapter 13 Fire tries iron, and temptation a just man. We often know not what we are able to do, but temptations discover what we are. Still, we must watch, especially in the beginning of temptation; for then the enemy is more easily overcome, if he be not suffered to enter the door of the mind, but is withstood upon the threshold the very moment he knocks. Whence a certain one has said "Resist beginnings; all too late the cure." When ills have gathered strength, by long delay, first there comes from the mind a simple thought; then a strong imagination, afterwards delight, and the evil motion and consent and so, little by little the fiend does gain entrance, when he is not resisted in the beginning. The longer anyone has been slothful in resisting, so much the weaker he becomes, daily in himself, and the enemy, so much the stronger in him. Some suffer grievous temptations in the beginning of their conversion, others in the end and others are troubled nearly their whole life. Some are very lightly tempted, according to the wisdom and the equity of the ordinance of God who weighs man's condition and merits, and pre-ordaineth all things for the salvation of His elect. We must not, therefore, despair when we are tempted, but the more fervently pray to God to help us in every tribulation: Who, of a truth, according to the sayings of St. Paul, will make such issue with the temptation, that we are able to sustain it. Let us then humble our souls under the hand of God in every temptation and tribulation, for the humble in spirit, He will save and exalt. In temptation and tribulations, it is proved what progress man has made; and there also is great merit, and virtue is made more manifest. Prayers Veni Creator Spiritus, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, Glory Be Prayers can be found in this sticky: http://motheofgod.com/threads/prayers-recited-during-st-louis-de-montforts-consecration.9040/ St. Louis de Montfort - Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary - Preliminary Twelve Days
33 Days to Morning Glory (4/18) DAY 9: Who are you, O Immaculate Conception? (Part One) Yesterday, when I mentioned St. Maximilian's arrest by the Gestapo, I left out a remarkable detail that will be important for today's reflection: Two hours before his arrest, the future saint penned the single most important theological reflection of his life. It was nothing less than the answer that had eluded him for so many years, the answer to the question he had pondered over and over from the earliest days of his religious life: "Who are you, O Immaculate Conception?" In today's reflection, we'll begin to unpack this remarkable document, but before we do, let's pause and say a silent prayer to the Immaculata, asking for the grace to receive Kolbe's wisdom. The document begins as follows: IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. These words fell from the lips of the Immaculata herself. Hence, they must tell us in the most precise and essential manner who she really is. ... Who then are you, O Immaculate Conception? Good question, but still no answer. Later in the document, Kolbe points out a simple but key point: At the apparitions in Lourdes, Mary didn't say to St. Bernadette "I was immaculately conceived" but rather "I am the Immaculate Conception." This seems to be a problem. After all, Mary was immaculately conceived. In other words, through a special grace from God, she was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, without any stain of original sin by the foreseen merits of her Son. So why does she speak so strangely? Why does she make the grace she received at her conception her very name? Doesn't this almost seem as if she were making herself divine? Clearly, Mary is not God. Kolbe wrestled with this apparent "divinity problem" for decades, and it led to the following solution. The Immaculate Conception is divine. But the one I'm talking about isn't Mary. It's the Holy Spirit. In other words, Kolbe believed there are two "Immaculate Conceptions": Mary and the Holy Spirit. Mary is the created Immaculate Conception and the Holy Spirit is the uncreated Immaculate Conception. In other words, before there was the created Immaculate Conception (Mary), for all eternity there is the uncreated Immaculate Conception, the One who for all eternity "springs" from God the Father and God the Son as an uncreated conception of Love and who is the "prototype of all the conceptions that multiply life throughout the whole universe." So, "the Father begets; the Son is begotten; the Spirit is the 'conception' that springs from their love." Now, the Holy Spirit is a "conception" in the sense of being the Life and Love that springs from the love of the Father and the Son — in some analogous way, there's the conception of children who "spring" from the love of husband and wife. The Holy Spirit is an "immaculate" conception because, being God, he is obviously without sin. And finally, the Holy Spirit is an "eternal, uncreated" conception because, again, he is God. Okay, so this covers Kolbe's teaching that the Holy Spirit is the Immaculate Conception, but why does Mary call herself by the same name? We'll leave this question for tomorrow. Today's Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Unveil for me the meaning of the Immaculate Conception. http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-9-Who-are-you-O-Immaculate-Conception-Part-One-6495
Fire tries iron, and temptation a just man. We often know not what we are able to do, but temptations discover what we are. Still, we must watch, especially in the beginning of temptation; for then the enemy is more easily overcome, if he be not suffered to enter the door of the mind, but is withstood upon the threshold the very moment he knocks. Such a practical suggestion. Too often my response is, "Just a little nibble won't hurt." Yeesh! Tis a subtle form of pride. Let us then humble our souls under the hand of God in every temptation and tribulation, for the humble in spirit, He will save and exalt. Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
True Devotion to Mary (4/19) Tenth Day Imitation: Book 3, Chapter 10 That it is sweet to despise the world and to serve God. Now, will I speak again, 0 Lord, and will not be silent, I will say in the hearing of my God and my King Who is on high: Oh, how great is the abundance of Thy sweetness, 0 Lord, which Thou hast hidden for those that fear Thee! But what art Thou, for those who love Thee? What, to those who serve Thee with their whole heart? Unspeakable indeed is the sweetness of Thy contemplation, which Thou bestowest on those who love Thee. In this most of all hast Thou showed me the sweetness of Thy love, that when I had no being, Thou didst make me; and when I was straying far from Thee, Thou brought me back again, that I might serve Thee: and Thou hast commanded me to serve Thee. 0 Fountain of everlasting love, what shall I say of Thee? How can I forget Thee, Who hast vouchsafed to remember me even after I was corrupted and lost? Beyond all hope Thou showest mercy to Thy servant; and beyond all desert, hast Thou manifested Thy grace and friendship. What return shall I make to Thee for this favor? For it is granted to all who forsake these things, to renounce the world, and to assume the monastic life. Is it much that I should serve Thee, Whom the whole creation is bound to serve? It ought not to seem much to me to serve Thee; but this does rather appear great and wonderful to me, that Thou vouchsafest to receive one so wretched and unworthy as Thy servant. It is a great honor, a great glory, to serve Thee, and to despise all things for Thee, for they who willingly subject themselves to Thy holy service, shall have great grace. They shall experience the most sweet consolation of the Holy Spirit, Who for the love of Thee, have cast aside all carnal delight. Prayers Veni Creator Spiritus, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, Glory Be Prayers can be found in this sticky: http://motheofgod.com/threads/prayers-recited-during-st-louis-de-montforts-consecration.9040/ St. Louis de Montfort - Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary - Preliminary Twelve Days
33 Days to Morning Glory (4/19) DAY 10: Who are you, O Immaculate Conception? (Part Two) So the Holy Spirit is the uncreated Immaculate Conception and Mary is the created Immaculate Conception. Why not make it easier and just say that the Holy Spirit is the Immaculate Conception and Mary was immaculately conceived? Again, it's all because of Lourdes. Blame St. Bernadette! In all seriousness, we should thank both St. Bernadette and St. Kolbe profusely, because their fidelity to grace is now opening up for us a glorious truth that undergirds the whole theology of Marian consecration. This truth has to do with the union between the Holy Spirit and Mary. Kolbe explains this in a passage that is long and difficult but incredibly rich and deserving of deep reflection: What type of union is this [between the Holy Spirit and Mary]? It is above all an interior union, a union of her essence with the "essence" of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in her, lives in her. This was true from the first instant of her existence. It was always true; it will always be true. In what does this life of the Spirit in Mary consist? He himself is uncreated Love in her; the Love of the Father and of the Son, the Love by which God loves himself, the very love of the Most Holy Trinity. He is a fruitful Love, a "Conception." Among creatures made in God's image the union brought about by married love is the most intimate of all (see Mt 19:6). In a much more precise, more interior, more essential manner, the Holy Spirit lives in the soul of the Immaculata, in the depths of her very being. He makes her fruitful, from the very first instant of her existence, all during her life, and for all eternity. This eternal "Immaculate Conception" (which is the Holy Spirit) produces in an immaculate manner divine life itself in the womb (or depths) of Mary's soul, making her the Immaculate Conception, the human Immaculate Conception. And the virginal womb of Mary's body is kept sacred for him; there he conceives in time — because everything that is material occurs in time — the human life of the Man-God. ... If among human beings the wife takes the name of her husband because she belongs to him, is one with him, becomes equal to him and is, with him, the source of new life, with how much greater reason should the name of the Holy Spirit, who is the divine Immaculate Conception, be used as the name of her in whom he lives as uncreated Love, the principle of life in the whole supernatural order of grace? In light of this remarkable passage, I'd like to make three points. First, ponder it again, deeply and prayerfully. As you do, keep in mind that these are the parting words of one of the greatest Marian saints of all time, answering the very question to which he dedicated his life and energies. Second, if it seems that Kolbe has gone a bit overboard with this talk of Mary and her union with the Holy Spirit, don't worry. Pope Paul VI went out of his way to reassure the faithful that Kolbe's teaching is sound. Third, if you only get one point from this challenging passage, may it be this: Mary is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. In fact, her union with the Holy Spirit is even deeper than what we understand by a spousal relationship. We'll pick up this thread tomorrow. Today's Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Unveil for me the meaning of the Immaculate Conception. http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-10-Who-are-you-O-Immaculate-Conception-Part-Two-6496
Thank you Mario I am following along And this prayer has become my main stay...........Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary, come live in me. By thy Immaculate Conception Oh Mary, make my body pure and my soul holy. Oh Mary concieved without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee. Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Tonight, at the Sacred Heart Basilica in Syracuse, I'm presenting a reflection on the Consecration to Our Lady. My emphasis will be on the relational aspect of entrusting oneself to her. Your prayers would be appreciated. Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
Mario, if you have a text for your talk, or at least some notes, I would very much like to read what you have to say. Could you post it here?
I think for the times we are in Mary needs as many consecrated souls as possible. Didn't Louis de Montfort prophesy that Our Lady would raise up a special army of people devoted to Her in the end times?
Yes, siree, bob! And there are about 15 members of her army doing this consecration, Sanctus. Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
I was just practicing. Here it is with no voice inflection. You may be surprised to know I get pretty excited and enthusiastic about Our Lady! Reflection on Mary and the Consecration to Mary Could you please join me in praying a Hail Mary… It’s wonderful to be in the Easter Season, isn’t it!! Jesus Christ is risen and lives forever to make intercession for us! Alleluia! And one of the most precious gifts He has given us is that of His Blessed Mother, Mary… at the foot of the Cross. He gave her to you and to me, as well as to John, the Apostle. It is appropriate to speak of her this evening, especially with the 100th anniversary of her first apparition at Fatima less than a month away on May 13th. Now I know some of you here tonight have prayed a lot more Rosaries in your lifetime than I ever will. I realize most of you love Our Lady as much or probably more than I do. For me, there was a time when devotion to Mary translated into making sure I squeezed in that fifth decade before falling asleep. You know the feeling? And that’s OK. That’s life! But Mary, herself, has changed and deepened my love for her. Let me illustrate with a story. When I was in grade school at Our Lady of Lourdes in the valley back in the ‘60s, and later went to Most Rosary High School, I would walk the mile home each day and sit down on the decorated milk can in our kitchen- it had a pretty, green design painted on it- My Mom would be doing tasks in the kitchen or maybe even washing her hair at the kitchen sink. She would always take time to listen to me share about my day. Mom was my confidant. But my Mom died in 1975. So ever more deeply Mary has assumed that role for me. I think it is important that I share my day with her, too. And I do so In a conversational style, that helps. I’ve learned to entrust the whole of life into her care. Why’s that? Because Our Lady lives the will of God without fail. She knows best the Heart of her Son. To entrust ourselves to her care is wise, not only because Jesus gave her to each of us as our Mother, but also because the intentions of her Immaculate Heart are pure with no stain of selfishness. I can't claim that for myself, probably always a tinge of selfishness. But Our Lady always prays what is best for me and for my loved ones because she lives in the Will of God! In addition, she draws me closer to Jesus, especially if I join her at the foot of the Cross. There is a wonderful Carmelite saint who died in 1906 by the name of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. She was a mystic who enjoyed a deep prayer life. She taught that just as Mary embraced her Son’s suffering at the foot of the Cross, so she personally helps bear the burden of your crosses and my crosses, too. Each of us is Mary’s son or daughter. She loves us as she loves Jesus and so lives perfectly the command of our Savior: “Love one another as I have loved you!” I believe that as an expression of our love, we should consecrate our lives to Our Lady. Two well known forms of Consecration: first, the traditional one honored by many Popes, is the Consecration to Jesus through Mary by St. Louis de Montfort. And a more recent one is by a Marian priest, Fr. Gaitley, in a book entitled 33 Days to Morning Glory. That is not sad glory, but like sunshine glory. I’ll leave a copy of that book on the railing here if you want to take a peek after the novena. Consecration demonstrates the depth of the importance we place in our friendship with Mary. It is a commitment between myself and her. Finally, a short testimony: I first consecrated myself to Mary in May, 1983. There was however, a difficulty I had in my marriage. Whenever I felt burdened by failure in trying to live out my spiritual or familial responsibilities, my disappointment would express itself by giving my loved ones the cold shoulder. For several days, I would be overly strict with the children and give Geralyn the silent treatment. We nicknamed these occurrences “tailspins” and developed responses to try and curtail them; however, they stubbornly persisted for 4 years. Then in December, 1987, at a First Friday Mass celebrated by Fr. Robert Chryst, a marvelous thing happened. He was preaching on the first reading from Ephesians concerning the surpassing greatness of God’s power in us who believe (Eph 1:19). I was convicted to claim that power as a remedy for my tailspins and the Lord responded immediately. I have never experienced another tailspin since! Now the timing of that was not lost on me. The beginning of my family's pilgrimage to Medjugorje was to begin just three days later. We planned that pilgrimage out of love for Our Lady and she obviously interceded for my healing out of love for us. So let me finish with: Thank you Mary! Praise you Jesus! All to the Glory of God!
Indeed. Here are some of his prophetic words: “....towards the end of the world, ....Almighty God and His holy Mother are to raise up saints who will surpass in holiness most other saints as much as the cedars of Lebanon tower above little shrubs.” “These great souls filled with grace and zeal will be chosen to oppose the enemies of God who are raging on all sides. They will be exceptionally devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Illumined by her light, strengthened by her spirit, supported by her arms, sheltered under her protection, they will fight with one hand and build with the other. With one hand they will give battle, overthrowing and crushing heretics and their heresies, schismatics and their schisms, idolaters and their idolatries, sinners and their wickedness. With the other hand they will build the temple of the true Solomon and the mystical city of God, namely, the Blessed Virgin... “ “They will be like thunderclouds flying through the air at the slightest breath of the Holy Spirit. Attached to nothing, surprised at nothing, they will shower down the rain of God’s word and of eternal life. They will thunder against sin; they will storm against the world; they will strike down the devil and his followers and for life and for death, they will pierce through and through with the two-edged sword of God’s word all those against whom they are sent by Almighty God.” “They will be true apostles of the latter times to whom the Lord of Hosts will give eloquence and strength to work wonders and carry off glorious spoils from His enemies. They will sleep without gold or silver and, more important still, without concern in the midst of other priests, ecclesiastics and clerics. Yet they will have the silver wings of the dove enabling them to go wherever the Holy Spirit calls them, filled as they are, with the resolve to seek the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Wherever they preach, they will leave behind them nothing but the gold of love, which is the fulfillment of the whole law.” “They will have the two-edged sword of the Word of God in their mouths and the bloodstained standard of the Cross on their shoulders. They will carry the Crucifix in their right hand and the rosary in their left, and the holy names of Jesus and Mary on their heart. “Mary scarcely appeared in the first coming of Christ... But in the second coming of Jesus Christ, Mary must be known and openly revealed by the Holy Spirit so that Jesus may be known, loved and served through her.”
True Devotion to Mary Eleventh Day (4/20) From the Imitation of Christ: Book 1, Chapter 25 Of the Fervent Amendment of our whole life. When a certain anxious person, who often times wavered between hope and fear, once overcome with sadness, threw himself upon the ground in prayer, before one of the altars in the Church and thinking these things in his mind, said "Oh, if I only knew how to persevere," that very instant he heard within him, this heavenly answer: "And if thou didst know this, what would thou do? Do now what you would do, and thou shall be perfectly secure." And immediately being consoled, and comforted, he committed himself to the Divine Will, and his anxious thoughts ceased. He no longer wished for curious things; searching to find out what would happen to him, but studied rather to learn what was the acceptable and perfect will of God for the beginning and the perfection of every good work. "Hope in the Lord," said the Prophet, "And do all good, and inhabit the land, and thou shall be fed of the riches thereof." There is one thing that keeps many back from spiritual progress, and from fervor in amendment namely: the labor that is necessary for the struggle. And assuredly they especially advance beyond others in virtues, who strive the most manfully to overcome the very things which are the hardest and most contrary to them. For there a man does profit more and merit more abundant grace, when he does most to overcome himself and mortify his spirit. All have not, indeed, equal difficulties to overcome and mortify, but a diligent and zealous person will make a greater progress though he have more passions than another, who is well regulated but less fervent in the pursuit of virtues. Prayers Veni Creator Spiritus, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, Glory Be Prayers can be found in this sticky: http://motheofgod.com/threads/prayers-recited-during-st-louis-de-montforts-consecration.9040/ St. Louis de Montfort - Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary - Preliminary Twelve Days
33 Days to Morning Glory (4/20) DAY 11: The Immaculata Always Does God's Will, Perfectly Yesterday, we learned about the intimate union between the Holy Spirit and Mary, the uncreated and created Immaculate Conceptions. Now we may be thinking, "That's nice, but what follows from it?" Here's what follows: Mary does the will of God perfectly — and this is a big deal. Let's take a step back and put this into context by looking at the big picture of reality. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, all of creation makes one big, circular movement from God and back to God, referred to by theologians as "The Great Circle of Being." Aquinas writes: Issuing from the Primary Principle, creatures accomplish a sort of circuit, a gyratory movement, such that all things when they tend to their proper end are returning to the Principle whence they came forth. ... We were created by the Son and by the Holy Spirit; and hence it is by them that we are brought back to our end. Now, St. Maximilian Kolbe, being the good theologian that he was, describes this big picture structure of reality in a similar way. He begins by pointing to our own experience of the world: Everywhere in this world we notice action ... departure and return; going away and coming back; separation and reunion. The separation always looks forward to union, which is creative. All this is simply an image of the Blessed Trinity in the activity of creatures. What Kolbe describes here really is true. It's the structure of the cosmos. Everything has come forth from God and is going back to God, more or less perfectly. This movement is sometimes called the great "Exit and Return." Although Kolbe uses the term "separation" instead of "exit," he's got the same idea: First, God creates the universe; that is something like a separation. Creatures, by following the natural law implanted in them by God, reach their perfection, become like him, and go back to him. Intelligent creatures [human beings] love him in a conscious manner; through this love they unite themselves more and more closely with him, and so find their way back to him. Among all creatures in the universe, Kolbe believes that the Immaculata deserves special mention: The creature most completely filled with this love, filled with God himself, was the Immaculata, who never contracted the slightest stain of sin, who never departed in the least from God's will. United to the Holy Spirit as his spouse, she is one with God in an incomparably more perfect way than can be predicated of any other creature. Let's reflect for a moment on this vision of reality: First, everything going forth from God. Think of all creation. God speaks, and it goes forth from him. Then, plants and animals return to God by fulfilling their natures, by being what they were created to be. They do this without thinking or deliberating and with a sort of ease. It happens by a kind of instinctual autopilot. Human beings, on the other hand, are different. While there are times when we act by instinct, we also act in a way different from the animals. We act by reason and will, and we're conscious as we do so, present to ourselves as we act. This is what it means to be made in the image of God: We can know God and love him. And whereas the animals do God's will by instinct, we can do his will freely and consciously. The problem is, we abuse the freedom God gave us. We don't always choose his will, and so we don't return to him as we should. We sin. And if we sin gravely and don't fully repent, then we don't make it back to God. This is a great tragedy of human life. But thanks be to God! For he sent his only Son and the power of his Spirit to save us, to bring us back home to our Father in heaven. And thank God that after the fall of the human race, he made a creature who was conceived without sin and who is freely and perfectly conformed to his will, for she is perfectly united with the Holy Spirit. She helps us poor sinners along the way. She helps us to overcome the tragedy of sin. She leads us to do God's will, return to God, and become saints. We'll hear more about this tomorrow. Today's Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Renew the face of the earth, so that all creation may return to God. http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-11-The-Immaculata-Always-Does-Gods-Will-Perfectly-6497
