Day 6: Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Help me to give great glory to God by giving all I have to Mary! This quote: But our motive should not be self-love; rather, it should be that we want to please God and give great glory to Him. This says it all! If entrusting all to Mary gives joy to God, then why hesitate? It's as if I forgot to think it through to the end. Now I can climb up on Abba's lap and He'll even tousle my hair a bit and give me a hug! Yippee! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
that pretty much says it all! I believe that knowing Our Lady can do so much with our tiny little prayers, good works, and obedience will inspire me to just pray a little more, adore a little more, etc. She will never be outdone in generosity!!
33 Day Thought of the Day Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Help me to praise you for such a quick, easy, and secure path to holiness! Yesterday was the last day of de Montfort's reflections...the benefits of consecration. The primary benefit of consecration is a quick path to holiness...which we achieve by dying to self...which is not easy and sometimes requires a cross to do so When I started reading True Devotion...I knew eventually the topic of crosses would come up. And it did...he even goes so far to state that if you are particularly beloved by Mary, you may get more crosses than others I cringe when I read that, since I've been carrying a heavy cross for 4 years now...and I feel like I have been slowly dying to self all this time! I just have to trust that by dedicating myself to Mary, the cross will feel lighter and easier to carry. I offer it up each day along with whatever cooperation I can muster, and she uses it for some tremendous good. That inspires me to continue to carry it. In fact, since I started this consecration, it has been easier. I do feel Mary is gently guiding me...prodding me to cooperate with grace...positive thoughts running through my head despite it being a tough time. So, I hope I have made more progress with this cross in this past week than I have on my own. I do feel that I have!
I am sure that you have PotatoSack! I think it is wonderful that you are able to do this during a personally difficult time. I feel like I am just in "ordinary time" and should be offering more prayers/sacrifices, but I am just barely keeping up with the daily readings...
I think it might be easier to do this when you are going through a difficult time Ellie. I don't have to dig too deep to offer something up. But I think even in your case, I would offer up something that is a part of your daily duties or job that you hate or try to make someone who really annoys you smile. Something simple like that probably goes a long way! Now I need to post today's reading...I'm a little behind, as I just read it a few hours ago
PotatoSack, It is through the crosses given us that we grow most quickly...but you've had to endure so long! I'm still praying for you on a regular basis and trying to keep Jesus' invitation before me always: Mt 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
33 Day Thought of the Day Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Make me pure in body and spirit and help me to die to myself I don't know much about St. Maximilian Kolbe, so I'm looking forward to learning more about him. It seems that he really displayed great courage throughout life. As a boy accepting the red hat of martyrdom as well as a priestly vocation all the way to his death at the concentration camp...even though others were suggesting he should go into hiding. I think he really had this courage because he knew what God's mission was for his life, and he was determined to walk that path and fulfill his mission. I pray Mary guides me down the path that is my mission in this life, and may I have as much zeal and courage to fulfill it as Kolbe did.
Saint Maximilian accomplished so much even though he was sick most of the time. The meditation in my Monfort book today talks about temptation and how to overcome it early because it gets harder to tackle as the mind yields more and more to a temptation. "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." "Let us humble our souls under the hand of God in every temptation and tribulation, for the humble in spirit, He will save and exalt." I like this description and wanted to share it with you. Have a great day!
33 Day Thought of the Day: April 20th Come Holy Spirit living in Mary... I've come to realize more deeply in these days of preparation that Mary is the Holy Spirit's living masterpiece. She was so destined from the foundation of the world. Mary was immaculately conceived, but she is the Immaculate Conception because she has yielded to God in such a way so as to never have left the Divine Will. She is the only creature in time to have been perfectly faithful and to fulfill: Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And now Mary is in heaven. I used to struggle a bit with relating to Mary because of her perfection, but now I see that she is The human example par excellence that I should seek to emulate, After all, Our Lady is full of joy, patience, mercy, and wisdom. When the children of Medjugorje asked her why she is so beautiful, Mary responded: Because I love much. Why would I ever want to bring her down to my level? As Paul instructs in Colossians 3: 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
33 Day Thought of Day 12 Hey everyone, we're more than a third of the way through! One of the wonderful aspects of discerning the Diaconate is the truth that Geralyn and I discern it together as a couple. Not that my precious wife would be ordained, but the wife of a married deacon plays such a supportive and integral role. In fact, the Church teaches that a married deacon's primary vocation is in fact his marriage! This helps me to embrace today's reflection more easily. Since Our Lady is the spouse of the Holy Spirit she has an even more intimate and integral place in God's plan of salvation than any other person! In perfect union with the Holy Spirit, she lovingly places in my heart the gifts from her spouse. And she always willing to give a tender hug in the process. Mary, I love you! Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
thanks Mary Ann...I forgot you were going the de Montfort version. what you wrote certainly resonates with me. when we give in to temptation the first time...it is a slippery slope that in some cases can be a slope of a 90 degree angle!! once we start down the slope, it is so much easier to fall into temptation to that same sin. as I reflect on this...I can pinpoint where this has happened to me. so frustrating is our human nature!! there is so much for me to work on!
thanks for this Mario. I find St. Maximillan's writings more challenging to really comprehend than de Montfort. Plus I'm having problems applying the last several day's readings to my daily life. I am such a tactical type of person...making lists of things I need to do in my life... and Maximillan seems to be at a higher level/strategic vision than I am at. does this make sense? but what I have taken away so far is the closeness of the Holy Spirit to Mary. He dwells in her. She is his spouse. Her will has and will always be perfectly aligned with God's will. That is why she can take us to the path of God's will for our lives the fastest...it is the most direct route...it's like we are going directly to the source because the Holy Spirit dwells within her. If this is the case, how can we go wrong with going directly to Mary to get closer to Jesus? We can't!! Mary always was and always will be fruitful. I pray to be a fruit of Mary!
Mary Ann, I needed to hear that bit about temptation. Thank you. And thank you, Louis! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
I love all your thoughts and meditions on this. Thank you guys, all of you for your thoughts, it's keeping me on focus to live my consecration!
Thank you, PS, Mario, Hope, sunburst, WCWTS, Ellie, and Mary's Child for your inspiring thoughts. Preparing together is certainly more prayerful for me than all the years I have done it individually. I thank the good Lord for leading me to this forum because in the last few months, I have picked up certain tidbits of insight from forum members I have worked into my own spirituality and it has been very beneficial.
I can't believe I have only one week left,..it goes by so quickly. I am looking forward to becoming the little child Mother Mary wants me to be. I think Our Lady wants to be for us the master gardener, she will weed out all the bad roots, cutivate us with new graces,..so she may have beautiful flowers to present to the Father..
