Secret Way of the Enclosed Garden – XI

We will close this introduction by the words which Montfort wrote in his Treatise of the True Devotion:

‘As there are secrets of nature for doing in a short time, at little cost and with facility, natural operations, so also in like manner there are secrets in the order of grace to do in a short time with sweetness and facility supernatural operations, such as emptying ourselves of self, filling ourselves with God and becoming perfect.’

‘The practice which I am about to disclose is one of these secrets of grace, unknown by the greater number of Christians, known to few even of the devout and practiced by a far less number still.’

(To be continued.)

Secret Way of the Enclosed Garden – X

‘Before yielding to a natural and impetuous desire to learn this truth, kneel down and say devoutly the Ave Maris Stella and the Veni Creator Spiritus to ask of God the grace to understand and appreciate this divine mystery.’

‘Be sure,’ says Père Lhoumeau, ‘not to look upon this admonition as to prayer, as a mere commonplace recommendation of no consequence.  If there are many who are not admitted to the ‘secret’ of this devotion, it is because they forget that in order to enter into this Garden Enclosed, Mary, it is necessary to implore the help of the Holy Ghost, Who ‘searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God.’

It is the same urgent invitation which de Montfort gives us in his Tree of Life: ‘You must not lean on your own skill or on your natural talents, on your good name or on the protection of men, you must have recourse to Mary and rely solely on her aid.’

It is also the subject of the ardent prayer which he addresses to the Holy Ghost at the end of his Prayer to Jesus.  ‘O Holy Ghost, give me the grace to plant, water and cultivate in my soul this sweet Mary….Give me a great devotion and make me seek for Mary.’  The beginning will be made by studying Montfort’s Secret.

‘Owing to the little time I have for writing,’ he says, and you for reading, I will say everything as briefly as possible.’

(To be continued.)

Secret Way of the Enclosed Garden – IX

‘Just in proportion to the use you make of it in the ordinary actions of your life, you will come to understand the price and excellence of this secret which at first, owing to the gravity of your sins and your secret attachment to self, you will grasp but imperfectly.’

An object, a palace, a cathedral, seen from a distance, for all the beauties that you know it has, seems to you vague, imperfect.  The distance, the trees, the houses, the clouds, the haze, are so many obstacles placed between you and it.  But go nearer, stand in the right light, and then the object shows to advantage and shines in all the magnificent beauty of the whole and its harmonious details.

Even so is it with the devotion to Mary.  You must approach it, know it, understand it, taste it, see it as it should be seen.  Then it shines forth.

‘These few words,’ says Père Lhoumeau, ‘contain three important points of advice: (1) This devotion is to applied to everyday actions as much as to the more important ones of our lives. (2) It is be a persevering practice and not by the effort of a few weeks that its excellence and its fruits can be judged. (3) To be able to appreciate it, it is also necessary to avoid sin and renounce secret attachements which are obstacles.’

All this will be revised in detail later on.  Blessed Louis would have us bear in mind that the preliminary condition for the obtaining of any grace, is prayer, prayer to Mary, prayer to the Holy Spirit.

(To be continued.)

True Devotion to Mary – XVI

But we must be ready to let Mary do with us what she wishes: either for our faculties to be used in her service or for the sacrifice of them in order to bring graces to the souls of others.

Devotion to Mary brings that wondrous grace of love into our life.

We give to Mary all the qualities of our soul.  That means all our capacities for love and devotion.  We ask her to draw on that to the last.  As a slave is the possession of his master, so are we entirely the possession of Mary.  Just as the Precious Blood of Jesus was drained to the last drop for the salvation of sinners, so we consecrate ourselves to Mary that she can use us to our utmost for the glory of her Son.  This brings us to the Cross.  That is why devotion to Mary is such a sure means of sanctification.  By our docility in living the True Devotion we are molded in Mary and fitted perfectly to the Cross with Christ.  Like the silver being refined, we are gradually formed into the Image of Christ.  This is done through the crucible of the Cross.

Thus, we see the Blessed Virgin as the perfect way of completely renouncing and abandoning oneself to God.

The Immaculate Way

Mary, our Helper

Neither let us think that Our Lady will automatically ward off all temptation… Mary will indeed help us, but we must show her that we want that help.  The Apostles themselves were rowing very hard when the storm was against them.  Would Our Lord have helped them if they had not bothered to row or exert themselves?  Likewise in our spiritual life when the storm of temptation arises God expects us to do all in our power, and His grace will always be there to help us to resist.  Thus when Mary sees us making an effort for the love of her Divine Son, she will readily help us.  But if we make no effort at all, how then can we call upon her?

The Immaculate Way

The Perfection of Mary

The consideration of Our Lady in everything necessarily leads to the sacrifice of self.  That is why devotion to Mary, as shown by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, becomes a positive means of loving God and of progressing in that love.  It is different from the negative approach which puts off so many.  In seeking the perfection of Mary our attitude of mind becomes not a constant denial of self, but a progressive seeking after the practice of her virtues.  We are considering Mary and her perfection – not ourself and our imperfection.  Our way of approach is not to destroy but to build, to transform and perfect.  This positive way of Mary becomes our way to God.

The Immaculate Way

Devotion to Mary – XI

As every garden needs constant care, so must our devotion to Mary be assiduously tended.  Haphazard gardening is never successful.  The weeds will always grow again.  It is the same with the spiritual life.  It needs watching and tending.  The more care we give to it, the greater becomes our love and understanding of it.  Our willingness is shown by the care we take in fostering the love of God in our soul.  One grace leads to another and finally one’s whole perfection is attained through Our Blessed Lady.

Whatever is likely to prevent the growth of a tree must be uprooted.  Likewise mortification and penance must have their place in our life also.  By that attachments are rooted out.  Thus no obstacle to devotion to Mary is allowed to grow in our hearts.  Mortification, we must remember, is an essential requirement of the ascetical life.  It is something we must practice.  By it we oppose the growth of self-love.

The Immaculate Way

Living with Mary – II

As one progresses the True Devotion simplifies itself.  The soul in the state of grace is guarded by Our Blessed Lady.

‘If you say “Mary”, she says “God”…When she is praised, when she is loved or honored, when she is presented with anything, God is praised, God is honored and loved, and through Mary and in Mary God receives the gift.’

After reading Montfort’s works on Our Lady, at least one thing should be clearer in our mind and that is that we cannot be indifferent regarding to Mary.  Prayer to Our Lady will help us to understand this more.

Our spiritual life must be developed by Mary.

The Immaculate Way

With Mary

In dealing with others we seek after the charity of Our Lady.  People may be bothersome, they may get on our nerves, but how would Mary act if she were in our place?…Having the courage to act with her is the test of our devotion.

 The Immaculate Way

Imitate Mary

In the spiritual life we turn to Mary.  She is the Mirror of Holiness and the most perfect of those who can lead us to Christ.  We ask her to teach us to live our life as she would have lived it.  Mary becomes the model of our actions.  We try to do all our actions with her, even what may seem insignificant ones.

Therefore let us ask her to place in us her desire of humility that we may desire it also.  We can do the same with the graces requested in the other decades…

Furthermore when at prayer begin it with Mary.  It is something we are going to offer together.  Then we can let the intentions of Our Lady be ours also.  Whatever she has in mind at this moment for the greater glory of God is what we desire at this moment also…Through practicing the True Devotion we are seeking God’s greater glory.

 The Immaculate Way