TRUE DEVOTION TO OUR LADY
By St. Louis-Marie de Montfort
CHAPTER TWO
WHAT DEVOTION TO MARY CONSISTS IN
Basic principles of devotion to Mary
Having spoken briefly of the necessity of devotion to
the Blessed Virgin, I must now explain what this devotion consists in. This I
will do with God’s help after I have laid down certain basic truths, which
throw light on the remarkable and sound devotion, which I propose to unfold.
First principle: Christ must be the ultimate end of all devotions
Jesus, our Savior, true God and true man must be the
ultimate end of all our other devotions; otherwise they would be false and
misleading. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end of everything.
“We labor,” says St. Paul, “only to make all men perfect in Jesus Christ.”
For in him alone dwells the entire fullness of the
divinity and the complete fullness of grace, virtue and perfection. In him
alone we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing; he is the only
teacher from whom we must learn; the only Lord on whom we should depend; the
only Head to whom we should be united and the only model that we should
imitate.
He is the only Physician that can heal us; the only Shepherd that can
feed us; the only Way that can lead us; the only Truth that we can believe; the
only Life that can animate us. He alone is everything to us and he alone can
satisfy all our desires.
We are given no other name under heaven by
which we can be saved. God has laid no other foundation for our salvation,
perfection and glory than Jesus. Every edifice that is not built on that firm
rock is founded upon shifting sands and will certainly fall sooner or later.
Every one of the faithful who is not united to him is like a branch broken from
the stem of the vine. It falls and withers and is fit only to be burnt. If we live in Jesus and Jesus lives in us, we
need not fear damnation. Neither angels in heaven nor men on earth, nor devils
in hell, no creature whatever can harm us, for no creature can separate us from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Through him, with him and in him, we
can do all things and render all honor and glory to the Father in the unity of
the Holy Spirit; we can make ourselves perfect and be for our neighbor a
fragrance of eternal life.
Day 12 of 33
Imitation of Christ, by Thomas รก Kempis:
Book 1, Chapter 25., cont.
But if thou observest any thing worthy of reproof,
beware thou do not the same. And if at any time thou hast done it, labor
quickly to amend thyself. As thine eye observeth others, so art thou by others
noted again.
How sweet and pleasant a thing it is, to see brethren
fervent and devout, obedient and well-disciplined! How sad and grievous a thing
it is, to see them walk disorderly, not applying themselves to that for which
they are called! How hurtful a thing it is, when they neglect the purpose of
their calling and busy themselves in things not committed to their care!
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Contemplate the adorable Face Of Christ
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Be mindful of the purpose thou hast embraced, and set
always before thee the image of the Crucified. Good cause thou hast to be
ashamed in looking upon the life of Jesus Christ, seeing thou hast not as yet
endeavored to conform thyself more unto Him, though thou hast been a long time
in the way of God. A religious person that exercizeth himself seriously and
devoutly in the most holy life and passion of our Lord, shall there abundantly
find whatsoever is profitable and necessary for him, neither shall he need to
seek any better thing, besides Jesus. O if Jesus crucified would come into our
hearts, how quickly and fully should we be. A man fervent and diligent is
prepared for all things.
It is harder toil to resist vices and passions, than
to sweat in bodily labors. He that avoideth not small faults, by little and
little falleth into greater. Thou wilt always rejoice in the evening, if thou spend
the day profitably. Be watchful over thyself, stir up thyself, warn thyself,
and whatsoever becometh of others, neglect not thyself. The more violent thou
uses against thyself, the more shalt thou progress. Amen.
Recite:
Veni Creator, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, and Glory Be
Veni Creator
Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls
take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which
Thou hast made.
O comforter, to Thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God
Most High, O fount of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.
Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known; Thou, finger of
God’s hand we own; Thou, promise of the Father, Thou Who dost the tongue with
power imbue.
Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts
overflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our
flesh supply.
Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us Thy
peace instead; so shall we not, with Thee for guide, turn from the path of life
aside.
Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son
to know; and Thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit
blest.
Now to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death, be
glory given, with Thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and
heaven. Amen.
Ave Maris Stella
Hail, O Star of the ocean, God’s own Mother blest,
ever sinless Virgin, gate of heav’nly rest.
Taking that sweet Ave, which from Gabriel came, peace
confirm within us, changing Eve’s name.
Break the sinners’ fetters, make our blindness day,
Chase all evils from us, for all blessings pray.
Show thyself a Mother, may the Word divine
born for us thine Infant hear our prayers through
thine.
Virgin all excelling, mildest of the mild, free from
guilt preserve us meek and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless, make our way secure till
we find in Jesus, joy for evermore.
Praise to God the Father, honor to the Son, in the
Holy Spirit, be the glory one. Amen.
Magnificat
My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Savior. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid;
for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He
that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His
mercy is from generation to generations, to them that fear Him. He hath showed
might in His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He
hath put down the mighty from their seat; and hath exalted the humble. He hath
filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He
hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to
our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. Amen.
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world
without end. Amen.
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