TRUE DEVOTION TO OUR LADY
By St. Louis-Marie de Montfort
Mary alone found grace before God without the help of
any other creature. All those who have since found grace before God have found
it only through her. She was full of grace when she was greeted by the
Archangel Gabriel and was filled with grace to overflowing by the Holy Spirit
when he so mysteriously overshadowed her. From day to day, from moment to
moment, she increased so much this twofold plenitude that she attained an
immense and inconceivable degree of grace. So much so, that the Almighty made
her the sole custodian of his treasures and the sole dispenser of his graces.
She can now ennoble, exalt and enrich all she chooses. She can lead them along
the narrow path to heaven and guide them through the narrow gate to life. She
can give a royal throne, scepter and crown to whom she wishes. Jesus is always
and everywhere the fruit and Son of Mary and Mary is everywhere the genuine
tree that bears that Fruit of life, the true Mother who bears that Son.
To Mary alone God gave the keys of the cellars of
divine love and the ability to enter the most sublime and secret ways of
perfection, and lead others along them. Mary alone gives to the unfortunate
children of unfaithful Eve entry into that earthly paradise where they may walk
pleasantly with God and be safely hidden from their enemies. There they can
feed without fear of death on the delicious fruit of the tree of life and the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They can drink copiously the heavenly
waters of that beauteous fountain which gushes forth in such abundance. As she
is herself the earthly paradise, that virgin and blessed land from which sinful
Adam and Eve were expelled she lets only those whom she chooses enter her
domain in order to make them saints.
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Temptations of St. Jerome, by Giorgio Vasari
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Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary
Day 8 of 33
Imitation
of Christ, by Thomas รก Kempis: 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.
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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