CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH

 

To Jesus through Mary

 

There is no greater model for religious than the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although she was both wife and mother, she was, at the same time, the example of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. She was poor in temporal things yet rich in Heavenly things, “full of grace”. She was a wife and mother, yet she was the most chaste perpetual virgin. The Blessed Virgin was most obedient and firmly proclaimed and professed, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done unto me according to your word”. Is there a better model than the Mother of God?

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Seeing Our Lady as a model Christian and religious is not enough. This type of devotion is not sufficient to fulfill the fourth commandment, “Honor your Father and your Mother”. Honor, respect, reverence are words that do not even capture the strength of that used by the Lord on Mount Sinai. The devotion that lay people, religious and priests should have toward the Mother of God, our Mother, should be strong, constant and a key part of our spirituality. The surest way to Jesus is the way He came to us, through Mary. To Jesus through Mary as St. Louis de Montfort would say. His book, True Devotion to Mary should be read and studied by all, laity, priests, and religious.

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For priests and religious, devotion to Mary is not just another spirituality, it is crucial to our very life. Only from the Blessed Virgin are we going to learn how to make Christ incarnate in our world. Only by her guidance and intercession are we going to learn how to live in poverty, chastity and obedience. Ultimately, she alone will teach us how to live in the poverty of Bethlehem. She alone will teach us how to love God with a chaste and pure heart. She alone can teach us to say with her, “Fiat Mihi”, “Let it be done unto me.” If even the angels learn to love God through Mary (as St. Alphonsus tells us), then how much more should we religious learn from her?

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Unfortunately, as we have said many times in these discernment reflections, many religious orders have abandoned their charism, and with it went their devotion to the Mother of God. Oddly enough, these orders, societies, congregations and communities that have thrust themselves into a feminist theology, embracing the heresy of woman priesthood and the crazed inclusive language, have rejected Mary. They see her as too docile and in the way of their agenda. Something is really wrong when your theology of femininity rejects God’s own mother as a model! Why do they reject the one whom the Church has always called “The Glory of Our Race”?

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A healthy religious community and Marian devotions go hand in hand. If there is no strong communal and individual devotion to the Mother of God, then that community will be weak and open to continual embracement of the secular culture. There is much more to be said about communities that have plenty of time to watch TV, recreate, do all kinds of things, even ministerial works, but have no time to pray the rosary in common. It really is a matter of priorities. A community that does not have communal devotion to Our Lady as a priority is a community where priorities are not in accord with the mind of the Church or the Second Vatican Council.

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As you discern all the various communities out there you must look to those that have radically embraced True Devotion to Mary. A sign of a healthy religious community is one that has this deep devotion, promotes it and forms its members in it. You’ll always find members of any particular

community that are truly solid, orthodox and devoted to Our Lady. Unfortunately, what you won’t always find are communities that actually form their new recruits in True Devotion. Not too long ago I knew of a newly ordained priest who, when asked to lead the rosary, couldn’t lead it because he didn’t know how.

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A formation system that helps young and new religious to form a devotion to Mary is one that offers classes on Mariology (the theology of Marian Devotion) and explains, in detail, the multi-faceted doctrines of Our Lady. Also, it will teach, assist and promote various Marian devotions such as the rosary, litanies to Our Lady, first Saturday devotions and other Marian prayers. Furthermore, the formation program will enkindle not just a devotion to Mary, but a true, deep and sincere love for her. The nurturing of that love would give the new religious the courage, wisdom and pastoral ability to promote and defend Marian doctrine and devotion.

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This communal formation program must be a system that prepares the new religious to live the Marian aspect of that particular charism. In other words, the community at large must already be communally living out the Marian aspects of their particular charism. Whether one is Carmelite, Franciscan, Dominican, Trappist, Benedictine or even Jesuit, each community has had a deep devotion to Mary and has lived it out in a unique way. A Carmelite formation must form their new Carmelites to live out their Marian Carmelite spirituality. The same is true for the Franciscans and every other order out there. When discerning these or other religious communities, you must keep in mind that a communal Marian devotion (not just private) is a non-negotiable. If the Marian aspect of the original charism is not there, then neither should you be.

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Once again, you must ask the vocation director some tough questions. As I have mentioned before, don’t be afraid of the tough questions. This is your life we’re talking about. Your

future, the accomplishment of doing God’s will and becoming a saint deserves it. So, you need to ask:

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1. What are the Marian traditions of your Community?

2. Does the community pray the rosary in common?

3. What are your Marian practices? Rosary? Litanies?

4. What Marian courses are offered in formation?

5. Are your new members taught Marian devotion and how to live it out in one’s life?

6. Do any members of your order reject Marian devotions?

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These and similar questions will help you discover the type of devotion the order once had and if they are maintaining it. Any negative responses or rejection of Mary should automatically disqualify that community.

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As you discern finding the community to which God is calling you, you yourself must develop a deep and close relationship to the Blessed Mother. The closer you get to Mary, the easier time you will have in discerning your full vocation. St. Francis of Assisi wandered about for two years after his conversion. He spent six months at a Benedictine Monastery. He went about as a public penitent. He even worked with a group of brothers at a hospital for lepers. All the time St. Francis was praying about discerning his vocation. It was not until he consecrated his vocation to Mary that his ears were opened to hear the Gospel, Mt. 10, that he cried out, “This is what I desire! This is what I long for with all my heart!” And the Franciscan order was born.

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Like St. Francis, you must consecrate your vocation to the Blessed Virgin. To consecrate it means to give it to Mary. To set it aside for her. That whatever it is that God reveals to you through her, you will live it out with joy. That you will do everything for the Glory of God, and the honor of the Immaculate, His Mother. By the consecration, you will be asking to accept God’s will and be able to say, with Mary, “Fiat Mihi”! Like the Blessed Mother, your consecration will provide you the grace to allow God to become alive in your heart, mind and life.

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Consecrating your vocation to the Blessed Mother is quite simple. First, I recommend reading the book “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Monfort. You may need to read it through a couple of times. It took the young Pope St. John Paul II, I think three times to understand it fully. Then prepare for your consecration by making the 33-day preparation period as laid out by St. Louis de Montfort. At the end of those 33 days, on a Marian feast, make your consecration. St. Louis provides a wonderful and most complete prayer for consecrating oneself to Mary.

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This consecration can be lived out by a daily devotion to her. Praying the daily rosary (highly recommended), the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin or similar devotions are all varied ways that you can go to Jesus through Mary, the fastest and quickest way to His Heart. Also, you want to reflect on Our Lady’s virtues, her humility, her obedience, her poverty, her chastity as well as all the holy virtues of faith, hope and love. As you reflect on them you will find ways that you can incorporate them into your own life and discernment. Most particularly, reflect on her vocation and unreserved, unlimited response to St. Gabriel, “Fiat Mihi”.

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Remember, as you discern you are going to need as much help as you can get. There is no better help than the greatest of intercessors, the Co-Redemptrix and mediator of all graces, Mary Most Holy. As the Mother of God, she maintains her place of interceding on our behalf. She is the surest, safest and fastest way to the heart of Jesus. Continue to pray that, through Mary, God will make His holy will known to you. May His mother whisper that vocation in your heart.

 

 

Lectio for Chapter the Seventeenth

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Psalm 27:4-6

One thing have I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after;

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of the Lord,

and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent,

he will set me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up

above my enemies round about me;

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

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