Day 13 - To Be an Instrument - Rather, to be Instruments
St. Maximilian wanted to be a saint. To do so he wanted to be the graces of the Immaculata... to be the will of the Immaculata. Not to just do these things or have them... but to be them. His analogy is that if people can be possessed by Satan then why can't they be possessed by God to be an instrument of good. He further states that if we truly love God, "then we should find the quickest and easiest way to become saints." This goes back to previous readings. By becoming saints we return to God. And that should be our aim, right? The quickest way to do this according to de Montfort and Kolbe is Marian Consecration. By completely relying on and trusting in her we belong to her. And since Mary, is the perfect will of God then we can become saints.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Prepare me to be a fit instrument in the hands of the Immaculata.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Days 8 to 12
Day 8 - Who are you, St. Maximilian Kolbe?
This day begins with a new perspective. That of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Kolbe is considered the Saint of Auschwitz, among other titles. Born Raymond Kolbe in Poland in 1894, after being asked of his mother "What will become of you?" He went to church and asked the question repeatedly in prayer. He tells of a vision he had of the Virgin Mary who appeared to him with two crowns, a white one and a red one. The white one showed his purity and his red was because he would be a martyr.
Kolbe's purity was not just of the body. He would have purity of intention by directing his thoughts, words and actions to a divine purpose and to God. He would also become a martyr at the hands of the Nazi's. He volunteered to take the place of a man with a family and was killed through lethal injection when the Nazi's became impatient trying to kill him through starvation.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Make me pure in body and spirit and help me to die to myself.
Day 9 - Who are you, O Immaculate Conception?
In Mary's apparitions to St. Bernadette at Lourdes, she says "I am the Immaculate Conception." She does not say she was immaculately conceived. The author of the book, Michael Gaitley, goes on to say the Immaculate Conception is Divine. However, he says it's the Holy Spirit. This leads into a discussion of two Immaculate Conceptions. One is created and the other is uncreated. That is, the Holy Spirit is the uncreated and that Mary is the created. The Holy Spirit is Love that springs from the Father and the Son. Gaitley ties this to the idea that children "spring" from the love of a husband and wife.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Unveil for me the meaning of the Immaculate Conception.
Day 10 - Who are you, O Immaculate Conception? (Part Two)
There is a special union between Mary and the Holy Spirit. According to Kolbe "The Holy Spirit dwells in , lives in her." The two are united. Again, in a comparison to marriage, "the wife takes the name of her husband she belongs to him, is one with him, becomes equal to him and is with him." Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, this means that she will have the same name.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Unveil for me the meaning of the Immaculate Conception.
Day 11 - The Immaculata Always Does God's Will, Perfectly.
Mary does the will of God perfectly. We are created to love God. By nature of this creation we are first separated from God and then we must return or reunite ourselves with Him. Because God gave us free will we can chose not to return. In short, we sin. It is through sin that we cannot make it back to God. Mary perfectly performed to God's will. In doing so, she helps sinners. She shows us the way back to God, she is ready to help us become saints.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Renew the face of the earth, so that all creation may return to God.
Day 12 - Who are you, O Holy Saints of God?
Maximilian Kolbe declared in his early years that "becoming a saint was his number one goal." He taught others "W + w = S" (God's Will + our will = Sanctity) This equation only works when our will is aligned with His will. Kolbe created founded the Militia Immaculata and urged his members to "become soldier saints for God under the generalship of Mary Immaculate." Again, this is because she so perfectly does the will of God. If we unite our will to hers, then they will be united to God's. Kolbe says she is the Mediatrix of Grace. On the Miraculous Medal, Mary has rays of light (graces), that come from the rings on her hands. One hand, however, has no rays. When asked by St. Catherine Laboure during the apparition, Mary explained that they were graces that no one was asking for.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Untie my will to the will of the Immaculata, which is one with your will.
This day begins with a new perspective. That of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Kolbe is considered the Saint of Auschwitz, among other titles. Born Raymond Kolbe in Poland in 1894, after being asked of his mother "What will become of you?" He went to church and asked the question repeatedly in prayer. He tells of a vision he had of the Virgin Mary who appeared to him with two crowns, a white one and a red one. The white one showed his purity and his red was because he would be a martyr.
Kolbe's purity was not just of the body. He would have purity of intention by directing his thoughts, words and actions to a divine purpose and to God. He would also become a martyr at the hands of the Nazi's. He volunteered to take the place of a man with a family and was killed through lethal injection when the Nazi's became impatient trying to kill him through starvation.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Make me pure in body and spirit and help me to die to myself.
Day 9 - Who are you, O Immaculate Conception?
In Mary's apparitions to St. Bernadette at Lourdes, she says "I am the Immaculate Conception." She does not say she was immaculately conceived. The author of the book, Michael Gaitley, goes on to say the Immaculate Conception is Divine. However, he says it's the Holy Spirit. This leads into a discussion of two Immaculate Conceptions. One is created and the other is uncreated. That is, the Holy Spirit is the uncreated and that Mary is the created. The Holy Spirit is Love that springs from the Father and the Son. Gaitley ties this to the idea that children "spring" from the love of a husband and wife.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Unveil for me the meaning of the Immaculate Conception.
Day 10 - Who are you, O Immaculate Conception? (Part Two)
There is a special union between Mary and the Holy Spirit. According to Kolbe "The Holy Spirit dwells in , lives in her." The two are united. Again, in a comparison to marriage, "the wife takes the name of her husband she belongs to him, is one with him, becomes equal to him and is with him." Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, this means that she will have the same name.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Unveil for me the meaning of the Immaculate Conception.
Day 11 - The Immaculata Always Does God's Will, Perfectly.
Mary does the will of God perfectly. We are created to love God. By nature of this creation we are first separated from God and then we must return or reunite ourselves with Him. Because God gave us free will we can chose not to return. In short, we sin. It is through sin that we cannot make it back to God. Mary perfectly performed to God's will. In doing so, she helps sinners. She shows us the way back to God, she is ready to help us become saints.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Renew the face of the earth, so that all creation may return to God.
Day 12 - Who are you, O Holy Saints of God?
Maximilian Kolbe declared in his early years that "becoming a saint was his number one goal." He taught others "W + w = S" (God's Will + our will = Sanctity) This equation only works when our will is aligned with His will. Kolbe created founded the Militia Immaculata and urged his members to "become soldier saints for God under the generalship of Mary Immaculate." Again, this is because she so perfectly does the will of God. If we unite our will to hers, then they will be united to God's. Kolbe says she is the Mediatrix of Grace. On the Miraculous Medal, Mary has rays of light (graces), that come from the rings on her hands. One hand, however, has no rays. When asked by St. Catherine Laboure during the apparition, Mary explained that they were graces that no one was asking for.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Untie my will to the will of the Immaculata, which is one with your will.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Days 6 & 7 -
Day 6 - Should We Really Give Mary Everything? (Part Two)
I'm still struggling with this concept. Maybe it's because there is still so much I don't understand. Things that are obvious to cradle Catholics and maybe others, are meaningless to me. I don't grasp "giving it up" at all so relaying that to Give Mary Everything seems even more obscure. But here's my try on this day's reading...
St. Louis says that If we give Mary all our merits, she will give us all of hers. Ok... I'd like that part... to be more like Mary. The question in the writing was "Isn't it crazy to give to Mary all the value of our good actions and prayers and so appear before God with empty hands?" I think I get this. Relating to other comments of St. Louis de Montfort, we come before God as clean as possible. Does this mean less time in Purgatory? Maybe. If Purgatory is meant to prepare us to meet God, then quite probably. I would like that as well. So I want to be as much like Mary (trusting completely in His will) and prepared (as in clean) as possible to meet God. So I will begin by learning to "offer it up" which will help me to learn to "give Mary everything."
The author of 33 Days to Morning Glory recalls a story about St. Faustina and her vision of the many degrees of Heaven. If we suffer more on earth will that move us into a higher degree of Heaven? Does this put me that much closer to the Glory of God for eternity? Ok.. then I should learn to give all my merits to Mary so that I can rely on her merits instead of my own. Keeping in mind that all of this should be out of my love for God and not for my own self-love. How do I know that is what I'm doing? Is my motive to be "higher" in heaven or is it to show the Glory of God? I hope it's the latter but at this stage in my development...I'm sure there are still remnants of my "self" in there.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Help me to give great glory to God by giving all I have to Mary.
Day 7 - A Quick, Easy, and Secure Way to Holiness
Quick? Easy? Isn't the path to righteousness difficult? Ok... it's not about "kicking back." It's a path that is "relatively quick and easy...that by its very nature isn't easy and often takes a long time." I am going to have to work but with Mary's help my burden will be easier to carry. I will carry my crosses "with more ease, more merit, and more glory." I will allow Mary to be my "mold" so that I do not have to chisel away at marble. Mary will also protect me along this path. She wants to help us to be saints.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Help me to praise you for such a quck, easy, and secure path to holiness!
I'm still struggling with this concept. Maybe it's because there is still so much I don't understand. Things that are obvious to cradle Catholics and maybe others, are meaningless to me. I don't grasp "giving it up" at all so relaying that to Give Mary Everything seems even more obscure. But here's my try on this day's reading...
St. Louis says that If we give Mary all our merits, she will give us all of hers. Ok... I'd like that part... to be more like Mary. The question in the writing was "Isn't it crazy to give to Mary all the value of our good actions and prayers and so appear before God with empty hands?" I think I get this. Relating to other comments of St. Louis de Montfort, we come before God as clean as possible. Does this mean less time in Purgatory? Maybe. If Purgatory is meant to prepare us to meet God, then quite probably. I would like that as well. So I want to be as much like Mary (trusting completely in His will) and prepared (as in clean) as possible to meet God. So I will begin by learning to "offer it up" which will help me to learn to "give Mary everything."
The author of 33 Days to Morning Glory recalls a story about St. Faustina and her vision of the many degrees of Heaven. If we suffer more on earth will that move us into a higher degree of Heaven? Does this put me that much closer to the Glory of God for eternity? Ok.. then I should learn to give all my merits to Mary so that I can rely on her merits instead of my own. Keeping in mind that all of this should be out of my love for God and not for my own self-love. How do I know that is what I'm doing? Is my motive to be "higher" in heaven or is it to show the Glory of God? I hope it's the latter but at this stage in my development...I'm sure there are still remnants of my "self" in there.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Help me to give great glory to God by giving all I have to Mary.
Day 7 - A Quick, Easy, and Secure Way to Holiness
Quick? Easy? Isn't the path to righteousness difficult? Ok... it's not about "kicking back." It's a path that is "relatively quick and easy...that by its very nature isn't easy and often takes a long time." I am going to have to work but with Mary's help my burden will be easier to carry. I will carry my crosses "with more ease, more merit, and more glory." I will allow Mary to be my "mold" so that I do not have to chisel away at marble. Mary will also protect me along this path. She wants to help us to be saints.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Help me to praise you for such a quck, easy, and secure path to holiness!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Intro and Starting of the Journey
I have decided to journal my attempt to deepen my faith. I was baptized Catholic as a baby. My mom says she quit taking us (my two sisters & I) to Mass when it got too expensive. That means the three of us going through two boxes of crackers and three rolls of Life-Savers to keep us quiet! My dad didn't go to Mass.
This means I learned a couple prayers and how to genuflect as you sit in a pew but that's it. I knew who Mary was also. When I was 10 years old I wanted to be a Nun. I have no idea why since we didn't go to church at all by then. I told this to no one for fear of what they'd think. I had not been confirmed which also means I had not been catechized. My only guess is that about this time in my life Mother Teresa was becoming very well known.
At the age of 20, I decided to follow my faith. I met with a local priest to begin confirmation (oh and I was getting married and wanted to do so in the Church.) In one of our early (maybe the first!) conversations, the priest made a comment to me about my future husband. I was very unhappy. It wasn't about our decision to marry or my age...anything you might expect. His comment dealt with Ty's job. Basically the priest was putting Ty down for having a job that allowed him to do the things he loved to do when not working. I was more than unhappy! How dare he judge another! Priests aren't supposed to do that! In the end, I held my anger against one man against the entire Church for a LONG time.
I spent my whole life telling people I was Catholic. I even attended a Catholic college. Unfortunately I had NO idea of what that really meant. Sometime after I passed into my 40's I decided it was time for me to learn. I couldn't defend or confirm the things others said about my faith if I didn't know what it meant to be Catholic or what it's basic tenants were. I actually believed when I started this that I would have my anger confirmed and I'd become one of those non-denominational folks.
Luckily for me, I found some great writers. This lead me to join the RCIA group at the church in my parish. In the Spring of 2010, I received the Eucharist for the first time. Unfortunately, my hunger to learn was not satisfied by the brief readings (we read newsletters and answered questions). I kept reading on my own but I don't really learn that way. I need conversation. I need someone to hold me accountable for what I learned... to question how I apply what I know to my life. I was still a lost sheep... just one in communion with Christ since I would go to confession regularly.... but what did it mean to be Catholic.
Two years later, I moved to the parish I'm in now. They have a vibrant community for learning. I had wanted to partake in the Catholicism Project by Fr. Robert Barron at the parish I left but they weren't doing it until Fall 2012. So when I moved in May and saw it in the bulletin for starting that summer, I was thrilled! I went to the first night and met some wonderful and welcoming people. Over the course of the next few weeks, I learned about a small Christian Community (SCC) that was studying the Great Adventure and contacted them. They had just begun so I was coming in on Session 4 of 24. Side note: a couple of us had asked for the Great Adventure at the other parish and the person in charge didn't want to do it... this was another confirmation that I had found my way to where I belong!
This SCC had been together for many years. Their now adult children had gone to school together. They'd been to weddings and funerals together and so much more. I marvel out how much this group knows and how much they make Jesus, Mary and the Holy Spirit part of how they think and talk daily. However, they accepted me like I had always been involved. And that's where this journey begins... one of the couples gave all of the ladies the book 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration by Fr. Michael E Gaitley, MIC.
33 Days to Morning Glory
I actually started the book on Wednesday, April 10. This will have me finishing on May 13 the Marian feast of Our Lady of Fatima. There is a small passage to read daily. So the start (even though it's Day 5) of this will be to summarize and comment about each day's readings.
Day 1 - The Passionate Saint of Brittany
Day 1 talks about St. Louis de Montfor's fiery temper. It gives some background on his life but the point is the passion that creates such a temper. This made me think of my own temper. It goes on to say how he learned to channel that "fiery passion not to threats and voilence but to laboring for the greater Glory of God." WOW - That strikes a chord with me! And so I will set out to turn MY fiery passion into Glory for God. I'm sure I will fail at times but I know with the help of Mary and the Holy Spirit I can succeed!
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Help me to make this retreat with generosity and zeal.
It is my hope to turn my anger into zeal for the Church and all her Glory.
Day 2 - St. Louis's Influence on the Church
Today the topic is how St. Louis inspired so many. There is a list of Popes and the comment "May the testimony of their support strengthen our resolve to journey on to Consecration Day, and may it helps us to trust that our consecration truly will bear great fruit in our lives..." Many of the popes listed used de Montfort's writings for their own teachings on the Church. So as it was with them and many others, I'm hoping to bring these teachings into my daily life.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Prepare me to give myself fully to living out this true and solid devotion.
Day 3 - De Montfort's Consecration
There are two main emphases of de Montfort's teachings on Marian consecration.
- Renewal of our baptismal vows
- A particularly intimate gift of ourselves to Mary.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Give me the grace to reject Satan and follow Christ more closely.
Day 4 De Montfort's Consecration (part two)
"Why should we give ourselves to Mary?" Two main reasons:
- Jesus gave himself to Mary and we are called to imitate Jesus.
- Mary has a special role in our sanctification - she can help form us into saints.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Help me to give myself entirely to Jesus through Mary.
Day 5 Should We Really Give Mary Everything?
Mary is not out done in generosity. She hears our prayers and knows who is most helped by them. As I imagine it is for most people, this one was hard for me. I want my prayers to go to those that I pray for... my loved ones... my friends...my self... see a theme here? It's about me and my will. It shouldn't be. I need to learn to follow...errr... trust Mary and the Holy Spirit to let His will be done.
Today's Prayer - Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Help me be generous in giving all I have to Mary.
Ok... all caught up! I promise the next post won't be so long!
Believe,
Bobbi
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