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!