Devotion to Our Lady |
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REASONS FOR MAKING THE CONSECRATION IN RELATION TO GOD
1. It is the will of God, as announced by Our Lady at Fatima. The fact that God wants this should be sufficient reason for making the Consecration. 2. Mary is God's masterpiece and in justice deserves praise above and beyond what we give to anything else except the praise we give to God. God receives much glory when we honor Mary, the work of His hands. 3. God has made Mary the channel or mediatrix of all graces. It would be an insult not to use the means that God has appointed for the distribution of His graces, and to seek other means instead. 4. We imitate God's ways by our reliance on Mary in our lives. Just as God chose to enter this world through Mary and chose to rely on Mary for the work of the Redemption, we, likewise, should go to God through Mary and rely upon her for the work of our salvation. |
REASONS FOR MAKING THE CONSECRATION IN RELATION TO OURSELVES
1. If we want to save our souls, then there is no better way of saving them than giving ourselves over to Mary. 2. There can be no salvation without the grace of God. This consecration is a surer and safer way of obtaining, increasing and keeping the graces of God. 3. Mary has been given the role of forming the saints of the end times. We are all called to be saints. There is no better school than the school of Mary for teaching, forming and maintaining sanctity. 4. A true devotion to Mary is almost a guarantee of salvation. This has been affirmed by the testimonies of numerous Saints, Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Who in their right mind doesn't want to save their soul? 5. The devils have confessed that they find it more difficult to overcome the true servants of Mary than other souls who have a lesser devotion to Mary. |
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES &
PRAYERS TO BE SAID DAILY THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD DEDICATED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD THE RENOUNCEMENT OF THE WORLD: “The first part of the preparation should be employed in casting off the spirit of the world, which is contrary to that of Jesus Christ.” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary). The spirit of the world consists essentially in the denial of the supreme dominion of God, a denial which is manifested in practice by sin and disobedience; thus it is principally opposed to the spirit of Christ, which is also that of Mary.
It manifests itself by the concupiscence of the flesh, by the concupiscence of the eyes and by the pride of life; by disobedience to God’s laws and the abuse of created things. Its works are, first, sin in all its forms; and then all else by which the devil leads to sin; works which bring error and darkness to the mind, and seduction and corruption to the will. Its pomps are the splendor and the charms employed by the devil to render sin alluring in persons, places and things. 1. Pray the Veni Creator & Ave Maris Stella
2. Pray the Holy Rosary, but PRAY IT WELL 3. Read and reflect on the readings for this day 4. Practice a mortification of your Worldly Spirit wherever applicable 5. Make many short prayers ('one-liners') begging the grace to: (a) look upon and perform the recommended practices seriously (the devil does not want it) (b) to persevere DAILY in the prayer, spiritual reading, meditation & penance (c) for the grace to see the lurking spirit of the world in yourself and your surroundings (d) to have the strength of mind and heart to MAKE CHANGES where necessary (e) for the grace NOT TO BE INFLUENCED BY HUMAN RESPECT (what others think or say) PRAYERS FOR DAYS 1-12
Veni Creator
Ave Maris Stella The Holy Rosary Try to say the Veni Creator before and the Ave Maris Stella after each meditation; or say them both at least once a day. Both prayers are also fruitful sources of meditation. VENI CREATOR
Come, O Creator Spirit blest!
And in our souls take up Thy rest; Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid, And fill the hearts which Thou hast made. Great Paraclete! To Thee we cry, O highest gift of God most high! O font of life! O fire of love! And sweet anointing from above. Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts art known, The finger of God’s hand we own; The promise of the Father, Thou! Who dost the tongue with power endow. Kindle our senses 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 true peace instead; So shall we not, with Thee for guide, Turn from the path of life aside. O 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. All glory while the ages run, Be to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death; the same to Thee, O Holy Ghost, eternally. Amen. AVE MARIS STELLA
Hail, bright star of ocean,
God’s own Mother blest, Ever sinless Virgin, Gate of heavenly rest. Taking that sweet Ave, Which from Gabriel came, Peace confirm within us, Changing Eva’s name. Break the captives’ fetters, Light on blindness pour, All our ills expelling, Every bliss implore. Show thyself a Mother; May the Word Divine, Born for us thy Infant, Hear our prayers through thine. Virgin all excelling, Mildest of the mild, Freed from guilt, preserve us, Pure and undefiled. Keep our life all spotless, Make our way secure, Till we find in Jesus, Joy for evermore. Through the highest Heaven To the Almighty Three, Father, Son and Spirit, One same glory be. Amen. THOUGHTS ON HER THOUGHTS
► "I ask and command you to have a statue to be made [of Our Lady of Good Success] for the consolation and preservation of ... those faithful souls of that epoch [our present time], during which there will be a great devotion to me" (Our Lady of Good Success).
► “First, so that men in the future might realize how powerful I am in placating Divine Justice and obtaining mercy and pardon for every sinner, who comes to me with a contrite heart. For I am the Mother of Mercy and in me there is only goodness and love.” (Our Lady of Good Success). ► “And second …when tribulations of spirit and sufferings of the body oppress them and they seem to be drowning in this bottomless sea, let them gaze at my holy image, and I will always be there ready to listen to their cries and soothe their pain. Tell them that they should always run to their Mother with confidence and love...” (Our Lady of Good Success). ► "In order to free men from the bondage to these heresies, those whom the merciful love of my most Holy Son has designated to effect the restoration, will need great strength of will, constancy, valor and confidence of the just. There will be occasions when all will seem lost and paralyzed. This then will be the happy beginning of the complete restoration.” (Our Lady of Good Success). ► “But know, beloved daughter, that when your name is made known in the 20th century, there will be many who will not believe, claiming that this devotion is not pleasing to God...A simple humble faith in the truth of My apparitions to you, My beloved child, will be reserved for humble and fervent souls docile to the inspirations of grace, for Our Heavenly Father communicates His secrets to the simple of heart, and not to those whose hearts are inflated with pride, pretending to know what they do not, or self-satisfied with empty knowledge.” (Our Lady of Good Success). ► “Oh, if only human beings and religious knew what Heaven is and what it is to possess God, how differently they would live, sparing no sacrifice in order to enter more fully into possession of it! But some let themselves be dazzled by the false glamour of honors and human greatness, while others are blinded by self-love, not realizing that they are falling into lukewarmness, that immense evil which in religious houses destroys their fervor, humility, self-renunciation and the ceaseless practice of religious virtues and fraternal charity and that child-like simplicity which makes souls so dear to my Divine Son and to me, their Mother" (Our Lady of Good Success). ► “Woe to the world should it lack monasteries and convents! Men do not comprehend their importance, for, if they understood, they would do all in their power to multiply them, because in them can be found the remedy for all physical and moral evils... No one on the face of the Earth is aware whence comes the salvation of souls, the conversion of great sinners, the end of great scourges, the fertility of the land, the end of pestilence and wars, and the harmony between nations. All this is due to the prayers that rise up from monasteries and convents. Oh, if mortals only understood how to appreciate the time given to them, and would take advantage of each moment of their lives, how different the world would be! And a considerable number of souls would not fall to their eternal perdition! But this contempt is the fundamental cause for their downfall!” (Our Lady of Good Success) |
Sunday, April 28th
DAY 1 of 33 FIRST MEDITATION Our Lady's Boot Camp! (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) Our Lady’s Boot Camp
Welcome to Our Lady’s boot camp! Perhaps the title shocks you? Remember that God prophesied to Satan, after the fall of Adam and Eve: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel!” (Genesis 3:15). The heel is part of the foot that is encased by the boot! Our Lady’s heel—with the boot that she wears (meaning us) has to do the crushing! So welcome to Our Lady’s Boot Camp, in which—if you listen and learn—she will fashion you into the kind of soldier that St. Louis de Montfort speaks about in his book, True Devotion to Mary, in which he presents this Consecration to Mary: “God the Holy Ghost wishes to form the elect for Himself in her and by her … and she will consequently produce the greatest saints that there will be in the end of time. The formation and the education of the great saints who shall come at the end of the world are reserved for her … These great souls, full of grace and zeal, shall be chosen to match themselves against the enemies of God, who shall rage on all sides; and they shall be singularly devout to our Blessed Lady, illuminated by her light, strengthened with her nourishment, led by her spirit, supported by her arm and sheltered under her protection, so that they shall fight with one hand and build with the other. “With the one hand they shall fight, overthrow and crush the heretics with their heresies, the schismatics with their schisms, the idolaters with their idolatries and the sinners with their impieties. With the other hand they shall build the temple of the true Solomon and the mystical city of God―that is to say, the most holy Virgin, who is called, by the Fathers of the Church, the ‘Temple of Solomon’ and the ‘City of God.’ By their words and their examples they shall draw the whole world to true devotion to Mary. This shall bring upon them many enemies, but shall also bring many victories and much glory for God alone … The devil, knowing that he has but little time, and now less than ever, to destroy souls, will every day redouble his efforts and his combats. He will presently raise up cruel persecutions and will put terrible snares before the faithful servants and true children of Mary, whom it gives him more trouble to conquer than it does to conquer others” (St. Louis de Montfort True Devotion to Mary). So, once again, welcome to Our Lady’s Boot Camp! Tough As New Boot Leather! Boot camp sergeants are quite different to the family mom. They are tough on you because they know you have to be tough for the battlefield—or you will die. They have to knock out you all your preconceived and often erroneous ideas about being a soldier—which are often worldly and glamorized—and drill into your head the stark realities of warfare. You are Soldier of Christ—by virtue of the Sacrament of Confirmation that you have received—there is no escaping this truth and the consequent obligations. What Are Those Obligations? There are some basic principles that the spiritual drill-sergeant has to knock into your head—not just in theory, for you probably know the theory already, but in practice and in concrete. Holy Scripture tells us that “The life of man upon earth is a warfare” (Job 7:1). We are at war—even though we want to live in peace. Our Lord warns us: “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away!” (Matthew 11:12). The Cross of Christ is violent and of it, Our Lord “said to ALL: ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23) … “And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me!” (Matthew 10:38). We have to wake up to these facts and stop dreaming! Fighting the Good Fight! This is why St. Paul rouses and stirs us for that battle, saying : “Fight the good fight of faith: lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called!” (1 Timothy 6:12) … “Let us run to the fight proposed to us!” (Hebrews 12:1). “Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one!” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). While he says of himself: “I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air: but I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection―lest, perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith!” (2 Timothy 4:7). Today most are not fighting and most are not keeping the Faith, but losing it—and their soul along with it! Will you be another complacent casualty, or faithful fighter? THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). Our Lady said that God wishes to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart throughout the whole world. THEN SEND A LINK FOR THIS TRUE DEVOTION CONSECRATION TO MARY TO OTHERS. This is not meant for you alone, but for others. Otherwise you are like the man from the Parable of the Talents, who received one talent and buried it in the ground. His master was angry with him and took away what had been given to him. Do not bury the True Devotion to Mary Consecration, but share it! Sunday, April 28th
DAY 1 of 33 SECOND MEDITATION Who Is The Enemy? (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) Then Who is the Enemy?
We have a triple enemy—as the Church Militant teaches—(a) the devil, (b) the world, and (c) the flesh. The devil is the prince of this world and the devil will therefore use this world to tempt us, especially in the flesh. Enemy Number 1—The Devil Holy Scripture tells us: “That great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the Earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” (Apocalypse 12:9). As Jesus said: “Now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31) … “For the prince of this world cometh, and in Me he hath not anything” (John 14:30). “The prince of this world is already judged” (John 16:11). “Now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31). That is why, when the devil tempted Our Lord in desert, Our Lord cast him aside, saying: “Begone Satan!” (Matthew 4:10). Will You Cast the Devil and the World Aside? Our Lord and Holy Scripture say that we cannot serve God and the world, nor Christ and the devil: “You cannot serve God and mammon!” (Matthew 6:24). “And what concord hath Christ with Belial?” (2 Corinthians 6:15). Enemy Number 2—The World The devil “was cast unto the Earth and his angels were thrown down with him”. The devil now uses the Earth and what it offers, to turn us aside from God and Heaven—which he himself lost through the sin of pride and rebellion. Holy Scripture forewarns us about the world, saying: “For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). If we “Adulterers [meaning that we are trying to love both God and the world—like a double-agent], know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4). “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Tell me how much you love the world and participate in it and I will tell you how much or little you love God--“Now we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). “The Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive” (John 14:17). “No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon!” (Matthew 6:24). The devil presented the world to Our Lord, in order to get Jesus to adore him—but Our Lord showed us the reaction we ought to have to that temptation: “The devil took Jesus up into a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and said to him: ‘All these will I give Thee, if falling down Thou wilt adore me!’ Then Jesus saith to him: ‘Begone, Satan! For it is written, “The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and Him only shalt thou serve!”’ ” (Matthew 4:8-10). For elsewhere Jesus explains: “For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). It is souls that Jesus is interested in—not the world. For He clearly said to Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world!” (John 18:36) and to the Pharisees He said: “You are from beneath, I am from above! You are of this world, I am not of this world!” (John 8:23). That is why St. Paul commands: “Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what participation hath justice with injustice? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God; as God saith: I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore, ‘Go out from among them, and be ye separate!’ saith the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17). But do we really want to separate ourselves from the world and the worldly? Though we may not want to separate ourselves from God, neither do we want to totally separate ourselves from the world! O what a dilemma! Yet even a nine-year old can see the truth! Nine-year-old Blessed Jacinta Marto of Fatima, who was a a very social little girl, did just that! After Our Lady’s apparitions, she sought solitude, prayer and sacrifice. Shortly before her death she said: “Mortification and sacrifice give great pleasure to Our Divine Lord! Oh! Fly luxury! Fly riches! Love holy poverty and silence. Be very charitable even towards the wicked! Never speak evil of anyone and avoid those who do. Be very patient because patience leads to Heaven. Pray much for sinners! Pray much for priests, for Religious, for Governments! The sins of the world are too great! The sins which lead most souls to Hell are sins of the flesh! Certain fashions are going to be introduced which will offend Our Lord very much. Those who serve God should not follow these fashions. The Church has no fashions; Our Lord is always the same. Many marriages are not good; they do not please Our Lord and are not of God ... Oh! Men must do penance! If they amend their lives Our Lord will still pardon the world; but if they do not, the chastisement will come!” Enemy Number 3—The Flesh We struggle—like St. Paul did—with our flesh. It is like a disobedient child that seems to a contrary will of its own. It is not for nothing that St. Paul writes: “I do not that good which I will; but the evil which I hate, that I do ... For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good. For to will, is present with me; but to accomplish that which is good, I find not. For the good which I will, I do not; but the evil which I will not, that I do … I find then a law, that when I have a will to do good, evil is present with me. For I am delighted with the law of God, according to the inward man: but I see another law in my flesh, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin, that is in my flesh. Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:15-24). “For the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another ” (Galatians 5:17). “The wisdom of the flesh is an enemy to God” (Romans 8:7). “For the wisdom of the flesh is death; but the wisdom of the spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9). “It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:64). “Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak!” (Matthew 26:41). “Humble thy spirit very much: for the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms” (Ecclesiasticus 7:19). “I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Those lusts of the flesh are the cause behind the damnation of so many souls today. Our Lady of Fatima told Blessed Jacinta Marto that the sins that cause the greatest number of souls to be damned are the sins of the flesh—lust, impure thoughts, impure words, impure desires, impure actions—impurity permits no possibility of it being a venial sin: it is always mortal. The only way it can be venial is through lack of full consent—for, as we all know, for a sin to be mortal, ALL these three conditions must be present: (1) the action has to be seriously sinful—which impurity always is; (2) we have to know that it is seriously sinful at the very moment we do it, think it or desire it; and (3) we must fully consent or fully desire to do it. Yet these are not the only sins indicated by the term “sins of the flesh”. These can also include things such as gluttony, drunkenness, non-medical drug usage (marijuana, cocaine, etc.), physical violence, self-mutilation, vanity, inordinate attachment to bodily appearance, or even neglecting to take proper care of our bodies which can then lead to diseases of various kinds. The body—which should be a slave—ends up being the master if it is not disciplined; just like children can end up being the masters of their parents if not disciplined. THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). Our Lady said that God wishes to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart throughout the whole world. THEN SEND A LINK FOR THIS TRUE DEVOTION CONSECRATION TO MARY TO OTHERS. This is not meant for you alone, but for others. Otherwise you are like the man from the Parable of the Talents, who received one talent and buried it in the ground. His master was angry with him and took away what had been given to him. Do not bury the True Devotion to Mary Consecration, but share it! Sunday, April 28th
DAY 1 of 33 THIRD MEDITATION Ignore God At Your Peril! (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) Ignore God’s Counsels At Your Peril!
When God speaks—we listen, or else!! Our Lord said: “Everyone, therefore, that heareth these My words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock. And every one that heareth these My words, and doth them not, shall be like a foolish man that built his house upon the sand, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof” (Matthew 7:24-27). St. Paul’s words drive the point home: “Be not deceived, God is not mocked!” (Galatians 6:7). What Do You Really Want? Do you want to save your soul and get to Heaven? Of course—unless you have lost your mind! However, like most people, you are deserving of Hell! You don’t think so? Well, there are some souls currently in Hell for one single mortal sin! What makes you any different? The problem we have is that we have devalued both Heaven and sin. We fail to see the incredible cost of one and the other. This causes the majority of souls to be lost! Most Spiritual Soldiers Lose Their Souls Have no doubt that most souls are lost—it is in the devil’s interest to have you believe that most souls are saved—until it’s too late and you finally see the truth! Complacency, presumption and neglect are among the devil’s favorite weapons! In other words, he will make you feel over-confident; he will tell you not to worry about sin because God will forgive everything; and he will tell you put-off you spiritual exercises of spiritual warfare to indulge in the wonderful things he will serve up for you in the world! Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-604) warns: “They who are to be saved as Saints, and wish to be saved as imperfect souls, shall not be saved!” “They, who are enlightened to walk in the way of perfection, and through lukewarmness wish to tread the ordinary path, shall be abandoned!” (Blessed Angela of Foligno 1348-1309). The Few versus the Many! Where Are You? Many of the Fathers of the Church remind us of the implicitness of the fewness of the saved by the fact that only 8 people were saved in Noe’s Ark at the time of Great Flood that wiped-out mankind. They also point out that of the estimated 2 million or so Israelites, that left Egypt with Moses, only two of the original exodus population made it to the Promised Land. As St. Paul writes: “For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. And all in Moses were baptized, in the cloud, and in the sea: and did all eat the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink; and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. But, with most of them, God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the desert!” (1 Corinthians 10:1-5). When Our Lord was asked if only a few souls were saved, he implied that this was the case: “And a certain man said to Him: ‘Lord, are they few that are saved?’ But He said to them: ‘Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able!’” (Luke 13:23-24). This is further reinforced by other statements made by Our Lord, such as: “Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat! How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!” (Matthew 7:13-14). “For many are called, but few are chosen!” (Matthew 22:14). “Not everyone that saith to Me: ‘Lord! Lord!’ shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but he that doth the will of My Father Who is in Heaven, he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day: ‘Lord! Lord! Have not we prophesied in Thy Name, and cast out devils in Thy Name, and done many miracles in Thy Name?’ And then will I profess unto them: ‘I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity’!” (Matthew 7:21-23). THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). Our Lady said that God wishes to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart throughout the whole world. THEN SEND A LINK FOR THIS TRUE DEVOTION CONSECRATION TO MARY TO OTHERS. This is not meant for you alone, but for others. Otherwise you are like the man from the Parable of the Talents, who received one talent and buried it in the ground. His master was angry with him and took away what had been given to him. Do not bury the True Devotion to Mary Consecration, but share it! Sunday, April 28th
DAY 1 of 33 FOURTH MEDITATION The Saints on the Fewness of the Saved — Hence the Need of Mary! (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) The Fewness of the Saved According to the Saints
All throughout time the opinion of most of the saints has been the same: “Many begin well, but there are few who persevere” (St. Jerome 347-420). “If you wish to imitate the multitude, then you shall not be among the few who shall enter in by the narrow gate!” (St. Augustine 354-430). “Live with the few, if you want to reign with the few” (St. John Climacus 579-649). “Those who are saved are in the minority” (St. Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274). “I saw souls falling into Hell like snowflakes” (St. Teresa of Avila 1515-1582). “So vast a number of miserable souls perish, and so comparatively few are saved!” (St. Philip Neri 1515-1595). “I was watching souls going down into the abyss as thick and fast as snowflakes falling in the winter mist” (St. Joseph Labre 1784-1783). “The saints are few, but we must live with the few, if we would be saved with the few. O God, too few indeed they are; yet among those few I wish to be!” (St. Alphonsus Liguori 1696-1787). “The greater number of Christians today are damned! The destiny of those dying on one day is that very few ― not as many as ten ― went straight to Heaven; many remained in Purgatory; and those cast into Hell were as numerous as snowflakes in mid-winter!” (Blessed Anna Maria Taigi 1769-1837). “The number of the saved is as few as the number of grapes left after the vineyard-pickers have passed” (St. John Vianney 1786-1859). Things haven’t changed! Sister Lucia of Fatima said: “Taking into account the behavior of mankind, only a small part of the human race will be saved!” In a conversation with the overly optimistic Fr. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, Sister Lucia said: “Father, there are many who are lost!” The Jesuit Lombardi objected: “Sure, the world is a cesspool of vice and sin! But there's always the hope of salvation!” Sister Lucia protested vigorously: “No, Father! Many, many are lost!” While Blessed Jacinta was told by Our Lady that most souls go to Hell: “So many people are going to die, and almost all of them are going to Hell! So many people falling into Hell!” (Blessed Jacinta Marto of Fatima). Oh No! What Chance Have I Got? You may well cry our despairingly with the Apostles—who can possibly be saved? “Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! And again I say to you―It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!’ And when they had heard this, the disciples wondered very much, saying: ‘Who then can be saved?’ And Jesus beholding, said to them: ‘With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible!’” (Matthew 19:23-26). That Is Why We Need Our Lady! Our Lady herself said—regarding the age that we live in—“Jesus wishes to establish the devotion to my Immaculate Heart throughout the world. I promise salvation to whoever embraces it!” … “Continue to pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, because only she can help you!” (Fatima). “The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son … Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.” Sister Lucia adds: “God is giving two last remedies to the world: the Holy Rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These are the last two remedies, which signify that there will be no others.” Your Fate Is In Your Hands Pope John Paull II at Fulda, Germany, in 1980, when he grasped a Rosary in his hands, said: “Here is the remedy against this evil [the chastisement that is coming our way]. Pray, pray, and ask for nothing more! Leave everything else to the Mother of God!” Your fate is in your own hands, or it is in your pocket—do you pray much, for “much” is what Our Lady is asking for. She does not want minimalists, but those who, like the three children at Fatima, become veritable Rosary machines! You reap what you sow! Sow little, you’ll get little in return. Sow much, you’ll get much in return. There is no swindling Heaven. Our Lady and the Rosary is your answer—will you answer her call? Remember what the saints say of devotion to Mary: St. Ignatius of Antioch (a Father of the Church), a martyr of the second century, writes: “A sinner can be saved only through the Holy Virgin who, by her merciful prayers, obtains salvation for so many who, according to strict justice, would be lost.” St. Alphonsus Liguori (a Doctor of the Church) says: “It is impossible that a servant of Mary be damned, provided he serves her faithfully and commends himself to her maternal protection.” St. Anselm (a Doctor of the Church) writes: “He who turns to thee and is regarded by thee cannot be lost.” St. Antonine is of the same opinion. He says: “As it is impossible for them from whom Mary turns away her eyes of mercy to be saved, so it is necessary that they to whom she turns her eyes of mercy and for whom she intercedes to be saved and glorified.” St. Albert the Great (a Doctor of the Church), says: “They who are not thy servants, O Mary, shall perish.” St. Bonaventure (a Doctor of the Church) repeats the same thought when he says: “They who neglect the service of Mary shall die in their sins.” And again: “For them, from whom Mary turns away her face, there is not even a hope of salvation.” St. Paul says: “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, with fear and trembling work out your salvation!” (Philippians 2:12) and Our Lord adds: “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away!” (Matthew 11:12). You want to save your soul! God wants you to save your soul! Mary wants you to save your soul! We want you to save your soul and will do all we can to arm you for the battle ahead! However, that salvation is on God’s terms—not our terms! He sets the bar and fixes the price—we have to humbly reach those heights and pay that price! Welcome to Our Lady’s Boot Camp! Enter only if you are ready to fight for your salvation! THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). Our Lady said that God wishes to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart throughout the whole world. THEN SEND A LINK FOR THIS TRUE DEVOTION CONSECRATION TO MARY TO OTHERS. This is not meant for you alone, but for others. Otherwise you are like the man from the Parable of the Talents, who received one talent and buried it in the ground. His master was angry with him and took away what had been given to him. Do not bury the True Devotion to Mary Consecration, but share it! |