Fr. Ed Broom, OMV Oblates of the Virgin Mary

Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS TO MEDITATE AND ASSIMILATE!

 





 



Why not spend a few minutes reading slowly, meditating deeply these ten short spiritual truths.  In imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us learn to meditate and ponder the word of God in the depths of our hearts!


1.   ETERNITY!   I have one life to live!  Either I will go to heaven or go to hell. Either I will be saved or I will be damned.  My final destination will be eternal, forever and ever and ever! Therefore, all of my actions will be done in the light of my eternal salvation and eternity!


2.   GOD’S LOVE!   God loves me infinitely, totally, fully, and unreservedly. Even when I have the disgrace to fall into sin—even mortal sin—God’s love for me never changes. It is eternal.


3.   GOD’S LOVE AND THE CROSS.   If I were the only person ever created in the whole universe, Jesus would have come for me and suffered the most excruciating pains for me. He shed every drop of His Precious Blood on Calvary that Good Friday for the salvation of my immortal soul.


4.   VALUE OF MY IMMORTAL SOUL.  My immortal soul is priceless.  My soul has been redeemed not by silver or gold, nor through the blood of rams and bulls. My immortal soul was saved and redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.


5.   LIFE IS SHORT.   My life is very short in comparison with eternity.   St. Augustine says that our

life in comparison with eternity is nothing more than a bat of the eye.  The Psalmist poetically expresses it as such: “The life of man on earth is like the flower of the field that rises in the morning and dries up and dies in the evening.”


6.   MY LIFE IS UNCERTAIN.  Jesus constantly reminds us to be prepared because we know neither the day nor the hour. Our death can come like a thief in the night.  Jesus reminded the Apostles and He reminds us: “Stay awake and pray so that you will not fall into temptation because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”


7.   WALK IN HUMILITY ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE.   St. Therese stated with deep humility that she would be capable of committing the most serious sins of the worst sinners.  The reason why she did not was simply because God cleared her path of the moral pitfalls! St. Philip Neri, seeing a bum in the street exclaimed: “There go I save the grace of God!” May we always walk humbly before the face of God, trusting in God and not ourselves!


8.   HURT OR WOUNDED BY SOMEBODY? Forgive immediately! Nursing grudges, clinging to past hurts, fostering a vindictive attitude can wreak havoc in our spiritual lives and cause physical and mental problems. Remember the words of Shakespeare: “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”  Better yet, the words of Jesus: “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful… and   “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…”


9.   AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.   Why not start today, right now to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Meister Eckhart asserted: “If the only prayer that we ever said were that of thanksgiving, it would be sufficient.” In moments of desolation and sadness, call to mind God’s manifold blessings and thank Him. Your desolation will evaporate like the dew exposed to the rising sun! May the Psalmist prayer be ours: “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, His mercy endures forever.”


10.  MARY’S LOVING AND MATERNAL GAZE UPON YOU.  St. Juan Diego had a serious problem, which was a matter of life and death: his uncle Juan Bernardino was dying. Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego assuring him of her loving concern and protection.  She said: “Am I not your mother. Are you not within my heart? Like Saint Juan Diego, in the midst of the storms, tempests, earthquakes, and Tsunami’s of life, let us lift our mind, heart and soul to our loving and tender Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.  She will come quickly to your aid as the most

loving of mothers!
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BLESSED BE GOD FOR BAPTISM BLESSINGS

 

John Baptizes Jesus
 

 

Meister Eckhart stated:  “If thanksgiving were the only prayer that came from our heart, it indeed would be sufficient.”  Why should we thank God?  For the simple reason that God is the essence of Goodness, Beauty, Generosity. What has God given to us? Absolutely everything… everything!  Except one thing: our own personal sins!  These, sad to say, we have chosen for ourselves!
Among the first on the list to render abundant thanksgiving to God should be the gift of God Himself, supernatural life that was bestowed on us in the very moment of our Baptism. “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  It all started in that moment— our 2nd birth, our supernatural birth which Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus: “Unless a man be born of water and the Holy Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (Jn. 3)
Upon celebrating the Baptism of Jesus, as the Christmas Season comes to an end, we should call to mind our own Baptism and lift up grateful hearts to the God of all Gifts and render abundant thanksgiving.
Following is a list of supernatural graces that rain down from heaven in the exact moment of Baptism. Why not utilize this scheme in the form of a Litany and thank the Lord for these graces and at the same time beg for the grace to be responsible to utilize to the maximum these graces and privileges, never forgetting that with the gift there is always a corresponding responsibility to respond by using the gift!
Biblical readings on  Baptism: 1)Mt. 3:1-17, The Preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus’ Baptism; 2)Jn. 3:1-21, Nicodemus and the necessity of
Baptism; 3) Mt. 28:16-20, the universal call to Baptism.
LITANY OF THANKSIGIVNG FOR THE GRACESOF BAPTISM
1.   ORIGINAL SIN WASHED CLEAN.   In the moment of Baptism, the Original Stain, called Original sin is washed clean from our soul. The beautiful expression of “Baptismal innocence” is true!  The poet John Milton wrote Paradise lost and Paradise regained. In a certain sense Baptism is Paradise regained in the soul.

2.   SON/DAUGHTER OF GOD. Baptism transforms our relationships. Born naturally we are created in the image and likeness of God, However, not until Baptism do we truly become Sons and daughters of God. What an extraordinary dignity—Sons of the Eternal, Infinite, All-powerful God!

3.   BROTHERS/SISTERS TO JESUS CHRIST.  If anyone ever asks you if you have an elder brother, you should respond in the affirmative, saying, “Yes, JESUS CHRIST!”   Our duty and task in life is to get to know Him better, love Him more ardently and follow Him more
closely. (St. Ignatius and fruit to beg for in the Spiritual Exercises)

4.   INTIMATE FRIEND: THE HOLY SPIRIT.  In a society where so many people suffer from loneliness, abandonment, and depression, that should not be our case because we are never alone. Jesus stated this clearly when he said I will not leave you as orphans, but I will send you the Holy Spirit.  The Consoler, Counselor, Paraclete, Interior Master, Sweet Guest of the Soul, “The Gift of Gifts” (CCC)— all are titles
for the Holy Spirit who indeed is your Intimate Friend and desires to be your best Friend.  Jesus said that He would be with us always even until the end of times; God is present with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

 

Lucia’s vision of the Trinity 1929
5.   THE BLESSED TRINITY.   There is no separation or divorce in God. Where the Father is there is the Son and where the Son is also is present the Holy Spirit. This being said, the baptized soul has the INDWELLING of the Blessed Trinity. One of the hallmarks of Carmelite Spirituality is the heightened awareness of our soul being the Indwelling of the Blessed Trinity through grace and all starting in the moment of Baptism.  Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit abiding in my soul starting with Baptism!

6.   FAITH.  With Baptism come the three theological virtues of FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY. Faith is an intellectual virtue by which we believe in God, a God who we do not see with our physical eyes but with the eyes of our soul.  In this year of  faith we should beg for deeper faith in the Biblical words: “Lord, strengthen my faith….”  As well as with the doubting Thomas: “My Lord and my God!!!”

7.   HOPE. Also in Baptism God endows us with the theological virtue of hope.  Hope is related to TRUST in a mysterious but providential and loving God. What is hope?  Hope is a virtue of trust in which I know and believe that despite the many problems, trials and tribulations and sufferings that enter my life, I  know (hope and trust) that God is with me in those dark moments and He will help me through them. Recall the words of the Psalmist: “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall lack….. though I walk through dark valleys I fear no evil because you are with me with your rod and staff….” (Psalm 23, The Good Shepherd).

8.   CHARITY.  Paul states it, “The love of God has been poured into our hearts..”  The greatest of all virtues is that of charity.  It is a supernatural love where we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and our neighbor as ourselves for love of God. (Lk. 10.) St. Paul in his sublime hymn on love says that of all the virtues, faith and hope, and others, the greatest of these is love. (I Cor. 13) St. John of the Cross says, “In the twilight of our existence we will be judged on love.”  St. Francis de Sales who wrote a Spiritual masterpiece entitled, “Treatise on Love”, affirmed this with these words: “The measure that we should love God is to love God without measure.”   These three theological virtues that connect and unite us with God are all free/gratuitous gifts richly bestowed upon us in the moment of Baptism! Praise and thank the Lord for His goodness!

9.   JUSTICE.  The moral virtue of Justice also is given. This virtue, according to Aquinas related to religion, teaches us to give each one his due, what he really deserves. Teaching children we say clearly, “Learn to be fair!”

10.TEMPERANCE. Another one of the moral/cardinal virtues that comes in the moment of Baptism teaches us the proper, ordered moderate use of material things related to the proper ordering and use of the body. Therefore, temperance aids us in ordered habits of eating, exercising properly, forming well-ordered sleeping habits, and the dominion of the imperious and demanding sexual urges and appetites. Either we dominate these tendencies through the virtue of Temperance and experience the true liberty of the sons and daughters of God or they dominate us and we become slaves to our passions!

11.PRUDENCE.  Another one of the moral/cardinal virtues, prudence, is proper reasoning leading to correct action. The Gift of the Holy Spirit, Counsel, perfects Prudence.  According to the angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, to make a prudential act three steps are necessary: 1.) Deliberation (to ponder seriously and think the topic through; 2.)Decision. After serious deliberation, that must lead to action. If not we become perpetual procrastinators and never get anything done!  3.)Execution— this means that after the decision has been made, then through the “Imperation of the will” (Aquinas) the firm determination of the will, the action is carried out. How important it is to know to reason properly and make correct decisions. A wrong decision could be catastrophic!  Prudence helps us in important decision-making!

12. FORTITUDE.  The last of the moral virtue is that of “Fortitude”. This is the virtue of the martyrs of all times and places. The Holy Spirit breathes His strong breath upon us and gives us the grace to be patient in trials, to stand up for the truth, to denounce errors, to accept
willingly contradictions and persecutions and to be willing to shed one’s blood and even die as a martyr— all of this is possible through FORTITUDE!

13.THE Seven  GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT…  WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, COUNSEL, UNDERSTANDING, FORTITUDE, PIETY, AND FEAR OF THE LORD…   All of these seven gifts are given not in the moment of Confirmation but at the very moment of Baptism. Like little seeds planted in the Garden these Gifts must be cultivated constantly so that they become operative. Once cultivated and operative they are extraordinary helps on the Highway to holiness!  The Fathers of the Church compare our soul to a SAILBOAT with seven sails and the sailor/captain must know the WIND.  The Boat is our soul, the stormy waters the world that surround us, the 7 sails are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the wind is the Breath of the Holy Spirit, the Captain of the soul is you and me. The shore is our destiny: HEAVEN! At Baptism we are blessed with these seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Praise and thanks be to God forever!
14.NEW FAMILY MEMBER: THE CHURCH, THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST. With Baptism, we become incorporated in a new Family, the Church. We become family members of 1.3 billion Catholics throughout the world, the numerous saints in heaven, not to mention the souls in Purgatory— All in the family!

15.  ACTUAL GRACES.   How good God is! Still more graces and gifts does He shower upon us!  Once baptized, we have a right to receiving “Actual graces”. These are divine impulses and inspirations that work marvels on both our mind and heart. Heavenly lights fill our mind to do good and promote God’s glory; in our will, God sends us peace and joy and enthusiasm in His service. Even when tempted, grace helps us to resist the evil and carry out the good.

16. RIGHT TO RECEIVE THE OTHER SACRAMENTS.   The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the Sacrament of Baptism is the “door” of the church— meaning the way by which we enter the life of the Church. Once Baptism is received that opens up the door to reception of the other sacraments. Of course the greatest of Sacraments is the most Holy Eucharist, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. According to Aquinas all the sacraments point to and converge in the Eucharist!

17.EXORCISM.   The constant state of man on earth is mortal warfare. The three principal enemies to our salvation are the devil, the flesh
and the world. In the context of the Sacrament of Baptism the minister carries out the Rite of Exorcism. It is a “Minor Exorcism” (not a Major Exorcism). Meaning?  The enemy’s first defeat is the Sacrament of Baptism. The Anointing with the Oil of the Catechumens reminds us of the insidious intrigues of the enemy. However, God, His angels and saints and Mary are much more powerful! 
18. PASCHAL CANDLE.   Once Baptism is administered Parents and the Godparents are called to imitate the Candle that they lighted having taken the light form the Paschal Candle; the Paschal Candle symbolizes the Risen Jesus. The Lord is truly risen, Alleluia!   The
Baptized person has the support of the good example and prayers of the Godparents. (This is the ideal!) Even more so, the child has the prayers, sacrifices, good example and teaching of the parents, who indeed are called to be brilliant lights of holiness and good examples before the eyes of the child. We tend to imitate what we see!
19.  HEAVEN.  Through Baptism we have a right to inherit eternal life!  What could be more consoling to know that one day we will be with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the angels and saints and for all eternity and eternal bliss. It all starts with that little seed planted in the soul in the moment of Baptism!

20.  Mary.   If God is our Father, and Jesus our elder brother and the Holy Spirit our deep and intimate Friend, that means that Mary has a special place for us once baptized. She is the Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, and Spouse of the Holy Spirit. That means that Mary truly becomes our Spiritual Mother!

 

 
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THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS IN OUR LIFE!

 

 
The Italian mystic, prayer-warrior, stigmatic, and “Doctor of the Church”, Saint Catherine of Siena expresses clearly the two most important moments of our life: now and at the hour of our death. 
Immediately, a bright light crosses our memory: the Hail Mary!  Right!   In the last part of the prayer, so dear to
the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Hail Mary, we recall the same words:  pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Given the primary importance of these two moments let us reflect upon, meditate in our hearts and pray over how we can live out our lives in such a way so that the last moments of our lives will be pleasing to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who will come to judge the living
and the dead.
In the following short essay we will offer five concrete ways so that we will be prepared to die well so as to live forever with the Blessed Trinity, Mary, the angels and saints in heaven.
PREPARATION!   We prepare for many things: before a sports event, before a surprise Birthday party, before going out on a date, before
taking an exam.  Should we not prepare for what is of greatest importance—a holy death so as to be with God forever in heaven????
 
1.   SIN AND REPENTANCE.   We are all sinners, and the Bible says that the just man falls seven times a day.  If you have the misfortune of falling into mortal sin, never despair, but trust God all the more! However, strive to make a perfect Act of Contrition immediately and head to the confessional as soon as possible. Living in mortal sin is “Spiritual Russian Roulette”.  Jesus warns us time and time again to be ready because we know neither the day nor the hour of our death.  “It will come like a thief in the night.”

2.   IMITATE THE SAINTS: LIVE EVERY DAY AS IF IT WERE OUR LAST. One of the common hallmarks in the lives of the saints is their keen awareness of the shortness of life.   The Psalmist expresses this poignantly: “Our life is like the flower of the field that sprouts up in the morning and withers and fades in the evening.”   The saints live each day of their lives as if it would be their last. Indeed it could be! The days and hours of our life are uncertain and our existence is precarious to say the least.  Each morning as we rise and consecrate
ourselves to Jesus and Mary we should make the firm proposal, in imitation of the saints, to live this day with an intense love of Jesus and Mary, a fiery zeal to save souls, and a firm purpose to carry out our duties according to our state of life with the greatest purity of intention and perfection!
 
3.   FERVENT HOLY COMMUNIONS.  (Read John 6: 22-71)   The Bread of Life Discourse. Jesus teaches very clearly who He is and what He wants and what He promises those who obey Him.  Who is He?  “I am the bread of life.”  He is truly present, Body, Blood, Soul, and
Divinity, in Holy Communion. What does Jesus want? Clearly, Jesus the Bread of Life, wants each and every one of us to receive Him in Holy Communion with faith, devotion, and love as often as possible.  Could it be that in the Our Father when we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” that Jesus exhorts us to receive Him even on a daily basis? Try it! You will be on the Highway to Heaven!  The Promise of Jesus?  Very clearly stated and repeated by Jesus in the Bread of Life discourse—- HEAVEN!!!! Listen to the words of our Master and Savior. Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day.”(Jn. 6: 53-54). Clear as a bell! Heaven is promised to those who constantly nourish themselves on the Eucharist, the Bread of Life.
4.   LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.   Brother Lawrence arrived at a high degree of holiness by undertaking one simple practice: living in the presence of God! Another woman Doctor of the Church, St Teresa of Avila, points out that we sin because we forget or become oblivious to the presence of God. Try to utilize reminders that constantly call to mind the Presence of God.  Scapulars, Miraculous medals, Holy cards and images like Mary and Divine Mercy, the medal of Saint Benedict, Crucifixes, and praying the Angelus at 9:00, 12:00 and 6:00 p.m.  and finally the practice of short ejaculatory prayers— all of these can keep us become aware of God’s all-pervading Presence in our lives. Saint Paul quotes a Greek poet to refresh our memory:  “In Him we live and move and have our being.”

5.   MARY: THE HAIL MARY AND THE ROSARY.  Finally, a most powerful means to attain to a holy and happy death is the constant presence of Mary in our lives.  We should never underestimate the power that Mary has in our lives especially that critical moment when we die and pass from this life to the next to go before the Judgment seat of God!  If we have formed the habit of praying the Hail Mary— better yet— the most Holy Rosary on a daily basis at the moment of our death, we have an all-powerful friend, ally, and Advocate. That person is Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church and our Heavenly Mother. If during the course of our lives we have prayed fervently and with faith every day the Rosary, saying fifty times a day, “Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen” then undoubtedly Mary will be present to us in our last and dying breaths to beg the mercy of God and His forgiveness for our sins!
Friends in Jesus and Mary, let us often call to mind who we are, why we are here, where we are heading and how to get there!  We are son/daughters of God through Baptism. We are here to get to heaven. How to get there? By obeying God’s commandments and loving him constantly and fervently.  If our philosophy of life is clear then our destiny is all the more certain—the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us try to put into
practice these five short counsels and trust that one day with Our Lady  we will contemplate the beauty of the Face of God for all eternity!
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PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE…

None of us can claim to have mastered perfectly the virtue of patience. We think we have made a major victory in acquiring patience, and then, out of the blue and taken by surprise, we explode! Our illusion of being the most patient person in the world went up in smoke!
Patience is so important that our model in all virtues, Jesus the Lord said: “By your patience you will save your souls.” One pious soul prayed in
desperation: “Lord, give me patience and right now!” Maybe this has been your prayer for the last few years!
Our patience can be tried in many shapes and forms, times and circumstances, in season and out of season! What then are these “things” that can put our patience to the test? Let’s see!
The failure of health, economic set-backs, family members that could put the holy Job to the test, weather extremes, failed and broken relationships, and even God.  Sometimes it seems as if God is extremely distant, does not seem to hear my prayers, or at least seems to be uninterested or indifferent to my pleadings. All of the above can be an acid test to try my patience.

 

What then are ways that we can acquire the all-important virtue of patience, that as Jesus reminds us, is necessary for the salvation of our immortal souls? We will offer five concrete ways that we can attain patience!
1.   PRAYER.  St. Ignatius insists that we must beg for the grace. St. Augustine humbly reminds us that we are all beggars before God. God
is willing to give if we simply persevere in asking Him.  Remember the persistent widow who gained the favor of the callous and cold-hearted judge for the simple reason that she kept begging for his help. “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Mt. 7:7)

2.   JESUS’ LIFE.   Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  There is a saying: “Tell me with whom you associate and I will tell you who you are.”  If we spend time meditating on the Gospels and the words, gestures, and actions of Jesus, then it will rub off on us.  We will start to imitate Jesus more and more and specifically in the virtue of patience.

3.   PASSION OF CHRIST.   Many saints had a magnetic drawing of their hearts to read and meditate upon the greatest love story in the world.  “No greater love than to die for the loved ones.”   A constant meditation on the Passion, suffering, crucifixion, and death of Jesus can prove to be an infinite source of blessings and key to open up the door of patience to the most hardened of hearts! Three suggestions on how to meditate on the Passion of Jesus: 1) Read and contemplate the four Gospels; 2) Read the “Dolorous Passion of Christ” by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerick ; 3) Finally, view the movie of Mel Gibson, “The Passion of the Christ”— but see it not so much as a Hollywood rendition, but rather as a contemplative prayer.
4.   TRIALS AND OPPORTUNITIES.   Then when the trials descend upon us like a torrential deluge, call to mind some element of the Passion of Christ, either from the Gospels, Emmerick, or the movie of Gibson.   What will happen is the following.  The trial will be viewed in a more universal and supernatural perspective.  The trial that has visited me indeed is very painful, but in comparison to what Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has gone through it is a mere trifle! Also I suffer trials partially as a result of my own sinfulness and sinful past, but Jesus suffered the most excruciating pains being the epitome and essence of Innocence!  We can all choose one element
or detail of the Passion of Christ that seems to have struck us most and elicit this scene when my patience is put to the bitter test!  The love of Jesus can move me to carry patiently the most burdensome crosses! As St. Paul states: “The love of Christ compels us.”

5.   MARY— OUR LADY OF SORROWS.  In the film of Mel Gibson the Passion of the Christ, an essential dimension of the entire film was the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout the entire course of the film.   Only second to Jesus was Mary in the intensity of suffering.   The film portrays Our Lady of Sorrows along the way of Calvary accompanying Jesus in His most bitter trial.  As Jesus was nailed to the cross and as He hung on the cross, His Precious Blood dripping to the ground, Our Lady was present there manifesting the greatest compassion— suffering with her loved one!   “Stabat Mater” Mary stood at the foot of the cross, patience to a heroic degree. Mary practiced patience her whole life: traveling to Bethlehem, fleeing to Egypt, seeking out her lost Son for three long days, losing her
beloved husband Saint Joseph, and accompanying her beloved Son Jesus, seeing Him crucified, and staying with Him until He drew His last, dying breath: “Father into your hands I commend my spirit.”  When our patience is put to the test, then we should lift up our eyes, mind, heart and soul to Our Lady, and she will acquire for us heroic patience.
CONCLUSION.   All of us struggle on a daily basis to be patient with others, with ourselves, with circumstances and at times even with God. Patience is so essential to our lives that Jesus even said: “By your patience you will save your souls.” Let us use the arms we have in our arsenal to attain the all-important virtue of patience. Let us pray as beggars to the most generous giver, God. Let us draw close to Jesus the “Holy of Holies”. Let us meditate on the Passion of Christ and when opportunities to practice patience surface, to call to mind all that Jesus suffered for the world and for me. Finally, may Our Lady of Sorrows attain for me a meek, humble and patient heart!
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MARIAN DEVOTIONS—WAYS TO PLEASE THE MOTHER OF GOD!

St. Louis de Montfort states that Mary is the quickest, easiest, and most efficacious path to Jesus. She is the shortcut to holiness, and heaven. In our growing relationship to Mary we should cultivate two specific areas: doctrine and devotion.  We should know Marian dogmas and be able to
explain them to others, but also we should cultivate a tender and loving devotion to Mary.

Doctrine without devotion leads to aridity; whereas devotion without any doctrinal foundation can easily lead to mere sentimentalism.  We need both in our growing love for Mary: doctrine and devotion.
In this short essay we would like to focus upon Marian devotion and offer ten specific Marian devotions that can be undertaken to set our hearts on fire in love of Mary who will always lead us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Authentic Marian devotion will never block our way to Jesus; rather Mary is a high speed Freeway to the Heart of Jesus.   The last recorded words of Mary in the Gospel of St John in the Wedding Feast of Cana are: “Do whatever he tells you.” The best advice!  If the world would only heed this advice, peace and love would reign and heaven would be ours!
TEN MARIAN DEVOTIONS TO CULTIVATE
1.   CONSECRATION TO MARY.   The first gesture we should do upon awakening in the morning should be to pray our prayer of consecration of our whole self to Jesus through Mary.   The Cure of Ars stated: “He who begins well the day will end it well.”   We want to start off on the right foot by giving ourselves to God through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

2.   SCAPULAR.   Wear the brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.   The Scapular is one of the most highly approved and recommended Marian sacramentals and devotions.   The Scapular should be brown of color, worn over one’s shoulders and cherished.  The Scapular is “Mary’s garment”.  It is an exterior sign that we belong to Mary, are in the family of Mary and want to live constantly in her Immaculate Heart. Furthermore, many miracles have been attributed to the wearing of the Scapular as a true sign of Mary’s love and
protection. Read the small booklet on the many miracles attributed to Mary’s intercession and the Scapular titled, Garment of Grace.   The church approves so highly the Scapular that simply kissing the Scapular with love one can receive a partial Indulgence and apply it to oneself or the souls in Purgatory.

 

3.   THE ANGELUS.   Get into the habit of praying the Angelus.   This prayer, so pleasing to the Heart of Mary, is a short summary of two of the key mysteries of the Catholic faith: the Incarnation of the Son of God, and His Paschal mystery, Jesus’ Passion, death and Resurrection. For years the Holy Father prays the Angelus on Sunday publicaly at noon.  Why not go beyond that and pray the angelus three times a day: 9:00. a.m. to sanctify the morning hours, noon, to sanctify the afternoon, and 6:00 p.m. to sanctify the evening.   All to Jesus through Mary!

4.   GOLDEN HAIL MARY.  Once St. Gertrude had a vision of Jesus placing a golden coin on top of a pile of other golden coins. The Saint
inquired into the meaning of this vision. Jesus explained that every time she prayed a Hail Mary with great love that He was storing a golden coin for her in heaven for all eternity. Why not strive to be spiritual millionaires and pray the Golden Hail Mary.  St. Ignatius,
teaching us ways to pray, encourages us to take a formal prayer that we know well and to say it slowly and relish each and every one of the words!
5.   MARIAN CONSECRATION: TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY, THIRTY-THREE DAYS TO MORING GLORY, KOLBE.   There are several different ways that we can consecrate ourselves to Mary: St. Louis de Montfort offers us True Devotion to Mary. The process takes’ a little more than the month and goes through stages: knowledge of self, knowledge of the world and its traps, knowledge of Mary, and knowledge of Jesus and culminates in the consecration of one’s total self to Jesus through Mary.  Blessed Pope John Paul II loved
and lived out this consecration. His papal emblem was “Totus tuus ego sum”—I am all yours Jesus through Mary. If you have
already done the consecration, then renew it.  Our devotion to Mary is like the vastness of the ocean; there are no limits to the greatness of our love for Jesus and Mary.

6.   MEMORARE.  Another beautiful prayer so pleasing to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the Memorare.  St. Frances de Sales was assaulted by horrendous and persistent temptations, almost to the point of giving in to despair. Finally he knelt before an image of Our lady of Victory and prayed the Memorare with faith and devotion and the temptation disappeared.   On the emblem of the Logos of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary are words in Latin: “Maria cogita, Maria invoca.”  Think of Mary and invoke Mary. “Never was it known that
anyone who fled to Mary was left unaided.”
7.   MIRACULOUS MEDAL.   Also called the Medal of the Immaculate Conception. It has been called the Miraculous Medal due to the many miracles that have been attributed to those who wear this Marian Sacramental with love, confidence and devotion. St. Maximilian Kolbe loved this devotion, so much so that he would carry them in his pocket and give them out freely. He called them “Mary’s bullets!”

8.   HOLY COMMUNION AND MARY.  Blessed Pope John Paul II recommends that to receive Holy Communion with abundant graces we should receive Holy Communion through the Heart of Mary. The same Pope made this parallel. The “Yes” of Mary at the Annunciation resulted in the Incarnation of the Son of God. Mary receives Jesus into her Heart. In a parallel sense this happens every time we say AMEN when we receive Holy Communion! This results in a Eucharistic Incarnation in our souls.
9.   HOLY ROSARY.  Our lady of Fatima appeared in 1917 six consecutive months. Every time she appeared she said to pray the Rosary.   If the Mother of God insisted six times to pray the Rosary then it must be important! Pope John Paul II in his Marian document, The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary also encouraged the world at large to pray the Rosary and for two special intentions: for world peace and for the salvation of the family.  Remember the two immortal sayings of Father Patrick Peyton, known as the Rosary priest: “The family that prays together stays together”… and “A world at prayer is a world at peace.” Now more than ever does the family need prayers, not to mention a war-stricken world!

10. IMITATE MARY.  If we really love Jesus and Mary then true love generates a following and a willingness to imitate. In his classic True Devotion to Mary  St. Louis de Montfort lists Mary’s ten principal virtues: her deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom. (True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis de Montfort # 108)
Conclusion. Mary is the quickest, easiest and most efficacious pathway to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus came to the world through Mary and left Mary to be our Mother. Why not choose Mary to be your loving and tender Mother. If done you will experience life, sweetness and perpetual hope!
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