Our new study on The Echo of God" by Fr. Lance Harlow will begin at the end of February 2011.
Here is the new blog site:
http://echoofgodbookstudy.blogspot.com
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
FEAST of Our Lady of Lourdes*
February 11
WORLD DAY of the SICK
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us on our Consecration Day
and especially for the sick and suffering among us!
“All the shrines of Mary,
scattered throughout the world,
have become above all
centers of devotion to the Eucharist,
as if the Mother of Jesus had appeared,
here or there,
in order to lead the faithful to the
adoration and love of her blessed Son.”
Pope Bl. John XXIII
Thursday, February 10, 2011
"Echo of God" Blog Opportunity.... Are you interested?
As we come to the end of this book study I am offering a new one for you to consider.
This new blog will begin soon and continue through Lent.
We will divide the book into sections ranging from 2 to 10 pages per day. At the end of each section are application questions. If you choose to participate we will ask that you post on the questions of your choice daily or as often as you feel led to do so. You can read and post answers, questions and comments at your own pace.
The entire purpose of the blog is to help each of us to grow in our love for Jesus and His and our mother, Mary.
The book is a commentary for beginners on St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary authored by Fr. Lance Harlow.
St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort's Treatise on the True Devotion to the Holy Virgin has influenced innumerable Christians since its discovery in 1842. These include Mr. Frank Duff, the founder of the Legion of Mary; Blessed (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta, and his Holiness Pope John Paul II; not to mention the thousands of priests, religious and laity who live their consecration to Jesus through Mary. The Echo of God is a most valuable study guide for understanding and living the lifestyle of true devotion with its simple explanation and application of Grignion de Montfort's inspired principles of Marian spirituality--which is always Christocentric! This book contains the full text of True Devotion complete with commentary, Scripture references and application questions. it is ideal for individual or prayer group study.......
The Echo of God is a work which is long overdue and will assist any reader who finds difficulty in appropriating Montfort's sublime teaching on the role of Mary in the formation of saints for the latter times.
The book is 230 pages including notes. Cost per book is $20.
Copies are available at Expressions of Faith in Dubuque.
We will start this blog if at least five people are interested. I will be setting up the blog site as soon as interest is shown.
http://www.stcharles-church.org/echo.htm
http://www.echoofgod.com
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Char: Divine Mercy in my Soul
Char asked that I post this for her:
I wondered if there would be an entry in the Diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, telling of Jesus speaking to Sr. Faustina about His Mother, so, using the "Thematic Concordance to the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska," I checked all the paragraphs under the heading, "Mary, Mother of God." I found these two entries:
#32 Jesus: Go to the Superior and ask her to allow you to make a daily hour of adoration for nine days. During this adoration try to unite yourself in prayer with My Mother. Pray with all your heart in union with Mary, and try also during this time to make the Way of the Cross.
# 1560 Jesus: "...ask My Mother and the saints for help."
Char listed a long list of paragraph numbers for other references to Mary. If you would like the list let me know and I will mail it to you.
I wondered if there would be an entry in the Diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, telling of Jesus speaking to Sr. Faustina about His Mother, so, using the "Thematic Concordance to the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska," I checked all the paragraphs under the heading, "Mary, Mother of God." I found these two entries:
#32 Jesus: Go to the Superior and ask her to allow you to make a daily hour of adoration for nine days. During this adoration try to unite yourself in prayer with My Mother. Pray with all your heart in union with Mary, and try also during this time to make the Way of the Cross.
# 1560 Jesus: "...ask My Mother and the saints for help."
Char listed a long list of paragraph numbers for other references to Mary. If you would like the list let me know and I will mail it to you.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
1. Consecration Note: Special Mass offered at St. Mary's 2. Corrine's note
1. For those of you in my area, Father Parker is offering a special Mass on Friday evening Feb. 11th at 7:00. Everyone is invited but it is especially for those who will be making their Consecration on that day.
(St. Mary, East Dubuque, IL.)
Schedule for the evening will be:
6:30 Rosary
7:00 Mass
7:30 Consecration Ceremony
Father knows that some people from our group will be there and there is another group in the parish who will also be making the consecration.
Let me know if you will be attending this special Mass. Hope you can each celebrate your Consecration in a special way.
2. Corrine made the following comment on the last post and I think it is very important, important enough to copy here......
"I was encouraged to read on page 361...intro. to week five....."We may feel unworthy in proceeding with this Consecration..." "Nothing would please the devil more, than to make you miss the Consecration through feelings of inadequacy or guilt. And nothing would please Our Lord and Our Lady more than a humble admission of your inadequacy..." Jesus...that others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should...grant me the grace to desire it."
(St. Mary, East Dubuque, IL.)
Schedule for the evening will be:
6:30 Rosary
7:00 Mass
7:30 Consecration Ceremony
Father knows that some people from our group will be there and there is another group in the parish who will also be making the consecration.
Let me know if you will be attending this special Mass. Hope you can each celebrate your Consecration in a special way.
2. Corrine made the following comment on the last post and I think it is very important, important enough to copy here......
"I was encouraged to read on page 361...intro. to week five....."We may feel unworthy in proceeding with this Consecration..." "Nothing would please the devil more, than to make you miss the Consecration through feelings of inadequacy or guilt. And nothing would please Our Lord and Our Lady more than a humble admission of your inadequacy..." Jesus...that others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should...grant me the grace to desire it."
Length of Consecration and Consecration Day notes
St. Louis de Montfort's Way:
Total Consecration
Friday, February 11 is the day you should make your consecration to Jesus through Mary.
This is a voluntary consecration and is something that you are encouraged to renew every year. Each time you go through the preparation period you will learn more and understand more about Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary.
If you decide to make your consecration on Friday, and I hope you all do, continue to prepare yourself between now and then and be prepared to make it a very special and memorable day.
Print out the consecration.
On Friday, if possible attend Mass and then take some quiet time to make your consecration. Begin and end your Consecration time with Marian prayers. Consider bringing flowers to church to place near Mary's statue as a symbol of your love and of Mary's special place in your heart. Light a candle if possible to symbolize your consecration to Mary and of Jesus being the Light of YOUR World. Light a cangle asked Mary to keep you close to Jesus.
If you can't attend Mass at least spend as much time in Eucharistic Adoration as possible prior to making the consecration. Place yourself in the presence of God no matter where you end up making the consecration.
Here is a link that gives you the consecration and ideas on how to celebrate your consecration day: http://www.fisheaters.com/totalconsecrationmontfort.html
I know that you will have a couple days left of your reading after making the consecration on Feb. 11th. I forgot that our book includes 35 days of preparation not 33 day as is normal but we want to make the consecration on this Marian feast day. Make your consecration on Friday and read ahead if you can. If not just read ahead just continue reading after the consecration until you finish the book.
If you are like me, you will have the desire to go through the book again at a slower pace.
If people are interested I will offer another blog on the book "Echo of God" which is designed to help beginners live out the consecration.
I pray that you have a blessed final week of preparation in this journey to Jesus through Mary.
=============
Information about the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes: http://www.wf-f.org/OurLadyofLourdes.html
=============
Top Ten Reasons
Why We Should Consecrate Our Lives
To Jesus Through Mary
1. To emulate the sanctity of our previous Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, who selected the de Montfort Consecration (True Devotion) for his own Marian Spirituality
2. To provide the easiest, safest, fastest, most secure, and surest path to Jesus and to our own salvation
3. To obtain Our Lady's help in bringing us from our own unworthiness to the level of conversion, holiness, and perfection in our lives needed to enable us to become saintly
4. To turn our lives over completely and without reservation in service to Jesus through Mary to reflect our love and our trust in them now and for all eternity
5. To obtain special graces and protection under Our Lady's sheltering mantle
6. To help bring others to Jesus through Mary for their conversion, holiness, and perfection through this total consecration devotion
7. To hasten the day of the Triumph of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart and the day when Mary and Jesus will reign in all hearts
8. To fulfill Our Lady's request for individual consecration of our lives to her Immaculate Heart, as given to us through Sister Lucia during the Fatima apparitions
9. To become an effective counter-force to the legion of evil so prevalent in the world by offering up our prayers, sacrifices, and sufferings to Jesus through Mary
110. To renew our Baptismal promises and to evangelize the world to Jesus through Mary
http://www.ourlady33.com/main.htm
Ruth's Notes: Week 5 ... from previous parish preparation session
Week 4 and 5 reading are great reflections for Advent and Lent.
"The moral virtues grow through education, deliberate acts, and perseverance in struggle. Divine grace purifies and elevates them."
(Later note: Echo of God is another good book that we just came across .... see more information on this book in a future post.)
Morning Offering of the Apostleship of Prayer
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin and the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our Bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.
Notes ... Embrace crosses and make sacrifices are emphasis of these sections
p. 298 - last paragraph To really know Jesus must understand the cross
In the Cross is salvation, our key to heaven, a medicine for our ills, treasure to pay debt of sin, proves our love for God, we find Christ, we come to know Christ.
"Throw away the Cross, and you will throw away Christ and your key to heaven, .....
p.299 2nd paragraph, last line: ...the answer is quite simply that without the Cross, there is no salvation.
Those who have carried a heavy cross well will find themselves very close to Christ.
p. 309 last paragraph
"which even angel had not learned" = angels can't suffer and take up cross like we can. They can't suffer and offer suffering to Jesus. They can't receive communion as we can. These are GREAT privileges.
Parts of cross: willing to surrender to God is precious ..... sacrifice with patience ... gives us more courage with Mary
Emphasis = union with Christ
God is in us during this time.
==========
Side discussion:
Father talked about Our Lady of Kibeho: http://www.insidecatholic.com/feature/apparition-in-africa-our-lady-of-sorrows.html
At this approved apparition Mary speaks to the children in very familiar terms telling them that she wants them to be like children with her, to run to her, to talk with her and play with her. She wants us to say rosary daily to cleans our hearts and show love for her. Rosary is best way to show her our love. Meditating on life of her son. Mary said "Ask for strength and knowledge of God's will & help. Mary will teach us to pray. Be bonded to Mary (bondage)
Fr. John Hardon talks about seven first statements of Hail Mary and 3 last invocations.
CCC 1839
Virtue necessary for holiness ..grow through perseverance with help of Mary.
Week 5: Continued
p. 376 Breaks down our consecration ... helps us prepare for consecration.
p. 392 12 Maxims ... review over and over again.
p. 396 Take up cross ... copy and post these.... converse with God while conversing with others... always have a conversation going on with God no matter what the circumstance. Takes practice. #10 mortify body ... don't make self comfortable in all situations.... offer discomforts to the Lord.
p. 404 If you put too much on a plate it will be too heavy to life. DON'T make too many faith commitments that you can't follow through with. Satan will even use this to discourage you.
p. 415 #11 Holy Communion with Mary ... Receive Jesus as Mary would. Let her welcome Jesus into your heart at communion.
p. 419 BE HUNGRY, BE HUMBLE (hungry for God and souls) double "h"s hungry - humble.
============================
After the consecrations keep reading books about Mary and about her apparitions.
Recommended book by our pastor: God Alone: The Collected Writings of St. Louis Marie De Montfort[Illustrated] [Paperback] St. Louis Marie De Montfort (Author), Louis-Marie Grignion De Montfort (Author)
(Later note: Echo of God is another good book that we just came across .... see more information on this book in a future post.)
============================
Pray some type of morning offering each day ... offering day through Mary to Jesus.
Example:Morning Offering of the Apostleship of Prayer
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin and the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our Bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
RE: third heaven
While reading the meditations, I've noticed 3 or 4 times a mention of a third heaven that St. Paul visited. I've never heard about this before. It may be mentioned in Revelations which I have never read all the way thru. Has any one heard of this before?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Deacon's response to Kim's Question
Hi Ruth!
I'm completely in favor of going "to Jesus through Mary" in all things. But I think it's one thing to go "to Jesus through Mary" with a "Marian spirit," that is, a spirit of Marian trust in Divine Providence, and another thing to feel "forced" to invoke Mary's help in all of our prayers. If we entrust to her our hearts, and ask for her guidance, I believe we can be assured of her help even when we do not invoke her name explicitly. And certainly she would not want to us focus on her to the detriment of our relationship with Christ, and through Him, with the Most Holy Trinity.
Obviously, Marian devotion can go too far (i.e., "mariolatry"....idolatrous WORSHIP of Mary) but it can also be overstated. The things written below (in Kim's note) are worded too strongly in my opinion (i.e., "only" and "never" are strong words....too strong for the subject matter, I believe). I believe the late Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, has some words for us to think about in our Marian devotion in his Apostolic Exhortation, Marialis Cultus:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus_en.html
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus_en.html.
In particular, reading through "Part II" of the Apostolic Exhortation may help you come to a better understanding of where the CHURCH (and not simply private devotional practice, which can easily fall into grave error) would put us in relation to Marian devotion.
I probably could say a lot more but I'll cut it off there. In short, I will say this: If it doesn't sit well with you
spiritually, it's probably because it's not spiritually sound. I hope that's helpful. Obviously, some of this you're already familiar with, but sometimes things are worth repeating, even if they're elemental. I hope you are well. God bless you!
Pax Christi,
Deacon D.
Ruth's note: We are on solid ground as St. Louis de Montmort's writings are all approved by the Church but it is good that the questions were raised and answers sought so that we can properly understand the material in its proper context. This is a good example of searching for answers when something doesn't sit right. There are answers. We just have to search for them sometimes. I want to thanks all those who contributed answers in an effort to help us better understand going to Jesus through Mary. You can see that even those who answered looked at the question/problem from different perspectives and brought us more ideas to think about and chew on. (Please ask God's blessings on all who have helped us with this question. Hail Mary, full of grace ......)
I'm completely in favor of going "to Jesus through Mary" in all things. But I think it's one thing to go "to Jesus through Mary" with a "Marian spirit," that is, a spirit of Marian trust in Divine Providence, and another thing to feel "forced" to invoke Mary's help in all of our prayers. If we entrust to her our hearts, and ask for her guidance, I believe we can be assured of her help even when we do not invoke her name explicitly. And certainly she would not want to us focus on her to the detriment of our relationship with Christ, and through Him, with the Most Holy Trinity.
Obviously, Marian devotion can go too far (i.e., "mariolatry"....idolatrous WORSHIP of Mary) but it can also be overstated. The things written below (in Kim's note) are worded too strongly in my opinion (i.e., "only" and "never" are strong words....too strong for the subject matter, I believe). I believe the late Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, has some words for us to think about in our Marian devotion in his Apostolic Exhortation, Marialis Cultus:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus_en.html
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus_en.html.
In particular, reading through "Part II" of the Apostolic Exhortation may help you come to a better understanding of where the CHURCH (and not simply private devotional practice, which can easily fall into grave error) would put us in relation to Marian devotion.
I probably could say a lot more but I'll cut it off there. In short, I will say this: If it doesn't sit well with you
spiritually, it's probably because it's not spiritually sound. I hope that's helpful. Obviously, some of this you're already familiar with, but sometimes things are worth repeating, even if they're elemental. I hope you are well. God bless you!
Pax Christi,
Deacon D.
Ruth's note: We are on solid ground as St. Louis de Montmort's writings are all approved by the Church but it is good that the questions were raised and answers sought so that we can properly understand the material in its proper context. This is a good example of searching for answers when something doesn't sit right. There are answers. We just have to search for them sometimes. I want to thanks all those who contributed answers in an effort to help us better understand going to Jesus through Mary. You can see that even those who answered looked at the question/problem from different perspectives and brought us more ideas to think about and chew on. (Please ask God's blessings on all who have helped us with this question. Hail Mary, full of grace ......)
Speaking from the Heart of Christ
Dear Fellow Consecration Bloggers,
Yesterday's Daily Meditation (from the Legionaries of Christ) on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord was able to beautifully weave the perspectives of God the Father, Jesus, and Mary in relation to this important event in their lives. In it, we read about sacrifice, the Cross, Mary's fidelity to the law, how Jesus enters the Father's house for the first time, and so on . . . it seemed perfect for where we are now in our consecration preparation. Enjoy!
http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?se=363&ca=975&te=734&id=32322&csearch=975
Yesterday's Daily Meditation (from the Legionaries of Christ) on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord was able to beautifully weave the perspectives of God the Father, Jesus, and Mary in relation to this important event in their lives. In it, we read about sacrifice, the Cross, Mary's fidelity to the law, how Jesus enters the Father's house for the first time, and so on . . . it seemed perfect for where we are now in our consecration preparation. Enjoy!
http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?se=363&ca=975&te=734&id=32322&csearch=975
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Ruth - Quote: What does it mean to become another Mary?
What does it mean to become another Mary?
If we become like Mary, then we are "blessed and highly favored."
We are overshadowed by the Holy Spirit.
We become the Ark, the dwelling place of God.
We give birth to Christ again in the world.
We become the spouse of the Holy Spirit.
We become the perfect disciple of christ.
We become an intercessor as she did at Cana.
We share in the sufferings of Christ and stand at the foot of his Cross.
Our hearts are pierced by a sword.
We are at enmity with the devil.
Is that not what we all long to become? Thus in becoming like Mary, we are totally and perfectly united in and with Christ and thus are transformed into Christ.
Take from p. 19: Total Consecration to Mary: The Theology & History of Marian Consecration. by Fr. Anselm Romb (Marytown Press)
If we become like Mary, then we are "blessed and highly favored."
We are overshadowed by the Holy Spirit.
We become the Ark, the dwelling place of God.
We give birth to Christ again in the world.
We become the spouse of the Holy Spirit.
We become the perfect disciple of christ.
We become an intercessor as she did at Cana.
We share in the sufferings of Christ and stand at the foot of his Cross.
Our hearts are pierced by a sword.
We are at enmity with the devil.
Is that not what we all long to become? Thus in becoming like Mary, we are totally and perfectly united in and with Christ and thus are transformed into Christ.
Take from p. 19: Total Consecration to Mary: The Theology & History of Marian Consecration. by Fr. Anselm Romb (Marytown Press)
Fr. Harlow's reply to Kim's question (Question dated 1/24)
Dear Ruth,
The webmaster of our website forwarded to me your question. Sorry, for the delay. Here is my response to your blogger's question:
The true devotion to Jesus through Mary is not intended to exclude praying directly to Jesus, the Father or the Holy Spirit. One can and should have direct access to God. What St. Louis promotes in true devotion is the concept of a greater humility by going through Mary first. His reasoning is (1) God proceeds through Mary in for Jesus' birth and humanity. (Jesus could have appeared on earth as a full-grown man, but rather chose to be dependent upon his mother). (2) To return to the Father one follows the same path, so to speak, Mary--Jesus--God because St. Louis understands that as being the most perfect way to go back to God, i.e., that is, one retraces the steps God laid out. (3) However, every person has immediate and direct access to Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit and one should go directly to them. It would be a theological error to say that one cannot go to them. One should not have any guilt or qualms about that; and that is not what St. Louis is saying. (4) He is saying, that it requires more humility for us to go through Mary (that is to rely on her help and prayers) and that the virtue of humility is pleasing to God because it is the chief virtue of the Trinity, Mary and all the saints. (5) The Trinity has given to some people as special charism or grace called, "true devotion to Jesus through Mary" by which they have a special affinity for this humility and want to please God so much that they turn to Mary to learn from her the virtue of humility (among others), but also to learn from her how best to please the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So, in summary, St. Louis does not forbid direct access to the Trinity, nor would he. He does, however, promote the charism of "true devotion" as a gift given from God for those men and women whom Our Lady has chosen to receive that gift. These souls will have a special relationship with her and she will lead them to a deeper union with the Tirnity that they could not have received without her.
Fr. Lance W. Harlow
Author, The Echo of God; A Commentary for Beginners on St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort's True Devotion