True Devotion

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I started reading again recently a book called "True Devotion to Mary" by Saint Louis Marie De Montfort. This is not a big book but dont let that fool you its one of very deep spiritual meaning. I would like to share with you some reflections I have from what he said.

In the book he speaks of "Being formed in the womb of Mary" i think this is a very beautiful image that is only more enhanced by what he says next. He reminds us that we are to "be like Jesus" we are to in fact "become little Jesus's" dieing to ourselves and Jesus taking us over more and more. He describes Jesus in terms of Pottery, with Mary being the mold. For those that know anything about Pottery you know that when you make a mold you start from an Original. This is where i would like to center my post around. God the Father Begot The Son, as the great C.S. Lewis points out there is a difference between Begetting and making 'men beget men, men make statues'. God the Father Begot The Son, The Love between The Father and The Son was so perfect so pure that the same as a man and a womans love expressed in The Holy communion of marriage begets a child so too did the Intercourse between the Father and Son. The Holy Spirit Then Crafted out of fallen man a vessel from which God would become mean in. He selected one woman from all other women, then before her conception plucked her up out of fallin existence and created a mold from The Son.

Take just a moment and consider this, Christians of all stripes believe that to one extent or another the Eucharist is special it is Either (As Catholics and Orthodox believe) Truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ, or (as Protestants believe) it is a "just a symbol". But she a mere creature prostrated herself before God "I am a hand maid of The Lord". She for 9 months Carried the God/Man inside of her. She like all mothers with their infants felt him grow inside her. Her blood coursed through his veins, they breathed with the same lungs, the felt the same feelings, they shared the intercourse of a Mother and Child. Is it any wonder that when she says "all generations shall call me Blessed"(Luke1:48) it is not with boasting pride but instead with complete humility of heart. Indeed blessed she is, but not just among all women but among all human kind. Jesus received his Divinity from The Father but his Humanity he received from The Mother, a lowly hand maid who even preserved before all the ages was not fit to carry the sandals of The Christ let alone conceive bring to term and bare Him. Who is worthy of that? It is only through Grace she was worthy so how much less worthy are we to receive Him in the Eucharist? Only by the Grace of God we are saved indeed, only by His Grace do we even exist. How Awesome and how Horrifying.

She a woman is the Mother of Christ, the Mother of Christianity. Can anyone look upon her with anything other than Awe and Compassion? If we are not Worthy to be her foot stool how much less His! Christ says "He who knows the Son knows the Father" to be brothers in Christ to be brothers of Christ and to be members of the body of Christ is not only (as St. Louis Marie de Montfort puts it) "to have God as his Father but Mary as his mother". And who is this woman unworthy? She is the one who prompts Jesus to preform His first Miracle but she is also the one who says "Do whatever he tells you" (Lk9:35), and does she not echo this same message to us today? When one looks to her for inspiration does she not say to us "If you love me love my Son". Does she not crush the head of the serpent (Gen2) and say 'Not I but my Son in me'? If God truly is a potter should we the wet clay not say, should we not beg "God in the waters of baptism i am as wet clay, place me then in that mold formed by the Holy Spirit which holds the image of Your Son" . Let me love you Mary, not because you are great, but because God is Great and he does great things in and through you. Let us say then "Mother if it is God's will let me be formed in your womb as wet clay into a mold."

There is a famous story of St. Maximilian Kolbe receiving a Vision of the Blessed Mother in which she presents to him two crowns and asks him which he will chose the white or the red. If he chooses the White he will live a chaste life if he chooses the red he will die a martyrs death. He being formed in her to the image of Christ chose as Christ did both crowns.

Mother of God pray for us.
St. Maximilian Kolbe pray for us.
Holy Jesus let us be formed in your image.
Holy Spirit pour forth Grace upon us.
Holy Father protect us.