Sunday Meditation: We're Making the Total Consecration to Mary Today!

My husband and I have been preparing to make the total consecration to Mary according to the method of St. Louis de Montfort. I made it years ago, so this is a reconsecration for me. 

During the past 33 days leading up to the consecration we read the method, wrote out the consecration, and will make it today after Mass. 

The fastest way to Jesus is through Mary. Aren't we called to imitate Jesus? Didn't He come to us through Mary? To deny Mary's role in salvation is an act of hubris.

 Protestants will tell you they don't need Mary because they go directly to Jesus. But what if Jesus wants them to come to Him like little infants in the arms of His mother?Didn't He come to us that way, carried in the womb and then in the arms of Mary? How can anyone think that ignoring and disrespecting His mother pleases Jesus?

Reflecting on Splinters from the Cross

Be careful what you pray for. God has a sense of humor. (How else could we have one?) He often illustrates it when answering prayer. Once when I was praying for patience, I had two quick opportunities to practice it. The first was when I lodged a spoon in the garbage disposal so tightly it was impossible to get out. I ended up calling a repairman. It was a bit mortifying, so God clearly was using humiliation to magnify the lesson. Then I backed into the fencepost in our driveway which not only invited me to practice patience, but my poor husband as well who had to fix it. I stopped praying for patience.

Recently I was reading St. Louis de Montfort’s Letter to Friends of the Cross. It is jam-packed with admonitions and advice on embracing the cross in order to grow in the spiritual life. The same day I uploaded the post my husband and I went to visit my sister in a nursing home an hour and half away in Frederick, MD. Usually I check the route, but neglected to do so that day. We got to Harpers Ferry and, lo and behold, the road was closed. Apparently, they were working on the bridge crossing the Shenandoah. We had to backtrack for half an hour to take a different route. Just a tiny splinter from the cross. It gave us another half hour of conversation with my husband and time to pray a rosary before we got to the nursing home.

A Modern John Bosco: Fr. Francis Peffley

One of our family's favorite diocesan priests! We've known him since he served as our associate pastor at St. Louis Parish in Alexandria. Father even spends a week of his vacation leading families on a family retreat week at the beach where he offers daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, special talks, as well as all the fun the beach offers. He takes seriously the admonition, "The family that prays together stays together." And he still calls all our adult children on their birthdays! Now that is impressive!

Father's a great devotee of St. Louis de Montfort and the Legion of Mary and it shows. Visit Father's website here and share this wonderful Marian priest with others. May God prosper his vocation and lead many to Christ through his devotion!

Arlen Specter Leaves GOP (Didn't he do that years ago?)

Well, well, well...Senator Arlen Specter (PA) announced this morning he's switching to the Democratic Party. Wasn't he a Democrat already? Sure could have fooled me. He was one of only three Republicans to support Obama's spenderocious package and he's been a pro-abort stalwart for years.

So why the switch? Last election (2004) he beat Pat Toomey by a slim margin and Toomey is running again from an even stronger position. Specter had the chance to sell himself to the Democrats who are looking for the magic number 60 for a veto-proof Senate. Rumours say he's been promised he'll keep his seniority and get some choice committee assignments. So he avoids a contentious (and expensive) primary fight and gets all the benefits of ACORN, etc. when it comes to the campaign.

Some political analysts say the Republican party is finished because of the "purists" who are too conservative on the social issues. They call for the party to abandon the unborn, stop resisting same-sex marriage, etc. Just cave in on all the social issues and all will be well. You know -- "It's the economy, stupid!" Nobody cares about those other issues.

I beg to differ. If the only way to win is to sell unborn children, the elderly, the handicapped, kids in school, etc. down the river then losing (Did Jesus lose on Good Friday?) may be the right thing to do. After all, our salvation is not in any political party, not even the party of "The One" who is so frequently pictured as a Christ figure.

The times are definitely serious and persecution is in the executive orders and legislation. Much of it is already in place and there is little to stop what's in the works unless the American people wake up. (All things are possible with God.)So keep your rosary in your pocket and use it often.

Today is the feast of St. Louis de Montfort who was a missionary of conversion. He said when he touched people with the rosary he never failed to draw them to God. It certainly wasn't some magic in the beads, but the fruit of so many hours on his knees before the Blessed Sacrament "touching" them and bringing them to Jesus through Mary before he ever spoke a word.

Catholics need to take seriously the admonition to "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." One excellent way is to reach out and touch Arlen Specter, President Obama, and all anti-life politicians with your rosary. Invite St. Louis to join you. He leads straight to Jesus through Mary which was his motto. As the priest said today in his homily, when you say Mary, she says Jesus. St. Louis knew that.

The most fearful enemy that God has set up against the devil is Mary, his holy Mother....Satan, being so proud, suffers infinitely more in being vanquished and punished by a lowly and humble servant of God, for her humility humiliates him more than the power of God. St. Louis Marie de Montfort

Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!

We celebrate the Blessed Mother's birthday today, nine months after the feast of her Immaculate Conception on December 8th. What better present can you give her today (especially if you've already been to Mass) than to take a rosary walk with her entrusting your prayers into her hands with all the graces to be dispensed as she wishes. You can be sure that they will be used in a way most beneficial to you and your family.

St. Louis de Montfort tells us if we want to know Jesus better, come to Him through Mary: "Since she is the sure means, the direct and immaculate way to Jesus and the perfect guide to him, it is through her that souls who are to shine forth in sanctity, must find him. He who finds Mary finds life, that is, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. But no one can find Mary who does not look for her. No one can look for her who does not know her, for no one seeks or desires something unknown. Mary then must be better known than ever for the deeper understanding and the greater glory of the Blessed Trinity."

Remember what Mary said to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill. "Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."

Thank you, dear Mother, for loving us so well.