MATER ET MAGISTRA
Those who are not familiar with the title, it is the name of an encyclical issued by Pope John XXIII. The title means “Mother and Teacher”. Its theme is the role of the Church in the modern world, where she has to take the dual responsibilities of a caring mother and a prudent teacher.
Here we are discussing not about the Church, but our true mother and teacher. She is Mary, mother of our divine saviour. Jesus is our elder brother. Mary who groomed, trained and guided Jesus will definitely groom, train and guide us in our christian journey, the ultimate aim of which is to be like her son. In other words, she is the ‘help of christians’ in their journey to christian perfection.
Let me start with the words of a person who began writing a book about Mary some three centuries ago:
“I clearly foresee that raging beasts will come in fury to tear to pieces with their diabolical teeth this little book and the one the Holy Spirit made use of to write it, or they will cause it at least to lie hidden in the darkness and silence of a chest and so prevent it from seeing the light of day. They will even attack and persecute those who read it and put into practice what it contains. But no matter! So much the better! It even gives me encouragement to hope for great success at the prospect of a mighty legion of brave and valiant soldiers of Jesus and Mary, both men and women, who will fight the devil, the world, and corrupt nature in the perilous times that are sure to come.
“Let the reader understand. Let him accept this teaching who can.”
These are the words of St Louis de Montfort. He penned these lines while writng his now famous book ‘TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY’. Why did he foresee such a ferocious attack from the evil forces against the book which he was going to write? It is the same reason why we discuss about it today. The book is written for encouraging christians to consecrate their lives to Mary.
What is so important about consecrating ourselves to Mary? It is to prepare a ‘legion of brave and valiant soldiers of Jesus and Mary who will fight the devil, the world, and corrupt nature in the perilous times’ that has already befallen upon us. With apologies to those who are not yet convinced about the perils of our times, we call upon everyone to read the book. Make sure that you read it with a contemplative mind and complete the 33 days schedule with daily prayers, readings, introspections and contemplations culminating in the act of consecration on the 34th day.
How does consecration help us? To start with, our aim is to be one with Jesus. Mary knows the best of ways to reach Jesus. If you are confused about your spiritual journey, take the help of Mother Mary. She is sure that her son will not ignore her appeal. If you are afraid of placing your appeals before Jesus, route it through Mary. If you want to become a saint, Mary knows how to make you one. True, she will give birth to numerous saints in the end times. Listen to what Louis de Montfort says;
“When Mary has taken root in a soul she produces in it wonders of grace which only she can produce; for she alone is the fruitful virgin who never had and never will have her equal in purity and fruitfulness. Together with the Holy Spirit Mary produced the greatest thing that ever was or ever will be: a God-man. She will consequently produce the marvels which will be seen in the latter times. The formation and the education of the great saints who will come at the end of the world are reserved to her, for only this singular and wondrous virgin can produce in union with the Holy Spirit singular and wondrous things”.
This is exactly the reason, we use the pages of VCatholic to spread the importance of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We are the saints in waiting for the end times .We are the weapons in the armoury of Jesus in his final battle against devil. To win the battle for Jesus, we should be like Jesus, which is possible only with the maternal help of Mary.
If we believe that we are living in the end days, if we want to be a member of the legion of true servants of Jesus, if we are to defeat the devil and the world and the flesh, there are few better options available to us. Such are the kinds of attacks devil has been planning for these days. Mary gives us timely warnings about future things and protects us from all impurities of this world. It is impossible for any soul consecrated to Mary to go astray.
Let me conclude with something very important. Messages related to end time events and the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ are revealed to those who are consecrated to Mary more than anybody else. You might have noticed a marked difference in the way end time messages are being received by those who are consecrated and those who are not. The reason is that the mysteries of the Bible, especially those related to end times are reserved for those with wisdom. ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are to remain secret and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked shall continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand’ ( Daniel 12:9-10).
Mary is the sure way to reach the domains of divine wisdom. So take a few minutes everyday and prepare for consecrating you to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Now, we are locked down within our homes. We cannot expect a better time to consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We assure you that it will be a decisive turning point in your spiritual life just as it was for St Pope John Paul II. With him we can also proudly declare; TOTUS TUUS- Totally Yours- to Mary. She, in turn will guide us through the labyrinths of modern life where devil waits at every turn to distract us from the ultimate truth. Mary will help us in going deep into the meaning of the signs of the times we live in, which is hidden from the wicked and reserved for the wise. So, be wise.
HELP OF CHRISTIANS, PRAY FOR US
