Mary Is Everywhere, cont.
December 8, 2019
“[I]n order to rid ourselves of self, we must die to ourselves daily. That is to say, we must renounce the operations of the powers of our soul, and of the senses of our body. We must see as if we saw not, understand as if we understood not, and make use of the things of this world as if we made no use of them at all. This is what St. Paul calls dying daily, — Quotidie morior. “Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone,” and bringeth forth no good fruit. (Jn. 12:24-25) If we die not to ourselves, and if our holiest devotions do not incline us to this necessary and useful death, we shall bring forth no fruit worth anything, and our devotions will become useless. All our good works will be stained by self-love and our own will ; and this will cause God to hold in abomination the greatest sacrifices we can make, and the best actions we can do; so that at our death we shall find our hands empty of virtues and of merits, and we shall not have one spark of pure love, which is only communicated to souls dead to themselves, souls whose life is hidden with Jesus Christ in God (Col., 3:3).
“We must choose, therefore, among all the devotions to the Blessed Virgin, the one which draws us most towards this death to ourselves, inasmuch as it will be the best and the most sanctifying. For we must not think that all that shines is gold, that all that tastes sweet is honey, or all that is easy to do and is done by the greatest number is sanctifying. As there are secrets of nature by which natural operations are performed more easily, in a short time and at little cost, so also in like manner there are secrets in the order of grace by which supernatural operations, such as ridding ourselves of self, filling ourselves with God, and becoming perfect, are performed more easily.
“The practice which I am about to disclose is one of these secrets of grace …”
— St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary (transl., Fr. Frederick William Faber)
Above, Ave Maria [Composer: Franz Biebl)
Words
Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae et concepit de Spiritu sancto.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Maria dixit: Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Et verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus.
Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Translation
The Angel of the Lord announced unto Mary and she conceived by the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Mary said: Behold the handmaiden of the Lord, let it be according to Thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners.
Holy Mary, pray for us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
