25th of the Month Message & Commentary

Our Lady's Message to the World- Febuary 25, 2010

"Dear children! In this time of grace, when nature also prepares to give the most beautiful colors of the year, I call you, little children, to open your hearts to God the Creator for Him to transform and mould you in His image, so that all the good which has fallen asleep in your hearts may awaken to a new life and a longing towards eternity. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Reflection by Fr. Scott Lemaster:

My Friends;

Our Lady, as always, gives us a simple message, which, in its simplicity, hides a deep and profound meaning and a loving challenge. Let me share with you a personal story that might illustrate some of that loving challenge.
Some four or five years ago, the Spring before I came to my present assignment, I was visiting a friend in the Des Moines area, browsing through a beautiful little bookstore some of you might know, Divine Treasures; go there if you get a chance, the selections are great and the people are wonderful. In any event, I spied a book, rather an author, with whom I went to school. I was rather amazed, because when I knew the man, he was not a great fan of Tradition, or so I thought, but, all that had changed. In the book, he advocated in the strongest possible terms: Make the consecration to Our Lady in the form advocated by St. Louis Marie de Montfort-True Devotion to Our Lady. It can be purchased in any Catholic bookstore, both the original and in shortened versions. Since St.Louis' original is somewhat daunting, both will, if you will pardon the expression, "do the trick!"!
It was just before Lent, and I was pondering,"What should I do?" Here was the obvious solution, since, for many years, I had thought, "You know, I should do this." But, like so many of my good ideas, I just hadn't gotten around to doing it. The author made a bold claim: "This will change your life." I like bold claims. And I'm a sucker for TV infomercials. And I needed a bold change. So, I read his book. I read True Devotion and... I did it! And... as usual, Our Lady will not be outdone!
To make the Consecration is not to say that all one's problems will go away. Indeed not. However, to make the Consecration is to say that you will experience, in a new way, your Divine Filiation, that is, that you are a child of God the Father (as St. Therese says, Papa le Bon Dieu, Daddy the Good God)and Mary our Mother.
How does this fit in with the Message we have received this month from our Good Mother? St. Louis de Montfort describes what our relationship should be towards Our Lady and hence towards Jesus, Who, in turn, gives us to the Father. These words are taken from another work of St. Louis,' entitled The Love of Eternal Wisdom:
213. Note that Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus, Head of all the elect, but is also Mother of all His members. Hence She conceives them, bears them in Her womb & brings them forth to the glory of Heaven through the graces of God which She imparts to them. This is the teaching of the Fathers of the Church, among them St. Augustine, who says that the elect are in the womb of Mary until She brings them forth into the glory of Heaven. Moreover, God has decreed that Mary should dwell in Jacob, make Israel Her inheritance and place Her roots in His elect and predestinate. (cf. Sir. 24. 13) (1)
This teaching can be understood most easily once we see it in a Trinitarian context, that is, Mary, Daughter of God the Father; Mother of God the Son; Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. Thus, when we are consecrated wholly to Our Lady, being moulded in the image of Mary, Suffering and Immaculate, we cooperate with Mary and Her Spouse, the Holy Spirit in such a way, we call this way "True Devotion", or in the language of Our Lady's Message "opening our hearts to God to be transformed and moulded in His  image". The outcome will then be, in the words of de Montfort (who relies on St. Paul)"that Mary must beget us in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, nurturing us towards the perfection and the fullness of His age (Eph. 4. 13), so that She may say more truthfully than St. Paul, 'My dear children, I am in travail over you afresh until Jesus Christ My Son is perfectly formed in you.'" (Gal. 4. 19) (2) How or what would this True Devotion or Transformation look like? St. Louis answers this question quite succinctly:
"If I were asked by someone seeking to honor Our Lady, 'What does genuine devotion to Her involve?' I would answer briefly that it consists in a full appreciation of the privileges and dignity of Our Lady; in expressing our gratitude for Her goodness to us; in zealously promoting devotion to Her; in constantly appealing for Her help; in being completely dependent on Her; and in placing firm reliance and loving confidence in Her motherly goodness." (3)
If one were to stop for just a moment and ask oneself the question, "What is one thing Our Lady has been asking us to do since She came to us at Medjugorje in 1981? One little thing?" She has asked us to say the Rosary. This, too, my friends, is the heart of the message of St. Louis de Montfort. So much so that his little book, The Secret of the Rosary, a spiritual and theological masterpiece, yet able to be read by anyone in junior high is probably more of the centerpiece of his theology and thinking than his more well-known work, the True Devotion. All of these works that I have mentioned of good St. Louis, his True Devotion, The Secret of the Rosary and The Love of Eternal Wisdom can be found at any good Catholic bookstore. If you are in the Des Moines area, go to Divine Treasures. If you are in the Iowa City, Iowa area, go to the Mustard Seed, 532 N. Dodge St. If you are in the Davenport, Iowa area, go to the Faith Explained, 114 1/2 W. 3rd St. I can personally attest to the Catholicity of all three stores, especially the Mustard Seed and the Faith Explained because I am personally involved with those two. I am a member of the Board of Directors for the Mustard Seed. For those of you who are computer savvy, St. Louis' True Devotion and The Love of Eternal Wisdom can be found on Mother Angelica's website (don't forget to pray for her and all her work!): www.ewtn.com/library. Just plug in Montfort's name and the document you wish to have.
In closing, let me remind you of the wonderful saying of St. Louis de Montfort" ad Jesum per Mariam- to Jesus through Mary". St. Josemaria Escriva made a felicitous addition to that saying, which, in this age that so needs prayers for our dear Holy Father seems especially appropriate: "Omnes cum Petro ad Jesum per Mariam- All with Peter to Jesus through Mary!" With our Rosaries in our hearts and in our hands, with Mary moulding us in the image of Jesus, pointing towards the Father, praying for one another and our dear Holy Father, not only shall we attain Heaven at the last, won't it be that we shall already have begun our Heaven... here and now?

God love you all.

Fr. Scott LeMaster

1. St.Louis Marie de Montfort, Love of Eternal Wisdom, paragraph 213, pg. 50
2. Ibid. paragraph 214, pg. 50
3. Ibid. paragraph 215. pg. 50

Our Lady's Message to Mirjana - March 2, 2010

"Dear children- In this special time of your effort to be all the closer to my Son, to His suffering, but also to the love with which He bore it, I desire to tell you that I am with you. I will help you to triumph over errors and temptations with my grace. I will teach you love, love which wipes away all sins and makes you perfect, love which gives you the peace of my Son now and forever. Peace with you and in you, because I am the Queen of Peace. Thank you."