How do I answer the universal call to holiness?
How do I answer the universal call to holiness?
Everyone is called to holiness; to bear witness to Jesus Christ with our whole being through our daily words and actions. The Holy Spirit guides us to mature in our faith and love for Jesus with our Lady who is ‘Mediatrix of All Graces.’ There are many spiritualities that help Christians become fully mature in Christ. St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary is a spirituality in which one learns to have an intimate relationship with the Blessed Mother and the Cross of Christ, living out in practical ways our baptismal promises. Holiness is a pilgrimage toward heaven. Just as the Israelites journeyed towards the Promised Land, we follow our Lord to Calvary and then onward toward the empty tomb. This pilgrimage is truly a family affair because it gathers us together as one family so we may constantly encounter Jesus through the Sacraments and through each other. Holiness is having an intimate relationship based on the sacrificial love of the Blessed Trinity which we can have a participation in because we are relational beings in Christ. Holy Scriptures, especially the Gospels, reveal that this sacrificial love in Christ can be the experience of love lived out in our lives by surrendering our will to His; and this is pleasing to our Heavenly Father. In St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori’s book “Uniformity to God’s Will” he wrote: “Perfection is founded entirely on the love of God: ‘Charity is the bond of perfection;’ and perfect love of God means the complete union of our will with God’s.” St Francis de Sales in “Introduction to the Devout Life” explains how everyone is called to holiness and that is precisely in doing the will of our heavenly Father within the context of our particular vocation in life. The will of our heavenly Father is to be faithful to our duties in life within our particular vocation.
Everyone is called to holiness; to bear witness to Jesus Christ with our whole being through our daily words and actions. The Holy Spirit guides us to mature in our faith and love for Jesus with our Lady who is ‘Mediatrix of All Graces.’ There are many spiritualities that help Christians become fully mature in Christ. St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary is a spirituality in which one learns to have an intimate relationship with the Blessed Mother and the Cross of Christ, living out in practical ways our baptismal promises. Holiness is a pilgrimage toward heaven. Just as the Israelites journeyed towards the Promised Land, we follow our Lord to Calvary and then onward toward the empty tomb. This pilgrimage is truly a family affair because it gathers us together as one family so we may constantly encounter Jesus through the Sacraments and through each other. Holiness is having an intimate relationship based on the sacrificial love of the Blessed Trinity which we can have a participation in because we are relational beings in Christ. Holy Scriptures, especially the Gospels, reveal that this sacrificial love in Christ can be the experience of love lived out in our lives by surrendering our will to His; and this is pleasing to our Heavenly Father. In St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori’s book “Uniformity to God’s Will” he wrote: “Perfection is founded entirely on the love of God: ‘Charity is the bond of perfection;’ and perfect love of God means the complete union of our will with God’s.” St Francis de Sales in “Introduction to the Devout Life” explains how everyone is called to holiness and that is precisely in doing the will of our heavenly Father within the context of our particular vocation in life. The will of our heavenly Father is to be faithful to our duties in life within our particular vocation.
The Legion of Mary is a lay organization that helps the laity serve Jesus through the spirit of Mary in everyone we meet. I love the Legion of Mary because it is based upon St Louis de Montfort’s spirituality through which I heard the call to the priesthood. The Legion of Mary has greatly helped me grow in my maturity as a Catholic and has added significantly to my seminary formation. It has been truly a miracle of God. The Legion of Mary is a “lay apostolic association of Catholics who, with the sanction of the Church and under the powerful leadership of Mary Immaculate, we serve the Church through our neighbors on a voluntary basis in about 170 countries.” The mission of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members by a formation of prayer and active cooperation in Mary’s and the Church’s work. The unit of the Legion of Mary is called a Praesidium, which holds a weekly meeting, where prayer is integrated with reports and discussions. Persons who wish to join the Legion must apply for membership in a Praesidium. The Legion perceives as its main concerns the spiritual and social welfare of each individual. The members participate in the life of the parish through visitation of families, the sick, both in their homes and in hospitals and through collaboration in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the parish. Every legionary is required to carry out a weekly apostolic work in the spirit of faith and in union with Mary.
The Legion of Mary is a lay organization that helps the laity serve Jesus through the spirit of Mary in everyone we meet. I love the Legion of Mary because it is based upon St Louis de Montfort’s spirituality through which I heard the call to the priesthood. The Legion of Mary has greatly helped me grow in my maturity as a Catholic and has added significantly to my seminary formation. It has been truly a miracle of God. The Legion of Mary is a “lay apostolic association of Catholics who, with the sanction of the Church and under the powerful leadership of Mary Immaculate, we serve the Church through our neighbors on a voluntary basis in about 170 countries.” The mission of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members by a formation of prayer and active cooperation in Mary’s and the Church’s work. The unit of the Legion of Mary is called a Praesidium, which holds a weekly meeting, where prayer is integrated with reports and discussions. Persons who wish to join the Legion must apply for membership in a Praesidium. The Legion perceives as its main concerns the spiritual and social welfare of each individual. The members participate in the life of the parish through visitation of families, the sick, both in their homes and in hospitals and through collaboration in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the parish. Every legionary is required to carry out a weekly apostolic work in the spirit of faith and in union with Mary.