The Necessity of Mary
Our Lady from the parish St. Paul the Apostle in Brookville, NY
The Necessity of Devotion to Mary
St. Louis de Montfort was so conscience of Our Lady in the Spiritual Life, he tried using his creativity to bring all that he met in contact with her, through his writings, through his hymns and through his missions. Why? Because Fr. de Montfort understood that the key to a fully alive Christian life has a name, and her name is Mary! She is the key to a life fully alive in Jesus Christ. Fr. de Montfort is not content to say Mary is the key, he will go on to say that Our Lady is a Necessity… for Christian living. She is not optional, she is necessary. In other words, you MUST have a relationship with her if you are to live a life as a Christian, to live your life fully alive in Jesus.
Wow, in today’s age, what a statement by Fr. De Montfort! He says there is a Marian Character to Christian Life. Not an optional one, but a necessary Marian Character to Christian Life.
What does that mean? Why is a relationship with Mary not optional? What does a Marian Character mean, and how does it influence Christian Life? What does it mean to say Our Lady is a necessary element of Christian life? Is my devotion to Mary influencing my Christian life? Listen to this audio to hear the significance of Mary in our Christian life.
By the way, what is a Christian? Don’t worry, this is not a test. Its surprising what many say if this question is actually asked. Hear what is a Christian. Hear what makes someone a Christian. It’s a simple answer that often is not realized in this context (12:55).
Why would I trust Our Lady? Because, that is what Jesus does! Why would I turn to Our Lady? That is what Jesus does! Jesus empties himself to become man. St. Paul writes: “Have within you the same Spirit that is within Jesus Christ”. What is that Spirit? Listen to how this should also influence us!
The Lord gives us His Mother, to be Our Mother. Why does He give us Mary? What an interesting question that is discussed (27:20) in the audio. To walk the way of Our Lady, is to set one’s feet on the very path of Jesus Christ Himself! Consider what Jesus does when he surrenders to Mary(38:00)! Does He lose any of His Divinity? No! Is He any less perfect? No! Is He any less loving? Powerful? Good? Of course not! Our Lady is entrusted with the greatest Treasure in the Universe. The Son of God! Think about that and hear more within the audio and what it means for our relationship!
If I share the life of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God and Son of Mary, I share who He is, and I too am a son of Mary! (45:30) Listen how this plays out for us!
If what St. Louis de Montfort says is true, that Mary is Necessary!, how do I make sure I have the right kind of Devotion to Mary? (47:00) What does that mean? There are ways devotion to Mary can go off course, and there are ways it can be genuine. Hear more about this and why Mary is Necessary!
This audio was recorded in a retreat in Mobile, Alabama. The quality of the audio is good, but not great, as some feedback was experienced at times. However, we ask you to focus on this message. We pray you find this spiritual message helpful in your own Spiritual Journey.
