True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Louis deMontfort RUE EVOTION TTO THEDBLESSED VIRGIN MARY BY ST. LOUIS MARIE GRIGNON DE MONTFORT adapted by Eddie Doherty adapted by Eddie Doherty www.familyland.org © Montfort Publications, Bay Shore, New York, used with permission. RUE EVOTION TTO THEDBLESSED VIRGIN MARY BY ST. LOUIS MARIE GRIGNON DE MONTFORT Translated from the original French by Francoise de Castro, Ph.D., T.O.P Adapted by Eddie Doherty www.familyland.org © Montfort Publications, Bay Shore, New York, used with permission. Imprimi Protest: Frank A. Setzer, S.M.M., Provincial Superior Nihil Obstat: Martinus S. Rushford, Ph.D., Censor Librorum Imprimatur: Thomas Edmundus Molloy, S.T.D., Archiepiscopus-Episcopus Bruklyniensis Bruklyni, die XXVI April 1956 © Montfort Publications, Bay Shore, New York, used with per- mission. APOSTOLATE FOR FAMILY CONSECRATION ® www.familyland.org North America ® Catholic Familyland 3375 County Road 36 Bloomingdale, OH 43910-7903 USA (740) 765-5500 Fax: (740) 765-5561 [email protected] Asia Europe St. Joseph Center for Asia www.familylandeurope.com P.O. Box 0026 [email protected] Las Piñas City, PHILIPPINES (632) 871-4440 Fax: (632) 875-3506 [email protected] Africa Central and South America St. Joseph Center for Africa Centro San José Archbishop's House, Holy Trinity Municipio de Atlautla Cathedral Estado de Mexico, C.P. 56970 Mission Road MEXICO Box 411. Onitsha 52-59-7976-1314 Anambra State NIGERIA Fax: 52-59-7976-3316 234-46-413292 [email protected] Fax: 234-46-413913 [email protected] www.familyland.org © Montfort Publications, Bay Shore, New York, used with permission. CONTENTS Foreword . 1 I. Reign of Christ Through Mary . 2 II. Necessary to God. 5 III. Necessary to Man . 14 IV. Christ Our Last End . 23 V. Mary Our Mediatrix . 32 VI. False Devotion . 38 VII. True Devotion . 43 VIII. Perfect Consecration to Jesus Christ . 49 IX. Perfect Service . 54 X. Perfect Way . 62 XI. Perfect Liberty. 69 XII. A Parable . 75 XIII. The Parable Explained . 82 XIV. Wonderful Effects . 87 XV. Exterior Practices . 93 XVI. Interior Practices For Those Who Wish To Become Perfect . 106 XVII. Applying True Devotion . 112 Appendix I . 115 Appendix II . 117 Appendix III. 118 Appendix IV. 120 www.familyland.org © Montfort Publications, Bay Shore, New York, used with permission. 1 Foreword Ever since its discovery, in 1842, St. Louis De Montfort’s treatise on True Devotion to Mary has been a best-seller in the Catholic Church. Rarely has one book been the butt of so much abuse; rarely has one book received so many papal commendations! Translated into some forty or more languages, its popularity far from decreasing has increased with the years, particularly with the advent of the Marian age in which we now live. From the first English translation, by the well- known English writer, Father Frederick William Faber, down to our own latest American editions, there has been a constant concern on the part of the editors to adapt De Montfort’s style and terminology to the con- temporary modes of expression, without in any way watering down the doctrine or misrepresenting the author’s thought. Despite these attempts, however, some still find the book difficult to understand. Some of the Saint’s words and expressions, although theologically accurate, are sometimes misunderstood. Hence, the need for a broad- er translation, one that will express the saintly author’s thought in different words and in a style that is popular and easily understood by the average layman. For such a difficult task one could hardly be better qualified than Eddie Doherty, one of America’s finest and most popular Catholic writers, editor, reporter and Slave of Jesus and Mary. Undertaken at our request, Mr. Doherty has made of this a work of love. With the help of Miss Francoise de Castro, Ph.D., who gave him a word-for-word translation from the original French, the writer made the adaptation you now hold in your hands. Although the student of Mariology and those con- cerned with getting De Montfort’s thought, as expressed in the original manuscript, will prefer the standard edi- tion, we feel that Eddie Doherty’s version will open the way to many other souls by whom De Montfort’s treatise www.familyland.org 2 © Montfort Publications, Bay Shore, New York, used with permission. might otherwise have remained unexplored. We hope that its fresh, breezy style will lead many more souls to a better understanding of the De Montfort way of life. THE EDITORS. I. Reign of Christ through Mary Through the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ came into the world. Through her He will reign over the world. Mary lived in obscurity during most of her life. Her humility was so great that she desired to hide, not only from all other creatures, but even from herself, so that only God should know her. She asked Him to conceal her, and to make her poor and humble. God delighted to hide her; in her conception, in her birth, in her myster- ies, in her resurrection and assumption. Her own parents did not know her. And the angels asked “Who is she?" The Most High, though He revealed something of her perfection to the angels, kept infinite- ly more from them. God the Father willed she should work no miracle— at least no striking one—in her life. Yet He had given her the power to work tremendous miracles. God the Son was content she should speak but a few words. Yet He had endowed her with His wisdom. And God the Holy Ghost arranged that His apostles and evangelists should say little about her—no more than enough to make Christ known. Yet she was His beloved spouse. Mary is God’s masterpiece whose full splendor He has reserved for Himself. She is the admirable Mother of the divine Son, Who took delight in humbling and hiding her to favor her sweet humility. He called her “woman," as though she www.familyland.org © Montfort Publications, Bay Shore, New York, used with permission. 3 were a stranger; yet she was dearer to Him than all men and angels. She is the sealed fountain, the faithful spouse of the Holy Ghost. She is the sanctuary, the resting place of the Trinity. God dwells in her more wonderfully, more divinely, than anywhere else in the universe, including the regions occupied by the angelic hosts. And no crea- ture, however pure, is admitted to that sanctuary except through a great privilege. With all the saints I say that our Mother Mary is the paradise on earth where the new Adam took flesh, through the operation of the Holy Ghost, that He might work there wonders beyond all understanding. She is the great, the divine world of God where lie beauties and treasures one cannot imagine. She is the magnificence of God! What grand and secret things God has worked in her. Even she must admit it. “He that is mighty hath done great things to me." The world does not know these wonders. It is unworthy of knowing them. It is incapable of understanding them. The saints have said many beautiful things about Mary, the holy city of God; and never were they more eloquent than when they spoke of her. Yet they realized that the heights of her merits could not be glimpsed; for they reach up to the throne of God. They knew that the width of her charity could not be measured, since it is broader than the earth. They know that there were no limits to her power, because she has power over God Himself. They knew that the depths of her humility— and of all her other virtues and graces—could never be fathomed. O height beyond our understanding! O width beyond all words! O greatness beyond all measures! O depth beyond all human thought or comprehension! www.familyland.org 4 © Montfort Publications, Bay Shore, New York, used with permission. Every day, throughout the world, in the highest heavens, and in the lowest pits of hell, all things pro- claim and preach the wonders of the Virgin-Mother. The nine choirs of angels, the people on earth—even the devils themselves—have to call her Blessed. So great is the power of truth. The angels in heaven, according to St. Bonaventure, never stop calling to her, “Holy, holy, holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God!" A million times a day they give her the angelic greeting, “Hail Mary!" They prostrate them- selves before her. They beg her to honor them with her commands. St. Michael, the prince of the heavenly court, is the most eager to pay her homage, St. Augustine says, and to run her errands. The whole earth is filled with her glory. Cities, provinces, dioceses, and great nations are placed, by Christians, under her care and protection. Cathedrals are dedicated to God in her name. There is no church without an altar in her honor. There is no district or country without some miraculous image of her; without some place in which she heals all kinds of ills, in which she distributes all sorts of blessings. There are countless organizations that honor her. There are many religious orders sharing her name and her motherly love. Religious men and women constantly sing her praises and proclaim her mercies. Little children just learning the Hail Mary praise and love her. Even the most hard- ened sinners have some spark of confidence in her. And yet, with the saints, we must truthfully confess that “There is never enough about Mary." We have not given her enough praise, glory, honor, love, or service.