In the Footsteps of St. Louis Marie de Montfort
"Footsteps Online" - Last Issue
Spring 2008 (Volume 10, Issue 1)
"Until Christ be Formed in You"
(Galatians 4:19)
Gogol, the Russian novelist, wrote, "A wonderful work is to be brought to maturity in my soul. My eyes stream with tears of gratitude. Such an inspiration cannot originate from a human being". This is how the Blessed Mother must have felt as God choose to form Christ in her. It is her calling to form Christ in us too.
This is how St. Louis Marie de Montfort taught the secret and hidden wisdom of God. By "secret" he meant that the role of Mary in forming Christ in us needs to be better understood. It is a grace given to help us grow into the likeness of Christ. It is not an intellectual knowledge but rather a way of living that expresses more and more who we are in the light of the revelation of Christ. It is a wisdom not of this age (1 Corinthians 2:6).
Our General Chapter (May 2005) highlighted the priority of formation for those, both Religious and Laity, who seek to walk this path of divine wisdom. The Chapter taught, " Formation is a path of transformation which makes us become more like the Lord Jesus". It is a path that is followed continuously and holistically throughout our life.
During the General Chapter a beautiful devotional and meaningful ceremony took place in the chapel. The Superior General invited the delegates from all over the world to commit themselves to a life of ongoing growth in their Montfortian spirituality and mission. To mark the occasion each was given a copy of Volume I of the new Ratio. This is a wonderful set of inspirational principles for growth in the Montfortian way of life.
I can only try to capture something of the spirit and wisdom of these vital teachings. They opened my eyes to look up and acknowledge new horizons in following the Montfort path. The team who produced this slim yet incredibly dynamic work are to be highly commended. It is to be prayed rather than read and chewed rather than swallowed. It is my Pulitzer Prize Winning book of the year. Let us draw out some of the key insights.
1. Progressive Journey for All.
Formation is a daily process for the Montfortian. It is an everyday journey of conversion. It is for the laity and professed Religious, for the young and the old. It is for those who are initiates and for those who have borne the heat of the day. It is for all who want to enter into the dream of .our Holy Founder.
Formation is no longer to be seen just as a preparatory period for taking vows or to make the Consecration to Jesus through Mary. It is rather a lifetime and progressive growth into putting on the mind and heart of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14).
It will mean a willingness to avail of the experience and wisdom of others who have walked further than us on the road of discipleship. There are those who have inspired me in their exercise of the Montfort charism. A good spiritual director or guide is a treasure to be sought. Yet at the end of the day each person is responsible for his or her own formation.
2. God seeks us.
God's Wisdom seeks us. "Moved with deep compassion for the plight of humanity Wisdom set out on this journey toward us". This torrential outpouring of God's love finds its home in Mary. It is a Wisdom which is enfleshed in the life and ministry of Jesus. We are drawn by grace to the source of this Wisdom.
We learn there that Jesus submitted Himself totally to the young Virgin Mary. We too are invited through our Montfortian Consecration to choose Mary as our way to fulfilling God's divine purposes for our life.
3. Renewal of Our Baptismal Promises.
We are born again out of the waters of Baptism. Here we have to understand the meaning of our Baptism. How it is to receive not only the initial outpouring of the Spirit but to allow the Spirit to melt us and mould us more and more into the likeness of Christ over the course of our life.
The grace of our Baptism brings the grace of the Pascal Mystery to our own front door. We too are called to die and rise with Jesus. The call of conversion at the Baptismal font continues through our willingness to walk the path of ongoing formation in the footsteps of the poor disciples. There will be an ever-deepening living out of our Baptismal commitment.
4. Consecration to Jesus through Mary.
The Consecration is the ongoing fulfilment of our Baptismal promises. It is a conscious decision to respond with ever greater generosity to the excess and exuberance of the Father's love for us manifested in the humanity of Jesus. It is to come to an interior knowledge of the self-emptying love of Christ on the Cross when He paid the debt of humanity's sinfulness by shedding His Precious Blood.
The Ratio (N.12) has this to say. "Our Consecration influences our mission, our way of living together, our prayer, the way we face the challenges and difficulties of life, and the way we offer a prophetic critique of that which is sinful in our world".
5. Apostolic Prayer.
Our personal and community prayer and our celebration of the Eucharist will deepen our desire to evangelise by word and example. Our apostolic prayer shaped by our Consecration will enable to be both disciple and apostle of the Lord. We are to follow Montfort by enkindling in our hearts the fire of the mystic and the zeal of the apostle.
The goal of our formation is to prepare us to enter more deeply into the Mission of Christ. This will be more easily realised as we mature in our human development and achieve that healthy balance in personality and lifestyle which enables us to be available to apostolic needs.
Our proclamation of the Reign of Jesus brings us into a struggle with the false wisdoms of the world. These will not easily yield their ground to Him who brings truth, freedom and peace. St. Paul reminds us that the weapons of our spiritual warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy the strongholds of the Evil One (2 Corinthians 10:4).
6. Together with Mary the Mother of Jesus.
We are privileged to tell the "Greatest Story Ever Told" of the offer of forgiveness from sin and the gift of eternal life through Christ. Such a story would be incomplete unless we grasped the meaning of Mary's role in God's plan. We stand at the foot of the Cross in the company of Mary echoing her Amen to God's redemptive plan for the salvation of the world.
We desire to remain faithful to the rich heritage of our Marian tradition. Devotion to Mary is an essential and integral part of what it means to be a Montfortian today. We can never have too much devotion to Mary. When we say Mary, she echoes Christ.
7. And with His Brothers and Sisters.
There is to be a growth in love for the Church expressed in obedience to our pastors and to those in authority. There will be a submitting to one another in love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. We are not to be strangers to one another but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God and eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Compassion, collaboration and communication will further community commitment. It is to live in a network of relationships - with oneself, others and God.
More and more are we able to grow to the fullness of Christ through presence in an apostolic community. We listen and are obedient to the Word of God together. We discern together what the Spirit is saying to us. We respond collaboratively.
We are not trapped in the past but ever seeking new forms of living and working together so that our Mission can be ever more attuned to that of the mind of Christ. We are "a little flock" but ever moving into the newer and promised pastures to which our Good Shepherd leads us.
There can be patterns of community prayer and activity which strengthen us together on our faith journey. We will find these as we allow the Holy Spirit to gather us and unite us as a community for mission. We will be willing to find news ways of deepening our sense of community and readiness for mission.
The apostolic community is to be a place of conversion and nourishment for each person. Skills of communication and team-building must be developed. We need to witness to the world the value and vitality of living a way of life which shows respect and tolerance to the other.
8. In the Spirit of Montfort.
In the life and witness of Montfort we see all of these insights lived out in greater or lesser measure. He proposes to us the path of wisdom and the steps to take on it. His spirituality is for all. We respond to appropriate its sanctifying richness into our lives.
The good Father de Montfort wants us to walk in the footsteps of the poor disciples with our eyes ever on Christ. This will mean in God's plan taking Mary as our Mother, Mentor, Teacher and Guide to form Christ in us. Can we fail to receive such a gift?
Fr Ronnie Mitchell, smm
