In the Footsteps of St. Louis Marie de Montfort
"Footsteps Online"
Christmas 1998 (Volume 4, Issue 1)
The Word Was Made Flesh
And the Word was made flesh, and lived among us... (John 1.14)
Sr. Shirley, Daughter of Wisdom, reflects with us on the first of the four "principal means" St. Louis Marie lists for the acquisition and preservation of the gift of Divine Wisdom…
Some weeks ago in September, while
shopping in town, I became aware of a variety of Christmas decorations,
gift ideas and cards etc. on sale in the shops. Part of me found
this blatant commercialism repugnant……..and yet ……and
yet…… on reflection it came to me that each day, each
hour, each minute provides opportunities for Christ to be born
in us and live among us. Why wait for Christmas ?
So, as we come to the celebration of Christmas 1998, and as we wait and prepare for the Millennium, the celebration of 2,000 years since the birth of Christ, maybe each of us could find some time to quietly reflect on some important questions.
What is my greatest desire and love in life?
What are the blessings of this season for me?
How may Christ be born each day in my heart and in my life this New Year?
Montfort, in his book Love of Eternal Wisdom suggested four ways to help us on our journey as we seek to 'put on Christ' in our daily lives - ardent desire, continual prayer, mortification and devotion to Mary. And so, as part of our preparation for the Millennium we shall reflect on these four ways - or means - over the next few issues of Footsteps.
It is clear that before all else we must open ourselves up to love; open ourselves up to the unconditional love that God has for each one of us, and then in the words of Montfort,
Reflect on what God requires of you and meditate continually on His commandments, and He himself will give you a heart, and you will be given the desire for Wisdom. (LEW 182)
and we also read in the Scriptures,
Those who seek me eagerly will find me (Proverbs 8;17)
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find (Lk 11;9-10)
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Lk 12;34)
Perhaps one of our greatest desires should be to pray for the
understanding that the birth of Jesus makes holy the ordinary,
everyday things of life. The birth of Jesus is about a God
who loved us enough to send His Son to live with us and
be among us, and who is also with us each day in our loving
and forgiving, in our work and in our rest, in our retirement,
in sharing a cup of tea with a neighbour, in our sadness and loneliness
and in our joy and happiness, in our tears and laughter - it is
in these seemingly small bits and pieces that Christ is born each
day of our lives - so, with all our heart let's desire Him to
come and live among us.
Montfort composed the following Prayer for Divine Wisdom
and gave it to Sr. Marie Louise Trichet, the first Daughter of
Wisdom, for her to say each day. As Montfortian Associates in
1998-99 perhaps we too could say this prayer daily as we prepare
for the Millennium; better still why not meet with other Associates
and friends who could join with you in saying the prayer and reflecting
on what it means in your life - and enjoy a cup of tea
together !
O God of our Fathers, acknowledging the great need I have of your Divine Wisdom, I come before you today, to beg this grace of you with all possible earnestness and humility.
Send us, O Lord, this Wisdom which sits by your throne,
To strengthen our weakness
To enlighten our minds
To inflame our hearts
To speak and to act
To work and to suffer in union with you.
To direct our footsteps and to fill our souls
with the virtues of Jesus Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
For only Wisdom can bring us these gifts.
O Father of Mercy, God of all consolation
we ask you for this infinite treasure of your Divine Wisdom.
Hear and grant our prayers.
Amen
This desire for Christ Wisdom should have 'an impact on the whole person; on our entire being and all of our conduct, everyday of our lives' (Pierre Humblet). In other words we are being changed and transformed into Christ everyday. What a marvellous thought !!
The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we saw His glory,
the glory that is His as the only Son of the Father.
(John 1;14 )
Let us journey together into this New Year, full of joy and hope, desiring Him with all our heart,
Lord, in this New Year may you live among us;
live among us in our places of work and relaxation,
live among us when there are family quarrels, when emotions run high
and we feel angry and hurt,
live among us when people don't understand and we have no-one to turn to,
live among us when sickness or disability wears us down,
live among us in all the places of the world where there is hunger and famine
and injustice,
live among us in our loving relationships, where we find your peace and joy.
Lord, live in us this year !
Montfort once wrote to Sr. Marie Louise in a letter,
If you don't take risks for God,
you won't do great things for Him
What better way to begin a New Year than by taking the risk of letting God's Word become flesh in us ?
Let us desire to do great things for Him !!
What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the Son of God nearly 2,000 years ago, and I do not also give birth to the Son of God in my time and culture?
Let us ask Mary, who was 'full of grace', to be with us in
our desire for God's Word to be made flesh in us……..
