1.7 Commitment

STAGE 1: Facing Reality

TRUE WISDOM

AFFIRMING THE VISION

COMMITMENT

Aim: To commit ourselves to the “journey”, staying rooted in Mary, the “anchor that cannot slip”.

Reading

Doing the Word (Mt 7:24-27): Jesus said: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell – and great was its fall!”

Comment

Consciously or unconsciously, Montfort concludes his presentation of Mary as “the most wonderful of all secrets for obtaining and preserving divine Wisdom”, by mirroring and paraphrasing the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount.

In fact, he writes: “Let us, then, confide everything to the faithful Virgin Mary, binding ourselves to her as to a pillar that cannot be moved, as to an anchor that cannot slip, or, better still, as to Mount Zion which cannot be shaken. Thus whatever may be our natural blindness, our weakness, and our inconstancy, however numerous and wicked our enemies may be, we shall never go wrong or go astray or have the misfortune to lose the grace of God and that infinite treasure which is Eternal Wisdom” (LEW 222).

In Prayer for Missionaries, while appraising the work of the Holy Spirit in the believers through Mary “the divine mountain”, Montfort says: “Blessed, a thousand-fold blessed, are those […] whom you have chosen with such care to dwell with you on this divine mountain of all delights. There […] they will be enriched by the dew of heaven […]. This is the mountain on which Jesus Christ, who dwells there forever, will teach them in his own words the meaning of the eight beatitudes. It is on this mountain that they will be transfigured” (PM 25).

Personal Reflection and Sharing

“Let those accept this who can” (Mt 19:12). “Who is wise enough to understand these things?” (LEW 227).

I have completed the first stage of my preparation for the Reign of Christ though Mary. What life commitment do I carry engraved in me? And where and how do I want to go from here?

[1-7] CALL RESPONSE COMMITMENT PRAYER