With all the strength of my heart, I love you and I give myself to you….
(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2016 JMJ September 21, 2016 St. Matthew, Apostle Dear Family of Mary! January 2, 2008 “Dear children! With all the strength of my heart, I love you and give myself to you. As a mother fights for her children, I pray and fight for you. I ask you not to be afraid to open yourselves, so as to be able to love with the heart and give yourselves to others. The more that you do this with the heart, the more you will receive and the better you will understand my Son and His gift to you. Through the love of my Son and me, may you all be recognized. Thank you.” Our Lady tells us most surely that she gives herself to us. With all the strength of her heart, she gives herself. Like a good mother she holds nothing back from her children. And she fights for us! St. Louis de Montfort must have experienced Our Lady’s gift of self to him, because he wrote about it most powerfully: The Blessed Virgin, mother of gentleness and mercy, never allows herself to be surpassed in love and generosity. When she sees someone giving himself entirely to her in order to honour and serve her, and depriving himself of what he prizes most in order to adorn her, she gives herself completely in a wondrous manner to him. She engulfs him in the ocean of her graces, adorns him with her merits, supports him with her power, enlightens him with her light, and fills him with her love. She shares her virtues with him – her humility, faith, purity, etc. She makes up for his failings and becomes his representative with Jesus. Just as one who is consecrated belongs entirely to Mary, so Mary belongs entirely to him. We can truthfully say of this perfect servant and child of Mary what St. John in his gospel says of himself, “He took her for his own.” This produces in his soul, if he is persevering, a great distrust, contempt, and hatred of self, and a great confidence in Mary with complete self-abandonment to her. He no longer relies on his own dispositions, intentions, merits, virtues and good works, since he has sacrificed them completely to Jesus through his loving Mother. He has now only one treasury, where all his wealth is stored. That treasury is not within himself: it is Mary… How much stronger and more powerful are we in approaching our Lord when we are armed with the merits and prayers of the worthy Mother of God, who, as St. Augustine says, has conquered the Almighty by her love! (n. 144-145 – True Devotion to Mary) The thought, the reality that Our Lady gives herself to us fills me with such joy, amazement and awe. That the Mother of Jesus would give herself to each one of us is beyond all expectation. But she does! She does! She gives us her love, her faith, her joy, her heart, her warmth and acceptance. She gives us her virtues if we ask for them. We are so blessed. Denis and I pray a prayer that was composed by Mother Immaculata in 1956. This prayer asks for the unthinkable, that Our Lady would give herself to us as we give ourselves to her. This prayer is bold. But it is not unrealistic. St. Louis de Montfort realized it was her wish. And we are now being given that same invitation by Mary herself. Here is the prayer. Pray it with an open heart and see what happens! Totus Tuus (Totally Yours) Immaculate Conception, Mary my Mother, Live in me, Act in me, Speak in me and through me, Think your thoughts in my mind, Love through my heart, Give me your dispositions and feelings, Teach, lead me and guide me to Jesus, Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior, Possess my soul, Take over my entire personality and life, replace it with Yourself, Incline me to constant adoration, Pray in me and through me, Let me live in you and keep me in this union always. © 1956, Mother Immaculata, OCD In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan Mary TV 2016 PS. The pilgrimage that Mike Nolan is leading on October 3 – 14 still has room. [I can’t stop sharing this…there must be someone out there who is resisting!!!] Pray about coming!! The air fares are quite low. If you have been waiting for the right time to go to Medjugorje, this may be it!! Mike Nolan 574-335-9952