Faith to conquer the world

The concluding prayer of the Legion of Mary has these wonderful sentiments:   Confer, O Lord, on us, that fullness of faith to which it is given to conquer the world.  Grant us a lively faith, animated by charity, a faith, firm and immovable as a rock, a faith which will be our Legion's Pillar of Fire

Faith is of two kinds: Faith in doctrine and faith in action: Faith in the truth of God and faith in the God of truth

Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch. Ramona C. Carroll

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Legion speaks of taking Symbolic Action. That is a matter of taking the first step in faith and trusting that the Lord will honour your trust.

It is clear from the Concluding prayer that the faith presented to the Legionary of Mary is something that springs from the fire of charity and moves out courageously to become a pillar of fire. The chosen people in the desert followed the Pillar of fire until it led them into the Promised Land to conquer it for the Lord. Legionaries are in the fore-front of those Chosen people leading them into a place of eternal hope.

As faith is strengthened there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit. Emmanuel Teney  This is one of the benefits of being in an organization like the Legion of Mary. You don’t need to be in control. Like Our Lady, you yield in faith to the unknown and the human impossibility: Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let your word be done unto me.

You are not setting to conquer the world on your own or in your own strength. You are part of that Pillar of Fire which is of God’s making and is continually fanned into flame by the grace of your weekly meeting and the support of your officers and fellow members.  The faith written of in our concluding prayer is very much a faith that steps out taking the next peaceful step in faith.

 You may have heard the story of the watch bought in for repair: “I had great faith in that watch,” said the client to jeweller.  "I’m afraid," he replied,  “Like Grandmas old clock, it has stopped short—never to go again. Faith’s fine but without good works its not much good. So while trusting the Lord in everything, we still have to expend all our energy in God's service and do everything that is in our human power.

 

The Venerable Edel Quinn

The sons and daughters of St. Patrick are ever ready to say: “We have kept the faith.” The founder of the Legion of Mary always went further: “It is not enough to keep the faith, we have to proclaim it—to spread it.”

This is evident in the life of heroic life of the servant of God, Edel Quinn. Going to Africa she would say is not a picnic! In Edel’s heart were engraved those words of Grignion de Montfort that are enshrined in the conluding prayer of the Legion: Confer, O Lord on us who serve beneath the standard of Mary, that fullness of faith in thee and trust in her to which it is given to conquer the world.

This young woman, knew her own frailty, but she put her trust completely in the hands of the God who was her strength. The Eucharist was the food that nourished her soul and while she knew the weakness of body, her daily profession was that of Christ himself: “This is my body given up for you..” What she lacked, she knew God would supply out of his own unlimited resources. And so she conquered, not only the physical territory assigned to her, but she conquered every human heart that has heard her story.

Edel never failed or flinched before the obstacles that lay in her path. We’ve all heard of the swollen river and the hidden bridge beneath the waters and the motorist who would not dare drive through. Edel did not want to fail the waiting expectant legionaries who awaited her. “O Father,” she said, please go on. I’m sure Our Lady will protect us.” The priest couldn’t resist such faith and they drove on.

Edel despite her continual illness never complained, but pushed herself to the ultimate. She was there to serve and be at the disposition of others. She knew the secret of the Scriptures: " Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Mat.16,25

Frank Duff, speaking about Edel in her native Kanturk, remarked on how strongly she attracted people to her. Like St. Francis what brought about this attraction, was the conviction that she was really interested in each one. This should be powerful motive for seeking Venerable Edel Quinn's intercession.

Meditation

I have just been reading the following by James Bone in new York. 

The two surviving Beatles have reunited on stage to promote transcendental meditation among schoolchildren around the world. The reunion came at a concert to bring transcendental meditation to one million schoolchildren. "It started for us when we met the Maharishi in India, and it's going to get bigger and bigger and rule the world," McCartney told the crowd.

What a pity that our Catholic schools are not hearing much about their own tradition of meditation. The few that have been introduced to it are very happy and I would like to hear from some of them. The stillness and security that this practice brings is a blessing beyond description.  All that is needed is to set aside a short time of silence and rest and let one of the Christian words of life enter the soul. The sacred word of Jesus will do infinitely more than a mantra from the Maharishi of India. Let the Jesus word linger in your heart in love.

Do no be afraid.

On the long flight to St. Louis USA, I wondered if I would be able for the journey and the heavy week ahead. From the time of leaving Tallaght to arriving was the best part of 12 hours, but I made up my mind to live just one moment at a time. As the hours passed by on the plane, I recalled the word of St. Catherine of Siena: All the way to heaven is heaven too! So I decided to enjoy every detail to the full.

I remembered the Meditation Group back in the Retreat House and tried to imagine them around and along with me. I kept repeating my sacred word quietly in my inner being: Father, thy will be done. As long as that was being accomplished nothing else mattered. And when I began to falter and be afraid of what lay ahead, I recalled what Joe Dalton once told us: God does not God those who are able. He enables those whom he has called. The following lines came to me and I share them with you now in the hope that you too may find strength from them, in your calling.

For the moment, do not try to think things out.
Do not try to read other people's thoughts,
or trouble yourself with plans for the future.

Live to the full, the present moment,
and let my Annunciation for this time
be made known to you.
You too, have an angel who waits on you.
His dearest wish is to let the light of my love
reveal the way to you.

Do not burden yourself
with disturbing and distracting detail.
Leave those things for their own time,
and to those whose task it is
to care about such matters.

My wish for you, is that you rest in my love
and lose yourself in my presence.
My Son waits for you in the secret place.
Stay there and watch with him,
as you watch and wait
with those who are closest to you.

You know how friends linger in love,
And long to sit alone
in stillness and silence.

Words and thoughts are not necessary,
Plans and projects
can be left to work themselves out.
All that matters is that you let me direct you
in loving and in being loved.

Annunciation Day

The Readings for this day highlight the words: Here I am Lord, I come to thy will. Mary re-echoes the theme when she Be it done unto me according to your word. We all have our moment of annunciation and are called to lay our lives open to God, that his will,-- his creative word may take flesh in us.

In meditation little else is asked of us, but that we sit in God's presence and let the river of his life and love flow through us. Here I am Lord, I come that your wonderful will may wash me clean and give me a new heart, a new purpose.

Legion of Mary Acies

Legionaries meet in the familiar homely atmosphere of their praesidium each week to pray and undertake the personal tasks committed to them. That meeting is delightfully described in the Handbook as: A local presence of Mary. We go to our meeting then as one goes on a personal pilgrimage to a holy place of presence. For the Acies, however we are drawn up in battle array, like a great battalion to publicly proclaim allegiance to the Queen of heaven and earth. So there is a note of celebration and consecration about this day.

Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array? The words apply not only to the Queen, but to each one of her faithful legionaries.

You yourself are a rising morning star. In the eyes of God, you too are fairer than the moon, and brighter than the sun. You come before your Queen this day drawn up in battalion array. It is good to acknowledge your own dignity and rejoice in it on this day of celebration.

The Latin word terribilis is hardly well translated into English as terrible. Rather does it mean awesome, wondrous resplendent.” And that’s how Mary sees you in all your splendour. She is waiting to greet you. She appreciates you and thanks you for your service.

Walk then with head held high to the Vexillum of the Legion, and profess your allegiance. This noble Standard is modelled on that of the Roman Legion. Where the eagle was poised, now rests the Holy Spirit. That Spirit rests on you as it rested on the Maid of Nazareth and in the power of the Spirit, you too bring forth Jesus in your life and in the lives of those for whom you work.

Where stood the Emperor beneath the Arch of Triumph to welcome home his battle-weary soldiers, now stands the Empress of Heaven to welcome each one of you to share in the triumph of her Immaculate Heart.

When the Emperor turned his eyes upon the battle-tried soldiers, he not only accepted their expression of loyalty, but rewarded them handsomely for their service. On such occasions, it was the Roman custom to pay out favours to the conquering heroes. These gifts and favours were way beyond the normal rates of pay. They were called charismatic gifts and they denote for us in the our legionary service, the gifts we need for service in the Kingdom of God and his people.

You come then in triumphal procession before heaven and earth this day. While you are an army set in battle array, you are asked to come individually to the Vexillum for thus the Queen sees you. When Bernadette at Lourdes was asked, “Did the Lady look at anyone else but yourself,” she replied: “Yes indeed she did. She Looked all around the crowd and she stopped at some as if they were old familiar friends.” Thus indeed does Our Lady look at each one of you this day. You are not only her loyal servants. You are her old famiiar friends.

You will hold on to the cherished Vexillum, the standard of our Legion and the sign of Victory. You will proclaim the solemn words of your allegiance: “I am all yours, my Queen, my Mother, and all I have is yours.” Be sure of this, the Queen will be more than gracious to you. Thus she speaks to each one of you: “I see your hand stretched out to my sign of victory, and know this: My hands reach out to you. You are bringing about the triumph of my Immaculate Heart and from that Heart I answer: “Beloved Legionary I am yours and all I have is yours."

Rosary Confraternity Part Four

Enrichment and evangelization
Any Rosary group operating today, or, indeed, anyone who prays the Rosary, can only enhance their prayer by affiliation to the Confraternity. The apostolate of the Rosary is not limited to gathering more people in, but must reach out with a whole programme of spiritual enrichment and evangelisation.

Do not fear that in placing in Mary's hands the fruit of your works to be shared among others, you may lose out. You are dealing with a gracious Queen, who will treat you like the prince or princess you are. Blessed Alan de la Roche points out that since we are dealing with spiritual food, and not with material things, sharing with others does not mean loss. The more mouths there are for bodily bread the less there is to go round. The bread of heaven, on the other hand, kneaded with the yeast of faith, hope and love, increases the more it is divided.

Obligations of membership

1 To be affiliated, a person's name must be enrolled on the register in a church where the Confraternity has been established.

2 Members of the Rosary Confraternity are asked to say, at the very least, the complete round of fifteen decades within the week. To encourage a slower pace and a lingering rhythm, they are given the privilege of breaking up the decades any way they wish.

3 They must meditate or contemplate the mysteries to the best of their ability.

Privileges

1 The special protection of the Mother of God in life and at the hour of death.

2 A share in the prayers and good works of all the members worldwide.

3 Over and above the plenary indulgence granted to all who pray the Rosary in the family or in a group or religious communiry, there are special plenary indulgences for members of the Rosary Confraternity on the day of admission, on the feasts of Christmas, Easter, the Annunciation, the Assumption, the Immaculate Conception, the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple.

Further information can be had from any Dominican priory or Rosary centre.