DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR OCTOBER  2007.

+Thoughts for the Month of the most Holy Rosary of our Blessed Lady Mary

“The Holy Angels in Heaven salute the most Blessed Virgin with the Hail Mary for they are fully aware that through it reparation was made for the sin of the fallen angels; God was made man and the world was renewed” (Blessed Alan de la Roche)   Saint Gertrude,a visionary and German Benedictine nun corroborated these words in one of her visions. It was the morning of the feast of the Annunciation and the Ave Maria was of course being sung in St.Gertrude’s convent.During the singing she had a vision in which three streams gushed forth from the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost and gently flowed into Mary’s virginal heart.The minute they reached her heart they bounded back to the source whence they had come. From this St.Gertrude learned that the Blessed Trinity has allowed Our Lady Mary to be most powerful next to God the Father,the most loving after God the Son,and the wisest after God the Holy Ghost. She learned as well that every time the Angelic Salutation is said by the faithful,the three mysterious streams surround Our Lady in a mighty,swirling current & rush into her heart. After they have bathed her completely in happiness they gush back into the bosom of Almighty God. The saints & angels share in this abundance of joy as do the faithful on earth who say the Hail Mary. For the Angelic Salutation is the source of all good for God’s children+++       (Saint Louis de Montfort)
+++
Bishop Anthony writes: St.Gertrude is a famous mystic who left a book of all the revelations that came to her from Jesus and Mary. The streams,or beams of light,which flow into Mary’s Immaculate Heart reveal God’s unspeakable love for the pure and spotless Virgin by whom God became a man. We know that every prayer and devotion which we offer to Mary is returned immediately by her to God;and thus the rays of light and love which flow to her from the Holy Trinity are returned immediately by her to their Divine Source. If one thinks what it would be like to be oneself in the unspeakable light of God’s presence, one can understand the reality of Saint Gertrude’s beautiful vision of Our Lady.
The honour assigned by God to Mary was,above all else,to be the Mother of Christ Who Himself is God Almighty.In accordance with her great vocation,she was endowed with divine grace from her birth and indeed from her own conception in Saint Anne’s womb.How could it be otherwise that Mary was saved miraculously from the taint of sin, when she was to bring forth Christ Who is sinless in his manhood – Christ Who is God! This pre-eminent honour of Mary still is hers in Heaven.Christ has not ceased to be truly man and Mary has not ceased to be Christ’s Mother. She is,the Church teaches,Queen of Heaven and Mother of Him Who is  King of kings and Lord of lords.She is our Advocate because she is so truly and closely united with Jesus. It was mainly for the glory of Jesus and the establishment of the truth of His Divinity and humanity that the name Mother of God was given to Mary. Devotion to Mary is really the safeguard of the true belief in the Incarnation. Mary is a creature like us – though without sin.She is crowned Queen in Heaven where we one day hope and pray to see her. But perhaps the most loving and sweet image of Mary we should have is her holding,as a Mother,the infant Jesus in her tender arms. +

Let us pray. O God,Who didst decree that,at the angel’s message,Thy Word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary:grant to us Thy suppliants,that we who believe her to be indeed the Mother of God,may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through the same Jesus Christ,our Lord.
+++
And a passing thought

We give a kiss to God every time our heart is filled with repentance and love. (St.Augustine)
+++
SACRED AND EUCHARISTIC HEART OF JESUS, HAVE MERCY UPON US!
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, BE OUR SALVATION!
OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, PRAY FOR US AND KEEP US SAFE!

+++