The Easter Season feast of Louis Marie de Montfort provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon the need for a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary if we truly wish to experience the fullness of Christian life.
Mary was intimately united with her divine Son, Jesus Christ, during his suffering and death. Scripture tells of Mary standing under the cross. Her unwavering love comes to a sort of fulfillment at the foot of the cross, when her crucified Son pronounces Mary to be the mother of his disciples, Mother of the Church.
Our Lord gave Mary as our Mother, so we do well to give ourselves to her. Totus tuus, I am completely yours Mary, was Louis's personal motto; centuries later Karol Wojtyla, who would become Pope John Paul II chose it as his episcopal motto, when he was first made the auxiliary bishop of Krakow in Poland.
"Totus tuus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt. Accipio te in mea omnia. Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria." ("I am completely yours, and all that I have is yours. I take you for my all. O Mary, give me your heart")
We each do well to take “Totus tuus” as our own personal Easter Motto. She who was united to Christ her Son in his death, was also united to Him in his Resurrection. And she helps us to do the same. There is a tradition affirmed by Ambrose of Milan, Ignatius of Loyola, and, most recently, by Hans urs von Balthasar that Mary encountered and rejoices over the Risen Christ.
During the liturgies of the Easter Season, Mary is referred to as one who is filled with joy because of the resurrection of her divine Son. The Marian antiphon sung during the Easter season, Regina Coeli, also celebrates her joy: "O Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia! For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia! Has risen as he said, alleluia!"
A strong Marian devotion will help us experience the joy of this season and grow in the graces of this season.
In his book “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”, which John Paul II carried with him and read often, Saint Louis wrote, “Mary is the fruitful Virgin, and in all the souls in which she comes to dwell she causes to flourish purity of heart and body, rightness of intention and abundance of good works. Do not imagine that Mary, the most fruitful of creatures who gave birth to a God, remains barren in a faithful soul. It will be she who makes the soul live incessantly for Jesus Christ, and will make Jesus live in the soul”.
May we continue to discover her maternal presence with us throughout our Easter celebrations, that we may know her joy and respond to God with her perfect faith for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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For deeper Marian devotion amongst all Christians, that the Church may more deeply share in Mary’s Easter joy over the Resurrection of her Son.
For all mothers, that they may find in Mary the example and strength to carry out their vocation of love, and that all sorrowful mothers may know the consolation and peace of God.
That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.
That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws permitting the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.
That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Mary, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven
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