Q&A: Does Saint Louis de Montfort ever treat of the question of obedience? I don’t mean some random sayings, but a specific explanation of obedience.
Fr. Gaffney, SMM
From a member who is also a director of Novices
Obedience
In addition to the saint’s references to obedience throughout his writings and specifically in the rules he composed for his religious congregations, he dedicates a hymn of forty-three verses (Hymn #10) to an explanation of obedience. It forms part of his “little treatises” sections of his hymns (e.g., 4-20) where the missionary explains, in rhymed verse, theological topics like: Faith, Hope, Charity, Humility, Meekness, Patience, Virginity, Zeal, Providence, etc.
Montfort gives a rather detailed outline of his little treatise on obedience: The essence and definition of obedience, followed by the first point, its necessity (with 9 motives), the second point: the excellence of obedience (with 12 motives); the third point: the qualities of obedience (with an explanation of twelve qualities). The treatise on obedience concludes with a prayer to Our Lady, “the most obedient of all the handmaidens of the Lord,” and a petition to Our Lord: “Make me rather die, My God, I beg of you, Than ever to disobey, even one day of my life.” An example of Montfort’s stress on obedience is his 19th stanza:
- Were we to have the holiness For working miracles,
- Were men to ask our counsel As from a 9reat oracle,
- Unless we are humble, obedient,
- We are hoodwinked by the devil,
- And cover with a winning lie, A lamentable calamity.
Saint Louis de Montfort’s Book of Hymns is available on Montfort Publications. There is also a wonderful article that provides the table of contents for the Hymns, and some samples (see link). In the meantime, I sent you the saint’s Hymn on Obedience.
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