A Way of Life
Fr. Roger Charest, SMM
When, on July 4, 1776, the founders of this great nation signed the Declaration of Independence, they were not merely severing the last ties that bound us to England, nor were they simply initiating a new system
of government; they were above all inaugurating a new way of life, a way that has long since been labeled : “the American way of life.”
When Father De Montfort gave to the world his Treatise on True Devotion to Mary, when he asked us to sign our individual “declaration of dependence” on Jesus and Mary, he was not simply popularizing a new formula of perfect consecration; he was definitely inaugurating for the world at large a new way of spiritual life, a way that is known today as the de Montfort Way.
MONTFORT: OUR GUIDE
Seventy three years ago this month, on July 20, 1947, by inscribing Father De Montfort in the Calendar of the Saints, Holy Mother the Church was putting, so to speak, her seal of approval on this de Montfort Way. In his discourse to the pilgrims who had come from far and near to assist at the canonization ceremonies of Our Lady’s great apostle, the Holy Father referred to the new saint as, ”the guide who leads you to Mary, and from Mary to Jesus. All the saints”, the Pope went on, “have assuredly been great servants of Mary and all have led souls to her; Montfort , however , is incontestably one of those who have labored most ardently and effectively in making her loved and served.”
It is most interesting to note how the Holy Father describes Montfort’s role as a spiritual guide: “. . . the guide who leads you to Marry, and from Mary to Jesus.” In other words, de Montfort’s doctrine of True Devotion to Mary does not only lead souls to Mary but it also leads them “from Mary to Jesus”.
In order to accomplish this, St. Louis Mary had to do more than merely put us on the right path (by presenting us with his formula of total consecration to Jesus through Mary ) ; he had to trace out for us, step by step, mile after mile, the steep and arduous route that leads to perfect union with God. With the meticulous care of a sure and seasoned guide, Father de Montfort did just that. He sketched for us a detailed map of spiritual life, indicating both the beginning of the trail (which is Baptism ) and the end of it (which is transformation of a soul into Christ ); nor did he neglect to point out the obstacles to be overcome and the means to overcome them easily, quickly, surely and with the least possible hazards to a soul.
WAY OF LIFE
This is but another way of saying that St. Louis de Montfort has left us more than a mere formula of total consecration to Mary (no matter how perfect that consecration may be), he has handed down to us a system of spiritual and Marian life. His consecration was never intended to be an end in itself ; it is but a means to an end, and that end is a perfect Christian life. It would indeed be a sad illusion to consider Montfort’s act of consecration to Jesus through Mary as ”the be-all and the end-all” of his True Devotion to Mary. In reality, it is but the initial step into a new way of life.
On this point, de Montfort is most emphatic. “It is not enough to have given ourselves once as slaves to Jesus through Mary,
nor is it enough to renew that act of consecration every month or ever week. That alone would not make it a permanent devotion,
nor could it bring the soul to that degree of perfection to which it is capable of raising it.” (Secret of Mary, No. 44)
Now if the simple renewal (no matter how frequent ) of this consecration is not sufficient for one to practice de Montfort’s form
of True Devotion to Mary, what then does it require of a soul ? Again we quote: ”It is not very difficult to enroll ourselves
in a confraternity (The Association of Mary, Queen of All Hearts), nor to practice this devotion in as far as it prescribes
a few vocal prayers every day; but the great difficulty is to enter into its spirit. Now its spirit consists of this, that we are interiorly
dependent on Mary; that we be slaves of Mary, and through her, of Jesus” (SM No. 44).
DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE
The aim of the de Montfort Way of life is therefore to render a soul “interiorly dependent on Mary,” and through her, on Jesus.
It is a perfect and continual declaration of dependence, of our dependence on Christ and Mary. It is
Editorial
From time to time, The Queen will republish Editorials or create new Editorials on various topics.
Obedience. The word summarizes Saint Louis de Montfort and his spirituality as his life and writings clearly attest. This is the difficulty we have with him! Who finds obedience easy?
It is obedience to the Gospels which makes him so acutely sensitive to sin. It is obedience which dictates his strange actions. He must step into a crowd of blaspheming soldiers and boldly order them to stop. He must clearly label deviations from the Church’s teachings: “errors.” He must angrily storm into a local club, overturn chairs, tables and demand that the bawdy songs cease immediately for they were interfering with his preaching in a nearby church. For these and many similar actions he was called a fool and his life more than once threatened. Yet his obedience to the Lord would not permit him to water down one drop of the choice Gospel wine.
It was also this union with Christ through obedience which made this giant of a saint the “good Father from Montfort.” Was not Jesus called to die for sinners, did not Jesus speak tenderly to the woman caught in adultery, was not Jesus forgiving? Then his confessional would be the encounter with the merciful Lord for the most hardened of sinners.
Obedience is the building block of his spirituality. That is why he scoffed at those who, in a futile attempt to cover up their disobedience, claimed to be “relevant,” or “contemporary,” or “up—to—date.” These clichés are still used in modern parlance to describe ideas which fit in with the spirit of the times but not necessarily with the Spirit of God. One of his hymns playfully scorns those who insist on being a-la-mode:
“A preacher, up to date!
A subtle rhymester, up to date/
Why unless a man is up to date,
He’s a ninny or a bumpkin”
The more our feelings, our intuitions become the norm for faith and morality, the easier it is to brush Montfort aside. What a magnificent tribute! Only when we sincerely strive to become Gospel radicals can we truly appreciate Saint Louis de Montfort. To be more precise, only those who, like the obedient Mary, “hear the word of God and do it,” can progress in the path outlined by the saint. This joyful, totally obedient troubadour is one of the most startling models of Gospel fidelity.
Obedience. Obedience to the Gospel as proclaimed, lived and taught by the Church. Have we put our finger on the problem? Something to ponder as we celebrate another anniversary of the canonization of this fool for Christ’s sake, the Father from Montfort.
