St. Louis de Montfort – Totus Tuus
theophilus April 28th, 2009
What book did John Paul the Great describe as the turning point of his life? From what book did he get his motto – totus tuus (”I am all thine”)?
The book that helped lead the Holy Father to greatness was “True Devotion to Mary” written by St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716), whose feast day is today.
St. Louis had an unbeatable and divinely inspired devotion to Mary. He preached that the way to Christ was through his Blessed Mother. That if we truly proved our devotion to her on a daily basis, we would live the lives of saints and find salvation through Christ.
Hopefully, we all have a deep devotion to the mother who bore us or adopted us. We’ll listen to her when we will listen to no one else; we’ll do what she wants done; we’ll defend her if necessary. She is our queen; our lady; the first object of our affection; the beholder of all that is good and pure.
The same should go for Mary, our Mother, Queen and Lady. Are you devoted to her? Do you talk to her, confide in her, listen to her? Do you see her hand guiding you throughout your day?
Do you pray the Rosary, her prayer? Do you give a Morning Offering, offering your day every morning to Jesus through Mary? Do you ask Mary to pray for us and protect us, especially in her role as patroness of the USA (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception) and the unborn (Our Lady of Guadalupe)?
Do you believe that she has come to us through the appearances at Guadalupe, Fatima, Lourdes, and elsewhere? Do you accept that she gave the Rosary to St. Dominic, the Brown Scapular to St. Simon Stock and the Miraculous Medal to St. Catherine Laboure? Do you believe she delivered victory at Lepanto and saved Russia from communism?
More importantly, do you believe that she is the Mother of God? Do you believe in her Immaculate Heart? Her Holy and Immaculate Conception? Her eternal virginity and motherhood? Her Glorious Assumption? Her Queenship of Heaven?
Do you pray the Ave Maria (Hail Mary)? The Magnificat? The Hail, Holy Queen? The Angelus? The Memorare? The Sub Tuum? The Regina Caeli? The Alma Redemptoris Mater?
Do you wear the Brown Scapular? Carry the Rosary? Wear the Miraculous Medal? Go to Mass on First Saturdays? Do you blow her a kiss as you are entering and leaving Mass? Do you ask for her maternal help throughout the day? Have you consecrated yourself to Mary either through St. Louis’ Total Consecration or St. Maximilian Kolbe’s Immaculata?
Do you live your life like Mary lived her’s? Are you as devoted to Christ and our Father as she? Do you implicitly trust and hope in the Lord?
Do you believe she is our Mother and the Mother of the Church, our intercessor, our mediator, our guide, our protector, our comforter, our mystical rose and gate to heaven? Do you believe she is the Queen of the saints, of families, of peace, of all of us, her children?
Are you willing to fight with her against evil? To fight for her? To rely on her as Christ did? To follow Christ as she did, to the very shadow of the Cross?
So many throughout history have tried to impress upon us the truth and the power of a sincere and unwavering devotion to Mary. And our devotion to her is needed and it is needed now. Our Mother will lead us through these troubling times and bring us closer to Christ. But it is imperative that we offer ourselves through her to her Son, each and every day.
In these times, we must have the devotion of St. Louis, St. Maximilian, St. Bernard, St. Juan Diego, St. Bernadette, and so many other saints and holy men and women throughout the ages. They trusted Mary as their mother; we must do the same. And like all mothers, she wants to hear from us, especially those words that tell her that we love her.
Totus tuus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt, O Virgo, super omnia bendicta. I am all yours, and all that is mine is yours, O Virgin, blessed above all. – St. Louis de Montfort.
