Par 27 - App Questions

Par 27 I see why Mary has been called Mystical Rose - as Song of Songs refers to her as the "enclosed Garden" of God - how beautiful! Mary "being transformed into God by grace.......she asks nothing, wishes nothing, does nothing contrary to the will of God" - God can trust her with ANYTHING. He doesn't have to be concerned with Mary having self-love or motivations that will be to her benefit. It made me think about how God would love to trust us with more and how we too are gently called by Him to let go of ourselves and seek ONLY His desires. I find myself falling more and more into Mary, with a deep longing for healing of those things that cause me to want what I want sometimes, rather than what He may want. In praying about this, I thought of the gift of courage that Mary had in order to carry out His will - it couldn't have been easy for her as she had to endure so much her whole life - yet, never said "no" to Him because, in our modern day language, they were infinitely "on the same page" - I pray for the gift of deeper courage and that our desire to be one with His Will will be granted us through the intercession of the most perfect Mystical Rose. Par 28 & 29...."God has empowered her and commissioned her to fill with saints the empty thrones from which the apostate angels fell by pride" WOW! She wants to make us saints!! - that we may glorify God by imitating her "virtues in the lifestyle of true devotion" by seeking daily "to be humble and to accept humiliations." I love how the author writes that God the Father desires "to create new children by Mary's spiritual maternity" - it just makes such perfect sense that He would allow Mary to grow us up! These writings are so beautiful that they can only be taken in by the heart and not the head. Par 33...I love how St. Louis quotes from St. Augustine saying that in order to be conformed to the image of the Son of God we have to be hidden in Mary's womb where we are "guarded, nourished, brought up and made to grow......until she has brought them forth to glory after death" - this makes me feel very safe and cared for by Mary - that she doesn't stop taking care of me, no matter how dense I can be sometimes - it gives me a tangible sense that all is well, as I try to live out true devotion. Summary of App questions: I never looked at Mary as the "Treasure of the Lord" because I really didn't know her so I never went to her for help - she was always "somewhere" in the background but there was no real depth in my relationship with her. I've alway wanted more - to love her but it just never seemed real. It has only been the past 12 years or so that she continues to become more and more real for me. I never could have imagined how good it could be. 6) How do I thank God for giving me such a good mother? I thank Him every day for the total healing He has done in my heart of a violent childhood which had kept me at a distance from Mary and God the Father - it has been a real miracle for me - first with the Father, then Mary. I can't imagine how I ever existed before. 10) How am I growing in my lifestyle to true devotion? I am becoming more aware, daily, of those things that are contrary to Mary such as lack of humility, harshness rather than gentleness, not wanting to be forgotten or unknown. I have found that I call on her immediately in those times and she remains gentle and consoling. I talk about her a lot more because there's a confidence in her that I never had making talking about her very natural. Trying to remember to call upon St. Michael more - that one's not too easy for me to remember! This book/blog has opened up a river of prayer with a limitless sense of the Goodness of God and Mary. I am very grateful.