Wednesday, December 07, 2016

Who is the Immaculate Conception?

Mystical Vision of the Immaculata
with St. John and Ven. Mary of Agreda



Glorious things are said of you, O City of God.
Who is the Immaculate? Who can understand that perfectly? Mary, the Mother of God, Immaculate, or rather the “Immaculate Conception” itself, as she deigned to call herself at Lourdes. 
We know what “mother” means. But we cannot grasp with our minds and our limited brains what “Mother of God” means. Only God comprehends perfectly what the “Immaculate” means. 
One can understand a little what “immaculately conceived” means. But the “Immaculate Conception” is full of consoling mysteries. If the Immaculate permits, we will establish a Marian Academy where we will study, teach and publish for the whole world who the Immaculate is. It may be an Academy with a doctorate in Mariology. This field is not much known, yet it is so necessary for practical living, and for converting and sanctifying souls… 
We belong to her, to the Immaculate. We are hers without limits, most perfectly hers; we are, as it were, herself. Through our mediation she loves the good God. With our poor heart she loves her divine Son. We become the mediators through whom the Immaculate loves Jesus. And Jesus, considering us her property and, as it were, a part of his beloved Mother, loves her in us and through us. What a lovely mystery!
We have heard of persons who are obsessed, possessed by the devil, through whom the devil thought, spoke, and acted. We want to be possessed in this way, and even more, without limits, by her: may she herself think, speak, and act through us. We want to belong to such an extent to the Immaculate that not only nothing else remains in us that isn’t hers, but that we become, as it were, annihilated in her, changed into her, transubstantiated into her, that she alone remains, so that we may be as much hers as she is God’s. She belongs to God, having become his Mother. And we want to become the mother who would give the life of the Immaculate to every heart that exists and to those who will still come into existence. That is the M.I.—to bring her into every heart, to give her life to every heart. Thus entering these hearts and taking full possession of them, she may give birth to sweet Jesus, who is God, that he might grow in them in age and perfection. What a magnificent mission! True?… Divinizing man to the God-Man through the Mother of the God-Man. - St. Maximilian Kolbe

Let us disappear in her! 
May she alone remain, 
and we in her, a part of her.
- S. Maxmillian

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I am the mother of fair love, 
and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. 
In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, 
in me is all hope of life and of virtue. 
Come over to me, all you that desire me, 
and be filled with my fruits. - Sirach 24

2 comments:

  1. I am reading Fr. Gaitley's "33 Days to Morning Glory" again in preparation to renew my consecration to Mary on Jan. 1. Todays chapter is "Who are you, O Immaculate Conception?" According to St Maximilian (I love it when things I read overlap!)it's the Holy Spirit that is the uncreated Immaculate Conception and Mary is the created Immaculate Conception. He'd been asking the questions for years and 2 hours before he was arrested he wrote out the most important theological reflection of his life. God's timing really is perfect.

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    Replies
    1. I love Kolbe's understanding - it leaves me in awe - to ponder in my heart. If you follow the links to the quotes above these Franciscans develop Kolbe's thought - It's so over my head but edifying to read and ponder - "I wonder as I wander' type of thing. It's so good - so 'salvific' to consecrate ourselves to Jesus through the Immaculata. Today is a beautiful foretaste of Christmas - which is really why I like Happy Holidays - short for Holy Days! Big hug!

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