January 15, 2012
We are continuing to look at ways that will help us to love the Blessed Virgin Mary more and better. In the first part we saw that to love someone - to get the fire of love started - we need to get to know them. The more we know them, the more and better we will be able to love them.
Another important way for love to grow (like any other virtue) is to practice it. So, how do we ‘practice’ love, especially for Our Most Beloved Mother?
One important way is to think about Her often. Love, as we know, is like a fire. If we do not watch over it and keep it burning, it will, in time, go out. A fire needs to be fed, if it is to grow, or even just stay alive. So it is important to frequently think about the person we love - it helps to keep the fire burning.
So, what are some ways to think about Our Most Tender Mother that will help us to love Her more and better?
If you have images of Her that help you to think about Her, try to glance at them as frequently as you reasonably can. If, when you are looking at an image of Her, you start to get thoughts about Her, or feelings for Her, don’t stop looking at the image until those good thoughts or feelings go away. They are very beneficial and we should not do anything that will interrupt them if we can help it.
Another very helpful device to care for, and feed, your love’s fire, is to create a Mary ‘Diary’ or Mary ‘Notebook’. It is where you can store all manner of words, images, and more, that help you to know and love Her. For example:
As you read about The Blessed Virgin Mary and all the wonderful things that She is, and does, you may want to write down those things about Her which you like most. If it is a longer story, perhaps you can summarize it briefly, noting down those elements of the story that appeal to you the most. Smaller anecdotes might be copied in their entirety.
Oftentimes, when you are praying - or at anytime - you will get thoughts or ideas about your Blessed Mother and these thoughts and ideas you should write down as well. You might get inspirations about imagining that you are with Her somewhere doing things together. Being with Her, and doing things with Her - and for Her - can help you to grasp the reality of Her - make Her more real to you. For example, you might enjoy imagining about:
- being a servant in the house where She and Saint Joseph and Our Lord lived for many years in Nazareth. Imagine that you are helping Her do Her work caring for these wonderful men Who loved Her so dearly. This might help you think of Her in a more realistic way;
- being with Her in Heaven as She fulfills Her duties and responsibilities as Queen of Heaven and Earth, sending Holy Angels and Saints on a myriad of tasks to help people on earth or the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Imagining this type of activity - shared with Her - might make Her more vivid to your mind and heart;
- playing with Her when She was a little girl growing up in the Temple of Solomon;
- countless other places, situations and activities - there is no limit. As you try to imagine different scenarios of being with Mary, some will help you more than others. Write down in your Mary Diary or Notebook the ones that do help Her become more real to you and simply stop using those that don’t. Ask Mary to help you find those meditations that are best for you.
There are countless ways to think about Her, and of being with Her, and doing things together. Thinking about Her in this way will help you to realize that She is, indeed, very real. You might even want to write down some of these ideas or thoughts that came to you about Her when you were imagining being with Her.
Other ideas about Her, or your relationship with Her, can come at any time and you might want to write down the ones that mean the most to you.
She certainly hears you when you speak to Her, whether you use words from your mind, your heart or your soul. But I am recommending that you write down the ones that seem most important to you so that you can review them from time to time for your own benefit. It is good to remember special feelings and desires of gratitude, love, etc. that you have had towards your Most Loving Mother.
As you think and pray to Mary more faithfully you will find that there are special things you want to tell Her, special prayers. You may want to write some of these down as well in your Mary Diary or Notebook.
You can also write letters, stories, poems, songs or just quick notes to Her and for Her. You can place images of Her in it, or draw your own. Don’t worry about how good an artist you are. The artistic skill with which we do anything for Her doesn’t matter to her in the slightest. All She looks at is the love with which we do it. That is what gives its meaning and its value to Her. The more your love is true and sincere, the more She treasures your gift in the deepest part of her Heart.
So we have learned that to keep our new love burning, we have to watch over it and care for it. I am recommending thinking about Mary more often as a good way to keep our love for Her alive. And as we have discussed, one very good way of thinking about Her is by collecting in a special diary or notebook all kinds and types of words and images about Mary. These words and images can be our own or someone else’s. Our favorite mediations about, or special prayers to, Mary can and should be included. Anything and everything that helps make Her more real, more vivid, more loving to you can be included.
And then, from time to time, it is good to reread what you have written to, or for, Mary. It is a very successful way of adding fuel to your fire of love. And the more your love’s fire continues burning, the easier it becomes to keep it alive. So get your diary or notebook and start today collecting your loving thoughts, words and images of Your Most Wonderful Mother … She is eagerly waiting for you to share with Her all of these precious and personal treasures.
Thank you again for being a part of the Catholic Kingdom. We are blessed to have you with us.
Until we speak again ...
May Our Lord and Our Lady fill you, and all those you love, with every true peace, blessing and grace ... now and forever.
Please keep everyone in the Catholic Kingdom in your prayers. Always. You are always in ours.
And let us pray that God fills each of us with the love that He desires us to have for Our Most Blessed Mother.
I remain your friend in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary,
