Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort is a timeless spiritual teacher who, with a strong voice and a merciful heart, teaches us to love Mary.
A lively and strong character
Louis Marie de Montfort is a missionary who preaches to the people in 18th-century France.Β
It is not easy for anyone, whether a historian or a psychologist, to explain the aspects of his personality. He himself acknowledges that he has a lively and strong character, even saying that without God's grace, he would have been a terrible man. Yet he dies at just 43 during a mission in a small village in the VendΓ©e, after preaching movingly about the gentleness of Jesus Christ. And people will remember him as βthe good Father of Montfortβ.
A voice that does not remain silent about sin and a heart full of mercy
It is true that Louis Marie publicly and forcefully opposes sin: he rebukes the perpetrators of scandals, censures books that are not edifying, and lashes out at those who drink too much. In these excesses, he sees the dignity of the dwelling place of God, in which Wisdom wishes to dwell, being trampled underfoot. But he also shows himself to be understanding and welcoming toward sinners, bearing witness to God's merciful love.Β
Montfort is an evangelizer, a catechist of the people of God, who seeks to renew Christian life among the faithful. He achieves this goal through parish missions, which he preaches by entrusting himself Β«to providenceΒ», that is, living on what people offer him at the moment, and with an Β«apostolicΒ» style, going from village to village and proclaiming the Gospel.Β
A poor man for the poor
Montfort never overlooks anyone; but his particular preference is for those who do not have what they need to support themselves. He himself dresses poorly, lives on the bare essentials, travels on foot, stays wherever he can, and practices penance; without a doubt, in this he stands out from the clergy of his time. He is a poor man according to the Gospelβs beatitudes.
Failures, contradictions, and opposition are numerous in his short life. He is persecuted, rejected, and attacked. In everything, he sees the presence of the cross of Jesus Christ, a sign of Godβs love for him and for his brothers and sisters. He faces everything together with his Lord because he knows that He is present in every adversity: Β«The Cross is Wisdom and Wisdom is the CrossΒ».
A special love for the Virgin Mary
Montfort professes and proposes a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin, one that is Β«interior, tender, holy, constant and disinterestedΒ».
A truly Marian spirituality, lived out in a demanding way through conversion of the heart and the journey toward holiness: Mary is the Mother of God and our Mother, who leads us to Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, so that we may live the Trinitarian mystery of communion with God.Β
The Treatise on True Devotion to Mary, together with The Secret of Mary, which is a summary of it, forms the heart of his spiritual teaching.
But it should not be forgotten that the Marian dimension of his doctrine always serves the whole Christian mystery: Mary leads to the Father, through Christ, in the Spirit.
The month of May, now just around the corner, could be a wonderful opportunity to enter Maryβs school of love through the teaching of a timeless spiritual teacher: Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort.
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