Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Praying the Holy Rosary

Our Lady of the Rosary

The following article is reproduced from the mostholyfamilymonastery.com and is the intellectual product of Bro. Michael Dimond and Bro. Peter Dimond to whom sole credit belongs:

We recommend that Catholics pray the entire 15-decade Rosary each day, if possible. One set of mysteries at three different times in the day is the recommendation of St. Louis De Montfort as a good way to get that accomplished. Frankly, many Catholics who are home most of the day are not getting the full rosary accomplished, when they easily could. Thus, they are missing out on tremendous graces from the rosary, and the opportunity to help save other souls by their prayers.

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Hail Mary, and the holy rosary are essential. Catholics must come to learn and understand the power of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Hail Mary, and the Holy Rosary.

St. Louis De Montfort (+1710): “Blessed Alan de la Roche who was so deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin had many revelations from her and we know that he confirmed the truth of these revelations by a solemn oath.  Three of them stand out with special emphasis: the first, that if people fail to say the Hail Mary (the Angelic Salutation which has saved the world) out of carelessness, or because they are lukewarm, or because they hate it, this is a sign that they will probably and indeed shortly be condemned to eternal punishment.” (Secret of the Rosary, p. 45)

St. Louis De Montfort (+1710): “…. there are some very sanctifying interior practices for those whom the Holy Ghost calls to high perfection. These may be expressed in four words: to do all things by Mary, with Mary, in Mary and for Mary; so that we may do them all the more perfectly by Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus and for Jesus.” (True Devotion to Mary #257)

We strongly recommend that Catholics make the consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary which St. Louis De Montfort explains in his book, True Devotion to Mary.

St. Louis De Montfort, True Devotion to Mary #39: “We must not confuse devotion to the Blessed Virgin with devotions to the other saints, as if devotion to her were not far more necessary than devotion to them, and as if devotion to her were a matter of supererogation [extra special devotion].”

St. Louis De Montfort (+1706): “Make for me, if you will, a new road to go to Jesus, and pave it with all the merits of the blessed, adorn it with all their heroic virtues, illuminate and embellish it with all the lights and beauties of the angels, and let all the angels and saints be there themselves, to escort, defend and sustain those who are ready to walk there; and yet in truth, I say boldly, and I repeat that I say truly, I would prefer to this new, perfect path the immaculate way of Mary.” (True Devotion to Mary #158)

It is precisely because most don’t understand the Blessed Virgin Mary’s unique connection to Jesus, and her role in the Incarnation and the salvation of souls, that they never make much progress in the way of perfection.

St. Louis De Montfort: “As there are secrets of nature by which natural operations are performed more easily, in a short time and at little cost; so are there secrets in the order of grace by which supernatural operations, such as ridding ourselves of self, filling ourselves with God, and becoming perfect, are performed more easily. The practice which I am about to disclose [of true devotion to Mary] is one of these secrets, unknown to the greater number of Christians, known even to few of the devout, and practiced and relished by a lesser number still.” (True Devotion to Mary #82)

St. Louis De Montfort (+ c. 1710): “By this practice [the True Devotion to Mary which he teaches], faithfully observed, you will give Jesus more glory in a month than by any other practice, however difficult, in many years…” (True Devotion to Mary #222)

St. Louis De Montfort: “… many others have proved invincibly, from the sentiments of the Fathers (among others, St. Augustine, St. Ephrem, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Germanus, St. John Damascene, St. Anselm, St. Bernard, St. Bernardine, St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure), that devotion to Mary is necessary to salvation, and that… it is an infallible mark of reprobation to have no esteem and love for the holy Virgin.” (True Devotion to Mary # 40)

Regarding the Holy Rosary, Sister Lucia told Father Fuentes in a famous 1957 interview:

"Look, Father, the Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Holy Rosary. She has given this efficacy to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all, spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world, or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary, we will save ourselves. We will sanctify ourselves. We will console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls."

MARY’S JUSTICE

Certainly the Mother of God was given a special station of mercy by the Lord Jesus Christ. Any sinner, no matter how dark his state, can feel confident in turning to her at all times. At the same time, however, this quote reveals Mary’s justice. Having a perfect soul and perfect faith, she is also perfectly in tune with God’s justice. This incident shows us that those who think they can sin mortally and despise His grace – and that she will somehow find a way to obtain Christ’s mercy for them anyway – are very mistaken.

St. Alphonsus (c. 1755): “In the year 1611, in the celebrated sanctuary of Mary in Montevergine, it happened that on the vigil of Pentecost the people who thronged there profaned that feast with balls, excesses, and immodest conduct, when a fire was suddenly discovered bursting forth from the house of entertainment where they were feasting, so that in less than an hour and a half it was consumed, and more than one thousand five hundred persons were killed. Five persons who remained alive affirmed upon oath, that they had seen the mother of God herself, with two lighted torches set fire to the inn.” (The Glories of Mary, p. 659.)

We recommend that all Catholics obtain and read the following books.  If one reads and thinks about the four last things, one will most likely avoid sin, the occasions of sin, and live a good life. We consider these books to be essential for proper spiritual formation, and we believe that one will gain more from reading them than one will from reading many other books.

- True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Louis De Montfort
- The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis De Montfort
- Preparation for Death by St. Alphonsus (abridged version)
- Our Lady of Fatima by William Thomas Walsh (get to know and live the message the Blessed Virgin Mary delivered at Fatima)

Most of these books are available from our online store.