(Note: In the headline I’ve written for this reflection, replace “I am” with your name)
We are into Week 8 of our Sabbatical program at Mercy Center in Colorado Springs and our presenter requested that we reflect on the four ways of contemplative prayer, as St Teresa of Avila narrated in her book, The Interior Castle.
Two days ago, on the morning of 26 October, we were asked to concentrate on the Prayer of Focus that normally will take place during the fourth dwelling place, or the fourth mansion, according to St. Teresa.
The extract from our class notes reads: The fourth dwelling place begins a moment of natural rhythm and a deepening relationship in partnership with God. This deeper level of friendship has become more intense and leads us to a profound sense of otherness. The fourth dwelling place becomes a sanctuary for silence, solitude and contemplation. This comes from “In His Image: A Journey with St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila” which was given to us.
Please allow me to extract a paragraph from our class notes that talks about the Prayer of Focus.
Within this stage, a person can discipline the senses and faculties. The person is able to create empty space within their thoughts and feelings and welcome God’s personal visits. Here a person focuses on the object of prayer. By focusing on something particular, e.g., a candle, a crucifix, or the Blessed Sacrament, a person is able to achieve great peace and stillness and welcome inspiration and enlightenment. Prayer of Focus includes: Here and now – keep eyes open “Let all creatures speak of their Maker” and how does this focus speak of its Maker (God)?
As a result, I was asked to focus on an object, such as an icon, a religious painting, a statue of our Lady or Jesus, or even a sculpture. So, I went into our living room where a lot of these items are beautifully displayed. I looked around in search of the object I wanted to focus on for my prayer time. I finally decided on a sculpture that has an image of a father who allows his child to lay on his bosom and the child sleeps in peace without any fear or anxiety.
I would like to invite you to have a look at the photo that I took from the living room, before sharing with you my reflection as it occurred to me.
Image: Fr Peter Hung
I took time to look at the object and I was focusing all my attention on the image, after a while, the sculpture began to speak to me and revealed its meaning as I could understand. It seemed that God was speaking to me and helping me understand the significant meanings of this sculpture. So here was what I received:
The child was the focus of this sculpture. He was sleeping peacefully, and it seemed that he/she has no fear or anxiety
At a closer look, the child is like a baby lying in the womb before it is born. This suggests that God is not only a father figure, but he is also a mother, who is able to carry each one of us in God’s womb
The father gazes lovingly at the child which has his utmost attention and concern. Perhaps his whole focus is on the child as he looks at him. It seems to me that the father’s only concerns are about the child and nothing else
His two hands are supporting him and the child. He does not hold the child but let him to be free, that could mean God wants him to be himself. As I was gazing on this sculpture, I felt that God has been my refuge and my shield. He will protect me, since I am his child, and will care for me. God’s only concerns are about my well-being and safety. I also believe this applies to all of us.
I was extremely happy and felt deeply grateful to God who has revealed this amazing insight to me, so I can be closer to Him, who is my Creator and loves me unconditionally as his loving child.
I find it difficult to put into words what I experienced this morning as I was gazing on the beautiful sculpture. I just wanted to treasure it in my heart and will continue to reflect and meditate on it.
Church grows when disciples are spiritual multipliers of Christ-pointers
Being a Catholic doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is a disciple of Jesus. What defines a disciple according to Campus Crusade’s Christopher Adsit is, “a person-in-process who is eager to learn and apply the truths that Jesus Christ teaches him, which will result in ever deepening commitments to a Christlike lifestyle.”
Keeping this in mind, we can draw inferences from our roles as disciple-maker.
1. A catechist
‘Catechesis’ is a biblical word that has its root idea in being an ‘echo’. It isn’t the responsibility of the disciple-maker to re-teach the entire Catechism but he must believe and teach in accord to what has been handed down by Jesus Christ and the Church. In spite of 10 years of formal catechesis, our young Catholics don’t know a lot of what should be considered basic, for example, “What are the proofs for the divinity of Christ”, “Why did Jesus die on the Cross?”, “What is Sacred Tradition”, “Why is LGBT relationships wrong?”, etc. Without a renewal of the mind (Roms 12:2), it is very difficult to proceed to form convictions, actions and lifestyles.
Disciple-makers are catechists inasmuch as we offer “an apprenticeship in the entire Christian life” (General Directory of Catechesis #30 https://bit.ly/3T5FRIl). Of course, we move through stages of life so we may have various mentors for each one of these. To cite a few of these, disciple-makers of teenagers may need to focus on interior life, campus students on their gender roles, young adults on business and financial discipleship (e.g. Compass Catholic Finance), and the newly married on family life. Whichever of these areas of focus, disciple-makers must be witnesses and models, before they are teachers.
2. A companion for the spiritual journey
My modern inspiration for the ministry of accompaniment comes from Pope St John Paul II, who as a young priest went on picnics and kayaking with young people. Meeting them in their leisure time means becoming a foodie. We celebrate holidays and birthdays together. But as Pope Francis warns, ‘Spiritual accompaniment must lead others ever closer to God …To accompany them would be counterproductive if it became a sort of therapy supporting their self-absorption and ceased to be a pilgrimage with Christ to the Father.’ (Evangelii Gaudium aka Joy of the Gospel #170).
Listen to and invite them into spiritual conversations, “What do you think is the purpose of your life?”, “What are the significant moments in your spiritual journey and where are you right now?” “If Jesus were right here, what would you want Him to do for you?”. If they are baptised, invite them to Sunday Mass and continue regular meet-ups and fellowship events.
Like the story of the Little Prince befriending a fox who teaches him that the important things in life are visible only to the heart. So, meeting regularly with those on a spiritual journey and sharing stories of life with them is what builds authentic friendships (1 Thes 2:8). And it’s okay if some are not yet ready for discipleship. Some may be going through a personal crisis and may just need someone to talk to, even a referral to a counsellor. For others, time is limited as they have other commitments like part-time jobs.
But eventually, like Jesus who selected the Twelve to ‘be’ with him (Mark 3:14), invite those who have been proven to be faithful, available, contagious and teachable (F.A.C.T.) into a discipleship relationship. This starts with a presentation of the Gospel, with a step-by-step follow-up to train and build them up till they discover their unique vocation (Joy of the Gospel #171). We will discuss this process in greater detail in my later postings.
The goal of discipleship is to grow more disciples for the Church. Image Putta Gunawan, Pexels
3. A Christ-pointer
Jesus said, “Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Messiah” (Matt 23:11). While you are a disciple-maker, the person you are forming is not your disciple; he is Christ’s. Christ is the one who causes the growth. And sometimes, it means, that for whatever reason, the person may prefer to be discipled by someone else. Other times it may be due to a specialised area in which he may need mentorship: For example, how to be a disciple of Jesus in the medical profession. And that’s okay.
Ultimately the goal of the disciple-maker is two-fold. First, it is that the person we are discipling becomes a canonisable saint (Eph 1:4)! That he will be conformed to Christ (8:29)! That he will be filled with the divine nature (theosis, 2 Pet 1:4)! This formation of his character, of his being, should be a priority above everything else.
The second goal is for the one we are discipling to bear fruit, that he becomes a spiritual multiplier (2 Tim 2:2). The discipleship relationship only comes to some “end” when the one we are discipling has captured the conviction for Jesus Christ to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19).
Finally, note that the structure of the Church does have a formal provision for the ministry of disciple-making. It’s called God-parenting or being a sponsor. After Vatican II, the Church retrieved the ancient model of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) but it’s a shame that there’s not a lot of guidance to Godparents on how to effectively involve them in the process.
Are you ready to embrace these roles as a disciple-maker? What are some of your concerns as you undertake this responsibility?
Armed with the Rosary, the mission to save souls from the Devil
(Editor: The Month of October is dedicated to Mary and the Rosary. Today, 13 Oct, commemorates the day Mary declared she is the Lady of the Rosary at Fatima in 1917 before a huge crowd witnessed her Miracle of the Sun)
A few years ago on 2 October 2015, I was invited by a friend, Father Nguyen Huu Quang of the Don Bosco Order, to preach at a three-day retreat for the Brunswick parish, in Melbourne, Australia. This was in conjunction with the Catholic Church dedicating the month of October each year to the Most Holy Rosary.
This is linked to the annual liturgical feast Our Lady of the Rosary on 7 October that Pope St Saint Pius V established in 1573 in honour of the Blessed Virgin aiding a Catholic naval force in defeating an invading Turkish armada.
During the retreat in Melbourne, I shared with Vietnamese parishioners the meaning and origin of the Rosary, woven with the Hail Mary. When we meditate on the essential mysteries in Jesus’ life, from his conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary to his birth, then into adulthood when he goes forth and preaches the Good News of salvation so that all those who hear and believe may receive salvation, we are contemplating the mysteries of the Rosary. Here is my reflection on the Holy Rosary and the power of the Hail Mary.
Jesus’ public preaching and life of ministry tragically and lamentably ended on the cross which is reflected in the Sorrowful Mysteries. At Calvary, where He was crucified, Christ was suspended between two thieves. The Most Holy One, the only begotten Son of God, was in essence counted among the thieves, reviled and mocked, despised and ridiculed.
Those who passed by derided Him saying, “If you were truly the Son of God, come down from the Cross. He saved others; raising the dead; causing the lame to walk, the dumb to speak, the blind to see… so save yourself” (Matt 27:39-44). Faced with arrogant and obscene words, utterly challenging his power, Jesus kept silent. He did not get angry and punish the blasphemer who dared to profane God. That is also a valuable lesson for us. Jesus once said, “Learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” (Matt 11:28-30)
God’s fountain of grace flows from the Rosary mysteries
Then, in the Rosary, we too are invited to meditate on the Glorious Mysteries. This is our hope because Jesus has conquered death. Death and sin from then on will forever have no power over Him, for Christ was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. Death has been abolished by God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The powers of the Devil will not be able to do anything to us if we know how to unite ourselves with the resurrected Jesus Christ if we know how to give up our old self to put on a new self and live according to the spirit of Jesus Christ.
Since Christ is the head of the body, the Church, He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. He is the principle of our resurrection and later raises our bodies (Col 1:18).”
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you (Rom 8:11).”
Therefore, the Rosary helps us to meditate deeply on the main mysteries the Catholic faith teaches – the Incarnation (Joyful Mysteries), the Passion (Sorrowful mysteries) and finally the Resurrection (Glorious Mysteries). It is through this sincere meditation that we draw from God’s fountain of grace, reviving our religious life, and making it active and holy. I would like to quote the affirmation of the late Pope St John Paul II who said:
The Rosary has accompanied me in moments of joy and in moments of difficulty. To it, I have entrusted any number of concerns; in it I have always found comfort. Twenty-four years ago, on 29 October 1978, scarcely two weeks after my election to the See of Peter, I frankly admitted: the Rosary is my favourite prayer. A marvelous prayer! Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth … The simple prayer of the Rosary marks the rhythm of human life.”
As a child, I did not have the privilege of having knowledgeable Catholics, especially those older than me, teach me about the meaning of the graces of praying the Rosary. I remember vividly when I was about 9 years old, I accidentally picked up an old black plastic Rosary. A third of its crucifix was broken, but even though this rosary looked a little ugly and not very attractive, I liked to wear it around my neck.
I was so young then and I did not know how to pray the Rosary and meditate on the mysteries of Jesus’ life. I only knew how to say the Hail Mary. When it came to meditating on the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries, I did not learn them by heart and so did know how to recite them. But I was convinced the Rosary had some invisible power and believed the Devil fears it and will not dare to disturb me if I wore it around my neck.
As I got older, especially after I entered the seminary in Vietnam to become a priest, and when I joined the Redemptorist Congregation in Australia in 1983, I gradually developed a devotion to Mother Mary. In time I discovered my love for her and understood why she sent me a Rosary when I was nine. Although it was battered and a bit ugly, it was Our Lady’s way of expressing and making known her love for me at such a tender age to prepare me for my priestly vocation.
Subsequently, over time, I also discovered God’s love for me. Mother Mary has given many signs to tell me of my future mission and journey: That I will be a priest, even though there were times when I felt this was something unimaginable that will never happen.
Later, when I was ordained to the priesthood on 16 July 1994 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at Maidstone in Melbourne, I thought of this prophecy and silently thanked God and Our Lady from the depths of my grateful heart. After many years of hardship and suffering in my vocation journey, God finally allowed me to become His priest and the beloved son of Mother Mary, since I had consecrated myself to her on 15 September 1979 at my Vietnamese parish church in Duc My.
From what I have learnt, every time we say the Hail Mary, we share the joy of Mary’s heart. The greetings are the formation of so many spiritual roses offered to the Virgin Mary as if adorning her with a magnificent tiara, a garland on her head. In return, our Mother will place on the heads of her children an invincible crown of roses, of divine grace. This is the meaning and purpose of reciting the Hail Mary.
For me, the Hail Mary is my most favourite prayer. It is always on my lips and in my very breath. A good habit of mine is to always say the Hail Mary before I start doing something, especially important things: whenever I drive, particularly on long trips, and when I travel by air.
I do this because I desire Mary’s protection and I want to thank her for keeping me safe on my journeys. There is one thing that perhaps up until now, I have not been able to fully understand: that is whenever I am in danger or under attack by the Devil.
These situations usually happen in dreams, but sometimes, I felt as if I was fully conscious and aware of what was going on. There were times when I was so frightened that I screamed for help, hoping my friend in the next room or anyone at all, would hear my cry and quickly come to my rescue. At such times I was unable to speak and only murmured some sounds.
Too frightened, all I could do was to reach over my headboard and pick up the Rosary, usually hung at the top of my bed. With Rosary in hand, I was filled with courage and prayed the Hail Mary. Sometimes I said it out loud, sometimes just silently in my head, but in either mode, the Devil gradually left, and I was saved.
I now like to share with you a dream that is quite mysterious but very special to me, which I have recorded in my diary. Honestly, I still don’t fully understand its meaning, only some of it.
One evening a long time ago, I dreamt of many demons flying in the air, trying to catch the souls of many who were also flying. Whenever a demon touched any of them, that soul belonged to the Devil. I was troubled when I saw this and told Mother Mary that I wanted to snatch back the souls from the demons and save them for God.
I suddenly found that I had a Rosary in my hand and flying easily in the air, like “Batman”. I was amazed that I could fly and did my best to fly faster than the demons so that I could touch the souls first. Those I managed to touch were saved and the demons stopped chasing them. In my quest to save many souls for God I had to fight with those demons. Then, I woke up suddenly drenched in sweat, maybe because I was too scared or tried too hard to fly!
During the course of the day, I wrote in my diary all the details and feelings I still remembered, because I knew this was no ordinary dream. This could have been a vision the Lord had revealed to me, to let me know this was my priestly mission. I need to save souls and bring many back to God. The way, therefore, I can save these souls is through the Rosary as if it were a powerful weapon to fight against the Devil and bring victory to the Lord.
The Devil fears the names of Jesus and Mary
The mission to save souls with the Rosary
If I ever could have a better understanding of the meaning of the dream, I will be somewhat satisfied. What I have yet to understand, I believe God will slowly reveal this to me in His own time when I am ready to receive what He wants to tell me.
Coming back to the dream after waking up, I regained peace when I raised my voice to pray the Hail Mary and it seemed to me that Mother Mary also gave me strength. It can be said this prayer is quite powerful and the sharpest of weapons.
In saying this, I am fully aware and agree that the celebration of the Eucharist and the Church’s official prayers are preferable. Since the Eucharist is the source of grace and the summit of a Christian’s life.
But the Devil is very afraid of the Hail Mary. Every time we mention the name of our Mother – Holy Mary, Mother of God, and the super important name of Jesus Christ – blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus, demons are terrified and flee in disarray.
The holy patriarchs and saints of the Middle Ages confirm this, as well as the saints and past and present Popes who have had and have a special devotion and love for Mary.
Throughout the journey of my vocation, all the hardships I have endured, from childhood and adulthood to my time in the seminary, ordination and up till now, the one thing I cannot deny is this: if not for the love and protection of Mother Mary, I would not be where I am today. Her protection and support have helped me to overcome countless difficulties.
There were challenges that sometimes I thought I would never be able to conquer. I became dispirited and fell into despair many times. In such moments, I had wanted to give up and quit. I wanted to run away and leave it all to the flow of life, but Mother Mary never abandoned me. She didn’t leave me in despair, came to my rescue and helped me solve every problem so that I could continue my journey up to this day. Because of this, I made a vow to never forget the blessings she has bestowed on me. I will be forever grateful to her and God, who is a kind and loving Father.
As I wrote previously there are two women I cherish the most in my life. The first one is Mother Mary, my spiritual and holy Mother, who with her graces shaped me in the likeness of her Son, Jesus. The second one is my biological mother, who conceived and gave birth to me, raised me and taught me to love God and my neighbours as myself.
My life is truly happy because I always have Mother Mary. She will forever be the spring of my consecrated life to God. Mother Mary is everything to me and I, therefore, invite all of you to kindly repeat the short consecration prayer Pope St John Paul II composed. Please repeat each of the following sentences after me:
O my Mother, I am all yours And all I have is yours, Please guide me in everything
Pope Saint John Paul II The Great’s Prayer to The Virgin Mary, Totus Tuus
I wish that you will consecrate yourselves to Mother Mary by repeating this short consecration prayer. In doing so, we will become Marian soldiers, bearing crosses and Rosaries to fight for the success of her plans, and preparing for Christ to return in glory. Amen.
Main Image: Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation
POPES ON THE ROSARY
Pope Francis: The Rosary “is the weapon against the Great Accuser who ‘goes around the world seeking to accuse.’ Only prayer can defeat him.”
Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013): The Rosary is “the prayer of the Christian who advances in the pilgrimage of faith, in the following of Jesus, preceded by Mary … it is a means given by the Virgin for contemplating Jesus and, meditating on his life, for loving and following him always more faithfully.”
Pope John Paul II (1978-2005): “The Rosary is my favourite prayer … I would therefore ask those who devote themselves to the pastoral care of families to recommend heartily the recitation of the Rosary.”
Pope John Paul I (August 26–September 28, 1978) in Homily in 7 Oct 1973 before he was elected Pope five years later: “The Rosary, a simple and easy prayer, helps me to be a child again, and I am not ashamed of it at all.”
Pope Paul VI (1963-1978): “If evils increase, the devotion of the People of God should also increase … Pray ardently to our most merciful mother Mary by saying the Rosary during the month of October. This prayer is well-suited to the devotion of the People of God, most pleasing to the Mother of God and most effective in gaining heaven’s blessings.”
Pope John XXIII (1958-1963): “The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world.”
Pope Pius XII (1939-1958): “We do not hesitate to affirm publicly that We put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils of our times.”
Pope Pius XI (1922-1939): “A powerful weapon to put the demons to flight” … “Kings and princes, however burdened with most urgent occupations and affairs, made it their duty to recite the Rosary.”
Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922): “The prayer of the Rosary is perfect, because of the praises it offers, the lessons it teaches, the graces it obtains, and the victories it achieves.”
St. Pius X (1903-1914): “The Rosary is the most beautiful and the richest of all prayers to the Mediatrix of all grace; It is the prayer that touches most the heart of the Mother of God. Say it each day!”
Pope Leo XIII (1878- 1903): “The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.”
Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846): “The Rosary is a miraculous means, the most capable one amongst other means, to destroy sin and regain divine grace.”
Pope Innocent XIII (1721-1724): “The Rosary had been instituted by St. Dominic to appease the anger of God and to implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
Pope Paul V (1605-1621): “The rosary is a treasure of graces”
Pope Gregory XII (1406-1415): “The Rosary is a wonderful instrument for the destruction of sin, the recovery of GOD’s grace, and the advancement of His glory”
Pope Julius III (1550-1555): The Rosary is “the Glory of the Church.”
Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523): “The rosary is the scourge of the devil.”
Pope Leo X (1513-1521): The Rosary “was instituted to oppose pernicious heresiarchs and heresies.”
Pope Sixtus XI (1471-1484): This method of prayer, the Rosary, “redounded to the honour of God and the Blessed Virgin, and was well suited to obviate impending dangers”
Pope Gregory XI (1370- 1378): “The Rosary is this wonderful means to destroy sin and recover grace.”
Pope Benedict XII (1334-1342): “The Rosary is a sovereign remedy to errors and vices.”
Pope Urban IV (1261-1264): “Every day the Rosary obtains fresh boom for Christianity … There is a pious rite which, to be protected against the dangers threatening the world, consists in reciting … the Ave Maria, as many times as the Psalms of David, while saying before each decade the dominical prayer… With our Apostolic authority, we approve this psalter of the Virgin.”
(Editor: The Month of October is dedicated to Mary and the Rosary)
“God doesn’t hear me, He hasn’t answered my prayer…” this is a common doubt and refrain among the faithful. It is also one of the easiest methods ha-satan (“the satan”) uses to create a rift between us and Abba, Father. So what happens when we think God doesn’t even answer some of our prayers, how do we find the confidence that we can “get an answer” for the most important, most challenging moments of our lives?
The historical and spiritual significance of the Wedding at Cana
In the Talmud, wine is not only a symbol of joy and happiness but also a sign of the couple’s new life together. The Talmud also states that wine is a symbol of the Torah. Wine, in the Jewish tradition, is closely associated with the Sabbath, it marks the boundary lines and separates the holiness of the Holy Day from the secular character of the ordinary day.
In the Bible, God often described His relationship with His people as a marriage. He was the husband and His people were His bride. God expected His people to be devoted to Him alone and in His eyes having other gods (literal or metaphorical i.e. money) was forbidden. To Him, it was like adultery. In short, Marriage is very similar to the Sabbath. Both are covenantal, reciprocal love relationships.
Mother Mary teaches us How to Pray at Cana
On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you”
John 2:1-5
This passage is often taken to ascribe Mother Mary with a role as our intercessor and indeed she is. Just like our own earthly mothers, Mary is that gentle voice who intercedes for us with our Father. However, the Wedding at Cana has even more significance than most of us realise: it is a physical representation of the spiritual mechanisms which demonstrates our Father’s literal relationship with us, His children.
The Wedding at Cana demonstrates three key guidelines on how and what to pray: First, it makes us aware that before we ask/inform the Lord that we have a problem, He (and the servants He designates) already know. Second, contrary to popular belief, Mary does not make a request or supplication. Our mother simply states what the problem is, “they have no wine.” Finally, the Queen of Heaven demonstrates faith when she says, “do whatever he tells you”. Mary doesn’t assume Jesus will answer. She knows He will and what she makes clear is that she does not know what He will answer, hence “whatever he tells you”.
“Unanswered prayer” happens when we miss the forest for the trees
Mary casts light on “Unanswered Prayer”
The problem with “unanswered prayer” is that we often provide God our “suggested solution” in prayer and supplication but these are born of our mortal perspectives. Our omnipotent and omniscient Father takes a macro-perspective over the issues and challenges we face in the grand scheme of our lives and the grand plan. So, when we ask God to answer our prayers and look for His response in our suggested solutions, more often than not, we miss the forest for the trees while we are looking out things to happen as we imagine, missing that God has answered our prayer in a way that we did not expect. In essence, Mary shows us that preferred format to prayer is simply to state the problem aka “they have no wine” rather than provide a solution for God to follow.
Most importantly, our mother is emblematic of that fourth line in the Pater Noster, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – When Mary tells the servant to “do whatever He tells you” – she is in effect, asking you to listen to God and to be executors of His will on earth as it is in heaven. Hence, one needs to have biblical fearlessness in whatever the Lord wills for us.
Mom at the dinner table, undoing the knots of our lives
I sat on a bench outside of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, looking at the placid waters. Rosary in hand, and at the time, a printed sheet with the Novena to Mary, the Undoer of Knots, I prayed for a very personal, seemingly impossible intention.
On the next day, I took up the beads again, and the next day and the next. Soon, nine days had passed and then months passed before I realised that the seemingly impossible situation, had been reversed since the day I first prayed the rosary. When we pray the rosary, it is akin to a conversation with our mother at the dinner table. When we pray the Rosary daily, imagine the power of seeking advice and good counsel daily from the one human the devil fears.
According to Italian exorcist Fr. Sante Babolin, “while I was insistently invoking the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the devil answered me: ‘I can’t stand That One (Mary) any more and neither can I stand you any more.’”
Famed exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth confirmed this reality in his dialogues with the devil, where the devil said to him, “I am more afraid when you say the Madonna’s name, because I am more humiliated by being beaten by a simple creature, than by Him.”
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel”
A prayer during exorcism refers to a prophecy foretold in Genesis 3:15
During the Rite of Exorcism the priest will pray, “The glorious Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, commands you; she who by her humility and from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception crushed your proud head.” [check out the full read over at Aleteia]
The power of the Rosary
“There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot solve 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.”
Sister Lucia of Fatima
Through the Rosary, we get to live the life and trials of not only our Lord, but the spiritual journey of our mother from Annunciation (her fiat “let it be done to me as You will) to her Saviour and Son’s crucifixion (“a sword will pierce your heart”) and resurrection and eventually, her crowning as the Queen of Heaven. The Rosary is more than a devotion to Our Lady. By reflecting on Our Most Holy Mother’s experiences and the life of Jesus, we become more like the woman who bore all things for the sake of obedience to God’s will.
During Pope Francis’s general audience address in the library of the Apostolic Palace on 18 November 2020, the Pope pointed to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a model of prayer that transforms restlessness into openness to God’s will. At the Annunciation, the Virgin Mary rejected fear with a prayerful “yes,” even though she likely sensed that this would bring her tremendously difficult trials, how many more warriors for God would Satan fear if we all could be more like Mary, full of grace?
The Blessed Virgin undoes Eve’s sin with her complete obedience, fulfilling the prophecy and crushing the serpent
With Christ the focus of prayer, the Blessed Virgin teaches us to contemplate His face
(Editor: The Month of October is dedicated to Mary and the Rosary. Today, 7 October, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Read the origins of this feast: Battle of Lepanto)
Padre Pio or Saint Pius of Pietrelcina was known for his great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and fervently prayed her Rosary every day. He had several of the beads within reach so that he could easily pray it anytime, day or night.
One day he discovered the ones he kept under his pillow were not there and called a priest, Fr Onorato of San Giovanni Rotondo, for assistance and famously said, “Young man, get me my weapon, give me my weapon.”
To Padre Pio, born in 1887 and died 81 years later in 1968, the Rosary prayer is a powerful tool against Satan and his demonic minions. But the Italian Franciscan Capuchin priest and mystic was not the first or only Catholic to regard the Rosary as a spiritual weapon against the forces of evil.
Countless Popes since the 13th century up till the present time have similarly hailed the power of the Rosary as such. Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) in his encyclical, Ingravescentibus Malis, called it “a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight”.
In summoning all Catholics to pray the Rosary on 29 Sept 2018, Pope Francis said it “is the weapon against the Great Accuser (Satan) who ‘goes around the world seeking to accuse.’ Only prayer can defeat him.”
The Rosary is among the most powerful prayer that God, through His Mother Mary, has put in our hands to send the devil fleeing in fear in his attempts to disrupt our full Communion with God. It ranks high in the Church’s spiritual armoury, as Pope St John XXIII points out, “The Rosary is the glory of the Roman Church. As an exercise of Christian piety, it takes its place among the faithful after the Mass and the Sacraments.”
But what makes the Rosary prayer so powerful a spiritual weapon that forces demons to tremble in fear and scoot?
Pope St John XXIII ranks the Rosary after the Mass and Sacraments.
With Christ at the centre, heresies are destroyed
The most important point to remember is that every prayer we recite is addressed to God, even if we asked the saints to intercede for us. But Mary’s intercession is special and extraordinary.
And the Rosary prayer the Mother of God gave us is fully Christocentric because she puts her Son, Christ, at its centre and focus. And this is what gives the Rosary its potency.
But we need to step back and journey nine centuries in history to appreciate this fully.
Heresies are false doctrines that contradict Church teachings the devil uses to pollute the minds of Christians. And in the 13th century, the Albigensian heresy wreaked havoc among the faithful in Europe. It got its name from Albi, a city in southern France, where it originated.
The propagators of the heresy were the Cathari, a dualist religious movement there, who taught the falsehood that only the spiritual is good and that everything material is bad. In other words, they were spreading the lie that the human body, which God created, is evil, and every person’s soul is imprisoned in it.
To combat this false teaching, the Spanish priest Dominic Guzman went to France in 1208 to preach against it but his attempts largely fell on deaf ears. Exasperated, he retreated into a forest near Toulouse and entreated God to provide him with the means to overcome the heresy. It was there in his solitude of prayer that the Mother of God appeared to him.
The Virgin Mary instructed Dominic that he must preach her Psalter to succeed against the Albigensian heresy. The Marian Psalter is a meditative prayer the Cistercian monks had then just developed consisting of 150 Hail Marys and 10 Our Fathers.
Mary told Dominic her Psalter prayers must be accompanied by stories of Christ’s life – His Incarnation, Death, and triumphant Resurrection – that will debunk the Albigensian heresy. In Dominic’s hands the Psalter, which became known as the Rosary or literary “wreath of roses”, successfully defeated the heresy. It led to countless conversions and miracles.
Centuries later, Pope Leo XIII (1878- 1903), in recalling this remarkable event of Dominic’s, now saint, and the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Rosary, said,
Thanks to this new method of prayer… piety, faith, and union began to return [to France], and the project and devices of the heretics fell to pieces.”
Fr Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange, a respected Dominican theologian of the 20th century, added, “What the word of the preacher was unable to do, the sweet prayer of the Hail Mary did for hearts.”
A simple, effective Gospel that Mary teaches her children
It must be stressed that Our Lady designed the Rosary to teach every human being about her Son – including, more importantly, those who are illiterate and cannot read and write. This group were in large numbers in St Dominic’s time and this is also true today in many parts of the world.
In praying the Rosary, while meditating on the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious mysteries – and since 2002 the Luminous mystery that Pope John Paul II added – we learn Christ’s Gospel at Mary’s feet. Every mother knows their children far better than others, but Mary is extraordinarily different and special in knowing Her Son.
The Rosary places us at Mary’s feet, where she teaches us about God her Son, Jesus Christ.
As the Mother who bore the Second Person of the Holy Trinity for nine months in her womb, Mary, who was conceived immaculately, had no sin to hamper her ability to know God perfectly. She also raised Jesus and had the privilege of contemplating His face every single day, worshipping Him with all her heart.
Only she knows Christ far more and way above all the theologians and popes put together.
Mary is the perfect disciple of God and no one else in history can teach us more about the Saviour of the world than her. In the Rosary, she showers us with the abundant graces God has endowed her with to help us know Him with increasing fervour each day. Mary teaches all her children, even the illiterate, how to be Her Son’s perfect disciple.
We honour Mary in the Rosary when we welcome the Mother of God into our hearts and homes to illuminate our minds about Her Son Jesus and to give us more of Him. And this is the power behind the Marian Rosary prayer because this is how Mary, until our very last breath, raises us up to be faithful disciples and picks us up each time we fall.
This is why Satan and his forces of darkness are consumed with hatred for Mary and the Rosary. And we have witnessed and are still witnessing his diabolical attempts to discredit and attack her prayer. We have seen great numbers of non-Catholics charge that praying the Rosary is idolatry. Unfortunately, this has also swayed not a few Catholics, especially in their attempts to appease such distractors and as a result slack in praying the Rosary or no longer at all.
But we must soldier on in the face of these adversities and call on Mary, the help of all Christians, to be our shield and protector, just as she did for St Dominic during the Albigensian heresy.
As the great Marian Pope, St John Paul II, entreated all Christians, “Recite the Rosary every day. I earnestly urge Pastors to pray the Rosary and to teach people in their Christian communities how to pray it.”
Pope Francis: The Rosary “is the weapon against the Great Accuser who ‘goes around the world seeking to accuse.’ Only prayer can defeat him.”
Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013): The Rosary is “the prayer of the Christian who advances in the pilgrimage of faith, in the following of Jesus, preceded by Mary … it is a means given by the Virgin for contemplating Jesus and, meditating on his life, for loving and following him always more faithfully.”
Pope John Paul II (1978-2005): “The Rosary is my favourite prayer … I would therefore ask those who devote themselves to the pastoral care of families to recommend heartily the recitation of the Rosary.”
Pope John Paul I (August 26–September 28, 1978) in Homily in 7 Oct 1973 before he was elected Pope five years later: “The Rosary, a simple and easy prayer, helps me to be a child again, and I am not ashamed of it at all.”
Pope Paul VI (1963-1978): “If evils increase, the devotion of the People of God should also increase … Pray ardently to our most merciful mother Mary by saying the Rosary during the month of October. This prayer is well-suited to the devotion of the People of God, most pleasing to the Mother of God and most effective in gaining heaven’s blessings.”
Pope John XXIII (1958-1963): “The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world.”
Pope Pius XII (1939-1958): “We do not hesitate to affirm publicly that We put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils of our times.”
Pope Pius XI (1922-1939): “A powerful weapon to put the demons to flight” … “Kings and princes, however burdened with most urgent occupations and affairs, made it their duty to recite the Rosary.”
Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922): “The prayer of the Rosary is perfect, because of the praises it offers, the lessons it teaches, the graces it obtains, and the victories it achieves.”
St. Pius X (1903-1914): “The Rosary is the most beautiful and the richest of all prayers to the Mediatrix of all grace; It is the prayer that touches most the heart of the Mother of God. Say it each day!”
Pope Leo XIII (1878- 1903): “The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.”
Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846): “The Rosary is a miraculous means, the most capable one amongst other means, to destroy sin and regain divine grace.”
Pope Innocent XIII (1721-1724): “The Rosary had been instituted by St. Dominic to appease the anger of God and to implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
Pope Paul V (1605-1621): “The rosary is a treasure of graces”
Pope Gregory XII (1406-1415): “The Rosary is a wonderful instrument for the destruction of sin, the recovery of GOD’s grace, and the advancement of His glory”
Pope Julius III (1550-1555): The Rosary is “the Glory of the Church.”
Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523): “The rosary is the scourge of the devil.”
Pope Leo X (1513-1521): The Rosary “was instituted to oppose pernicious heresiarchs and heresies.”
Pope Sixtus XI (1471-1484): This method of prayer, the Rosary, “redounded to the honour of God and the Blessed Virgin, and was well suited to obviate impending dangers”
Pope Gregory XI (1370- 1378): “The Rosary is this wonderful means to destroy sin and recover grace.”
Pope Benedict XII (1334-1342): “The Rosary is a sovereign remedy to errors and vices.”
Pope Urban IV (1261-1264): “Every day the Rosary obtains fresh boom for Christianity … There is a pious rite which, to be protected against the dangers threatening the world, consists in reciting … the Ave Maria, as many times as the Psalms of David, while saying before each decade the dominical prayer… With our Apostolic authority, we approve this psalter of the Virgin.”
Christ entrusts us to the Blessed Virgin to teach, guide us to become His disciples
(Editor: The Month of October is dedicated to Mary and the Rosary)
For a long time, I have wanted to write and share with my family and dear friends about the love between me and Mother Mary, whom I have always loved. It can be said that my love for the Virgin Mary is passionate and sincere and it has been growing over time in my heart.
When I was a child, I often prayed to Mother Mary because I felt a closeness with her. Whenever I was misunderstood or bullied and could not explain or vindicate myself, I would go to our Blessed Mother and silently confide in her. I told her my sorrows because I knew she could understand what was in my heart, as she could see everything that had happened to me.
Because of this, I put my trust in Mother Mary and often went to her, especially when I needed help. Over time, I felt the Mother of God’s favour and love, especially the maternal love she had for me.
In my teenage years, I became a catechist and consecrated myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary at my Duc My parish church, where my family had lived since 1963. A few of them still live there.
Consecration to Mary and God’s plan
I subsequently joined the consecrated group of Mary with the purpose of asking Our Lady to guide me in my spiritual life, so that I could become the “beloved disciple of Jesus” and lead many lost souls back to the Lord, her Son.
Honestly, at the time, especially during the years from 1975-1979, I had no clue that it was God’s plan to train and prepare me for a future journey. In His own time, when it was ripe, He would call and invite me to commit myself to follow Him and be His disciple as a priest.
Before joining the Lam Bich Seminary – then an underground Catholic institution in the Diocese of Nha Trang in 1979 – I was both a catechist and choir member in my parish. In addition, I was also the leader of the altar servers. Thanks to this job, I was close to the Lord’s altar every day and, perhaps, through this proximity my heart was continuously kindled by the Lord’s sweet fire of love for His Eucharistic table, that is, the Mass.
Two years after I started my studies at the seminary to become a priest I had to escape Vietnam by boat in 1981 because the communist military was hunting me as I refused to join their military training to fight a war (read my story)
I was forced to continue my vocation elsewhere but faced an uncertain future for months in a refugee camp at Pulau Bidong island in Malaysia. Fortunately, in 1982, the Australian government allowed me to resettle in their country. There, I was able to continue to pursue my vocation.
During these trials, I became more aware of God’s will and what He had already planned for me. I was convinced that since I was a child, He had prepared my journey to the priesthood, and with time this fact had increasingly become evident, as He plainly revealed His will to me.
Unworthy of God’s call
At first, when I discovered God’s will for me to become His priest, I was scared and felt unworthy. I was afraid I would not have the ability and intelligence to pursue Seminary studies as I knew it was not easy. Furthermore, I did not think I had the qualifications and piety to be a disciple of the Lord and had countless times rejected His call.
But with God there is nothing that He cannot do, and no one can run away from His hand, if He has chosen a person to make a commitment to follow Him. Those who have experienced God’s will to be priests or religious men and women will testify to this conviction on my behalf.
Whenever I had the opportunity to meet with my brother priests and religious men and women, we exchange notes on our vocation journey. All of us had similar stories: we discovered the will of God and were ultimately convinced of our respective vocations. A common theme among my brother priests is that they initially also tried to refuse the Lord’s invitation, as the vast majority felt unworthy of the great mission God wants to entrust them with.
One among their number remarked, “Running in the sky can’t escape the sun!” We all affirm that no one can escape the hand of the Lord or run away from his sight if God has chosen a person.
Mary conceived us in the spiritual life and gave birth to me as a child of God.
Psalm 139:1-14 confirms this: 1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Now, on looking back after being a priest for 28 years, I am evermore convinced that entering a religious life requires a vocation and God’s grace. If He calls and chooses us, then we can faithfully follow Him. Otherwise, even with our own human strength, it will be impossible to remain steadfast in our vocation, be it as a priest or a member of religious life. No matter how strong our will is, or whether it is because our parents or family members wish for us to become a priest or nun, it will not come to pass if God does not call a person. And if it is not His will, no one can go forward and be faithful to the very end. I am convinced of this through personal experience. I don’t think that I would have become priest if God did not call me.
The priesthood is such a great and wonderful gift from God and He has given it to me. This is not something I will ever be able to thank Him enough.
I now want to return and share more deeply the love that Mary has shown me over the past 60 years. I have confided several times to my dear friends that there are two women whom I love the most. One is my beloved biological mother who conceived and gave birth to me. She worked so hard to raise and teach me to respect and love God. She passed on to me her great faith. The other is the Virgin Mary, my spiritual Mother. Mary conceived me in the spiritual life and gave birth to me as a child of God.
Hanging on the Cross, Christ gave us His Mother.
Indeed, if we take the time and learn about Mary’s role in God’s work of salvation, it was Jesus who entrusted His beloved Mother to us, when He was hung on the cross (See John 19:25-27).
Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
John 25-27
When Jesus knew that he was about to leave this life to return to the Father, His love for His disciples to the end was evident. He entrusted each of us to His beloved Mother Mary, so that she can continue to teach and guide us on His behalf on how to become “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”
What is unique and very profound about the author of the Fourth Gospel, understood to be Saint John, is that he does not specify the name of “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. So, any of us can become that disciple, provided we have no fear and do not forsake Him in the Passion, but courageously follow the Lord and to dare stand at the foot of the cross. Only, then, can we be worthy of being “the disciple whom Jesus loves.
He wants us, like St John, to take Mary into our home. Which is to welcome her into our hearts, into our family, so that she will become a spiritual mother, the Mother of all Christians and the Disciples who Jesus chose.
Mary was the first teacher in Jesus’ life from the moment He was born till He began His public ministry. Today, she continues that role for us, who are her children. The Blessed Virgin will use the graces that God has given her to surround us, and at the same time, use the privileges that God has given her to consecrate us, making us excellent children of God.
Let’s recall the story of how Rebecca covered Jacob’s hands with wool. It is the story of Jacob receiving the blessing of his father Isaac through the care and skill of his mother.
Mary and the Story of Jacob
Years after the elder son, Esau, sold his birthright to Jacob, their mother, Rebecca, who loved her second child deeply, obtained this blessing for him by her own skill.
Seeing that he was old, Isaac wanted to bless his children before he died. He called and told Esau, his beloved son, to hunt and bring him something to eat, before he would bless him. On learning this, Rebecca immediately told Jacob what was going on and sent Jacob to fetch two young goats from the family’s herd. When Jacob gave them to his mother, she cooked them the way Isaac liked and served him the dish. She then dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and covered his hands and neck with goat skin. Isaac, who was blind and despite hearing Jacob, thought it was Esau when he touched the skin of his hand.
But he was surprised on hearing a voice he thought was Jacob’s and summoned him to come nearer. Isaac felt the hairs that covered Jacob’s hands and said although the voice was indeed Jacob’s the hand was Esau’s. After he finished eating and drinking, Isaac kissed Jacob, thinking it was Esau and smell the scent of Jacob’s clothes. He blessed the younger son and asked him to pour down upon him the dew of heaven and the fruit of the earth. He made Jacob the master of all his brothers and ended with these words: ‘Woe to those who curse me and blessed to those who bless me’.
This story (Gen 25:19-34) helps us to understand the importance of the intervention of Rebecca, Isaac’s wife, in blessing their second son. With her guidance and support, Jacob was blessed by his father. This also helps us to understand the meaning and role of Mother Mary in interceding with God to ask Him to bless us as her children.
Mary will know how to adorn us with the privileges she has, and it is through this splendid adornment that we will go forth courageously and proudly before the presence of God. He will then pour out countless blessings on our lives. It is, for this reason, Saint Louis de Montfort encouraged and suggested that we consecrate ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He explained clearly and convincingly how to practise devotion to her in his work, True Devotion to Mary. This devotion has been openly endorsed by many Popes (see below) in the Catholic Church.
Before I officially consecrated myself to Mary, I had the opportunity to read Saint Louis’ work in the Vietnamese language and that book had a great influence on me. He helped me see the importance of the act of consecration to Mary because through it she will lead us directly to Jesus, her beloved Son. At the same time, Mary will also give us, her children, the privileges she has received from God in order to sanctify us and to make us most perfectly like Jesus. This is the safest and most secure path to holiness that Saint Louis wants to teach us.
Our Mother in Heaven has God’s ears
Before I decided to escape from Vietnam in November 1981 in the hope of continuing my vocation, I prayed to Mother Mary. I asked her to grant me three special petitions:
1. Please allow me to escape from Vietnam successfully
2. Please let me become a priest
3. Please let my brother-in-law, Tran Dinh Viet, who was at the Vinh Phu’s concentration Camp in the North, be released and reunited with his family.
All three of my petitions were answered by Mother Mary. She granted my first petition because I successfully escaped Vietnam to Malaysia on a small wooden boat. Despite the big waves and strong winds, and fierce storms, the boat finally landed safely at Pulau Bidong, Malaysia, after 5 days at sea. For us, those who were present on the rickety boat, this was a great miracle from God to manifest His mighty power to rescue us from all our troubles and give us a chance to survive and rebuild our lives.
The Mother of God also granted my second petition as I was ordained a priest in July 1994, almost 12 years since arriving in Australia.
The final petition the Blessed Virgin granted came in 1984. After the communist government put my brother-in-law in a concentration camp in Vinh Phu province for nearly 10 years, they finally released him to be reunited with his family. This was a great joy for our family, especially for my eldest sister, his wife.
For me, these were clear signs of Mother Mary’s kindness and immense love for me, because she granted me everything I had asked of her. Needless to say, I was extremely happy and will always be eternally grateful to Mary and God.
Whatever she has given me, I consider them gifts from her generosity, because I do not dare to ask her for more favours. Only in recent years, I have secretly thought and wanted to tell her the one last thing I have been dreaming of and this is to please come and take me to heaven when I close my eyes to leave this world.
This is probably my deepest and last dream. I hope that Mother Mary will answer my petition.
My prayer to Our Blessed Mother
O Mary, my beloved Mother. You know how much I love you. My life is happy because you are always with me. You saved me from death on my journey across the ocean. You also helped me overcome many hardships and difficulties when so many times I wanted to give up, as I felt these things were beyond my capacity. Your love has supported me throughout my life, and you have given me the grace to be able to do the things that I want to do. Everything I have is yours and I acknowledge that You have done everything in my life. May I always belong to you, and love you till the end of my life.
I would also like to thank God with all my heart for He has loved me immensely, despite my sinfulness. May I always be faithful to you, my dearest Mother Mary till the end of my life.
Your beloved son, Fr Peter Hung Tran
THE POPES ON TRUE DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Pope Saint Pius X (1903–14): “I heartily recommend True Devotion to The Blessed Virgin, so admirably written by [Saint] De Montfort, and to all who read it grant the Apostolic Benediction … There is no surer or easier way than Mary in uniting all men with Christ.”
Pope Benedict XV (1914–22): “A book of high authority and unction.”
Pope Pius XI (1922–39): “I have practiced this devotion ever since my youth.”
Pope Pius XII (1939–58): “God Alone was everything to him. Remain faithful to the precious heritage, which this great saint left you. It is a glorious inheritance, worthy, that you continue to sacrifice your strength and your life, as you have done until today.”
Pope St Paul VI (1963–78): “We are convinced without any doubt that devotion to Our Lady is essentially joined with devotion to Christ, that it assures a firmness of conviction to faith in Him and in His Church, a vital adherence to Him and to His Church which, without devotion to Mary, would be impoverished and compromised.”
Pope St John Paul II (1978–2005): “The reading of this book was a decisive turning point in my life. I say ‘turning-point,’ but in fact it was a long inner journey . . . This ‘perfect devotion’ is indispensable to anyone who means to give himself without reserve to Christ and to the work of redemption.” . . .” It is from Montfort that I have taken my motto: ‘Totus tuus’ (‘I am all yours’). Someday I’ll have to tell you Montfortians how I discovered De Montfort’s Treatise on True Devotion to Mary, and how often I had to reread it to understand it.”
SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL ON MARY(1962-1965)
‘The maternal duty of Mary toward men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. All her saving influence on men originates not from some inner necessity, but from the divine pleasure. It flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on His mediation, depends entirely on it and draws all its power from it.’ . . . ‘The practices and exercises of devotion to her recommended by the Church in the course of the centuries [are to] be treasured.’ (Lumen Gentium: 60, 67).
As the Desert Fathers discovered, the Lord meets us in the stillness of isolation
On Tuesday, a fortnight ago, I had an opportunity to visit Helen Hutt Falls in North Cheyenne Cañon Park. Three days later I went to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Both are in Colorado Springs, and on those occasions, in my solitude, I had an encounter with God that opened the way to find Him in me.
Solitude is a state of being completely cut off from all human contact, and sometimes stresses a loneliness such as that of a hermit.
Today, I like to share with you these two spiritual experiences that touched me very deeply and helped me to be aware that God is present in our inner being – that we could find Him within ourselves. This experience echoes the prayer of St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) “Late Have I Loved You” which he wrote in his book, Confessions,
Late have I loved you, O beauty, ever ancient, ever new! Late have I loved you. And see, you were within and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely, created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The lovely things kept me far from you, though if they did not have their existence in you, they had no existence at all. You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours.
Finding God in stillness and solitude
As I was reading this magnificent prayer of St Augustine by the bank of the stream, my eyes focused on the still water that ran so calmly and smoothly. The shallow water was so clear and still that I could see right through to the bottom of its bed.
As I was sitting there silently, I entered into a stillness and solitude, listening to the water flow gently. It created a beautiful sound that calmed me, and, in that tranquillity, I was able to see myself clearly as who I am. I discovered a great insight: If I want to see me as I am, I need to enter solitude and be still. In absolute stillness and solitude, I can find me and if I can do this, then, I will be able to find God’s presence within me.
I was so happy at this great discovery because it helped me to understand that this way, all of us can find God within ourselves. But it is important we must first have to be still and enter into solitude. Without these conditions, it will be difficult to encounter the Lord. In saying this, I am not denying the possibility some of us could still find God in the marketplace.
The majesty of the forests reveals the presence of God in His marvelous creations.
My second spiritual experience was on Friday, 23 September at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. The purpose of this exercise was to find God in the forest, to experience Him in nature and see how He manifests Himself through His creation.
So, I set out alone and walked slowly on the trail that led me through the meadows and forests of so many beautiful pine trees. During my stroll, I could hear clearly the sound of winds which gently blew on my face. It refreshed me and I felt so energetic and eager to walk for a longer distance.
The breathtaking majesty and beauty of the entire landscape motivated me to embark on this quiet journey. They revealed the presence of God in His marvellous creations. I was so overwhelmed with joy that as a result experienced a deep inner peace, as though I was one with nature. It was totally relaxing, and I felt as if my body was afloat.
The secret of the Desert Fathers
I contemplated the beauty of nature that was enveloping me and, at that moment, an inspired thought appeared in my mind: If I have the courage to enter solitude and not be afraid of the silence or loneliness or anything else, I can experience God’s presence and find Him in me. This insight was like a treasure that I just discovered after so many years of searching for it. I thanked God from the bottom of my heart for revealing it to me during my walk in the forest.
Perhaps, this is a spiritual secret of the Fathers who lived in the desert many centuries ago. They had found God in their solitude and in the silence of the desert.
Through this personal experience, I also discovered why Jesus was taken into the desert and for 40 days. I believe that in such a place we can encounter God and be united with Him.
As we witness from the Gospels, Jesus often goes into a lonely place or up a mountain to be alone in solitude to pray. Up there or in the desert is a special location where we can easily experience God within ourselves.
Next time, if you want to encounter God, you should do a silent retreat, visit a forest or national park or sit by the riverbank by yourself, in quietness and solitude. I am certain you will be able to find God in your own heart.
Do not be afraid to journey alone into the desert or forest. Only by doing this courageously, you will be able to find Him who is always longing to meet you. He will reveal to you as He really is, the God of love and mercy, slow to anger and ready to forgive us for all our sins.
Alone in the wilderness, we can easily find God within us.Photo Fr Peter Hung Tran
Excerpt from the handout for the Sabbatical Program (Fall 2022) at Mercy Center in Colorado Springs:
In being alone I became one with all creation. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, a famous Russian novelist, says, “Being alone from time to time is more necessary for a common human being than eating and drinking.”
Now if the Angel of Solitude leads you into this experience of your humanity, then you lose all fear of loneliness and of being left alone. I wish the Angel of Solitude for you. I hope it will lead you into a fruitful solitude, where you can get to know yourself as you really are, where there’s no point in making yourself interesting to others.
Solitude is an essential part of everyone’s Spiritual Journey. Jesus endured solitude when he fasted for 40 days in the wilderness.
Now I suggest that you take 15 minutes to find a quiet place to endure solitude, come back and share with others what you discovered about yourself.
