We propose to your attention this pious practice that explains what St. Louis Grignion de Monfort mentions in the “Treaty of True Devotion to Mary” in steps 266-273.
The devoted soul will not fail to notice, through practice, the implementation of a real inner path that, starting from the renunciation of our nothingness, leads to the top of the union with Christ through entrustment to Mary. Union that is destined to be consolidated with the habit of retracing these inner passages.
The beginning of this journey can only begin from prostrating itself before God, recognizing one’s own nothingness and renouncing our inner darkness.
An act of total entrustment to Mary of ourselves follows(Totus tuus ego sum…) and of all that belongs to us(et omnia mea tua sunt)and begs her that she may come to us to give birth to the Savior. We ask that our soul, however unworthy and unworthy, may take the place of that Holy stable that hosted the Incarnation of the Lord.
The inner process continues to the climax in which we invite Jesus to rise and come to the holy place of His rest, and to the ark of Hissanctification (Surge, Domine, in requiem tuam, et in arca sanctificationis tuae).
From his climax we invoke the descent into us of this sum Light through Mary: “Deh, descend again, I beg you and I beg you, descend back into Mary, your inseparable bride, whose bosom is just as pure and whose heart is no less inflamed with divine love than a day, and please descend even in my soul, otherwise neither Jesus, nor Mary, will be formed there, nor worthily housed.“
Finally he rests in adoration of the Holy Manger letting love permeate our hearts and all being, in adoration and thanksgiving, prostrated like slaves in front of the door where King and Queen dwell.
The process culminates with the act of questioning and confidence where we ask the divine guests who have honored us with Their visit, the graces we need.
Finally, we would like to point out that this inner path is not dissimilar to what happens in the recitation of the three Mysteries of the Holy Rosary in which, having reached the climax at the height of Calvary (as in Holy Mass), the light descends back into Mary even if in reality, the “descent” of light into Mary can only be an lure to itself in the Assumption and coronation.
Every time, therefore, we retrace these inner “binaries” we only evoke that mystical marriage that constitutes the culmination of what is called the united way. We therefore hope that we too can one day have the grace to live even a glimmer of that mystical experience of supreme union which, in any case, even if granted to a few in a perfect way, must be the goal of every Christian.
After these considerations, which we offer to your meditation, we attach to you the “Communion with Mary” according to the Monfort method. We hope to welcome you.
Hail Mary!
Preparation for St. Communion with Mary
According to the Montfort B. method [1]
Act of self-renunciation and union with Mary.
— My God, I deeply humble myself before you, recognizing me unworthy of being in your presence, not only because I am a vile creature, and you, my Creator, are omnipotence and infinite majesty; but much more to be I sinner and you the same purity and holiness.
I therefore give up and put in the hands of Mary SS. how much by your grace I may have good, not being me for my malice, but a cluster of corruption.
I also give up the same provisions that I have procured to pre-empt, or press, this great act that I am about to perform, although my self-love may seem good.
I renew my consecration to Mary your Firstborn among all creatures, and Mother of the Incarnate Word telling her with all the affection of the heart: I am all yours, my sweet Mistress, and it is yours all that I own: Tuus totus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt.
I therefore earnestly beg you, my good Mother, to swear at your heart, so that in it I may welcome your Divine Son, with your own dissparation.
You see well, O Mary, that the glory of Jesus would go away, if I received him in a heart as stained as mine, and so inconstant, that at the first opportunity he might disgust him, or even seriously offend him.
Deh, for that dominion you have over our hearts, rejoice in coming to dwell in me, akin to welcoming yourselves to your dear Son, who will thus find an excellent welcome in your immaculate Heart, since in it He will certainly not run the risk of receiving offenses, nor of being driven away from it; Deus in medium eius non commovebitur.
Act of confidence. — (IT) And now allow me, incomparable my Sovereign, to speak to you even more confidentially. I am well aware that all my goods, given to you and consecrated, are very small, to honor you; but here is that with Holy Communion that I am about to receive, I can and I want to give you the same immensely great gift that heavenly Father gave you one day. Ah, that this is a gift of which you are most honored, than of all the goods of the world, if I had them and could offer them to you!
You well know, My Sweet Queen, that that Jesus who infinitely loves you, also desires immensely to take in you his divine complacency by resting in you as in the day of his Incarnation, even if this must take place in my soul, much more unreliable and poorer than that stable where he had no difficulty in being born.
For the love you bring to Jesus, grant what I have asked you about him, and I come back to ask you instantly, give me your pure and ardent Heart, while I take you, O dear Mother, in place of all my good; Accipìo Te, in mea omnia: praebe mihi cor tuum, o Maria! Ah yes, I repeat it with very lively transport of love, I take you in place of all my good; O Mary, deh, give me your heart.
N.B. — Then addressing each of the Three Divine people, including deep reverence, accompanied by unlimited trust in Divine Goodness, you will say three times the Domine non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo et sanabitur anima mea followed by the respective prayer.
To the Divine Father. — Domine, not sum dignus, etc. Eternal Father, I confess that I am not worthy of the bad thoughts and ingratitudes I have committed against you, my Creator and very tender Father, to receive the Only Begotten Your Son.
Nevertheless, the Augusta my Queen Mary inspires me singular trust and confidence in Your Divine Majesty; Quoniam singulariter in spe constituisti me. From you chosen to Mother of Your Divine Word, she was so humble that she wanted to be her call and be your slave of love: Except ancilla Domini. You therefore supremely pleased yourselves in her, and exalted her above all creation, and on the most excellent hierarchies of the Angels. But even on earth you want to glorify her, the more she loved to live hidden and humiliated, during her earthly pilgrimage. You want to please her in all that she desires and what she asks for us, everything obtains from your Heart, having granted her prayers so much hope, which they have almost reason for command.
Óra behold, in my turn, with my ineffable and supreme happiness, although unworthy of so much fortune, I am a slave of love to Mary, and She is my sweet Sovereign, having consecrated myself entirely to her, and stripping me of all that you have given me in the order of nature and grace, to give it to her.
Can you therefore reject, O Lord, however miserable and cowardly, a creature that is all in the possession of the one you love intimately more than all creation?
Of course not. All the more so because you see her doing my parts with Your Divine Majesty; and therefore make up for at all times the defect of my soul, so wretched and poor in virtue.
To the Divine Son. — Domine, not sum dignus, etc. Eternal Son, though I am not worthy to receive you, because of my useless and bad words, and my infidelity in your service, deh, nevertheless desire to have mercy on me, for I will introduce you into the House of your Mother and mine; and I will then be given never to let you ever leave me again, while, as I hope from Mary’s powerful intercession and your grace, I shall always be united with her: Tenui eum, nec dimittam, donec introducam illum in domum matris meae et in cubiculum genitricis meae (Cant III 4) Orsù get up, O Jesus, please, and come to the place of your rest, and to the ark of your sanctification: Surge, Domine, in requiem tuam, et in arca sanctificationis tuae.
Unlike Esasu, O Lord, I do not want to trust, nor do I trust at all in the merits of mei, as well as in the efforts made to prepare myself well, but rather fully trust in those of Mary, my dear Mother, as the little Jacob already trusted in Rebecca’s maternal care. I dare, though sinner and new Esasu, to approach your holiness; solely leaning on the merits, and adorned with the virtues of your Holy Mother.
To the Holy Spirit. Domine, etc. Eternal Holy Spirit, I am not worthy of receiving the masterpiece of your infinite charity, due to my lukewarmness, the wickedness of my actions and my resistance to your aspirations. But all my confidence is placed in Mary, your faithful Bride: Haec mea maxima fiducia est; haec tota ratio spei meae.
Deh, descend again, I beg you and I beg you, descend back into Mary, your inseparable bride, whose bosom is just as pure and whose heart is no less inflamed with divine love than a day, and please descend even in my soul, otherwise neither Jesus, nor Mary, will be formed there, nor worthily housed.
Thanksgiving to Maria.
N.B. — Standing inwardly gathered and with your eyes down, you will introduce Jesus Christ into the Heart of Mary, serving you for the following aspirations
No soul, however great and holy, ever there was nor will there ever be that it may receive so lovingly and worthily Jesus, like you, or Mary.
I therefore give it to you, my sweet Lady, so that for me you place it honorablely, for me deeply you love it, and perfectly love it and embrace it for me closely, give them in spirit and truth those many tributes that he deserves, and you alone are able to give him, while the thick darkness of my mind, do not even allow me to imagine them.
And what can I ever do or say, if not keep myself deeply humiliated in my poor heart in the presence of Jesus who resides in you, O Mary? …
Indeed I am now as a slave at the door of the King’s palace, where he is in conversation with the Queen, and in the meantime that you, my Sovereign, and Jesus my King, speak together, without needing me, I go in spirit in heaven and throughout the earth, praying to all creatures to want to thank, worship and love for me You , my sweetest loves Jesus and Mary: Come adoremus, come adoremus.
But my soul returns to You, as a dove at its nest, as a thirsty deer at the source, because love does not allow me to converse with creatures, while I am in possession, through you, or Mary, of the Creator of the world!
Act of question to Jesus. — Here I am, O my Jesus, all united with you, and with your Immaculate Mother! Allow me, therefore, that in union with her, I speak to you and ask you for some favor worthy of you, immortal God, generous and great in your works, and even more so in your mercies. I ask you how much you have taught me to ask your Heavenly Father: Adveniat regnum tuum; the coming, I ask you, of your kingdom on earth through your Holy Mother.
Sir, some graces still especially for me… for dear mei… for our homeland, for Christianity as a whole! I ask you for divine wisdom, your holy love, forgiveness of my sins, and sins of the whole world, the conversion of sinners and infidels, the triumph of the Church, peace among nations, the grubbing-up of heresies, the union between dissident Churches to the one true Church.
For that love of predilection that you wanted to manifest for childhood souls, I ask you, O Jesus, to preserve innocence in children, and christian faith and morality in youth, now more than ever so insidious, as well as the salvation of infidel children.
Give me again, very sweet Redeemer and lover of my soul, the help and strength to carry out in all and forever your SS. will, in Mary, with Mary and for Mary. Above all, allow me through her the grace never again to separate me from you: to separate me from You; and to persevere constantly in faith and good works to the point of death.
At last I recommend to you the poor souls of Purgatory, and those in particular who for some special title, more particularly belong to me, or for whom I am most obliged to pray.
Act of humility and confidence. — Ah, that I do not deserve to be heard for my many ingratitudes! But you, my God, infinitely good, do not look at my sins; Respicias, Domine, sinful mea. But your eyes see only in me the virtues and merits of Mary: Sed oculi tui videant equitates Mariae!
Remembering my sins, what else can I do, O Lord, but to accuse myself again of having been yours and my enemy, who with such blindness, baldness and ingratitude committed them? Inimicus homo hoc fecit; “I am myself my worst enemy who have committed these sins.” But you who, with the power of your grace, transformed a persecuting Saul of your Church, into a pot of choice, you can well as a villain who is, to make this soul good. Deh, change me adunque, O Lord, do not abandon me to myself, in which I can find nothing but iniquity: Ab homine iniquo et arson eripe me. Let me strip myself of the old Adam, to clothe me all the new that you are, Jesus good, holy, very amiable and very loving husband, brother, father and very tender friend of souls. Indeed, may where sin abound, abound now your grace, in sight and in favor of Mary, my sweet Sovereign and dear Mother.
Give me, O Jesus, your spirit of humility, mes habit, patience, sacrifice, love and charity with my neighbour. Ah! yes, live in me, so that I may live in You, of You, and for you, indeed more do not live I but live You in me, and may he say truth to your Apostle: I live ego, jam non ego, vivit true in me Christus.
It is therefore necessary for you to grow up in my soul, and for me to decree ognor more, for all to give my faults to your virtues, my Pride to your divine grace, my ill-will to your adorable blessing: You oportet grow, me autem minui. Ah yes, my Jesus, it is right, it is necessary for me that you grow in my soul, and that I decree. If they do not deserve to be granted these pleas of mine, it deserves it but the Mother your most holy, who presents them to me.
And you SS. Vergine, Queen my sweetest, from whom I expect every good, give me access to the heart of Jesus, make me scale to such a height of wisdom and holiness, and allow this unworthy slave of yours of love, to tell you the way. Even the child often dares to suggest to his dear mother how he longs to be favored and consoled. I ask you a great deal, it is true; but I ask you about your divine Son. So you know that I want from you, what actually makes me need it? … that you first grow in me, and that I am less than I have been. If you granted me, one day this already sinful soul will be holy. Growth and multiplecamini: “O Jesus and Mary, grow in me and multiply even in others. ” Spread your kingdom throughout the earth, and it will be an early paradise! Establish it now in this heart, which yearns so much for the Supreme Good, and will be happy in time, blessed in eternity! Adveniat, fiat!
[1] The practice is taken from a book, printed in 1935, entitled ” A Secret of Happiness – Manual of TrueDevotion to Mary SS. Andthe Association of the Miraculous Medal “, which ended providentially in our hands. At the time, the Grignion had not yet been proclaimed Saint, this being in 1947 by Pope Pius XII.
