I begin with the passage for today for the preparation of the consecration of oneself to Our Lady according to the method of Saint Louis de Montfort, the True Devotion to Mary.

Imitation of Christ: Book 3, Chapter 13
Of the Obedience of One in Humble Subjection,
After the Example of Jesus Christ

My son, he that endeavoreth to withdraw himself from obedience, withdraweth himself from grace; and he who seeketh for himself private benefit (Matt. 16:24), loseth those which are common. He that doth not cheerfully and freely submit himself to his superior, it is a sign that his flesh is not as yet perfectly obedient unto him, but oftentimes kicketh and murmureth against him. Learn thou therefore quickly to submit thyself to thy superior, if thou desire to keep thine own flesh under the yoke. For more speedily is the outward enemy overcome, if the inward man be not laid waste. There is no worse nor more troublesome enemy to the soul than thou art unto thyself, if thou be not well in harmony with the Spirit. It is altogether necessary that thou take up a true contempt for thyself, if thou desire to prevail against flesh and blood. Because as yet thou lovest thyself too inordinately, therefore thou art afraid to resign thyself wholly to the will of others. And yet, what great matter is it, if thou, who art but dust and nothing, subject thyself to a man for God’s sake, when I, the Almighty and the Most Highest who created all things of nothing, humbly subjected Myself to man for thy sake?

I became of all men the most humble and the most abject (Luke 2:7; John 13:14), that thou mightest overcome thy pride with My humility. O dust! learn to be obedient. Learn to humble thyself, thou earth and clay, and to bow thyself down under the feet of all men. Learn to break thine own wishes, and to yield thyself to all subjection.

Now this meditation speaks about the humility and obedience of Our Lord, which you should meditate on, but it also reminds me of the obedience of Our Lady. I was reading the Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri the other day and came across the following:

“[If] executioners had been wanting…[Mary] herself would have crucified [Christ] in obedience to the Will of the Father, who had decreed He should die for our salvation…[with] more resolution [than Abraham had in consenting to sacrifice his son] , as she was holier, and more obedient than Abraham.”

I was taken aback by this statement, as I do not think of it enough. The Saint continues to describe Mary’s obedience and leads to discussing that a motive for this obedience is her love for each one of us. She loves you more than all the love of the saints combined. It’s a love that is so contrary to the ‘love’ that so many profess these days. It’s a love we are seeking for, yet so many turn from this tender Mother. Why?

Rest in Mary’s arms. Make her your safeguard, your refuge. Be a true son of the Blessed Mother, our model in obedience and our guide in imitating Christ.