Today is the Feast of Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716), the French priest who is best known for his influence upon popular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary having authored, as he did, several influential books during his lifetime including "True Devotion to Mary" and "Secret of the Rosary". He also founded several religious communities, including the Company of Mary.
So, why should we pay attention to the life and work of Saint Louis today? Father Pieter vanRooyen, pictured below, Pastor of Saint Joseph, Ypsilanti, and Assistant Professor of Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, now explains. He writes:
Saint Louis de Montfort’s devotion to Mary can seem excessive, a distraction from faith and love for God. However, this saint’s life showed the opposite! Indeed, Louis’ heart burned with love for Jesus, whom he adored in the Blessed Sacrament and loved in the poor.
A beautiful anecdote recounts how Louis carried a dying leper off the street and carried him to a religious house for care. When Louis arrived at the door he called out, “Open the door for Jesus Christ!” How could Louis love Jesus so ardently hidden in the Eucharist and in the poor?
Louis was convinced that devotion to Mary, especially through the rosary, was the sure way to ardent faith and love for Jesus because through Mary, we meet Jesus (after all, he has her DNA, and she is full of his grace, the model disciple, and the mother of Christians!).
With Saint Louis de Montfort, let’s ask Mary to help us believe and love Jesus with all our hearts, so that living for “God alone,” we show God’s love to the world.
