Devotion to Our Lady is essential!
In this episode of "The Catholic Gentleman" podcast, Sam Guzman and John Heinen discuss the “ultimate spiritual devotion, Consecration to Our Lady, and how the saints lived this devotion in their battles.”
They also discuss protestants’ rejection of Our Lady and pointers for overcoming struggles to “live more completely for Christ.”
In any challenging times—economic upheaval, health crises, or political divisiveness—it's important to see beyond the temporal and remember our battles are not just of this world.
“There's a very real spiritual battle going on right now that we're all caught up in... a great drama of salvation history,” Guzman says.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a fervent Marian devotee, saw the Blessed Mother as the ultimate weapon for our spiritual battles, leading him to establish the Militia Immaculata to "fight back against the work of the devil in our time."
He believed in the power of consecrating oneself to Mary and told others: “‘Do not fear loving Mary too much, you will never love her more than Jesus did,’” Heinen says.
The timeless practice of Marian consecration taught by Saint Louis de Montfort offers us a path “to Jesus through Mary.”
Guzman says this teaches us “to live in imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ," who showed us through His own life the importance of a close relationship with Mary.
By committing our lives to Mary and aligning our struggles with the victorious power of her Immaculate Heart, we open ourselves to the grace, protection, and guidance she offers. Guzman explains this involves "giving Mary full freedom to do with you and your life, whatever she sees fit.”
This commitment is both an act of piety and a strategic positioning in our fight against sin. "Anyone who has been consecrated to Mary, the love of Mary gives him the courage to undertake great things," Heinen says.
Here’s the episode below: