"Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?" - Song of Songs 6:10
11:4 THE PRIMARY OBLIGATION (pg. 70 – pg. 71) In chapter 11, titled “the scheme of the Legion”, we notice that the Legion of Mary is an intensely ordered system. In order to achieve the perfection of membership for personal holiness, what we talk about today is a way of reaching that goal. Sanctification through the organization, rather than individual effort.
The handbook says, the primary obligation of each member is to attend its meetings. In fact, attending the meeting is one thing, which is, of course to fulfill our obligation as a member, yet, there contains a deeper and more profound meaning.
Attending a meeting is to put oneself into the organization. No matter how distinguished the members are, we all play a part in the organization where we give up our own individualism, attach to the organization, and unite together with our companions. Just like John the Baptist said in the Gospel of John: “He must increase; I must decrease.” Carry this idea always in mind and we will build up our own humility and increase the ability to work with others as a team player.
Together we stand. The handbook says: “They yield up much of their independence to the machine, that is to their associates as a body, but thereby the work gains a hundredfold in the fact that a number of individuals, who would otherwise have been either ineffective or else standing idle.” It’s like when a single piece of coal aside is difficult to burn, but a pile of charcoal can burn vigorously in the furnace, proving that unity is strength. Yet indeed, it is said that a person may go fast, but a group of people may go farther.
“The more the meetings are respected, the stronger the organization will be.” Just as the book of Ephesians says: “from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.” That is, each part needs to function properly in order to grow and build itself in love. This can also help us to reach our goals. If each member recognizes and performs his/her time/talents/enthusiasm and treasures to the best of their ability during the meeting and/or every single task or assignment, the Legion of Mary will be built in love.
We need to rely on Mother Mary like children relying on their mother. As Father Michael Creedon said “that the Legion of Mary will help us and save us from every pitfall: the imprudence of zeal: the discouragement of failure: the elevation of success: the hesitancy of the unsupported opinion: the timidity out of loneliness: and, in general, from the whole quicksand of inexperience”. More say that ultimately it is Mother Mary who saves us from every pitfall.
My dear brothers and sisters, let us not forget that the Legion of Mary accepts and educates members with pure intentions so that we may have a good plan before starting God’s work which then also guarantees the development and continuation of this work. Let us also not forget we have Our Heavenly mother to help us spiritually and in all the actions of the work. Amen.
May God bless all of us in His two loving hearts (The sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary) Dcn. George