To Imitate Me, Obey My Mother

Jesus:

My brother, do you wish to manifest your love for My Mother as I manifested Mine? Be obedient, then, as I was.

As a little Baby, I let her do with Me what she wished. I allowed Myself to be put in the crib, carried in her arms, nursed and dressed by her, taken by her to Jerusalem, to Egypt, to Nazareth. As soon as I had sufficient strength, I showed Myself eager to fulfill her desires and even to anticipate them. After astonishing the doctors in the Temple, I returned to Nazareth with her and was subject to her. Until the age of thirty years I stayed with her and always deferred to her least wishes.

2. I found unspeakable happiness in obeying her. By My obedience, I repaid her for all she did for Me, and above all for what she would one day have to suffer for Me.

3. I obeyed her in all simplicity, for, although I was her God, I was also her Son; she was My Mother and the representative of My Father. In all simplicity, she gave Me commands, directed Me—ineffably happy to see Me attentive to her smallest wishes. Do you wish to cause her this happiness again? Obey her, then, as I did.

4. My Mother has orders to give you. She commands you first of all by the voice of duty. Some make their devotion to Mary consist in pictures and statues, in candles and flowers; others, in formulas of prayer and in hymns; others, in sentiments of tenderness and enthusiasm; others, in practices and sacrifices over and above the demands of duty. There are some who believe they love her very much because they rejoice in talking to her, or because they see themselves, in imagination, accomplishing great things for her, or because they endeavor constantly to think of her.

All these things are good, but they are not the essential. “Not every one that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of My Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Likewise, it is not those who say, “Mother! Mother!” who are the true children of Mary, but those who always do her will. Now Mary has no other will than Mine, and My will in your regard is the accomplishment of your duty.

5. Strive therefore, above all, to do your duty and to do it out of love for her: your duty, great or small, easy or painful, interesting or monotonous, glorious or obscure. With a view to pleasing your Mother, be more docile toward your superiors, more amiable toward your equals, more gentle with your inferiors, more kind to all. Be more punctual in your obedience, more conscientious in your work, more patient in your trials.

6. But accomplish all this with a maximum of love and with a pleasant smile. Look cheerfully at your painful task, your prosaic occupations, the monotonous succession of your obligations; or rather, look with a smile at your Mother who asks you to accomplish your duty in high spirits that you may prove your love for her.

7. It is relatively easy for you to see the will of Mary in what God commands you to do. But how hard it is for you to see it in what God allows to happen. Yet, the God of love allows things to happen only out of love, and He always has His Mother co-operate in His loving plans in your behalf.
So, then, when things or men make you suffer, do not think of them, but think of your Mother, who by these things or men is striving to make you more pure and more happy. Say to her: “Behold the son of the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word!”

8. Mary sends you still other indications of her will: the inspirations of grace. Every grace comes to you through her.

When grace solicits you to renounce a certain pleasure, to curb this tendency, to make good that fault or negligence, to practice that act of virtue, it is Mary who is sweetly and lovingly manifesting her desires to you.

Sometimes you take alarm at the exigencies of these inspirations. Have no fear; it is your Mother who is speaking to you, your Mother who desires your happiness.
Recognize her voice, trust her love, and answer “Yes” to all she demands of you.

9. There is a fourth way for you to practice obedience toward Mary; it is to carry out the special task that she is going to confide to you. Be ready!

The Faithful Soul:
O Jesus, I am beginning to understand: my whole program will consist in practicing what the Holy Spirit has said of You: “He was subject to them.”