The Sisters Of the Visitation of Tyringham

Totus Tuus:
All is Yours...
To Jesus Through Mary

Last month, the entire Catholic world reflected on the first anniversary of the death of our beloved John Paul II, remembering so well the many qualities attributed to this unforgettable Sovereign Pontiff. No doubt, all agree that in our Holy Father, we found a friend, a father, a humble pastor, a leader, a man of vision and of prayer, compassion and understanding, qualities resulting from his maturing in the school of suffering and adversity, of hard work and love of God and especially love of Our blessed Mother. Today's presentation will focus on John Paul's devotion to Our Lady and since traditionally we look upon the month of May as Mary's Month, it seems most fitting for us to look at Mary, our Mother, through John Paul's eyes. We will try to gather new insights as well as a better understanding concerning how we can better love the Sacred Heart of Jesus through a greater love of His Immaculate Mother.

John Paul exemplified a priest with total dedication to our Blessed Mother. “Totus Tuus”, two Latin words now so familiar to us all, words expressing total belonging to Jesus through Mary, words first coined by St. Louis de Montfort in his great classic written in the early 1700's, True Devotion to Mary. “Totus tuus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt”. Translated these words become a prayer proclaiming, “I am all yours, and all that I have is yours, O most loving Jesus, through Mary, your most holy Mother.” (1) St. Louis de Montfort's teaching on Mary had a profound influence on the spiritual life of John Paul II as well as on the lives of many Catholics to this very day.

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin is a privileged means “of finding Jesus Christ perfectly, of loving Him tenderly, of serving Him faithfully” (True Devotion to Mary n. 62) In other words authentic devotion to Mary is Christocentric. Another way of saying this is “to Jesus through Mary” for she always leads us to Jesus and not to herself. Mary's whole life is the echo of God. In Mary's life we can declare with certainty that everything she said or did anticipates the words of John the Baptist: “He must increase and I must decrease.”

See how that desire to give God the glory is played-out when Mary visits Elizabeth. You know the scene well, Elizabeth moved by the Holy Spirit rejoices in Mary's presence asking “How is it that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” Mary spontaneously proclaims with deep joy “My soul magnifies the Lord – and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is His Name.” (Gospel of Luke 1:43; 46)

What a marvelous example that conversation is for us. Mary teaches us how to accept ourselves and the compliments of another. She knows that she is a mere creature and any good she has, and any good s she can give is the result of what has been given to her. Each of us can claim the very same thing.

In Mary's experience of Jesus through His Incarnation, she became one with Him through her YES to the Angel's message. As a result Mary lived Jesus perfectly. When we truly encounter Jesus, we too are transformed if we say “Yes” to the graces God offers to us. Like Mary we will go into the “hill country” of our everyday lives to manifest God's presence to all with whom we come in contact. In a very real sense we can say that Mary heralds the words yet unspoken by Paul of Tarsus, “I live now – not I, but CHRIST LIVES IN ME!” Let us also strive to identify with that attitude as followers of Christ.

Yes, “Totus tuus”. John Paul taught that if we want to live holy lives, Christ must be at the center of our living. He emphasized that this centrality of Christ also implies the mediating role of Mary. He came to understand that there is a unique relationship between Jesus and Mary. The insight into understanding this relationship was gained at the cost of a very intense struggle for our Holy Father.

On December 8, 2003, John Paul wrote a letter to the Religious family founded by St. Louis de Montfort. In referring to the de Montfort classic, John Paul tells this Religious congregation:

“I myself, in the years of my youth, found reading this book a great help. There I found the answers to my questions, for at one point I had feared that if my devotion to Mary ‘became too great, it might end up compromising the supremacy of the worship owed to Christ.' (cf. Gift and Mystery, p. 42) Under the guidance of St. Louis-Marie, I realized that if one lives the mystery of Mary in Christ this risk does not exist...”
Taken from John Paul speaks to Religious –Book XIII 2003 – 2004

It is comforting to know that this Holy Man doubted and struggled and came to understand this relationship between Jesus and Mary, which he shares with us today. This truly is a gift given to us within a mystery.

With our Lenten days not too far behind us, we can easily recall the Passion narrative of Good Friday wherein St. John's Gospel relates the remarkable bequest that is ours through no merit of our own:

"Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!' Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home."
(John 19:25-27).

“Throughout history the People of God have experienced this gift of the crucified Jesus: the gift of His Mother. Mary, Most Holy, is truly our Mother who accompanies us on our pilgrimage of faith, hope and charity towards an ever more intense union with Christ, the one Savior and Mediator of Salvation.”
(Lumen Gentium n. 60, 62).

"Is it not Calvary where that Sacred Heart is pierced and revealed for our sakes? Is not this the Heart formed in the womb of His Immaculate Mother? Mary leads us into the divine and human dimension of this mystery. Mary's role in the mystery of Redemption is sacred, unique and profound."
(Redemptoris Hominis n. 22).

"John Paul tells us that from the moment Mary uttered her “yes” – her Fiat” the mystery of redemption took shape beneath the Heart of the Virgin of Nazareth. “From then on ... under the special influence of the Holy Spirit, this Heart, the Heart of both a virgin and a mother, has always followed the work of her Son and has gone out to all those whom Christ has embraced and continues to embrace with inexhaustible love”.
(Redemptoris Hominis).

To reflect on the inexhaustible love of God, however, is not enough! Impelled by these reflections, these meditations, we must be stimulated to understand more and stirred into action, recognizing our “response-ability”. We must ‘open wide the doors to Christ' as our beloved Holy Father still reminds us. To be a Christian is to encounter Jesus Christ; to allow Him to be born in us; to change us. To have in us those attitudes that identify each of us with Him. Mary will teach us how to be more like her Son if we ask her! We must ask! He who asks for much receives much.

The watchword Totus Tuus, sums up the spiritual and mystical experience of John Paul II. He lived a life completely oriented to Christ through Mary. He admonishes us that keeping our gaze fixed on Jesus Who is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrew 13:8) will be our sure guide. Believing in this inexhaustible love and encountering Jesus who is that LOVE “gives our lives a new horizon and a decisive direction”
(cf. Deus Caritas Est, n.1).

Mary has given us this responsive example. She accepted the angel's message: she encountered Jesus in a manner never dreamed. He became “flesh of her flesh and bone of her bone”. When Mary said “YES” to God, God did marvelous things for her.

Having experienced God so completely in this Annunciation event Mary was freely compelled to bring the gift of God to others. We see Mary's gift-giving to others recounted repeatedly in the mysteries of the rosary. And the few recorded words she spoke in scripture remind us of the essence of her life's direction. Mary's ‘YES' is always before us and her message to us today remains firm as it was when first uttered: Do whatever He tells you! Whatever He tells you.

Finally, dear friends, as we conclude this reflection on John Paul's example of loving this Holy Mother of ours, let us also recall an important date in his life that occurred during this month. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the assassination attempt on John Paul's life in St. Peter's Square. It was May 13, 1981, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima and to double the significance besides being the fifth month of the year and the thirteenth day, it was also 5:13 P.M. that the incident occurred. No recounting of John Paul's life ever omits this dramatic event, but more significantly commentators always add these reflections of his on this occasion:“...One hand fired, and another guided the bullet.”

Four days after this shocking event, the indomitable John Paul recorded a message to be used for his weekly Sunday noontime message. The message ended with these words:

“I am particularly close to the two persons [2 Americans] wounded together with me. I pray for that brother of ours who shot me, and whom I have sincerely pardoned. United with Christ, Priest and Victim, I offer my sufferings for the Church and for the world. To you, Mary, I repeat: Totus tuus ego sum!”
(George Weigel. Witness to Hope p. 413-414).

When we give Mary everything we can be sure that she will be with us in all the events of our lives, to guide, protect and sustain us.

It is highly unlikely that we will experience an assassination attempt on our lives. Yet, in a figurative way we can have days when we feel like people and events are taking “pot-shots” at us! That feeling can really pull us down.

Devotion to Mary teaches us how to cloth ourselves with the armor of her Son's words. This armor will not weigh us down but will help us to be resilient under the weight of difficulties and struggles. Like John Paul however, we may be injured by the events that confront us in our day to day living, but like him, we too will experience the providential power of her ‘guiding hand'. Amid life's stresses we may need to withdraw into the silent sanctuary of our hearts and ask Mary to help us see God working in our lives. One question Lucia of Fatima always asked Our Lady at the time each apparition occurred was: “What is it that you want me to do?” Each of us should ask this same question of our Mary, and surely she will always reply, “Do whatever He tells you to do.” Let us pray to recognize Him in the events of our lives. Let us ask Him to show Himself to us and then open the doors of our hearts to do what He asks.

In closing let me tell you something interesting I never knew: Our Lady of Fatima was always referred to by John Paul as Our Lady of the Message. Fatima merely locates Mary in a place; but her mission was to convey a message. Perhaps, through the life of John Paul, that message is to live our lives more fully in Christ. Let us learn from her earthly son, our brother, John Paul how to live as children of Mary. Let us give ourselves completely to Mary and ask her to lead us to her Son. “Totus tuus ego sum”. I am all yours and all that I have belongs to You O most Loving Jesus, through Mary your most Holy Mother!

References: (1)John Paul II Speaks to Religious. 2003-2004. Book XIII. p. 106-117. Letter to the Monfort Religious Family, December 8, 2003
Redemptoris Mater (The Mother of the Redeemer) Encyclical Letter March 25, 1987.
Redemptor Hominus (The Redeemer of Man) Encyclical Letter March 4, 1979.
Talks of John Paul II 1978-1979.
Witness to Hope. George Weigel. The Biography of Pope John Paul II p. 46 – 47.
The Intimate Life of Sister Lucia. Rev. Robert J. Fox. 2001.
Communio Spring 2003 “The Mysteries of the Life of Jesus: Incarnation” Jacques Servais: Mary's Role in the Incarnation Joseph Ratzinger: Thoughts on the Place of Marian Doctrine & Piety In Faith and Theology as a Whole
Deus Carita Est (God is Love) Encyclical Letter of Benedict XVI. December 2005.

This Talk on Sacred Heart Spirituality was given at
the Monastery of the Visitation in Tyringham, Massachusetts on May 7, 2006
The next talk will be given on Sunday June 4, 2006 (Pentecost Sunday) at 4PM.
You are invited to join us at that time followed by
evening prayer at 5PM with the Sisters and
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

God Be Praised!