The Legion of Mary is an Association of Catholics who, with the sanction of the Church and under the powerful leadership of Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of all Graces(who is fair as the moon, bright as the sun, and - to satan and his legionaries - terrible as an army set in battle array), have formed themselves into a Legion for service in the warfare which is perpetually waged by the Church against the world and its evil powers.
-I am all Yours my Queen and my Mother and all that I have is Yours!
Jesus answered: ‘Will you lay down your life for me?’ - John 13:38
Support the Holy Father and pray with him!
"Young people in particular, I appeal to you: bear witness to your faith through the digital world!"
-Pope Benedict XVI
Pray for Pope Benedict's prayer intentions for this month. Find out more here.
First, go and read Frank Duff's excellent defense against the heresy that the Eucharist is merely a symbol: Capharnaum and the Eucharist.
Pray this beautiful prayer:
"I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally....My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath."
- Saint John Vianney.
And then watch these beautiful videos of this most precious gift that we Catholics are so blessed to receive from Our Lord.
Mention the word Buddhist and what most people draw up is an image of the stereotypic liberal: hippie, junkie, vegan, possibly homosexual, and now, even pro-abortion. Drugs and vegetarianism aside, let me clear any confusion there is about abortion.
This is from a Buddhist’s point of view.
Alright, first off, let us examine as to why certain people hold such a view. It’s not that it’s entirely wrong to say that some ‘modern’ Buddhists today actually uphold this image, but it is wrong to say that all Buddhists in general conform to this image. In fact, only a handful so called Buddhists do, and, according to Buddhist terms, this handful does not qualify as Buddhists.
One must understand that Buddhism is a very free religion, with no commandments or god to obey. It is not at all as strict as Christianity, Islam, or even Judaism. Unfortunately, it is this freedom that is abused by the naive and dim-witted.
Many people who want to follow in their frivolous lifestyles assume that they will be free from judgment by a god or any other all-powerful deity if they embrace Buddhism. Buddhism is their ‘way out’ of a ‘system’ that bars them from their activities. They use – or should I say misuse – this freedom and take it as a shield while they engage in their frivolous and irresponsible activities. They use Buddhism as an excuse.
So what is the Buddhist view on this subject of abortion? Before we get into the details, let us first come up with a definition for the term.
“An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced, in humans and other species. In the context of human pregnancies, an abortion induced to preserve the health of the pregnant female is termed a therapeutic abortion, while an abortion induced for any other reason is termed an elective abortion. The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy, while spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages.”
Okay, so abortion = termination of a pregnancy resulting in the death of the fetus.
Now let’s look at why abortions are carried out.
1. Medical complications – Either both mother and child, or mother alone, may have fatal or serious complications if the pregnancy is allowed to be carried to term.
2. Rape victims – Rape victims who have become pregnant do not wish to carry the child of their rapist. This decision is usually carried out as a result of emotional trauma, including hatred, and shame. Sometimes it is the family of the victim that persuades her to go through with an abortion, for the sake of saving the family reputation. The victim is left with the decision to bring the baby to the world and lose support from her family, give the baby up for adoption, or to abort the pregnancy. Usually, the family does not opt for adoption because society will get to know about the mother’s pregnancy. After all, it is pretty hard to hide a progressively developing belly (unless you tell people you’ve got a massive tumor growing in there...). Therefore abortion is usually the most common choice.
3. ‘Accidents’ happen. A wild night out, or a one night stand (without the pills, or condoms) sometimes ends up with the female party getting knocked up. Neither parents are ready to take up responsibility for their actions and therefore decide to just easily abort the pregnancy.
Why is abortion viewed merely as something scientific, or medical, rather than something closely related to ethics? Or morals? When you break something down so much into establishing it as a scientific procedure that is exactly what it becomes: just another scientific procedure. And when we think scientific, we don’t exactly think religion, or morals, do we? No, because we are taught – especially at the beginning of a semester of genetics – that science and religion don’t mix. So abortion suddenly becomes just another surgery. A quick fix to a ‘problem’.
Can there really be a scientific religion in actual existence? Science and religion are supposed to be two different things. Science attempts to explain and find answers to questions that deal with the natural world, the mundane everyday world and universe that is perceived by the senses. Religion, on the other hand, tries to explain things that cannot be otherwise explained in the mundane world. Religion deals with the supernatural and the spiritual.
However, it is interesting to note that Buddhism is neither a science nor a religion. It is not a science because it does not deal only with the world perceived by our senses, and it is not a religion because it does not require ‘belief’ in anything. That is why, if you ask a Buddhist, they’d say ‘I know’ instead of ’I believe’. Neither is it a philosophy, as most commonly refer to it.[1]
However, what Buddhism really is has been greatly misunderstood by those new to the subject. Most blatantly assume that, because Buddhism agrees with a lot of things in modern science, everything scientific is accepted in Buddhism. This is not true. Science is science, and its existence does not rely on morals. Buddhism, on the other hand, is not at all devoid of morals. After all, the very first precept in the Buddhist disciplinary code is “I shall abstain from taking life.”
This is part of the karaniya metta sutta (discourse on loving kindness):
Let one contemplate and wish:
May all beings be well and safe.
May all beings be happy.
Whatever living beings there may be—
whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
the great or the mighty, medium size, short, small, or large,
those seen and those unseen, those dwelling near and far away,
those born as well as those yet to be born—
may all beings be happy at heart.
From a Buddhist’s point of view, I don’t think we can accept only the scientific definition of what a life is, or more precisely, when a fertilized egg can be considered a human life. We cannot judge whether something is a life or not just because it doesn’t look human or animal.
Most people who’re anti-abortion go to great lengths to carry their cause either by trying to prove that a fetus’ heart starts to beat after so long, or by holding nauseating posters of aborted fetuses. I think this is a simple point and doesn’t need to be carried so far. Simply: if a woman is pregnant, that means she is carrying life, be it one cell or a mass of cells without any discernible features.
Re-read the passage from the karaniya metta sutta. Pay special attention to the line before the last: “those born as well as those yet to be born”. It is obvious that, according to Buddhism, one must respect all life, even those that are yet to be born. If you call yourself a Buddhist and yet say that you are in favor of abortion, then you’re throwing away the meaning of the very first precept of abstaining from taking life. You cannot contemplate and wish for the well-being, safety, and happiness of all beings if you are in favor of taking away an unborn life.
Fortunately, I have no illegitimate children born out of wed lock or as a result of rape. Heaven forbid that ever happens, and I do not wish it to happen to anybody else either! I am not denying that rape is a heinous crime and that it is an extremely painful ordeal that even a lifetime may not be able to erase. But there cannot be any justification in taking away the life of the unborn child that has come into existence as a result of it. After all, what has the child done to deserve such a fate? It may not be an easy thing to do, but to let go of the attachment to the memory of it is possibly the best way to heal: letting go and moving on just like everything else that arises, comes to be, and passes away.[2]
Also, society should be more understanding of victims of rape and should stop stigmatizing them. There are some idiots who blame the victim for what happened! Yeah, I have no clue where they get their logic from...
The worst kind, however, are the people who casually have sex – irresponsibly – whenever they want to and then just very easily throw away the life of an unborn child just because they are not ready to take up responsibility.
What about the case where an abortion needs to be carried out for medical reasons (therapeutic abortion)? What’s the Buddhist view on that? Is it okay to perform a therapeutic abortion? Once again, life is more important than anything else. If you can save at least one life, then it is better than letting two die. Therefore yes, it is okay.
The bottom line is that elective abortion does not sit anywhere on the list of ‘Okays’ in Buddhism, so please do not assume that Buddhism sits in favor of abortion. Buddhism is not a ‘get-away’ ticket or a ‘quick fix’. It is an education and a way of life.
------------------------------------- Buddhism: Neither a Philosophy nor a Doctrine
Dighanakha asked the Buddha, "Gautama, what is your teaching? What are your doctrines? For my part, I dislike all doctrines and theories. I don't subscribe to any at all."
The Buddha smiled and asked, "Do you subscribe to your doctrine of not following any doctrines? Do you believe in your doctrine of not-believing?"
Somewhat taken aback, Dighanakha replied, "Gautama whether I believe or don't believe is no importance."
The Buddha spoke gently, "Once a person is caught by belief in a doctrine, he loses all his freedom. When one becomes dogmatic, he believes his doctrine is the only truth and that all other doctrines are heresy. Disputes and conflicts all arise from narrow views. They can extend endlessly, wasting precious time and sometimes even leading to war. Attachment to views is the greatest impediment to the spiritual path. Bound to narrow views, one becomes so entangled that it is no longer possible to let the door of truth open."
[...]
Dighanakha asked, "But what of your own teaching? If someone follows your teaching will he become caught in narrow views?"
"My teaching is not a doctrine nor a philosophy. It is not the result of discursive thought or mental conjecture like various philosophies which contend that the fundamental essence of the universe is fire, water, earth, wind, or spirit, or that the universe is either finite or infinite, temporal, or eternal. Mental conjecture and discursive thought about truth are like ants crawling around the rim of the bowl -- they never get anywhere. The things I say come from my own experience. You can confirm them all by your own experience.
[...]
My goal is not to explain the universe, but to help guide others to have a direct experience of reality. Words cannot describe reality. Only direct experience enables us to see the true face of reality."Dighanakha exclaimed, "Wonderful, wonderful Gautama! But what would happen if a person did perceive your teaching as a dogma?"
[...]
I must state clearly that my teaching is method to experience reality and not reality itself, just as a finger pointing at the moon is not the moon itself. An intelligent person makes use of the finger to see the moon."
Frank Duff had less than two weeks to live when he issued a simple challenge to every legionary. It was this: "Can we induce ever legionary in the world to indulge in dreaming with Mary about souls, praying with her for a minute a day over a map of the world?" If we could do that it would afford an opening for the motherly operations of Mary. It is part of her office as mother to seize on any such opportunity. Nothing is more certain than that something would happen. Dreaming with Mary is the most solid of actions, for she adds in the substance. The one mistake which we can make is to dream on too low a level where faith is low and thin and poor and feeble.
So, the last challenge from Frank Duff to every member of the Legion he founded was that they should think in terms of the apparently impossible, the conquest of the world for souls. He fervently believed that Mary would make the dream come true.
After all, had he not every right to believe that? He thought of that day in 1921 when some simple people came together to discuss Mary's place in God's plan for the salvation of the world. It never occurred to them to doubt. They asked questions, seeking for information and at the end of the meeting they were satisfied: They were glad to know that Our Lady was so great; so much more than they had thought. They wanted to establish a new relationship with her. Seventeen days later those same people came together in another room in the same building. They asked, how does One put into an apostolic society the suppliant omnipotence of Mary? There was no talk of constituting Mary the patron of what they wanted to do. They knew she was too big for that. In their previous meeting they had discussed her as the Arbiter of the salvation of the world, the Mother of God and of men, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Mediatrix of graces. So they said to her ever so simply, "Lead us". She did. The Legion of Mary was born. Frank Duff had seen its amazing growth: It was evangelization at its best, the Church at work on that for which Christ founded it.
Fifty years or so after those momentous beginnings, Pope Paul declared that that which had been born on September 7th, 1921 was the most important development in, the Church since the uprise of the great Religious Orders. He added that what he liked best about it was that it knew how to utilize the little people of the world ..
Just before that, Pope John said something which was one of the most precious of all Frank Duffs memories; namely that the Legion of Mary presents the true face of the Catholic Church. Frank said that that phrase touches final heights and no more need be said, except to insist that Mary is the reason for all that has been achieved.
"Conquest comes through Mary", says the present Holy Father. Every Legionary should try to dream every day of the conquest for souls. As the whole Legion looks out over the whole world, wondering how it is going to set the mother influence of Mary flowing over every continent, so, each individual Legionary looks over his or her field of apostolate and wonders the same thing: How is it to be brought beneath the mother influence of Mary?
In that last talk of his, Frank Duff asked those present to imagine a meeting of Our Lady, St. Peter and the Apostles, as they planned the conversion of the world Their task was to give Christ to every Soul. Their vision of the world was far more limited than ours. The places they knew something about would have to come first. But as the world opened up, the new would be attended to.
The Legion today must do what Our lady and the Apostles did in the first days of the life of the infant Church; Now we are faced with immense questions. Frank Duff stated them in that last address of his. How is the Catholic faith to be given to five thousand million people who have not got it; while at the same time stirring up the nine hundred million who have it but should have it better? A sceptic would think it madness even to think about such a problem. What can anybody do about it? Frank said the scoffer would be wrong," Much can be done about it: because the divine infinitude can be arrayed against that apparently unsolvable problem. Ideas germinate, are discussed, referred to Jesus and Mary, and then put into operation. Souls are touched and begin to expand. The evangelization of more places begins; Catholic life is on its way in. Those places would be playing valuable parts in future days in giving the faith to others; Here are Frank Duff's own words,
"If we make our fervent act of faith in Jesus and Mary and then, consign the problem to the Legion system, it is almost like putting it on a conveyor belt. It is on its way. On its way to where? Inevitably to an, immensity not to be measured by our poor contribution but by the might and love Of heaven; The perspectives are unending if we are hand-in hand with Mary. There will be no notice standing in our path: 'Thus far and no farther shall you go:'"
So that, is, why his last wish was that every Legionary should dream dreams, dreams about the conquest of souls for Christ through Mary. Should we not have another dream too? It would be of the whole Church with priests in every parish in every diocese in every country becoming enthused by the ideals of Frank Duff and trying to put them into action in all their undiluted fullness. Surely, if that were to happen, it would be the best possible response to the appeal of the Vicar of Christ for a decade of true evangelization.
I think these holidays are the perfect time to pause and examine our praesidium. The coming matriculation fair will be a crucial one, and so will the new semester. It would be good if we could spend these few months, in preparation, trying to find specific areas to improve. Hopefully we can devise concrete steps on how we can better live out Legionary duties as a Praesidium.
In today’s allocutio I’ll touch very briefly on a few broad ideas of Legionary service which might be useful to ponder upon with regard to our own Praesidium.
Some weeks ago, Ferdinand talked about Marian devotion, I’ll touch on the topic a bit too.
Our Praesidium is like Her body. Our duty is to provide Her with a foothold to act in the world, a channel through which She can distribute the graces the Lord has entrusted to Her.
We know that we must never approach any work or any person except through and with Our Blessed Mother. How do we live that in reality? It must be something conscious, at the forefront of our thoughts when we carry out our apostolic work. It’s not just a theory at the back of our mind, something to feel good about. She must be at the top of our minds, always on our lips, and never leave our hearts, because it is through Her that we bring Jesus Christ to the world and the world to Jesus Christ.
Our priorities must be in line with our Queens. “She was consumed with love for Her Son in Himself, in His Church, in His earthly Vicar, in His priests, in all His members. The centre of Her life after His ascension was surely in the Blessed Sacrament.” (Jubilee Talks, 61). This must the the case for each of us too.
This brings us to a second theme: that of our interior life.
Our apostolate, and indeed our entire lives must revolve around Holy Mass. Do we go regularly for weekday Mass, and invite other Catholics to join us too? We can offer our apostolic efforts to God during Mass and ask Him to make them fruitful.
We must also never forget the Holy Spirit, Whose Spouse Mary is. Fr Marin told us at our retreat to be open to the Holy Spirit, to be generous – do whatever He prompts us to do.
It is to the Holy Spirit that our Legion is dedicated and it is to Him that we promise our faithful service. He’s also the Giver of Life, the dynamic power of God. He gets things done!
At yesterday’s Legion meeting, Daniel reminded us of the theme chosen for last year’s WYD: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses ” (Acts 1:8).
Prayer and the apostolate are extremely interconnected. Each depends on the other and each makes the other more fruitful. A healthy prayer life is the vital energy behind our apostolate. It is through prayer that we realise how to improve on our apostolic efforts. Likewise, a vigorous apostolate provides much material to take to our prayer – our contacts, our methods of reaching out, our own demeanour and actions all can be taken to our Lord in prayer.
Related to this, I think we should be very concerned about our auxiliaries. They are like the interior life of our praesidium.
We must also pray earnestly and seriously for out Praesidium and the Legion worldwide.
In addition to a strong interior life, we also must be filled with zealfor the Legion apostolate. Do we realise that the cause we are fighting for is worth our efforts; that we are on a mission that is greater than our own whims and feelings? Or is the Legion just a way to do a bit of good work, so that we can feel satisfied with ourselves? Is it one of many projects? Or is it something more? Are we on Legionary duty all the time?
We must be on fire! Look how enthusiastic the forces of the world are! See how active the devil is in today’s world! Can we afford to be lukewarm?
A zealous spirit encourages our fellow Legionaries and attracts Catholics to the Legion. A zeal for the Legion perhaps especially includes a zeal for doing work through the Legion. The purpose of the Legion is to weld its members together into one body (Handbook, 74). This should be reflected in our reports. Are we too often involved only in our own personal contacts? Do we do enough work as a praesidium? This is another feature that could affect our ability to recruit. If all we do is of a personal nature, a non-Legionary might come to the conclusion that he can do similar work on his own. He would see no need to join the Legion and attend its meetings. The idea of doing heroic work as a group – work that an individual cannot do on his own – is attractive.
One sure way to keep our zeal high is to read the Handbook. Read the Maria Legionis. The Maria Legionis is not meant as a piece of leisure reading. Francis Canon Ripley (Jubilee Talks) says it should be a source of inspiration, a source of ideas for work done and the subject of our allocutios.
Officers: keep us informed about what’s going on in Curia, in other Praesidia in Singapore and in the Legion worldwide. That way we can realise that we’re fighting a worldwide battle. It also should help us keep in mind something Ferdinand mentioned last week: that our efforts might bear fruit, not in our own praesidium, but in some other praesidium, in another part of the world, at some other time.
Also conversely, when we are lukewarm, lacking zeal, the entire Legion suffers.
“The Legion will be what the sum total of the efforts of the individual members make it. Each individual has an irreplaceable part to play. At the Praesidium level this means that the ordinary members should be treated as precious people, as other Marys, other Christs. Everybody should be courageous enough to initiate frank discussion in all charity to promote zeal, enterprise, enthusiasm and a true Marian spirit.” (Jubilee Talks, 38)
This zeal requires a spirit of sacrificefrom the Legionaries. You don’t lose anything when you work for Christ and His kingdom: “Just as the Paschal Candle suffers no loss when the other lights are taken from it, so our Christ-likeness gives itself to the world without suffering any loss in the process.” (Jubilee Talks, 33).
It’s worth remembering here the words of our Holy Father during his Inauguration Mass:
“And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return.”
Human virtues
Last Thursday I attended a meditation at Opus Dei. Fr Lebano mentioned the need to cultivate of human perfections and human virtues. He said that the current Prelate of Opus Dei, Bishop Javier Echevarria, is very keen on increasing the number of vocations to Opus Dei. When someone asked him what more they should do to achieve this , he replied that one thing they must do is to be more attractive. Each of us Legionaries, and the Praesidium as a whole too, must strive to be more attractive. To be Christ-like is to be cheerful, caring, peaceful, loving. Sometimes we tend to underestimate the power of a simple “how are you?” or a message of encouragement. It is this love that draws members to the Praesidium.
Of course “charity begins at home.” “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35). We shouldn’t only be cheerful and polite to contacts. Let this praesidium be a true family brimming with love and friendship.
Fr Lebano gave our dear Pope as an example of being Christ-like through little gestures. Upon being elected to the See of Peter as he was leaving his former residences in Rome, he took the time to go to each of his neighours to bid them farewell (and tell them that they could now find him a short distance away, at the Apostolic Palace :))
I find this passage from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans (12: 9-12) very beautiful:
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Finally I’ll touch a bit on the perils of routine and the idea of renewal. I quote a passage from Canon Ripley’s allocutios. I think it’s useful that we think about this especially when we plan our work for next semester:
Has your Council of Praesidium settled down into a happy routine, doing the same works,, visiting the same people in the same way, reporting always in the identical, matter-of-fact fashion? Have you, personally, tried to infuse new ideas, stimulate the Praesidium to tackle new works, vary its approach or really face up to the problems which confront it?
If the Legion in its Councils, Praesidia or members is not working to the maximum capacity, the mother-love of Mary is being frustrated. She wants to reach out to multitudes of souls through Her Legion, but Her Legionaries are too set in their ways, fail to recruit new members, refuse to widen their horizons or shy at the prospect of heroic work.
We must realise that the aim of the Legion of Mary is to mobilize the whole community to apostleship. At the moment I doubt if the Legion is working to one tenth of its capacity in some of the places where it exists.
We have a duty to try to bring everybody into the ranks of active membership. Do not object that we cannot include non-practicing Catholics or those outside the Church. We cannot include them in their present state: BUT WE MUST TRY TO CHANGE THAT STATE. We are not even making enough effort to recruit Mass-going Catholics into the Legion. The death knell of the Legion has sounded in any place in which the Legionaries are regarded as super-Catholics, an exclusive company of selected souls amongst whom more ordinary people are not welcome. Such an idea is contrary to the spirit and the constitution of the Legion of Mary. Read your Handbook: THE LEGION OF MARY IS OPEN TO ALL CATHOLICS WHO, LEAD EDIFYING LIVES, ARE ANIMATED BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LEGION (OR AT LEASR DESIRE TO FOSTER THAT SPIRIT IN THEMSELVES) AND ARE PREPARED TO FULFULL EACH AND EVERY DUTY WHICH MEMBERSHIP IN THE LEGION INVOLVES. If people think they are being excluded from the Legion, they will develop antagonism to it...
Recruiting is a first Legionary principle. Perhaps one of the reasons why our recruiting figure is so low or why certain admittedly weak Praesidia fail to grow, is that the work has settled down to routine...
The important thing about our work is to be quite definite about the end-product. What are we aiming at? Are we taking all possible means to that end? Can we not enlarge our productive capacity?...There is no limit to what could be done – and it is easy to see that if it were being done, all dominated by the spirit of Mary, new members would come to the Legion, new interest would be created by the varied reports and immense good would result in the Church.”
(Jubilee Talks, 48-50)
Finally, let us be hopeful, and let us expect miracles. Since we trust that we are fighting God’s battle, with Mary as our General, we should be confident – because God does not lose battles.
Let us ask our dear Mother to always protect our Praesidium and make it fruitful.
May the love you bore your Son teach us to love God with all our heart, strength and soul. May the Almighty show us his mercy, strengthen us with his power, and fill us with every good thing (cf. Lk 1:46-56). Amen
(Pope Benedict XVI, Address at Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem, May 13, 2009.)
As I was browsing some Legion websites today (and I didn't realize there were so many!), I stumbled into a forum thread. There was one post from a girl who is entering university and is considering joining the Legion. I presume she's going to NUS since she posted a link to our blog. She wanted to hear about personal experiences from the members and I really wanted to reply, but alas, I'm too lazy to register for an account.
So I'll just post this here instead, in the off chance that she'll visit our blog again. It is also for those who might accidentally be led to our humble musings and find themselves wanting to know more about the Legion of Mary.
Dear reader, the following is a short sharing that Bro. Paul Wong gave during the recruitment drive at Holy Spirit Church last May 17. When he was in NUS, he was a member of Regina Coeli, one of the two praesidia in NUS now. This sharing will probably not completely answer the questions that you have, but it is a good place to start. Afterwards, if you are so inclined, you can find another link at the sidebar under 'Testimonies' to read another sharing from Sr. Angie.
Enjoy. :)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
My name is Paul and I am from Our Lady of Victories Praesidium, a Legion of Mary group, based in Risen Christ Church.
The Legion of Mary is not only found in most of the parishes in Singapore but also in various institutions, like the schools. Indeed, it is one of the largest lay apostolate group in the world today.
The Legion of Mary models after the Roman army in terms of its discipline and structure. The Legionary strives to sanctify ourselves both in prayer and work and we take Mary as our role model. We do many many things in the Legion. :)
Well... to counter some popular beliefs that the legion is made up of mostly old people saying the rosary day in day out, I stand here as an example that the Legion has its fair share of active youth as well.
Do you often feel an urging inside you to want to do something a little more for God than just coming for weekly Sunday Mass? But at the same time, you find that you have (1) no time (or so you think so), (2) are too busy with work, (3) that being active is maybe too big a step to take at one go, or all of the above?
Then … The Legion is for You!
Why? 2 Points -
Point 1:
Well, being an Active Legionary just requires you to attend weekly meetings that are very short, compact and fruitful. Being in the Legion makes you see that you can serve God in small ways and many ways, so much so that even when you are so busy, it's still so easy to serve Him. And being in the Legion helps you grow at your own pace with the help of many people who also began being small, inexperienced and almost unwilling.
Point 2:
If your work commitments (like shift work or being overseas very often) does not allow you to be an active member, we have auxiliary membership that requires you to pray the rosary daily (of which some of you are already doing tirelessly). An auxiliary Legionary is equally as important as any active legionary as they act as spiritual support our warfare for salvation.
I have been in the legion for about 13 years and attribute my growth in faith to the system. The legion has given me many opportunities to learn about my faith and has exposed me to many areas where I can serve our Lord in our people. The reason why I still am in the legion and advocate others to join me is because the system truly works! It nudges when I feel a little too lazy to something; it supports when I go through my dry spells in my spiritual life; it gives me the space to grow in my strengths to better serve others.
At the end of the day, the Legion simply teaches me how to be a good Catholic.
Now is a chance for you to find out what the Legion has in store for you.So do come to our booth outside to find out more on what exactly we do.
Allocutio for 21 May 2009, on the Feast of the Ascension
Let’s take sometime to imagine that we are on the scene of today’s Gospel (Mark 16: 15-20), and we hear Jesus said these words:
Jesus said to his disciples: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
I guess, most probably like the Apostles, we remain partly perplexed and partly saddened at his departure. We saw Him withdrew from our sight little by little until a cloud took him out of our sight, showing us that He has entered Heaven. We feel certain taste of sadness in our souls. It has been 3 years since we always together. We miss his human speech, his gesture, his smile, sitting together with us after a long journey or when we pray together. Yes, it is not easy in fact, to get accustomed to the physical absence of Jesus.
But, in spite of everything we feel, which may be the Apostles do feel, let us follow what the Apostles did. They returned to Jerusalem, and the prayed with one mind, together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Jesus’ life on earth finished not with his death on the Cross, but with his Ascension into Heaven. It is the last of the mysteries of His life here on earth, a redemptive mystery which together with his Passion, Death, and Resurrection makes up the Paschal mystery. If people saw him being insulted, mocked, and crucified on the Cross, it is now fitting for them to see the Son of God being glorified, ascended into Heaven. Indeed, He wins over darkness and death and certainly all the more it should strengthen and nourish our hope of attaining Heaven.
Today’s feast also reminds us that our concern for souls is a response to a command of love given to us, all of us, by our Lord. As he goes up to Heaven, Jesus sends us out as his witnesses throughout the whole world. Our responsibility is great because to be Christ’s witness implies first of all that we should try to behave according to his doctrine, that we should struggle to make our actions remind others of Jesus and his lovable personality. All the more for us, Legionaries, whose objective is the Glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayers and active cooperation, under ecclesiastical guidance, in Mary’s and the Church’s work of crushing the head of the serpent and advancing the reign of Christ. Nothing better to be done to advance the reign of Christ than to share the Good News to all creatures. Ascension closes Christ’s earthly mission and begins ours, the disciples’ mission!
Such a big responsibility! But let us again, imitate, what the Apostles did. They returned to Jerusalem, and the prayed with one mind, together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. I find this is very suitable for us as Legionaries. After all the struggles, we will return to the meetings, pray together with our fellow legionaries and together with Mary, our Mother. After that, the Apostles did not suddenly become sort of like, superman, or suddenly having a magical power, etc.. but they remain in the world with all their naturalness, spreading the love of Christ and the Good News to everyone around them.
So do we as Legionaries! Ours is to sanctify the world from within, the spirit of the lay apostolate. It is good that today we hear Jesus intercedes for us before his Father: I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. There is no room in the modern apostolic field for stiff, stuffy piosity. The spirit of the Legion should always be one of enterprising, efficient, optimistic, enthusiastic, and peaceful joy (all the more during vacation!). We are all trying to be united with the Mother who is the ‘Cause of our Joy’. There are bound to be obstacles, frustrations, and discouragement, but these should all be overcome by our joyful enthusiasm and enterprising optimism. Sometimes we allow ourselves to become bogged down with problems instead of simply going ahead by concentrating on whatever action is possible. Often we blame our non-responding, lukewarm, lazy, cold, ignorant, friends for they are not convinced of the good in the Legion of Mary. But convinced friends are made by convinced Legionaries. Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm.
Fr. Ripley wrote that, if the Legion in any place is not appealing to enthusiastic youth, there is something wrong with it. We need to remember that people, especially the young people, are attracted in the first place by people, and not merely theories and systems. It is later that they appreciate the value of these other things. Young people want thrilling, adventurous, enterprising work. They are naturally enthusiastic and when they find their elders lacking in enthusiasm, they are disappointed and, so far as the legion is concerned, may not persevere as members. He continues, young people must be attracted to Our Lady’s army and every obstacle in the way must be surmounted.
And our pioneers Legionaries had proven that it is possible! Suppose we were those first Legionaries in Dublin all over again, have we ever thought to ask ourselves, what would be our aims? What would we try to do? Are we less enthusiastic than the pioneers? Are we less convinced? Is there any reason on earth why we in the Legion should be less courageous, less enthusiastic, less enterprising, less optimistic than any political, social, or religious movement in the world?
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Our hope and source of strength is the same, my dear brothers and sisters. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Let us take this feast of Ascension to renew our zeal and hope, placing ourselves in the disposal of the Virgin Most Powerful. We should be what we are preaching, we should be the good news! Let our friends, family, colleagues, teachers, everyone, see in us smiling, happy, optimistic, enthusiastic workers, relaxed, ready to tackle very problem, anxious to explore every possibility, searching for every opportunity of helping people as the beloved children of Mary and brothers of Jesus that they are. Let us be fountains of cheerfulness and happy social life. Let us not go round worrying about the events of tomorrow which may never happen. This is the spirit that will attract others, for this is the spirit of the most attractive purely human being who has ever lived, of her who is the Mother and the Queen of her Legion!
Sources: Jubilee Talks to Legionaries, chapter Enterprising Optimism (Very Rev. Francis J. Canon Ripley)
Conversation with God, Sixth week of Easter, Ascension Sunday (Francis Fernandez)
A wonderful reflection, which, I think, is very apt for what we Legionaries are called to do and what we are called to surrender:
"It helps now and then to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a small fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about: We plant the seeds that will one day grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it well. It may be incomplete but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own."
O Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of the most holy Rosary, you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima and reveal a glorious message. We implore you, inspire in our hearts a fervent love for the recitation of the Rosary. By meditating on the mysteries of the redemption that are recalled therein may we obtain the graces and virtues that we ask, through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer.
Most Holy Spirit, I, Desiring to be enrolled this day as a legionary of Mary, Yet knowing that of myself I cannot render worthy service, Do ask of you to come upon me and fill me with yourself, So that my poor acts may be sustained by your power, and become an instrument of your mighty purposes.
But I know that you, who has come to regenerate the world in Jesus Christ, Has not willed to do so except through Mary; That without her we cannot know or love you; That it is by her, and to whom she pleases, when she pleases, and in the quantity and manner she pleases, That all your gifts and virtues and graces are administered; And I realise that the secret of a perfect legionary service Consists in a complete union with her who is so completely united to you.
So, taking in my hand the legionary Standard which seeks to set before our eyes these things, I stand before you as her soldier and her child, And I so declare my entire dependence on her. She is the mother of my soul. Her heart and mine are one, And from that single heart she speaks again those words of old: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord"; And once again you come by her to do great things.
Let your power overshadow me, and come into my soul with fire and love, And make it one with Mary's love and Mary's will to save the world; So that I may be pure in her who was made Immaculate by you; So that Christ my Lord may likewise grow in me through you; So that I with her, his Mother, may bring him to the world and to the souls who need him; So that they and I, the battle won, may reign with her for ever in the glory of the Blessed Trinity. Confident that you will so receive me - and use me - and turn my weakness into strength this day, I take my place in the ranks of the Legion, and I venture to promise a faithful service. I will submit fully to its discipline, Which binds me to my comrades, And shapes us to an army, And keeps our line as on we march with Mary, To work your will, to operate your miracles of grace, Which will renew the face of the earth, And establish your reign, Most Holy Spirit, over all.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
The Catena Legionis
Every Legionary, Active and Auxiliary, is required to recite the Catena Legionis every day. The recitation of the Catena may very well be regarded as the battle cry of the Legion of Mary in its warfare against the Evil One.(Rev. Francis Lendacky)
The Latin word "catena" means "chain" and it is this prayer (the only one every Legionary is obliged to recite daily) which binds together the Legionaries, who, though part of one army, are scattered all over the world labouring in a multitude of vineyards.
Antiphon. 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?
My soul glorifies the Lord,* my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour. He looks on his servant in her lowliness;* henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.* Holy his name! His mercy is from age to age,* on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength* and scatters the proud-hearted. He casts the mighty from their thrones* and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,* sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant,* remembering his mercy, the mercy promised to our fathers,* to Abraham and his sons for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Antiphon. 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 ?
V/. O Mary, conceived without sin. R/. Pray for us who have recourse to you.
Let us pray
O Lord Jesus Christ, our mediator with the Father, who has been pleased to appoint the most Blessed Virgin, your Mother, to be our mother also, and our mediatrix with you, mercifully grant that whoever comes to you seeking your favours may rejoice to receive all of them through her. Amen.
