Lourdes: The Immaculate Conception cleanses us to make Jesus live

The Immaculate Conception cleanses us to make us live Jesus

When the soul wishes to meet the new life which is Christ, it must begin by sweeping away all the obstacles that prevent it from being born again. These obstacles are sin, bad inclinations, faculties spoiled by original sin. He will have to engage in a struggle against everything that opposes God and union with him. This active purification is intended to remove everything that can lead to sin. To "act against" it will be necessary to be inclined "not to the easiest, but to the most difficult, not to rest but to fatigue, not to the most, but to the least, not to everything but to nothing" (S. Giovanni della Croce) . This death to oneself, which is voluntarily chosen, gradually makes one's own human action completely disappear, while, gradually, the divine way of acting of Christ advances and takes on ever greater consistency. The transition from the first way of acting to the other is called "spiritual night", active purification. In all this long and tiring work Maria has a special role. She does not do everything, because personal commitment is necessary, but without her maternal assistance, without her affectionate encouragement, without her decisive pushes, without her continuous and thoughtful interventions, nothing could be accomplished.

Thus said Our Lady to Saint Veronica Giuliani in this regard: “I want you in total detachment from yourself and from all that is momentary. There is only one thought in you and this is for God alone. But it's up to you to strip yourself of everything. My Son and I will give you the grace to do it and you will commit yourself to reach this point ... If the whole world were against you, do not be afraid. Expect contempt, but stay strong in battles against the enemy. In this way you will overcome everything with humility and you will reach the height of all virtues ".

This of which we have spoken is active purification, as activity of the ego. However, at a certain moment grace must intervene directly: it is passive purification, so called because it occurs by direct intervention of God. The soul experiences the night of the senses and the night of the spirit and experiences a martyrdom of love. Mary's gaze descends on all this and her maternal intervention gives refreshment to the soul now on its way to complete purification.

Being present and active in the formation of each of her children, Mary does not take away the soul from material and spiritual tests which, not sought but accepted, lead her towards a transforming union with the Lord, towards a new life.

So St. Louis Maria of Montfort writes: “We must not delude ourselves that the one who found Mary is free from crosses and sufferings. In reverse. It proves more than anyone else because Mary, being the Mother of the living, gives to all her children pieces of the tree of life which is the Cross of Jesus. However, if on one hand Mary offers them crosses, on the other she gets for them the grace to carry them with patience and even with joy so that the crosses that she gives to those who belong to her are light crosses and not bitter "(Secret 22).

Commitment: We ask the Immaculate Conception to give us a great desire for holiness and for this we offer our day with much love.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.