J. A.

DE METZ

ALLOCUTIONS
LEGIONARIES

1978
 INDEX

INDEX.......................................................................................................................................2
S. S. John XXIII's SPEECH TO THE LEGION OF MARY
LETTER-PROLOGUE OF MONS. TOMAS MONGO, BISHOP OF DUALA .........................6
LETTER FROM FRANK DUFF, FOUNDER OF THE LEGION OF MARY .............................7
APPROVAL OF THE 'CONCILIUM LEGIONIS' OF DUBLIN (IRELAND).......................8
INTRODUCTION
THE GREAT TEXTS OF THE LEGION OF MARY......................................................12
The prayers of the Legion of Mary ...................................................................................12
Legionary Promise
Collective Consecration Act of the Legion of Mary (ACIES) ........................................16
Fixed ordinances .................................................................................................................16
Mysteries of the rosary and their fruits of grace for our lives...........................................17
The mysteries of the rosary meditated with Saint Louis Marie de Montfort ................................18
CHAPTER I: THE LEGION OF MARY CONTINUES THE WORK OF HER QUEEN...............20
The Most Holy Virgin Mary wanted that her Legion be born on the same day as she ...20
2. Like the Roman Legion of ancient times, the Legion of Mary is a solidly organized army.
organized
3. The Legion of Mary wants its members to become saints .................................22
The true legionaries dedicate themselves to their apostolic work body and soul ..........23
The ultimate and highest goal of the Legion is to become the leaven of the community.
24
The farthest and highest end of the Legion is that all of humanity be organized.
for God
7. The first duty of the Legion is a great devotion to Mary ...........................................26
8. The Annunciation of the Most Holy Virgin Mary (March 25) is the great annual feast of the
Legion
CHAPTER II: THE HOLY SPIRIT...................................................................................28
9. In the Legion of Mary, the Holy Spirit occupies the first place.......................................28
10. Who is the Holy Spirit? ..........................................................................................29
11. The Holy Spirit is at work, acting throughout God's plan for the world.
12. With the Holy Spirit, Mary collaborates in the entire work of salvation ..........................31
13. The Holy Spirit guides the apostles in their tasks .......................................................32
14. The sacrament of Confirmation gives us the Spirit of Pentecost ............................33
15. The Holy Spirit wants to bring the world to new life in Jesus Christ .....................................34
16. The Holy Spirit is the soul of our life ..................................................................35
CHAPTER III: THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN MARY MOTHER OF THE SAVIOR, IS THE
QUEEN OF THE LEGION AND OF EACH LEGIONARY..........................................................36
I am the Immaculate Conception
18. Mary remained always a Virgin .................................................................................37
19. Mary is the Mother of God .................................................................................................38
20. Mary is the wife of the Holy Spirit
21. Mary is the saint associated with Christ the Redeemer ...............................................................40
22. Maria is the new Eve, the mother of the true living beings. 41
23. Mary is the mother of all men, Mary is our mother in Christ..................42
24. Mary is the mediator of all graces obtained by Christ ...................................43
25. Mary is Queen of the Apostles
26. True devotion to Mary obliges to the apostolate ....................................................45
27. The Virgin Mary is the divine model of the Holy Church ..............................................46

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CHAPTER IV: THE LEGIONARY LIVES IN PERMANENT UNION WITH CHRIST
JESUS IN MARY, HIS MOTHER............................................................................................47
Until he reaches heaven, the Christian constantly lives under the protection of the
Virgin Mary...........................................................................................................................47
29. Our mother, Mary, shapes us in the likeness of Christ ...............................................48
30. The legionnaire has spent his entire life in Union with Mary .....................................................49
31. The true legionary wants to be a slave of Christ......................................................50
32. The legionary enjoys practicing the 'true devotion to Mary' of Saint Louis Marie de
Montfort
33. Our union with Christ in Mary must always progress ..................................................52
34. The legionary performs all actions for Mary, with Mary, in Mary, and for Mary. ...53
35. The true devotion to Mary of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort fills the soul with fruits
of grace
36. The union with Mary is the path that leads to God ...................................................55
37. The union with Mary is the path that leads the apostle to men, their
brothers
CHAPTER V: THE ROSARY IS THE BEST MEANS TO SPEND ALL OF LIFE IN
UNION WITH MARY
38. The Virgin Map prefers the prayer of the rosary .........................................57
39. The meditated and lived rosary allows us to spend our whole life in the company of the Virgin.
Maria ....................................................................................................................................58
40. The rosary makes us live and fulfill the union with Mary .................................................59
The rosary is the breviary of the legionary
42. The Legion strongly recommends its members to join the Brotherhood of
Most Holy Rosary
CHAPTER VI: WE ALL ARE MEMBERS OF ONE BODY
MYSTERIOUS, WHOSE HEAD IS JESUS CHRIST (The Mystical Body of Christ)..............62
43. Jesus Christ is present in every man ........................................................................62
44. Every Christian possesses within themselves the life of Jesus Christ .................................................63
45. All Christians form one body, the total Christ, of which Jesus is the
head and we the members ...........................................................................................64
46. The sacrifice of the mass gathers around its chief the entire Mystical Body ....................65
47. Communion is the sacrament that makes the Mystical Body of Christ grow ................66
48. We are members of Christ and we must fully develop that part of the Body.
Mystics of Christ that we are..................................................................................67
49. The Mystical Body of Christ urges us towards apostolate ................................................68
50. The Mystical Body of Christ urges us to charity towards all .................................69
For the member of Christ, even the most ordinary action contributes to his sanctification.
and to the salvation of souls ................................................................................................70
Our sorrows and our sufferings are necessary for the growth of the Body
Mystical of Christ
53. The cross of the Christian works the conversion and salvation of his brothers.....................72
54. Mary is the heart of the Mystic Body of Christ .........................................................73
By the Legion, María continues to love and serve her divine son Jesus in each of
its members
CHAPTER VII: THE LEGION HAS ONLY FOUR COMMANDMENTS,
BUT IT REQUIRES ITS PERFECT FULFILLMENT..........................................................75
56. The first commandment requires attendance at the Meetings ..................................................75
57. Reporting on the work is an important element of the meeting ................................76
58. The second commandment is that of prayer .................................................................77
59. The third commandment is that of legionary work ........................................................78
60. The work demands an intense effort from the legionary ...............................79

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 61. The legionnaire does not back down before the impossible .................................................................80
The President is responsible for the work of his Praesidium.
63. The true legionnaire is always on duty ...........................................................82
64. The fourth commandment requires that the legionary be faithful to the secret of the Legion ...........83
65. María's visit to Isabel is the model of all legionary work ..............................84
CHAPTER VIII: THE VIRTUES OF THE LEGIONARY ARE THE VIRTUES OF
MARÍA.....................................................................................................................................85
66. The spirit of the Legion is the same spirit of Mary...................................................85
The legionary possesses the faith of Mary
68. The legionary practices the humility of Mary ..................................................................87
69. The Legion trains its members in heroic valor .....................................................88
70. The legionary service must be perseverant ..................................................................89
71. The life of a legionnaire is a constant opportunity for renunciation .......................................90
72. Obedience is one of the great virtues of the army of Mary ..............................91
The legionary has infinite patience and sweetness towards souls. .............................92
74. Mary, ever Virgin, surrenders to pure souls .....................................................93
75. The Legion has above all the spirit of brotherhood.......................................94
Charity perfects all virtues.
CHAPTER XI: THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF THE LEGIONARY MUST DEVELOP
WITHOUT CESAR UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MARIA.........................................................96
77. The active legionary is a soul of prayer ....................................................................96
78. María helps her children to penetrate into the heart of the Most Holy Trinity ...................97
The legionary frequently participates in the holy sacrifice of the mass.
80. The legionary always participates in the mass receiving the holy communion .................99
81. The legionary has a deep love for the holy Church and remains united to its
pastors
CHAPTER X: THE LEGION HAS DISTINCT MEMBERS, WHOSE FUNCTIONS ARE
THEY COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER, AND THEY ALL WORK FOR HIM
GROWTH OF THE BODY OF CHRIST......................................................................101
The priest is the soul of the Praesidium .......................................................................101
83. A Praesidium does not function well if it does not have a great President ................................102
84. The officers are, along with the President, responsible for the life of the Legion ........103
85. The home of Nazareth is the model of the Praesidium ........................................................104
86. The Praesidium lives by the spirit of Nazareth ..................................................................105
87. One cannot become a true active legionary except through the promise........................106
88. The Praetorians are selected legionaries ......................................................................107
The Legion loves and greatly values its auxiliary members, and wishes to possess them greatly.
number ...............................................................................................................................108
90. The movement of the Patricians is animated by the Legion of Mary ........................109
CONCLUSION
God is love; God's plan in the world is a plan of love and unity .....................110

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 S. S. JOHN XXIII'S SPEECH TO THE LEGION OF MARY
In San Pedro of Rome, on July 13, 1960

Beloved sons and daughters:

...What a great job you have done in the Lord's field in these past years!
We are very pleased to congratulate you and encourage you to be, now more than ever, apostles of
Christ, in this world that has so much need of them, always in collaboration and in
coordination with the different forms of lay apostolate.

May this pilgrimage be for you an opportunity to renew your

AVAILABILITY for the Lord, to reaffirm your VALIANT FAITH, which is
necessary to bring Christ to the souls who await Him from you, and to develop the
spirit of HUMILITY and PRAYER, so indispensable for the fruitfulness of your
apostolate.

Pray fervently to the most holy Virgin, under whose protection you work, to be each day
more docile to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, divine animator of your action.
apostolic.

Thus, with renewed FERVOR and ZEAL, you will be able to recommence in your parishes the
role of ACTIVE TESTIMONIES of Jesus Christ and the task of Gospel servants.

Thus fertilized, PERSONAL CONTACTS, fraternal visits, the

Friendly meetings that you will initiate will bear all their supernatural fruit.

In this way, it will truly be CHRIST who, through your mediation,

He will visit the sick, the weak, the elderly, the prisoners, and will inspire you with a
compassionate charity towards all who suffer. What a beautiful work of mercy and what
suitable to make known, to so many men who do not know it, the true face of
the Catholic Church!

But, then, dear children, in this apostolate that is yours, and under the various
ways that are guided by your brothers in the episcopate, the worthy emulators of
your brothers (from China and other places), who, in delicate situations, were not
a long time ago, for his HEROISM, the admiration of the Catholic world, and towards those who in this
At this moment, our prayers and affections are directed.

We wholeheartedly invoke the abundance of divine favors upon everyone.

we gladly grant to you, to your national representatives
your spiritual directors, in token of abundant graces, our blessing
apostolic.

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 LETTER-PROLOGUE FROM MONS. TOMAS MONGO, BISHOP OF DUALA
Douala, November 27, 1960

Reverend Father:

Your Legionary speeches are a clear indication of your concern for the
training of our Legionaries of Mary and, at the same time, of your experience of the
need for training on the part of the leaders of the Legion.

In our African countries, priests are still few in number; the villages are
visited very sparsely; for this reason, the presidents of these evangelization groups
they often have to substitute for the priest. But from my own experience, since I was
Spiritual Director of Praesidia, I have witnessed the difficulty that these Presidents
They were found to extract material for good speeches from the Manual of the Legion.

With these texts, biblical or 'legionary', well chosen and applied to the concrete end to
that are directed towards, this book responds to the demands of the work that we have
advised and desired always, namely: the solid Christian formation, essential for all
militant action in the Legion of Mary.

I have no doubt, Father, that your guidance and advice, indicating, with your best
The solutions, the gaps he found in the groups of the diocese of Duala, will serve everyone.
the Directors and Legionaries who read Legionary Addresses.

I bless you from the heart, Father, as well as your work and all those who are
take advantage of it.

+ Tomás MONGO
Bishop of Douala

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 LETTER FROM FRANK DUFF, FOUNDER OF THE LEGION OF MARY

Legion of Mary
De Montfort House

Dublin, June 16, 1961

Dear Father of Metz:

I appreciate the kindness you have shown by sending me a copy of your book.
Legionary Addresses, so well presented, to which you have dedicated so much time and
interest.

The speeches contained in the volume EFFECTIVELY COVER EVERYTHING

THE FIELD OF SPIRITUALITY and OF LEGIONARY DOCTRINE. This book
will help a lot to all those who have to lead the speeches to the Curia and the
Provisions; but, in addition to this special purpose, THIS WORK WILL SERVE ADMIRABLY
FROM THE BOOK OF MEDITATION and SPIRITUAL READING. It is admirable that it has been able to
to compose a work that requires so much effort and concentration, while fulfilling at the same time
his duties as a missionary.

By providing this service to the Legion, he has done nothing but add a new burden.
legionary that he has had to carry for so many years.

All the work you have dedicated to the Legion has been immensely fruitful, and
I am sure that this new job will be no less. I am glad to think that everything you
what he has done for the Legion also represents an eminent service to the Most Holy
Virgin, Mother of souls. It is evident that She has joyfully welcomed all with maternal care.
help that you have offered, helping the souls entrusted to your care. We are
surely she will reward him with the infinite treasures entrusted to her hands.

I was very pleased to read the kind letter that His Excellency the Bishop of Duala has written to you.
sent to recommend your work and wish you full success.

Reiterating my gratitude, dear Father of Metz, I bid you farewell.

Frank Duff

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 APPROVAL OF THE 'CONCILIUM LEGIONIS' OF DUBLIN (IRELAND)

Dublin, July 20, 1960

Reverend Father:

You will be pleased to know that the Officers of the Concilium have approved your series of
Addresses. We hope this good work will end as soon as possible.

Clara SHANAHAN,
Official Correspondent for Cameroon

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 When visiting the rural Praesidia, and even those in the city that are hardly seen.
Never to the Spiritual Director, it is sad to see that they are completely devoid of nourishment.
spiritual. We ask ourselves: Where can they find the strength to persevere? What kind of
Is intention the basis of your activity? Without a doubt, the most holy Virgin is not very demanding for
with them; She must give them spiritual thanks. But they have, despite everything, the right to
this beautiful training that the Legion tends to give to its members.

In all the places we have visited, we have announced that you are preparing some
Addresses in a simple language, which will be easy to translate into African languages. Yours
"Addresses" will be a great success; this has been sought for a long time: something that explains well the
spirit of the Legion, but in simple terms, that makes it understandable to the Legionnaires
poorly trained.

Helena SHEAHY and Maureen MACPOLIN,

Visitors of the Concilium for Black Africa

9
 INTRODUCTION

Pope Pius XII wrote on July 22, 1953, to Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of
Maria, these important words:

The effectiveness of the contribution of the Legionaries to this apostolate (which is their
cooperation with the divine Mission of the Church) will be measured, largely, by the depth of
its spiritual formation. Under the prudent guidance of the Spiritual Directors, this formation
will intensify in them a true spirit of apostleship. Penetrated by this character
supernatural of the true lay apostolate, they will march forward with a holy fervor...

How will this spiritual and Marian deepening take place in the soul of the
Legionaries? Without a doubt, with prayer, with retreats and contemplation. But the Legion foresees
that this training will mainly take place during the weekly meetings of the Praesidium,
special way at two moments of the meeting, which are the Reading and the Address.

The spiritual reading is usually taken from the official Manual. It is necessary to read
the complete Manual, to allow members to familiarize themselves with its content and to
encourage them to make it a serious study.

As for the Address, which is located in the middle of the meeting, it will have
usually the form of a comment from the Manual, especially from the page of the Manual
read during the spiritual reading. But be warned that the simple reading of passages from the
Manual cannot replace the Speech; the study of the Manual also cannot replace the
Address. This is based on the Manual, but it should be something concrete, vibrant, that renews the
enthusiasm of the Legionaries; plays a leading role in their improvement.
No wonder, concludes the Manual: What a difference between a Praesidium where one prepares the
Speech and another where it is neglected!

In Cameroon, the Legion of Mary has the joy of experiencing growth.

extraordinary; their grassroots groups (Praesidia) are multiplying both in the densely populated neighborhoods of
the cities, like in the villages of the countryside; are assisted by the brothers of the schools and
by the religious; the priests are very few and are too overwhelmed with
I work to be able to regularly participate in the weekly meetings of the Praesidia. A
example? The city of Duala {130,000 inhabitants; approximately 50,000 Catholics} has
only a dozen priests for the service of the parishes. Now then, each
There are about 100 Praesidia that regularly hold their meeting each week.

The President is also the one who usually has the responsibility of delivering the Address.
But here it is that, after numerous visits to the groups, I realized that the Address
it amounted to some vague advice, almost always the same. They do not give the Legionnaires the
spiritual food that they need; and yet, this beautiful doctrine of
The manual is perfectly accessible to the Legionaries, even to the illiterate, if it is known.
to expose it to her.

To this end, I have drafted these short texts. They could constitute the Addresses of
one or two years of the life of a Praesidium. To better highlight the fidelity to the Manual, they have
printed with special characters all texts directly related to topics of
However, everyone who is capable is naturally invited to refer to the text.
same as the Manual, so that they can do a personal study.

10
 They may be surprised that I haven't dedicated more space to Jesus Christ,
unique Savior, since there is an entire chapter about the Holy Spirit. The Legion does not separate
never to Mary of Jesus; he knows he will always find Jesus through Mary and with Mary. For this reason,
In almost all the speeches dedicated to Mary, the Lord will be spoken of. In this way, there will be
present throughout the entire work.

I have simplified the style to the maximum: common words, short phrases. To make it easier to
reading, I have multiplied the capital letters and the punctuation marks, I still have in front of the
eyes to those Presidents who want to explain the Manual to their Legionnaires and how many times they
I have seen stumble upon words, with turns of phrases that are not fully understood, and even less
still to translate them! Once again, the complaint of the Prophet was made: "The little children

to understand, they should allow our Legionaries to feed their souls with this deep
doctrine of life.

At the end of each speech, I have placed a phrase that summarizes it; this phrase is,
generally, taken from the Bible, from the Prayers of the Legion or from the Promise. After
having read it, it would be advisable to have it repeated by the Legionnaires, or perhaps learn it from
memory. Thus, they will have a precise and vivid memory of that Address, which is a very
important to their training.

The texts of this book are like summaries that we have to develop and make.
pulsating, because a Speech is prepared beforehand and with care. That the Spiritual Director
(or the one who replaces him) read the text during the week, meditate on it, and share it
to their heart; then they will give a true Legionary Speech, warm, vibrant,
adorned with some examples or practical applications. Seeing these Legionaries live, one
you can say: "What a difference between a Praesidium where the Allocutio is prepared and another where
if she neglects it!

May this work help the Legionaries to give themselves more completely to Mary, in order that
May the Virgin Mother make Christ live in the heart of all her children for them!

I am all yours,
My queen, my mother, and everything I have is yours.

Douala, November 21, 1960

On the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary

Fr. J. A. de METZ

Voluntarily, I have not given any references, in order to avoid complicating the reading.

I have extensively used the following works, which I recommend:

Saint Louis Marie de Montfort: Treatise on True Devotion - The Secret of

Mary.

Mons. Suenens: Theology of the Apostolate of the Legion of Mary; The Church in
State of Mission; Who is This?

Msgr. Glorieux: Mystical Body and Apostolate (for priests).

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 THE GREAT TEXTS OF THE LEGION OF MARY

The prayers of the Legion of Mary

Sentences that will be said at the beginning of the meeting

In the name of the Father, etc.

Come, Holy Spirit.
Fill the hearts of your faithful and ignite in them the fire of your love.
V. Send your spirit, and all will be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.

SENTENCE
Oh God, who instructs the hearts of the faithful with the science of the Holy Spirit, make
that, guided by this same Spirit, we savor the sweetness of goodness and always enjoy
his divine comforts. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

V. Lord, open my lips,

And my mouth will proclaim your praises.
V. Oh God, come to my aid,
Sir, hurry to help me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Holy Rosary (five decades) and the Salve are prayed.

V. Pray for us, holy Mother of God.

R. So that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

SENTENCE
Oh God, whose Only Begotten Son, by his life, death, and resurrection, earned for us the reward of the
eternal life, grant, to those of us who with reverence remember these mysteries of the Most Holy
Rosary, may we imitate the virtues they contain and achieve the rewards they promise. For
the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

V. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,

R. Have mercy on us.
V. Immaculate Heart of Mary,
R. Pray for us.
V. San José,
R. Pray for us.
St. John the Evangelist
R. Pray for us.
V. Saint Louis Marie de Montfort,
R. Pray for us.

In the name of the Father, etc.

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Chain of the Legion
(It will be said during the meeting. Every Legionary must pray it daily)

Antiphon.- Who is this that rises like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, shining
like the sun, terrible like an army drawn up for battle?

Magnificat
My soul glorifies the Lord.
And my spirit is transported with joy in God, my savior,
For he has set his eyes on the humility of his servant; therefore, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
blessed are all generations.
For he who is mighty has done great things for me; and holy is his name.
And whose mercy is poured out from generation to generation on those who fear Him.
He bragged about the power of his arm: he shattered the intentions of the proud.
He brought down the powerful from their thrones and exalted the humble.
He filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
Remembering His mercy, He welcomed Israel, His servant;
According to the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.
the centuries.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, now and always and for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Who is This that is rising like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright
like the sun, terrible like an army drawn up for battle?

Oh Mary, conceived without sin,

R. Pray for us, who turn to You.

SENTENCE
Oh Lord Jesus Christ, our mediator before the Father, who established the Most Holy
Virgin, your Mother, so that she may also be our mother and mediator before You, make that
How many come to You to ask for favors, rejoice in having achieved everything through her.
So be it.

Legionary prayer
(That a prayer should be said at the end of the meeting).

In the name of the Father, etc.

Oh Holy Mother of God, to your patronage we turn; in our needs do not disregard us.
Our pleas, rather, deliver us always from all danger, glorious and blessed Virgin.

V. (Invocation proper to the Praesidium).

R. Pray for us.

Outside the meetings of the Praesidium, all members will say the following invocation:

V. Mary Immaculate, mediator of all graces

R. Pray for us.
V. Saint Michael and Saint Gabriel,
R. Pray for us.

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V. All the powers of heaven, angelic Legion of Mary,
R. Pray for us.
V. Saint John the Baptist,
R. Pray for us.
Saints Peter and Paul
R. Pray for us.

Everyone will say the following sentence in unison until the first 'so be it', and then it will continue.
priest only).

SENTENCE
Lord, grant to all of us who serve under the banner of Mary,
The fullness of faith in You and trust in Her,
To the one who has been granted the conquest of the world.
Grant us a living faith that, animated by charity,
Enable us to do all our actions out of pure love for You,
To see you and serve you in our neighbor;
A firm and unshakeable faith like a rock,
So that we may be calm and safe
In the crosses, struggles, and disappointments of life,
A valiant faith that inspires us
Start and carry out large enterprises without hesitation,
For God and for the salvation of souls;
A faith that is the Column of Fire of our Legion
That may it take us together until the end,
May the fire of God's Love be ignited everywhere,
May it illuminate those who are in darkness and the shadow of death,
May it inflame the lukewarm,
Let those who have died from sin rise again;
And may it guide our steps along the Path of Peace,
So that, when the struggle of life is over,
Our Legion gathers without any loss.
In the kingdom of your love and glory. So be it.

The souls of our legionnaires,

And the souls of all the faithful departed
Rest in peace. So be it.

The present priest then gives his blessing; there is no priest:

In the name of the Father, etc.

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 Legionnaire's Promise
Most Holy Spirit, I (name of the candidate),
Wanting to be enlisted as a Legionary of Mary on this day,
And recognizing that by myself I cannot provide a worthy service,
I ask you to descend upon me and fill me with Yourself,
So that my poor acts may be sustained by your power, and become an instrument of your
powerful designs.
I also recognize that You, who came to regenerate the world in Jesus Christ,
You didn't want to do it except for María;
For without Her, we cannot know you or love you,
And that through Her your gifts, virtues, and graces are granted,
To whom She wants, when She wants, in the measure and in the way that She wants;
And I see that the secret of a perfect Legionary service
It consists of complete union with Her who is so intimately united to You.
Therefore, taking in my hand the standard of the Legion, which seeks to place before our
these are truths,
I present myself before You as your soldier and your son,
And, as such, I declare myself absolutely dependent on Her.
She is the mother of my soul.
Your heart and mine are one,
And from this single heart, She returns to say what She said in the past:
Here is the handmaid of the Lord;
And once again, You come through Her to do great things.
Cover me with Your power and come to my soul with fire and love.
And make it one with the love of Mary and the will of Mary to save the world;
So that I may be pure in Her who was made Immaculate by You;
So that in me as well my Lord Jesus Christ may grow;
So that I, with Her, Her Mother, can offer to Him
To the world and to the souls that need it;
So that, having won the battle, those souls and I can reign with Her eternally in glory.
of the Most Blessed Trinity.
Confident that on this day you want to receive me as such, to serve you from me and to convert my
weakness in strength
I take my place in the ranks of the Legion and I dare to promise to be faithful in my service.
I will completely submit to your discipline,
What binds me to my legionary brothers and makes us an army,
And keep our alignment in our progress with María,
To carry out your will, to perform your miracles of Grace
They will renew the face of the earth,
And they will establish, Most Holy Spirit, your reign over all beings.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Abbreviated formula for the renewal of the Legionary Promise

I am all yours,
My queen, My mother,
And how much I have of yours is.

15
 Collective consecration act of the Legion of Mary (ACIES)

Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of the Legion and our Mother, here we are, your children and
soldiers, gathered around you, in this plenary meeting of your Legion Army.
Active and Auxiliary Members - we meet today - to consecrate you more deeply
everything we are and have.
We consecrate our EYES to you, -so that we may learn to see men -with your gaze, -and
so that we see in them only your divine Son.
We dedicate our LIPS to you, -so that they may speak, at the right moment, -the word,
full of grace, -that it may touch hearts and lead them closer to God.
We consecrate our STEPS to you, -so that our walk and our fatigue may be
supported by the strength of your maternal love-, in favor of the souls rescued by your divine
Son.
We dedicate our HANDS to you, -so that we can extend a charitable hand to others.
that we found injured and mistreated along the way.
But above all, -Oh Immaculate Mary, -we reconsecrate our HEARTS,
-so that they are pure and transparent like a spring, - and are not more than one with the
Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Fixed ordinances

The legionary duty demands from each member:

1st Punctual and regular attendance at the weekly meeting of the Praesidium, where
will clearly present a sufficient report on the work done.
2nd The daily prayer of the CATENA.
3rd The execution of an active and solid legionario WORK, done with a spirit of faith and
in union with Mary, in such a way that in the people for whom he works and in his brothers
legionaries may it be Mary who sees and serves in them her Son Jesus Christ.
4th The GUARD of an absolute secret regarding all matters discussed in
the board or those known in the exercise of legionary work.

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 Mysteries of the rosary and their fruits of grace for our lives

Joyful Mysteries
First mystery: The Annunciation.
Fruit of the mystery: Humility. Generosity.

Second mystery: The visitation.

Fruit of the mystery: Love for one's neighbor.

Third mystery: The birth of Jesus.

Fruit of the mystery: The spirit of detachment.

Fourth mystery: The presentation of Jesus in the Temple. The purification of Mary.
Fruit of the mystery: Obedience. Purity.

Fifth mystery: The encounter of Jesus in the temple.

Fruit of the mystery: The search for Jesus.

Sorrowful Mysteries
First mystery: The agony of Jesus.
Fruit of the mystery: The pain of sins.

Second mystery: The scourging of Jesus.

Fruit of the mystery: The mortification of the senses.

Third mystery: The crowning with thorns.

Fruit of the mystery: The acceptance of humiliations.

Fourth mystery: Jesus carrying the cross.

Fruit of the mystery: Patience in trials.

Fifth mystery: The crucifixion.

Fruit of the mystery: Death to sin.

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
First mystery: The resurrection of our Lord.
Fruit of the mystery: Faith.

Second mystery: The ascension of our Lord.

Fruit of the mystery: Hope.

Third mystery: The coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.
Fruit of the mystery: The love of God. The spirit of apostolate.

Fourth mystery: The Assumption of Mary into heaven.

Fruit of the mystery: The final perseverance.

Fifth mystery: The crowning of Mary.

Fruit of the mystery: Trust in Mary.

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 The mysteries of the rosary meditated with Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

MYSTERIOUS JOYS
First mystery: The Annunciation.
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this first decade in honor of your incarnation in the womb of...
Mary, and we ask you, for this mystery and for its intention, a deep humility. Amen.

Second mystery: The visitation.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this second decade in honor of the visitation of your holy
Mother to her cousin Saint Isabel and of the sanctification of Saint John the Baptist; and we ask you, for
this mystery and through the intercession of your Mother, charity towards our neighbor. Amen.

Third mystery: The birth of Jesus.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this third decade in honor of your birth in the stable.
from Bethlehem, and we ask you, for this mystery and through the intercession of your holy Mother, the
detachment from worldly possessions, disregard for wealth, and love for poverty.
So be it.

Fourth mystery: The presentation of Jesus in the temple. The purification of Mary.
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this fourth decade in honor of your presentation in the temple.
and from the purification of Mary, and we ask you, through this mystery and by her intercession, for purity.
big in body and soul. So be it.

Fifth mystery: The encounter of Jesus in the temple.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this fifth decade in honor of your meeting through Mary, and we
We ask, through this mystery and by his intercession, for true wisdom. Amen.

Sorrowful Mysteries
First mystery: The agony of Jesus.
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this sixth decade in honor of your mortal agony, and we
we ask, through this mystery and through the intercession of your holy Mother, for the contrition of
our sins. So be it.

Second mystery: The flogging of Jesus.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this seventh decade in honor of your bloody flagellation, and
we ask you, through this mystery and by the intercession of your holy Mother, for the mortification of
our senses. So be it.

Third mystery: The crowning with thorns.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this eighth decade in honor of your crown of thorns, and
we ask you, through this mystery and by the intercession of your holy Mother, the contempt of
world. So be it.

Fourth mystery: Jesus carrying the cross.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this nine-day prayer in honor of your painful journey, and we
we ask, through this mystery and the intercession of your holy Mother, for patience in all
our crosses. So be it.

Fifth mystery: The crucifixion.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this tenth decade in honor of your crucifixion and of your
ignominious death on Calvary, and we ask you, through this mystery and through the intercession of

18
your holy Mother, the conversion of sinners, the perseverance of the righteous and the
comfort of the souls in purgatory. Amen.

Glorious Mysteries
First mystery: The resurrection of our Lord.
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this eleventh decade in honor of your glorious resurrection, and
we ask you, through this mystery and by the intercession of your holy Mother, for the love of God and the
fervor in your service. So be it.

Second mystery: The ascension of our Lord.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this twelfth decade in honor of your triumphant ascension,
and we ask you, through this mystery and through the intercession of your holy Mother, a burning desire
from heaven, our beloved homeland. So be it.

Third mystery: The coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.
We offer you, Lord Jesus, this thirteenth decade in honor of the mystery of Pentecost, and
we ask you, through this mystery and the intercession of your holy Mother, for the coming of the Spirit
Saint over our souls. So be it.

Fourth mystery: The assumption of Mary into heaven.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this fourteenth dinner in honor of the resurrection and of the
triumphant ascension of your holy Mother to heaven, and we ask you, through this mystery and through her
intercession, a tender devotion to such a good Mother. So be it.

Fifth mystery: The coronation of Mary.

We offer you, Lord Jesus, this fifteenth decade in honor of the glorious crowning of
your holy Mother in heaven, and we ask you, through this mystery and her intercession, the
perseverance in grace and the crown of glory. Amen.

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 CHAPTER I: THE LEGION OF MARY CONTINUES THE WORK OF HER QUEEN

The Most Holy Virgin Mary wanted that her Legion be born on the same day as her.

The event takes place in a very Catholic country, in Ireland. This town has demonstrated
always a truly apostolic and missionary spirit. It is Wednesday, September 7.
In 1921, in Dublin, the capital of the nation; it is 8 in the evening. In a room of 'Myra House',
a fortnight of girls have responded to the call of Mr. Frank Duff, an official of
Ministry of Finance. There is also a priest there. These simple people are encouraged by
a total willingness to work in the work of God.

In the midst of the crowd, a table covered with a white tablecloth, with two candles.
lit candles and two jars with flowers. At the center of the table presides the statue of the Virgin Mary, which
It represents the same figure as the miraculous medal. It is the Immaculate Conception.
crushing the head of the infernal serpent. He opens his hands to distribute his benefits.
about the earth, as the true mediator of grace and mother of all men.

There is an enthusiastic youth. Upon entering the room and seeing María, everyone
they understand that their queen, standing, is waiting to incorporate them into her army. The first act
These legionaries kneel down to pray. They invoke the Holy Spirit and pray all the time.
the rosary. Then they get up and together, under Mary's loving gaze, they try to find the
best ways to please God and make everyone love him. They are determined not to
to back down before anything, not even before what might seem impossible. They want above all
to dedicate oneself to the salvation of the most abandoned elements of the population. Precisely,
after the visit to the hospitals, the first major task of the Legion will be the conversion and
recovery of the lost girls from the worst sector of Dublin; no one, not even the police themselves,
would dare to work there.

We are in the afternoon of September 7th, that is, in the early moments of the
celebration in which the birth of Mary is celebrated. Mary will always be the living model, the queen and
the mother of the Legion, as well as of each of the legionaries, born on the same day as She.

Mary Immaculate,
Mediator of all graces,
pray for us.

20
Like the Roman Legion of other times, the Legion of Mary is a solidly army.
organized

To designate various ranks, the Legion uses the Latin language. This is the language.
international of the wise; it is, above all, the language of the universal Church.

The Legion of Mary has taken its name from ancient Rome. The Roman Legion was
probably the best body of troops that has ever been known. The secret of its
invincible strength resided in the wonderful spirit of its members.

The Legion has a pyramidal organization. At the base, there is the

PRAESIDIUM, small cell of prayer, formation, and action; it is in charge of a portion
well defined. It consists of two classes of members: Active and Auxiliary. All are
true legionnaires; some, dedicated mainly to prayer; others, to action; they
they support each other. The weapon of the Legion is Mary's rosary.

The leaders (or Officers) of the Praesidia from the same place or from nearby places,
they gather to form the CURIA; it coordinates work in a fairly limited sector.

The regional scale is the COMITIUM (or Federal Committee); this encourages the
Curias. Its territory is more vast: a diocese, or a notable part of a diocese; a
department, for example. On a national scale, there is the SENATUS (or National Council). And,
Finally, at the summit, to lead the entire Legion, is the CONCILIUM, located in Dublin.
capital of the Legion.

As in Rome, the standard of the Legion is called VEXILLUM. On it, one can see the
Holy Spirit with its wings spread, covering the Virgin; She has her hands
widely open, to distribute God's grace over the world that needs to be saved.
To be thorough, let's point out that each legionary receives a TESSERA. It is a small sheet of paper.
that the prayers of the Legion are read; it is like the identity card of the legionnaires, and it
allows them to recognize each other.

This virility of the Roman legion must also be the heritage of the legionaries.
of Mary, but here it must be supernaturalized, softened by contact with her queen, which,
Better than anyone, knows how to teach the secret of serving with love and kindness.

Who is this that advances, terrible as an army arranged for battle?

(Song of Solomon 6:10)

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 3. The Legion of Mary wants its members to become saints.

Here is the fire; if you want it to heat and cook the food, it is necessary that it burns first.
Here is the night; if you want to light the way for those who have lost their path, it is necessary, before
Everyone, may you have a shining lamp. When God decides to save men from their
sins, choose his own SON, God like Him. Jesus is the holy one of God. When Jesus
He founded his Church, in order to continue his work of salvation, he chooses only twelve men;
They are the Apostles. Jesus begins by thoroughly training them; they will be saints. Throughout
from the history of the Church, those who have been true apostles of their country are the
saints, whom we celebrate and pray to.

The legionaries must commit themselves to an intense apostolic work; with Jesus, like the
Apostles, they want to save others and bring them grace. Therefore, they must, above all, be saints and
to possess this grace that they wish to transmit to their brothers. What can a legionary do?
who lives poorly and will not start by setting a good example?

The Legion of Mary does not want to be hindered by a large number of Christians.
mediocre; their bases will have only a small number of active legionaries; but
these will be well chosen, well trained, entirely at the service of the holy Church, A
A legionary must, above all, lead an edifying life; he must be a model of Christian life.
wants to frequently receive the sacraments; serves their neighbor; has the desire to grow
always in holiness with the grace of God.

For this reason, the Manual declares: The purpose of the Legion of Mary is SANCTIFICATION.
of its members through prayer and active cooperation in the work of Mary, The
legionaries have Mary as the Chief of their army; She is also their model. Mary is the
mediator of all graces and queen of the Apostles; God has also created her
Immaculate, and She always remained 'full of grace'. Thus She is the queen of all
saints.

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

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 True legionaries dedicate themselves to their apostolic work body and soul.

A well-trained army is prepared for combat; well-trained legionaries

formed and saints are ready to fulfill the APOSTOLIC WORK. The
Legion sanctifies its members, especially with a view to the apostolate; and by the exercise of
The apostolate will be sanctified more and more. The Legion aims to develop the holiness of its
members by giving it the character of apostolate; but this apostolate also becomes a
an indispensable factor of the holiness of the legionaries.

The Legion of Mary is willing to dedicate itself to all kinds of social action and
Catholic action, useful for the good of the Church, that the authorities (Bishop or parish priest) can.
to request. But, evidently, the full purpose of the Legion requires that this activity be oriented
towards the most current and pressing needs. The Legion shapes generous souls,
willing to undertake great things and to sacrifice for the holy Church. It is necessary
to encourage the legionnaires to surpass themselves to the point of heroism: The more they are
Demand more, they will give. Not asking them for more than a insignificant job will weaken their zeal, and they...
will lead to mediocrity and lukewarmness.

The Legion of Mary imposes work on its active members every week.
apostolic precise that must be realized. But look further; she wants to form souls of
apostles. Wherever he is, the legionnaire will always feel on duty; he will be
always ready for all opportunities of apostolate and charity that may present themselves.
He will never resign himself to paganism and sin. He will pray, he will strive to put an end to it.
remedy, he will fight it resolutely; and God will bless his supernatural efforts and
persevering.

Thus, the Legion begins by gathering its members; so that they "persevere.
unanimously in prayer, with Mary, Mother of Jesus," as the Apostles did,
before starting his apostolic work. Then, he sends them to the places of sin and
suffering, to do good; and, by doing so, they will become inflamed with the desire to do it more and more.
better.

I have come to fire

to put into the world,
and how much I wish it were already lit!
Luke 12:49

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5. The ultimate and highest goal of the Legion is to become the leaven of the community.

We have a large amount of food; without salt, it has no flavor; let's add some.
a little salt; they will turn out great. Similarly, let's take a large amount of dough,
quite heavy; let's add a little yeast; let's mix it well with the dough; the yeast
it will disappear, but it will act in it, and, over time, the whole mass will ferment.

This is how the Legion of Mary works. Its Praesidia have no more than 8, 10, or 12 members.
assets; but each Praesidium has its place to work and to which it must return to be Christian.
The legionaries methodically visit all the houses, entering into fraternal contact with each.
person. With their kindness, with their friendly advice, they strive to open that soul to the
grace; they seek to make that family's life more Christian; they struggle against sin,
against pagan customs, which have souls captive.

This will be hard; it will be necessary to always continue this humble work; but the Legion
has the ambition to save all the territory where María has placed her. Wants to
transform society; wants to make its men, who live united, a true
Christian community, where people live well because they love one another.

These lay apostles, who are the legionaries, are the true LEAVEN in
contact with the masses. They live in the sector; they belong to the same environment as their neighbors;
they have the same difficulties as they do and live Christianly in the sight of all,
starting by practicing before teaching. They offer their fraternal service. Such testimony
of life has a unique effectiveness. Subsequently, they will be able to approach them, contribute their
Advice with humility and perseverance; they will be heard and followed.

Experience has shown in all countries what a handful of legionnaires

supernatural and determined can do to cleanse a place or environment of sin, to
transform customs to extend Christian charity, that is, to save the
world.

The Kingdom of Heaven resembles

to the yeast that a woman mixes
with three measures of flour,
until the entire dough ferments.
Matthew 13:33

24
The most distant and highest end of the Legion is that all humanity be organized.
for God

Let's go to Edea to admire the 'spectacular waterfalls' of the Sanaga. Always,

the water falls there in torrents. But engineers arrived: they 'organized' these waterfalls of
water. They installed turbines, cables, and lights. Here is the city of Duala illuminated; everyone
neighborhoods, all men receive the light.

The Manual tells us that for the priest who knows how to use it, the Legion is like
a powerful machine in the hands of a mechanic. He touches some control devices;
he maneuvers some levers; the energy development is such that it is possible to achieve what
it seemed impossible. Well: The Legion resembles a net. The Praesidia are the thick meshes and
solid: nothing escapes this net. The priest is the fisherman. With his net from the Legion, he makes
truly miraculous raids.

In a parish, there should be no sector that the Church does not take care of.
The priest takes care that each of his communities has its catechist to teach the
doctrine and act in your name. But the priest also knows that the moral health of a
the Catholic community depends on the presence, within it, of a group of lay apostles who
feel passion for the good of the Church, with the desire to work personally in the
extension of the kingdom of God.

For this purpose, the Legion of Mary is presented. It is an army of apostles,

brave and disciplined. Their organization is territorial; with the exception of certain cases, each Praesidium.
"takes charge of" a well-defined sector. That each sector has its group of apostles,
even if it is small; that this group is surrounded by all the good Christians who, with their
apostolic sentences support the efforts of the militants; here is the sector that will begin to
boil. Let the leaders of these groups meet in a Curia that communicates to them every month the
Work Plan; what a beautiful work will be done!

Here is an entire population ORGANIZED for God; the local Church set 'in
state of mission.

Oh Holy Spirit,
I celebrate your wonders of grace
they will renew the face of the earth
and they will establish your kingdom over all things.

25
 The first duty of the Legion is a great devotion to Mary.

The Legion is a movement that loves Mary with all its strength and is committed
to attract all hearts to this love. That is why the Legion carries, with an indescribable esteem,
the name of Mary. It is based on an unlimited trust of a child towards this good one
Mother, trust that invigorates, implanting it in the heart of each of its members.
Mary will serve after them to carry out her work as Mother in the souls, and
continue their eternal mission to crush the head of the infernal serpent and give birth to
to grow in all souls to His Son Jesus Christ.

The Legion is ENTIRELY under the influence of Mary; it is SHE who presides over the
meetings; She who sends her legionaries; She who accompanies them, speaking and acting
for them. By their promise, each legionary completely entrusts himself to Mary.

Therefore, one of the main duties of the Legion will be to manifest this
burning devotion to Mary, which will distinguish her among all the other works. Why
Is that so? Because the Legion tends to give Mary to the world as an infallible means of winning to
world for Jesus. Therefore, it is clear that the legionary who does not have Mary in his heart, does not
you can take part in the play.

Since we want to work with María, our legionary service must be

fulfilled with the utmost love and perfection. How can one offer a devotion to Mary?
mediocre, a job organized or done halfway? We are not an inert instrument in hands
from María; we give her all our intelligence, all our strength, everything
our heart. Mary will add all her purity and her strength; She will then allow our
humble works to achieve great things, to perform authentic miracles of grace.

When its members have become living copies of Mary, the Legion well
she can see herself as a Legion of Mary, a cooperator of her work and sure of
to triumph with Her. The Legion will bring Mary to the world, and Mary will illuminate the world and soon
it will inflame him/her with love.

Most Holy Virgin Mary,

active and auxiliary members
we come together today to consecrate you,
more and more deeply each day,
everything we have
and all that we are.

26
 8. The Annunciation of the Most Holy Virgin Mary (March 25) is the great annual feast of
the Legion

Every year, on March 25, the legionaries gather, if possible, in some church,
for the solemn ceremony of ACIES. The entire Legion, Active and Auxiliary, in order of
battle, and distributed by Praesidia, presents itself before its Queen. Each legionary takes with his
I carry the standard of the great Vexillum; and, in the presence of his brothers, he renews his Promise,
with all its conviction.

Why has the feast of the Annunciation been chosen? It is because on that day began the
great work of the redemption of the world: the Son of God took human flesh in the womb of the
Virgin Mary. How did this happen? Through the work of the Holy Spirit; but also thanks to the
consent of a woman, Mary, who fully accepted the will of God.

The Holy Spirit is the love of God that descends to us, humans. Mary is the
human love, the purest of all creation, which rises towards God. Jesus Christ, the fruit of
Holy Spirit and of Mary, is the knot of the new covenant, which reconciles men with
God. That's why, 'Jesus is our PEACE.'

Through sin, the first man had said "NO" to God, thus breaking the covenant;
by her total and perfect 'YES', Mary allowed for the repair of sin and the restoration of the covenant. Our
the role of legionaries is to prolong in our lives the 'YES' of Mary; and our activity
will continue his work: to give the world Jesus Christ, the only Savior.

Mary's saving mission, her willing collaboration in the work of redemption,

the day of the Annunciation began. For the Legionary, it is his Promise that marks the day when
he also dedicated himself to the work of the salvation of his brothers, in union with Mary and in the
lines of the Legion.

That is why, on this festive day, like on the afternoon of his Promise, the legionary can
repeat these words:

Mary is the Mother of my soul;

your heart and mine are but one;
She repeats these words from olden times:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
and once again,
you come to do for her
great things.

27
 CHAPTER II: THE HOLY SPIRIT

9. In the Legion of Mary, the Holy Spirit occupies the first place

Our Legion is called the Legion of Mary; we proclaim that Mary is the
mother and the queen of the Legion; we want to give ourselves entirely to Her. However, the Legion
put the Holy Spirit above her.

Let us look at our Vexillum: in it we see the whole world; above it, the Virgin Mary
he gives his thanks; but even higher, dominating everything, is the Holy Spirit, 'that
covers Mary with her beneficial shadow.

At the beginning of the meeting, even before starting the rosary, the legionaries invoke the
Holy Spirit; "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and ignite in them the
fire of your love

And something even more wonderful. The legionaries are the soldiers of Mary; they
consider him as their leader. Now then, on the day of the Promise, which will make them forever
his soldiers, whom do they commit to? To the Holy Spirit, and not to Mary - 'Most Holy'
Spirit, I... wanting to be enlisted as a legionary of Mary on this day... I beg you
descend upon me and fill me with Yourself... Cover me with Your power and come to my soul with fire
and love... Confident that on this day you want to receive me as such, to serve you with me and to convert
my weakness into strength, I take my place in the ranks of the Legion...

Why all this? Because the Virgin Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, who, without
He, She would be nothing nor could anything.

The Legion wants above all the sanctification of all its members: and the Holy Spirit
it is the source of all grace and all holiness. The Legion consecrates its members to
apostolate: the Holy Spirit is the source of all true apostolic zeal. It is He who generates the
saints and the apostles; he is, therefore, the one who should occupy the first place in the Legion of Mary.

Oh Holy Spirit,
that your power covers me,
with its shadow,
and entered into my soul
to put fire and love in it!

28
 10. Who is the Holy Spirit?

On the course of his apostolic travels, Saint Paul arrives one day in the great city of Ephesus.
Finding a group of disciples, he asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when
Have you embraced the faith?
Saint”. Saint Paul was amazed: How can one be a Christian if one does not know the
Holy Spirit?

When the hour of Jesus' death was approaching, the Apostles were very sad,
and Jesus said to them: "Truly I say to you: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not
I am going, the Holy Spirit will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Who is, then, the Holy Spirit, to whom Catholics have very little devotion, already
Should the legionnaires have a special love?

Every Sunday, at Mass, we affirm our faith by singing the Creed. We say:
We believe... in the Son... who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and
by the work of the Holy Spirit, he was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man... We believe in the
Holy Spirit, Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the
Son receives the same adoration and glory, and who spoke through the prophets...

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Most Holy Trinity, equal in all respects to the Father.
and to the Son. All of creation is the work of the Holy Spirit as much as of the Father and the Son.

God is love. The Father and the Son love each other perfectly; the Holy Spirit is the fruit of
his perfect love. He is the source of all life, of all love, and of all grace. He is the bond of
union of God with Mary and the bond of union of God with men.

It is the LOVE OF GOD that creates the world; it is his love that saves them. The Spirit
Saint is the living and personified love of God, who regenerates the world; He grants all
Thanks, even the smallest one; The work in the world is all grace, since everything is grace.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

29
 11. The Holy Spirit is at work, operating in all of God's plan over the world.

Everything that God does, He does out of love; the Holy Spirit is the love of God, then
it holds the first place in all its works.

First frame. At the beginning of time, God, out of love, decides TO CREATE THE
WORLD. This world is so beautiful that God, looking at it, 'saw that it was all good.'
Then God decides to create man and woman, and gives them an immortal soul, in His image and
likeness; gives them their own life. And "God saw all that he had made; and it was very good."

Now, how did God create the world? Let's read the Bible: "The darkness covered the
And the abyss; the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. The Spirit
Saint, goodness of God in action, fertilizes the original waters to bring forth from them this
world so good.

Second frame. Men have sinned; rebelled against God and have followed
Satan; they are cursed. There is the misfortune, the war, the suffering, the death. God, everything.
goodness decides TO SAVE MEN. How will he save them? He will send his only Son, who
he will become a man, he will suffer and he will die. Thus, He will go in search of men, in order to sanctify them and
give them back the life of God.

How will God send the savior? On the day of the Annunciation, God asks Mary to
She is the Mother of the Savior. But a virgin cannot conceive. It is then when
the Love of God intervenes... "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you"
will cover with its shadow.

Third frame. Jesus has finished his mission. Now it is necessary for his grace of salvation
reach every man. It is the role of the Church, which extends Christ. It sends apostles
to ANNOUNCE THE GOSPEL so that everyone may be baptized and enter the Church
of Christ.

It is also a work of grace and love. That's why the Holy Spirit will preside over it. It is
Pentecost: the first apostles are gathered. The Holy Spirit descends upon them,
inflames them with love and makes them true apostles. They will go everywhere to
preach the Gospel and found the Church; then they will give Jesus the greatest testimony of love.
dying martyrs for Him.

Send your Spirit and all will be created,

and you will renew the face of the earth.
Psalm 104:30

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 12. With the Holy Spirit, Mary collaborates in the entire work of salvation

AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME, when God decided to create the world, the Spirit
Saint hovered over the waters to fertilize them. Now then, also from the beginning,
Mary was present in the mind of God at the same time as the Redeemer. For this reason, the
The Church applies to Mary these words inspired by the book of Wisdom: "The Lord was thinking of...
me from the beginning of his works; from the beginning, before creating anything. Before
that the immense space was created, his thought had conceived me. The sources do not
had already sprouted, and I already existed in Him... I assisted Him in all His work, playing with
all of creation...

AT THE BEGINNING OF REDEMPTION, we find Mary with the Holy Spirit; it is

in the Annunciation. God did not want to force the will of man; God offers His grace,
but it is only given when it is freely accepted. In the name of all humanity,
Mary agrees, saying: "Let it be according to your word." By her "YES", she brings the savior to.
the earth, signing the great pact of peace of humanity with God. From now on, the grace of the
salvation is offered to all; and what each man lacks is to give his personal 'YES', which will open
your heart to the coming of Christ and his grace.

At PENTECOST, when the Church was founded, when the Apostles prepare
to go preach the Gospel to all nations, Mary, wife of the Holy Spirit and mother of
the Church is also there. With them and more than them, She receives the Holy Spirit.
Virgin in the cenacle, praying with the Apostles and for them, with an 'ineffable supplication'
prepare and accelerate for the Church the abundant and varied gifts of the comforting Spirit,
the supreme gift of Christ and treasure that will never be lacking.
Leo XIII

At Christmas, Mary brought Christ into the world, who came to bring fire to the earth and
he wishes it to burn. It was necessary for Mary to also be in the upper room, when the Spirit
from His Son came to inflame the Apostles with that fire that must not be extinguished until the end
of the times.

Oh Holy Spirit,
that your power covers me
with its shadow
and enter my soul
to bring the fire and love there!

31
The most distant and highest end of the Legion is that all humanity be organized.
for God

Let's go to Edea to admire the 'spectacular waterfalls' of the Sanaga. Always,

the water falls there in torrents. But engineers arrived: they 'organized' these waterfalls of
water. They installed turbines, cables, and lights. Here is the city of Duala illuminated; everyone
neighborhoods, all men receive the light.

The Manual tells us that for the priest who knows how to use it, the Legion is like
a powerful machine in the hands of a mechanic. He touches some control devices;
he maneuvers some levers; the energy development is such that it is possible to achieve what
it seemed impossible. Well: The Legion resembles a net. The Praesidia are the thick meshes and
solid: nothing escapes this net. The priest is the fisherman. With his net from the Legion, he makes
truly miraculous raids.

In a parish, there should be no sector that the Church does not take care of.
The priest takes care that each of his communities has its catechist to teach the
doctrine and act in your name. But the priest also knows that the moral health of a
the Catholic community depends on the presence, within it, of a group of lay apostles who
feel passion for the good of the Church, with the desire to work personally in the
extension of the kingdom of God.

For this purpose, the Legion of Mary is presented. It is an army of apostles,

brave and disciplined. Their organization is territorial; with the exception of certain cases, each Praesidium.
"takes charge of" a well-defined sector. That each sector has its group of apostles,
even if it is small; that this group is surrounded by all the good Christians who, with their
apostolic sentences support the efforts of the militants; here is the sector that will begin to
boil. Let the leaders of these groups meet in a Curia that communicates to them every month the
Work Plan; what a beautiful work will be done!

Here is an entire population ORGANIZED for God; the local Church set 'in
state of mission.

Oh Holy Spirit,
I celebrate your wonders of grace
they will renew the face of the earth
and they will establish your kingdom over all things.

25
 14. The sacrament of Confirmation gives us the Spirit of Pentecost

Jesus had said to his Apostles: 'You will receive a power, that of the Holy Spirit.'
You will then be my WITNESSES in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and to the ends
from the earth.

But the Holy Spirit had already descended upon Jesus; it was at the moment of his
baptism in the Jordan. "The heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a
"dove." This intervention of the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of the PUBLIC LIFE of
Jesus. Through his miracles, through his preaching, Jesus has given testimony to God's love for the
men. He "went about doing good"; ultimately, He loved men unto death to
save them.

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit also manifested itself in a special way. This
new intervention marks the beginning of the PUBLIC LIFE of the Church. The 12 were
consecrated apostles; they testified to the love of God, through the example of their charity and
for the preaching of the gospel, until death.

The sacrament of confirmation enables the baptized to participate in the grace of

Pentecost. We receive the Holy Spirit to begin our PUBLIC LIFE. We
we will be the apostles of the Gospel and the witnesses of the love of Christ, wherever God has us
situated.

This sacrament is administered only once because it is permanent: In all

moment will give us the light and strength of the Holy Spirit. Then we will know how to set the example of
a pure life; we will spend it 'doing good'; we will bring light to our brothers who are
still "in the darkness" of ignorance or sin and we will have the courage to be faithful to
Christ despite the difficulties, persecutions, and death.

This sacrament of confirmation is given to us "by the laying on of hands of the

Apostles, that is, by the bishops. Why? Because there is no true apostolate outside of
the obedience to the apostolic hierarchy, represented by our bishop.

Everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit

and with all determination,
they spoke the word of God.
(Acts 4:31)

33
 The Holy Spirit wants to rebirth the world in Jesus Christ

Jesus, our savior, has revealed everything to us in the Gospel; through his death and
resurrection, He has earned us all the graces of salvation. But we have
still need of the Holy Spirit, for He is the Spirit of Jesus.

He extends the teaching of Jesus: 'He will lead us to all truth,' not because
He will not add anything, 'because He will not speak on His own authority, but will tell you whatever is given to Him.'
"communicate," Jesus had already predicted. The Holy Spirit comes to clarify, at every moment, for
we, the words of the Master; He will inspire us what the Lord wants us to
let's do it.

He also comes to apply to each man the graces of the Savior's passion. He is the
continuator of Christ. Jesus has shed his blood for all; He has paid the redemption of
all men. But it is the Holy Spirit, source of grace, who will pour out that
precious blood, so that each one may take advantage of it.

The heart, in man, pumps the blood to the extremities of the limbs, to
so that all parts of the body receive life; thus the Holy Spirit will descend upon
the Apostles in the upper room, afterwards about those baptized, so that they may receive, and then
they transmit it to everyone, the redemption obtained by the blood of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit has inspired Christ Jesus: in his birth and in all his actions
even in the offering of his life. Christ is now in heaven, from where he sends us
continuously His Spirit. This Spirit wants to continue in us the work that He has
already accomplished in Jesus: He will make us 're-born' and grow in Christ Jesus; He will guide us until
our entrance into heaven.

He who wants to live for Christ must open himself to the Spirit; he who receives the Spirit becomes united.
to Christ. It is the same Spirit that animates Christ and the one that animates us as well.

Bringing the life of Christ to all souls is the work of the Church, of which the
Holy Spirit is the soul. The Legion is the work of the Church; it works in order that each soul,
even the most lost, participate in the redemption of Christ and be reborn as a daughter of God. The Legion
It is delivered, then, to the Holy Spirit, in order to regenerate souls with Him, in Christ Jesus.

Oh Holy Spirit,
be
that you have come to regenerate the world
in Christ Jesus.

34
 The Holy Spirit is the soul of our life

The Holy Spirit is the sweet inner teacher. It burns in us everything that remains.
of self-love, of pride, of selfishness or of laziness so that we may be good instruments of
God; He suggests to us what we should do; He ignites us for great actions and gives us
the courage to undertake them; He supports us with his strength in difficulties, or when
we fail; He unites us with our brothers, so that we may work together. He is the
soul of our life, which pours into us the SPIRIT OF JESUS. In this way,
we can also say: 'It is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.'

In baptism, we have been baptized in water and in fire; that devouring fire is
the Holy Spirit. But in a church one can be distracted and not pray. We, then,
voluntarily, we will pay attention to the Spirit, who dwells in our hearts; we will do
to silence in us the voice of the flesh, in order to listen to them and to better follow their calls. For
this, we will invoke him at all times, and not only in the difficulties of our life or of
our apostolic work.

We will not lack formulas for our prayer. We will find them ourselves in
the precise moment. It can be, for example, the invocation to the Holy Spirit of our
legionary meetings: "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in
they are the fire of your love.

Oh this beautiful song of the Pentecost Mass: "Come, Holy Spirit... Wash the face
from the unclean, rain upon our drought, come and heal us. Tame all that is rigid, melt the
iceberg, guide the lost.

Oh Holy Spirit, soul of my

life, I adore you. Clarify me, guide me, strengthen me, comfort me. Teach me what I should do,
give me your orders; I promise to submit to everything you desire from me and accept everything that
let it happen to me. Make me, solely, know your will.

Oh Holy Spirit,
I beg you to descend upon me
and that you fill me with You,
for my poor actions
they are sustained with your strength
and become instruments
of your powerful designs.

35
CHAPTER III: THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN MARY MOTHER OF THE SAVIOR,
SHE IS THE QUEEN OF THE LEGION AND OF EACH LEGIONARY

I am the Immaculate Conception

A hundred years ago, in Lourdes, the Virgin Mary appeared to little Bernadette. This
he asked her what her name was; the beautiful Lady, full of humility, answered him: I am the
Immaculate Conception. This happened on March 25, the day the Church celebrates the feast of
the Annunciation.

This is the privilege of the Immaculate Conception that prepared the Most Holy Virgin.
for all the favors and dignities that were granted to her afterwards. God wanted Mary
outside immaculate, so that she could become the mediator of all graces.

Immaculate Conception. At the very first moment of her existence, by a unique grace
From God, original sin could not contaminate Mary. However, this exceptional grace
Mary received it from God; and it is Christ who deserved it. But the grace that we receive
it is a grace of forgiveness, which puts us back in the state we had lost: we
comes AFTER the original sin and other sins committed afterward. For Mary
everything was different. Redemption sanctified it through a grace that was granted BEFORE, and
that preserved her from all sins.

Mary is free from all sin; She is 'full of grace'. Her soul is adorned.
of all virtues; the pure love of God inspires him in all his actions; it surpasses
infinitely to all the greatest saints: She is their queen.

Mary crushes the head of the infernal serpent. At no moment in her life could she
to dominate Satan over her, as it happens to us when we fall into temptation. Satan
he never managed to make María fall; she also has the power to defeat him and to take to the
victory to her faithful legionaries.

I will put enmity between you and the Woman, God said to the serpent, between your offspring and the
suya." The Legion wholeheartedly aspires to be the race of Mary, because only there does the
hope of victory. The more we are children of the Immaculate, the more our spirit will be ignited.
hostility against the powers of evil, and our victory will be more complete.

Oh Mary conceived without sin,

pray for us, we turn to you!

36
 18. Mary always remained a Virgin

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Mary dedicated herself body and soul to
always to the Lord. Mary was "Virgin." By a miracle, She remained "virgin" after the
birth of Jesus. When the angel informs her that God calls her to be the mother of the savior,
ask this question: "How will this happen, for I do not know any man?" The Angel
He will comfort you; your conception will be a miracle of grace: 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you and
the power of the Most High will cover you with his shadow.

Afterward, Mary remained a virgin. She had no other children. If Jesus is her
"firstborn", the others will only be spiritual children: and this is what all men are,
liberated by Christ, and who will also be born of the Spirit and Mary.

Marriage is, however, a very great thing. It is God himself who at

At the beginning, he said to the men: "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth."

Jesus did not change anything of the creator's order. He participated in the wedding at Cana. Even
has elevated the union of man and woman to the dignity of a sacrament, but on the condition
of a unique and definitive marriage: a man and a woman, both created to
image of God and rescued by Christ, they love each other and give themselves to one another forever. And
Children that God sends you make you grow in love.

But 'virginity' is an even higher path. Let us listen to St. Paul: 'The
a virgin only has to worry about the things of the Lord, to be holy in body and in
spirit; but the married woman must be concerned about the things of the world, to please her husband.” And
for this it is divided. María got married. She renounced, however, the works of marriage,
not out of contempt, but out of a greater love, for a more complete gift of his heart to
God.

Mary is thus the model of wives and mothers; she is even more, 'Virgin of the
virgins," the unmatched Virgin. And after Mary, those whom the Lord calls to
their exclusive service, they voluntarily renounce marriage, they dedicate their heart and their
body to the Lord, they have no greater concern than 'the things of the Lord, the means of pleasing
to the Lord.

Above all,
Oh Immaculate Mary!
we consecrate our hearts.

37
 19. Mary is the Mother of God

Every time we pray to the Virgin, we repeat to her: 'Holy Mary, Mother of
God...; holy Mary, Mother of God...”. At the end of each meeting we say: “We have
turned to your protection, holy mother of God.” This seems completely natural to us. Without
embargo, have we thought about this incomprehensible situation? A simple creature, a woman,
has become the mother of the Almighty God, who has created the world, to whom heaven and the
land cannot contain!

In order for His Son to be truly man, God willed that He have a mother;
but this mother was chosen by Him among all; He filled her with grace, she is the Immaculate. To save
to the men, the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary.

Jesus, whom Mary conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit, whom she brought into the world.
in the cave of Bethlehem, whom he fed and educated, and to whom he obeyed, this Jesus so weak and
so poor, this Jesus is the Son of God; He is God. Mary is, therefore, truly, MOTHER
OF GOD; she is, therefore, above all men, and even above all
angels. The Most High has associated her with His plan of salvation; Mary became true
mother of Christ, and mother also of all those in whom Christ will live.

A child cannot be separated from their mother; that is why Jesus wanted to show Himself and act.
always with Mary. In the visitation, He sanctifies John the Baptist from the womb of Mary.
When the shepherds and the magi go to worship Jesus, they find him 'with Mary, his mother.'
For thirty years, in Nazareth, he does not leave his side. At his request, he makes his first
miracle at Cana. Finally, when He consumes His death on the cross, Mary is also
gift to offer with His redemptive sacrifice.

Currently, in heaven, Mary is always the mother of God. Jesus is truly the son of Mary.
as it was upon the earth. He maintains the perfect deference he has always had for his
mother. She does not resist the prayers of Mary when She intercedes for us. But these
Maria's supplications are always in accordance with the holy will of God; they are for our
true good, that is, for our sanctification and our salvation.

Because it has worked in me

wonderful things...
...from now on they will call me blessed
all generations.
(Lc 1, 48-49)

38
 Mary is the wife of the Holy Spirit

Mary had made a vow to remain always a virgin; her union with Saint Joseph was to
to remain, therefore, virginal. United in heart and soul forever, the two together
they should sanctify themselves and ascend towards God.

That is why, at the moment of the annunciation, when the angel asks her, in the name of God,
that she is the mother of the Savior, Mary does not understand. But, knowing that 'nothing is impossible'
for God,” the humble “servant of the Lord” said; YES. Then the Holy Spirit descended upon
she and the virtue of the Most High covered her with his shadow. "She conceived by the work of the Spirit
Saint.

Saint Louis Marie de Montfort is the instructor, or better yet, the 'mentor' of our Legion.
Here is what he tells us: "In the Most Holy Trinity, we say and believe that the Father begets
to His Son. We also believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. God Spirit
Saint, not producing another divine person, becomes fruitful through Mary, of whom he is the husband.
With her, in her and of her he creates his masterpiece, which is a God made man. God the Father
communicate to Mary her fertility, as a pure creature is capable of it, with the aim of
to give the power to beget His Son.

Now, in every work of sanctification, the Holy Spirit and Mary are
INSEPARABLES. God's plan has decided it this way. Mary is not a simple channel of the
action of the Holy Spirit; she is his wife, his intelligent cooperator. When she acts, it is He.
who acts. When the Holy Spirit finds Mary, his bride, in a soul, he addresses to
she fully enters, communicates to this soul abundantly; she gives herself to this soul in the
to the extent that she admits María, her wife.

Let us look at our banner. It represents the Holy Spirit giving to the world, by the
intercession of Mary, her riches of life. The Legion wants to work in the great work of the
regeneration of the world in Jesus Christ; thus, the devotion of the Legion to Mary will always go to the
through the devotion to the Holy Spirit. The Legion does not separate what God has united.

This is how they will work their wonders of grace, which will renew the face of the earth.
and they will establish the kingdom of God in all things.

The angel of the Lord announced to Mary,

and was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

39
 21. Mary is the saint associated with Christ the Redeemer

Our Lord is the redeemer of the world; it was on the cross where He completed His work.
of the repair of sin; for it is well known that 'without the shedding of blood, there is no
"remission." Outside of Jesus, there is no other savior. All men, and Mary more than others.
Others have been redeemed by Jesus. God poured out the fullness of his grace upon her.

However, at the foot of the cross, where Jesus was atoning for us, there was Mary,
the only woman who had no sin. She offered, on our behalf, the only sacrifice: Mary,
co-redemptrix, united her compassion with the passion of Jesus.

In what way has Mary cooperated in the work of redemption? First of all, by giving
her consent to the incarnation of Jesus, when she said 'Yes' to the angel sent by God. Thus
It can be said that redemption is the common benefit of God the Father and the Most Holy.
Virgin.

Maria has also cooperated in the redemption, sharing at all times the
feelings of her Son; her entire life has been nothing but an extension of the first 'Yes' to everything
what God wanted from her.

Mary finally consummated this cooperation at the moment of the Passion, uniting the
sufferings of his heart to those of Christ and offering them for our salvation.

It was without pain that María brought forth to this life; but it is with pain that she brings us forth to
we to the life of grace. Who will ever understand how much he has loved
Mary to her sinful children? She delivers her own Son to suffering, and she...
to placate the justice of God and to save us. He sacrifices his innocent son to save everyone.
his other sinful children. Mary suffered in her heart more than all men.

Let us listen to Saint Pius X: "Through this community of sufferings and will among
Mary and Christ, Mary rightly deserved to be the restorer of fallen humanity and
the dispenser of all the treasures that Jesus acquired for us through his death and his blood. Thus
You can rightly say that with Christ, she has redeemed the human race.

Near the cross of Jesus

his Mother was found.
(Jn 19, 25)

40
 22. Mary is the new Eve, the mother of true living beings.

God created the first man, but he did not want Adam to be alone. That is why he gave him a
companion, similar to him, also created in the image of God. From his union with this woman
we all proceed as men. That's why, "Adam named her Eve, because she is the
mother of all living beings.

Unfortunately, Eve disobeyed God, dragging Adam into sin. Eve deserved the
death penalty for himself and for all his descendants. True life is grace,
what is the LIFE of God in us; it was this life, above all, that our mother Eve
he lost it due to his sin. No one could restore this life as a child of God; God was necessary in
person

With Mary, God restores the original plan. Mary is the 'new Eve' of the
saving humanity. God has sent us a savior, his own Son; by his obedience and
his death, He has returned to us the grace of God, which makes us the true
living beings.

Jesus is the only savior. But, just as He placed Eve next to Adam
to give life to men, thus God has not wanted to make 'reborn' men, without associating
a woman to the work of Jesus, the savior. This woman is Mary, the true mother of all
the living, co-redeemer of the human race.

Mary becomes the mother of Jesus Christ (the great living one) by her humble consent to the
angel's greeting. For his complete cooperation in the sacrifice of the Cross, which saved everyone.
the men, Mary becomes our mother.

The true living beings, the children of Mary, are those who, like her, say
always "YES" to God and take their part in the sacrifice of the cross.

She is the mother of my soul;

your heart and mine are one;
and from this only heart,
she says again what she said before:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

41
 23. Mary is the mother of all men, Mary is our mother in Christ

In the sufferings of Calvary is where Mary becomes the mother of all

men. Jesus says to her from the height of the cross: 'Woman, here is your son'; and to Saint John: 'Here
"there to your mother." In the person of Saint John all the chosen ones were represented. Mary
he fully accepted God's plan; he renounced his son and offered him for all men,
thus acquiring a multitude of children.

Jesus is born from the union of the Holy Spirit and Mary; his brothers, the men,
they will also be born from this blessed union. With Mary, the Holy Spirit will produce all
the destined days, which are the brothers of Jesus.

Those rescued form with Christ a body, of which Jesus is the head and they are the
members. A mother does not give birth to the head without the members, for then it would be a
monster of nature. Mary, who gave birth to Jesus, the head, is also the mother who
will bring all of us, its members, to the life of God.

Mary is nothing more than the mother of Jesus; yet she is the mother of Jesus EVERYWHERE.
that He is. To regenerate us through baptism or confession is to make Jesus be born or grow.
in us; it is, therefore, also the work of Mary, united with the Holy Spirit. Mary will always be the
mother of Jesus, who dwells in us.

Let us listen to Saint Pius X: "In the chaste womb of the Virgin, where Jesus took mortal flesh, there
He formed a spiritual body, made up of all those who must believe in Him. It can be
to say that, having Jesus in her womb, Mary also carried all those whose life
I was locked up in the one of Salvador. All of us, therefore, who, united to Christ, are the
members of your body, we must say that we originate from the womb of Mary." This is not
not only a matter of compassionate feelings, but truly, Mary is our mother.

And, then, those who do not pray to Mary, those who separate from Jesus Christ, stop
to be children of Mary? No; for she is the mother of mercy; she never forgets those whom she has
conceived, even if they rebel against her. But how unfortunate they are! For this, Mary leads us
He asks us to pray for them, and sends us to find them to bring them back.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us, poor sinners.

42
 24. Mary is the mediator of all the graces obtained by Christ

Here is a truth that the Legion believes with all its soul and puts into action in everything.
his apostolate. In the prayers of the Catenas he placed the liturgical prayer of Mary
mediator: "Lord Jesus Christ, our mediator before the Father, who appointed ...
Holy Virgin, your mother, so that she may also be a mediating mother before You...

All grace comes from God and reaches us through the hands of Mary; thus all our
prayers, all our good deeds ascend to God, passing through the heart of Mary.
What joy to think about it! We are never abandoned; Mary is always with us.
we; she cares for us with her mother's heart. Everything comes to us through her. Therefore,
to cease to unite with Mary is, for our soul, to cease to live. Our dependence on Mary
it is incessant; it is like a continuous creation.

The Holy Spirit has communicated to Mary, his faithful wife, his gifts; he has constituted her
treasurer of all her goods. Being the Mother of a son, from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds, is
very convenient that She bestows all the thanks of the same Spirit.

Mary has not only given birth to Jesus; she has watched over his growth.
feeding him, surrounding him with care and tenderness. We are the brothers of Jesus,
the members of his body; Mary will nourish and shape this same Jesus, who has been born and
must grow in us, until it reaches its perfect stature, until the moment of our
entry into heaven. All of God's graces aim to make Jesus grow in us; these
Thanks can only be given by Mary, who is the mother of Jesus.

Everything that Mary has received is from God; but it is God himself who has
chosen and has filled her with his gifts, so that she may be a mediator of graces and of
intercession.

For her they are granted

your gifts, virtues, and graces
to whom she wants, when she wants,
to the extent and in the way that she wants.

43
 25. Mary is Queen of the Apostles

On Pentecost, the Church was established by the coming of the Holy Spirit; now then,
Mary was there. Through her prayer, the Holy Spirit descended upon the mystical body.
and remains in him.

Mary received the Spirit of apostleship; and it was in union with her that the Spirit was
transmitted to the Apostles. In truth, Mary did not receive the task of practicing it herself.
external apostolate, but possesses fully the zeal for the glory of God and the power to do
to germinate apostles everywhere.

After Pentecost, there will be no more talk of Mary, but only of the 'Acts of
the Apostles,” of their work to “preach the Gospel to all creatures.” Mary will live
humbly withdrawn in her poor house; but her prayers and the merits of her holy life
They will attract the grace of God, in order to raise new apostles and to fertilize their work.

Now then, what happened on this day of Pentecost? The Holy Spirit blows.
as if it were a fierce wind; it fills the Apostles and leaves them completely transformed.
They were nothing more than passive disciples; now they have become active witnesses of Christ.
Until then they were afraid: when Jesus was arrested, they fled; Peter, their leader, denies.
to Christ three times; and, after the death of Jesus, they all hid. Now they do not
they retreat before nothing; they boldly announce that Jesus is the savior; they preach before
of thousands of pagans; they bear witness before kings and judges; they consecrate their
time and its forces to preach the Gospel; finally, all die martyrs, 'happy
having been judged worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus" and to be able to give their life for
love for Him.

What happened at the beginning of the Church continues always. Mary acts every time that is
It is necessary to establish the Church in a new country. Now then, when is the Church
really founded on him? When the sons of that country, priests and lay people, feel, they
the same, the apostolic responsibility; when they take responsibility for the expansion of the Church
in her country and for the salvation of her brothers. Then, Mary is right there, with her
prayer, when the Holy Spirit raises apostles again.

All of them, carried by the same affection,

they gathered for prayer
in the company of Mary, Mother of Jesus.
(Acts 1, 14)

44
 26. True devotion to Mary compels apostolate

Mary, in the Upper Room, upon fully receiving the Holy Spirit, clearly shows
what is the queen of the Apostles. But, as She always has, she is also queen of
the legionaries; well, by our promise, we have consecrated our lives to the
salvation of others.

The true destiny of Mary is to be a mother, the mother of Jesus and the mother of grace.
Mary is always the mother of Jesus; but, after Pentecost, the small house of Nazareth,
which she cared for, becomes the vast world, and her son is extended to the dimensions
of humanity. Every act of apostolate seeks to make Jesus be born or grow in souls;
all the care that can be given to the body of the Lord comes to complement his own. They are,
Well, Marian actions. Thus, Mary could declare: 'I am the apostolate,' a little more or
less as he said: "I am the Immaculate Conception."

A true Christian cannot claim to be united with Mary if he does not participate in her
Maternity with souls. One cannot separate Mary from her motherhood; one cannot
to separate a Christian from the apostolate. The Christian who only thinks of their personal devotion, does not
he is truly Christian, because he is selfish. The NORMAL Christian takes care of the
others; wants to communicate to Christ.

Mary needs apostles, she cannot fulfill her task without our help.
It is the truth. This is part of the divine plan, which requires our collaboration and that only
ensures the salvation of man through the intervention of man. Without us, Mary does not
she can fulfill all her maternal function; and souls weaken and die.

Let's offer ourselves, then, to the queen of the Apostles; let us participate in her motherhood of
grace over souls. Let us not be satisfied with words; let us not remain idle,
let's get into the work of apostolate. Given this step, Mary will take hold of our
action and will incorporate it into her motherhood. If we are thus united to Mary, it will be she who will go
for us towards men; she will bring them grace and give them the Savior.

Lord, grant us
how many do we serve
under the banner of Mary
the fullness of faith in you
and the trust in her,
to whom the conquest of the world has been granted.

45
 27. The Virgin Mary is the divine model of the Holy Church

It is said that Mary is the image of the Church; it is accurate to affirm that Christ has created
the Church "in the image and likeness" of its own mother, Mary.

Mary has been immaculate; she has always remained without sin; she is "full of grace".
The Church is also HOLY; for "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to
to end up sanctifying her... because He desires to make her appear before Him, all radiant, without
stain, saint and immaculate.

Mary is the ASSOCIATE saint of Christ the Redeemer; the Church too; she was born from
the pierced heart of Christ. Its main purpose is the salvation of men. Saint Paul
"completes in his flesh what was lacking in the passion of Christ, for his body, which is the Church."
Saint Monica, praying with tears, earned the salvation of her son, Augustine. The Church
Enter, with Christ, pray, work, and suffer to save the world.

Mary is always alive to INTERCEDE on behalf of sinners, being the

distributor of all graces. The holy Church also multiplies its efforts and sends
his apostles, in order to preach the Gospel and to bring back the lost sheep. And is it not
the Church that distributes the graces of Christ through the ministry of its priests and through the
channel of your sacraments?

Mary, always pure, has been resurrected, raised to heaven, and GLORIFIED. When
Christ will return at the end of times, sin will be definitively defeated, death will be
destroyed, and all those who have died in the love of Christ will rise. Then, the
Holy Church; with all its children, will constitute "this perfect man, in the strength of age,"
"that accomplishes the fullness of Christ." She will also, like the Virgin Mary, be elevated to
heaven and glorified forever.

With the same faith and the same love, let us surround the most holy Virgin Mary and the
Holy Catholic Church; both are 'mothers' of our soul.

A great sign appeared in the sky:

a woman
dressed in sun,
with the moon beneath her feet
and with a crown of twelve stars on her head.
(Rev 12:1)

46
 CHAPTER IV: THE LEGIONARY LIVES IN PERMANENT UNION WITH
CHRIST JESUS IN MARY, HIS MOTHER

28. Until he reaches heaven, the Christian constantly lives under the protection of the
Virgin Mary

All our life we will be the children of our mother Mary. We know that through her we
All the necessary graces for our sanctification will come. Likewise, our
concern will be living in intimate and permanent union with her, like the child who remains
with her mother.

All Christians proclaim that Mary is their mother; but one can be a SON of her
mother at different ages. The mature man, married and father of a family, is happy if he has
still to his mother; he respects her and surrounds her with all kinds of care. Nevertheless, he has his life
own, their occupations; the more they progress in life, the more they become independent from their mother;
he will even be the one who will help her and support her.

The boy depends entirely on his mother, who washes him, feeds him, surrounds him with tenderness; his
mother does not abandon him, even if she has to leave for work or travel; he himself, the
the little one will cry if separated from its mother. However, if the mother were to die or be taken away
snatched away, he would be picked up by another woman and could thus continue living; because he already breathes,
is already living away from her mother.

The dependence we must have on Mary must be more complete; for

to understand it, one must go back to the womb. Never has the child belonged so much to
the mother as when she lives in her womb. Depends completely on her; lives off of the same
life of the mother; breathes through the mother, nothing comes to it through any channel other than
her

In his life and activity, the legionary is certainly a responsible adult; however,
Spiritually, he must live entirely for his mother Mary. The soul of the legionary must
breathe of Mary, like the bodies breathe from the air. Let him think of Mary in all her
prayers, in all his works, in all his actions; that he forgets himself and his
own means, to trust only in Mary.

Oh Holy Spirit,
I see well that the secret
of a perfect legionary service
consists of complete union
with that one who is so intimately connected to You!

47
 29. Our mother, Mary, shapes us in the likeness of Christ

The whole secret of holiness consists in becoming another Christ. But how to do it?
to look exactly like him/her?

Let us listen once more to our "monitor", Saint Louis Mary de Montfort:
Imagine that you possess a beautiful statue and want to make a copy of it. There are two
means for this. You choose, for example, a hard material, wood or stone. With the
You will carve and shape the tools so that the features of the model appear in them. This will allow you
It will take a lot of time, a lot of effort and work. And the result may not be good, perhaps.
you are not good sculptors and the copy will not resemble the model at all; all the defects of
your work will appear; or, an unfortunate blow will have deformed your copy,
that was so accomplished until then.

But there is another way. With gypsum or with earth, take a MOLD of your model,
melt the metal and pour it into that mold. Wait some time and you will see that your
copy is perfectly similar to the model. Without effort, without special talent, you have
achieved.

You can try to resemble Jesus Christ by your own strength, at the cost of
of many efforts, of resolutions, of diverse practices; you will have suffered a lot. But
perhaps the result will not be remarkable, whether due to a lack of knowledge and experience of Jesus Christ,
it is due to a poorly given blow.

So we have the Second Medium. Mary is the mold of Jesus. Jesus has been
formed in her womb, or rather, Jesus has divinely formed this mold by coming to Mary.
Let us trust in this mold; let us throw ourselves, let us lose ourselves in Mary, in order to become the true
portrait of Jesus.

But, attention!, in a mold you can only pour what is melted, free of all
dirtiness. Let us destroy, then, everything that is hard, bad, so that we can pour ourselves into
this divine mold of Jesus Christ.

Lost in the abysses of the soul of the Most Holy Virgin, the legionary will participate in
of his faith, of his humility, of his charity and of his purity of heart, and also of the power of his
prayers; will be formed in the image of Christ.

My children,
who am I to again
painfully giving birth
until I see Christ formed in you.
(Galatians 4:19)

48
 30. The legionary has spent his whole life in union with Mary.

Each legionary will live his devotion to Mary, both through the serious meditation he will do.
from her, as by her continuous care to make her enter into her life. Such is the COMMAND.
Solemnly he receives from the Legion. He must regard it as one of his essential duties,
most important of all.

The child, when he is still in his mother's womb, lives entirely off her, but he
he does not know. The legionary also lives continuously in the teaching of Mary, but he must do so.
voluntarily. And how?

It is God himself who has created this total dependence of the Christian with respect to Mary,
exists independently of us. But, if we collaborate with all our heart, this
dependence will be much more beneficial. Only by this union and close collaboration
the wonders of holiness promised will appear in us.

One will begin by fervently consecrating oneself to the Most Holy Virgin; one will renew with
frequency this consecration by these words: "I am all yours, oh queen and my mother,"
and all that I have belongs to you; or some similar phrasing.

Then, in their prayers, in the mass, especially praying the rosary, the soul of
the legionary must seek to be near Mary; to revive with her the mysteries of the
redemption, for Mary has already lived it with the Savior.

That all the daily tasks of the legionary be done with Mary; that, in
Everything, have María in your spirit; let her see you act; let her imitate you; let her ask for grace to
to act with the same heart as she does. Then María will not be just beside her
legionnaire; she will be, so to speak, in him; through him, she will pray and work.

In this way, the soul of the legionary will be filled in such a way with the image and of
Mary's thought, that she will be one with the soul of Mary.

Let my soul identify with the love of Mary!

49
 The true legionary wants to be a slave of Christ

The word SLAVE is quite displeasing. It evokes those unfortunate ones in others
times were sold like beasts, condemned to work for their owner, without rest or
salary. The slaves did not belong to themselves.

Saint Paul came from a good family; by birth, he was a free man, and even
Roman citizen. But he experienced that shame of slavery. He had seen those people,
prisoners of war, sold in the market, whose life was devoted to working for their
I love.

Few apostles have exalted Christian freedom of the children of God like he has. And, without
embargo, boasted of being a slave. At the beginning of his letters, when he lists his titles,
put first the SLAVE OF CHRIST. Paul showed us how Jesus has
“BOUGHT at a great price,” for he gave all his blood for it. Henceforth we are no longer
slaves of sin; we belong to Christ, we have passed from the empire of death to that of
life, from the kingdom of Satan to that of the children of God.

We have been rescued by Christ; now we are, therefore, his servants or, more
exactly, your slaves. Christ redeemed us out of love, giving himself completely for us;
likewise, the Christian must give himself to Christ as a voluntary slave. 'He who was free,'
after being called (to the faith), he has become a slave of Christ.

The slave owes his master all his time, his work, his strength, his life; he belongs to him.
completely. The Christian will work even more for Christ, and will put all his heart into it.
It will be freely given to the will of the Lord. He will not waste his time, he will not squander his
forces; it is all for the Lord.

You will live the commandment of charity to the fullest: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your...
heart, with all your soul and with all your strength." And this will not be just words.
He will truly put at the service of the Lord everything he is and everything he possesses.

Work
as slaves of Christ
that fulfill with enthusiasm
the will of God.
(Eph 6:6)

50
 32. The legionary enjoys practicing the 'true devotion to Mary' of Saint Louis Marie de
Montfort

To help its members live in union with Mary, the Legion advises them
to practice 'true devotion', that is, 'the slavery of Jesus in Mary', as Saint Louis
Mary of Montfort teaches us. Certainly, the Legion does not make it an obligation; it is a
personal grace that requires the voluntary commitment of each one. The Legion proposes it as
an ideal that the legionaries must strive for at least.

What does this 'TRUE devotion to Mary' consist of? It implies a commitment
formal, by which one gives oneself entirely to Mary, or rather, to Jesus in the hands of Mary,
with all his thoughts, his actions, his spiritual and temporal goods, without reserving himself
nothing. The donor is forever placed in the condition of a slave who owns nothing of their own,
it completely depends on María and makes itself entirely available to her.

It is a great sacrifice that is made; it is offered to God, with Mary through the altar.
This sacrifice prolongs that of Jesus, started in the womb of Mary, confirmed
publicly in the raised arms of her mother at the presentation and consummated in the
Calvary on the cross of the heart of Mary.

This 'True Devotion' begins with a solemn act of consecration, but it is,
above all, a state that must last forever. It is not a matter of sensitive fervor, but of will.
to live according to her, recognizing his total dependence on María.

This consecration is something important; it is not done lightly or without advice from the
confessor, because it compromises all of life. Before deciding on it, one should meditate on the
small book of Saint Louis de Montfort on this "True Devotion", then to make the serious retreat
preparatory that requires, and then, what a treasure of graces that consecration will bring to that
Let her live it to the fullest!

Saint Louis Marie de Montfort,

monitor of the Legion,
teach us to give ourselves to Mary
like you.

51
 33. Our union with Christ in Mary must always progress.

Let's take an electric bulb; if we want it to shine, it is necessary to connect it to the

it will light up every time it is connected, and the better the contact is made, the more
the light will shine.

The same happens with our soul in relation to Christ. He alone, and not the Virgin Mary, is
the source of grace. But our union with Christ is achieved in the Virgin Mary and through her.

It is always the Virgin Mary who gives Christ. She presented him on another occasion to the
pastors and the magi, and continue giving it to us now and always. THE MORE UNITED
WE LOVE MARY, BUT SHE GIVES US JESUS. Moreover, Mary, imitating her,
It purifies us and empties us of ourselves, in order to make a clear place for Christ.

This dependence on Mary is permanent, for the action of Mary is inseparable from the
of Christ. When we grow in grace, it is not that Mary diminishes and disappears; on the contrary,
its growing influence increases in us the life of Christ, growing in proportion to
that Christ attains His fullness in us.

At the beginning, we have given ourselves to María forever. If we want to intensify this
union, it will be necessary to frequently multiply our 'contacts' with Maria. These will be
very brief: a moment of introspection, an inner prayer. But, when renewing them with
frequency, they will end up creating that state of permanent union that will make us go through all
our life with Mary and in Mary.

In the Praesidium meeting, it is required that the small Marian altar be placed in
middle of the legionaries; in our home we are advised to place a statue or image of
Mary (besides the crucifix). Certainly, these are nothing more than external representations of
Maria, but they make us think of her and invite us to those inner acts that will increase
our union with Mary, to the point of making it almost permanent.

The safest and fastest way

to unite men to Jesus Christ
It is Mary.
(San Pío x)

52
 The legionary does all actions for Mary, with Mary, in Mary, and for Mary.

Here is a secret of grace. If we strive to put it into practice, certainly the

The Holy Spirit will help us understand it better. Saint Louis Marie de Montfort tells us that
it is the golden rule of the practice of union with Mary.

To do all our actions FOR MARY is to obey the most holy in everything.
Virgin. Before embarking on an action, the legionnaire will empty himself of his own spirit and
will ask María what she should do. It will be available in her hands, so that it is she who
Let us do everything for Mary, and Mary will do everything for us.

2nd To carry out all our actions WITH MARY is to do them in her company and as
Well, Maria is the perfect model. Before we start our work, let's look at Maria:
how she has done it or how she would do it if she were in our place. Let's do everything like she does,
and she herself will work in us.

3rd Doing all things IN MARY is practicing the union of souls, it is living as the
small child with his mother, it is to turn to Mary in everything, especially when we
we find ourselves discouraged or overwhelmed under the weight of our sins. Let us have
trust; Mary will protect us and lift us up. 'Remain in me and I will remain in you.'
you
likeness of Jesus Christ.

4th Doing all things FOR MARY is practically accomplishing our

consecration. We have given ourselves to it completely, so let us not hesitate to give
generously our goods, our time, our strength, to make it known and loved.
Thus, our consecration will be true and lived.

All of this may seem complicated. It's difficult to explain; fortunately, it's easier
live it, because María wants to join us and help us. So, like the little boy,
let's go to Mary with confidence... and she will do the rest.
Thus, with her, we will do all our actions FOR JESUS, WITH JESUS, IN JESUS
AND FOR JESUS.

I proclaim
my entire dependence
of her, she is the mother of my soul.

53
 35. True devotion to Mary of Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort fills the soul with fruits
of grace

No devotion is more fruitful than this one; for this reason, with all sorts of motives
deceitful, Satan seeks to divert from her the souls of good will. But all those who her
they practice seriously, they will say to what extent this devotion has transformed their life.

Experience shows that the soul no longer fears doubt or discouragement; it experiences.
a joy and a peace that do not deceive; it shows a solid optimism that does not fear difficulties
no persecutions. The soul feels secure internally; it knows that its Christian life gives in to what
successive in its full performance: prayers, sacrifices, acts of virtue, apostolic works,
even the simple actions of each day and the sorrows of life; everything takes on its true value
by grace through the hands of Mary.

This devotion completely entrusts us to the MATERNAL EDUCATION of Mary;

our birth and our Christian growth take place with a rare sweetness. The
various virtues, especially humility and kindness, are rooted in us in a way
completely natural; all of this well reveals the patient education of a mother.

Above all, this devotion multiplies our efforts a hundredfold; it allows us

to do things that clearly exceed our natural talents; because María gives herself
truly to the one who fully surrenders to her.

A tale from the Gospel helps us understand this promised hundredfold. Jesus
finds himself in the desert with five thousand men; he has nothing to feed them.
A young man who has exactly five loaves and two fish. What is this for such a multitude?
However, the young man gives everything without holding anything back for himself. Jesus blesses these gifts, the
distributes, everyone is miraculously satisfied.

This is how Jesus and Mary behave with the generous soul that gives them their goods.
Yes, reserve it without condition. These modest gifts, increased by Them, and distributed according to their
will, are enough to meet the needs of a large crowd.

So that my poor actions

may they be sustained by your strength
and become the instruments
of your powerful designs.

54
 36. The union with Mary is the path that leads to God

Mary is holier than all the angels and all men; she is the closest
to God, and even now she is part of the world of God, since she was made the spouse of the Spirit
Saint and mother of the Son of God. However, she lives as a simple woman. Being our
mother, she has no other desire than to lead us to God with her.

Mary is the path that Jesus himself has taken. He wanted to become a small child,
entirely dependent on his mother. "He was subjected to her" not only during his years of
childhood, but for 30 years; and, certainly, gave more glory to God during all this time
of dependency on Mary that if he had used it to work miracles.

We must act in the same way. If we have given everything to María, if we live
with joy in this dependency, we know that EVERYTHING we do will be offered by her to
God. And it will not only be offered, but also purified of all stain and enriched
with the merits of Mary. Passing through the hands and, above all, through the heart of Mary,
Our offering will increase with all the love that María puts into it.

Mary is the 'slave of the Lord'; she is completely turned towards God; every time that
we pray 'Mary', she says 'God'. When in the visitation Elizabeth congratulates Mary:
"blessed are you among all women," she then directs the fulfillment towards God:
My soul glorifies the Lord...”. It is the Magnificat.

Far from keeping us to herself, Mary drives us towards God. Hand in hand with Mary, guided and
Led by her, we will avoid the ties of the devil and quickly ascend in love.
of God. Mary is, in truth, the easy, short, and sure way to reach God.

In the supernatural order, the soul cannot rise to God in any way or
to perform supernatural works without Mary. That is why it advances more by seeking the glory of God,
the good of the Church and one's own holiness in union with Mary, which with all the other practices
that can be used.

His heart and mine are more than one,

and from the depths of this unique heart,
she repeats the words of yesteryear:
“Behold the handmaiden of the Lord.”

55
 37. The union with Mary is the path that leads the apostle to men, his
brothers

If it is necessary to go to God through Mary, it is also necessary to go to men through her;

Every apostolate is a spiritual motherhood, since to be an apostle is to try to give birth to or
to grow Jesus in the hearts of our brothers.

Because Mary is a mother, she pushes us towards the apostolate. A mother knows all her
children; he becomes anxious if he knows that one of them is in danger of getting lost, and he will not rest until
that he saved her. This is even truer when talking about Mary in relation to the
souls of their children of the earth.

This union with Mary will make a good legionary never content with a
small and routine apostolate, will always remain as spirited as the first day, even
after years of service, he will retain this youthful spirit, open to the needs of the
others and ready to embark on new tasks.

The legionnaire, united with Mary, never gets discouraged; even after hundreds of
unsuccessful attempts, he will return tirelessly, because María will give him for that sinner or that
They pay a true MOTHER'S HEART. Their legionary optimism will not yield to the
repeated failures, because he is confident that María's love will eventually move him
heart of his poor lost son.

The union with Mary will also give the legionary, in the approach to souls, a
delicacy of special charity. No man is truly similar to another: A
Mother knows well that she should not treat all her children the same way. The legionnaire
will bring men closer, preferably one by one, knowing well that each one has their
particular problem. It's typical of mothers to know how to sense hidden anxieties: the union
with Mary will give our apostolic contacts the persuading strength, but also the
sweetness that attracts and the respect that evokes the respect of God, for the freedom of the souls that He
has created.

In her legionary and for him, María participates in each of the works; she gives her life.
to the souls and bestows her maternal care upon them; through him, see and serve the person of our
Lord in each of the souls for which he works; with him and in him, she acts with the same
delicacy of love and attention that he once lavished on his divine Son.

May my soul unite

with the love of Maria
and with his will to save the world!

56
 CHAPTER: THE ROSARY IS THE BEST WAY TO SPEND ALL THE
LIFE IN UNION WITH MARY

38. The Virgin Mapa loves the prayer of the rosary preferentially.

For over a hundred years, the Virgin Mary has graciously visited us in various ways.
occasions through extraordinary appearances. In all of them, he has requested the prayer of
rosary. In Lourdes, over her white dress, she wore no necklace or bracelet, only a large
Rosario. In Fátima, to refer to herself, she simply says: 'I am Our Lady of the Rosary.'

But there is still more. On another occasion, María complains that there is not enough prayer. She says:
"Pray, yes, pray, my children; my Son is moved." But what prayer were they saying?
children? The rosary.

And there is still more. Each of the appearances has begun with a ROSARY.
COMPLETE, that the little seers recited. This prayer prepared their soul for
to get in touch with the Most Holy Virgin; it also seems that this prayer made her more
present. Once, while the children prayed in this way, they saw how the Virgin grew before
his eyes, that is, he was approaching them.

In Lourdes, the Virgin passed the beads of the rosary between her fingers, while
I was watching Bernardita praying. Certainly, María could not say "I greet you, María".
but he received it smiling and recited with Bernardita the 'Glory to the Father...'.

All these children who have had the exceptional privilege of seeing the most holy
Virgin, they have understood the lesson. Throughout their entire life, they have recited their rosary every day;
thinking to find María this way and continue the dialogue with which he had favored them
previously. The rosary was her great means of sanctification; for Saint Bernadette, it was,
even, almost the only one.

For this reason, the Church strongly recommends that Christian families pray every
night the rosary in the home; thus Mary makes herself present in it; she guards and protects it.

For this reason, the Legion also wants each meeting to begin with the recitation of the rosary.
so that María is among her legionaries. "Missing the rosary of the Praesidium is a
"irreparable loss," says the Manual.

Of all the sentences,

the rosary is the most beautiful,
the most pleasant to María.
So, love, the rosary
and recite it daily.
This is the will that I leave you.
Saint Pius X

57
 The meditated and lived rosary allows us to spend our entire life in the company of the Virgin.
Maria

It is already prayer to recite with piety the Our Fathers and Hail Marys of the rosary; but this
it is not yet "to pray the rosary" as the Virgin Mary and the holy Church ask us. The Pope
León XIII has said of the rosary that it 'consists of reciting the fifteen decades of 'Hail Marys',
dedicated each one to the MEDITATION of one of the fifteen main mysteries of
our redemption.

We know these fifteen mysteries perfectly. The five joyful ones summarize the
the childhood of Jesus; it is the mystery of the incarnation. The five sorrowful ones show us until
how much Jesus loves us, he even gives his life to save us; it is the mystery of redemption. The
Five glorious ones make us live already in heaven, which is our hope and will be our
reward.

Each legionary must dedicate at least a few minutes every day to the exercise of the
meditation. The praying of the rosary will naturally lead you to the
practice of meditation. Well, what is meditation but thinking about a specific thing with
special attention? Here it is about reviewing in our hearts these mysteries, which are the
fifteen main events of the life of Jesus and Mary. They are like stories, like
beautiful images. It is very easy for everyone to see how Jesus and Mary work, to find a way to
imitate them and end up making a resolution for life that is eminently practical.

By reciting our rosary, we find ourselves once again close to the Virgin Mary. We relive
with her her announcement; we respond that we are prepared for everything that God wants from us
we. If we suffer, we are courageously at the foot of the cross, together with Mary, and
that helps us unite our sacrifice with that of Jesus. We begin anew with Mary all
these actions, trying to evoke in us the same feelings and gestures that
she.

Grant us,
Almighty God,
that, when meditating
these mysteries of the Holy Rosary
of the blessed Virgin Mary,
let's also imitate the examples they contain.

58
 The rosary helps us live and achieve union with Mary

Mary kept all these things and

"she pondered them in her heart." What things are those? In the first instance, it is about the
the birth of Jesus and the adoration of the shepherds. On the other hand, it deals with the set of the
childhood of Jesus; what we now call: joyful mysteries of the rosary.

Mary is our model in everything; thus, also in the meditation of these scenes.
evangelicals. Like Mary, we must revive these mysteries of salvation and "meditate on all those
things in our heart.

When a child shakes hands with their mother or is in her arms, they do everything with
she is connected to her in her BODY. When she listens to her mother and does everything she
So we say that he is united with her in his SOUL. In heaven we will be united in
body and soul and for all eternity with Jesus and Mary.

On Earth, Mary lived in the visible intimacy of Jesus for thirty years. Since
that Jesus went out to preach in the villages, and after the ascension, Mary was no longer united.
physically with Jesus; but, "pondering all these things in her heart" and fulfilling her
will, María was perfectly united with him in her soul. The Apostles lived for three years
with Jesus and ten days in prayer with Mary. Then, his union of soul with Jesus and Mary was
similarly live, although it was done only in faith, through prayer and meditation.

The prayer is an 'elevation of the soul to God'; our soul will be elevated if we fill it.
from the "things above", where Jesus and Mary are already located.

Nourishing our soul with the mysteries of the rosary, here below, one will find in the
heaven, will live in union with Jesus and Mary.

This union can be almost continuous, since we can pray the rosary at any time.
part, both in the Church and at home, on a trip, at work, even in the same bed, if
we are sick. Even in the case that it becomes impossible for us to recite the prayers, we will remain
always the possibility of 'meditating on all these things in our hearts' during work.
It will be enough for our spirit to be filled with Mary and our will determined to act.
like her.

"María kept all this "

and he pondered it in his heart.
(Luke 2:19)

59
 The rosary is the breviary of the legionary.

When the Apostles began their work, they declared: 'We must take care of
to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Prayer is in the first place and today is also the
first duty of the priest. What is this prayer of the priest? It is the breviary, or office.
divine. Now, everything that the breviary is for the priest, the rosary is for the
legionary, provided that he does not forget those mysteries of salvation, which are the soul of
rosary.

1st The breviary is LITURGICAL OFFICE. The priest offers the prayer every week.
of the one hundred fifty psalms; the legionary will offer the one hundred fifty 'Hail Marys' of this
"Virgins' psalter", which is the rosary. The breviary makes the priest live through the
liturgical feasts, all the great events of God's plan. It places at your disposal
the lessons and graces of the Gospel. The Virgin Mary has chosen for her rosary the most
beautiful pages of it, those that summarize the mystery of salvation.

2nd The breviary NOURISHES CHRISTIAN LIFE; the rosary does too. Both give us
They make you reflect on scenes of life and on examples that persuade. This meditation
it will undoubtedly have an impact on the entire life, as it is done in prayer and this prayer asks
First of all, may the meditated mystery produce in us its fruit of grace.

3º The breviary is the PRIEST'S COMPANION, it is the prayer of all the

hours. Likewise, the rosary should be for the Christian. It can be prayed at all
circumstances, thus sanctifying the humblest and most profane work. Our rosary,
Along with all our occupations, that beneficent contact of the soul will operate in our lives.
with Jesus and his mother.

The breviary is the PRAYER OF THE CHURCH, the bride of Christ. When the
a priest celebrates Mass or prays his breviary, performing on behalf of the Church the function of
praise to God; it is the Church that prays through him. In the same way, we can affirm
that the rosary is more the prayer of Mary than ours. From the moment I am
United within her, Mary takes my prayer, and it is she who offers my joys to God.
my sorrows, my hopes, intertwined and mixed with yours.

...Well, we must
to attend to the prayer.
Acts 6:4

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 42. The Legion strongly recommends its members to join the Brotherhood of
Most Holy Rosary

The rosary is an easy devotion, because it is Mary who has inspired it: a mother does not
You can propose something difficult or complicated to your little children. The rosary can be
practiced and lived by everyone, even by simple people, even by children. But in it
certain learning also takes place.

Now, the Brotherhood of the Rosary is precisely the “center of learning of

Rosario
The Assistant must register in the Brotherhood of the Holy Rosary.
Manual; and also encourage the rest of the Christians to register in
she and strive to establish said brotherhood in the parishes. The Legion is in this the echo of the
Church, which warmly recommends this Brotherhood, putting it within everyone's reach:
priests and faithful, men and women, old and young. It is the great family of the Virgin
Maria, where all her children have their places.

This 'Rosary Learning Center' organizes an instructional meeting every month,

and this meeting can also be that of the auxiliary legionaries. The essential part of this
The meeting consists of a MEDITATED ROSARY. A priest or the simple faithful comment and
They apply to life the lesson of each mystery. Thus, the confreres gradually learn to know
And meditate on each mystery, and thus they will know how to do it better later, when it comes to living it.

As a true family of Mary, the brotherhood also assures its members all kinds of
spiritual advantages. The main one is participation in all prayers and good deeds of
millions of associates from all over the world; if I am a member of the rosary, I know that everywhere
At the moment I have some brothers in faith who pray for me. And how comforting all this is!
Additionally, they enjoy the special protection of Mary, since the members of the rosary are her children.
yours in a special way.

Under your sponsorship we take refuge,

Holy Mother of God;
always deliver us from all danger.

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 CHAPTER VI: WE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF ONE BODY
MYSTERIOUS, WHOSE HEAD IS JESUS CHRIST (The Mystical Body of
Christ

43. Jesus Christ is present in every man

Saint Paul is the apostle par excellence. He worked more than any of the others.
Apostles in the preaching of the Gospel and in establishing the Church in many countries. But
it wasn't always like that. Before his conversion, he was a fervent Jew; he persecuted Christians.
fiercely.

But behold, one day while I was on my way to Damascus with some companions, a
a light from heaven blinds him and knocks him to the ground. He hears a voice saying: 'Saul, Saul,
Why are you pursuing me?" He asks: "Lord, who are you?" and the voice replies: "I am
JESUS whom you are pursuing.

How can this be? Saul was persecuting Christians, that is, men and women.
like us; and behold, from heaven, Jesus says to him: 'It is not to these men, it is to ME'
"THE SAME, present in them, whom you pursue." For Saul, this was a revelation. He
he was raised converted and prepared for baptism. She will never forget this lesson; it will constitute
the foundation of the 'doctrine' that he will later teach to his Christians.

All of this had already been announced by Jesus. In his last sermon, he spoke about the final judgment.
Each one will be judged according to their charity towards their neighbor. Let us remember their
same words.

To the good, the judge will say: 'I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me...
you gave drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me; I was naked, and you clothed me; sick, and you
you visited; prisoner, and you came to see me..." While to the wicked he will reproach: "I was hungry
hunger, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me to drink; I was naked, and you did not
you dressed me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me...". They will say: "But, Lord, if
we have never found you." Listen to this statement from Jesus: "Whenever you did
That you did to one of these my younger brothers, you did it to me.

Yes, if we truly look at others with eyes of faith, as God sees them, it is to
JESUS, whom we will see in every neighbor, because He is truly present in them.

This truth is the central dogma of Christianity. Let us never forget it. Just like
St. Paul, the Legion has made this doctrine the foundation of its life and action.

All that you have done

to one of these my younger brothers,
You did it to me.
Matthew 25:40

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 44. Every Christian possesses within themselves the life of Jesus Christ

Everything that Jesus has done during his life on earth is 'so that men
they may have LIFE and have it more abundantly.

In baptism, the devil has been expelled from our soul; the grace of God has
invaded everything; we have 'been reborn' into the LIFE of God; we have been made children of God and
from the Church. We are, then, of the same family of God, brothers of Jesus. Baptism gives us
He is bound to Jesus by the closest ties.

God is love, and the love of God is creative. By making us His children, God loves us and
create in us his own LIFE, in such a way that we are not only "called his children, but
that we truly are.” The Father loves us with the same love with which He loves His son Jesus.
The LIFE of God is deposited in us, and it must grow, replacing the death of the
sin.

What is this mysterious life that the Christian possesses after baptism? It is LIFE.
the same as JESUS. Saint Paul compares baptism to a graft. Let us take a wild tree;
it does not bear good fruit; but let us practice a good graft on it and cultivate it; it will bear fruit
of superior quality, since it contains a new life that surpasses its former wild life.

Baptism has grafted us into Christ to the point of being able to say with Saint Paul: 'and
I am not the one who lives, it is Christ who lives in me. The same sap circulates through the trunk and
through the branches of the tree to give it life; the same blood, the same vital force circulates in the
head and in the members of a body and vivifies them; the same grace, the same LIFE that
He encourages Jesus and produces fruit in abundance, he encourages us and must also produce.
fruit in us.

Recognize, Christian, your dignity; show yourself proud of it. Be grateful to the
immense love of your God, who has made you His SON.

But how many were received?

the power to become the children of God,
to those who believe in his name;
neither by blood, nor by carnal will,
nor of the will of man,
they are born of God.
(Jn 1, 12-13)

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 45. All Christians form one body, the total Christ, of which Jesus is the
head and we the members

Through baptism, I am grafted into Christ Jesus, His life flows through me. But my brother
he is also baptized; he likewise possesses the life of Christ. All Christians are, therefore,
grafted in Christ and possess His life. All are, like me, branches of the same tree, from which
Jesus is the trunk.

We have arrived, therefore, at the transcendental doctrine of the MYSTICAL BODY OF

CHRIST: all Christians form one body, of which Jesus is the head and we are
the members.

We are not alone; we must save ourselves and rise towards God united with our
brothers. Numerous comparisons in the Bible help us better understand this union:
Christ is the BUILDING being constructed; we are in it living stones; all must be
united and to remain solidly; because, if one falls, the whole building suffers. Now, the
the cornerstone that holds the entire building is Christ. Another comparison is that of the VINE, in the
that Christ is the vine and we are the branches: 'I am the true vine and my Father is the
Vine dresser. Every branch that does not bear fruit in Me, He will take away; and every branch that bears fruit, He will prune,
so that it may bear more fruit." And, above all, Christ is the BODY. "The Church is the mystical body.
of Christ and his fullness.” Christ is the head, the chief, the indispensable and perfect part, of
where the other members draw their strength and their very life. This whole body, head and
members, vitally united, must grow and develop.

The Holy Spirit endowed Christ with a natural body, and Jesus was born; but he has also
formed a mystical body, composed of all the chosen ones, and it is the total Christ, head and
members. It is the holy Church, united to its head, Christ, in grace and in charity. Both in the
first case like in the second, the Holy Spirit has wanted to make use of his wife, the
most holy Virgin Mary, to bring into the world and care for this body of Christ. Thus, Mary, who
she is mother of Jesus, she is also mother of the Church and of all the chosen.

Well, in the way that in one body

we have many members...
so we, being many,
We are one body in Christ.
(Romans 12:4-5)

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 The sacrifice of the Mass gathers around its head the entire Mystical Body

There is only one savior: our Lord Jesus Christ, son of God and son of Mary.
There is also only one sacrifice: that of Christ on the cross, "able to save in a way
definitive to those who go to God through Him.” The death of Jesus on the cross, with arms
extended, it is the CLIMACTIC MOMENT of the history of the world.

But at the foot of the cross was Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary, mother of the body.
mystical, offering its sacrifice united with that of Jesus, is already the Church, sacrificing itself with its leader
for the salvation of the world. Mary is the image of the Church; for a moment, she alone formed
the entire Church of believers. The mass truly contains the entire sacrifice of the cross. Mary
At Calvary, the Church is already in the Mass.

The death of Jesus on Calvary is the PERFECT sacrifice, which gives glory to God
what is due to him and repairs the sins of men. This sacrifice is perfect in Christ,
head of the mystical body; it is also in the Virgin Mary, holy, immaculate, and glorified
already in heaven. But it must also be made perfect in all the other members, which
we are us. Thus, the masses that the Church will celebrate throughout its pilgrimage on
earth, they will finally sanctify us ever more with Christ until the day when, saints and
glorified, let us also be worthy to participate in the great liturgy of heaven.

The MASS is the summit of the Christian's life. Therefore, he must orient his whole life towards it.
toward the mass. Our actions will thus be offered to God and transformed "into a prayer.
that ascends towards God and in a sacrifice of oneself for apostolate" (Pius XII). Life
of the Christian is a continuous mass; in it he learns to offer himself. Nourished from
Christ, sacrificed and dead for sins, will possess the zeal and self-denial necessary for the one who
wants to dedicate oneself to the salvation of others.

The MASS is the sacrifice of Christ and His Church; it is the gathering of the community of the
rescued. But let's not forget, it is the whole world that must be gathered around the
altar. It is from the altar that Christians will also depart, in order to bring Christ to those...
that they do not know him.

Died
to bring together into one
all the children of God,
that are scattered.
(Jn 11, 52)

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 47. Communion is the sacrament that makes the Mystical Body of Christ grow.

The 'total Christ' is already perfect in His head, as He is the same Jesus, but He still lacks...
to become perfect in its members. To develop the body of Christ to its fullness
the height of the perfect man, it is necessary for each of the members to have, more and more,
the LIFE of Christ, and that the members may be more united among themselves. Both in one and in the other
In this case, the FOOD that develops the life of the mystical body is Christ himself, who gives himself to
we in communion.

Through baptism, Christ becomes present in each man; everyone possesses his LIFE. The
He himself has said: 'I am the living bread, descended from heaven; whoever eats me will live because of ME.'
The communion gives me the whole Christ; it unites me to the sufferings of the crucified Christ and also
to the glory of the risen Christ. If I know how to open my heart and my life to Christ, how much more
communicate, but their LIFE will develop in me. After communicating, each one must
to be transformed in Christ, to be able to say like Saint Paul: "I am no longer the one who lives, it is
Christ who lives in me.

But it is to the same 'table of the Lord' that we all go to commune; we all eat
the same bread; it is the same Lord who comes to "make his dwelling in us." The communion,
As we draw closer to Christ, we also draw closer to one another. She is the sacrament of UNITY.
and of PEACE in the Church. These are its own fruits.

So true is this that the Lord himself has warned us: 'If you are going to
present an offering at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your offering there before the altar, go first to be reconciled with your brother and then come back to
present your offering.” It cannot be said that one loves God if one does not also love their brother.
It would be a lie.

The Eucharist is the sacrament of love, of the gift of oneself. It is the sign of the
living presence of God among us: 'Where love and charity reign, there God is'
present

The bread we broke

Isn't it communion?
of the body of Christ?
Because the bread is one,
we are many one body,
for we all partake of that one bread.
(1 Cor 10:16-17)

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 48. We are members of Christ and we must fully develop that part of the Body.
Mystical of Christ that we are

Jesus came so that we could have his LIFE more abundantly. His grace is not only
a treasure that is beautiful to keep jealously: everyone who has "buried" their treasure without
to make him bear fruit, he has been reprimanded and punished by the Master. Grace is a LIFE
that we must develop until we achieve holiness.

Each part belongs to the whole body and will have no life if not in it. Separated from
body, disconnected from the vital force, the member is dissected and dies; the Christian soul,
separated from Christ, it weakens and dies as well. On the contrary, the more it unites with Christ,
more is developed: practice the virtues of Christ, do his same works.

It is understood, then, the necessity of the sacraments, which are the acts of Christ.
about us; they put us in direct contact with Him, especially the sacred
communion, which He delivers to us in its entirety with as many graces as we wish to receive.

The usefulness of God's commandments is also understood, as well as that of the

advice from our priests. They warn us against the dangers that we
apart from Christ and that they could even kill our soul with sin. They give us the
practical rules for the development of the LIFE of Christ in us.

This mystical body of Christ is already perfect in its head, as it is Jesus, the Son of
God. He makes each of the members, each one of us, lean towards that development.
perfect of the life of Christ in itself.

It has been said that 'a soul that ascends, also elevates the world.' We must develop...
in our brothers this life of Christ in us; we also owe it to Jesus. A
A body in which a member is sick or deformed cannot be considered healthy. What!
tragedy if, because of us, the body of Christ does not reach its full development! It would be
an irreparable evil, for God has entrusted us with our role; and no one will replace it if not
we fulfill.

Until we all reach

the unity of faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
perfect males,
to the size of the fit
which corresponds to the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:13

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 49. The Mystical Body of Christ urges us towards the apostolate

The will of God is that all men be saved; the Son of God came to the
earth and died for it. But how will those men be saved? By finding Christ and
believing in Him.

A body is made up of many parts. There are members that are weak,
sick, and that make the whole body suffer. They are the bad Christians, whom it is necessary to
bring back to Christ: they are our separated brothers, the Protestants, who reject the
true Church of Christ; they are, above all, the Muslims and the pagans, to whom
we must announce the good news of salvation.

The doctrine of the mystical body of Christ teaches us that the apostolate has as its end the
to insert a soul in Christ; this man must become a MEMBER OF CHRIST, united with
the head and in communication of life with it. Saint Paul tells us that all of us are
called by God "for the work of the apostleship, towards the construction of the body of
Christ.

Jesus had already used various comparisons in order to push us towards an apostolate.
intense. We are the laborers in the vineyard of the Lord; it is never too late to go to work in
she; everyone is hired. It is also the story of the prodigal son, in which it is desired that
I returned to the parental home; it is the lost sheep that goes to be sought in the mountains; they are all the others.
sheep that are still in other pens, when there should be only one flock under a
only shepherd.

Christ does not want us to be saved alone; we must all grow together, like the
building that is being constructed, like the body that develops in all its members.

As living members of Christ, we are responsible for one another. We should not
to have rest as long as there are men, especially if they are near us, that do not
They still know Christ and do not belong to His Body.

"In this way,

if a member suffers,
all the members suffer with him;
And if one member is honored, all the others rejoice together.
And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

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 The Mystical Body of Christ compels us to charity towards all.

We are members of Christ, certainly; but also "members one of another."

since we are members of the same body of Christ. One thing is linked to another. Such
it is the divine plan over our supernatural life.

Christ wants to live in each of the men for whom He has shed His blood,
That is to say, in all men. One cannot claim to truly love Christ if one does not
He loves him in every place where He is; now, Jesus is present both in the friend
as in the unknown, in the poor as in the rich, in the sinner as in the saint.

One does not truly love Christ if one does not love one's neighbor, and this not for their...
human qualities, but by the divine life that Christ has deposited in him, if he is not loved
with the same love one would love the visible Christ, if one passes indifferently beside the
sufferings or miseries. Jesus warned us: we will be judged on the true
charity: "I was sick and you did not take care of me; I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat."

Saint John echoes his Master when he wrote to his Christians: "Whoever has...
goods of this world and, seeing his brother in need, shuts his bowels, how
Does the charity of God dwell in him? My dear children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed.
of work and of truth.

I am a living member of Christ only if I belong to His body. However,

Being united to the head, I am also united to ALL the members, without exception. If I do not love
to men of other races or other religions; if I am angry with a Christian and I have broken
with him, I have separated from the body; I have also separated, therefore, from the head, which is
Christ; I am no longer, therefore, Christian. Beware!

The Spirit of Jesus is a Spirit of love. It is understood that he made love to

neighbor His commandment. He has set the example Himself, loving ALL men,
even to their enemies, even to die for them. If we love our neighbor for Christ, or rather, if
we love Christ present in our neighbor, we can be recognized as true disciples of
Christ.

If anyone says: I love God,

but he hates my brother,
lie.
(1 John 4:20)

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 For the member of Christ, even the most ordinary action contributes to his
sanctification and the salvation of souls

It may be that we think we only work for our sanctification for a few hours a
week, when we are at Mass or pray; likewise, we may think that
we save men only during the hours of our legionary work. NO. It is
It is necessary to see further; it is our whole life that is at stake.

To illustrate, we happily have beautiful examples: The Virgin Mary, who her whole
life, quite ordinary, she spent at home. In everything, she deserved the salvation of men, of the
what has come to be the mother. Better yet, in Jesus, Christ-worker of Nazareth; during
He devoted thirty years of his life to small jobs; but all his actions had value.
infinite, as they were the actions of the Son of God himself, who does everything purely out of love for his
Father.

But we are also members of Christ and children of God... Then for
there are no useless actions either. Christ fulfilled them in us; He filled them with His love and
of his desire to save men. Nothing is lost; everything gains VALUE
SUPER NATURAL AND DIVINE. And as we are "members of one another,"
our actions are not only a source of merits and grace for us; they contribute to
development of each of the members, as well as the growth of the whole body in the
charity.

All our lives are linked; everyone gives and everyone receives. Prayers, sacrifices,
good deeds, everything increases the treasure of life to which other souls have access. But
I too am always immersed in this beneficial environment, even when I am not thinking.
in it. This means is filled with the merits of my brothers, with the treasures of grace of the
saints, of the Virgin Mary and of Christ himself. All this comes to aid my misery. This
it is what is called the 'communication of saints'. Let us therefore raise our life in the
Spirit of Jesus, that is, in the holy intentions that He had in all His actions. It is so,
first of all, as the true legionary will ALWAYS BE ON SERVICE of the holy
Church and the souls that must be saved.

You eat,
you drink
oh and something else,
do everything for the glory of God.
(1 Cor 10:31)

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 52. Our pains and our sufferings are necessary for the growth of the Body
Mystic of Christ

Often, suffering and sorrow visit us. Even in the midst of labor
Legionnaires, difficulties come to delay or to cause our best projects to fail.

Sufferings seem to contradict and cut the course of life; in reality, they actually
they favor and perfect. Each page of the Holy Scripture teaches us: "It's not enough
"With believing in Christ, it is necessary to suffer for Him." "If we die with Christ Jesus, we will live"
also by Him.” “If we persevere in the trial, we will reign with Him.

We forgot that we have become members of Christ, but not only of Christ.
triumphant, or also of the worker Christ of Nazareth. It is as vain as it is unworthy to welcome the king.
of glory, if the man of sorrows is rejected, since the two are but one.
same Christ. He who does not want to walk with the man of sorrows has no part in
on his mission regarding souls. 'The disciple is not greater than his master'; if Christ, the head of
mystical body, has passed through there, we must also pass, if we are truly
its members.

Why this? Jesus has certainly redeemed all men; his passion has
truly deserving of all the thanks that the world needs. Is it, then,
Consummated his passion? Yes, in the head; but the passion of his body remains; Christ, still
incomplete in its members, wishes that we share his passion. Saint Paul suffered trials
of all kinds; his apostolate was opposed in a thousand ways; finally, he died a martyr. He us
gives the reason for his trials when he writes: 'Now I rejoice in my sufferings for
you, and COMPLETE IN MY FLESH what is lacking in the passion of Christ, for his body, that
It is the Church. If the members need the head, which gives them life, the head
It also has a need for the members, to complete its work. It's as if Jesus were saying:
I need your help in my work of redemption and sanctification of souls. Each
one of the members of the mystical body must work on the work of Christ: their own salvation
and that of others. And this work will always be done through the cross.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you

and I blow into my flesh what is missing
to the tribulations of Christ
for His Body, which is the Church.
(Col 1, 24)

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 The cross of the Christian brings about the conversion and salvation of his brothers.

Since Christ wanted to die on the cross, suffering changed its meaning. To give
Believers are always a grace. When it is not sent to heal, it is to give strength. Never
it is a simple punishment of sin.

Through their union with the sufferings of our Lord, those of sin acquire a value.
invaluable; while, by an immeasurable privilege, the passion of Christ overflows
about those who are pure and holy, to conform them more and more to his likeness. This
fusion of suffering is the basis of all mortification and atonement.

Jesus is INSEPARABLE FROM HIS CROSS; you cannot embrace him without also embracing
his cross. The feeling of suffering becomes the feeling of the nearby presence
of Jesus. The work of our Lord must bear his mark, the cross.

Mary was the closest to Jesus in his redemption. Being the holiest of the
creatures, it was she who suffered the most. She who, having no sin, wanted, like Jesus, to offer
his martyrized heart, to fulfill his part in the salvation of the world.

Let's also think about the extraordinary penances of the saints; it gives us the
impression that they had little to repair by themselves! But they knew that inside the
mystical body his mortifications would contribute to the salvation of his brothers.

All of this is not only true for us, active legionaries, it is also true
for our auxiliary brothers. Let us not hesitate, then, to recruit the elders, the
sick, the lepers. They are not useless. By accepting and generously offering their poor life,
They will work, perhaps, much more than us in the work of Christ.

In our work, we frequently visit sick people or those who are suffering.
Let us know how to pray with them; let us know how to raise their eyes towards the cross of Jesus: and with it all their...
life will be transformed. They will also work effectively in the building of the Church.

Whoever wants to come after me,

deny yourself,
Take up your cross and follow me.
(Mt 16, 29)

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 54. Mary is the heart of the Mystical Body of Christ

The Holy Spirit is like the soul of the total Christ. It is the Spirit of Jesus that is
indissolubly united to Mary, his wife; He encourages each of the members of this
mystical body.

But what will be Mary's place in the total Christ, the head and the members? Mary is the
mother of Jesus, like all men. In a family, the mother is the bond of union between
all their children. We are "members of one another"; we will never be so
united as when we are together around our mother, Mary; our best
mutual relationships will go through her.

Mary is also the mediator through whom all intercessions pass and all
Thank you. For this reason, Saint Bernard has compared the Most Holy Virgin to the NECK, which unites the
head with the rest of the body the mystical body, she has a particular and unique place, the
first after Christ. She was associated with the Redeemer, with all her shattered heart, in the
moment of death on the cross.

What is Mary in the mystical body? She is the HEART. She is like an immense
depositor of life, who first receives within himself all the riches of Christ, in order to
distribute them immediately throughout the body.

The special task of the legionaries in this mystical body is to guide, comfort and
to guide others. It's a maternal function. The legionnaires are not very far away.
from the heart of the mystical body, which circulates the blood of Christ in the members, to
bring them life and growth. Their task is, therefore, very close to that of Mary. They do not make
more than joining their efforts with his. Thus, in reality, not only the legionaries he
They ask for the help of the Most Holy Virgin to better serve the other members of the body.
mystical; it is her/him that requests their participation.

The legionaries are like the voice, the hands, and the heart of Mary, who come to serve.
And save the men, whom He wants to bring to Christ. No one can try to serve the
brother, more than in the company of Mary. Then, the closer and more alive the union is of
the legionaries with Mary will better fulfill the divine mandate to love God and serve the
neighbor.

Through her
all your gifts are attributed to us,
All your virtues, all your graces.

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 Through the Legion, Maria continues to love and serve her divine son Jesus in each one
of its members

Jesus is present in each one of those for whom the legionary works. It
we know well: 'Everything you do for the least of these is done for Jesus'
it is done." This rule does not allow for any exceptions; therefore, this pagan, this Muslim, this
man who chases me and insults me, this sinner whom I visited unsuccessfully for the umpteenth time.
At times, it is the same CHRIST JESUS for the legionary. For this reason, I must go to visit him with joy;
I must approach him with respect, and I must listen to him with love. For I am not a superior,
he is going to order you or make reproaches; I am not even an equal, I am inferior, I am a servant, already.
that, in the eyes of my faith, CHRIST is present in that man. As Martha said in the
Gospel: 'The Master is here, and He is waiting for you.'

The Most Holy Virgin certainly wants the mystical body to be demonstrated towards
her beloved son a love similar to that which she bestowed upon Jesus, she will help his
legionnaires, The work of the legionnaires is the natural continuation of the work that was done
Mary, during her life on earth, when she fed, took care of, and loved her son Jesus, like this
also, what kindness, what delicacy must the legionary show in his relations with the
others, even if they are the most miserable of men!

But, much better than all this, the legionary is united with his queen, María, in such a way
the way she is present in him, María's task is never finished; what she has
done by Jesus, continues to do it for his members. Accompany the legionaries in their
jobs; but it will be more accurate to say that it is her legionaries who accompany her, equally
what the children do with their mother. The work must be done in such a spirit with Mary, that
may she be the one who truly fulfills it, acting for each of her legionnaires, Mary
participates in each of the duties and legionary services; she gives life to souls and them
she bestows her maternal care.

It is Jesus who is in the neighbor.

to which we visited;
It is María who is in the legionnaire.
What does the visit do.

74
 CHAPTER VII: THE LEGION HAS ONLY FOUR
COMMANDMENTS, BUT IT REQUIRES YOUR PERFECT COMPLIANCE

The first commandment asks for attendance at the meetings.

Every week, in a supernatural atmosphere of prayer and sweet brotherhood, the

Praesidium has its meeting. This weekly meeting is the source of light and energy.
inexhaustible treasure that provides for all needs. It is the great exercise of community,
where the savior attends invisibly. Therefore, it should never be omitted, even though the
President or the Secretary are absent. If a serious need prevents it from being held in the
At the designated time, it may, exceptionally, be changed to another day or time; but IT WILL NOT BE
NEVER SUPPRESS. The Virgin calls us and waits for us; who would dare to disappoint her?

The legionnaires will consider attendance at the Praesidium meeting as the

first and most sacred of their duties towards the Legion. Without it, their apostleship would be like
a body without a soul.

This explains the rigor of the Legion. If a member misses the meeting without a valid reason.
reason and without excusing himself in advance, the vice president will visit you in particular and will
he will be corrected fraternally; if he continues to be absent three consecutive times, he will not be retained as
active member, despite his other qualities. If a legionnaire is often late,
missing at the beginning of the sentences and at the rosary, a warning will be given; if it is frequently delayed,
He will not be held back anymore, because his indifference to missing the common prayers suggests
in him a strange mindset to the true legionary spirit, which is a spirit of prayer.
This standard also applies to an Active legionary who is too busy or frequently
sick, attended only an average of once a month.

Why such insistence about the meeting? The Lord answers us: 'Wherever two or'
three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of them.” In a more practical plan: the
Legion is an army; the apostolic work is ordered by the Officers. How to get to
undertake an important task, if the Praesidium cannot rely on its members, if they
they are not present to receive the orders and account for the work done? This is
too serious, because the Legion is completely oriented towards the redemption of the world.

The legionary service demands

punctual and regular attendance
to the weekly meetings of the Praesidium.

75
 Reporting on the works is an important element of the meeting

Making a good report is a very important duty and one of the main exercises.
that help sustain the interest in the Legion. It is as important for the meeting as the
Sentence: without one of them, the meeting would not exist. An important part of the training
of each member consists of knowing the methods of their peers, just as they reveal them
the reports given, as well as raising one's own comments, by part of the
legionnaires, experienced about their report.

The given report must reflect EXACTLY the activity of each one with a
liveliness such that the listeners mentally participate in the work and are able to judge it and
draw conclusions. Similarly, the provided report must mention what has been
undertaken and accomplished, with what spirit, the time that has been spent, methods used,
the failures and the people who have not been able to be attended to.

The President's duty is to ensure that each member provides a complete report. With
timely questions will help inexperienced and shy members. Will refuse to accept a
report that puts the audience to too much test. It is clear that the other members
They can also intervene by asking for explanations or giving their opinion.

The meeting should be lively and cheerful. It is necessary, therefore, that the reports achieve
INTEREST the members, while keeping them informed. If the meeting is too
boring, how can one believe that the Praesidium is doing well? Undoubtedly, it will not attract the
youth. The way the report is presented clearly measures the legionnaire.

A report is prepared, therefore, in advance and carefully. It must be done in unity.

with Mary. If one thinks about the way the Virgin Mary would do it, one will not fall into the
more or less

In the weekly meetings of the Praesidium,

the legionnaire will speak loudly and clearly
a complete report
of the task that has been completed.

76
 The second commandment is that of prayer

Undoubtedly, there are few apostolic movements that emphasize as much as the Legion on
the need for prayer. The apostolate is an essentially supernatural work; it demands,
Well, the grace of God. This is achieved with constant prayer. Jesus has given us
example: often, "spent the whole night praying to the Father." The Bible shows us the
Apostles "persevering in prayer with the women and Mary, mother of Jesus."

Prayer is also necessary for the legionary, so that he may be a true one.
apostle and not just a simple propagandist. Prayer elevates the soul and connects it with
God. If the apostle is filled with God, he will be able to speak to others from the abundance of the heart, and
will know how to move them.

The second commandment of the Legion imposes on active members the prayer of the
CHAIN. The legionary will pray it every day alone, during his occupations; thus he will recover.
forces, resorting to the power of God and the intercession of Mary.

The Latin word CATENA means chain. This prayer unites the Legion with the
every member's daily life; it is also the bond that unites them to each other and to their
blessed Mother. In all points of the world, wherever she may be, and in her
in their own language, each legionary will pray their CHAIN. Who would dare, due to their negligence, to be a
broken link, in the chain of daily prayer of the Legion?

This sentence is very short. The Legion, however, constantly exhorts its
active members, to add each day the other sentences of the tessera. Since these
sentences are mandatory for the Auxiliaries, what a shame for the militants if, in this
Aspects contribute to the common cause less than their countless helpers! The
Auxiliaries serve more effectively to the queen of the Legion than those active members who
they are content to work without praying.

In the meeting, prayer and work are closely intertwined; in the life of the legionary.
they must also be. The Legion wants to deeply mix the leaven of prayer with
the militant work of the apostle. Just as with Mary, God will do great things with him.

The daily prayer

from the prayer of the Catena.

77
 The third commandment is that of legionary work.

The Legion imposes on each of its members, as an essential obligation and of

first importance, the weekly compliance of their active work, determined by their
Presidium. An inactive Presidium violates its Promise to pursue the end of the Legion, which is
to visibly exercise through action a masculine apostolate. An army that refuses to fight
Does a fight deserve such a name? In a similar way, the members of a Praesidium who do not
They perform no active work, they have no right to the title of Legionnaire of Mary.

It is true that every NORMAL believer must love their neighbor and desire their salvation. Not
it is prohibited, quite the opposite, for the members of the brotherhoods, just like for the legionnaires
Helpers, doing some apostolic work personally. But we affirm that the work of
A Praesidium is a very different thing. Thus, in the third commandment it is stated:
SUBSTANTIAL ACTIVE LEGIONARY WORK.

This work must be SUBSTANTIAL, that is, the legionary must dedicate it to,
less, two hours per week. This job must be an ACTIVE service, well defined,
set by the Praesidium; and in no way a trivial task left to the discretion of each
One. An imprecise or poorly organized job has very little effectiveness.

If an active member cannot perform their job well due to illness or

occupation, the Praesidium will declare you an Auxiliary.

But to a legionary who does not do his job, or does it poorly, who does something else
different from the work commissioned by the Praesidium, they must be warned; if it continues like this, they will be
must expel.

The Legion insists that the legionnaires be given an important job, worthy of their
burning zeal. An insignificant job will have unfavorable reactions to this zeal;
will ultimately fall into mediocrity and complacency. On the contrary, the Legion drives to
to undertake great things, not to be afraid, since the good of souls is at stake. Ask that
worry about the most miserable and abandoned elements of society; that is
they take on the tasks that other movements do not want to handle.

The fulfillment of a substantial active legionary work, in a spirit of faith and in unity.
with Mary, so that through Mary, his mother, he may see and serve the person again
of Christ in those for whom he works and in his companions.

78
 60. The work demands intense effort from the legionary.

In his apostolic work, the legionary must dedicate himself with all his heart. The Legion
determine: one must work with energy, with skill, and also with delicacy; the effort
he must be methodical, patient, reflective. Although the work is easy, the legionnaire should not
measure your effort. Why?

Because, even before looking for and obtaining results, he wants to work in unity with
Maria. In this operation, each one must play their part. The legionnaire delivers his
activity, her strengths, her whole being; Mary gives herself with her purity and her
power; María will never be absent; the fortune of the company depends, therefore, entirely on
legionnaire's work.

If the business is easy and the legionnaire dedicates ten times more effort than it
necessary, nothing will be lost. Mary, the careful housewife of Nazareth, will not lose
nothing, but this increase in effort will be wonderfully employed by her to help
the serious needs of the Lord's family. The principle to follow is this: To do things
small as well as great, for Jesus, who does them in us, and for Mary, who works with
we.

On the contrary, if because of his fault, the effort of the legionary is less than that of his queen.
waiting for him, this will be like partially tying Maria's hands and preventing her from distributing
with generosity her munificences. What a loss this would represent! Because María's role does not
it consists of replacing the legionary in what he refuses to do. María will help our
intense natural activity, to purify it, perfect it, supernaturalize it. She will make it
Human efforts, though limited, can achieve great things that surpass them.
infinitely.

In essence, the true legionar work is not done by just two, but
for three; because María is always at work with us. María cannot perform in the
souls more than through us. How graceful! Let us not limit our efforts!
Let us do what Saint Paul said: "The grace of God has not been ineffective in me. Far from
Hello. I have worked more than all these. But not me, rather the grace of God that is
with me.

Mr. Jesus,
teach me to be generous,
to give without measure.

79
 The legionnaire does not retreat in the face of the impossible

In all missionary work, Mary acts with us; we are one with her. Also the
All-Powerful is committed to "doing great things."

But how can we do them if we encounter an impossible task? It is necessary

react with good sense and faith. The Manual emphasizes, above all, that very often it
declares an impossible task, because it is feared. It is necessary to distrust judgments.
humans; an apparent impossibility often disappears when we approach
to her. It's like those slopes that from afar seem impossible to climb and, when one gets closer,
he realizes that he can easily overcome them.

The Manual adds: An impossibility can always be decomposed into a certain number of
elements, and each of these elements is a possibility. There are few things that I cannot
to carry out a clever and diligent man. It is like Mount Cameroon: it seems so
elevated that will never reach the summit, but let's start, step by step, let's continue
with perseverance, and, finally, the summit will be reached. The Legion tells us that there are few
truly impossible things, provided that one can count on courage and the
perseverance of the legionaries and the intelligence of the officers. Thus, the best will be sought
means to break down difficulties; then, constant work will overcome each
element.

And if it were truly impossible, if the good of souls is really at stake,

the Legion tells you: Do anything. It is what she calls SYMBOLIC ACTION.
Certainly, the action must be as effective as possible. But, assuming that it is not
truly none, make a gesture; not just a prayer, but an action,
that will be fully oriented towards the maximum goal to be achieved. This effort,
made with faith, will attract the intervention of Mary, and will be a bit like the sacramental gesture that
attracts grace. Let's think about the multiplication of the loaves. There were only five loaves and
two fish. Everything that could be done was done. Then, the omnipotence of God intervened, and the
5,000 men were satisfied.

Mary said to the angel:

How could this be,
Well, I do not know a man?
The angel answered him:
The Holy Spirit will come upon you
and the virtue of the Most High
He will cover you with his shadow...
for nothing is impossible for God.
(Lc I, 34-35. 37)

80
 62. The President is responsible for the work of his Praesidium.

The Legion was founded to do an important active job; it is, therefore, the
Organization of that work is the first function of the President. To do this, what must they do?

1st The President must know well the area that has been entrusted to him. The Praesidium is
made to respond to current needs, and especially the biggest ones, of the
locality. Therefore, it is necessary to identify what these needs are and what apostolic campaigns it is.
necessary to undertake. In order to discover them, the President does not hesitate to consult the priest,
to the catechist or to the leaders of other works that operate in the same area.

The most important work, the one that must be resumed and continued at all times, is the
methodical visit to all households, it is the personal contact with all the people who
they live there. I know Presidents who with their legionnaires complete the CENSUS of their
neighborhood; they have a (secret) notebook with the list of houses and all their people.

The President must also know his legionnaires. Not all of them have the same
qualities, not everyone is suited for the same jobs. The President is the one who appoints
his legionaries in pairs for the work; it is he, also, who determines the work
What each one must do. The President must get the most out of each legionnaire.
performance; it is your educator, you must encourage them to always surpass themselves. You must even give to the
better legionnaires a heroic job, in order to ignite the enthusiasm of those who
they have not yet reached that and show them the ideal legionary already accomplished.

3rd The President will distribute the work. For this, it is essential that he has done a
WORKSHEET, which will be renewed every week. In it, they will write in detail all the
jobs that the Praesidium deals with.

4th The President controls the work done, that is, the reports, during the course of
which he should not hesitate to intervene.

I will happily spend it

and I will wear myself out for your souls.
(2 Cor 12:15)

81
 The true legionnaire is always on duty.

In strictness, the Legion does not ask us for strictly more than one meeting per week, which
It lasts between one hour and one hour and a half, and an apostolic work that requires two hours.
approximately. The rest of the time what will we do?, will we be those selfish Christians and
mediocres who think of nothing but themselves?

The Legion responds: NO. A true legionnaire is ALWAYS ON DUTY.

legionnaire must be an attractive personification of true Christianity. Through him, the
true light must shine before men with bright and numerous rays, that is to say, by
through practical examples of true Christian life, plaster everywhere and in everything
time.

Our general behavior should not be of such a nature that it causes a bad impression.
Defects that would be noticed in others will be considered as unworthy in a true
legionnaire. It’s normal. Is it not fair to demand a superior virtue from the one who exhorts others to
tender towards a higher ideal?

There is also another way to always be in service. The legionary is a soldier.

Since he sees an evil that needs to be fought or a good that needs to be fulfilled, he must be ready.
always to intervene. He is also the son of Maria, who has a mother's heart to
all those he finds on his way. Forgetting about himself, he has the heart
CONSTANTLY AWAKE to seize favorable opportunities for the great purpose of
Legion: save the souls.

If we discover a job that would be good to undertake, let's say so in the meeting without
shyness, without trying to impose ourselves. The Praesidium will discuss it. If they accept it, this activity will
will become a job of the Praesidium.

Personally, we are not satisfied with two hours of legionario work. If a job
if it presents itself spontaneously, let us not hesitate, let us intervene even if we are alone.

The Legion has but one end: to destroy the empire of sin and establish the
banner of Christ the King. We are all responsible for its advancement.
Resolved and ready for every call, always spontaneously, even when not called upon,
Always at the service of souls, is the true soldier of Mary.

Taking the legionary vexillum in hand,

I remain as your soldier and your son.

82
 64. The fourth commandment requires that the legionary be faithful to the secrecy of the Legion

The Praesidium meeting is the time to give reports; each legionary counts.
in detail everything he has known, said, or done. It is essential. Without this, the Praesidium does not
it can control the work of its members; it cannot advise how to do it better; it cannot
can support his legionnaire in the event that this job carries a danger for his
life or his soul.

Manifesting everything is normal. The Praesidium is a family where there is love, where there is
mutually help each other, in order to do a good apostolic work. How will this be achieved if each
Does one ignore what their neighbor does? And if it is told in such vague terms that it becomes impossible.
to give a useful opinion? All of this is for the own good of the people, for their salvation
those for whom one works.

But just as it is necessary to speak openly during the meeting, it must be observed
the utmost discretion outside of it. It is out of charity that it has been clearly spoken
in front of the brothers who can help us and who are bound by the same secret as
us. It would be wrong to say it outside; this evil is called slander. It is a sin; it is,
Moreover, the source of quarrels and disputes. It would be able to end all possibility of work, and
perhaps still ruining the Legion across an entire country. It would be a betrayal to the Legion.

Experience shows, on the other hand, that the legionaries understand easily.
the importance of this secret and that they are faithful in keeping it. Why?

A true legionary has surrendered to Mary: he seeks to live in union with her; he
Gently formed by her, her heart and hers become one. The Virgin.
it will impregnate the charity of the legionary with a maternal character and will see his neighbor with eyes of
mother; well, a mother tries to hide her children's flaws.

Let's look at a true Legionary, very close to Mary. In the meeting, during his
report, he will like to talk, in order to be controlled, warned, supported by his brothers; without
Embargo, outside the meeting it will be of absolute discretion, just like María.

Maintain the utmost discretion.

about everything that has been discussed in the meetings
or known in the exercise of legionary work.

83
 65. Mary's visit to Elizabeth is the model of all legionary work.

The most important and ongoing legionar work is visiting homes, the
soul-to-soul contact with others. Thus, naturally, the legionaries have taken as
the model of her works this visit that Maria, still young, made to her cousin Isabel.

Let us contemplate this visit of Mary: it is a joyful mystery, despite the fatigue of a
a path of about 150 km. and the discomforts that María, a poor woman, must have experienced.
It is with joy that the legionaries must fulfill their work.

Maria left 'swiftly towards the mountain.' No laziness in the Legion! Even if
It is necessary to go far, to approach difficult people, the legionnaire leaves quickly, without letting it go.
for later. Humbly, María greets Isabel first. Now, María was the
Mother of God. The legionary will always greet first, as he sees Jesus in everyone.
those for whom he works. All doors open to the humble and respectful legionnaire.

Maria stayed three months in the service of Isabel, to continue her work of grace.
The legionary will be persevering, he will continue his work until the end.

So, all the wonders of grace are possible. It was at the visitation when
Maria exercised her role as a mediator for the first time. Maria already had the savior within her.
Jesus, present in Mary, acted through her; and behold John the Baptist taken by the demon and
sanctified, as in a baptism, in the womb of his mother.

Another marvel of grace. Isabel receives a light from on high. Mary is the wife of
Holy Spirit; therefore, he is always present wherever Mary is present. Elizabeth acknowledges the
the greatness of her young cousin: “Blessed are you among women, you, the mother of my Lord.”

And everything ends with the 'Magnificat' of the glory of God.

That the legionary forget himself for others, that he remain united with Mary,
that your work prolongs the visitation, and the same wonders of grace will be produced upon
our world.

In those days
Mary set out on her way and,
with haste, he went to the mountain,
to a city of Judah.
(Lk 1:39-40)

84
 CHAPTER VIII: THE VIRTUES OF THE LEGIONARY ARE THE VIRTUES
OF MARY

66. The spirit of the Legion is the same spirit of Mary

Let's reread the chapter of the Manual that is dedicated to the spirit of the Legion:

The legionnaires make a special effort to acquire:

the deep humility of Mary,
his perfect obedience,
with her angelic sweetness,
his continuous dedication to prayer,
its universal mortification,
its unblemished purity,
your heroic patience,
your heavenly prudence,
his love for God, brave and selfless,
mainly her FA, this virtue that only Mary has practiced in all her
extension and that has never been matched by any other.

The true legionary always has his eyes fixed on Mary; he sees how she has
to ensure that his life and actions replicate those of Mary and to imitate her virtues.

The legionary lives in the company of María; his soul is united with that of his mother; María
she can thus fulfill her entire function as a soul educator and ensure the rooting and
growth of its own virtues in the soul of its docile son.

Each legionary will live his devotion to Mary through the serious meditation he will do of
she, as by her constant concern to introduce her into her life. It is clear that the
A legionnaire who does not love María cannot, in any way, take part in her work.

A true legionnaire is not recognized by the insignia, but by their virtues.

is also recognized by its weapon: the rosary. The rosary, practiced throughout life, us
she transmits the virtues of Mary; she is the privileged instrument of her maternal education. A
A legionary who lives his rosary can be sure of possessing the spirit of Mary.

She is the mother of my soul;

His heart and mine are just one.

85
 67. The legionary possesses the faith of Mary

The Legion is founded, first of all, on a deep faith in God and on the
Love that He has for His children. The first virtue of the legionary is one. Faith.
unwavering. Jesus has spoken to us about the faith that "moves mountains". The Virgin Mary tells us
give the example of a faith that never weakened. She believed 'that nothing is impossible for God';
therefore she fully entered into God's plan, and the Almighty was able to 'carry out in her
great things." Mary has become the Mother of God and the universal mother of mankind.

All the faith of the nascent Church was concentrated in her soul; during that sad
On the Saturday when Jesus was in the tomb, Mary was the only one who kept her faith intact.
Mary is the most perfect model of the faith of a human being, and she has deserved that all faith,
Christianity has its origin in her.

Before performing a miracle, Jesus would ask for an act of faith from the one who approached him. "Everything is
possible for those who believe." On the other hand, he often reproached the Apostles for their
weakness in faith: "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" and denied a miraculous sign to this
perverse and unbelieving generation.

The conversion of a soul does not usually require a visible miracle, but it demands a
give grace at least equal, since this infinitely surpasses the poor human strengths.
For this reason, the first virtue of the legionary will be FAITH, the faith that obeys, that always moves forward,
that does not back down from anything.

This faith in the omnipotent assistance of God must be the fundamental support of the
legionaries. If they have a simple and brave Faith, they will not fail more than in a few cases.

Thus, at the end of each meeting, before sending the members to their apostolic tasks, the
Legion invites you to kneel at the feet of Mary and makes you say the great prayer.
legionary, what is the prayer of faith.

Lord, grant us to all who serve.

under the banner of Mary
the fullness of faith in you...
grant us a living faith,
motivated by charity...
a firm and unwavering faith
like a rock...
a valiant faith...
a faith that is
the column of fire of our Legion...
a faith that guides our steps...

86
 68. The legionary practices the humility of Mary

Maria has been a model of humility. For this reason, the virtue of humility occupies in the
Legion a place of preference. Even better, humility is an absolutely essential instrument.
indispensable to his apostleship.

No one was more HUMBLE than Mary; nor has anyone received more graces than she.
I've done greater things. She herself sang it in her 'Magnificat': 'God has looked at the.
humility of his servant; he brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the humble.

If the legionary tries to be deeply united with his queen, she will help him in the
battle that must be fought tirelessly against oneself, against the spirit of pride and
selfishness. She will make him understand to what extent he depends on God in everything; this feeling
It will lead her to prefer, above all, modest and undesirable jobs. María will help her.
also to promptly carry out the will of God, as soon as it is known;
she, who always remains "a slave of the Lord."

This humility will also be practiced by the legionnaire in relation to the Legion.
He will accept all demands with the simplicity of a child, because he knows that discipline is for him.
a constant source of humility.

Finally, the legionary work will be for him a wonderful school of humility. His
He will make the person of our Lord seen in all those for whom he works, although
whether they are the most hardened sinners or the dregs of society. He will be happy to serve.
Again to Jesus in all men. His humility will be manifested in the respect with which they ...
will greet, in the understanding they will have for them, in the sympathy they will show them. The
humble legionary is the true son of the mother of mercy; his visit will be, therefore, a
visit of Mary. Then he will see how all doors and all hearts open before him.
humble and respectful legionnaire.

Learn from me, for I am gentle

and humble in heart.
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

87
 69. The Legion trains its members in heroic value

Our movement has taken its name from the ancient Roman army. This glorious
the army was always on a war footing; it has left a reputation of loyalty, courage, discipline, and success.
Our Legion is led by the Virgin Mary. Truly, Mary is sweet to all;
but she is not only queen of the Apostles; she is also the QUEEN OF MARTYRS, queen
of those men and of those women who have been faithful unto death.

Against sin, Mary is terrible like an army drawn up for battle; she is
always in battles against Satan, whom she crushes the head. She emerges 'victorious in all the
BATTLES OF GOD. This clarifies quite a bit why the Legion demands from its members a
great value. Therefore, a legionary must be willing at all times to give his life for
Christ. The Legion knows how to train its soldiers, as currently in Cameroon and China,
it has glorious martyrs. This value will be MAGNIFICENT; it will not hesitate to undertake
difficult jobs. The Legion insists on consecrating the most wicked and the most
abandoned by the population: incarcerated people, street girls, rotten men
of vices, etc. ..., as well as the bad places they frequent.

And add: meanwhile, in any place, the Legion cannot assert, with all
truth, that its members know each of the individuals personally that
they belong to these corrupted environments and are related to all of them, lack
still something for its complete development. This work will be hard; it will require patience and
self-denial; it will bring more failures than successes. No one wants to take charge of it; but there are souls
they are lost; Jesus is crucified in them again; Mary is asking for help. Then the
Legion is introduced.

St. Pius X wrote: "The greatest obstacle to the apostolate is shyness, or perhaps the
the cowardice of the good ones.” The Legion, for its part, does not want to incur such reproach.

For this reason, taking in hand

the legionary vexillum,
I prepare myself before you
as your soldier.

88
 70. The legionary service must be persevering

The Legion asks for a service without limits or reservations. A very human tendency is the
to impatiently seek tangible results, or to become discouraged if prolonged efforts
Brave ones seem not to bear fruit. Let's think that visible results are not always the
a safe proof of a job's success: sometimes it is gathered from the beginning of the work; other times,
despite heroic tenacity, none are collected.

In the works of apostolate, the gift of self is so essential that the Legion
It worries, above all, about the ardor put into the performance of the work. From its members, it asks for
not wealth or influence, but an unchanging faith; not talent, but a love that does not
do not faint, not a giant's strength, but a constant dedication.

In his service, the legionary must always persist and inflexibly reject the
discouragement; in times of crisis, one must remain firm like a rock; in all the
circumstances must be constant. Expect success, but carry out the service.
regardless of success. To fight against failure and not be discouraged if it is encountered;
and that there is no rest until after it has been overcome.

The legionnaire must not shy away from work and difficulties. Normally the Lord
he will not ask for the sacrifice of your life. Ordinarily, his field of action will be more humble and more
calm. But he has devoted his life to the apostolate. Constantly, on the occasion of his work
legionnaire, must endure fatigue, ingratitude, mockery, insults, and also anguish and sadness
for the souls that will continue to be lost. Endure all of this with sweetness, persevere until
the end, such heroism, joyful and tenacious, will it not be worth as much as the supreme testimony of
love: to give one's life for those who are loved?

With Mary, the legionary stands firm at the foot of the cross of his brothers, he does not abandon.
your position until everything is over.

He who perseveres until the end,

he will be saved.
(Mt 10, 22)

89
 The life of the legionary is a constant opportunity for renunciation.

The whole life of the legionary is aimed at overcoming sin and saving the
men. Now, such a work can only be accomplished through passion and the cross. It was the path
what Jesus chose; it is also the path that his disciples must love. If the legionaries do not
they are willing to carry the cross as well, it is better if they leave the Legion. "How
shame to be a delicate member, under a crown of thorns chief!”, said Saint Bernard.

Mary is the great associate of the Redeemer. Mary was standing by the cross; but already,
Throughout his life, he had practiced a universal mortification (that is, permanent and
totally), dear and voluntarily chosen. This is how she was entirely consecrated to the
implementation of God's salvation plan.

The same must be true for the legionary. On the other hand, his very life as a legionary,
Live with all your heart, it will be a constant occasion of RENUNCIATION.

It will be, first of all, disinterest. The legionnaire gives himself without bargaining. He is not paid. No
receives neither gifts nor honors. It is given without expecting any other reward than that of making the
will of God.

It is also true that legionary discipline is strict. If the legionary fulfills all
these things with pleasure, how many occasions he will have to renounce himself, but also,
How many thanks!, since the cross, planted in a life, is an eternal source of salvation.

They will be, above all, the same legionary tasks. One does not choose them. They are with
monotonous frequency. The results are not always visible. There is no support or help.
as one would wish. In the course of the work, one encounters difficulties, one receives
outbursts; perhaps, maybe, even one might receive some blows. How many occasions of
mortification so as not to lose them!, because it will be precisely those mortifications that
They will save those who reject us.

And that often costly job, the legionnaire fulfills it perfectly. For as much
The more his work resembles a cross, the more the legionary must value it.

Whoever wants to come after me,

deny yourself,
Take up your cross and follow me.
(Mt 16, 29)

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 72. Obedience is one of the great virtues of the army of Mary

It has been said that discipline is the main strength of armies. The Legion is a
army; it has to perform a job that is effective; it also constitutes a very system
ordered. You know very well that a zeal without method and enthusiasm without guidance will not produce
never durable results. Your organization is subject to a rigorous discipline, and imposes the
more accurate observance of each of the details. On the other hand, it promises the
perseverance and a remarkable development of the same virtues that it puts as
foundation. The Legion is terrified of disorder, which wastes resources, when all are
necessary for the work of God. The Legion knows well that a machine runs poorly if this
it has a defective gear.

To the human inconsistency, the Legion imposes a weekly meeting. Against the
inaccuracy, a detailed report of the work done. To the vague desire of apostolate, a work
substantial and planned in advance; leaving, however, to each member the initiative to
discover and propose other jobs.

But the LEGIONARY OBEDIENCE goes further than this simple concern in
the performance, apostolic. It is also a calling of grace. To summarize the entire work
from Salvador, Saint Paul writes: 'Christ Jesus became obedient for us, even to death,
and death of the cross." The obedience of the legionnaire continues the obedience of Jesus. The legionnaire
obedient enters into the mission of the savior, because, to obey is to offer oneself to God; it is to unite
our will to yours; it is to place ourselves in your extension; it is, therefore, to allow
his grace passing through us so that it may reach others.

The obedient legionnaire works with so much more fervor, because he knows that it is God.
the same person who sends him, through the authorities of the Legion. Additionally, to all of his
tasks, big or small, receive the same meticulous attention, the same patience
inexhaustible, the same indomitable courage, a passion renewed every day, because it is based on the
love for the will of God.

Here is why in His Promise He solemnly says:

I will completely submit to their discipline.

that connects me to my legionary brothers
and makes us an army,
and keep our alignment
in our progress with María.

91
 73. The legionary has infinite patience and sweetness towards souls.

The Legion insistently proposes the need for a personal, direct contact.
persevering, with others. Now, its members will establish and develop this
contact through their sweet and modest manners; the true humility of heart
will teach these manners. In all their enterprises, the legionnaires must consider this
question; how would the Blessed Virgin look at and treat these people? and only they will have left
behave accordingly.

This friendship demands that the legionary visits maintain their intimate and personal nature.
The role of the legionaries is not to publicly denounce abuses, but to WIN.
THE HEARTS. Let the legionnaires learn to be sincere friends in whom one can
Trust. The indiscretions would ruin all the work.

At first, the poor receptions may be frequent. However, we will continue the
visits with the same kindness and sweetness.

The legionaries must remove all hardness from their apostolate. Others can do the
well using more severe methods; but the legionary will not build the work of God anymore
with kindness and sweetness. That under no circumstances should they stray from this path; if
No, instead of good, it will do more harm. Jesus has given Mary the kingdom of mercy.
Leaving the realm of Mary, the legionaries would then lose contact with their
queen, on whom their work depends. What good could they then achieve?

Then Peter approached him and asked him:

Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother?
if he/she sins against me?
Up to seven times?
Jesus said: I do not say up to seven times,
but until seventy times seven.
(Mt 18:21-22)

92
 74. Mary, ever Virgin, surrenders to pure souls

Purity is indispensable to the legionary. Since he fights against sin, how can he...
fight if the enemy is within and dominates him? The legionnaire also wants to make contact.
with the souls; now, these souls, even though they are full of sin, have been created to
image of God; how to approach them if the legionary has an impure heart?

The union with Mary will be the remedy for our impurity, because Mary is the
IMMACULATE. Between Mary and sin there is a permanent war; by function, Mary
crush Satan under your feet and undo his work of darkness.

When we talk about purity, we first think of that of the body, as well as in the
temptations, for which the flesh wants to rebel against the soul. No one is exempt from such
tests; but Mary, invoked with confidence, is the refuge of tempted souls; her presence
heals danger and disperses it. Mary is also the refuge of fallen souls, of the
poor sinners; only she can heal them. When she is invoked, she bends over us
with open arms, he lifts us from the quagmire and holds us above the ignominies of the
world.

The apostle must be free from all sin; otherwise, he will not be the channel that makes
to reach the souls the grace of God. May our hearts be pure and transparent.
like a source!, says the legionary consecration. By living with Mary, the legionary
will better understand the evil of sin; because Mary has a great horror of sin, which has
pierced his heart like "a sword of pain."

Contact with María will give us a more delicate awareness of our shortcomings.
When a house is swept, the dust that remains is more visible, and it gets cleaned. Let's let in
Mary in our life and opening it to the Holy Spirit. This light will make us discover impurities.
suspected; she will give us the desire to keep our soul pure.

The union with Mary leads to the union with the Holy Spirit. He will make our lives live.
soul, like that of Jesus, for God alone.

So that I may be pure

in that one
that was made for you Immaculate!

93
 75. The Legion has above all the spirit of brotherhood

In everything related to the Legion service, members refer to each other as

they with the name of 'brother' and 'sister', as the early Christians did. This
It is not just a simple word here. Like everything decided by the Legion, it is something lived.
Legionaries are children of the same Father, who is God; they are so with the same title as the others.
Christians, certainly; but they want to live it intensely, like true children of Mary; thus
also their bonds of brotherhood will be much more vivid.

The Legion insists that these links should be increased. This will be more difficult for him than for
other movements, because it is not in favor of the foundation of specialized Praesidia,
besides the youth. The Legion wants its groups to bring together people of all races, from
all social classes; people whom the world would separate, but that only the
CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD will gather. Then, the contact is established on the plane of the
charity. Result: almost invariably, the Praesidia, whose members belong to everyone
The environments of society will make work more effective.

Such a fraternity, purely supernatural, is not evident; it will require an effort.

constant. This agreement is, however, indispensable, because without it, there is no work.
effective legionnaire. Furthermore, one of the duties of the President is to cultivate in his
The spirit of fraternity knows well that everything is lost when this spirit is absent.
It exists. The same will safeguard by witnessing the deepest affection to all members.
without exception.

Since the legionaries are humans, it is inevitable that reasons arise

disagreement and dispute. Be careful, envy rarely has little.
importance, as it ends up poisoning everything. Perhaps one will seek relief from this sorrow in
oblivion. This will be unworthy of a legionnaire, who must look towards complete triumph, that is to say, to
the transformation of this envy into Christian charity. The legionary sees Jesus in his
partners.

It would be preferable to suppress a Praesidium if harmony and charity are lacking in it. It will be a
stone of scandal; and without charity, apostolic irradiation in the world is not possible.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples:

if you have love for one another.
John 13:35

94
 Charity gives perfection to all virtues

Among its heavenly patrons, the Legion has chosen the Apostle Saint John. He was the
"disciple whom Jesus loved"; he was at the foot of the cross with Mary; he is the evangelist of the
charity and the priest who "welcomed Mary into his house".

The Most Holy Virgin was filled with charity to be worthy of conceiving Him who
It is the same charity. Your Legion must be distinguished by an intense charity; only
then it will bring charity to the world.

We have already abundantly spoken about the generous fervor that the legionary puts into his
work; of the fraternal love he has for his companions; of infinite patience and sweetness
that his love makes him have for everyone, even for those who apparently seem
deserve it less. All of this comes from charity.

This CHARITY must be TRUE. Vague feelings of human pity or of

Simple charity will not last. It is necessary that this charity comes from love of
God: the legionnaire sees and loves God in his neighbor, the legionnaire loves his neighbor for God and
for God.

This charity will be PERSONAL: for God, there are no two men alike; of the
in the same way that for a mother there are no two identical children. The legionnaire should not either.
treat men in series, one must strive to establish friendly relationships with each
one of those whom he visits. And proof that it is friendship is that he will not stop his visits.
Once I have obtained results. In short, this charity will be MARIANA. Therefore, it will be,
respectful and delicate, not harming souls, but opening them. The legionary will have for
All men of the heart of Mary; will have for them all kinds of delicacies, of charity.
that can only be expected from María.

The secret of all influence is love! Only it can truly win.

the hearts.

Above all this,

clothe yourselves with charity,
What is the bond of perfection.
(Col 3:14)

95
 CHAPTER XI: THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF THE LEGIONARY MUST
DEVELOP CONTINUOUSLY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MARÍA

The active legionary is a soul of prayer.

The Virgin Mary was poor; she had no one to help her; she did all the work alone.
his house and his family. However, he was a soul of prayer. The phrase from the Gospel that best...
Maria kept all these memories to herself, meditating on them in her
heart"; not only in the prescribed moments, but in the course of her work, María
he lived by faith, walked in the presence of God, and made his work a constant prayer.

An apostle must be a SOUL OF PRAYER. He wants to give God to others; he is

necessary, for It already possesses in superabundance. How will it live from God if it does not have a
deep life of prayer? The Apostles understood it well; they defined their mission like this:
As for us, we must pay attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.
strange, then, if the Legion, a movement that is both Marian and apostolic, grants the first place
to the prayer. Each meeting begins with the prayer and teaches that the same work is no more
The Legion has a branch of legionaries, the most numerous and such
see the most necessary, entirely devoted to prayer: these are the Members
Auxiliaries.

As for the active legionaries, they must already be uplifting Christians, that is, giving
to prayer and to the exercises of piety all the required time and even more. If the Legion
He imposes on them nothing more than the brief prayer of the Catena; however, he urges them to add the
Rosario and all the other sentences of the Tessera.

Much more, the Legion asks all its members to dedicate at least some
moments every day to meditation. And if the Legion invites to join the Brotherhood of
Rosario, it is because the practice of the rosary will naturally lead them to meditation.
Rosario, the legionaries will learn to live like Mary and with her, under the gaze of God.

Those who want to paint the things of Christ

must love and live with Christ.
(Friar Angelico)

96
 78. María helps her children to penetrate into the heart of the Holy Trinity

The saints insist on the need to make a distinction between the three Divine Persons.
and to grant each of them appropriate attention. We can ask for this
thanks to Mary, our mother, to whom was revealed for the first time on earth the
Trinidad.

In the Annunciation, the angel tells her: 'THE HOLY SPIRIT will come upon you, and the
the virtue of the Most High will cover you with its shadow, and for this reason the conceived child will be holy,
he will be called SON OF GOD.

Mary is the daughter of the Eternal Father, the first of the creatures, the closest to God.
God communicated her fertility so that she could bring the Son of God into the world.

Mary is the mother of the Son of God. It is not easy for us to evoke the relationship that exists between
a mother and her child. But, in this case, the union of the souls is more important. When
Jesus and Mary separated, their union continued.

When Jesus fulfilled his mission as Redeemer, he wanted to associate his mother so intimately.
to her who made her "Co-redemptrix" of mankind.

Mary is the temple of the Holy Spirit; even more, she is his wife. Through her, He has
produced his masterpiece: a God made man; through it, the Spirit has
generated the members of the mystical body; in short, it is by her that he distributes all the
Thank you. When she acts, it is also the Holy Spirit who acts; when it is rejected
Mary's intervention, the Holy Spirit is also rejected.

In heaven, with Mary, we will enjoy the blessed life of the Holy Trinity.
But in baptism we have already received the seed of that life. Mary will teach us to live.
how she will help us develop that seed.

Let us recite with Mary the great prayer of the 'Our Father.' Let us focus on things
of our Father, to return the prodigal children. Let us live with the Son, who sends us to
announce to all men the good news of salvation. Let us be filled with strength and of
love of the Holy Spirit, who wants to renew the hearts of men and the face of the earth.

Go therefore and teach all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
(Matt 28:19)

97
 The legionary frequently participates in the holy sacrifice of the mass.

The Legion does not impose on any of its members the obligation to attend mass.
during the week, as everyone's circumstances are different. But their request for
their souls and for their apostolate he asks them to participate often, every day if possible,
and that they receive the holy communion.

Why this insistence? The legionary wants to bring to each soul the graces of the
redemption. Now, it is at Calvary where Jesus has erased all our sins.

We were not personally present at Calvary; but Jesus has

instituted the holy sacrifice of the mass, so that Calvary may become present to every man.
The cross has no more value than the mass, for the cross and the mass are the same sacrifice. God.
He is eternal; God is everywhere; for Him there are no distances in time and space.

In the MASS, Jesus offers for us the same sacrifice; only the picture
the exterior and the way of offering it is different. The mass contains everything that Jesus
offered to the Father, and everything He achieved for men. If we want to fill ourselves with
thanks for the redemption, let's go to receive them at the fountain, participating in the sacrifice of the
mass.

At Calvary, Mary was beside the cross of Jesus. In each new missal, the offering
from El Salvador takes place under the same conditions; María is present in it. The union
From the heart with Mary must, therefore, be part of all good assistance to the Mass.

At Calvary, Mary offered the compassion of her grieving heart, united with death.
of his son. In the mass, let us offer all the works and sorrows of our life united to
sacrifice of Jesus. With Christ, we will also repair the sins of men.

When the legionaries move away from the altar, Mary will be with them and will give them a
participation and a role in the distribution of graces, will be poured out through them
the treasures of redemption upon each of the people they meet and for the
which ones work.

Every time you do this,

do it in my memory.
1 Corinthians 11:25

98
 The legionary always participates in the mass by receiving the holy communion.

Jesus came "so that we may have life (which is HIS LIFE) and possess it in
"abundance." How will we receive this LIFE? Let us listen to Jesus: "I am the living bread"
downloaded from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I will give him is
my flesh, LIFE of the world.

In each Mass, we hear Jesus repeating to us through the voice of his minister: 'Take and
Come, because: this is my body.” A legionary should not attend the holy mass without
to participate in it completely, receiving Jesus, present in the holy Eucharist. Saint Pius X
It goes even further: "I fervently desire that daily communion be spread by
all parts among the Christian people.

The legionary, therefore, has all the more need of it the more he wants.
to be an apostle devoted to his work. It is also St. Pius X who writes: "The Eucharist is the
the very source and the continuous inspiration of the Catholic Action." A legionary wants to be
always of service, to help and save their brethren; must want to be in continuous union
with Christ, who is the only savior of all men, and He will do it through this
sacramento that is called precisely the COMMUNION.

Here too, Maria sets an example for us. She spent her entire life in close union with Jesus.
At the foot of the cross, Mary deeply communed with the sufferings and love of her son.
After the ascension, I attended the mass of Saint John and received communion.

How will the legionary commune? Always in union with Mary. May his heart and hers...
Maria should be one! Let Maria act. Jesus will truly descend to the
heart of the legionnaire, where he will find all the love of his mother.

Let's make the sacred Eucharist an instrument of apostolate, bringing it to others.

Christians to commune more frequently. The Eucharist is Jesus; it is, therefore, the food of
mystical body. In all its members as in the head, it must also 'grow in
wisdom, in age and in grace before God and men.

If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man...

you will have no life in you.
(Jn 6, 53)

99
 The legionary has a deep love for the holy Church and remains united to its
pastors

The Legion lives from faith in God; it also wants to live from faith in the holy Church.
catholic.

The Legion is a movement of laypeople, founded and led by them; but it is for Action.
Catholic, as it collaborates with the hierarchy of the Church: Pope, bishops, and priests, for the
progress of the Church. The Legion asks its members to provide evidence, towards the pastors of
the Church, of a LOYALTY WITHOUT RESERVES and of an AFFECTIONATE OBEDIENCE.

The Legion will work in unbreakable union with its priests, under their guidance and with
absolute identity of interests between both. Pope Pius XI wrote about the Catholic Action:
It is a united, disciplined, coordinated body of all the Catholic forces, working
under the guidance of the bishops. It should be a large family of men, women,
young people, driven by the sole desire to take part in the ministry of the Church and to
to cooperate in the extension of Christ's kingdom over individuals, families, and society;
a peaceful army of apostles, eager to win souls for Christ and the Church
catholic.

But the Legion is also a Church, which is why it tries to develop all that is
catholic. He desires only that good be done, little matters by whom. Not only will he avoid
rather than harming other movements, it will be happy to help them and will rejoice
sincerely about your triumphs.

Also, one of the President's duties is to cultivate docility towards the

ecclesiastical authority, and good understanding with the other works and their members.

Currently, in order to better destroy the Church, its enemies want to separate the
faithful to their shepherds. The Legion will fight with all its might, and even to the death if necessary.
necessary to maintain the living and indispensable bond between the shepherds and the faithful flock;
because she knows well that without this comes ruin. The Legion aspires to be the bond of union between
the herd and the shepherds, allowing them to know and attend to all their sheep.

Saint Patrick was the great apostle of Ireland, the homeland of the Legion. He used to say to his
first Christians

As you are children of Christ,

they are also children of Rome.

100
 CHAPTER X: THE LEGION HAS DISTINCT MEMBERS, WHOSE
FUNCTIONS COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER, AND ALL OF THEM
THEY WORK FOR THE GROWTH OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

The priest is the soul of the Praesidium

In the Legion, the priest is the Spiritual Director. His role is very important. Without
embargo, add the Manual, he will take care not to assume the rights of the president, this
it would greatly harm the Praesidium.

What is, then, the true role of the priest? The Legion judges its success,
only according to the development of the supernatural qualities of its members and according to the
application when putting them into practice in the apostolate. The Spiritual Director is, therefore, the great
resort of the Praesidium, since it is he who is responsible for inspiring these qualities in the
legionaries. As Pope Pius XI, founder of Catholic Action, said: 'The priest must
be the soul of the association, the promoter of good initiatives, the source of zeal, the
educator of souls.

Restricting the role of the priest to the short five-minute address is not
having understood that he is, above all, an EDUCATOR OF THE MILITANTS. Now
Well, an education is the work of many efforts, which is made with small touches.
successive. At all times, during the course of the meeting, the priest will intervene briefly.
Especially when it comes to work, it will tend to extend the supernatural vision of the
members and to elevate their spiritual level. He will not hesitate to demand a lot from them, to propose
activities that require true heroism from them.

Pope Pius X declared: "The most necessary thing in every parish is that there exists a
group of virtuous, educated, determined, intrepid laypeople, true apostles.
The praesidium responds to this need; but just as Jesus trained his apostles, during the
three years of life in common with them, it is the priest's responsibility to also train his
legionnaires.

This is written in Africa, where priests are still very few.

They can rarely attend the Praesidia meeting. It is then the President who
you should visit your priest. He will talk to you about the matters of the Praesidium, of its legionaries, of the
work undertaken in the neighborhood, the difficulties encountered, etc... Thus, thanks to the
officials, the indispensable influence of the Spiritual Director may be exercised over the
Protection.

He who listens to you,

I am being listened to;
he who despises you,
he/she despises me.
(Luke 10:16)

101
 A Praesidium does not work well without a great President

As its name indicates, it is the president who leads the Praesidium; but, before
to be a model legionnaire. He must demonstrate a high ideal to his legionnaires.
spirituality and zeal. Thus, his appointment, by the Curia, must be subject to
mature reflection. One should not choose until after having examined all the
possible candidates. It is pointless to say that a President must fulfill their legions of work.
like everyone else and that must be "cultured."

The Manual adds: The Curia that reorganizes a defective Praesidium must change.
to the President. In most cases, the decline depends on negligence or
the President's ineptitude to govern.

Now then, in what ways can a Praesidium be defective?

1st If its members do not understand each other. This should be impossible in people who are
They call each other "brothers" and "sisters." Undoubtedly, the President has not repeated to them what...
sufficient that the legionary must owe and serve the person of our Lord in his
companions. If faith decreases, mutual respect also decreases and harmony disappears.
fraternal.

2nd If its members frequently miss the meeting. Why does this happen? The same
The president arrives late..., the room is not prepared..., the meeting is poorly directed and uninteresting.
because the President has prepared it poorly...; the Vice President does not make a fraternal visit to the
absent legionnaires..., the Praesidium keeps, as legionnaires, people who are not
aptos..., etc.

3rd If the work is poorly organized or poorly distributed. We have already talked about it.

If a President realizes that his Praesidium falls into negligence or loses its
spirit, consult directly with the officials of the Curia. If they deemed it appropriate
resignation from the position, he will humbly accept his resignation, sure of achieving more
abundant blessings.

You know that the kings of the nations

they prevail over them...
but not so you,
but let the greatest among you be as the least
and the one who commands like the one who serves.
(Luke 22:25-26)

102
 84. The officials are, along with the President, responsible for the life of the Legion.

The Praesidium is the base group. It is led by its officers: President,

Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, not to forget the Spiritual Director. There should not exist
no Praesidium, and therefore, no Affiliation, without these four officers. It is like a
table or a chair: if it has a broken leg, it cannot stand upright.

Everyone must know and fulfill their own role well. The Curia appoints the
officials of the Praesidia; but the Legion does not want them to be elected at random. It is necessary
find them carefully and then instruct them in their duties before they are appointed.

The Officers must be good Christians and lead an uplifting life. That is to say, they must
be a radiant example, both in their personal and family life, as well as in their neighborhood and in their
profession. They are also model soldiers. They never miss the meeting and carry out at least two
legionary working hours each week. The fact of being Officers does not exempt them from anything; to
On the contrary, the most arduous and desperate jobs are reserved for them. They will provide some in the meeting.
particularly vivid reports that serve as models in their genre.

The Officers are, all four together, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PRAESIDIUM. With
too often, the other officials let the President do everything; it is a mistake.
Before being Vice President or Treasurer, one is above all an Officer of the Legion. They must therefore, for
its part, bear the burden of the entire Praesidium: the recruitment and training of the
legionnaires, lively development of the meeting, search and organization of work
apostolic that is to be carried out in the neighborhood, etc.

If the Officers falter, everything withers; if they lose their zeal and the
enthusiasm, the Praesidia will cool down to that same extent. It is necessary, then, that they be
the best that can be found. The appointment by the Curia of a series of good
Officials will certainly mean the constant improvement of the quality of the Praesidia.

Here are the four horses of fire

that pull the Lord's cart.

103
 85. The home of Nazareth is the model of the Praesidium

The home of Nazareth is the model for all meetings of the legionary councils.
but, above all, from the meeting of the Praesidium, which forms the heart of the system of
Legion.

It was a very small house, very poor, there were very few pieces of furniture. But María was a
good and active housewife; she took care of her house; everything was clean and in order. These humble
they formed the framework of his life; he loved them, he put all his heart into them, because
Jesus made use of them.

Look now at your Praesidium, examine its objects, see how the meeting is conducted.
If it does not collectively reflect the house of Nazareth, it is unlikely that the spirit of Nazareth
I live in this Praesidium. Now, without this spirit, the Praesidium is in a worse state.
than death. Why?

This small house was the cradle of redemption, the framework in which it was formed.
Savior of the world. The legionary sees and serves the person of our Lord in all his
companions; he does everything in union with Mary, his mother: Thus, he will strive to prepare the
meeting room, with the same care that María took; she will do it wholeheartedly, for it is
for Jesus, present in his brothers.

In the Praesidium, each element contributes to shaping the active member. It must be
to see reflected there what characterizes the holy house, as it should be seen in the legionnaire
the same a reflection of Jesus and Mary.

Each legionary officer must manage this little Nazareth, which is his
Praesidium, as a representative of our Lady. If all the details, for their perfection,
they test the mercy of a Praesidium, we can be sure that our Lord is there, with
that fullness that He Himself has promised. We know that from Jesus "there went out a power that the
He was healing everyone.” Then, the supernatural effectiveness of the works of this will have no limits.
Presidium.

It is necessary to do the small things

like the big ones,
because Jesus works in us
and Mary does it with us.

104
 86. The Praesidium lives from the spirit of Nazareth

The Praesidium is a wonderful mechanism; if each one and each thing is in its
Due to the place, the functioning will be perfect, and the Most Holy Virgin will be able to use this.
instrument to obtain the results you desire, and that will far exceed what
we could wait.

But it is necessary to go even further. There has never been a group on earth that is so
deeply united like Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. There God occupied the first place; each one
I lived under his gaze. And everyone had a single desire: to work on fulfilling God's plan, and
to do this, work with others.

The Savior came to earth to gather his scattered sheep. The Church prolongs its
This home in Nazareth, where they are so perfectly united, is the model of the Church.
The three, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, already lived this life of humanity saved, gathered and
completely oriented towards God. They prepared themselves for their role in the plan of
salvation.

In his neighborhood, the Praesidium is the grassroots community of the Church; it is fraternally
united around the Virgin Mary and focused on the fulfillment of God's plan; he is, therefore, the
Church, already established and working in the neighborhood. If the legionnaires experience their meeting this way, they will carry on.
the spirit of Nazareth outside.

The legionaries work in groups of two, and this work mainly consists of
during the visit to the homes. The legionaries will leave their Praesidium meeting, being
bearers of this grace. They will deposit in the visited family a living germ of this
return to God; they will cultivate this invisible germ during the course of successive visits. One day
it will undoubtedly come, in that this family, having also become an image of Nazareth,
he will return to the fold of Christ in the unity of the holy Church.

THE SPIRIT OF NAZARETH does not stop at the limits of the holy house of Judea,
no country, likewise, the spirit of the Praesidium will also know no borders.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem... How many times

I wanted to gather your children in my way.
that the hen
gathers her chickens under her wings!
(Mt 23, 37)

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 One only becomes a true active legionary through the promise.

Speaking of the Active Legionnaires, the Legion says: Every Praesidium, worthy of this
name, encompasses everything that is best in the parish (or neighborhood) from the point of
view of sky and skills. What is the entrance door of the Praesidium? It is the Promise.
Legionary.

Every true legionnaire must be eager to pronounce this Promise that binds him to
Mary forever and dedicates herself to the apostolate.

The Legion requires all candidates to have at least three months of trial. It is necessary that
get to know the Legion well, its prayers, its laws; be well trained for the work
apostolic, who has given serious proofs of fidelity and perseverance. All of this is not
achieve in one day.

The admitted candidate will be notified at least one week in advance, with the
In order to prepare to make the Promise with a small personal retreat. He/She will meditate.
especially the formula and the ideas of the Promise, in order for them to become familiar to him/her,
since they constitute the best summary of all the spiritual doctrine of which the legionary
must live.

For each legionary, the day of his Promise is what the Annunciation was for Mary; it is
the day when he puts all his life and all his strength at the service of the great work of redemption
of the world. It is also what Pentecost was for the Apostles; he surrenders to the Spirit
Saint, and he receives it even more, to become a true APOSTLE OF
JESUS CHRIST.

This Promise is not, certainly, a sacrament. It does not bind under sin. But not for
that is less important, as it represents the total donation of oneself to María. It is
a commitment to direct and virile apostolate, within the characteristics
specials of the Legion of Mary.

Pope Pius XII wrote to the Legion: "This promise, apostolic and Marian, has filled
to strengthen the legionaries in the fight they carry out for Christianity in the world
whole, especially those who suffer persecution for their faith.

I take my place
in the ranks of the Legion and
I dare to promise to be faithful in my service.

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 88. The Praetorians are select legionaries.

The Praetorians are now Active Members. They wish to give themselves completely.
possible to the Legion, and through it to the Church. They fulfill their obligations as Active Members,
but also those of the Auxiliaries, and even those of the priests.

The Praetorians, indeed, add prayer to their duties as Active Members.

daily of the rosary and of all the prayers of the Téssera, as the Auxiliaries do.
They also attend daily Mass and Communion, in addition to an OFFICE, approved by the
Church, a bit like the priests do.

The active work of the legionaries is a participation in the official apostolate of the
Church; the mass and the breviary will be the participation in his official prayer. The end of the degree of
Pretorian is to immerse, even more deeply, the legionaries in the collective life of
the Church, mystical body of Jesus Christ. For them, Christ will be the Christ who prays and the Christ who
save.

The priests can, evidently, become Praetorians; which is allowed to them.

I highly recommend them. The Legion will be proud to count them among its ranks. To them,
it will be enough to recite the legionary prayers every day. But it is necessary, without a doubt, that before
be members of the Legion for the Promise and to perform as actively as possible,
his role as Spiritual Director.

The legionaries who live in remote places will not be able to go to mass daily.
sean, at least, Pretorians at heart, fulfilling all they can of their duties. In
As for the others, let them commit willingly; let them not be held back by fear of
to believe that they could ever not participate in the mass.

Two observations to conclude: the Praetorian is also a select legionary in

humility. Therefore, nothing special to distinguish him; his rise to this higher degree is
a private commitment, almost secret; it does not involve any external ceremony. Moreover, if
Legionaries should be frequently urged to reach that degree, that will be, however,
a free and personal step for them.

To consecrate you
more deeply every day
everything we have
and everything we are.

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 89. The Legion loves and highly values its auxiliary members, and desires to possess them greatly.
number

I see a poor bird with broken wings. It crawls sadly on the ground; the
no minor obstacle stops him. If he had his two wings, he would joyfully rise to the sky.

The work of the Legion demands the courage and intelligence of Active Members; but
It also requires the prayer and holiness of the Auxiliaries. Why? The ultimate goal is the
conversion of souls and the salvation of the world. It is a 'superhuman', 'supernatural' work.
Without the strength of God, the devil is not defeated; there is no true result. Now then, this
divine strength is obtained through prayer and penance.

What wings are to the bird, what the holy Virgin was to the Apostles, the
They are auxiliaries for the Legion. And as Maria continues to pray for her Legion, one can
to say that the Auxiliaries especially prolong the prayer of Mary, who is the great
AUXILIARY OF THE CHURCH and of the Christians.

Therefore, one of the most important duties of the Praesidium is to stimulate and maintain
around her a numerous and solid body of Auxiliaries. Similarly, it is a duty
for each Active legionnaire to recruit Auxiliaries and be in relation with them. These
Auxiliaries are true legionaries; without them, the Praesidium is incomplete, who can
to be an Auxiliary? Of course, the priests, seminarians, brothers, and religious will be those
special assistants called 'Adjutors'. It is necessary to have them. But this degree of
Adjuncts also include laypersons: those who, like the Pretorians, ...
they also compromise the Mass and daily communion, as well as the recitation of the 'Office of the
Church.

In short, every Catholic who receives the sacraments and lives their Christian life well can
be also Auxiliary. Each Praesidium should have the task of attracting the auxiliary service to
all Catholics within your sphere of influence, especially those who cannot or do not
They want to be Active. What a beautiful Praesidium if it can count on all these Christians! All
the days will pray the rosary and all the prayers of the Legion in intention of
the Virgin Mary. A meeting every month will keep them informed about the work of the Legion and
it will spiritually form them; this will be like the "gratitude" of the Active Members to
his Auxiliary brothers.

This kind of demons is not cast out

but by prayer and fasting.
(Mt 17, 21)

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 90. The movement of the Patricians is encouraged by the Legion of Mary

The Patricians are not legionaries; but their group is organized and led by a
Praesidium. It allows for greater irradiation over the area. The Praesidium will be completed by the
Session president, as well as the small team that will assist both with the preparation and
the good progress of the meeting.

What is the purpose of the Patricians? To lead ordinary Christians to reflect,

together, about the great realities of their FAITH, in order to engage them in it and to
make them able to talk about her. Certainly, in their youth, they all learned, the
catechism; but many have forgotten it or only retain childhood memories. They do not live it;
they have not talked about it anymore and are unable to express themselves publicly about it
questions. Who knows if they know the true answers of the Church, regarding the serious
problems that the world faces?

The Patrician movement wants to be the remedy for this evil. It is open to all Catholics.
with good will, whether practitioners or not, even to the catechumens who are preparing for the
baptism. Obviously, not to the enemies of the Church, because it is not a conference.
contradictory. This movement does not impose obligations, nor special prayers, nor work.
apostolic, nor the regular attendance at the meetings.

These are held once a month; they group approximately 10 to 60 members.

Choose in advance, carefully, the topic: one of the problems posed in the Church.
Participants will be informed one week in advance by sending them a personal invitation; each
one will thus have the opportunity to reflect on the problem.

The meeting will be free and natural. There will be no speeches or grand conferences. After
from a small introductory exhibition, each one will contribute their part to the research in
Common, proceeding through fraternal discussion; the ideal is that the finding progresses slowly to
a little, thanks to everyone's effort. The priest, always present, will, at the end only, the
necessary clarifications.

Before being established, the Praesidium will request authorization from its Curia; and will make a
report of each meeting. It is necessary to be well informed before starting, because everything that
The Legion undertakes it like Mary, that is, with great care.

Lord Jesus, help us to know

our Catholic faith in such a way that
let their powerful truths be made
principle of activity in our lives.
Prayer of the patricians

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 CONCLUSION

God is love; God's plan in the world is a plan of love and unity.

In the beginning, there was God, who is love; His life; is love. But this love is that of a
Father; so, He gives eternal birth to the Son and the Spirit. It is perfect happiness.

God's love overflowed, He wanted to create man, and, as these men

they sinned, God wanted to save them. The Father sent His Son to the earth: it is Christmas, it is the
incarnation. The Father and the Son have sent the Spirit upon the earth: it is Pentecost, it is the
Church.

The Spirit and the Son send the Church, in order to save all men and return them.
to the Father in the eternal happiness of heaven. "As my Father has sent me, so I send you.
you all. Our role will be to lead all men to the true Church, body of
Christ, so that the Son can pay homage to the redeemed world to his Father.

Such is God's plan; it is a plan of love, and therefore, a plan of perfect unity.

1st The Legion wants its groups to already be a living example of this unity. Except
exceptions, is not in favor of the creation of specialized Praesidia in their recruitment.
He wishes, on the contrary, that no distinction of social rank or opinion is made.
politics, of nationality of race. He wishes that his ranks be recruited from representatives of
all classes and from all backgrounds, so that their groups are already the living model of
the union that must reign among men.

Before radiating outward, the legionaries must burn brightly with the love of God.
By this all will know that you are my disciples, Jesus said, if you love one another.
This already existed in what can be called the 'Praesidium' of the apostles and early
Christians. The Jews and the pagans, who saw them living, said to themselves; 'Look how they love one another!'
this only led them to become, in order to find Christ, who is always 'there where
"two or three are gathered in his name" and in his love.

This charity of the Legion will be manifested in the work done by its members.
"The world belongs to those who love it more and prove this love," said the holy Curé of
God is the one who sends us; it is, therefore, his love that we will carry to others and that he will know.
to touch her heart. For the Legion, no soul, no matter how lost it is, can remain
abandoned, because God is present in it and wants to save it.

This sublime charity of Christ must be realized in actions. Thus, more than
great demonstrations, the Legion would prefer a humble but very real gesture, made by
help the needy neighbor. No action, no matter how humble it may be, can be despised;
because it is done out of love, it contributes to the development of the body of Christ and each of its
members. María and her Legion will know how to coordinate these small actions so that everyone
work together in the realization of God's plan in the world.

3rd The Legion is not the only one acting. The whole Church works to achieve new
members, it is a world that must be restored in Christ. Alongside the Legion there are others
Many movements that are in action: General or specialized Catholic Action, the

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Christian Homes, Childhood Movement, first Brotherhoods, without forgetting all the good
isolated wills.
The Legion has the ambition to extend the work of Mary. Now, Mary is
Mother. A mother primarily wishes for unity and good understanding among all her children.
For its part, the Legion will seek to work in harmony and in collaboration with everyone.
apostolic movements.

But the Legion also wants to continue the humility of the Virgin Mary. That is why not
wants to be simply one more work alongside other works; aspires to be at the service of
everyone. Not only does she not want to criticize them or envy them, but she also wants to help them, and in one
totally selfless way. On the other hand, this fact is frequently observed: there
where the Legion is founded, the other movements, far from suffering damage, experience, through the
on the contrary, a new push.

Pope Pius XII, addressing Catholic Action, said: "Wherever you are
you find, for the cause of Christ and the Church, a sincere goodwill, whether in
your own ranks, even outside of Catholic Action, even if it presents itself in new forms
of apostleship, but in a healthy way, rejoice in it; do not prevent it; on the contrary, maintain a cordial
friendship with them and help them, whenever they wish and it is possible for you. The needs to the
the challenges the Church must face in the present hour are so numerous and urgent that it is
welcome every hand that offers its generous cooperation... "as long as Christ is
announced!”, said Saint Paul.

4th Like all Catholic action, the Legion of Mary belongs to the Church. For nothing of the
the world will want to separate itself from the hierarchy, divinely instituted by Christ: Pope, bishop,
priest. Towards everyone, he will give proof of unwavering fidelity and affectionate
obedience. He wants to work with the priests to fulfill this desire of Jesus: 'I have others
sheep that are not of this pen, and it is necessary that I bring them, and they will hear my voice, and there will be a
one flock and one Shepherd.

The legionary cannot be content with a mediocre and ordinary Christian life. The
Legion asks its candidates to lead an uplifting life, that is, one that is already capable, by their example and
its extension, to 'BUILD' the body of Christ, which is the holy Church. The Holy Spirit and
Mary, your faithful wife, will help us grow in this love of God that will drive us to save
our neighbor.

At the time of its foundation, the Legion said to Mary: 'Lead us'; now
he continues to tell him the same thing, for he does not want to deny him anything, even the impossible. He is
willing to go with María to the ends of the earth.

The Legion is aware of being a movement that delves very deeply into the
God's plan. Mary has been placed by God at the center of that plan. By her YES to the
annunciation, she became the mother of the Son of God. By her consent at the cross, she became a mother
of men. Through his prayer at Pentecost, he sent down the Holy Spirit and became
mother of the Church. Also through her, mother of divine grace, humanity will return.
rescued to God. From now on, everything is done through Mary and with Mary.

Through Mary, God has wanted to give men the Savior and all his graces.
It is also through Mary, by which God has wanted men to be conceived to His
divine life and destined for heaven. The Legion has placed Mary at the center of its life
and its activities. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, hand in hand with Mary, the Legion

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deliver with all your heart to the great enterprise of God: to renew the face of the earth and regenerate
all men in Christ Jesus.

The love of God

It has been poured into our hearts
by virtue of the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us.
(Romans 5:5)

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