Book Review: The Spiritual Life- In the School of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2020
The Author and His Spiritual Father
In the spirit of the great Third Order Dominican's feast day on April 28th, I would like to publish this book review of 'The Spiritual Life-In the School of St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, by Father Antonin Lhoumeau (1852-1920). The author was the Chaplain and Superior-General of the Company of Mary and Daughters of Wisdom in France and this particular work was first published in 1904 in French. This English pressing is the first-ever and was published only this year, 2020 one hundred years after the author's death. Father Lhoumaeu was a scholar and disciple of Saint Louis and it is in this spirit of discipleship that this work was written. Who was Saint Louis de Montfort?
Saint Louis de Montfort was born in 1673 in Montfort-sur-Meu, a town in northwest France. He studied at the seminary at St. Sulpice where he received a Thomistic theological education and was ordained a priest in 1700. He was a notable missionary preacher but is now most famous for his Marian spiritual works, 'The Secret of Mary', and 'True Devotion to the Virgin'. He is also the most notable though not the first to promote Holy Slavery and total consecration to Our Lady as the best means to union with Christ. He inspired the progress of Marian theology and influenced other notable Marian saints such as St. Maximillian Kolbe. His love for study and the spirit of Saint Dominic led him to become a Third Order Dominican when he was 37 years old. Before he went on to his eternal reward on the 28th of April 1716, he founded three congregations, the Company of Mary, the Daughters of Wisdom, and the Brothers of Saint Gabriel. Pope Pius XII, canonized de Montfort on July 20, 1947.
Introduction
This book of Father Antonin Lhoumeau is not merely a commentary on St. Louis's famous works but is more of a dogmatic and spiritual exposition of the man St. Louis de Montfort. The book covers his Marian theology and spirituality as a whole and not individual works. The work profoundly seeks to remedy the danger of separatism which is still much alive in today's Catholic circles which erroneously separates morality and spirituality from dogma and doctrine. This is an enormous problem for us today where we constantly hear of the necessity of embracing Jesus in an "encounter" all the while denying the truths about Who it is we are to encounter. A true spiritual encounter with Christ must always embrace the dogmatic teachings of the one Whom we encounter, or we run the risk of demanding something from Jesus which He does not desire to give us!
How would you feel if you consistently told your spouse or good friend over and over about the things that offend you and the things that you enjoy and they instead insisted on telling you that they knew better as to those likes and dislikes? Imagine how Christ feels when Catholics constantly tell Him what He should like and dislike, all the while ignoring what He is telling us about Himself? Is that a true encounter of love, or an offense encounter of willful ignorance? Lhoumeau writes profoundly, "Ignorance is what proceeds from a systematic omission of dogma followed by the weakening of faith and Christian life in all forms; notwithstanding the exterior activity so salubrious to our customs and habits, so favorable to our works of zeal and charity." This book then is careful to not study dogma and doctrine for its own sake but for the sake of loving God in a more perfect manner by coming to understand what pleases Him and then implementing this in our lives.
This book is 368 pages including the short bibliography. Although easily digestible it is one of those books you will be underlining and going back to read later because it is so rich. For those who have always wanted to understand what it means to consecrate oneself to Jesus Christ through the hands of Mary, this book is for you! There is no other book I have read that explains this more clearly or in more detail. For many Catholic converts, it is difficult to understand what it means to be a 'Holy Slave to Mary'. How can she be the mediatrix of all graces? Is she Co-Redemptrix? To those coming from a Protestant background, Marian devotion can at first seem to be offputting or even idolatrous. This work, however, puts all of that apprehension to rest with sound theological argumentation. It then presents this theology in the context of the spiritual life. One thing I also really like about this book is the helpful footnotes that allow the reader to delve a bit deeper into the topics presented. Be sure to stop along the way and check them out.
Composition
This work reads with a Thomistic accent throughout and presents the spirituality of Louis de Montfort in a logical format. The author states, "The devotion outlined by St. Louis-Marie presents us with an end, a means, a process and effects that have a special character and constitute a distinct spirituality." What end does Louis de Montfort have in mind for us? Nothing other than union with God! By what means does de Montfort think best to reach this end? Quite simply the one who is closest to God, the Blessed Mother of God, Mary Most Holy. With this in mind, the book sets out to "...study in succession the end, the means, the practices and the application of the devotion to the Blessed Virgin."
Part I focuses on our intended end, union with God. The first chapter starts out with our end, Jesus Christ, true God, and true man. It is with Christ of course which we find the fount of grace and perfection. The author then rightfully focuses on the subject of Christ, grace, and the human soul. Lhoumeau carefully examines what it means to have union and spiritual growth in Christ and how we are to strive to attain this union with Him. This sets the tone for how we are to understand Our Lady's role in obtaining this union. The first part of the book spanning 80 pages focuses on these topics and closes with an entire chapter devoted to the meaning of Holy Slavery.
Part II of the book then delves into 'Our Means, Or The Union With Jesus Through Mary'. The author begins this second part by claiming, "The aim of our devotion is to live in perfect dependence on Christ so that He may live in us. The means we choose to establish our dependence and to form Jesus in us is Mary." This is where we get the theological saying, Ad Jesum per Mariam. From page 81 to page 145 the topics of Our Lady as Mother, Treasurer, and Dispenser of Grace, as well as her cooperation with the Holy Ghost and her Queenship are all covered in detail. For those who Catholics who have falsely claimed that St. Louis was too focused on Our Lady, this section refutes that notion.
Part III covers the specific devotion to the Blessed Virgin. She is viewed as the handmaid of the Lord who is prophesied in Genesis 3:15 as the Women who crushes the head of Satan in union with Christ. The theology of consecration is viewed as an interior exercise: to act through Mary, with Mary, in Mary, for Mary to reach our ultimate union with Christ. This third part spans from page 145 to 210.
Part IV going from pages 211 to 302 delves into the ascetic life and how to prepare for consecration to Mary. The twelve preliminary days and the three weeks following in regard to preparation are covered followed by practical observations in the spiritual life and our interior practices. This section truly gives one an inside look at de Montfort's idea of Marian consecration. The book follows the classic three stages of the spiritual life, the purgative way, the illuminative way, and the unitive way and how Our Lady helps us progress along the way to perfection. The author argues and proves that Louis's path to perfection is the easiest, shortest, most perfect, and secure path.
Part V is the final part of the book which goes from pages 303 to 359. This focuses on the life in union with Mary in actual spiritual practice after one's consecration. Prayer along with one's work are examined followed by an extremely enlightening focus on the Holy Eucharist. The final two chapters on Holy Communion and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass tie everything together. So often we as Catholics falsely view devotion to Our Lady as a separate optional devotion that we can take or leave at will. I have found that this mistaken mentality often comes from Catholic converts who are afraid to emphasize the immense importance of Our Lady in the spiritual life. The author wisely brings the work to a stunning conclusion by bringing Our Lady front and center into the source and summit of the spiritual life which is in her Son in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!
Summary
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. So far out of the twelve books I have finished in 2020, this has been the most enlightening and spiritually beneficial book I have read. This work is published at a time where it seems that Marian devotion is at an all-time low. Lately, I have read many "Catholic experts" on Twitter claiming that the Rosary and devotion to Our Lady are not a requirement for Catholics. Nothing can be further from the truth. Our Lady was chosen by God to bring Our Savior Jesus Christ into this world, to give Him flesh, and to participate in the salvation of mankind at an integral level. She is not only the Mother of God, but she is also Our Mother given to us by Christ Himself at the foot of the cross. We cannot have Christ without His mother! Lhoumeau writes, "Mary is not a barrier between Jesus and us, neither is she a screen filtering His light before the eye of our soul; rather, she is a means and a path to Him... A door unlocked is never an obstacle to crossing the threshold. It is the obvious and ordinary means of entry." This book has inspired me to grow even closer to Our Lady who has been so good to me! Although I was privileged to make my last consecration to Our Lady in Poland at Czestochowa in 2018, as a result of this book I will soon be beginning a more intense preparation for yet another consecration to her next month. Add this book to your library and put it to use! The month of Mary is upon us and there is no better time to grow closer to Our Lady so that we may love Jesus all the more.
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2020
The Author and His Spiritual Father
In the spirit of the great Third Order Dominican's feast day on April 28th, I would like to publish this book review of 'The Spiritual Life-In the School of St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, by Father Antonin Lhoumeau (1852-1920). The author was the Chaplain and Superior-General of the Company of Mary and Daughters of Wisdom in France and this particular work was first published in 1904 in French. This English pressing is the first-ever and was published only this year, 2020 one hundred years after the author's death. Father Lhoumaeu was a scholar and disciple of Saint Louis and it is in this spirit of discipleship that this work was written. Who was Saint Louis de Montfort?
Saint Louis de Montfort was born in 1673 in Montfort-sur-Meu, a town in northwest France. He studied at the seminary at St. Sulpice where he received a Thomistic theological education and was ordained a priest in 1700. He was a notable missionary preacher but is now most famous for his Marian spiritual works, 'The Secret of Mary', and 'True Devotion to the Virgin'. He is also the most notable though not the first to promote Holy Slavery and total consecration to Our Lady as the best means to union with Christ. He inspired the progress of Marian theology and influenced other notable Marian saints such as St. Maximillian Kolbe. His love for study and the spirit of Saint Dominic led him to become a Third Order Dominican when he was 37 years old. Before he went on to his eternal reward on the 28th of April 1716, he founded three congregations, the Company of Mary, the Daughters of Wisdom, and the Brothers of Saint Gabriel. Pope Pius XII, canonized de Montfort on July 20, 1947.
Introduction
This book of Father Antonin Lhoumeau is not merely a commentary on St. Louis's famous works but is more of a dogmatic and spiritual exposition of the man St. Louis de Montfort. The book covers his Marian theology and spirituality as a whole and not individual works. The work profoundly seeks to remedy the danger of separatism which is still much alive in today's Catholic circles which erroneously separates morality and spirituality from dogma and doctrine. This is an enormous problem for us today where we constantly hear of the necessity of embracing Jesus in an "encounter" all the while denying the truths about Who it is we are to encounter. A true spiritual encounter with Christ must always embrace the dogmatic teachings of the one Whom we encounter, or we run the risk of demanding something from Jesus which He does not desire to give us!
How would you feel if you consistently told your spouse or good friend over and over about the things that offend you and the things that you enjoy and they instead insisted on telling you that they knew better as to those likes and dislikes? Imagine how Christ feels when Catholics constantly tell Him what He should like and dislike, all the while ignoring what He is telling us about Himself? Is that a true encounter of love, or an offense encounter of willful ignorance? Lhoumeau writes profoundly, "Ignorance is what proceeds from a systematic omission of dogma followed by the weakening of faith and Christian life in all forms; notwithstanding the exterior activity so salubrious to our customs and habits, so favorable to our works of zeal and charity." This book then is careful to not study dogma and doctrine for its own sake but for the sake of loving God in a more perfect manner by coming to understand what pleases Him and then implementing this in our lives.
This book is 368 pages including the short bibliography. Although easily digestible it is one of those books you will be underlining and going back to read later because it is so rich. For those who have always wanted to understand what it means to consecrate oneself to Jesus Christ through the hands of Mary, this book is for you! There is no other book I have read that explains this more clearly or in more detail. For many Catholic converts, it is difficult to understand what it means to be a 'Holy Slave to Mary'. How can she be the mediatrix of all graces? Is she Co-Redemptrix? To those coming from a Protestant background, Marian devotion can at first seem to be offputting or even idolatrous. This work, however, puts all of that apprehension to rest with sound theological argumentation. It then presents this theology in the context of the spiritual life. One thing I also really like about this book is the helpful footnotes that allow the reader to delve a bit deeper into the topics presented. Be sure to stop along the way and check them out.
Composition
This work reads with a Thomistic accent throughout and presents the spirituality of Louis de Montfort in a logical format. The author states, "The devotion outlined by St. Louis-Marie presents us with an end, a means, a process and effects that have a special character and constitute a distinct spirituality." What end does Louis de Montfort have in mind for us? Nothing other than union with God! By what means does de Montfort think best to reach this end? Quite simply the one who is closest to God, the Blessed Mother of God, Mary Most Holy. With this in mind, the book sets out to "...study in succession the end, the means, the practices and the application of the devotion to the Blessed Virgin."
Part I focuses on our intended end, union with God. The first chapter starts out with our end, Jesus Christ, true God, and true man. It is with Christ of course which we find the fount of grace and perfection. The author then rightfully focuses on the subject of Christ, grace, and the human soul. Lhoumeau carefully examines what it means to have union and spiritual growth in Christ and how we are to strive to attain this union with Him. This sets the tone for how we are to understand Our Lady's role in obtaining this union. The first part of the book spanning 80 pages focuses on these topics and closes with an entire chapter devoted to the meaning of Holy Slavery.
Part II of the book then delves into 'Our Means, Or The Union With Jesus Through Mary'. The author begins this second part by claiming, "The aim of our devotion is to live in perfect dependence on Christ so that He may live in us. The means we choose to establish our dependence and to form Jesus in us is Mary." This is where we get the theological saying, Ad Jesum per Mariam. From page 81 to page 145 the topics of Our Lady as Mother, Treasurer, and Dispenser of Grace, as well as her cooperation with the Holy Ghost and her Queenship are all covered in detail. For those who Catholics who have falsely claimed that St. Louis was too focused on Our Lady, this section refutes that notion.
Part III covers the specific devotion to the Blessed Virgin. She is viewed as the handmaid of the Lord who is prophesied in Genesis 3:15 as the Women who crushes the head of Satan in union with Christ. The theology of consecration is viewed as an interior exercise: to act through Mary, with Mary, in Mary, for Mary to reach our ultimate union with Christ. This third part spans from page 145 to 210.
Part IV going from pages 211 to 302 delves into the ascetic life and how to prepare for consecration to Mary. The twelve preliminary days and the three weeks following in regard to preparation are covered followed by practical observations in the spiritual life and our interior practices. This section truly gives one an inside look at de Montfort's idea of Marian consecration. The book follows the classic three stages of the spiritual life, the purgative way, the illuminative way, and the unitive way and how Our Lady helps us progress along the way to perfection. The author argues and proves that Louis's path to perfection is the easiest, shortest, most perfect, and secure path.
Part V is the final part of the book which goes from pages 303 to 359. This focuses on the life in union with Mary in actual spiritual practice after one's consecration. Prayer along with one's work are examined followed by an extremely enlightening focus on the Holy Eucharist. The final two chapters on Holy Communion and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass tie everything together. So often we as Catholics falsely view devotion to Our Lady as a separate optional devotion that we can take or leave at will. I have found that this mistaken mentality often comes from Catholic converts who are afraid to emphasize the immense importance of Our Lady in the spiritual life. The author wisely brings the work to a stunning conclusion by bringing Our Lady front and center into the source and summit of the spiritual life which is in her Son in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!
Summary
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. So far out of the twelve books I have finished in 2020, this has been the most enlightening and spiritually beneficial book I have read. This work is published at a time where it seems that Marian devotion is at an all-time low. Lately, I have read many "Catholic experts" on Twitter claiming that the Rosary and devotion to Our Lady are not a requirement for Catholics. Nothing can be further from the truth. Our Lady was chosen by God to bring Our Savior Jesus Christ into this world, to give Him flesh, and to participate in the salvation of mankind at an integral level. She is not only the Mother of God, but she is also Our Mother given to us by Christ Himself at the foot of the cross. We cannot have Christ without His mother! Lhoumeau writes, "Mary is not a barrier between Jesus and us, neither is she a screen filtering His light before the eye of our soul; rather, she is a means and a path to Him... A door unlocked is never an obstacle to crossing the threshold. It is the obvious and ordinary means of entry." This book has inspired me to grow even closer to Our Lady who has been so good to me! Although I was privileged to make my last consecration to Our Lady in Poland at Czestochowa in 2018, as a result of this book I will soon be beginning a more intense preparation for yet another consecration to her next month. Add this book to your library and put it to use! The month of Mary is upon us and there is no better time to grow closer to Our Lady so that we may love Jesus all the more.
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