(We post one of the Conference talks presented at the Philadelphia Senatus Malvern retreat by Father Killian.)
Rev. Anthony J. Killian October 26-28, 2018
Retreat for the Philadelphia Senatus, Legion of Mary
Malvern Retreat House
Fourth Conference
Having discussed the meaning of a promise, of our Baptismal Promises, of promises made in marriage and in sacred orders, we come now to the Legion Promise. It must be said that the Legion Promise lived well in no way detracts from either our Baptismal Promises (which could be said to embody the universal call to holiness) or the promises of our particular vocation (that of marriage or of Holy Orders). The call of service in the Legion of Mary derives from a grace so that Legion life complements, or we might say enhances, one’s particular vocation so that the first priority remains that one grows in holiness and, secondly, one is engaged in the lay apostolate under the guidance of ecclesial authority – usually the pastor of a parish.
Allow me an initial observation regarding the Legion Promise. It is a truly powerful and beautiful spiritual act. I am sure some of you have witnessed, as I have, how not only the member making the promise, but also the other members of the praesidium can be filled with emotion as it is recited.
The Promise is addressed to the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, who constantly animates the Legion of Mary, just as he is the soul of the Church. And the first paragraph expresses an acknowledgement of one’s spiritual poverty. For it says, “Yet knowing that of myself I cannot render worthy service, (I) Do ask of you to come upon me and fill me with yourself, So that my poor acts may be sustained by your power, and become an instrument of your mighty purposes.” And immediately we might think of the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3) The little, the humble, the childlike – that’s who we Legionaries are called to be. The Kingdom belongs to the childlike, to the poor in spirit. Therefore, for us humility is an essential quality. The Servant of God Frank Duff said that a Legionary must fulfill his work assignment, and I am thinking of home visitation in particular, with a humble spirit. Our Blessed Mother herself, and so many saints, won the Lord’s heart through humility.
Continuing on, the Promise next mentions our Blessed Mother Mary. Here we can see traces of the spirituality of St. Louis de Montfort which is so essential to the Legion. The text says, “without (Mary) we cannot know or love you; That it is by her, and to whom she pleases, when she pleases, and in the quantity and manner she pleases, That all your gifts and virtues and graces are administered.” This expresses in summary the Legion understanding of Mary as the Mediatrix of All Graces. For in the Handbook we read, “The Legion’s trust in Mary is limitless, knowing that by the ordinance of God, her power is without limit. All that he could give to Mary, he has given to her. All that she was capable of receiving she has received in plenitude. For us God has constituted her a special means of grace. Operating in union with her we approach him more effectively, and hence win grace more freely. Indeed we place ourselves in the very flood-tide of grace, for she is the spouse of the Holy Spirit: she is the channel of every grace which Jesus Christ has won. We receive nothing which we do not owe to a positive intervention on her part. She does not content herself with transmitting all: she obtains all for us. Penetrated with belief in this office of Mary, the Legion enjoins it as a special devotion for all its members.” (Handbook, chap. 5, no. 2) Mary’s role as mediatrix is not a passive one, simply a channel of God’s manifold grace. No, “she obtains all for us.” Like all mothers, she is solicitous for her children’s well-being. Our Blessed Mother is concerned for every member of the Church. We must never forget that Mary was designated Mother of the Church by her Son at the Cross.
No wonder that the promise continues, “And I realise that the secret of a perfect legionary service Consists in a complete union with her who is so completely united to you.” How are we to be completely united to Mary? The Promise points to an answer in the next paragraph, the third.
“So, (Holy Spirit) I stand before you as her soldier and her child, And I so declare my entire dependence on her. She is the mother of my soul. Her heart and mine are one, And from that single heart she speaks again those words of old:
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord”; And once again you come by her to do great things.” The power of the soldier derives from the humility of the child. We Legionaries are to rely completely on Mary’s support and her love in our lives. Indeed, this is true for all Catholics. And for us to be united to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that there is truly one heart, we must renew in ourselves Mary’s sentiments of absolute trust in God’s will expressed in her fiat, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord” and the words that followed, “May it be done to me according to your word.” Only childlike trust and the courageous acceptance of God’s will allow us to do great things for the Kingdom of God.
The next part of the Promise could be called the Great Invitation: “(Holy Spirit) Let your power overshadow me, and come into my soul with fire and love, And make it one with Mary’s love and Mary’s will to save the world; So that I may be pure in her who was made Immaculate by you; So that Christ my Lord may likewise grow in me through you; So that I with her, his Mother, may bring him to the world and to the souls who need him; So that they and I, the battle won, may reign with her for ever in the glory of the Blessed Trinity.” Note the boldness of this prayer. The Legionary asks the Holy Spirit to fill his soul with fire and love just like He did with Mary. The Holy Spirit is asked to enflame the Legionary’s soul with an ardent desire to take an active part in God’s work of salvation, “to save the world.” This is the essence of the apostolate – that every Catholic bear Christ to others. And who was the first to do that? Mary, who was called by the Church at the great Council of Ephesus Theotokos, the God-bearer, the Mother of God.
There is another indispensable virtue, in addition to humility, that the Promise mentions in this Great Invitation. We must not overlook it. That is, purity.
The Legionary asks the Holy Spirit, “that I may be pure in her who was made Immaculate by you; So that Christ my Lord may likewise grow in me through you.” Here we recall another Beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt 5:8 RSV) Purity of heart means more than avoiding sins of lust, as difficult as that can be in our age which is characterized by licentiousness. It means rooting out of our lives anything at variance with the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. Jesus used dramatic language regarding the work of perfection. “ If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.” (Matt 5:29-30) Therefore, let us heed the words of St. Paul VI who said, “Take care that you always remain in the state of grace.” Yes, let us in this retreat renew our resolution to seek the grace of holy purity.
Now comes the fifth and final paragraph of the Promise, which gives the commitments of the Legionary. Again, these commitments are premised on the Legionary’s confidence in God’s personal love for him. I wish to highlight the following part of the text: “I venture to promise a faithful service. I will submit fully to its discipline, Which binds me to my comrades, And shapes us to an army,
And keeps our line as on we march with Mary.”
First, there is the promise of faithful service. A Legionary must be faithful to the Legion way of life which is summarized in the Standing Instructions. These include the four key points: attending the weekly meeting, praying daily the Catena, performing weekly a substantial work, and maintaining confidentiality of matters discussed at the meeting or during Legion work. (cf. Handbook, chap. 18, no. 7) But Legion life is more than that. Every Legionary should have the desire to know the Handbook “backwards and forwards.” Every Legionary is called upon to read the Handbook. A Handbook study is an important aspect of the weekly meeting, and presidents should exhort members to be prepared to contribute to the discussion, and such preparation should take place before the meeting. Another help to faithful service is subscribing to Maria Legionis magazine. The excerpts of Frank Duff’s writings as well as the various articles deepen our understanding of the Legion ethos and inspire readers with a greater desire to spread the Gospel. If every member read Maria Legionis and took to heart the examples given, I am sure that praesidia everywhere would flourish.
Secondly, comes the commitment to “submit fully” to the Legion’s discipline. This is humility in action, and remember that humility wins the Lord’s heart. As we have already said, Legion discipline involves fidelity to the Standing Instructions. Legion discipline also involves a willingness to accept an assignment from the president and to be open to various works of the apostolate. Absent physical limitations, it is not in keeping with the Promise for an active member to insist that he or she does only one type of work. One must be open and available to assist in the works of the praesidium as a whole. It is helpful to keep in mind that, with very few exceptions, Legion work is done in pairs. Therefore, one is not alone. Presidents should give thought to pairing good mentors in the assignment of works. And Legionaries should look forward to experiencing the many different apostolates of the praesidium. Legion work brings with it many graces even when from a merely natural perspective it may appear to have been a failure.
One of the most consistent failures of Legion discipline is members not using a notebook while fulfilling an assignment! This must be corrected! Reports given without a notebook are inaccurate and therefore a shabby offering to one’s comrades not to mention the Blessed Mother.
The Promise mentions a binding of a Legionary to his comrades. Those of us who have been in the Legion for many years know this to be very true. There is a very special bond which exists among Legionaries. Reunions are occasions of intense joy as persons who may not see each other regularly get together for the December Reunion and the Acies. Members who have served in the higher councils remember one another, with affection and esteem, through the years. In the Arlington Regia, the annual Mass in memory of Br. Duff’s passing is a special opportunity for Legionaries across six jurisdictions to celebrate the Legion. Why is this so? Because Legion life is demanding. It requires discipline. All for the greatest of causes, for the Promise ends: “as on we march with Mary, To work your will, to operate your miracles of grace, Which will renew the face of the earth, And establish your reign, Most Holy Spirit, over all. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.”
In light of these reflections, each Legionary could consider: What is my attitude to Legion discipline? Am I living up to my commitments specified in the Standing Instructions? Do I readily take on new works? Am I supportive to new members? When asked to serve as an officer, do I give the invitation due consideration? Do I embrace Legion life wholeheartedly? If not, what is holding me back – or, what keeps me from doing so?