Living the “Totus Tuus”
Totus tuus ego sum
et omnia mea Tua sunt.
Accipio te in mea omnia.
Praebe mihi cor Tuum, Maria.
I am all thine,
and all that I have is thine.
I receive thee into everything that is mine.
Give me thy Heart, O Mary.
About a fortnight ago, a bishop whom I hold in the highest esteem gave me a copy of Monsignor Stephen Rossetti’s book, Behold Your Mother, Priests Speak About Mary. The book contains the witnesses of ten priests on the presence and grace of the Blessed Virgin Mary in their lives. Monsignor Rossetti introduces and concludes the book. While I found something worth pondering in every chapter, I was most deeply moved by the one written by Monsignor Rossetti himself. He entitled it, She Will Crush His Head. Here are few excerpts from it:
On Spiritual Combat
“The battleground of the spirit is very real in all Christians: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt 26:41). But I believe that the spiritual battle is particularly important and waged with a special intensity in our priests. They are configured to Christ in a most unique way, and they are directly engaged in Jesus’ mission and ministry.”
Casting Out Evil
“It is no accident that prayers for casting out evil, including those in Church exorcisms, often mention the Virgin Mary and Michael the Archangel, and invoke Mary’s intercession with her Divine Son. The former priest-exorcist of Rome wrote: ‘The power of the Rosary and devotion to the Virgin Mary [in casting out evil] are well documented.”
Our Lady and Saint Michael
“It is important for us priests, who are so accustomed to helping others, to have the humility to ask for and to let ourselves receive help from others. A confessor and a spiritual director are important guides along the spiritual path. At times, a professional counselor or therapist may be needed when a difficult personal problem surfaces. And we perpetually and universally depend upon the maternal protection of Our Lady and St. Michael in our unseen struggle to walk in the way of goodness.”
A Constant Consolation
“Since the age of twelve, I have happily worn the Miraculous Medal of Our Lady. . . . I echo the motto of the great John Paul II, ‘Totus tuus.’ Most of all, I find her presence in my life to be a constant consolation. Gazing upon the loveliness of her radiantly holy face brings me much sweetness and peace of soul.”
She Sees the Face of Christ in Us
“I find it a consolation to know that Mary will remain with me, too, in these dark times. When she looks at us, she sees men who are configured to her Son, and thus she looks t us with a special tenderness and holy warmth. How could she not love us with a particular love when she sees the face of Christ in us?”
