Commentary on the Treatise on the True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin

7 Things You Should NEVER Do In Your Marian Devotion

St. Louis de Montfort warned...

"There are at this time, more than ever, false devotions to our Blessed Lady which is it easy to mistake for true ones.

"The devil, like a counterfeiter and a subtle and experienced deceiver, has already deceived and destroyed so many souls by a false devotion to the Blessed Virgin, that he makes a daily use of his diabolical experience to plunge many others by this same way into everlasting perdition" ("True Devotion to Mary", #90).

Then St. Louis briefly describes the seven kinds of false Marian devotions. The trouble is, he didn't go into as much detail as you would've hoped. He even admitted it.

"I have now said many things about the most holy Virgin; but I have many more to say, and there are infinitely more which I shall omit, whether from ignorance, inability, or want of time" (True Devotion, #111).

And Fr. Plessis confirmed this in the Preface...

"Now, the Treatise on the True Devotion condenses in one small volume a considerable sum of dogmatic truths and spiritual counsels. Several times, the author (St. Louis) shows his intention of only saying things briefly, and he avoids lingering over proofs. Benedict XV himself notes this character: If the book is of great authority and great unction, it is also "little by volume."

"Doctrinal density, included in a brief text! The same conciseness naturally calls for explanations. Otherwise, many readers will be confused, and will declare themselves incapable of enjoying the Montfortian spirituality."

That's why the Montfort Fathers had this to say...

"The "Commentary on the Treatise on the True Devotion" points out everything the reader must know or remember in order to penetrate completely the immortal masterpiece of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. It is an essential book for whoever desires to learn the Perfect Devotion."

Then... this book "furnishes to readers everything they must know in order to understand and taste the doctrine of Bl. Louis-Marie de Montfort."

On top of that, a letter to Fr. Plessis from the Vatican's Substitute Secretary of State, Giovanni Battista Montini (now known as Pope St. Paul VI), says this Commentary is "completely penetrated with the Marian piety which animated Bl. Grignion de Montfort."

St. Louis points out that this true devotion is "a mystery of grace unknown to even the wisest and most spiritual among Christians" (True Devotion, #21).

Now, imagine yourself experiencing what St. Louis promises when this Commentary reveals this mystery to you...

"Only experience can teach the wonders wrought by Mary, wonders so great that neither the wise nor the proud, nor even many of the devout can believe them" ("The Secret of Mary", #57).

I understand if you're on the fence. It's natural to have some fear about buying a book you may have never heard of.

But let's take a second to think about what might happen if you don't buy it, and don't discover this mystery of grace.

St. Louis said...

"It is true that we can attain to divine union by other roads, but it is by many more crosses and exceptional setbacks, and with many more difficulties, which we shall find it hard to overcome" (True Devotion, #152).

I'm not saying this to be harsh or cruel. I'm saying it because St. Louis says there's a cost to not knowing this mystery of grace.

I know you don't want to be one of the countless people who St. Louis says suffer more, or even worse, are plunged into everlasting perdition, which St. John describes as a "pool of fire, burning with brimstone" (Rev. 19:20), all because the devil deceived you by a false Marian devotion.

On the other hand, St. Louis said this true devotion "is a path trodden by Jesus Christ" (True Devotion, #168).

If your devotion to our Blessed Lady was exactly the same in six months, would you