The Writings and Spirituality of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort

God Alone: The Collected Writings of St. Louis Marie de Montfort by Montfort Publications

This book is a rare find. It is valuable especially for those who are into Marian and Montfortian spirituality, like the members of the Legion of Mary and other mandated Catholic organizations with a devotion to the Blessed Mother.

"God Alone"

Montfort's spiritual experience led him to acclaim the spiritual truth that God alone is necessary for one's relationship with the world, with the flesh, and to avoid the temptations of the evil. This is not far from St. Teresa of Avila's spiritual intuition of "Solo Dios Basta" - 'God alone suffices'. This spiritual intuition of Montfort developed all the more when Montfort had a problem in relationship with his bishop who ordered him to pull down his project of building a Calvary of statues for the people he was preaching a mission to in France.

In the acclamation of "God alone", Montfort was taught to live a more spiritual and contemplative life according to the radical spirit of the gospel. A radical spirit which demands a radical response of being "not of the world". This tradition has always given life to those who enter, live, or have lived as religious - a life of complete surrender to God and his will.

Montfort and his writings

Montfortian writings have influenced the Church a great deal, especially in relation to Marian devotion. The spirituality has influenced Frank Duff, who founded the Legion of Mary in Ireland. It has also influenced St. John Paul II, who read Montfort's 'True Devotion to Mary', and made the consecration to Christ-Wisdom through Mary with the promise of 'Totus Tuus' [I am all yours and all that I have is yours]. Totus Tuus is the consecratory formula used in consecrating oneself to God through the hands of Mary. The process of going through this consecration is akin to the Jesuit pattern of making the Scriptures part of the spiritual journey. (author's note: St. Louis-Marie had studied under the Jesuits)

List of Montfort's writings published in this collection

Given below is a list of Montfort's writings published in this collection. The writings published are complete and would be very good for those who already have some introductory knowledge of Montfort and his writings. Although it takes time to really understand Montfort's writings, as one gets familiar with the context of his spirituality, the reader will ultimately understand the deep spirituality that Montfort has developed out of his love for God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. His deep love for God and Mary is very well rooted in all his writings: from his personal letters, his books and sermons, and even in the constitutions which he composed for the three congregations that sprang from his spirituality: the Montfort Missionaries, the Daughters of Wisdom, and the Brothers of St. Gabriel.

• Letters
• The Love of Eternal Wisdom
• Letter to the Friends of the Cross
• The Secret of the Rosary
• Methods for Saying the Rosary
• The Secret of Mary
• True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin
• Prayer for Missionaries
• Rule of the Missionary Priests of the Company of Mary
• Letter to the Members of the Company
• The Wisdom Cross of Poitiers
• Original Rule of the Daughters of Wisdom
• Maxims and Lessons of Divine Wisdom
• Letter to the People of Montbernage
• The Rules
• The Covenant with God
• Saint Louis Marie de Montfort's Will
• Morning and Night Prayers
• Hymns
• Rules on Voluntary Poverty in the Early Church
• Four Short Meditations on the Religious Life
• Sermons
• Dispositions for a Happy Death

Wisdom in Montfortian spirituality

An important spiritual intuition of Montfort is his insight on Jesus as the Eternal Wisdom of God. This intuition has a basis in Scripture - especially in 1 Corinthians 1:23,

"but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength".

Montfort's basic spiritual intuition in his life and mission has this Scripture passage as his understanding that Jesus is the Eternal Wisdom of God who was incarnated in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and became man that we may be saved from our sins. It is this same intuition which led him to teach his followers that as Christ-Wisdom was incarnated the first time through Mary, so will Christ-Wisdom come again in the end times: through the Blessed Virgin Mary. And this is a mystery that cannot perceived as a specific time in the future, but which the Father in heaven alone knows.

The collected writings as a whole

This book would be of great value to those who have made their consecration to Jesus through Mary. For starters, reading the biography on Montfort and his letters are material enough to learn of Montfort's spirituality and his teaching. Those who want to deepen their spiritual life in the Catholic faith would find in this book a way of understanding their faith from the perspective of prayer, Marian devotion, consecration and mission.