I just found out about this book review. This is a book that absolutely pertains to consoling Mary. I know, because I wrote the book. Fr. Donald Calloway wrote a review on the back cover, as did Rachel Fulton Brown and others. Anyway, read the review--it's objective, I had nothing to do with it and found it by accident. Thanks Deacon Marty McIndoe!

Get Mary: The Rosary, the Relationship, and Dragons here! 

What people are saying:

“If you feel, as many of our contemporaries do, that the Rosary is an antiquated form of prayer that has no place in this digital age… read Mr. Berube’s book; you will probably discover that you never really understood the Rosary at its deepest, interpersonal level. Berube penetrates the mystery of the Rosary in a personal, phenomenological way that I have never seen done before. In essence, he has, single-handedly, renewed the Rosary for our times! If, in this new year, you would like to read a book dealing with Our Blessed Lady or her Holy Rosary, you need look no further… you have already found it; this is the book!” — Fr. Lawrence Edward Tucker, SOLT, author of Adventures in the Father’s Joy, The Prayer of Jesus Crucified, To Whom the Heart Decided to Love, and The Redemption of San Isidro

“Meet the real lady of the dragons, and learn to serve her as knight and friend. Keith Berube invites lovers of Mary to join him on a fairy-tale quest for the rosary as spiritual sword and shield of prayer. His loving portrait of Mary will transform your understanding of what it means to say, ‘Hail, Mary, full of grace.'” — Rachel Fulton Brown, author of Mary and the Art of Prayer: The Hours of the Virgin in Medieval Christian Life and Thought

“Mary: The Rosary, the Relationship, and Dragons is a singular work, a timely and timeless invitation into the divine splendor that is the living mystery of Our Lady the Mother of God, the gracefully gentle girl to whom our souls leap, the Mediatrix of all graces and the crusher of all demons. Keith Berube reminds us with remarkable wisdom, humbling love and clarifying grace that Christ is the fruit of Her womb, but let us not forget that the harvest is always present within and through Her! We are living in the midst of a spiritual battle so prevalent, so concretized in hearts, minds and bodies, that it is no longer even seen as battle. This essential read dramatically unlocks that fragrant armory, the Rosary, our greatest defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil because it offers genuine solace and true joy. Mary casts her sanctifying protection with the enduring ardor of a Mother and with the dramatic power of a scythe against the chaff. To reveal this essential mystery enveloped in intelligibilizing beauty, historical acumen and an engaging voice is no small task. It is flawlessly perfected in this work of art and faith. Professor Berube’s book will continue to transform hearts and minds. How could it not—since it is most certainly a living gift from Mary’s own heart.” –Professor Caitlin Smith Gilson, PhD, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Holy Cross in New Orleans. Author of The Metaphysical Presuppositions of Being in the World, The Philosophical Question of Christ, The Political Dialogue of Nature and Grace and Immediacy & Meaning: J.K. Huysmans and the Immemorial Origin of Metaphysics.

“In this inspired work, author Keith Berube offers penetrating insights into the mystery of Mary, the intimacy of life that all are called to share with her, and how the Rosary is the most sublime and efficacious means to this end – a Mariological tour de force.” –Jayson Brunelle, Author, Consecration to Jesus Christ, Through Mary and Joseph and The Blessed Mother’s Plan to Save Humanity: Marian Revelations and Necessity of Total Consecration

“Our Lady, the Rosary, swords, and dragons!  What’s not to like about this book! Keith Berube’s insights into the rosary are so profound that you will be hard pressed to find another book on the rosary quite like it. His message is personal, chivalrous, and contagious! Ultimately, it’s a love story about a snow-white princess who longs to hear your voice and be consoled by the mystical roses you lay at her feet.” –-Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, Author, Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon 

A few days ago, Fr. Ed Broom wrote an article entitled "How to Conquer Spiritual Blindness". The third thing is super common these days, and scary not only in it's ubiquity, but in the fact that it is demonic, a demonic attachment. He writes:

"Without a doubt one of the chief causes of modern spiritual blindness is a rapidly increasing viewing and addiction to pornography. One of the principal reasons is the ease of access to pornography. A half a decade ago, porn was available mostly through magazines. However, no matter where one turns, today he is literally bombarded with impure images : T.V. programs and commercials, Cable, Movies, Magazines, Newspaper advertisements, and most especially the easy access to Internet—the sources never end! 

 

It is like an avalanche that has started and in full force. There is barely anything in the world that militates more fiercely against growth in the spiritual life then giving in to impurity.  

St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, asserts that impurity causes spiritual blindness and leads even to hating God. Many will reject God, the Church, the reception of the Sacraments because they have become addicts—to one of the tentacles of the ugly octopus of impurity, especially internet porn! 

 

May God save us, heal us and restore our sight!"

The solution? Scripture, the Eucharist, and Mary! No one will conquer this third reason for spiritual blindness (or avoid it) without her. Console Mary by helping her free men, her men, each fellow is a unique "St. Joseph" to her, by bringing them to her. A man NEEDS Mary, every man is made by God to be one with Mary in a special way, a complementary way! And he will only be happy with her. Without her, addiction to lust, lack of grace, a weakened manhood, destruction of self, marriage, and family. 

 

https://www.hprweb.com/2019/05/a-mans-relationship-with-the-girl-who-ravished-the-eyes-of-god-himself/

If people would "address the Immaculata at least once a day with the following invocation imprinted on the Miraculous Medal: 'O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee,' also adding: 'and for those who do not have recourse to thee, especially the Freemasons and those who have been recommended to thee.' In this way, with this brief prayer, they embrace all the other members and all other souls scattered throughout the world." 

--St. Maximilian Kolbe

This is one of the best descriptions of what happens during the Rosary, and praying for someone, I have read (not the full picture, but just a wonderful aspect of the whole):

"When you pray the Rosary for someone,
Mary places that person between you
and her.

As soon as you start, you radiate currents
of love to Mary. She instantaneously re-
sponds, by sending currents of her love
to you.

Currents of love simultaneously radiate
from the both of you, and the person for
whom you are praying gets caught in the
crossfire of your love. If that person is
like a wilted plant, the currents will prop
that person upward..."

"The Crossfire of Love" by Patrick Pontillo

"Pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to make sacrifices for them."

When we do this, Mary uses what we give her to save souls--that is, to make them hers, to make them her children, uniting them to Christ and transforming souls into him, they live his life. Thus when we give Mary our prayers and sacrifices, we are giving her a tremendous gift that makes her happy beyond measure: She becomes a Mother again, souls that were lost become her children! That's amazing, that we can make this happen, that God wants us to do this, to cooperate with the Queen of Heaven in saving souls. Staggeringly amazing how happy we can make God and Our Lady and so many souls, eternally! And it just steals Mary's Heart away, a person wins her Heart giving her such gifts as priceless souls.

Someone to save from Hell

Someone to pray for: Nikolas Cruz, the young fellow who killed 17 students. I have the distinct feeling--which I had when I first heard of all this--that, of course he is obviously a very wounded person, but also one, who after committing murder, realized what he did was heinous, and that the good God wants him very much to be saved. Mary said to pray and sacrifice to save people such as him. St. Therese prayed for the murderer Pranzini and obtained his conversion. Let us pray for the conversion of Nikolas Cruz, that he not end up in Hell.

Some heartbreaking excerpts from his interrogation--imagine if this were your 19 year old son:

"When asked by Curcio early in the interview whether he wanted water, he said: 'I don’t deserve it.'"

"At one point, when Curcio left the room, the suspect — apparently alone — is recorded saying, 'I want to die.'"

"When Curcio leaves the room at another moment, the suspected attacker repeats over and over: 'Why didn’t he kill me? Why didn’t he kill me? Why didn’t he kill me?'"

O Mary, you can do anything! Remove this fellow from the power of the devil, grant him the grace of true contrition and final perseverance. Deprive the devil of the young man he thinks he has won. Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary...

From Melanie, one of the children who saw Our Lady at La Salette:

The Most Holy Virgin was tall and well-proportioned. She seemed so light that a mere breath could have stirred Her, yet She was motionless and perfectly balanced. Her face was majestic, imposing, but not imposing in the manner of the Lords here below. She compelled a respectful fear. At the same time as Her Majesty compelled respect mingled with love, She drew me to Her. Her gaze was soft and penetrating. Her eyes seemed to speak to mine, but the conversation came out of a deep and vivid feeling of love for this ravishing beauty who was liquefying me. The softness of Her gaze, Her air of incomprehensible goodness made me understand and feel that she was drawing me to Her and wanted to give Herself. It was an expression of love which cannot be expressed with the tongue of the flesh, nor with the letters of the alphabet.

The Holy Virgin was crying nearly the whole time she was speaking to me. Her tears flowed gently, one by one, down to her knees, then, like sparks of light, they disappeared. They were glittering and full of love. I would have liked to comfort Her and stop Her tears. But it seemed to me that She needed the tears to show better Her love forgotten by men. I would have liked to throw myself into Her arms and say to Her:

“My kind Mother, do not cry! I want to love you for all men on earth.” But she seemed to be saying to me:

“There are so many who know me not!”

I was in between life and death, and on one side, I saw so much desire by this Mother to be loved, and on another side, so much cold and indifference... Oh! My Mother, most beautiful and lovable Mother, my love, heart of my heart!

The tears of our sweet Mother, far from lessening her air of majesty, of a Queen and a Mistress, seemed, on the contrary, to embellish Her, to make Her more beautiful, more powerful, more filled with love, more maternal, more ravishing, and I could have wiped away Her tears which made my heart leap with compassion and love.

From Blessed Elena Aiello, who receieved many messages from Mary through the 1960's. This one is from Good Friday, 1950, and speaks to the reason for this private association of the Catholic faithful:

“The Madonna then came closer, and with a sad expression, showed me the flames of Hell. She said:” ‘Satan reigns and triumphs on earth! See how the souls are falling into Hell. See how high the flames are, and the souls who fall into them like flakes of snow, looking like transparent embers! How many sparks! How many cries of hate, and of despair! How much pain!’

‘See how many priestly souls! Look at the sign of their consecration in their transparent hands! (In the palms of their hands the sign of the cross, in more vivid fire, could clearly be seen!) What torture, my daughter, in my maternal Heart! Great is my sorrow to see that men do not change! The justice of the Father requires reparation — otherwise many will be lost!’

“See how Russia will burn!” Before my eyes there extended an immense field covered with flames and smoke, in which souls were submerged as if in a sea of fire.

“And all this fire,” concluded the Madonna, “is not that which will fall from the hands of men, but will be hurled directly from the Angels (at the time of the great chastisement or purification that will come upon the earth). Therefore I ask prayers, penance and sacrifice, so I may act as Mediatrix for my Son in order to save souls.”

"The Hail Marys that you pray with faith and love are like golden arrows that go straight to the heart of Jesus...Pray much and recite the Rosary for the conversion of sinners, of unbelievers and of all Christians.”

--Our Lady of Revelation, Apparition to Bruno Cornacchiola at Tre Fontane

Amazing Eucharistic considerations:

1) Jesus is physically present in his body, blood, bones. His soul is there. His divinity is there.
2) St. John Vianney, and others, teach that a Catholic receiving Holy Communion is transformed into the flesh and blood and bone of Jesus--yes, your flesh and blood are transformed into his. Would you see this change under a microscope? No, but it is in fact more real than the merely biological. Your body now and your glorified body in Heaven will be flesh of his flesh.
3) Jesus' flesh, bones, blood is all from Mary, only Mary. If his flesh and bones and blood is yours now...you too are one in flesh with Mary. You can say--and should often say to yourself--you are the very flesh of Mary. That's how close you are you and she are...
4)..and not only that, your soul and Jesus' are united...and Jesus' soul and Mary's soul are utterly united. Which means your soul and Mary's are united as one too.
5) Jesus' Heart and yours become one...Jesus' Heart and Mary's are, yes, one...so then your heart becomes one with Mary's Heart.

All of this happens in Holy Communion. Three hearts become one, three souls become one, and as you are made into Christ you and Mary are one, and all of one flesh--Mary's: Living Jesus' life is not merely imitation--it is an ontological change, a change in your very being--you become Christ, so much so that as you and Jesus are but one Christ, you and Mary are one, you really live Jesus' life--a true child of the Father and of Mary.

Knowing this...what difference does it make in our lives?

And priests and deacons--why do I never hear any of this in homilies?

Does this have to do with consoling Mary? Yes! She is simply overflowing with joy when you are transformed into Christ, and Christ is consoled too because he is able to love and console her through you. You cannot make them happier than by a worthily received (i.e. one is not conscious of mortal sin) Holy Communion! And you cannot be closer to them in this life. Astonishing. 

If people knew the truth of this, that fairytales are based on a real, divine fairytale...they would be knocking the doors down to become Catholic.

Feast of St. Joseph

Consoling Mary at the Cross

An amazing thing to consider, during Lent and throughout the year. This is from an amazing article on the knowledge of Mary and the Sacrifice of Jesus by Fr. Bertrand de Margerie:

"Mary also knew, through her infused knowledge, our effective reparations toward her and was consoled by them."

Yes, you read that right--Mary at the Cross saw the reparations, prayers and penances that we offer her now and she is not only consoled now by these, she was consoled at the foot of the Cross by them! You are consoling Mary at the foot of the Cross when you console her now. Ponder that for a while...you console her at the Cross.

And the author goes on to write this:

"These spiritual consequences encourage us to become ever more the consolers of Mary Coredemptrix, that is, to let Christ crucified console her through us."

That brings us to another point:

It's really a false notion, the way it's phrased, to say when we go to Mary she betrays us to Christ--that would mean her charming us to her is a lie, a deceit--rather, she charms us to her in all truth--when we come to her she transforms us into Christ, but then transformed into Christ who do we love more than anyone after God? Mary. In whose arms do we find ourselves, more and more the more we are transformed into Christ? Mary's. So by transforming us into Christ, not only do we become More Christ's and more Christ, we become more and more Mary's at the same time. She wants us to be one with Christ and to be be one with her. Kolbe said this too--we don't go from one to the other (Mary to Jesus or Jesus to Mary), we go "with one to the other."

The more you are one with Jesus, the more you love and are in union with Mary, and when you console her now (a desire and ability Jesus gives to a person through the Holy Spirit), you console her at the Cross--not in imagination, in actual fact.

#consolemary #consolatiomariae

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord!" She is the "world's first love," said Fulton Sheen. And our love, like hers, is shown in sacrifice...what can we give up to console her, to save souls with her, that's the question, and to become more like Christ? She doesn't want chocolate on Valentine's Day...she wants hearts!

"Shall I weep in vain? Assuage the sorrow of my Heart over the ingratitude of sinful men by the love and chasteness of your lives. Will you do this for me, beloved children -- or will you allow your Mother to weep in vain?" 

-Our Lady of America

"So numerous are the souls which the justice of God condemns for sins committed against Me, that I come to ask for reparation. Sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray." 

Mary to Sr. Lucia, Tuy, 1929

“Everywhere in the world where my messages have been given, it would seem that one preached in the cemeteries. The response which the Lord expected was not there..."

“The Holy Rosary is the weapon which the enemy fears. It is also the refuge of those who look for relief for the sufferings, and it is the door to enter into my heart."

Interestingly, Mary also here says, "The prince of evil spills today his poison with all the forces, because he sees that he is concluding his sad reign. He has little left, his end is near" and "The coming of the Savior is imminent...”

--From approved apparitions at San Nicolas, Argentia.

(http://www.ncregister.com/blog/joseph-pronechen/its-official-major-apparitions-of-mary-are-approved)

Other approved apparitions have also mentioned the Jesus' return. We don't know when, but that approved apparitions speak of this is obviously of tremendous importance. How much time is left to help Mary save souls? We don't know, but for whoever is going to die today, their time is about up, and the time to help save them by prayer and sacrifice is now, not later.

Jesus Longs for Us to Console Mary

Jesus desires that each person console Mary. And of course he would! Do we not share his divine life? Do we not have his Heart as our own? We, too, should long to console Mary, who is the Beloved of each soul alive with Jesus' life...

"On December 10th, 1925, the most holy Virgin appeared to her, and by her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was a child. The most holy Virgin rested her hand on her shoulder, and as she did so, she showed her a heart encircled by thorns, which she was holding in her other hand. At the same time, the Child said:

'Have compassion on the Heart of your most Holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them.'”

From Fatima in Lucia’s own words, Vol. I, ed. by Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD., Postulation Centre, Fatima, Portugal, 9th edition, 1995, p. 231.

Insignia Blessed

Yesterday, the day after the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary-Our Lady of Victory, but still the weekend of the feast, our pastor at the Dominican parish we attend blessed the Consolatio Mariae insignia, specifically the one on the first item to bear the insignia. It was a beautiful blessing that the insignia and the association would lead many hearts to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

Interestingly, having the insignia blessed at this time was not deliberate. I had been looking to have it blessed as soon as the shirt came in the mail, but it wasn't working out during the week (I go to daily Mass at a different and closer parish). I figured it would be best anyway to ask our pastor to bless it, since he knows about and has encouraged the association. In fact I asked, earlier in the week, my Guardian Angel to arrange, somehow, for the pastor specifically to bless the insignia on the coming Sunday. I wasn't sure I would see him on Sunday, and three other priests were at the Mass we went to, the pastor no where in sight. They say different Masses at different times of course. After Mass I saw no priests at all whom I could ask to bless the insignia. But I figured I would try outside in the front of the church, figuring if there was one there it would be the priest who said Mass. There to my wondering eyes was the pastor, only the pastor, no idea why he was the only one there and why the priest who was saying Mass was not there, as any of them usually would be. Providential timing! He had just been given a rum cake by some friends for he and the friars, and the friends having left, it was only Father and I there. And thus the blessing came about on the weekend of the Rosary by our pastor. 

May all hearts be saved from the dragon, the ancient serpent, who prowls about trying to murder souls, and may they be brought to Mary's Heart there to share Jesus' own union with her.

"The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness."

-Our Lady in her apparitions at Akita, Japan

We should keep in mind that usually people die as they live. Most people today are far from God. About 6,300 people die each hour. The likelihood that some of those souls end up in Hell is really a certainty, though the numbers are a guess. But if it was "many souls" in 1917, it is surely not less worse now. 

This is a tragic concurrence of facts, but knowing important facts is not a doom and gloom thing. It's also deadly to run into a highway, and one should tell one's kids not to go there, and if there is a fire and people are trapped, it is not doom and gloom to say there are people in the house on fire and we must run in to save them if possible or they will die. This is an act of charity. 

So it is with so many souls in danger of going to Hell. Their home, so to speak, for many, is on fire. But we can rush in with Mary to save at least some of them. Pray the Rosary, make sacrifices, however small, strive for sanctity, and console Mary, which also consoles her little Son. 

Photos--not very good, but the best I could get--of the very first Consolatio Mariae vesture: dark blue (photo does not bring this out well at all) sweatshirt with insignia of Consolatio Mariae, embroidered. After weeks of preparation, it came in the mail yesterday. If you are are member of this private association, I encourage you to get something with the logo to wear as well; sweatshirt, jacket, polo shirt. This is a witness to the world, admittedly a small one, of the Catholic Faith. It is also a sweet reminder to the one wearing it of Mary's joy at our helping her to save souls by prayer and sacrifices. This truly does save souls--the devil is very good at trying to convince us it is useless or a waste of time or is imagination. Don't listen to thoughts like that, it's just the evil spirit.

In regard to printed or embroidered clothing, again, there are many venders out there. I went with Queensboro. Some of the best people in business I have worked with. They do have a $50 minimum order, but you could get two shirts, or various other things they have, such as coffee mugs etc, and have the emblem put on anything. The sweatshirt itself that I got, with embroidery, only cost me 26.00 and change.

“My child, behold my heart surrounded with the thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me.” #consolemary