One of the reasons I love the WWW so much is because of the potential for community between people who live far and wide. I find this especially true with our community here. I love hearing from you about your struggles, your desires, and your efforts to live a full life. I love it because I’m right there with you, trying to find the beauty among the chaos of each day, seeking the lessons to be learned in our various states in life, and looking to others for guidance and encouragement.
You, dear readers and fellow bloggers, make me want to be better. By the witness of your life you call me to be a better Christian, wife, mother, and friend. I am grateful that we are able to learn from one another, to provide fresh perspectives for one another, and to be companions to one another on our journey to the heights.
Which is why I am so elated to present you all with a new series coming to you this Fall on the Ten Virtues of Mary.
You love them ^, don’t you?! Me too 😉
What are the ten virtues of Mary?
St. Louis de Montfort, a 17th century French priest, had a passion for Mary, the Mother of God, and how she unceasingly leads us to Jesus. He was certain that loving Mary would lead us to a greater love for Jesus, and that our desire to be close to Him would be ignited by her (You can read more about why Christians love Mary here, but in short, we love her because Jesus did). So de Montfort wrote a preparation for and prayer of consecration to Jesus through Mary, in order to solidify our commitment to Our Lord. In this document, de Montfort highlights what he calls “the ten principal virtues of Mary”. He strongly suggests that we commit these virtues to memory and strive to imitate them in our daily lives.
So what are the virtues of Mary? Her Angelic Sweetness, Ardent Charity, Blind Obedience, Constant Mental Prayer, Divine Purity, Divine Wisdom, Heroic Patience, Lively Faith, Profound Humility, and Universal Mortification.
Why do these virtues mater?
It’s sometimes hard to be a virtuous Christian, especially in today’s world when we are constantly being bombarded with messages that are contrary to the gospel. Life gets messy and work needs to get done and kids need to be fed and marriages need to be nurtured and health needs to be fostered and laundry needs to be folded and and and … the list goes on. There is so much stuff that makes up the structure of our life that sometimes we can grow weary and confused at the foundation.
As women especially, we have a desire and a call to imitate Mary. She was the epitome of femininity, and had this whole marriage and motherhood thing down pat, despite the difficulties she encountered. Mary knew how trying womanhood, marriage, and motherhood could be, yet she shone with the love of God and her virtue was undeniable.
For me, in the face of life’s ordinary circumstances, I find it inexplicable helpful to have the ten virtues of Mary at hand. They are concrete. They are simple. They are effective. They are easy to pray for. For example, when I’m in the heat of being really annoyed or aggravated, it is simple for me to pray quickly for heroic patience. Then, I call to mind what that virtue entails and it helps me to handle frustrating issues with more grace. I like to think of these virtues as tools in my Christian-life toolbox that I am able to utilize in a pinch. These tools allow me to more closely imitate Mary while catering to my simple mind. Recalling these virtues helps me to be a better Christian, wife, mom, and friend. These virtues remind me of the purpose of community, of being a woman, and of striving to be like Our Lady in the first place.
I can honestly tell you that studying and applying the ten virtues of Mary to my daily life has been one of the most spiritually fruitful things I’ve ever done. Ever.
So what’s the deal with this series?
Each Tuesday from now until mid-December, one blogger will host the series at her place and focus on one particular virtue. She will share the definitions of both the virtue and its modifying adjective and why that matters, she’ll reflect on how Mary lived it in her own life, she will offer insight into how we can live that virtue as women, and she’ll divulge how that virtue kicks us in the butt.
I’m so looking forward to reading each reflection because all of these women have amazing hearts and varied personalities, and I’m confident that we will all grow from their particular viewpoints.
At the end of series, we will be celebrating with a big Marian-themed giveaway back here at the Heights! We would love for you to join us every Tuesday to learn about Mary and how we can imitate her goodness simply each day, in every situation, and in the tiniest, most mundane moments.
Check out the schedule below to see who’s covering what 🙂 can’t wait to see you there!
This post is part of a series on the Ten Virtues of Mary, hosted by To the Heights and running every Tuesday until the middle of December. So if you need some help in the virtue department, here’s a great place to start 😉
October 7 – An Introduction to the Ten Virtues of Mary – Olivia of To the Heights
October 14 – Lively Faith – Molly of Molly Makes Do
October 21 – Blind Obedience – Kendra of Catholic All Year
October 28 – Constant Mental Prayer – Jenna of Call Her Happy
November 4 – Heroic Patience – Kelly of This Ain’t the Lyceum
November 11 – Profound Humility – Carolyn of Svellerella
November 18 – Angelic Sweetness – Regina of Good One God
November 25 – Divine Wisdom – Britt of The Fisk Files
December 2 – Universal Mortification – Abbey of Surviving Our Blessings
December 9 – Divine Purity – Gina of Someday Saints
December 16 – Ardent Charity – Christy of Fountains of Home
December 17 – Massive GIVEAWAY at To the Heights – Just in time for Christmas
What a great idea for a series! I’m looking forward to reading along. 🙂
So I was recently doing the Marian consecration and came across the 10 Virtues of Mary. As I was looking on the internet for some reading about these I came across this article. Not realizing it was from 4 years ago I tried to click on some of the articles only to find that I couldn’t find them. Do you happen to have these all in one place for reading for someone like myself?
Same apply to me.I want to have detailed information about these virtues, so as to know which one to apply at when necessary.
Looks like the links on this page go through to the actual posts, yay : )
I was so happy to find that if you go to This Aint The Lyceum’s post on Heroic Virtue, it connects to all the actual posts. I left a comment on this below, but couldnt post a link).
Oh this is so lovely! I am really excited to read and learn! 🙂
{Kathy} What a wonderful way to celebrate Our Mother! I’m looking forward to following.
wayyy too excited.
you KNOW I’ll be following along.
I’m so excited about this series! I love Mama Mary and love even more how our relationship has grown since motherhood. This series will bless so many!
Love this, Olivia!
I am so thankful that someone told me to start following Catholic All Year because she posted a link to this series on your blog and I am SO EXCITED!!!! I have been actively trying to learn more about her and this is going to be such a great way! Thank you!
Love this Olivia! I mean I am totally biased, but the virtues of Mary are bomb, so so glad you are focusing on them in this way!! How fun!!
Thank you! A friend started up a group to follow this series, and our first meeting was last night. I already feel myself drawn to diving deeper into the virtues, and working on Lively Faith is going to help in that journey!
God bless you and all the bloggers who are bringing so many of us together in this beautiful study! <3
As an-almost Catholic (completed RCIA; awaiting annulment), I did not know of these Virtues of Our Lady. I need them all and am looking forward to learning them, so I can ponder them in my heart and bring them to mind when I need them.
Thank you, ladies.
Love this post and all the grace it contains. I need all of these virtues daily!
I am delighted with this series and excited as I am about to start to reflect on those virtues.
Dear Olivia,
Thank you for this beautiful inspirational work. I got excited and wanted to read the ten virtues being explained by the women but the pages weren’t opening. Sure the explanation on the virtues will be a great tool in my Christian life.
Please advise me on how to go about it.
Thank you
this is wonderful
Good morning,
Are you going to have a repeat of this series you had in 2014? Thank you.