Knight of the Immaculata: No. 39

Dear Knights of the Immaculata!

The year 2025, which has just begun, is a special year for the Militia
Immaculatæ. It marks a quarter of a century since, with the approval of
the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, the M.I. was renewed
according to the ideas and intentions of Fr. Maximilian Kolbe.

May this year be for you, dear Knights, a renewal of consecration to
the Immaculata, the instigation of good resolutions and zealous apostolic work for the salvation of souls as an instrument of the Immaculata.
 

Whenever there is question of work that offers special difficulties and requires a particular power of adaptation to various and delicate conditions, the right spirit is of paramount importance — of an importance similar to that of the soul in the human being. Its importance is especially great if there is any question of supernatural work. All the natural knowledge, experience, and skill of the world will not be able to convert a soul if that supernatural spirit is lacking. And yet, because of the many obstacles that are encountered in a difficult apostolic undertaking, almost our whole attention may be directed towards the natural means to overcome the obstacles, while the supernatural side of the problem is neglected.

Under the guidance of Our Lady, you will always be animated with
the right supernatural spirit in the apostolate, and with what efficiency
your apostolic endeavours will be crowned!
 

In order to understand Mary's role in the apostolate, it will be useful
to recall briefly some notions of Mariology that are well-known to you,
namely, Mary's spiritual motherhood, her cooperation in the work of the
Redemption, and her function as Distributrix of all Graces.
 

YOU KNOW THAT MARY IS OUR MOTHER IN THE SUPERNATURAL
ORDER, and a true Mother, not only because Jesus, dying, called her so this would have created only an adopted motherhood — but because she is the Woman who really gave us our supernatural life. She conceived us, so to speak, at the Annunciation, when conceiving Jesus, as Pope Pius X explains; for we are members of His Mystical Body, and the Head and the members form but one single whole. She brought us forth on Calvary, for it was there that Christ merited for us unequivocally to live by His life, and Mary cooperated in the mystery of the Redemption as she did in that of the Incarnation. "Therefore, before expiring on the cross, Our Lord wished to give us a sign of that spiritual maternity by confiding Mary to the beloved disciple, St. John. Jesus did not constitute her our Mother under the cross; rather, He publicly declared her to be our Mother who had been so from the time of her consent to the Incarnation at Nazareth. «Behold, she is your Mother»" — is what He meant.
 

Several great servants of God and of His Mother have foretold that
Mary's action in the apostolate of the Church, though real from the
beginning, would manifest itself in a quite special and forceful way in
the times that were to come. As you doubtless know the prophecies of
St. Louis Grignion de Montfort concerning "the Apostles of the latter
times." He announced that there would rise up in the Church great saintswho would surpass the former saints as the "cedars of Lebanon surpass little shrubs" who would be totally consecrated to the Blessed Virgin and would carry on an unceasing warfare against Satan and his helpers. Other holy men made similar predictions, without knowing those of St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort.
 

A good example is our holy founder, Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, who not
only founded the Militia of the Immaculatæ, but zealously worked for the salvation of souls by extending devotion to the Immaculata and, throughhis publications, wishing to bring souls closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Fr. Karl Stehlin
Warsaw, on the 6th of January
Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord —