We offer a new issue of “Knight of the Immaculata”. The thema is the motto of St. Maximilian: “The conversion and sanctification of everyone through the Immaculata”.
“Knight of the Immaculata” No. 10
With this 10th issue of the “Knight of the Immaculata” allow me to give you a brief summary about our dear M.I., with the purpose of discovering what our Heavenly Mother wants to say to us through these facts.
In the Philippines, through the Mary’s Missions Tour, more than 50,000 Knights were received within a period of 9 months, people of all ages and from all classes of education, mostly ignorant about what is a true Christian life. It could be feared that these enrolments would not bring any fruits, as these people for the most part, would not persevere because of the very limited possibilities for following and motivating them. However, the follow-up work amongst these new Knights is another of Our Lady’s miracles, as to our great astonishment, an important number of them really “follow”: the number of those who pass from “primer knights” to fervent traditional Catholics grows every day. This means that Our Lady can make “of stones sons of Abraham”; with almost nothing, just a handful of fervent Knights she can and wants to convert many — in our time!
In the Spanish-speaking world, Saint Maximilian Kolbe and his Militia are almost unknown, so it could appear that in these countries it would be very difficult to begin with the M.I. Here again the contrary is the case: the first enrolments in South – and Central America as well as in Spain, are the proof that Our Lady really has an immense desire to find instruments everywhere to help her to save many souls!
The most important new enrolments these months are going on in France: in February there will be at least 15 different enrolment ceremonies to receive new Knights. But also in countries like Canada, Australia, India, etc. we note a special growth of the M.I. At the moment, the M.I. is established in 38 countries. This means that the M.I. visibly transcends the differences of race, mentality and nationality: Our Lady’s call goes to everybody and touches and awakes that which is most precious in the heart of all men of good will: their capacity for doing good to others, for loving them supernaturally, for contributing to their eternal happiness.
Finally, Our Lady seems, in particular, to cherish those people living in spiritual isolation very far from the nearest church or Catholic community, or in countries very hostile to our Faith. Amongst them we find very touching examples of conversion and other real miracles: one of them is the way in which these people find Our Lady and her spiritual army: through friends, M.I. flyers found on the street, through surfing “by chance” on the Internet, etc. This is an important lesson for us: Our Lady never abandons anybody of good will, she always finds ways so that such a person finishes by finding the way to HER.
With these evident signs from above, we have a delicate but striking proof of the efficacious love of Our Heavenly Mother for Our Militia, to which you belong. This delicacy of the Immaculata should incite us to a greater generosity, to allow HER to use us more often.
All the above-mentioned points teach us the two-fold reality: that she doesn’t disdain to use us poor sinners of the 21st century to save many souls; and that she rewards each little service she receives from us, giving us many graces and visible proofs of her immense love towards us, just because we are her children, slaves … and Knights!
Fr. Karl Stehlin
Order: Kolbe Publications
