Legion Of Mary Senatus Sydney

Fr. Spillane Interior Life

"Today's subject tells us that before authentic active work can be done by the legionary, he must have an interior life. " Spiritual Director Fr. Spillane Other Allocutio's by Fr. Spillane Dependence On Mary Mary's Legion Liturgy Of The Word Ecumenism and Evangelisation

"What is the interior life? The handbook tells us. The coming together, the convergence of all our truly human powers into one unit; our knowledge, our desires, our memories, imagination, feelings. This unit or power controls us as human beings and coordinates our relationship with Our Lord. Human language and human concepts have to be used to describe divine things, but such will never be adequate in this life;we also have to use illustrations and allegories. St. Ambrose, back in the 4^th century, compared all this to a room. He said, "Go into that room that is within, where your thoughts are shut up, the place that contains your feelings. This room of prayer is with you at all times, wherever you go; it is a secret place and what happens there is witnessed by God alone."

We can be in that mystical room whatever we are doing, wherever we might be in this world.

The lines of communication between us and God are always open; the Blessed Trinity dwells there as long as we are in the state of grace. All the business of our spiritual and ascetical life will be transacted there. Mary will meet us there too and will be our model, showing us how she continually advanced in holiness. She will guide us as we strive to redirect our steps again and again towards our Heavenly Father, through successive inner changes She will inspire us to realise that every day there needs to be a new conversion; we can never think that we are totally converted because we need to keep on having successive conversions which will lead to holiness. Members of the Legion receive collective spiritual guidance; however, as each member is a unique individual with personal needs, the handbook tells us it is desirable that this be supplemented by individual guidance from a wise spiritual director.

The three necessary requirements for a Christian interior life are prayer, mortification and Sacraments - which are interconnected. ++++++++++++++++++++++