"Merciful God has given us in these days of confusion a bright beacon, a powerful general in this decisive battle, an infinitely loving mother who gathers under Her protective mantle all who entrust and consecrate themselves to Her: the Immaculata." ~ Preface, Fr Frank Schmidberger

 

The Immaculata, Our Ideal takes us on a journey, with the Immaculata, of understanding why we were created not for this world but rather for God and that we live in order to give Him honour. We start off with an understanding of how the Militia Immaculata, a movement founded by Saint Maximilian Kolbe in Rome in 1917, still thrives around the world today while fighting the good fight and bringing many souls to the feet of Our Lord and His Mother. The secret: allowing our Lady to live and work through us.  Every day. 

 

What follows next is the realisation that human autonomy is a myth. Father Kolbe would be the first to tell us that the greatest evil in the life of a human is relying on one's own powers. Spiritual pride finds no place in divine providence.  

 

Succeeding this knowledge is the reminder that, like the Saints, we are moulded, not carved, in our Blessed Mother. This explains very clearly the undeniable need for an austere life through the mysteries of the Immaculata.  She calls us to be her subjects, therefore she equips us with the necessary armament to fight our daily battles. 

 

The Militia Immaculata is above all an ideal to live by which involves total consecration of oneself to our Lady. The Immaculata ~ Our Ideal also explains Mary's unusual role in the end times. We are reminded of these parting words of the Mother of God at La Salette: "Go and show yourselves to be my beloved children."