Mission Statement
The Mission of the School of Mary is to form Christians in the spiritual life, enabling them to respond fruitfully to the call to holiness. Drawing on the living tradition of the Catholic Church, especially the doctors of the spiritual life, the School’s fosters experiential knowledge of each stage of spiritual growth, so as to lead students to union with Christ and a loving participation in His redemptive mission. (Pope Benedict’s Blessing)
Vision Statement
The School of Mary envisions a world where every Christian can embrace union with God and the fullness of love as the core fruit of Baptism. Through a practical, complete, and innovative method, it translates spiritual formation into an accessible daily practice, enabling direct contact with God to receive the torrents of grace He offers.
Honouring the Scriptures and the Living Tradition of the Church, the School of Mary seeks to make the magnificent goal of divine intimacy achievable for all, empowering believers to grow in holiness and love.
The School’s Leaflet Pdf (Download)
Spiritual Formation is as essential in the Church as Catechesis is and it comes after it and presupposes it. Another way of expressing this is to think of Mystagogy, as presented by the Fathers of the Church, as coming after Catechesis.
The Church reminds us that regardless of our state of life at a certain moment in our life Jesus Calls each one of us. He enters our life in a stronger way and invites us to follow Him, a journey which leads us to the fullness of love or holiness.
To answer Jesus’ Call and to follow Him the Church offers its immense treasures of the Living Tradition of Spiritual Teaching. However, a practical, clear and fruitful Spiritual Formation is needed to help us respond in an optimal form and walk in tune with the Lord and the Holy Spirit to reach the goal, i.e. Union with Jesus and the Fullness of love. This formation is usually given in religious orders alongside Religious Formation. The School of Mary, however, intends to offer it to all Christians.
The School of Mary, consequently, has chosen to offer what is common amongst the treasures of spiritual formation in the Church, drawing essentially from the Mass itself. In the Mass we find the strongest and most powerful spiritual food – Jesus’ Word and Jesus’ Body and Blood. The School draws from the best Catholic Spiritual Masters and intends to offer an uncluttered, practical and clear teaching to help people from all states of life in today’s hectic world. Given this the salt of the Gospel remains alive and challenging. One learns also in a practical way what God expects from us and how, so to speak, to “trigger” the grace of God as the Masters teach it.
When we hear the Lord’s Call to follow Him, the School identifies 5 different stages of teaching, each adapted to a phase of growth in spiritual life. The 5 stages are divided into two parts: the first three stages and then the two following. The first three stages only are shown on the website. Their importance is paramount as they are like the “bottle neck” which allows access to the following two stages.
The Solid Foundations Course
The School considers the Solid Foundations Course 000 as the necessary entrance gate course because it lays the foundations of a solid spiritual life, where each person learns all the essential parts of spiritual life.
This course sets the common ground and teaches the minimum needed to start a good spiritual life. First and foremost, it identifies and presents the goals of spiritual life (Union with Jesus and Fullness of Love) and the stages of growth to reach it. A transformative line emerges and influences all the following lessons and the courses.
The core of the course consists, on the one hand, of two essential spiritual exercises which come from the Mass, Lectio Divina and the Prayer of the Heart (or Contemplative Prayer) which are taught. The goal and challenge of spiritual formation will be to deepen and strengthen a fruitful practice of these two forms of prayer. They will allow us in fact to properly digest Jesus’ Word at Mass and His Body and Blood and to bear fruits.
On the other hand, this course describes in a practical way many other important elements of spiritual life, not the least of them being spiritual anthropology.
Guided by the description of the initial spiritual growth made by St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, we can easily identify three important phases of growth which follow the second conversion or hearing Jesus’ Call. Each of these phases of growth has a “year” of topics (SF1, SF2, SF3). Growth, it should be emphasised, is not measured by time but by personal effort. This is why “year” is put between quotation marks. Each “year” has a main course which explains the phase of growth (SF100, SF200, SF300) and many other courses meant to strengthen the practice of each phase and to learn about the new elements needed to nourish our growth. In fact, each phase is different from the other and needs its own food.
First Part: SF1,SF2, SF3
— The First Three Phases —
1- The First Phase
The first phase – SF1 – is the phase of a new life, the implementation of new habits: a new daily schedule, a good prayer life and laying stress on how to serve our brothers. See diagram above, from III to IV. In this phase one starts to practice Lectio Divina on a daily basis as well as Prayer of the Heart. The first steps consist in receiving some practical tuition regarding Lectio Divina and Prayer of the Heart, as well as spiritual direction. It is a phase of growth where the personal commitment of the person and perseverance are of the essence. One aims toward a steady practice which should lead to a steady growth.
In this phase, often there are “consolations” given. The “milk” as St. Paul puts it (see 1 Cor. 3:1-3). In Solid Foundations 000 and in the first year one learns how to manage the challenges which one faces at this initial stage. It implies a serious commitment and regularity in Spiritual life. It corresponds to the Fourth Mansions of St. Teresa of Avila and to the efforts we need to produce as described by St. John of the Cross in Ascent of Mount Carmel Book I.
2- The Second Phase
The Second Phase is SF2. See diagram above, from IV to V. Providing the person perseveres and maintains a regular practice and fervour, this effort of spiritual growth is normally crowned by moving into or entering into what St. Teresa of Avila calls in the Interior Castle the Fifth Mansions. In them, she describes a liberation, a union, a consolidation/a rooting of our will in God’s will. She calls this grace of liberation: Union of Will. St. John of the Cross describes it as the purification of our sense, i.e. the lower part of our being, or detachment from material/earthly things. It is a grace received in response to our efforts to correspond with the normal grace of God given to us.
It is by understanding how God’s grace works, what God expects from us, that we can ensure a steady growth.
This phase of growth has as a main course SF200, Ensuring Steady Growth. It covers 4th and 5th Mansions. It has also to be combined with the revision of “Reading & Studying St John of the Cross” Ascent Book I and the study of Dark Night Book I (Both are courses offered by the School).
At this stage the person is growing and finds a new plateau: a regular prayer life and new depths in spiritual life.
The courses offered at this stage – second year – help support this new phase. Often one thinks that this is a final stage. It feels like a real spiritual Christian life is being led, and because of the liberation of the sense one can easily think that this is holiness. Unfortunately, it is not. A drastic change is about to happen.
3- Third Phase
After a while and maintaining a constant commitment to this new spiritual life, the Lord tests the person by giving some mouthfuls of a new and deep purification, and if He sees the person is able to bear them He allows himself to act more deeply and strongly in the radical work of Purification, SF3. See diagram above, from V to VI. This action entails the Purification of the Spirit. In fact, until then, the person is not aware that all this “holy style of life” is in fact very much led in a human modality. The new powerful intervention of God in this new phase has as a goal to move us from a human modality to a divine one.
Here also, this important phase has a main Course: SF300. This course explains the necessary teaching regarding this central transition in Spiritual Life: the crossing over of the proficient into a mature spiritual age. The author of the letter to the Hebrews alludes to this teaching when he states: “There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain” (Heb. 5:11-14). St. Paul says that spiritual food is initially “milk” and then becomes “solid food” (see 1 Cor. 3:1-3). The Lord, himself, presents us with this deepening state as being offered to all: “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:12-13).
Other courses are provided also during this third “year” which offer new depths in spiritual life. The Gospel of St. John is explored and also new topics like Contemplation.
Second Part: SF4 and SF5
—-The Full Journey—-
The second stage – in depth – comprises two years (SF4 and SF5).
1- First Phase SF4
SF4 addresses Spiritual Betrothal, Spiritual Marriage, Celebrations of Spiritual Marriage and the Flares of the Holy Spirit. See diagram above, from VI to VIII.
2- Second Phase SF5
SF5 addresses a new phase within Spiritual Marriage, which is the participation in the Lord’s Passion and also the fecundity of the person at this stage. See diagram above, from IX to X.
The true adventure, the only one that deserves to be lived is to receive the fullness of the Gift of Jesus.
Why Mary ?
Mary has a fundamental place in our spiritual life. Her relationship with Jesus constitutes, because of its fullness, the model of our relationship with Him.
Mary knew (contemplated) and loved Jesus Christ with total perfection and in fullness. God gave her the exemplary capacity to fully receive His Gift, Jesus.
Mary is the New Eve, who came out of Jesus’ side on the Cross. She is “flesh from His flesh” and “bone from his bone”. She is wholly shaped by the Holy Spirit, in the image of Christ, the New Adam. She is the first amongst the saved, and because of the Saviour, “Mother of all the saved”.
The good news for us is that God Himself offers to all of us this capacity that He put in Mary. In fact she is the Archetype of the faithful of Jesus. We can not only imitate her, but we are invited to be transformed in Her.
The Holy Spirit wants to shape us in the image of Mary. Therefore, in her and with her we will be able to have a full relationship with Jesus, as she had.
The greatest desire that fills Mary is to make of us living Icons of Her, capable to know and love Jesus in fullness (like her and in her).
Throughout the ages, the Church has acknowledged Mary’s urge to come to us, to teach us in our heart, in the silence of our heart, this Science of Knowledge (contemplation) and Love of Jesus in their fullness.
Characteristics
The School of Mary offers a unique perspective on Our Lady, who is seen as the one who has at the heart of her mission, the promotion of a fuller and deeper spiritual life for every human being.
The School of Mary is the extension of this initiative of Mary. It develops it in order to allow the Church and the world to share in all the spiritual goods that Jesus came to give us.
Mary ardently desires that people specialise in this field, her field; the field of Spiritual Theology and of prayer life, the field of that sacred science of love and holiness, the science that leads us to the union with God and to the fullness of Love. She is indeed the Queen of that field and its Patroness.
All that happens in this field is entrusted to Her because she is the only-one (Ct 6,9), the one that found grace in the eyes of God (Luke 1,30). She is really the Lady of the Place. She entrusts us with the responsibility of the deep Spiritual Life. It is truly a Yoke, an important mission in the Church. It is truly an important mission of the Church.
Mary ardently desires to inspire many people to this science, creating a holy emulation and a specific call to dedicate their whole life, all their energy and their own work. Catholic Mysticism is a science that deserves this service and is in great need for it.
In order for the School to continue to provide Teaching in Spiritual Life, please support us with your Donation through Paypal Thank you. May Our Lady reward you a hundredfold.
The School’s Secret
The School of Mary is not just a School. It is a unique spiritual mansion: it is Our Lady’s own Mansion. By entering into the School, therefore, we are in fact entering into Our Lady’s Mansion. The Solid Foundations Course is the gate through which we enter. Practising the teaching on a daily basis allows us to remain in Our Lady’s Mansion, and act while being under the protection of her Veil.
In Her domain, that is, Her School, She keeps all the necessary Treasures that help us reach the Fullness of Union with Her Son. The treasures She safeguards are of the finest quality, efficacy and security.
In the Gospels of St Luke and St John, Mary is presented as the only one who believed fully in Jesus and not only kept secure all the graces received but also made the best use of them. This same ability is offered to us, if we enter and live under Her roof.
Living under Her veil gives us total spiritual protection and helps ensure we don’t lose the graces we receive.
Mary is a space to inhabit. In order to enter this unique sacred space we first need to learn about the spiritual life, and secondly to implement what is taught in a practical way.
It is like entering into a different space-time dimension.
Staying in the School and not practising the Teaching doesn’t in any way guarantee being under the shadow of Mary.
There is a style of life that is not under Mary. Christians, in this case, can do many things but this would not mean that they are being led by Mary and doing things with Mary’s way.
The issue is not whether to pray or not, to be spiritual or not. The issue is whether or not to be under the influence, guidance, of Our Lady and to make Her ways and means our own.
Are we « in Her » or outside of Her. Being « in Her » implies many different aspects that help us be maleable in Her Hands and totally docile to Her action and intervention in our daily life.