I’ve been a Legionary for the past six years, and I’m proud to say that it’s my better half who insisted and invited me to join the praesidium “ARA COELI” of the LOM. A praesidium is a unit of the Legion. At that time, he was already a member of praesidium “VIRGO FIDELIS”. I am not ashamed to admit that his ulterior motive was for me to avoid my vice of playing “mahjong”. At first I said, okay why not? I’m going to give it a try. I enjoyed that first meeting, and I felt something strange in me. From that time on, I started thinking to myself why, for such a long time, I was hooked on playing “mahjong” instead of giving my time to my family and to the church. At the same time, temptations kept coming. Friends and co-players from the game would call and even come to our house just to convince me to play again. But I turned my back to all of them with the help of my husband and the Legion. I told myself and I do believe that it was wrong to go back to my past time. What’s more important is my faith and devotion to MAMA MARY and my love for my FAMILY. The Legion has built within me a profound faith in GOD, through prayers and meditations. I always make it a point to attend the weekly meeting on time because it is a joy to attend. We start the meeting with the recitation of the Rosary, then we have a spiritual reading, followed by a discourse on our apostolate which are centered on works of mercy or works of love. A short homily or Allocutio is also given by a spiritual director to further nourish our spirituality.
But while I was busy performing my duties as a Legionary and giving my full faith and devotion to Jesus and Mama Mary, that was also the time I encountered some misfortunes: an investment scam; a friend who never paid back a loan; fooled by a con artist; and victimized by “budol-budol” .
Why I am experiencing all of these? I began to realize that not everything is roses for those who serve the Lord. “A Legionary puts all his hope in God”, so instead of waning in faith, with the help of Mama Mary, I put all my trust in the Lord and increased my generosity in helping the needy by giving cash donations and food to the less fortunate. We also sent help to some relatives in the province, and made it a point to help various organizations in the parish. Then I noticed that we began regaining the money that we have lost. GOD really works in many wondrous ways! I really have a lot to be thankful for– the love and care of family, friends, relatives and the whole community; the love and support of our parish and the Marian spirituality that I acquired as a Legionary.
Love MAMA MARY, for as..”her children, we must behave as such— like her very little children completely dependent on her. We must ask her to nourish us, guide us, to instruct us, to counsel us in our doubts, to draw us back in our wanderings, so that, confided entirely to her care, we may grow into the likeness of our elder brother, Jesus, and share in his mission of combating and vanquishing sin.” (Legion Hanbook,p.21). Indeed, joining the Legion of Mary was worth it!
Written By: Sis. Virgie Tagaro