Excerpts from "Start a "Village of the Immaculata" " MI brochure

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PRAYER MEETING FORMAT 

Part one

• Invocaton of the Holy Spirit
• MI Prayer of Total Consecration

Part two

• Recitation of five decades of the Holy Rosary

Part three

• Reading of one or more passages from Kolbe writings

Part four

• Intercessary Prayer (or other prayer forms i.e. Thanksgiving, Praise, etc.)
• MI apostolic discussion (optional)

Part five

• Miraculous Medal Prayer

Note: There is time for apostolic discussion.  Here the group may touch base on group initiatives, if any.  Socializing should be reserved for before and over after the meeting.

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MILITIA OF THE IMMACULATA VILLAGES

"On Pentacost, the birthday of the church, the apostles and disciples were praying together as as group, in spiritual solidarity born of the Holy Spirit.  And with them was the Virgin Mary.  Is this not the first catholic "prayer group"? ...

Militia of the Immaculata (MI) members who come together through a "village of the Immaculata" prayer gathering can be confident of being a part of a sure movement of the Holy Spirit.  They meet under the banner and patronage of a canonized saint, Maximilian Kolbe, one of the greatest of the twentieth century.  and of the twenty-first, too: Pope John Paul II recently proclaimed Maximilian "a sign and a prophet of the new era, the civilization of love".

village prayer group ;members can also count on Our lady being present among them as mother of the Church and powerfully interceding for them as Mediatrix of all Graces - just as she was for the first Christians at Pentecost. "

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PART 1 - PRAYER & CONSECRATION 

The MI prayer village ought to begin with a favorite invocation of the Holy Spirit... .  MI member renew their consecrations by reciting the consecration prayer, composed by Maximilian.  We already have a relationship with Mary, Mother of the Church, from the moment of our Christian baptism.  Making or revewing the act of total consecration simply makes our realationship with her more explicit and effective.  We allow our wills to be led by her, be merged into hers. "The more perfectly we place ourselves in the Imaculata's hands the more perfectly will we be an instrument in her hands," wrote St. maximilian.

The moderator should encourage those who are not members to formally join the movement.

PART 2 - ROSARY

Since the prayer village is our "upper room" where we gather to pray with Mary, the recitation of the rosary, the Immaculata's prayer par excellance, is most appropriate and benefical.

PART 3 - READINGS & REFLECTION

Be expectant! Know that our Lady will be authenitically present and active while you mediated upon St. maximilian's writings.  As our prtron wrote, "When you are preparing to read about the Immaculata, do not forget you are intering into contact with a living being. She will be revealing herself to you through the sentences you read and will suggest thoughts, convictions, affections of which even the author probably did not think."

To better know the mind of Maximilian, shile encountering Our lady more deeply, we recommend taking your reaidngs from Will to Love or The Kolbe Reader (Marytown Press, 1-800-743-1177). They contain brief yet profound spiritual and marian reflections from the saint... .

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GROUP PRAYER: ESSENTIAL TO THE MI 

St. Maximilian Kolbe knew of the improtance of MI's coming together in prayer.  He recognized two general categories of MI activity, individdual action and the "united and corporate action of a group."

We can work and worship "more effectively," explained Maximilian, by joing forces rather than relying solely on individual initiative, since "there will always be those works that individuals acting alone will be unable to accomplish."  MI's in prayer gatherings "pool their efforts and resources in prayer... . 

As for calling today's MI prayer meetings "villages," we again take our cue from our parton.  "it seems to me that all the Cities of the Immaculata will constitute onw whole, intimately united, on world army, continually fighting [evil] withour ceasing until the end of the world."  The cities of which Maximilian speaks are consecrated centers of conversion and evangelization: Niepokalanow in Poland, Marytown in the U.S., and other canonically-approved MI centers worldwide.

MI prayer meetings are smaller versions of these cities, thus "villages" of the Immaculata.  they have the same supernatural purpose as the larger units.  Said Maximilian , "common to all groups will be the drive to reach the goal, the salvation of every possible soul and the highest possible degree of holiness for everyone."

Of course, mazimilian never ceased to remind us that all MI evangelical activity is directly empowered by the Immaculate Virgin Mary.  We are simply her will instruments through total consecration.

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PART 4 - PRAYER & APOSTOLIC DISCUSSION

Use this time to unite your prayers with mary, our Advocate, along with Maximilain and the glorified saints, to intercede to the Father for all those who need help. this can be done silently or vocally... . You are in good hands!Other forms of prayer are welcome too, according to the inclination of the group.

This maybe a good time to report on any evangelical projects the group has decided to pursue.  this discussion could also be postposned until after the meeting.

Group projects might include:

• Pro-life activity
• Volunteering at a nursing home
• Evangelizing together on the internet
• Promoting Eucharistic Adoration in your parish
• Conducting a "Together with Mary" or other MI study programs
• Running an MI information booth at a local Marian conference or fair

Part 5 - MIRACULOUS MEDAL PRAYER

"O Mary, conceived withour sin, pray for us who have recourse to you, and for all sho do ot have recourse to you, especially the enemies of the Church and those recommended to you."

St. Maximilian composed this prayer of intercession himself, embellishing the prayer that surrrounded the vision of Our lady of the Miraculous Medal at Rue du bac, Paris, in 1830.  The prayer reminds us that the spirituality of the MI is not serf-centered.  It reaches out to bring the entire world, especially the Church's adversaries, under the mantle of the Virgin through total consectation; to "embrace the whole world, each and every soul," said Maximilian

As a result, we should leave a Village of the Immaculatameeting inspired to do as Christcalls all Christians to do, of every age: "Go out and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:19)"

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