“It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to rear people”
“Who is she that comes forth as the morning star, fair as the moon, bright as the sun”, the Catena Legionis expressly describes Mary – She, is the “light” of our lives!
A hundred years ago, Our Lady’s “light” shone in the heart of Brother Frank Duff; this fire of blazing love led Brother Frank Duff to the founding of the Legion which belonged to Mary, “terrible as an army set in battle array”! We are not guarding earthly boundaries, but protecting spiritual conscience; we have to overcome the lure of the devil, the worldly greed; we have to fight for the virtue of love!
Although a hundred years have passed, this was only a snippet in the history of the Church; but this snippet has nurtured generations of inheritance, in the journey of life, Legionaries grew generation by generation. “It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to rear people”, we, with the grace of Mary, has successfully maintained the Legionary spirit and learnt from Her the virtues of “humility and obedience”, to serve the Church and the world.
“The glory of God through the holiness of its members in advancing the reign of Christ” is our motto as a Legionary: through prayers and active cooperation in the provision of service, we become the “the most glorious star”! With a grateful heart, we thank God in illuminating us in the past hundred years which allowed us to reflect the goodness and love of God, let us praise God, “ My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour!”
Fr. Francis Tam, OFS
Spiritual Director of the Hong Kong Comitium