One thing we know about seeds is that they need to die in order to bear fruit. Our Lord tells us, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (Jn 12:24). St. Louis de Montfort states that “we need Mary in order to die to ourselves.”8 By our own nature we are weak, inconstant, and prone toward vanity and pride. Our hearts are hard. Yet Our Blessed Mother is constant, unwavering, humble, pure, and full of love. Through Our Lady and her Spouse, the Holy Spirit, we can see, to the extent it is possible, our lowliness and dependence on God. For when we see our lowliness and look to Our Lord to supply all we are lacking, this unlocks a torrent of grace that helps to sanctify us.

     Indeed, with the help of Our Lady, if we can turn our focus from ourselves and direct all our focus to God, then God can bring fruit through us. St. Thérèse, the Little Flower, through her “little way” provides a beautiful example of dying to oneself each day. She would find little sacrifices throughout the day to give to Our Lord.  If there was a person Thérèse would prefer to avoid, she instead offered a big smile to this person or helped them. She began with little things like folding the mantles that the sisters left behind and providing little services to them. The Little Flower took all these as opportunities to choose love even when it was contrary to her natural inclination. In this way, she continued to reject her will and, instead, embraced the will of God, thus dying to herself.