WELCOME TO SENATUS OF LOS ANGELES
Who is she that comes forth...
Upcoming Events
- Senatus Board MeetingThu, Feb 05Daniel Dunkin's Residence
- Senatus MeetingThu, Feb 19Christ the King Church
- Correspondent MeetingSat, Feb 21St. Dominic's Community Center
- Congress 2026Sat, Jun 13Christ the King
About the Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary is an international association of lay Catholics finding Jesus through prayer, works of mercy and evangelization rooted in Marian spirituality and commitment to the Holy Spirit.
OBJECT
The object of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active co-operation in Mary’s and the Church’s work. The unit of the Legion of Mary is called a praesidium, which holds a weekly meeting, where prayer is intermingled with reports and discussion. Persons who wish to join the Legion must apply for membership in a Praesidium. The Legion sees as its priority the spiritual and social welfare of each individual. The members participate in the life of the parish through visitation of families, the sick, both in their homes and in hospitals and through collaboration in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the parish. Every legionary is required to carry out a weekly apostolic work in the spirit of faith and in union with Mary.
Allocutio:
By Fr. Joseph Dass (December 2025)
St. John the Baptist started his ministry at the age of 30 just as Jesus did. Why 30? Jewish rabbis start their ministry at the age of 30, which is considered traditionally by the Jewish people to be the mature age to preach.
John the Baptist went straight to the desert region of Jordan to preach rather than Jerusalem which was the center for religious scholars during his time. All people flocked (including the priests, levites, and pharisees) to him since it has been 400 years since they have heard again of a prophet. The last prophet to preach before John the Baptist was Malachi who lived 400 years ago. For 400 years, the Jewish people did not hear a prophet, so they flocked to John the Baptist to listen. They asked him “Who are you? Are you Elijah?” Why Elijah? Because Elijah went up to heaven in a fiery chariot and the Jews believe that Elijah will come back again ahead of the Messiah. John the Baptist said “No”. Are you THE prophet (not a prophet)? Who did the Jews referring to? They are referring to the prophet that Moses told the people before he died (in Mt. Nebo across the Dead Sea) that God will raise from among them a prophet like him and that they should listen to this prophet. John the Baptist again said “No” to this question.
John the Baptist said that he is only a “Voice” crying out in the desert wilderness. More than the voice, what is more important is the thought in one’s head. One is only using one’s voice to impart one’s thought. John is saying that his thoughts, the Word, that is, Jesus, is more important and is coming and in fact already has come. Jesus is greater than him. He is just announcing the coming of the bridegroom (Jesus) to claim His bride (i.e. us). This is in line with the Jewish wedding tradition of the bridegroom sending his best man ahead of him to tell and announce his coming in front of the bride’s home so that they can open the door for the bridegroom to claim his bride. Once the bride is claimed, the best man’s work is done and he steps back.
John the Baptist said that he is just the announcer and that he is not important. Jesus must increase and he must decrease, John said. Such humility! Jesus said that John the Baptist is more than a prophet and complemented him as the greatest man born of a woman. The greatest complement Jesus gave to any man. In the Old Testament, Yahweh gave the greatest complement to David through the prophet Samuel. Yahweh said that David was a man after His heart. In other words, Yahweh is saying that David is his favorite man.
John the Baptist said that Jesus must increase, and he must decrease and that he is not even worthy to untie his sandals – not worthy to be even a slave of Jesus. Because of John’s humility, Jesus raised him up to the highest level. Humility is the basis and the foundation of all virtues. If you want to be holy, kind, gentle, and merciful, then you must have humility, without which, nothing else would work. On the other hand, pride is the basis and the foundation of all the evils in the world (anger, hatred, jealousy, and the likes). So today as we meditate upon the virtues of John the Baptist, we ask the good Lord to give us the grace in order to grow in the virtue of humility, which is the basis and foundation of all virtues through which we please our Lord, all for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. AMEN
Frank Duff Reading Reference: Writings of Frank Duff, Mary Shall Reign, # 8, Excerpt from – “The Spirit of Home Visitation, See Christ in All”, p. 72
Therefore, you must go to them in the spirit of that third Standing Instruction, which bids you to see Christ in each member of the family, and to behave to Him as Mary herself behaved to Him. Higher than that you could not aim, but you must not aim any lower. That extreme example is not unattainable. Out from that person whom you visit, Our Lord is radiating the help to enable you to proceed in the perfect way. While Mary, who walks hand in hand with you is filling you with her own spirit to enable you to fulfil your mission. This effort to recollect yourself should be made before entering into each home. It is not enough to go about your work with vague good intention. The difficulties are too great for that. A vivid principle must animate your action.
This effort to get your motives into order at each door will create psychologically, and still more spiritually, the right complexion of mind and of soul in you, so that you enter the home mindful of the dignity of each person there, properly respectful to each one. You must go with reasonable frequency to each home. Visitation should not be a sort of hit and run business. An isolated call without prospect of seeing the people again for a long time is not visitation according to the Legion idea. It is not possible to develop an acquaintance on such a foundation. Vital to the process of showing interest in people is that you will know their names. It is disturbing commentary on the modern set-up that we can deal with people closely even daily for a long period – for instance in shops, office or restaurants – and in the end have to confess ignorance of their names. One is tempted to generalize drastically: No names, no influence! An anomaly in this visiting is that the house may not be a home. The home is the family living in the house. Do you ever meet the home in that sense? The cry among you is that you do not; that a large proportion of the family, especially the young adult element, is always out at their own enjoyments. You must not let them evade you like that. As a first step towards tracking them down, you must try to know them, though absent. Talk about them in the ordinary friendly intercourse which should have developed. Find out what are they following up. Get some idea of what they are like. They are part of the home, so you have a responsibility for them. You must not be satisfied with perfunctory visitation which deals with people whom you find and no more. Announcements • Confidentiality of Paramount Importance: “It is treachery to the Legion to repeat outsi