Page 72 Chapter 12 section one  from the handbook Legio Mariae
THE EXTERNAL AIMS OF THE
LEGION
1. THE ACTUAL WORK IN HANDS
The Legion aims not at the doing of any particular work,
but has as a primary object the making of its members holy.
For the attainment of this it relies, in the first place, upon its
members’ attendance at its various meetings, into which
prayer and devotion are so wound and woven as to give their
complexion to all the proceedings. But then the Legion seeks
to develop that holiness in a specific way, to give it the
character of apostleship, to heat it white hot so that it must
diffuse itself. This diffusion is not simply a utilisation of
developed force, but (by a sort of reaction) is a necessary part
of the development of that force. For the apostolic spirit is
best developed by the apostolate. Therefore, the Legion also
imposes on each member, as an essential obligation, the
weekly performance of some active work prescribed by the
praesidium. The work proceeds from the meeting as an act of
obedience to it, and, subject to the exceptions later indicated,
the praesidium can approve of any active work as satisfying
the member’s weekly obligation. In practice, however, the
Legion outlook would require the directing of the workobligation
towards actual needs, and among the latter,
towards the gravest. For that intensity of zeal which the
72 SCHEME OF THE LEGION CHAPTER 11
Legion strives to generate in its members requires a worthy
objective. Trivial work will react unfavourably upon it, so that
hearts that were ready to spend themselves for souls, and to
return love for the Christ-Love, and effort and sacrifice for his
labours and death, end by settling down to pettiness and
lukewarmness.
“Not so easily was I remade as made. He spoke and all things were
made. But while he made me simply and at once by a word, he has in
the remaking of me said many words, and worked wonders and suffered much." Saint Bernard

 Allocutio
The primary object of the legion is making the members Holy. For me this accrues from the love we put into the very basics of attending the meetings and performing assignments.  

The Catholic Church is my home. The other homes I have are subordinate to the parish and the presidium and other parishes. 

The Catholic Church is also the mystical body of Christ, and as such I have a part. The legion is a part of the mystical body and keeps my connected.  I believe, and I believe it has been said in the handbook that we are the heart that draws souls to Christ through Mary.  So as legionaries we are the heart of the mystical body.  

What does this mean?

We must meet, and through our work, blood is pumped through the rest of the body.
We are love in action.  This is no more evident than in our meetings and our home to home visitations.

I think it is important that all of our works for the legion be done as the heart, from love for this is Mary.  

St. John the Evangelist said that God is love. Mary after having been overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and then receiving God in her body and carrying Him,  as shelter, as mother is the epitome of love. The love that as blood flows from the heart. 

For me this is difficult to relate to personally. This love of mother and Son. For I never had a mother's love, until Mary. She is my mother.

I remember mentioning this to father Paul once, as we sat in the front pew before bible study,  how can Jesus take my pain and experience with him, to the cross.   In his humanity He had a family of perfection not of abuse. He, Jesus, does not, in his humanity, have my experience. He had a perfect family. Mine was abusive -- sexually, physically, emotionally, and through neglect. He was loved. Those people had me for a different reason. Father Paul sat quietly and listened. 

I came to the conclusion though that in His divinity Christ took all my pain as well. 

As with Christ even our works must been done from the heart with love, even as Christ showed love from the cross. 

The presidium is the heart of the parish. Our deeds are the acts of love from Mary to the parish. This deeds we do are the flow of the heart of the mystical body of Christ where Mary resides.  . 

The deeds of the legion are the love of Mary from the heart of the mystical body as the life blood of that body.  

Something I learned this week that I wanted to share. It is a message of being prepared. As a mother as my true mother I am always prepared for her. She is always there. There is not much I have to do to prepare for her at the weekly presidium meeting. Do the readings and the assignment and show up. I would like to be punctual and yet I am not always. As my mother she knows this about me. I would like to be at every meeting and yet I am not always able. . As she pointed out to me at Mass this week, she is always there. The responsibilities of the world, and I am a human being living in the world even though I am not of the world, often times demand preparation. 

A few weeks ago, I was preparing for a job interview, and I debated whether or not I should be excused from the presidium meeting.  I decided it was more important to go. This while not a mistake most likely caused me to lose that opportunity. I would have been better prepared had I stayed and prepared for the interview.  Neither choice was wrong. But the guilt that drove me to the presidium meeting was. As she said to me at Mass when I questioned her about this very simply, I am always here for you, the opportunities in the world come and go. The world's opportunities open and shut. What she said was that she was always there and waiting as a mother and there is no need to guilt myself into a meeting or a deed, for that is duty not love. That is from criticism for which there is no room in the heart of the mystical body.  Deeds are done from love not of duty or fear or guilt. 

Mary as Jesus and the Holy Spirit and Our Father are always there always with me. My Holy family my real family Jesus Mary and Joseph are always there for me. I do not need to guilt myself for their love. They love me. I can take time and prepare for an opportunity the world has to offer for me to use my talents in union with Mary.  She and the Holy Family are with me and love me whether I am at the meeting weekly or preparing for an opportunity the world has to offer.

I am a lay person consecrated to Mary since 2008 I remember when Father Paul signed my book indicating I had complete the consecration work of St. Louis de Montfort. As a lay person she is with me in everyday life and is a part of those opportunities and responsibilities of a lay person in the world. She was with me whether I stayed home form the presidium meeting or attended. The difference is motivated by guilt I was blessed by attending the presidium meeting but may have missed an important blessing of the lay life

The point is that she is always with me and for me wherever I am, and would have been just as satisfied had I stayed home and prepared for the interview. It was I who was judging myself.

I think there is a truth here that applies to our deeds of service for legion. That they be done from the heart and from love and not from a sense of duty or guilt if we do not do them. 

Mary is my mother, Jesus my Brother and my God, St. Joseph is my father they are my family and they are pleased to bless me with opportunity -- these are the deeds of  the legionary.