There is much talk nowadays about finding yourself, knowing yourself, finding your true “self”? But what is self-knowledge?

“Know Yourself” was carved on the Temple portal at Delphi in ancient Greece, centuries before the birth of Christ.

Since that time, philosophers and thinkers and enthusiasts have been fascinated by this simple yet profound phrase [imperative], and have attempted to unravel all the depths of meaning that are hidden within it.

What does it mean to “know yourself”?

How would you go about finding self-knowledge?

What is the “self”, in the first place?

Is it the “soul”? Is it your “identity”?

Is it the knowledge of your own strengths, powers, and capacities?

Or is there more to it?

The search for self-knowledge is a search for the fulness of wisdom.

For it seems that self-knowledge, once discovered, would bestow all manner of wisdom and understanding, so that the soul would no longer falter, stumble, or digress from its glorious destiny.

The prize of self-knowledge promises to impart the fulness of wisdom to the soul and to set the soul firmly and irrevocably upon the path of peace, joy, and fulfillment.

But again, how does one find self-knowledge? The most straightforward and perfect way to find yourself is to first find the Lord—because your true identity is hidden in God.

When God created you, it was God’s “idea” of you that formed the blueprint for your own human nature, your gifts and attributes, and your destiny.

But what is the easiest way to find the Lord?

St Louis de Montfort taught that the easiest and most effective way to find Jesus is to give yourself totally and completely to our holy Mother Mary, to enter (through consecration) into the Immaculate Heart of Mary because no one knows and loves Jesus as much as His own Mother.

In fact, says Saint Louis, the Lord dwells in Mary as in His own Paradise.

When the whole universe could not contain the Lord, Mary was found to be His perfect home. Jesus is hidden in the holy Bosom of Mary more truly and perfectly than anywhere else in the universe—even more than in Heaven itself.

Therefore, the easiest way to find the Lord is in the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Now there are two indispensable ways which enable us to enter the Immaculate Heart of Mary: the positive way (what to do) and the negative way (what to avoid).

1. Positive way: 

Consecrate yourself to Mary. Set aside some time every day to contemplate her life.

Look to Mary, contemplate her life, virtues and deeds, relinquish your own thoughts and ways in order to contemplate her life more perfectly, let go of your own habits and reasonings in order to see her more clearly, and thus enter more fully and completely into her holy Bosom, her Immaculate Heart, for there you will find her Divine Son more easily and perfectly than in any other way, and, in finding Jesus, you will also find your true self.

The gift of Mary and the gift of the Holy Spirit are the greatest gifts which the Lord has given us. And the Holy Spirit loves to abide where His Immaculate Spouse Mary is honoured, loved and imitated. Mary is the easiest and most secure and most perfect way to find the Lord, as St Louis de Montfort proclaimed. 

2. Negative way:

Turn away from sin, let go of anger, hatred and resentment, else you have already strayed from your true self. If you return evil for evil, if you hate those who hate you then you have effectively distanced yourself from the holy Mother.

If you participate in another’s sin, if you return evil for evil then you have effectively strayed from your true self.

And if perchance you have strayed from your true self then you are no longer grounded in the knowledge of your truest needs, your deepest desires, your greatest good, and an authentic knowledge of your true identity. 

Therefore, return to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for she loves to lead and guide all souls to her divine Son, Jesus Christ, with the unfailing power of her intercession, through the perfect virtue of her divine Love, and in her one and only Immaculate Heart wherein she adores and loves her Son and Lord unto the ages of ages.

LG Sleiman