December forum consecration to Jesus through Mary

33 Days to Morning Glory

DAY 15: Lover of the Heart of Jesus

This week, we'll focus on the example and words of a third great teacher of Marian consecration: Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She's notable for the way she puts Marian consecration into context. In other words, while de Montfort and Kolbe give us the main details of Marian consecration, Mother Teresa helps us to see it more fully within the big picture of a most intimate relationship with Christ. Although we won't immediately begin reflections on her devotion to Mary, we'll get to them soon enough.

Who is Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta? She's easy to understand. All we really need to know are two words: "I thirst." These words of the Heart of Jesus, spoken from his agony on the Cross, were Mother's whole concern, her everything — and the same could be said of Our Lady. The deepest desire of the hearts of both Mother Teresa and the Mother of God is to satiate the thirst of the Heart of Jesus for love and for souls. In this sense, Mother Teresa's life is a revelation of the Heart of Mary and presents one of the richest expressions of Marian consecration. We'll reflect on the details of this revelation and example during many of the days that follow, but first let's ponder an overview of her life as a whole.


Mother Teresa's home parish in her native Macedonia was fittingly called "Sacred Heart." Fittingly, because as she herself said, "From childhood, the Heart of Jesus has been my first love." This love may have begun when, at the age of five, she received the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus for the first time. On that occasion, she experienced the Lord's own burning thirst for souls. Over the years, this thirst grew and blossomed into a conviction at the age of 12 that God was calling her to be a missionary. When she was 18, she joined the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The Loreto Sisters) and applied to go to their missions in Bengal, India, where she was sent the next year. After a year of novitiate, Teresa was assigned to the Loreto community in Calcutta and appointed to teach at St. Mary's Bengali Medium School for girls. The new sister would serve there for more than a decade and a half.

Mother Teresa's years at St. Mary's were happy ones. She was a joyful, generous, hardworking sister. In fact, she was so generous with the Lord that, with the permission of her spiritual director, she made an extraordinary vow: to refuse Jesus nothing. Five years later, Jesus tested this vow in a big way. On September 10, 1946, while on a train to her yearly retreat, the 36-year-old sister experienced what she described as "a call within a call." The details of this call became clearer in the subsequent weeks and months through a flood of mystical experiences that included visions. At the heart of this call was the burning thirst of Jesus for love and for souls and a plea to Teresa to found the Missionaries of Charity religious congregation. Regarding the latter, as if to remind her of the vow she had made, Jesus kept repeating to her, Wilt thou refuse?"

Mother Teresa did not refuse the Lord. After her retreat, she spoke with her spiritual director and, with his permission, contacted the bishop. When the bishop hesitated to approve her plans, she wrote to him: "Don't delay, Your Grace, don't put it off. ... [L]et us take away from the Heart of Jesus His continual suffering." In the same letter, she repeated this idea, "Let us bring joy to the Heart of Jesus, and remove from His Heart those terrible sufferings." Eventually, the bishop gave his approval, and Mother founded the Missionaries of Charity, whose general purpose she described as follows: "To satiate the thirst of Jesus Christ on the Cross for Love and Souls."

From the beginning of the new congregation, Mother Teresa began to experience "such terrible darkness" in her soul "as if everything was dead." At times, it seemed unbearable, and she frequently found herself on the brink of despair. In 1961, she received a light in this darkness. After a conversation with a holy priest, she realized that her painful longing was actually a share in the thirst of Jesus: "For the first time in this 11 years — I have come to love the darkness. — For I believe now that it is a part, a very, very small part of Jesus' darkness and pain on earth." Teresa's experience of darkness and painful longing continued to the end of her life. She found the strength to persevere because, as her spiritual director put it, she realized that the darkness was actually a "mysterious link" that united her to the Heart of Jesus.

What about us? Do we yet realize the mysterious link between the darkness we sometimes experience in our own lives and that of the Lord's suffering? Let us ponder Mother Teresa's words on suffering that come from her own experience and so, like her, become better lovers of the Heart of Jesus:

Suffering has to come because if you look at the cross, he has got his head bending down — he wants to kiss you — and he has both hands open wide — he wants to embrace you. He has his heart opened wide to receive you. Then when you feel miserable inside, look at the cross and you will know what is happening. Suffering, pain, sorrow, humiliation, feelings of loneliness, are nothing but the kiss of Jesus, a sign that you have come so close that he can kiss you. Do you understand, brothers, sisters, or whoever you may be? Suffering, pain, humiliation — this is the kiss of Jesus. At times you come so close to Jesus on the cross that he can kiss you. I once told this to a lady who was suffering very much. She answered, "Tell Jesus not to kiss me — to stop kissing me." That suffering has to come that came in the life of Our Lady, that came in the life of Jesus — it has to come in our life also. Only never put on a long face. Suffering is a gift from God. It is between you and Jesus alone inside.

Today's Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary.
Help me to find the love of the Heart of Jesus hidden in the darkness.
http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-15-Lover-of-the-Heart-of-Jesus-6509

 

PS,

I wanted to say that there's a part of me that misses journeying with you all. I'm just about to wrap up my retreat with St. Elizabeth of the Blessed Trinity. I'm praying for you all. May Mary wrap each of you in her loving Mantle of Maternal intercession!

Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!

 

Thank you for your prayers Mario, and we miss you too!! I hope we will journey in April too. I always viewed this as extra. I am getting a lot out of it with the mindset that sometime soon these events WILL start, so I am trying to savor it all and really take all these readings and reflections in very deeply. It is a different take, and we always learn something new no matter how often we do this. I hope your St. Elizabeth retreat has been very fruitful. I have not had time to read all your thread but it does sound beautiful.

 

Hi Potato Sack

Just to add my thanks. I printed out the whole 33 days the first time and still use that but check in here occasionaly too. It's good to be part of this Consecrating family united in prayer in peace and in purpose.

No pc here right now, just my phone. Listened on utube to The Saints sing Mo Maria, a Maori hymn to Mary, in the departure lounge. I will be flying to my other home in Scotland for Christmas. New Zealand is my main home.

As the Tiny Tim of Dickens fame said,
"God bless us, everyone."

 

True Devotion to Mary

Fourth day Week 1 (Day 16)
From True Devotion To Mary: No. 228


Preparatory Exercises
228. During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and acts of devotion to acquire knowledge of themselves and sorrow for their sins. Let them perform all their actions in a spirit of humility. With this end in view they may, if they wish, meditate on what I have said concerning our corrupted nature, and consider themselves during six days of the week as nothing but sails, slugs, toads, swine, snakes and goats. Or else they may meditate on the following three considerations of St. Bernard: "Remember what you were -corrupted seed; what you are - a body destined for decay; what you will be -food for worms." They will ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to enlighten them saying, "Lord, that I may see," or "Lord, let me know myself," or the "Come, Holy Spirit". Every day they should say the Litany of the Holy Spirit, with the prayer that follows, as indicated in the first part of this work. They will turn to our Blessed Lady and beg her to obtain for them that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

FROM THE IMITATION OF CHRIST: Book 2, Chapter 5
Of Self-consideration
We cannot trust over much to ourselves (Jer. 17:5), because grace oftentimes is wanting to us, and understanding also. Little light is there in us, and this we quickly lose by our negligence. Oftentimes too we perceive not our inward blindness how great it is. Oftentimes we do evil, and excuse it worse (Psalm 141:4). We are sometimes moved with passion, and we think it zeal. We reprehend small things in others, and pass over our own greater matters (Matt. 7:5). Quickly enough we feel and weigh what we suffer at the hands of others; but we mind not how much others suffer from us. He that well and rightly considereth his own works, will find little cause to judge harshly of another.

Prayers
Litany of the Holy Spirit; Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Ave Maris Stella

Prayers can be found in this sticky:
http://motheofgod.com/threads/praye...s-de-montforts-consecration.9040/#post-128217

St. Louis de Montfort - Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary - Preliminary Twelve Days

 

33 Days to Morning Glory

DAY 16: 'The Gift God Gave September 10th'

In the overview of Mother Teresa's life that we reflected on yesterday, recall that one crucial event changed everything: the September 10th "call within a call," the experience of Jesus' thirst for love and for souls. For many years, Mother Teresa did not speak about this experience to anyone except her spiritual director. Then, four years before her death, on March 25, 1993, after reading a Lenten message of Pope John Paul II on "I Thirst," she felt moved to reveal her secret in a letter to her Missionaries of Charity. Because this letter seems to reveal the heart of Mother Teresa better than anything else, I'll now cite it at length, and it will constitute our entire reflection for today:

After reading Holy Father's letter on "I Thirst," I was struck so much — I cannot tell you what I felt. His letter made me realize more than ever how beautiful is our vocation. ... [W]e are reminding [the] world of His thirst, something that was being forgotten. ... Holy Father's letter is a sign ... to go more into what is this great thirst of Jesus for each one. It is also a sign for Mother, that the time has come for me to speak openly of [the] gift God gave Sept. 10th — to explain [as] fully as I can what means for me the thirst of Jesus. ...

Jesus wants me to tell you again ... how much love He has for each one of you — beyond all you can imagine. I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus — one to one — you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel — but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus — not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you? Ask for the grace, He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying "I thirst" in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person — not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say "I love you" — impossible. Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead — meditation only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him — speaking in the silence of your heart.


Be careful of all that can block that personal contact with the living Jesus. The Devil may try to use the hurts of life, and sometimes our own mistakes — to make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves you, is really cleaving to you. This is a danger for all of us. And so sad, because it is completely opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you. Not only that He loves you, but even more — He longs for you. He misses you when you don't come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don't feel worthy. When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes — He is the one who always accepts you. My children, you don't have to be different for Jesus to love you. Only believe — you are precious to Him. Bring all you are suffering to His feet — only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are. He will do the rest.

You all know in your mind that Jesus loves you — but in this letter Mother wants to touch your heart instead. ... That is why I ask you to read this letter before the Blessed Sacrament, the same place it was written, so Jesus Himself can speak to you each one.

... His words on the wall of every MC chapel ["I Thirst"], they are not from the past only, but alive here and now, spoken to you. Do you believe it? If so, you will hear, you will feel His presence. Let it become as intimate for each of you, just as for Mother — this is the greatest joy you could give me. Mother will try to help you understand — but Jesus Himself must be the one to say to you "I Thirst." Hear your own name. Not just once. Every day. If you listen with your heart, you will hear, you will understand.

Why does Jesus say "I Thirst"? What does it mean? Something so hard to explain in words — if you remember anything from Mother's letter, remember this — "I thirst" is something much deeper than Jesus just saying "I love you." Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you — you can't begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him.

... [Our Lady] was the first person to hear Jesus' cry "I Thirst" with St. John, and I am sure Mary Magdalen. Because Our Lady was there on Calvary, she knows how real, how deep is His longing for you and for the poor. Do we know? Do we feel as she? Ask her to teach ... . Her role is to bring you face to face, as John and Magdalen, with the love in the Heart of Jesus crucified. Before it was Our Lady pleading with Mother, now it is Mother in her name pleading with you —"listen to Jesus' thirst." Let it be for each ... a Word of Life.

How do you approach the thirst of Jesus? Only one secret — the closer you come to Jesus, the better you will know His thirst. "Repent and believe," Jesus tells us. What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What are we to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor — He knows your weakness, He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you. He is not bound by time. Whenever we come close to Him — we become partners of Our Lady, St. John, Magdalen. Hear Him. Hear your own name. Make my joy and yours complete.

Today's Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary.
Help me listen to Jesus' thirst.

http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-16-The-Gift-God-Gave-September-10th-6510

 

I believe I have not really met Jesus - one to one.
I don't really know the living Jesus; only what I read and hear about Him. I have never heard the loving words He speaks to me.

Daily at mass, I pray for the grace to hear Jesus speak to me. But I have not heard an answer. The only thing I have is Faith, and this, too, I received after praying a whole year for it, when I attended the RCIA.

Anyone else in the same boat as me? Or can understand my longing to encounter Jesus?

 

I can tell you that I've always felt spiritually immature. I've done Holy Hours, daily Mass, daily Rosary for decades and nothing! I now realize it's probably mostly my spiritual stubbornness. I don't know if it's been consciously done or just became I'm not a very emotional person. But a few years ago I began praying the Seven Sorrows Chaplet of Our Lady. Then I began just meditating on the individual mysteries of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, no prayers just trying to understand her sorrow at seeing her Son suffer and it would take almost an hour to put myself in her situation and realize how Our Lady suffered her entire life but especially at these points in her life. I would get emotional while thinking about it. One night I woke up and I felt her presence. Just a few seconds while laying down in bed and I felt an enormous peace. I still pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet daily but I don't do it any justice because my mind is constantly wandering. But when I just sit and think about the individual Mysteries I am imagining being a witness to everything Our Lord suffered I feel I have grown a little spiritually (maybe 1%!). So you are not alone! But this is what helped me to realize there's another side to prayer which I never did and even though I have very little time to mediate on the Mysteries I pray that God takes my spiritual infancy and will help me to grow. I'm so anxious for the gifts of the Holy Spirit! As of now I've not experienced the Holy Spirit but I know God will give this to me when I'm ready.

God Bless!

 

SgC, we are not supposed to desire to see visions or hear voices. The devil can take advantage of that and he will be happy to provide false ones for you.
If you mean you just want to become closer to Jesus then just pray to Him and tell Him you want to love Him with your whole heart and your whole being. I am sure He will answer in His good time.

 

Thank you Bernadette. I feel that you understand where I'm coming from. Meditation is difficult for me. My mind wanders so.

 

I believe Jesus provides us with what we need. My only guess is you have not been in a situation where you have needed this type of consolation or grace, and therefore must continue on with the faith that He loves you as Mother Theresa describes. In a way I think it is a blessing you have not needed this grace, although I understand you longing for it.

I believe I have received the grace Mother Theresa describes and I was most surprised, since I was not seeking it. But my situation was that I was being crushed by my crosses. I won't go into detail, but I was at a low with no job but some part-time retail gigs, I had to move in with family, then my family saying they did not expect me to need to live with them for this long so I needed to find another place to live, a big problem hanging over my head that I did not have the finances to resolve so therefore I did not know how to address it which was causing me a ton of fear and anxiety. I had tried so many ways to re-invent myself in a new career and was getting nowhere and I was a terrible burden to my family. And this all had been going on for a few years. So, I was exasperated and drove about an hour to the Betania Center here in Massachusetts for a day with my Lord looking for answers on what I was supposed to do next. I remember driving there thinking Jesus, I need some answers...your will is the only way out of this but you need to tell me what that is...I am done guessing because I always get it wrong...just tell me. So, I go into the adoration chapel and walk up to the front row and sit down and say ok Jesus, what do I need to do to get this cross off of my back. I heard clear as day "it all starts with trust". I knew it was Him because you just know when that happens to you. So, I knew He had told me the answer to my questions but I still wasn't clear what my next action item should be. But anyway, after a little more time in adoration I went to do the stations of the cross and in the middle of doing that was when I had the moment Mother Theresa describes. I forget which station, but suddenly I felt how much Jesus loved me...like this overwhelming inner feeling of his love for me so much so that I started to cry. And I am not an emotional person and am not one to cry, but wow, just an amazing feeling of being loved, so I knew it was some extraordinary grace. I say I did not expect it because I was not blaming God for my crosses, as I knew they were for my overall sanctification, so it was not like I was in the state of mind that Jesus did not love me. So, I was so surprised that He gave me the inner feeling of how much he loved me. It gave me a lot of peace.

So, I have had the grace of Jesus speaking to me often, but it is because I am still working through this cross. It has gotten better, but I still can's support myself so it is not over until I get a better job. So I think this is the type of grace reserved for extreme situations. In my case it was when I was at an extreme low. I think what I have received is a fore-taste of what we will all experience when the chastisements start. I have no doubt you will hear his voice full of comfort and consolations as we face extreme situations. But Jesus reaches out to us daily, especially if we are longing for Him. Maybe ask Him to open your eyes to the way he is reaching out to you? I have no doubt that He is...how could he not when you long to hear from him?

 

Have you ever tried any prayer apps? That is all I use. There are great rosary and divine mercy apps where the prayers are said out loud with music, and lots of scripture so it helps me with my meditation. In fact, I really focus on the meditations while the prayers are in the background. I have not found a 7 sorrows app, but would love it if I do. When the grid goes down I will be in a lot of trouble as I will have to pray the old fashioned way

 

True Devotion to Mary

Fifth day Week 1From True Devotion: No. 228 (Day 17)

Of Judgment, and the Punishment of Sinners
In all things look to the end; and how thou wilt stand before that strict Judge (Heb. 10:31) to whom nothing is hid, who is not appeased with gifts, nor admitteth excuses, but will judge according to right. O wretched and foolish sinner, who sometimes art in terror at the countenance of an angry man, what answer wilt thou make to God who knoweth all thy wickedness (Job 9:2)! Why dost thou not provide for thyself (Luke 16:9) against the day of judgement, when no man can be excused of defended by another, but every one shall be a sufficient burden for himself!

St. Luke: Chapter 16:1-8
The Crafty Steward
1 He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 And he called him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' 3 And the steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.' 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 He said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

Prayers
Litany of the Holy Spirit; Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Ave Maris Stella

Prayers can be found in this sticky:
http://motheofgod.com/threads/praye...s-de-montforts-consecration.9040/#post-128217
St. Louis de Montfort - Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary - Preliminary Twelve Days

 

33 Days to Morning Glory

DAY 17: The Visions of 1947

Several months after Mother Teresa first felt her "call within a call," she experienced three visions that further expressed her calling. In the first vision, she saw a huge crowd of all kinds of people that included the very poor and children. The people in the crowd had their hands raised toward her and were calling out, "Come, come, save us — bring us to Jesus."

In the second vision, the same great crowd was there, and this time Mother Teresa could see the immense sorrow and suffering in their faces. She was kneeling near Our Lady, who was facing the crowd. Although she couldn't see Mary's face, she could hear what she said: "Take care of them — they are mine. — Bring them to Jesus — carry Jesus to them. — Fear not."

In the third vision, the same great crowd was there again, but they were covered in darkness. Despite this, Teresa could see them. Within this scene, Jesus hung on the Cross, and Our Lady was a little distance away. Teresa, as a little child, was just in front of Mary. Mary's left hand rested on Teresa's left shoulder and her right hand held Teresa's right arm. Both of them were facing the Cross, and Jesus spoke to Teresa:

I have asked you. They have asked you, and she, My Mother, has asked you. Will you refuse to do this for Me — to take care of them, to bring them to Me?

Notice the role of Our Lady in these visions. She is there, helping Teresa to hear the desire of the Lord's Heart and to see the suffering of the crowd. She is there as a Mother with her "little child," facing Jesus and the crowd together. She gives comfort and support to Teresa, just as she did to St. John at the foot of the Cross. Father Joseph Langford, MC, co-founder of the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, reflects on the meaning of these visions:

Without Our Lady, we would be ... alone before the crosses of life, oblivious to Jesus in our midst. In times of trial, we are often like the poor in Mother Teresa's vision, covered in darkness, unaware that Jesus is there in the midst of us. [W]ithout the fidelity [Our Lady] gave to Mother Teresa, the world would not have heard those words [I thirst], or seen them lived out, today.

It turns out that Our Lady was specially present to Mother Teresa not only in these visions but also during the original, September 10th grace. On the 50th anniversary of that blessed day, Mother shared something new: "If Our Lady had not been with me that day, I never would have known what Jesus meant when he said, 'I thirst.'" What was Teresa getting at? What she meant comes to light when we reflect again on the Marian dimension of the March 25th letter on "I Thirst":

... [Our Lady] was the first person to hear Jesus' cry "I Thirst" with St. John, and I am sure Mary Magdalen. Because Our Lady was there on Calvary, she knows how real, how deep is His longing for you and for the poor. Do we know? Do we feel as she? Ask her to teach ... . Her role is to bring you face to face, as John and Magdalen, with the love in the Heart of Jesus crucified. Before it was Our Lady pleading with Mother, now it is Mother in her name pleading with you —"listen to Jesus' thirst."

This passage gets to the heart of Mother Teresa's relationship with Mary, and nothing summarizes it better than this golden line: [Our Lady's] role is to bring you face to face ... with the love in the Heart of Jesus crucified.

Today's Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary.
Bring me face to face with the love in the Heart of Jesus crucified.

http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-17-The-Visions-of-1947-6511

 

Thank you PotatoSack for sharing this. It is a powerful testimony, and I feel the joy on your behalf, for having those 'moments'. How absolutely wonderful it must be to experience our Lord's love and to hear Him too.
I will also continue to keep you in my prayers. God Bless you.

 

So I have just completed the first 12 days of detachment from the world. I know it was a 12 day exercise, but it is really a life-long quest for me. A conscience daily decision to not get caught up in the world and all its trappings. Keep life simple and try to align my will with the will of God. I have been thinking of what I could do during this consecration that I could offer as a penance and further align my will with the will of God. I think what I will do for this is add to my day just some basic physical exercises. It is God's will that we take care of our bodies and I used to be in great shape a few years ago when I had the time for a self defense class I took. But that door in my life has been shut and I have not exercised since. But there is a great website called darebee.com, and they have 30 day challenges of basic or more advance exercises that you don't need a lot of time, skill, or equipment for. I have picked out 2 challenges that I will do for the next 30 days and will offer it up as penance (planks, push-ups, and burpees...yuck!) and will also try to use it as a way to have more discipline in my life. And I do think when these chastisements hit, it will be an advantage to be in decent physical shape, or at least the best shape we can be in.

I believe the greatest obstacle for me to grow further in holiness is myself...my stubborn will and ways. How will I overcome myself? I will focus on:

-turning my weaknesses into gifts for our lady, especially my natural instinct to procrastinate. It totally goes against my nature to get stuff done right away and I am a terrible procrastinator. We must overcome ourselves by fighting against the things that are hardest and most contrary to ourselves...fighting our spirit.
-turning away from temptation right away. as was in our readings earlier, if we don't resist temptations right away, they get a greater hold on us.
-be conscience of what is my will and the will of God. As Kolbe states, God's will (W) plus my will (w) must come together for me to be a saint. I need to constantly be aware of God's will for my life and continue to strive for that so my will at some point does not exist.

It is a daily decision, a daily struggle. But let us never tire or be afraid of the labor that is necessary for the struggle to live a life of holiness and truly change our lives and our lady will help us to change our hearts so we have true conversion.

 

True Devotion to Mary

Sixth day Week 1 (Day 18)
St. Luke: Chapter 17:1-10

On Leading Others Astray
1 And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.

Brotherly Correction
3 Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."

The Power of Faith
5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, 'Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

Humble Service
7 "Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down at table? 8 Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

Imitation: Book 3, Chapter 47
That All Grievous Things Are to Be Endured For the Sake of Eternal Life
My son, be not wearied out by the labors which thou hast undertaken for My sake, nor let tribulation cast thee down ever at all; but let My promise strengthen and comfort thee under every circumstance. I am well able to reward thee, above all measure and degree. Thou shalt not long toil here, nor always be oppressed with griefs. Wait a little while, and thou shalt see a speedy end of thine evils.

Prayers
Litany of the Holy Spirit; Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Ave Maris Stella

Prayers can be found in this sticky:
http://motheofgod.com/threads/praye...s-de-montforts-consecration.9040/#post-128217
St. Louis de Montfort - Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary - Preliminary Twelve Days

 

33 Days to Morning Glory

DAY 18: The Immaculate Heart of Mary

Mary's role is to bring us face to face with the love in the Heart of Jesus crucified. But what if when we're there with him, "face to face," we don't feel moved? What if we stand before a crucifix, ponder the Lord's Passion, and feel little or nothing? What if our hearts are hard and insensitive because of our sins? This happens. We all sin, and sin hardens hearts. Aridity and desolation also happen, regardless of our sins. Whatever the reason, our hearts can be cold and unfeeling, and this can be a problem. Thankfully, the one who has a sinless, perfect, immaculate heart will help us. She'll give us her compassionate heart. She'll even let us live in her heart! If only we'll give her ours.

During our week with St. Louis de Montfort, we learned that when we consecrate ourselves to Mary, we give our whole selves to her, and Mary then gives her whole self to us. The emphasis that week was on merits: If we give our merits to Mary, she gives her merits to us. This is a marvelous thing. Yet Mother Teresa gives a bit of a different emphasis to all this. Her concern is with the heart. In other words, her version of a total consecration to Mary focuses on a kind of exchange of hearts: We give Mary our hearts, and she gives us her Immaculate Heart. For Mother Teresa, this gift of Mary's heart through consecration essentially means two things that are expressed by two simple prayers: "Lend me your heart" and "Keep me in your most pure heart."


First, "Lend me your heart." By this prayer, Mother Teresa asked Our Lady to give her the love of her heart. In other words, she says, "Mary, help me to love with the perfect love of your Immaculate Heart." Remember, Mother Teresa's passionate desire was to satiate the thirst of Jesus for love, and she wanted to do this in the best way possible. What better way to love Jesus than with the perfect, humble, immaculate Heart of his mother? Here, Mother Teresa found the secret to living out her vocation to the full: "Mary, lend me your Immaculate Heart."

But can Mary really give us her heart? Of course, there's something piously poetic in this idea. Yet there's truth in it. When Mother Teresa often said to Mary, "Lend me your heart," she meant it. Did she suppose that the physical organ of her heart would be removed from her body and that Mary would come down from heaven and give her hers? Of course not. The physical organ of the heart is itself but a symbol of a deeper, spiritual reality. "The heart" refers to one's inner life and the seat of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit. Now we come to the heart of the heart of the matter.

Recall our week with St. Maximilian Kolbe and how he emphasized the bond between the Holy Spirit and Mary. He said that Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit and that their union goes even deeper than a spousal union. He went on to say things like this: "The Holy Spirit does not act except through the Immaculata, his spouse. Hence, she is the Mediatrix of all the graces of the Holy Spirit." So, if we want to love Jesus completely, ardently, and perfectly — as did Mother Teresa — then we need his Spirit of Love, and Mary Immaculate brings him to us. Let us pray, "Mary, lend us your Heart. Bring us the Spirit. Pray that our hardened hearts would burn with love for Jesus. Help set our hearts on fire with love for him."

The second prayer is "Keep me in your most pure heart." Or, stated more fully, one prays, "Immaculate Heart of Mary, keep me in your most pure heart, so that I may please Jesus through you, in you, and with you." This part of Mother Teresa's consecration to Mary is the most profound. She's not just asking for Mary's heart to be in her but for her to be in Mary's heart! So, this is a prayer to love Jesus through Mary, in Mary, and with Mary. This is something more than simply having Mary lend us her heart. To understand and live it requires a loving dependence and profound union with Mary. The day after tomorrow, we'll cover what this means and how we get there. Tomorrow, we'll learn more about Mary's attitude of heart.

Today's Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, Living in Mary.
Keep me in her most pure and Immaculate Heart.
http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-18-The-Immaculate-Heart-of-Mary-6512

 

True Devotion to Mary

Seventh day Week 1 (Day 19)

St. Luke: Chapter 18:15-30

Jesus and the Children
15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

The Rich Aristocrat
18 And a ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'" 21 And he said, "All these I have observed from my youth." 22 And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 23 But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich.

The Danger of Riches
24 Jesus looking at him said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" 27 But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

The Reward of Renunciation
28 And Peter said, "Lo, we have left our homes and followed you." 29 And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there is no man who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive manifold more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life."

Prayers
Litany of the Holy Spirit; Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Ave Maris Stella

Prayers can be found in this sticky:
http://motheofgod.com/threads/praye...s-de-montforts-consecration.9040/#post-128217

St. Louis de Montfort - Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary - Preliminary Twelve Days

Tomorrow we will begin Week 2 and new daily prayers as well as daily recitation of the Rosary (if you are not already praying it).

 

33 Days to Morning Glory

DAY 19: Heart-Pondering Prayer

Are you ready for your consecration to Mary? If not, then get ready! As I said in the beginning, after Consecration Day, everything changes. A gloriously new day dawns in our spiritual lives. Indeed, when we give Mary our "yes," she begins to arrange all the events and details of our lives in such beautiful, tender, and loving ways. So, we need to get ready. Specifically, we need to get ready to recognize the multitude of mercies that will come to us through her Spouse, the Holy Spirit.

Oftentimes, we don't recognize the many gifts that God pours out to us in our daily lives. What we do recognize are daily annoyances, burdens, difficulties, and inconveniences. These win our attention. These get us complaining. These get us in a bad mood and sap our energy. Wouldn't it be a tragedy if, after we started receiving even more gifts and graces through our consecration, we didn't change this negative attitude? Yes, it would be. So, we need to get ready, and Mother Teresa will help us.


Mother Teresa lived in some of the poorest environments on earth. She had to put up with burning heat, bad breath, stuffy rooms, nagging fatigue, endless responsibilities, bland food, hard beds, body odor, cold water bathing, and an agonizingly deep spiritual aridity. Yet, despite all this, she radiated joy. She smiled. She marveled at the good things God did in her life and in the lives of others, and she pondered the countless loving details arranged by Our Lady. Seeing and recognizing all this, she didn't complain.

How did Mother Teresa develop such a spiritual sensitivity and attitude of gratitude? What was her secret? Two things.

First, she followed the example of Mary who was always "pondering in her heart" the "good things" that God was doing in her life (see Luke 2:19, 51). Of course, like Mother Teresa, Mary also lived in poverty and surely bore her share of darkness in prayer. Yet she also found God in the details, pondered his goodness in her heart, and responded with praise: "Magnificat!' Indeed, she praised and thanked God in all things, because she found God in all things and pondered deeply in her heart his many signs of love.

Second, Mother Teresa followed the example of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the soldier saint and master of practical prayer. Specifically, she lived his method of making a daily examination of conscience ("examen"), whereby one reviews the day, at the end of the day, in the presence of the Lord. Contrary to what people often think about the examen, it's not simply a laundry list of sins. In fact, Ignatius directs people to spend most of their time reflecting not on sins but on the blessings of the day. It's really an exercise in recognizing the good things God is doing in our lives and how we are or are not responding to his love. It's an imitation of Mary's attitude of heart-pondering prayer. (To learn a method of making the examen, see [endnote 73 in the print edition of 33 Days to Morning Glory].)

God is always showering his love and mercy down on us in so many ways. It's important that we begin to recognize these blessings and thank him for them, especially because this shower of blessings is going to turn into a torrent of grace once we consecrate ourselves to Mary. So, let's get ready. Let's remember that, according to Mother Teresa, one important way that we live out our consecration is by recognizing God's blessings and pondering them, with Mary, deeply in our hearts. Such heart-pondering prayer leads to praise and thanks, and praise and thanks sets us on fire with divine love.

Today's Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary.
Help me to recognize and ponder in my heart all the good you do for me.
http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-19-Heart-Pondering-Prayer-6515