2016 Forum Consecration to Jesus through Mary

And I trust she has us covered

 

Thank you Charity. Could you explain a little further.... If I pray for my wife,children, family and other intentions every night, do I just pray to the BVM instead with her knowing all my intentions?

 

I came across this which potato sack posted in December- does this help answer?: it is what I mean but said better than me


"It is true that when you consecrate yourself to Jesus through Mary, you give our Lady your prayers, sacrifices, and good works so she may do whatever she wants with them. Our Lady takes our prayers and distributes them for her intentions. At first I was taken aback by this, as in all honesty I decided to do the consecration before knowing all that was involved, so this really surprised me when I read it. But in a way, it took a huge burden off my shoulders in the sense that my prayer intentions for all my family, friends, world peace, ending abortion, our church, pope, priests, community, etc. was so long I never felt I was praying enough or I was worried that I might be praying a lot for my brother when maybe my sister needed the prayers more, but how am I supposed to know how to divide my prayer time for all of the intentions.

So that worry...gone. My prayers go up...and our Lady takes them and uses them in the most productive and efficient manner where they are most needed. Of course I still pray for specific intentions, but I try to do that in addition to my rosary for our Lady. Or I do an intention through our Lady. Either way I don't have to worry about what I pray for anymore...my mother takes care of it. Fasting, indulgences, whatever I offer up throughout the day, walking with a pebble in my shoe, sleeping without a pillow (ok, I don't do that)...it all goes to our Lady."

 

Thanks, if I understand correctly, (I'm a little dense today I think.....), I still pray as I did but offer them all through our BVM and she does the rest, which is similar to how I pray now where I ask her for intercession on my behalf with her son.

 

That is a good question! So in looking it up I found this:

Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903): Granted a Plenary Indulgence to those who make Saint Louis De Montfort’s act of consecration to the Blessed Virgin.
True Devotion To Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort


Since no pope has granted a Plenary Indulgence for the Gaitely version, I would say no.

 

Yes, it's the one I posted on our Resources thread - has a greyish cover with a statue of St Louis. Only a little book, and available from Amazon. I put the uk Amazon link on that post but here's the US one:
http://www.amazon.com/Preparation-T...on+according+to+saint+louis+marie+de+montfort
You can get a used one for a dollar.

 

Like others here I've struggled with this, for one thing it's a habit to speak to Jesus... Potato Sack said on an earlier consecration thread that when we give all to Our Lady she takes us on as we are and teaches us, gradually, forming us into her children. Somewhere else a point was made that we all live the consecration differently - perhaps Gaitley says it, I forget. But it does seem to be true. Each of us is different and we are all a work in progress, we may not see instant results, but over time it will be clear how she has been teaching us. I've been consecrated for two years and although previously I wouldn't have called myself a Marian soul (I made the consecration because it seemed logical in the Storm that is now upon us) I feel drawn to reconsecrate myself.

 

I am doing 33 Days to Merciful Love....Fr Michael Gaitley's newest sequel to 33 Days to Morning Glory....

 

great question...and I have no idea on the answer I would have to say no since I have never heard that you can get the indulgence. I may pop an e-mail to the divine mercy shrine in stockbridge and see if they answer...as now you have my curiosity up!

 

From Fr. Gaitley's Day 2:
When Louis received this disappointing news, he told the thousands of people who had gathered for the blessing ceremony, "We had hoped to build a Calvary here. Let us build it in our hearts. Blessed be God."

Each day has some twists and turns which may disappoint, bring joy, challenge, or even change our direction. Work for me today doled out some disappointment. I had to order myself to say, "Blessed be God." And may I make room in my heart for Our Lady each day!

St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!

 

I guess let me try to answer your question with how I went about it. Before my consecration, I had a very long list of prayer intentions, mainly for my family and friends, but then other concerns too. But my primary concerns were the well being and salvation of my family and friends, and I would maybe say my rosary for my brother one day, then my sister the next then something else would pop up and I felt the need to pray for that and then I need a job so I do a weeks worth of rosaries for that intention, etc. I felt like I had too much to pray for and not enough prayer time...which I am sure we all feel.

When I started to really live my marian consecration, I just said my rosary for our lady's intentions and that is it. I still do pray for specific intentions, like if someone dies, or an urgent need comes up, or prayers for forum members, etc., and in those cases I try my very best to do those as extra prayers so that I am still offering our lady a rosary for her intentions. Or if I don't have time for the extra prayers, I will pray for a specific intention asking our lady's intercession.

So, like Charity and others have posted, the struggle is not starting your rosary with a list of my own intentions. As that is a habit I had to break along with calling out to Jesus first for my needs. I just remind myself that when I pray for our lady's intentions, she is augmenting my prayers so they go a lot further than if I just prayed them on my own for my own intentions. And it is a leap of faith and an act of trust to confidently and firmly believe she knows all our worries, concerns, hopes, dreams, family situations, and personal intentions and that she will have your back on all of them!! She won't be out-done in her generosity if you are generously praying for her intentions. I think over time this aspect of marian consecration will give you great peace, knowing our lady is taking a special interest in your needs and concerns.

Gaitley does speak on this very subject on one of the days, so we'll be reading more about it. Also, I think I posted about this in the beginning of the why marian consecration thread. I hope this helps!

 

You will have to let us know how you like it...and add to the resource thread You can't really go wrong with Fr. Gaitely!

 

Yes Mario...as most people know here I hate my job as I am under-employed and I was in my car getting ready to walk up that parking lot into work and I was complaining to our lady how much I hated my job and I would offer it up to her and the thought was put in my head that my job is a gift from God. I have made a greater effort to not complain about my cross since then...although I am still not in the place to say Blessed be God...my mother please mould me!!

 

True Devotion to Mary

Third Day
St. Matthew: Chapter 7: 1-14

Judge not, that you may not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye? Or how sayest thou to thy brother: let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam of thy own eye and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy to dogs. Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet: and turning upon you, they tear you. Ask, and it shall be given you: seek and you shall find: Knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man of whom if his son shall ask bread will be reach him a stone? Or, if be shall ask him a fish: will he reach him a serpent? If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, bow much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him? All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do also to them. For this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye into the narrow gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate and straight is the way that leadeth to life, and few are there that find it!

Prayers
Veni Creator Spiritus, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, Glory Be

Prayers can be found in this sticky:
http://motheofgod.com/threads/prayers-recited-during-st-louis-de-montforts-consecration.9040/

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

 

33 Days to Morning Glory

DAY 3: De Montfort's Consecration (Part One)
Okay, so on the first day of this week, we asked for a greater passion and zeal in making our preparation for consecration. Then, yesterday, we pondered the incredible influence that de Montfort's brief life has had on the Church. The powerful testimony of authorities no less than Popes should have further fired our zeal and gotten us reflecting, "What is this amazingly influential teaching of a priest who only lived to be 43?" Of course, it's his teaching on Marian consecration, but what exactly does this mean?

Recall the summary of Marian consecration in the introduction to this retreat. There I presented consecration as our giving a "yes" to Mary, allowing her to fulfill in us her God-given task of forming us into other Christs. And that's all true. But there's more. Saint Louis gives two key emphases in his teaching on Marian consecration that expand what we've already read about it. These two emphases are (1) a renewal of our baptismal vows and (2) a particularly intimate gift of ourselves to Mary. Let's look at each of these in turn (one today and one tomorrow).


The day of our Baptism is the most significant in each of our lives. It's when we poor, sinful creatures are not only cleansed of sin but also given the amazing dignity and honor of being transformed into sons and daughters of the almighty God. On that joyous occasion, before we received this amazing grace, we solemnly promised (or if we were infants, others promised in our name) to reject Satan, and then we (or others in our name) professed our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. Then, every Easter, we solemnly renew this promise and commitment. But do we keep it? Are we true to our word? No. We all sin. Sadly, we all give in to Satan's "pomps and works" and reject Christ, at least in little ways.

Why does this happen? The simple answer is original sin: We have a fallen nature and we're prone to sin. That's true, but St. Louis invites us to go deeper and examine our consciences. If we do, we'll discover that a principal reason why we fall into sin is because of forgetfulness, forgetfulness of our promise and commitment to Christ at Baptism. De Montfort suggests that if we were to personally and sincerely renew our baptismal vows and place them in the hands of Mary, then this act alone would go a long way in helping us overcome sin in our lives. Therefore, he makes such a renewal of vows an essential element of his prayer of consecration. In fact, in the very first paragraph of this prayer, he has us address Mary and pray to her as follows:

I, (name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before.

So, St. Louis has us attack sin right at its root — Satan and his pomps and works — has us recommit our lives to Christ, and has us do all of this with and through Mary. Why through Mary? Because God has put enmity between her and Satan (see Gen 3:15), and Satan can't stand her. In fact, according to St. Louis, Satan fears her not only more than the angels and saints but, in a sense, even more than God himself! Why? Because, as he puts it, "Satan, being proud, suffers infinitely more from being beaten and punished by a little and humble handmaid of God, and her humility humbles him more than the divine power." So, de Montfort gives us a practical and effective way to overcome sin in our lives: formally renounce Satan and recommit ourselves to Christ, through Mary. We'll hear more about Mary's power over evil on the last day of this week. Tomorrow, we'll reflect on the second element of St. Louis's consecration, the particularly intimate gift of ourselves to Mary. Today, let's reflect on the promise we made at our Baptism to reject Satan and to love and follow Christ.

Today's Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary.
Give me the grace to reject Satan and follow Christ more closely.

http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-3-De-Montforts-Consecration-Part-One-6479

 

so far loving it, as a Carmelite...its focus is St. Therese...as a Divine Mercy devotee, another focus is Faustina....to bring us to Jesus!

 

Donna,

You have great companions there! More armor for the battle!

Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!

 

True Devotion to Mary

Fourth Day

Imitation of Christ (Thomas a'Kempis): Book 3, Chapters 7, 40



That man has no good of himself, and that he cannot glory in anything Lord, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him; or the son of man, that Thou visit him? What has man deserved that Thou should give him grace? Lord, what cause have I to complain, if Thou forsakest me, or what can I justly allege, if what I petition Thou shalt not grant? This most assuredly, I may truly think and say: Lord I am nothing, I can do nothing of myself, that is good, but I am in all things defective and ever tend to nothing. And unless I am assisted and interiorly instructed by Thee, I become wholly tepid and relaxed, but Thou, 0 Lord, art always the same, and endurest unto eternity, ever good, just and holy, doing all things well, justly and holily and disposing them in wisdom.

But I who am more inclined to go back, than to go forward, continue not always in one state, for I am changed, seven different times. But it quickly becomes better when it pleases Thee, and Thou stretchest out Thy helping hand: for Thou alone, without man's aid can assist me and so strengthen me, that my countenance shall be more diversely changed: but my heart be converted and find its rest in Thee alone.

He who would be too secure in time of peace will often be found too much dejected in time of war. If you could always continue to be humble and little in your own eyes, and keep your spirit in due order and subjection, you would not fall so easily into danger and offense. It is good counsel that, when you have conceived the spirit of fervor, you should meditate how it will be when that light shall be withdrawn.


Prayers
Veni Creator Spiritus, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, Glory Be

Prayers can be found in this sticky:
http://motheofgod.com/threads/prayers-recited-during-st-louis-de-montforts-consecration.9040/

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

 

33 Days to Morning Glory

DAY 4: De Montfort's Consecration (Part Two)

Yesterday, I said that St. Louis gives two special emphases in his teaching on Marian consecration: (1) a renewal of our baptismal vows and (2) a particularly intimate gift of ourselves to Mary. We covered the first emphasis yesterday. Now let's look at the second, beginning by asking the question, "Why should we give ourselves to Mary?"

We should give ourselves to Mary in imitation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After all, didn't Jesus give himself to Mary from the moment of the Incarnation? Yes, he did. And aren't we called to imitate Christ? Yes, we are. But isn't Mary a creature? Yes she is, but she's unique. Not only is Mary free from sin and totally conformed to God's will, but by God's will and good pleasure — as we learned from the introduction — Mary has a special role in our sanctification. Therefore, we should give ourselves to the Mother of God, so she can help form us into saints, into other Christs. We should give her our yes. But St. Louis takes all of this a step further. His yes to Mary is particularly deep, a profoundly intimate gift of himself to Mary:

This devotion consists, then, in giving ourselves entirely to Our Lady, in order to belong entirely to Jesus through her. We must give her (1) our body, with all its senses and its members; (2) our soul, with all its powers; (3) our exterior goods of fortune, whether present or to come; (4) our interior and spiritual goods, which are our merits and our virtues, and our good works, past, present, and future.

This fourth point is most interesting. By this aspect of our consecration to Mary — according to St. Louis — our gift of self to her goes even beyond what is required when people offer themselves to God through religious vows. For instance, by virtue of the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, a religious sister does not give God the right to dispose of the grace of all her good works nor does she give up her merits. Allow me to bring into better focus just how radical a gift of oneself this Marian consecration really is.

First, in regard to others, if we give Mary the right to dispose of the graces of our good works, then this means we cannot unconditionally apply such graces to whomever we choose. So, for instance, if I make such an offering to Mary, I cannot insist that the graces from a sickness I am offering up go to the person I want them applied to. Second, in regard to ourselves, if we consecrate ourselves to Mary, then when we die, we won't get to appear before God clothed with the merits of our prayers and good works. In fact, we'll have to appear before God with empty hands, because we will have given all our merits to Mary.

If the radical nature of this offering has got you worried, don't be worried. Tomorrow, we'll see why this offering is not to be feared, and in fact, why it's incredibly beautiful and completely worth it. Until then, we can reflect on the second part of de Montfort's formula for Marian consecration, which speaks of this intimate gift of ourselves to Mary:

In the presence of all the heavenly court, I choose you this day for my Mother and Queen. I deliver and consecrate to you, as your slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present, and future; leaving to you the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to your good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and eternity.

Today's Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary.
Help me to give myself entirely to Jesus through Mary.

http://www.thedivinemercy.org/news/DAY-4-De-Montforts-Consecration-Part-Two-6480

 

True Devotion to Mary

Fifth Day


Imitation of Christ: Continued: Book 3, Chapter 40

Wherefore, but I did know well, how to cast from me all human comfort, either for the sake of devotion, or through the necessity by which I am compelled to seek Thee, because there is no man that can comfort me. Then might I deservedly hope in Thy favor, and rejoice in the gift of a new consolation. Thanks be to Thee from Whom all things proceed, as often as it happens to me, 1, indeed, am but vanity, and nothing in Thy sight , an inconstant and weak man. Where, therefore, can I glory, or for what do I desire to be thought of highly?

Forsooth of my very nothingness; and this is most vain. Truly vainglory is an evil plague, because it draws away from true glory, and robs us of heavenly grace. For, while a man takes complacency in himself, he displeases Thee; while he wants for human applause, he is deprived of true virtues. But true, glory and holy exultation is to glory in Thee, and not in one's self; to rejoice in Thy Name, but not in one's own strength. To find pleasure in no creature, save only for Thy sake. Let Thy Name be praised, not mine; let Thy work be magnified, not mine; let Thy Holy Name be blessed, but let nothing be attributed to me of the praise of men. Thou art my glory; Thou art the exultation of my heart; in Thee, will I glory and rejoice all the day; but for myself, I will glory in nothing but in my infirmities.

Prayers
Veni Creator Spiritus, Ave Maris Stella, Magnificat, Glory Be

Prayers can be found in this sticky:
http://motheofgod.com/threads/prayers-recited-during-st-louis-de-montforts-consecration.9040/

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