33 Day Thought of the Day Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Help me to give myself entirely to Jesus through Mary. We hope Mary transforms us into saints...into other Christs. Key to this is all our past, present, and future prayers, fasts, sufferings, good works, whatever we offer up...all of it goes to Mary who takes these and does with them what she will. No more praying for a job, praying for family members, etc., my hands will be empty at the end of each day and when I stand before God in judgement for I will have handed all of them over to Mary. I'll admit that initially this gave me pause to doing the consecration. I like to control my prayers and their intentions! I like to be in the driver's seat!! But I have to trust that Mary would never forget that I need a job or that family members need waking up to the love of God. I actually now view it as a burden being removed from me. There are so many situations/people that need prayer and sometimes we may feel spread thin. We can be assured now that our prayers and good works will have the most effective outcome for ourselves, our loved ones, and God's plan for the salvation of the world!
PotatoSack said; wow, MomCalling - you have been away but very busy!! Congrats on the consecration May our Lady continue to enrich your spiritual journey!! Do check in to see how we are doing! Amen! Miss you, Connie! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Geralyn and I struggle with this, too, though for different reasons. I think Padraig might have some wisdom here so will seek his input. Now, how does one say this without carrying on for multiple paragraphs? My beautiful wife is a marvelous Mom and holds all of her children in prayer daily, aware of each of their particular needs! For one of the boys, she has even given up one of her favorite foods for the rest of her life! I will always be amazed! It seems the demands of the Consecration asks Geralyn to surrender an aspect of her motherhood and delegate it to Mary. A true sacrifice! For myself, intercessory prayer is a given, without minimizing adoration, repentance, and thanksgiving. There are those times when I just love to crawl up on Abba's lap as a little child and unload all my concerns for: myself, my wife, family, you guys, and others. Now it seems, or feels like, the buck stops with Our Lady! I'm used to picturing Mary leading me to the throne and then I pour out my needs with her encouragement. I think it would be different after this Consecration. I do need to trust in my Mother more and that is why I must approach her as he little son.But what about my lap time with the Father? Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
I should have said "your coming profession", which is what I meant . So again CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Pentecost is such and awesome feast . I love, love, love it! In some places in Spain the feast of Pentecost is also the feast of Our Lady of the Dew. She is the Morning Dew of the Holy Spirit, and She is celebrated BIG!!! And thanks for giving us some background of your religious family.
I struggled with this very much too when I first prepared to make my consecration many years ago. At the time I was still a novice in religious life and felt very ashamed of myself that this was the most difficult thing to do, even more than the religious vows. I can't say how exactly things changed within me but they did, and this surrender of all the possible "merits", prayers, and good deeds was, actually, the source of great freedom. This doesn't mean that I don't pray for specific intentions, for people who ask me to pray for, etc. etc. but I do it entrusting it to Our Blessed Mother. So for me it is more of a total detachment from what I do and offer than no longer doing the same things I would do. Not sure if this makes sense
This is actually one of my favorite things about the consecration! I already feel unburdened by this giving of all my prayers and sacrifices to the Blessed Mother. She surely knows better than we do what our family members, friends, and even our children need. I think my prayer life becomes distracted by the worry that I am not praying enough for all who need my prayers. Instead of thinking about various intentions, I can use that time to offer more prayers! I also always had a nagging feeling when praying for specific intentions that there are so many who need prayers who have no one to offer them and this was somehow "unfair". This seems like such a beautiful way for us to consent to cooperate with God's grace rather than trying to control it. I like your idea of entrusting others' prayer requests to the Blessed Mother--this seems to me to truly reflect the spirit of the consecration.
It seems to me Mario that you do not need to give up your "lap time" with the Father--He would surely miss you! Perhaps you can just sit there quietly with Him and just skip the "unloading" part since your Blessed Mother is already taking care of everything. I hope that I do not misunderstand the nature of the consecration, but it seems like this is a beautiful and meaningful part of your prayer life!
I too made the Consecration to Mary a number of years ago and renew it every spring. I am learning so much more about it from this thread.I thank Hope for the Novena of Surrender April 6 2013 which I have begun. Of course I still talk to Jesus and Mary about my family and other concerns but this Novena has really helped me leave it to God as He knows better than I what is best.I still mention my concerns and all those I pray for--including all on this forum--but in the end Jesus and Mary and all the saints I have petitioned decide who gets what.I do feel more peaceful and often say--This is for you and I won't beg today.
'Geralyn and I struggle with this, too, though for different reasons. I think Padraig might have some wisdom here so will seek his input. Now, how does one say this without carrying on for multiple paragraphs? My beautiful wife is a marvelous Mom and holds all of her children in prayer daily, aware of each of their particular needs! For one of the boys, she has even given up one of her favorite foods for the rest of her life! I will always be amazed! It seems the demands of the Consecration asks Geralyn to surrender an aspect of her motherhood and delegate it to Mary. A true sacrifice! For myself, intercessory prayer is a given, without minimizing adoration, repentance, and thanksgiving. There are those times when I just love to crawl up on Abba's lap as a little child and unload all my concerns for: myself, my wife, family, you guys, and others. Now it seems, or feels like, the buck stops with Our Lady! I'm used to picturing Mary leading me to the throne and then I pour out my needs with her encouragement. I think it would be different after this Consecration. I do need to trust in my Mother more and that is why I must approach her as he little son.But what about my lap time with the Father?' Hi Terry I was going to write on this subject on the thread 'Seven Gardens of Prayer' . I am working on night shift in the hospital and as things were quiet I was walking up and down outside praying and thinking on the topic of intercessory prayer in relation to the seventh garden , but which also has a relation to prayer in general. I amazed at the sychroncity of the Holy SPirit in giving me a long answer to the a question before I have even read it, but that just shows my lack of faith. By the way I am touched on reading quickly through this thread for I had not read it before. I had no idea you could renew your consecration. Something I must take away with me to mull over. The Consecration to Mary is a golden chain I treasure as I always supect it is one of the reasons why I did not wind up in hell. But anyway. I will post this answer, in the next post, both here and on the 'Seven Gardens of Prayer'. thread
I read one time that St Francis was asked by one of the brothers what he asked for in intercessory pray to God. (I might add that it is difficult to find out what Francis actually did or did not say ,it was so long ago and there are so many wonderful stories, wonderful yes, but so often , I suspect, just stories) Francis replied that he did not pray for anything but was content simply to gaze at God and for God to gaze at him. In sense in prayer we are a bit like the beating of the wongs of the humming bird. The wings of this little bird beat so fast they no longer appear to move at all. So it is in this way with intercessory prayer. I thnk we see this so well with Mary at the Wedding Feast of Cana. Mary is moved by the possible disgrace of her relatives in that they have run out of wine. She intercedes with her son, but so briefly it is almost just a look and says, 'They have no wine'. You see? The beating of the wings of the humming bird. Jesus appears to expostulate ,reminding His Mother that, 'My time has not yet come'. Mary does not argue....again the beating of the wings and all at once Mary's prayer is answered by a prayer so simple it is almost a glance. As I was walking up and down praying about this I thought of this little story. There was once a very little Princess who was the only daughter of a very Great King. The King was gravely ill and ,calling his little daughter to His side spoke to her before passing away. He told her that now that he was to die she would be a great Queen and inherit all He possessed. What ever she wanted in all the Kingdom was now hers, whatever she asked she had only to lift her finger and it would be given. But after her Fathers' death the Princess was very timid, for, after all she was very,very little. At first she asked for only very little things of her Father's Ministers and servants. But as the years rolled on her confidence grew as her requests were answered. Instead of very small favours like food and clothing her confidence and power increased until her orderws grew shorter, often just a glance as did the things she demanded so that even entire armies moved at her nod. In effect we are like the little Princess , we have been promised all that we ask in Jesus's name but we are too timid in Faith to move fully into our Royal Inheritance. Faith in knowing wh o and what we are takes time to grow, for we are the Roayl CHidren, inheritors of the Kingdom. it takes a while for us to realise we sit on a Royal THonre and to realise that like Mary at the Wedding Feast of Cana , that even a glance will suffice.
I sat here just thinking---so much to think about Padraig--you amaze me.Thinking about my life too and how God worked and answered the prayers of a child.Some day I will explain.
wow Mario...the love of a mother...Geralyn's sacrifice for your son...that is a very beautiful act of sacrifice! My lap time is what I call my 1:1 face time with Jesus in adoration. Sometimes I talk non-stop about all my worries and problems...sometimes I just sit there. I don't think this will ever change. Only now I guess I just need to trust that Mary knows my needs and concerns for loved ones and she knows our loved ones needs too...in fact, better than we do. It is a leap of faith for us to give it all to Mary, but for me, it relieves me of a burden of wondering if my prayers are spread well enough amongst all my intentions. It is actually one less thing for me to worry about. And Jesus will still hear all my worries and concerns during our 1:1 face time...that will never change!
33 Day Thought of the Day Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary...Help me to be generous in giving all I have to Mary. Another day of contemplating giving all our prayer intentions and good works to Mary. I believe it is the same theme tomorrow...which shows this concept may be a stumbling block for many. Last night I remembered that 10 years ago I climbed Mt. Krizevac in Medjugorje barefoot and offered it up for my brother, who is an atheist. I brought a picture of him with me and when I got to the top, I placed it on the cross and told Jesus...please change his heart and have him believe in You. I can't do this as You are the only one who can change a heart!! He's in Your hands!! I also prayed before I left that I would not see any spinning sun or anything supernatural like that...to save it for my brother...he's the one who needs to see it and not me. and of course I didn't see any spinning sun..even though people all around me were seeing it left and right!! So last night the thought occurred to me that now maybe that sacrifice will not benefit my brother...maybe he will never see the sun spin. This made me sad, since my brother was on my heart non-stop in Medj, especially on that climb up cross mountain. And he's just as atheist today as he was 10 years ago, maybe even worse. But then the thought occurred to me. In the past year I just discovered that my sister is agnostic, and does not believe in God, Heaven, hell, etc. She's not really atheist, but very lukewarm, in-between. Basically, I feel that she is a lukewarm soul who caused Jesus the most pain during his passion (according to the DM chaplet) and at this very moment, I am more concerned for her soul than my brother's. So...maybe my sister actually needs the graces from my Medj trip more than my brother!!! If I give Mary my sacrifices from the trip...you better believe they will be used where they are most needed!! I have to trust her...because my sister could very well need those graces more!! So, I'm really happy to hand over that sacrifice to her...I don't have to worry about it...she'll take care of it!
Isn't it amazing how heavy the cross is realizing that so many people in our lives either are lukewarm or are flat out atheists!?! I have so many. With so many around me, I feel like I can't do enough but yet I'm just one person. My sister I would say is lukewarm at best, my mom who says I'm too religious ("everything in moderation including religion"), neighbors, friends, extended family, co-workers, etc.. I'm quite the odd ball in my life and yet I have to keep praying and sacraficing for them even when they hurt me because I don't fit into the world they now know through the liberal media. Anyhow, I've wanted to share this and didn't really know where to so I will now. Last Saturday, we had our first thunderstorm of the season here in the Minneapolis area. At 4 a.m., we had our first thunder of the storm. It was the loudest, longest lasting, most violent (my husband's description) thunder I have ever heard in my life. I sat straight up in bed, reached for my husband and all 3 older kids came running into our room. It was incredible! I sat there and realized there was significance in this thunder. It was a divine message via nature in my opinion. I've since discussed the thunder with people and, for miles around, people heard this incredible thunder. I seem to be the only one that even finds this thunder has any kind of meaning. When people wake up and realize they have built their spiritual houses on sand, yikes, I hope I can just help them and they will accept what is happening in the future isn't just men creating havoc in this world. It is a spiritual war and so many don't realize it now. Well, many reasons to consecrate myself to the BVM. I cannot pray and sacrafice for all of these people myself. All I can do is assist her to create the perfect offering to God for all of these people and more. Take my prayers and fasting and put them on a gold plate. I will pray for you and your family too, PotatoSack.
PotatoSack, I had to laugh yesterday. In many ways you are similar to my wonderful wife, Geralyn. I've nudged her to get involved in this thread; if she does you would see the similarity, especially about being in control. So why did I laugh? Well, when I mentioned your liking to be in the driver's seat, Geralyn responded, "If Mary was instead, it probably be as if a burden was being lifted from me." Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
so much of your post resonates with me Tina. I've highlighted words that I very easily could have spoken myself. Our family members, friends, everyone is so asleep and are so blind to the little warnings God is giving us. God would never blindside us with chastisements without some warnings here and there. with consecration & God's great mercy, I'm sure the grace received from our prayer efforts are multiplied
It is so nice to see all of your faces! I will remain behind the field of sunflowers, however, as I am most comfortable there. The sunflower symbolizes obedience because in the cultivated flower (not the wild variety) the head of the bloom follows the path of the sun throughout the daylight hours. The flower head starts out in the east at dawn and ends up in the west at sunset. Pretty cool, isn't it? Obedience in a flower to the sun (Son)...something for me to strive for. After the sunflower seeds in the middle of the flower get bigger, then the flower head droops and it is ready to be harvested. Thanks for your insights on the consecration. Padraig added a thought about the king's daughter having full right to dispose of the graces of the kingdom and I found in the Our Lady of America messages about Feb. 11, 1958 "All the glory of the King's daughter is within." also "I am the Mother of the sacred humanity, and it is my special work as co-redemptrix of the human race to help souls reach the sanctity of the Father in eternal union by showing them how to put on Christ, to imbibe His Spirit, and thus become one with Him."
Mary Ann, What a fantastic quote from Our Lady of America. Thank you! "All the glory of the King's daughter is within." also "I am the Mother of the sacred humanity, and it is my special work as co-redemptrix of the human race to help souls reach the sanctity of the Father in eternal union by showing them how to put on Christ, to imbibe His Spirit, and thus become one with Him." Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
