Hi everyone - There are many on this board who have consecrated themselves to Mary. How about people share how do you "live" the consecration? I know as soon as I finished the 33 day prep on my initial consecration, I took a deep breath and said wow, that was awesome...but I wasnt sure what to do next!! Both de Montford and Gaitely's readings were so rich and thought provoking and reading each day was something I really missed. What do you do to live it?? And are you a consecration veteran (done it more than once), or newbie/rookie just starting out? Let's talk and help each other along the way!! Now is the time to develop a deep relationship and devotion to Our Lady, as major events are in our near future. Where are you on this journey?
I know I need to do more. I try to talk to Our Lady more than before and to make her more real in my life but often I am forgetful and get immersed in daily things. I have started to read 'A Man Called Montfort' which is a biography of St Louis. What an extraordinary man! His penances for sinners seem extreme, and I was for a while somewhat troubled by the damage he did to his health. Then I read some words of Jesus to St Francis of Assisi about how with his grace the things that he chased after in the flesh would become hateful, and the things he shrunk from would seem beautiful. I think that cracks it. I hope it was like that for St Louis. I do wear a Miraculous medal (but if I take it off for a shower and forget for a couple of days to put it back on I don't beat myself up). I have a really beautiful, if wordy, morning offering prayer which is at the back of my Secret of Mary - I think de Montfort may have written it, but I have not found it online anywhere, or in any other book. I say it daily. Here it is: MORNING OFFERING Loving Virgin Mary, I praise and bless you for having watched over me during this night. I thank you for having given, with Jesus, praise and thanksgiving to God the Father on my behalf. Immaculate Virgin, I unite with the heart of Jesus, with the angels and saints, and with all those truly devoted to you, in order to greet you today with renewed fervour and love. As a token on my love, I dedicate myself to you with all that I have. I give you my body and soul, and surrender to you the value of my good actions, for the glory of God. I present this offering to you, dear Mother, united with the dispositions of the heart of Jesus, and with all the Masses to be celebrated today throughout the world. And any indulgences I may gain I leave to you to be used as you wish. Accept, gracious Queen, this little offering of myself and my whole life in honour of the obedience which Jesus eternal Wisdom showed towards you, and to give thanks for the privileges with which the Blessed Trinity has favoured you. Amen. Now I'm off for the weekend - my son is getting married. Please pray for him and his future wife, who is a nice Catholic girl, and who I hope will bring him back to the church. Deo gratias!!!!
Dear St. Louis! I guess I am a veteran, having made and remade the consecration every year for years and now have made the Fr.Gaitley one as well with a parish program (that I do recommend: perhaps readers here will facilitate it in their parishes to bring more souls to Jesus through Mary). You ask what next? Have no concern, Our Lady is taking you by the hand. Often we see this more in hindsight as we come to realize that we no longer 'belong' to ourselves. To consecrate means to set aside for a holy purpose. Our Lady does not waste her consecrated sons and daughters! The graces from my consecration are far too numerous to mention actually but I lay them at Our Lady's feet.
Try to live more and more more each day in the will of the Father. I Say often and mean it and strive for it one step at a time this little prayer. Lord Jesus my Savior and sweet Mary my Mother, I love you and I trust in you. Help my love and trust grow stronger each day. Please have mercy on every soul. Save every soul and reign in all hearts as you reign in all of creation. Amen.
I made my first consecration 25 years ago and renewed it in January of 2013. Since then, I've developed a home-made morning offering. "Blessed Mother - I love you. Thank you for being such a loving mother to me and all my dear ones. Thank you for allowing me to consecrate myself to you; thank you for making me the hand-maid of the hand-maid of the Lord. I give you, this day and every day, my joys and sorrows, my work and prayer, my inconveniences and irritations, my aches and pains. Please arrange my day to your good pleasure. My time is yours. Please take me by the hand and teach me the family business. Please help me to become a delight to the Lord." During the day, when I have an inconvenience, I say, "Here's one of those things I gave you this morning!" When my day takes an unexpected turn, I say, "Thank you for arranging my day to your good pleasure." When I have physical ailments, I say, "I believe this is yours." And so on. I'm very forgetful, so I'm definitely getting supernatural prompts (probably from my angel) to remember through the day what I gave her in the morning. Since I renewed my 33 day consecration and began to faithfully pray this daily consecration, my spiritual life has taken off like a rocket.
There are many forms of consecration to the virgin Mary!! Some of them are very simple! But other forms are very very hard and heroic!!!! At this link you can find all forms of consecration to the Virgin Mary!! Included the most hard (and beautifull). This pdf is written by a very Sanit priest! Unfortunattly it is written in italian: http://www.parrocchiasanmichele.eu/phocadownload/buonastampa/La consacrazione a Maria.pdf I translate only some few words: "Having shapes and different degrees, the various consecrations to Mary, they also have important differences. The consecration simple, in fact, is comparable to the life of a good baptized; instead the radical forms are comparable to the decision to follow Jesus radically, so they involves a lifestyle very busy in the holyness that, (even if they are compatible with every state of life: marriage, celibacy, priesthood) is similar, at least in part, to religious consecration in the sense that require radicalism and generosity in the commitment to follow Christ. So you can not do it unless there isn't a strong decision to aim for a maximum of holiness".
At 8 days it was not difficult. At week 3 I was shaking and struggling as I prayed. Resisting the word "slave". The consecration requires all of my heart. Am I ready? Alone I can not do this. We need one another's prayers. Have any of you felt this....? did you give up and start again?
I am praying for you - the perfect love that casts out fear. When I renewed my consecration 1/2012, I was so fearful, and I am not a fearful person. The enemy knows this consecration snatches us away from him, so he fights it with all he's got. There is such freedom in being the slave, or handmaid, of the Blessed Mother. Everything goes to her, and she sorts it all out. No worries!
dust, As an American, I easily picture slavery as a form of groveling, a deprivation with no dignity. But I think Kathy's use of the word, freedom, is wise. My beautiful wife, Geralyn, sees our marriage in a similar way. We are committed forever wholeheartedly to one another and are to seek the good of the other before our own. The world looks at this as a folly, as a loss of freedom; but, it is exactly the opposite. There is no place for jealousy, doubt, or payback. I am free to love and go about my responsibilities knowing that Geralyn will always and faithfully be by my side. This commitment is similar to the slavery of the consecration for there is no reason to doubt the love and promises of Mary. God's will, not my own be done! May the peace of God guard your heart and mind, and may Mary wrap you in her maternal love and prayers! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
I was a bit unnerved by the idea of 'total consecration' as if I would have no will of my own but it is really not like that in my experience. Mary is a loving mother whom we can trust to bring everything together for our good. She 'nudges' me towards things, especially more personal prayer, and it's my fault if I don't respond as I should. We are all human, not perfect, and she knows this and works with us, rather than against us; we do not lose our personalities at all. She does not drive us. I wear the miraculous medal every day, and I think of myself as consecrated although only you guys and she knows it. I recently had to give a talk to a group of complete strangers on JPII - was quite terrified as I am not a speaker and have no experience of this. Mary and John Paul got me through and people were very kind afterwards. Thanks be to God!!!
Hang in there Dust! I was thrown a bit when I read the word slave the first time in True Devotion. The evil one must have sensed this, because I swear I heard an agitated voice say are you sure you want that?! Of course, that made me go ahead to defy but I'm not the bravest of souls so I was nervous (although most of my fears were around getting more crosses, since I already had more than I could handle at the time), but I kept proceeding despite my nerves. Today I am happy to be a handmaiden to the handmaiden of the Lord!
Thank you. It is very radical. Not magical or superstitious. The sincerity of the devotion is huge. I have children and was/am conflicted about the commitment because I felt a divisive influence and know it has to be resolved rightly. Your support is moving me in the right direction, so...thank you for your love and encouragement
I switched on EWTN for the first time in ages and there was Johnette Benkowicz talking about the Consecration with Fr Patrick Greeenough and Patti Gallagher Mansfield. In the UK this will be continued tomorrow, Wednesday, at 4.30. I believe these are repeats. You can see one episode here There is a lot of good material here - Johnette is consecrated to Our Lady. Fr Greenough has written two books on Marian themes, Immaculate Conception, and a Nine day retreat based on the writings of St Maximillian Kolbe.
Clare; Thanks for this. Johnette is fabulous - everything that comes out of her mouth is solid Catholic teaching. Sometimes I find her on the radio when I'm careening around seeing patients at night. I always learn something.
Our heavenly mother knows your role/mission is mother and I'm sure you would do work for her within your given role of mother. although I can certainly relate to struggling to find time to pray. I don't have children but work a lot so it's tough I know!
