To get started on your consecration, you should read up on what it is and the wonderful step you are about to take in order to grow closer to Jesus in huge leaps and bounds!! It is highly recommended that you read True Devotion to Mary by St Louis de Montfort. It is not a hard read, and will give you all the information you need in order to understand what it is you are getting into. This book also includes the 33 day preparation to complete before your actual consecration. The link below contains a PDF of the book or you can purchase it at amazon: http://totalconsecration.ageofmary.com/true-devotion.html#6-6 http://www.amazon.com/True-Devotion-Mary-Preparation-Consecration/dp/1783790008/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425964336&sr=1-2&keywords=true devotion to mary
Another great resource for consecration to Mary is 33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr. Michael Gaitely. This book is also a 33 day preparation for the actual consecration. You will read and reflect on what Saint Louis de Montfort, Saint Maximillian Kolbe, Mother Teresa, and Pope John Paul II say about about Marian consecration, how they consecrated themselves to Our Lady, and how it impacted their lives. This will build you up and get you spiritually prepared for your big day! It is probably a little less time consuming than de Montfort's preparation, and a bit less daunting. However the outcome is the same. So, it is a great choice if you have less time to dedicate to the consecration preparation or if you may feel a little intimidated by what you are about to do. Thanks to Sam, the thread below is an online version of Gaitley's book. Or you can purchase it at Amazon. http://motheofgod.com/threads/33-day-consecration-to-jesus-through-mary.8329/ http://www.amazon.com/Days-Morning-...HO6_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425965427&sr=1-1
For background information on what consecration to Jesus Christ through Mary is all about and why it is a good thing for you to do, read the first 125 pages of True Devotion to Mary in the initial post of this thread. Even if you use Gaitely's book, I still recommend you read the first 125 pages of True Devotion, to really understand the seriousness and graces involved with your consecration. If you don't have time for this, you can read The Secret of Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort. I have not read it, but understand it is a condensed version of True Devotion. http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret-Ma...d_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=07KK6MVZ7RYVBB3VZ4GR
Now you have read about it...pick a date to do it!! The following are dates you can do your consecration according to Gaitely's book. It includes the dates from de Montfort and some additional dates too. Start Jan 9 - consecration day Feb 11, Our Lady of Loudes Start Feb 20 (or 21 during leap years) - consecration day March 25, The Annunciation Start April 10 - consecration day May 13, Our Lady of Fatima Start April 28 - consecration day May 31, the Visitation Start June 13 - consecation day July 16, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Start Juy 13 - consecration day August 15, The Assumption Start July 20 - consecration day August 22, Queenship of Mary Start Aug 6 - consecration day Sept 8, Nativity of Mary Start Aug 10 - consecration day Sept 12, Holy Name of Mary Start Aug 13 - consecration day Sept 15, Our Lady of Sorrows Start Sept 4 - consecration day Oct 7, Our Lady of the Rosary Start Oct 19 - consecration day Nov 21, Presentation of Mary Start Nov 5 - consecration day Dec 8, Immulate Conception Start Nov 9 - consecration day Dec 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe Start Nov 29 - consecration day Jan 1, Mother of God Start Dec 31 - consecration day Feb 2, Presentation of the Lord
TREATISE ON TRUE DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN St. Louis de Montfort http://www.ewtn.com/library/Montfort/TRUEDEVO.HTM If anyone wants a taste on True Devotion. link is under Faith/Saints....many other resources under his bio....enjoy
Padraig posted this on another thread, and I think it is a great summary of what consecration to Jesus Chris through Mary is. "Consecration to the Mother of God," says Pope Pius XII, "is a total gift of self, for the whole of life and for all eternity; and a gift which is not a mere formality or sentimentality, but effectual, comprising the full intensity of the Christian life - Marian life." This consecration, the Pope explained, "tends essentially to union with Jesus, under the guidance of Mary." By our consecration we promise to become dependent on Mary in all things: to offer all our prayers and oblations to God through Mary, and to seek every gift from God through Mary. And we do this with the greatest confidence. Since she is our mother, she knows our needs better than we; and since she is Queen of Heaven, she has immediate access to the infinite treasury of graces in the Kingdom of her Divine Son. Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father; she is also Mother of all the Father's adopted children. As their Mother, she has been given the role of molding them into the likeness of Jesus. Every work of grace, every increase of grace, is a work of the Holy Spirit; but as in the Incarnation of the Divine Word God used human instruments, so does He in the sanctification of each individual soul. As He chose Mary as the instrument through whom He would come to us, so He chose Mary as the instrument through whom we should go to Him. And both the mystery of God coming to us through Mary, and our being led to God through Mary, is a work of the Holy Spirit. So when we speak of Mary's unique role in our sanctification, she is but the instrument the Holy Spirit uses in sharing with us the divine life of grace. It is in this sense that Mary fashions us into the likeness of Christ. However, that this transformation - through Mary's help - be accomplished in a notable degree, there must be an awareness of her role in our sanctification, a confidence in her maternal concern and in her power under God, a surrender of oneself into her hands, and a fervent, frequent and confident seeking of her aid. This usually comes through some form of consecration to the Mother of God. At Fatima Our Lady asked for consecration to her Immaculate Heart, a consecration which, among other things, calls for the devotion of the Five First Saturdays, which includes the Rosary, meditation and Communions of reparation - all done in reparation to her Immaculate Heart. It involves a striving to fulfill her requests for prayer and sacrifices for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for offenses against the Divine Majesty. In a word, it involves a striving to fulfill all that she asked for at Fatima, and trying to bring others to heed her requests. Living that consecration means becoming an apostle of Mary, striving to imitate her virtues, and to place in her hands the flowers of little sacrifices of reparation for the salvation of souls, so that we might strengthen her hand against the attacks of the Evil One, and hasten the day of the triumph of her Immaculate Heart. To everyone who makes that consecration and sincerely tries to live it, the words of Our Lady to the child Lucia at Fatima would also apply: "I will never leave you; my Immaculate Heart will be your refuge, and the way that will lead you to God." If consecration to Mary "tends essentially to union with Jesus, under the guidance of Mary," as Pope Pius XII pointed out, we must remember that any gradual transformation into Christ requires a gradual loving acceptance of a greater share in His redeeming Cross. So when we offer ourselves to Mary to lead us, to form us into the likeness of her Son, we are offering to let her lead us along the way of the Cross. Our Blessed Mother's great concern is the salvation of the souls of her children, many of whom are being lost. She looks for generous souls among her children, who are willing to let her lead them close behind her Son, sharing more fully in His redemptive mission, filling up what is wanting in other members of the Body of Christ. Little by little they are transformed to see as Christ sees, and to desire what He desires. God wants to draw us closer to Himself, sharing more fully His Divine life; but we must understand what the fulfillment of this requires. In our Rosary, we contemplate Mary in Heaven in the Glorious Mysteries, because she had so unique a role on earth in the Sorrowful Mysteries. This is the pattern that is offered to each of us, and of which we are reminded each time we pray the Rosary. Consecration to Mary, then, requires a childlike simplicity and confidence, letting her lead one by the hand, trusting - regardless of what lies ahead - that she knows better than we what contributes most to God's glory, our sanctification and the salvation of souls. http://www.rosary-center.org/consecrt.htm
Writings by Saint Louis de Montfort available in pdf format: http://www.montfort.org/content/index2.php?action=section&lang=EN§ion=10
The Secret of Mary by St. louis de Montfort. http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/The.Secret.of.Mary.pdf http://www.montfort.org/content/uploads/pdf/PDF_EN_78_1.pdf
I've just received a new (new to me) book which takes one through the Consecration retreat, printed in 2012 it is a lovely book compiled by the Company of Mary and gets the balance right between meditation and prayer. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Preparation...1&keywords=preparation+for+total+consecration The book explains what the Consecration is and involves, and contains all the prayers required by St Louis including some other Marian prayers such as the ancient 'sub tuum'. St Louis' way of saying the rosary is found in the last appendix. Each day begins with a piece of scripture, a passage from St Louis' own writings, a short meditation relevant to the theme of the day/week, and prayers. There is also a simple prayer at night which focuses the mind again on the consecration retreat. I like the look of all this and will be starting on April 10th. This is my third Consecration retreat; two years ago I began with St Louis' own book, which has a quote each day from Scripture and the Imitation of Christ, and I supplemented it with Gaitley's book. Last year I used Gaitley on his own. Some people find the amount of formal prayer in St Louis' original work a bit tiring, and yet the Gaitley book has only a short prayer each day. This new book seems to me to have a good balance. I'll let you know how I get on with it!
I just came across this coloring book today and thought it might be of interest: Details of this and other Catholic coloring pages are on the site: https://immaculateheartcoloringpages.wordpress.com/buy-color-book/
Someone suggested a reconsecration to the Immaculate Heart in the run up to the Feast of the Annunciation but was unsure of how to post a thread. I thought it might go here?
I have started a new thread for the 2019 consecration: 2019 Forum Consecration to Jesus Through Mary | Mother of God
I'm in the middle of preparing to renew my consecration. This time I'm following the St. Louis deMontford True Devotion book (got it cheap on Kindle). I came across a set of videos on YouTube which some members might find helpful. The videos are of the late Bishop Joseph McFadden of Harrisburg (RIP) reading the daily meditations and saying the prayers for each of the 33 days and they are the same readings and prayers as in my deMontford book. I have moved the videos to a separate thread because they were causing this thread to freeze or not open properly on some computers. Here's a link to the thread: http://motheofgod.com/threads/videos-st-luis-de-montford-method.14413/
Thanks Dolores for sharing these links. I've missed your presence here on MotheofGod. You must have been taking a break. I'm here at Knock Shrine today for Intersession For Priests conducted by Dr Briege McKenna.
Hi Delours I am beginning mine on Feb. 20. Would you be able to leave these up until the Feast of the Annunciation Mar,25. They are wonderful. I had been using the book other years but find the reading harder. I guess my eyes are not as great but I also can concentrate better. If you can’t that is ok as I do have the book . I start the 20 Th. If it costs money then just let it go and I will use the book.
I have no intention of taking them down. I only offered to do so to save bandwidth (or whatever they call space on servers) because it causes the page to freeze for anyone with slower internet connections or older computers. It's John who would decide whether they need to come down. Hope all goes well with your preparation. And thanks for the reminder. I might try to get an earlier start this year rather than leaving it until Summer.
I am going to join you Rory. God Bless you for alerting me to these videos put up by Dolours, I just watched the first one, wonderful!, I can sense the blessings, they offer. Thank you both.
