The Feast of the Incarnation, March 25 usually occurs during Lent, and is, as it was originally, a “quiet” feast. Sometimes the feast is transferred and celebrated after Easter. This year it occurs the week before Holy week.
I mention it today because as we begin Lent with Mary this year, I’d like to suggest the 33 Day preparation for Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary as written by St. Louis De Montfort in his classic treatise, “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary”. I will begin the preparation, God willing on Feb. 20 – this Friday, and will post each day throughout the 33 days in the Blessed Mother Forum – renewing my own Total Consecration on March 25.
If you have never tried to give yourself totally to Jesus through Mary using St. Louis de Montfort’s method, I encourage you to try it during this lent. As we begin today, perhaps we can open our hearts and minds to the Mother of Sorrows who was the only human person to give herself so totally to God that Christ could live in her and through her. She is both our Mother and Model and so we do well to draw close to her today and ask the Holy Spirit to overshadow us in a new way. May the Spirit of Love inflame our hearts with His Love as He filled the Heart of Mary continually on earth.
May this Lent find each of us growing in holiness as God intends. The online version of St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary” can be read HERE. As we see the brutality of ISIS and violence increasing, may we look to Him Who is Love, knowing He continues to come through Mary.
Thank you for bringing this up! I had been considering renewing my total consecration to Jesus through Mary this Lent, and you have reminded me just in time for a great opportunity to do so.
Thanks for your reply and for your devotion to Jesus and Mary. Renewing our Total Consecration is a good way, it seems to me, to enter into that deeper repentance and more fervent desire to grow in faith, hope and above all charity – which should permeate this Holy Season of Lent. We approach the hill of Calvary knowing how totally Jesusa dn Mary gave themselves, and we long to give love for Love.
In classic Catholic Spirituality, for centuries, the saints have seen the need for ongoing conversion of life. I remember being impressed by the words of St. Francis of Assisi to his brothers not long before his death – he said to them, “Brothers, let us at last begin!” He was a ware of our need to be absolutely holy to enter heaven and we need to keep growing in holiness – with ever increasing fervor-- as long as we are on this earth. Each Lent, each day, each moment is a new beginning of our giving ALL.
Yes, of course, we can consecrate ourselves in prayer privately, and in our way and our own words but when we take the time to be thorough, as St. Louis de Montfort encourages us to do in his preparation of 33 days, we find that God can teach us so much more. We do not need a priest to receive our consecration, although I think there are some parishes and some priests who do encourage people to make this Consecration of themselves in a formal way.
The important thing, is the disposition of the heart. If a person goes to God in prayer with a true desire to give himself/herself totally, God will provide all the graces needed.
Personally, I think St. Louis de Montfort was given grace to write his little book on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” just so the Church would have a reliable guide, and many Popes have encouraged the guidance of St. Louis De Montfort. Pope St. John Paul II, said that reading St. Louis de Montfort’s book was a turning point in his life. He chose for his papal motto, the words “Totus Tuus” (All Yours) taken from St. Louis’ book.
I renew my total consecration often by the short form: “I am all Yours, my Queen and my Mother, and all that I have is yours. Keep me guard me as your property and possession.” but I like to take the time to ponder the deeper meaning of this total gift of self to Jesus through Mary, at least once a year and especially for the Feast of the Incarnation, March 25 (also called the Feast of the Annunciation).
I hope you will consider reading some of De Montfort’s writing HERE to help you, and will read some of the posts on the 33 days.
Hi.
Thanks, I thought that consecration was something declared by a person in front of others and that churches and certain items were consecrated. I didn’t know people privately consecrated themself. I know we can privately devote ourselves.
I have read the link, and am pondering it.
It is quite refreshing to read about Mary.
Yes, stay with it, by God’s grace. Let us stand with Mary at the foot of the cross this lent, learning through her intercession to be the saints we have been created to be. Like Mary may we live our “Yes” all the days God gives us!
Thanks so much for your reply and your willingness to give yourself to God with Mary totally.
Thanks so much for posting this link also. It is far more detailed that the simple link to St. Louis’ book on True Devotion to Jesus through Mary. I’ve used this link at other times, since it has so very much valuable information.
I encourage others who may have not used this link to use it as it is very helpful. My hope this Lent is to simplify as much as possible the 33 days. I try to stay very close to St. De Montfort’s book since many other prayers and reading are “suggested” but may not always be possible for busy men and women of today. I try to keep it simple but as fervent as I can.
Thanks again, very much for this link. It can help all of us. I will certainly use it to copy prayers which St. Louis recommends as we go through the 33 days. God willing, tomorrow we begin!
Thanks four pondering it! “Consecration” as a word can have many different meanings. Certainly your thoughts about the word are true: a person can offer himself as “consecrated” in a very public manner. You may have witnessed the ceremony of “consecrated religious” when nuns and brothers and priests pronounce vows of poverty chastity and obedience before congregations of people.
Every Baptism is a consecration, as the Church teaches. The newly baptized becomes “holy” by the power of God in the waters of Baptism and is consecrated to God as His child. St. Louis de Montfort wrote for all persons to renew this first consecration at Baptism. It is meant to help us live holy lives in the world in every state of life married, single, priest, religious – all are called to holiness!
May this Lent find many of us undertaking this journey with Mary, learning from her to give ourselves to God more completely than we have ever done before! By His Grace, we are called to grow in holiness until we meet God Face to face! What a joy to grow closer to Him each day as Mary did.
St. Teresa of Avila told her sisters (and all of us):
“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you.
Everything passes,
God alone suffices.”
God’s Grace truly is sufficient, and his power, as St. Paul tells us, is made perfect in weakness. I count my Consecration as one of the greatest graces of my life. I will be eternally grateful to the Dominican sister who introduced our sophomore class to the True Devotion of St. Louis de Montfort.
I will pray with you for the grace, and the strength to consecrate yourself and for all the joy of living it! :).
Thanks for your prayers as well. I’m beginning a new thread this morning entitled " Let us, at last, begin" and will try by God’s grace to post each day of our 33 day journey.
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