Apr. 1 - Close to concluding

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are close to concluding this series of posts, pondering the words of St. Louis de Montfort’s "Act of Consecration to Jesus through Mary "(Act of Consecration Prayer: Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary | The Catholic Company®)

Hopefully it has been as much a blessing-- even more of a blessing than I am receiving in these posts. Only God knows, but I am grateful to Him for giving me grace to do this and to learn more from Him through St. Louis de Montfort.

Today let us continue to ponder these words toward the end of the Consecration Prayer:

Receive, O benignant Virgin, this little offering of my slavery, in honor of, and in union with, that subjection which the Eternal Wisdom deigned to have to thy maternity; in homage to the power which both of you have over this poor sinner, and in thanksgiving for the privileges with which the Holy Trinity has favored thee. I declare that I wish henceforth, as thy true slave, to seek thy honor and to obey thee in all things.

Over the years of posting on this beautiful 33 Day Journey and Total Consecration as described in St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, the strongest “objection” from readers has come from their dissatisfaction with the word “slave”. I’ve never had a “problem” with it, because I hear it in Scripture from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2: 5 - 8 in which he was inspired to write:

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied Himself,
taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

St. Louis de Montfort wrote his own reasons for choosing the word “slave” in his “[True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin]”(Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin | EWTN), paragraphs 68-77 so if you are unsure about that word and your own “living the Truth” in that word of the Consecration you may want to ponder those paragraphs today. If you have questions, please post them. I’ll do my best to answer, prayerfully trusting in the Holy Spirit, to guide us all.

Totus tuus!

 

[Inbonum]

Thank you for spreading this on forum! I have almost all books by st. Louis and consecrated to Jesus through Mary with this preparation 4 years ago. Personally I think that Totus tuus consecration is most beautiful way to give our lifes to Jesus. I received many graces through Mary after consecration and my life changed in so many ways.
Also, my favourite from st. Louis, next to “True devotion”, is “The Secret of The Rosary” - opened my eyes about rosary and in short time showed me the beauty of it. Most useful and best written book about rosary. Thank God!
Saint Louis de Montfort pray for us!
God bless you!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Cath,

Thanks so much for your “heart” which encourages us, and for your reply which also encourages us all. How good to hear that you have made your Consecration 4 years ago with the preparation! No surprise when I hear of people’s lives changing after their Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary.

I agree with you – the Total Consecration which God gave to St. Louis de Montfort for the whole Church is a “life changer”! St. John Paul II said pretty much the same thing. He wrote that reading de Montfort’s book on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” was a turning point in his young life.

St. Louis’ book, “The Secret of the Rosary” has been helpful to me also. Currently I’m re-reading his book, “The Love of Eternal Wisdom”, preparing for Passion Sunday and Holy Week - I hope to re-read especially these chapters:

Chapter 6 – Earnest Desire of Divine Wisdom to Give Himself to Me
Chapter 13 – The Unbelievable Sorrows Incarnate Wisdom Chose…
Chapter 14 – The Triumph of Eternal Wisdom in and by The Cross
Chapter 17 – A Loving and Genuine Devotion to the Blessed Virgin

Thanks again Kath, for your encouraging “heart” and your reply! Please let us continue to pray for one another and for all those in most need of His Mercy.

 

[Inbonum]

I thought about date a bit and it was actually in May 2015, so my mistake, it was almost 5 years ago! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
I have nothing to add, everything is written in that little book which changes lives so my words would be superfluous.
I read The Love of Eternal Wisdom too and it brought me also alot of material to meditate and think about Jesus. I didn’t think to use it as preparation in this Lent but now changed my mind. I will start from tonight and I still have a time to finish it properly.
Thank you!
I will include you in my intentions, even though you are already included in my prayers in one way!

God’s blessing!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Cath,

So kind of you to remember me in your prayers, you are in mine as well.

Speaking of dates for Consecration, I think the Lord must have impressed it on my mind because I remembered it to be on June 10 but the only way I could calculate the year was to go back to my birth year and add 15 years to that, for I was pretty sure I had made my Act of Consecration as a Sophomore in High School.

Years later when I learned about enrolling in the Association of the Queen of All hearts, I decided to check and see if the Nun who had guided us through the Consecration had enrolled us or not. When I wrote to ask, they were lovely and they searched the records using the date I gave them and even went ahead a few years and back a few years but could not find my name with June 10 so they told me they would enroll me with that date and send me a certificate. How sweet is that!

The webstite for the Association is: https://queenofallhearts.com
if you’d like to enroll in the Association.

Please do not feel you have nothing to add or that your words are superfluous, because often God can inspire us in ways that are special and He may want us to share what He gives us. He may give us something to share that is exactly what someone needs to hear in exactly the way He gave it to you. God gives good gifts to His Children not only for themselves but so we can have something good to share with others.

If in doubt, pray to the Holy Spirit and He will guide you. The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and Son to the Church to bring us into the fullness of Truth. By God’s Grace, may we continually learn from Him, as we ask, and seek, and knock on the door, for God to open His Truth to us!

Totus Tuus!

 

[Inbonum]

Just to mention that medal I have around my neck as sign and reminder of consecration has on one side “TOTUS TUUS” and on the other “REGINA CORDIUM” - Queen of hearts with scene of Blessed Virgin Mary at trone and st. Louis kneeling in front of her. It is so beautiful!
I will search online to see if that association is present in my country or at least in Europe! But we have Montfort’s male monastery in town and their webpage have simmilar content as this association as I can see.

Well minorest thing I can say is that I believe that Mary prayed for my conversion and saved me from spiritual death. After l consecrated myself to Mary I experienced alot of help both, phisically and spiritually. Mary became my mother for real, not just some metaphore.
She is my shield, my refuge and my biggest help, my fastest way to Jesus and safest place to hide from all enemies. I cannot describe how close She is to me.
For me She is real and alive, not some kind of metaphore or someone who is far away from humanity. She is close to every human, and looking myself as example I believe there is no sinner that could be rejected if He would ask Mary to help him to come back to God. I know how much deep is possible to be in darkness and how Mary is our hope to come back to Jesus.
I am deeply happy and grateful that God gave me Mary as Mother.
I am still on way of conversion and Mary speeded up so many things that would last much, much longer if I haven’t had Her as Mediatrix.
St.Louis wrote “True devotion” in way that I never read anything else written that good about devotion to Mary, and that is why I don’t know what to add to his word. Btw, it’s all underlined.
So many things that he described about Mary and Her role in christian life I really experienced and I’m still experiencing. I believe that he was inspired and helped by Holy Spirit and Mary to write it.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Cath,

Thanks so much, for your beautiful reply and explaining in such loving terms how God’s Grace has worked powerfully in your life through Mary. We cannot be afraid or hesitant to speak lovingly about our Mother .

Hopefully more people will read your reply because so many people need to believe that God can do in them, what He has done for you – God wants to work such miracles of grace in all His children – just as God has done for you through Mary-- drawing all closer to Him through Mary.

Mary needs to become “real” for many more persons. Mary is a “real Mother” who loves us and is close to us. It would help many to read your reply, also to realize that conversion continues, by God’s Grace, and Mary continues to help us on our way to holiness. Thanks, again, Cath!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie and CradleRC58,

Thank you both for your “encouraging hearts” which let us all know how much you appreciate the Gifts God has givien to St. Louis de Montfort for the Church. He has helped many persons to come to Jesus through Mary, and he continues to help us through his writings.

Please let us continue to pray for one another and for all those in most need of His Mercy.