Consecrating oneself to Mary

[Mgray82]

After entrusting our wedding to the Blessed Virgin this summer, I started slowly becoming drawn to Our Mother. Our wedding was a success. Almost nothing went wrong, and it was very beautiful (I know I’m biased lol). After the wedding though, I started entrusting more to her in my prayer life.

Nonetheless, I’ve been very drawn to a devotion to Mary these last few months. I feel it growing more and more. I feel her more closer to me now then ever. So I’m investing what type of devotion, or to what level I want to take this devotion to.

I’ve read a little of St. Louis de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Mary. And I’m just now investigating the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

For St. Louis’ devotion, my human selfishness doesn’t want to make myself a “slave” to Mary, entrusting every merit or grace from God to Mary. Of course I want to manage that department my self. Even though I know that Our Mother would know what to do with myself, better than me.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary seems more plausible. But the little investigating I’ve read into it, doesn’t seem to be any more of what I’m doing right now. Praying to her.

So here’s my questions;

How would you decide which route to take in consecrating oneself to Mary? And what our your experiences with either consecration?

 

[Googler]

youtube.com/watch?v=hwdcZ_zWRt4
You can pray to Her, venerate the most blessed virgin, and consecrate yourself to Her, anytime with prayer. I’m no expert on St. Louis, but I know for sure he won’t let anyone or anything stand between him and his love for our Blessed Mother. (talk about a big brother…)
Total Consecration to Her encouraged from The Militia of the Immaculata (MI) of St. Maximillian Kolbe is a formal act of self-giving that does not stop at Mary, but is Christ-directed. It is really consecration to Jesus. The MI’s mission is to lead every individual with Mary to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I’ll tell you this. Our Mother always invites your prayers. But especially, those of a pure heart, i.e., right after communion or confession. Graces from Her Son are so much more abundant.
Don’t even dare to approach Her in a state of mortal sin. Get to confession now to obtain her intercession for you.
Take care not to lose Her graces by reciting a decade or two or the most holy Rosary at every threat of temptation. She is there for you. She loves you as one of Her own. She seen too many of her children descend into hell. She really wants you to learn more from the Catechism and Scripture study. And sincere prayer, of course. At least morning and evening prayer. A good spiritual director/advisor will do you a world of good. If you must go online, check out Fr. Hardon and Fr. Broom. Stay on the path. Jesus is the Truth. He’s the Way. And He is the Life. Amen.

 

[Lifesong]

I would recommended the book 33 Days to Morning Glory- this book is by a Marian priest Michael Gaitley and incorporates the De Montfort aspects as well as Maximillian Kolbe and also the way of consecration of Blessed Mother Theresa and Blessed John Paul in an easy to follow group of meditations over 33 days. Just like the De Montfort way you start on a certain date so that you end on a Marian feast day. This book really makes the consecration make sense to modern ears and hearts who have difficulty with the Baroque language of the De Montfort consecration while taking nothing away from what the consecration means.

Blessings,

Val

 

[Dorothy]

The De Montfort Consecration certainly also has as its purpose, to unite ourselves more fully to Jesus Christ Our Lord. (Through the hands of Mary).

I have been making this consecration once a year for the past few years. This year I enhanced it with the book “33 Days to Morning Glory”. It gives wonderful insights into consecration to Mary, adding to and includfing St. Louis de Montfort’s insights. I highly recommend this book. We have such a wonderful Mother!

 

[Mark121359]

For St. Louis’ devotion, my human selfishness doesn’t want to make myself a “slave” to Mary, entrusting every merit or grace from God to Mary. Of course I want to manage that department my self. Even though I know that Our Mother would know what to do with myself, better than me.

Consider what Blessed Pope John Paul ll had to say about St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort;

On 8 December 2003 Pope John Paul II wrote to the Men and Women Religious of the Montfort Families about St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, his life and writings and their profound effect on him. He wrote:

***"A work destined to become a classic of Marian spirituality was published 160 years ago. St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort wrote the Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin at the beginning of the 1700s, but the manuscript remained practically unknown for more than a century. When, almost by chance, it was at last discovered in 1842 and published in 1843, the work was an instant success, proving extraordinarily effective in spreading the “true devotion” to the Most Holy Virgin.

I myself, in the years of my youth, found reading this book a great help. “There I found the answers to my questions”, for at one point I had feared that if my devotion to Mary “became too great, it might end up compromising the supremacy of the worship owed to Christ” (Dono e Mistero, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1996; English edition: Gift and Mystery, Paulines Publications Africa, p. 42).

Under the wise guidance of St Louis Marie, I realized that if one lives the mystery of Mary in Christ this risk does not exist. In fact, this Saint’s Mariological thought “is rooted in the mystery of the Trinity and in the truth of the Incarnation of the Word of God” (ibid.).

Since she came into being, and especially in her most difficult moments, the Church has contemplated with special intensity an event of the Passion of Jesus Christ that St John mentions:

"Standing by the Cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!’. Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!’. And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home” (Jn 19: 25-27)

Throughout its history, the People of God has experienced this gift of the crucified Jesus: the gift of his Mother. Mary Most Holy is truly our Mother who accompanies us on our pilgrimage of faith, hope and charity towards an ever more intense union with Christ, the one Saviour and Mediator of salvation (cf. Constitution Lumen Gentium, nn. 60, 62).

As is well known, my episcopal coat of arms symbolically illustrates the Gospel text quoted above; the motto Totus tuus is inspired by the teaching of St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (cf. Gift and Mystery, pp. 42-43; Rosarium Virginis Mariae, n. 15).

These two words express total belonging to Jesus through Mary: Tuus totus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt, St Louis Marie wrote, and he translates his words: “I am all yours, and all that I have is yours, O most loving Jesus, through Mary, your most holy Mother” (Treatise on True Devotion, n. 233).

This Saint’s teaching has had a profound influence on the Marian devotion of many of the faithful and on my own life. It is a lived teaching of outstanding ascetic and mystical depth, expressed in a lively and passionate style that makes frequent use of images and symbols. However, the considerable development of Marian theology since St Louis Marie’s time is largely due to the crucial contribution made by the Second Vatican Council. The Montfort teaching, therefore, which has retained its essential validity should be reread and reinterpreted today in the light of the Council."***

Peace, Mark