Consecration to Mary = obligation to earn indulgences?

[SecretaryMonday]

If I am consecrated to Mary and all of my spiritual “salary” belongs to her, does that mean that I ought to be consciously trying to gain indulgences?

If so, how do I do that, since many indulgences are granted for things such as saying the rosary for the Pope’s intentions, and it is no longer any of my business to be requesting that acts of prayer be offered for specific intentions, since by the Consecration I gave up the option to “dictate” what I wanted those prayers to go towards?

 

[WaitingForJesus]

Yes, I think it is good to try to gain indulgences. By gaining indulges you have more to offer our Holy Mother for the benefit of other souls.

You do not have to offer your indulgences for specific intentions. However, if you do have specific intentions, you may still bring these to her attention and consideration.

 

[Jozefo]

@SecretaryMonday

Hi there. I need to learn more about indulgences, so I hope you don’t mind me asking about them. Why does your consecration lead you to think there might be an obligation to earn indulgences?

 

[SecretaryMonday]

@SecretaryMonday

Hi there. I need to learn more about indulgences, so I hope you don’t mind me asking about them. Why does your consecration lead you to think there might be an obligation to earn indulgences?

“Obligation” was a poor word choice.

I was thinking of something more like “a good thing that certainly would be good to do so you should probably do it since we ought to try to be good people who do good things, but hey, to each his own.”

 

[Jozefo]

“Obligation” was a poor word choice.

I was thinking of something more like “a good thing that certainly would be good to do so you should probably do it since we ought to try to be good people who do good things, but hey, to each his own.”

Thank you. I’ve tried understanding indulgences in the past, and at one time I thought I understood them well. But I’ve learned some things in the last few years, and your question piqued my interest because it occurs to me I haven’t thought about them in a while. I need to revisit the subject.

I think yours was a good question, btw.

 

[aemcpa]

Praying for the Pope’s intentions is one of the conditions of gaining an indulgence. This can be accomplished apart from the indulgenced work. So, in your example, the entire Rosary need not be for the Pope’s intentions.

 

[R_C]

does that mean that I ought to be consciously trying to gain indulgences?

If so, how do I do that, since many indulgences are granted for things such as saying the rosary for the Pope’s intentions, and it is no longer any of my business to be requesting that acts of prayer be offered for specific intentions, since by the Consecration I gave up the option to “dictate” what I wanted those prayers to go towards?

We always ought to consciously try to perform the physical and spiritual works of mercy in accordance with our state of life, the greatest of which may be the keeping of our duties.

If you read Treatise on True Devotion to prepare yourself for the Montfortian consecration, you know that the Consecration does not hinder you from praying for people who request special prayer, or in this case, to prayer for the Pope’s intention…strictly speaking it is not your business whether Our Lady applies the intentions to what you mentioned, but if someone asks for prayers or if you wish to pray for a given intention, you are free to do so…but you place everything on Our Lady’s hands.

I performed the Consecration last year and I am still learning a lot! But I believe it is a bold and worthy act, to be undertaken with full knowledge and deliberate consent for the sake of countless souls, one that in a way allows us to “give away everything we have to the poor” on spiritual matters.

 

[ready]

You may have your own intentions, but because you have made your consecration this means that it is implied that Mary will use the graces from your indulgences for whatever intentions she finds best. God bless you.