Consecration to Mary?

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has anyone else made a Consecration to Mary or read the works of St. Louis Marie de Montfort? I practice Montfortian Spirituality and I am alone in my area doing this.
I seem to be having some kind of on-going interior dialogue with someone concerning Mary, not sure who. But I have been having dreams and daytime lapses into Mary scenarios and it is getting to be disturbing to my soul and making me very restless. I intend to go to Reconciliation on Saturday and discuss this with my Priest-Confessor, —it is not negative in anyway and I don’t believe it is diabolical, just frustrating to me right now. I feel I am being called to something and I am not sure what?
Has anyone else had any experience with Marianistic practice?
I found The Daughters of Wisdom online the other day and called to find out about becoming an Associate, but they are not near me geographically either. I am feeling so discontent right now I would consider moving to where they are!
I am being ‘impelled’ to something.
Ravyn
 
Ravyn_Guiliani said:
has anyone else made a Consecration to Mary or read the works of St. Louis Marie de Montfort? I practice Montfortian Spirituality and I am alone in my area doing this.
I seem to be having some kind of on-going interior dialogue with someone concerning Mary, not sure who. But I have been having dreams and daytime lapses into Mary scenarios and it is getting to be disturbing to my soul and making me very restless. I intend to go to Reconciliation on Saturday and discuss this with my Priest-Confessor, —it is not negative in anyway and I don’t believe it is diabolical, just frustrating to me right now. I feel I am being called to something and I am not sure what?
Has anyone else had any experience with Marianistic practice?
I found The Daughters of Wisdom online the other day and called to find out about becoming an Associate, but they are not near me geographically either. I am feeling so discontent right now I would consider moving to where they are!
I am being ‘impelled’ to something.
Ravyn
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Hi Ravyn,

I made the Consecration to Jesus through Mary a little over a year ago and it was a great experience for me. 🙂 By the time my consecration day came, it turned out to be at the time when I needed it the most (and I hadn’t even thought I would need it as much as I did when I started my preparation). I suggest you pray about it and take a look at St. Louis de Montfort’s writings on the Consecration, called “True Devotion to Mary” - he provided explanations of how it works and why it should be done along with the actual instructions and preparation exercises. You can find all of it online on:

fisheaters.com/totalconsecrationmontfort.html.

God bless,

Karolina
 
Consecration to Jesus through Mary = actually getting serious about our baptismal promises.
You become a holy slave of Mary. This is a good thing. The more we rebel against it, the more difficult it might be for us after the consecration. like being an indian giver to Mary. not good.
the more it is embraced, the better off and happier we’ll be.
She takes care of us.
I did the consecration, it’s helped immensely, renewing it here for the annunciation.
as for the messages/dialogue: yes, talk to a wise orhtodox and holy Priest about the matter. many priests perhaps might not understand such things or would look at Montfort as a fanatic.
one thing to keep in mind as a possibility is someting a good Priest told me. “the imagination is the mad man of the house”
we ourselves can come up with crazy stuff!
sometimes our guardian angels will deliver messages, Saints. its hard to tell. rest assured, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Peace.
ask for clarity from Mary.

God Bless you
Mordocai
 
I have read some of the book…haven’t finished it yet. 👍
 
My wife and I have both consecrated ourselves to Mary. After consecration, I felt closer to God than ever. I had such an experience I recently created a site dedicated to Montfort’s way of Consecration to Jesus through Mary. Please check it out and send me an email by going to the contact section. Let me know what you think.

saintlouisdemontfort.com

God Bless!
James
 
I did the concecration, and now feel horrible for it. Not because of anything wrong with the devotion, but strictly because I haven’t given it the attention it deserves. I prepared myself for the 30 days beforehand by reading the selections provided by the booklet I’d gotten, but have since totally let it fade into the background. So here I am, consecrated as Our Lady’s slave, and one who is probably among the most lazy and useless ones she has.

So my point is this: before completing the devotion, make sure that you have the spiritual endurance necessary for it. Don’t be like me, who’s going to have to look Our Lady in the eyes and explain to her why I was such a lousy servant. Like a previous poster wrote, being an “Indian giver” to Mary is not good.

Cheers,
Cari
 
Don’t feel you aren’t good enough to be Mary’s slave. You are closer to God than you realize now. Take what you got out of your consecration and use it to improve your life. Don’t get down on yourself

God Bless,
James
saintlouisdemontfort.com
 
I’m half-way through True Devotion (Ch. 4) and I am loving every single word of it. Not only is it a delight to read, but it is incredibly moving. It is so powerful that it overwhelms me at times. I’ve spent months already digesting it, and that still hasn’t been enough for me to really take it in (and I’m only half-way through the book!). Still, I feel as though that by my prayerful reading I am being drawn into the very womb of Mary, through which, as St. Louis de Montfort writes, “we must draw near to God and unite ourselves to him perfectly, intimately”.
Cari said:
I did the concecration, and now feel horrible for it. Not because of anything wrong with the devotion, but strictly because I haven’t given it the attention it deserves. I prepared myself for the 30 days beforehand by reading the selections provided by the booklet I’d gotten, but have since totally let it fade into the background. So here I am, consecrated as Our Lady’s slave, and one who is probably among the most lazy and useless ones she has.

So my point is this: before completing the devotion, make sure that you have the spiritual endurance necessary for it. Don’t be like me, who’s going to have to look Our Lady in the eyes and explain to her why I was such a lousy servant. Like a previous poster wrote, being an “Indian giver” to Mary is not good.
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Hi Cari!

I haven’t made the consecration, and I don’t think I will until I’m much older. It seems like a significant undertaking (an understatement most likely), and is therefore a heavy one. It seems to me that one ought to know this spirituality inside and out before making the consecration, or they might feel somewhat lost. Perhaps you feel this way…And I know I certainly don’t have a complete grasp on it yet!

However, going to Chapter 2 (namely the Fifth Principle) and reading it over again ought to help remind you that you aren’t expected to be spotless and perfect as Our Mother’s child. Indeed, St. Louis constantly reminds us that as slaves of Mary, we will still have crosses to bear. But these crosses, which often take the form of temptation and sin, are not without the sweetness of Our Lady’s tenderness and affection!

You’ve made the consecration already! You haven’t been kicked out of your Mom’s house through your lack of piety! Pray, hope and carry on. Taking this to the Sacrament of Penance may not be such a bad idea, now that I think of it! It would greatly benefit you and it would make our Mother and our Lord very happy, I strongly believe. Think of it as “renewing” your consecration, just as your consecration was a renewal of your vows at baptism. 🙂

Mary guide,
Tony
 
Dear Cari and Tony et al,
I have seen a few different ideas on HOW to do the Consecration, but I am following St. Louis’ way as he outlines it in his works. I have the daily homework from various Marian groups- and am reading it, but I am not overly scrupulous about if it gets done on THAT day, it seems to me the Consecration is an individual thing. I make sure I do something everyday to remind me of the discipline needed and the seriousness of the assignment—I pray the recommended daily prayers and I do the Little Crown and Magnificat and I try to do the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet as I have always done. I have a beautiful picture of Mary by Florence Kroeger as my desktop and I find myself talking to ‘her’ all day long. St. Louis more than once suggested a devotion with ‘if it is convenient’ qualifying it—to me this means Mother Mary wants us to serve her with joy, not obligation. I think the real Consecration is the frame of mind, and no matter how far we may stray from that it is always possible in her mercy to return our minds and hearts to her!
I actually made a Consecration to Her way back 10 years ago before I was ever in the Church, and when in fact I was a practicing pagan! Coincidentally it was made on March 23, the Jewish Holy day of Nisan 14, the night of the Last Supper. I sat on a swing in the yard and looking up at the full Moon I made a dedication to Her as I knew her, and I cannot conceive of it being any more sincere or earnest as it was that night. And I am sure Mary took it, and it had been She directing me ever since! I told a Priest about it once and he told me it was similar to a Baptism of Intent and most certainly did hold some weight as a consecration.
What I am finding it hard to figure out this time -is how as a married woman I can give everything to Mary when some of the things I may have had as a single woman I do not have to give as a married one. My husband is not opposed to my Consecration and most likely will follow in his own time, however I owe him some of my time and devotion and efforts as his wife and how can I give myself unreservedly to Mary when technically I do not belong to myself but to my husband?
any thoughts?
Ravyn
 
Ravyn_Guiliani said:
What I am finding it hard to figure out this time -is how as a married woman I can give everything to Mary when some of the things I may have had as a single woman I do not have to give as a married one. My husband is not opposed to my Consecration and most likely will follow in his own time, however I owe him some of my time and devotion and efforts as his wife and how can I give myself unreservedly to Mary when technically I do not belong to myself but to my husband?
any thoughts?
Ravyn
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Time spent with and for your husband is living out your Christian duty, and your Marian consecration! Give your marriage to Mary!

You can and must live out your consecration by being your husband’s wife. All of the merits and graces you receive, let Mary keep them! Give her the keys to the chest of you and your husband’s every thought, deed and good intention. Entrusting her with your marriage, and ultimately your husband’s soul, is part of the “deal”, it would seem. 🙂

Glory to God!
 
Hi!

I’ve been reading St. de Montfort’s True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin very prayerfully. I manage about 10 pages per night, marking up my text with highlighter and ink, writing in the margins, and giving considerable thought to what it is to live through Mary. Reading this book has answered a lot of my doubts, and, in some ways, it’s helped put a “face” with the name.

I love Mary very much already, and I’m giving considerable thought to consecrating myself to her. I can think of no greater joy than serving Our Lady. I already pray the rosary nightly, wear the Miraculous Medal (and have a hundred ready to give to willing souls!), and often ask for Mary’s help (even though, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I often find myself stumbling over my words). I personally feel that Mary is the one who led me to the Church, and so, I feel it’s only proper that I consecrate myself to her and become her personal servant.

I’ll admit I’m a little intimidated, however. Like Cari, I find myself wondering if I’ll be a worthy servant of Our Lady, or if I won’t just just be a disgrace. I can’t help but wonder how Mary could possibly use a 25 year old convert and introverted sinner who works 37.5 hours a week in a cube where talking about religion is a taboo…and when it is talked about, always involves non-denominational or Protestant leanings…and who spends his remaining time reading, eating, and sleeping…and, of course, going to Mass. De Montfort doesn’t call us to be hermits, but in his call for us to give up the worldly things, I almost hear him telling me, “You must give up having the occassional cold beer with the guys, and you must give up all music aside from Marian hymns.” He may not be saying that at all…but “mortification” is a strong word.

I am, of course, telling Mary all these concerns so that I might be better prepared should I decide consecration right now is the best thing for me. Perhaps that’s why I stumbled across this board entry?
 
Hi Epistemes,

Do not wait till you are full of grace to find your grace in God through Mary. Do not be scared to learn to build a relationship with God and Mary because you want your life to stay the same. Build this special and most meaningful relationship because both you and God want your life to become greater. Humility is great but don’t let it stand in the way of you becoming closer to God through Mary.

BTW, I don’t think God would disapprove of you having a couple of beers with your friends. Just make sure you don’t over do it.

If you feel a calling to become closer to God through Mary you shouldn’t wait. Start praying and talking with God now. Start reading St Louis’ Total Consecration and about other Saints.

God Bless You!
J.H.
saintlouisdemontfort.com
 
Cari said:
I did the concecration, and now feel horrible for it. Not because of anything wrong with the devotion, but strictly because I haven’t given it the attention it deserves. I prepared myself for the 30 days beforehand by reading the selections provided by the booklet I’d gotten, but have since totally let it fade into the background. So here I am, consecrated as Our Lady’s slave, and one who is probably among the most lazy and useless ones she has.

Cheers,
Cari
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i feel the same way. i’ve made the Montfort consecration recently, and im thinking with the kind of person iam now and all ive done eversince, i feel embarrassed sometimes, coz’ i don’t have anything to offer through our Lady. that sort of thing.
so if you think you’re useless, im actually the most useless and , yes, laziest slave of Mary.
 
fin said:
so if you think you’re useless, I’m actually the most useless and , yes, laziest slave of Mary.
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People, people - stop with the whole I am a “useless slave to Mary”.

You have been called and you listened. Each one of us who have completed the total consecration to Jesus through Mary is a human, with human frailties and stumblings. We will all fall, but we are still part of Her army.
Perhaps you will be directed by Mary to serve Her Son with a special task down the road. Who is to say.

Pray and ask to diligence and humility.
 
Ravyn_Guiliani said:
has anyone else made a Consecration to Mary or read the works of St. Louis Marie de Montfort? I practice Montfortian Spirituality and I am alone in my area doing this.
I seem to be having some kind of on-going interior dialogue with someone concerning Mary, not sure who.

Ravyn
Click to expand...
Ravyn,
Montfort wrote somewhere in the book near the later part of the devotion ( wish I had it in front of me) that those who have devoted themselves to Jesus through Mary will need to walk a tight line for those who stray too far from Mary will seem to be spiritually attacked as Mary is the greatly feared and hated by the evil one.

I am not suggesting that this is a spiritual attack at all. Just remembering that section of the book that really struck me at the time.

In your difficult times and as you are discerning the situation you describe, grab hold of your Mother’s hand and ask that She help keep you close.
 
jrabs, I think we are in accord from what you have written.

Remember even David, Moses and the Apostles were sinners, but still struggled to get closer to God. Being a sinner shouldn’t be an excuse to not building a relationship directly with God or through Mary.

God Bless,
J
saintlouisdemontfort.com
 
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