Hesitant to do Consecration to Mary

  • Thread starter Thread starter bmaz
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

bmaz

Guest
Who has consecrated themselves to Mary, and how has it changed your life? For the third time, I am trying to go through the Consecration to Mary. I have the book 33 Days to Morning Glory. I’m having a tough time doing it. Why? I’m not so sure it should be done. That is the bottom line. Things that are said in the book bother me a lot. One is that Satan fears Mary more than God. What?! I guess Louis de Montfort’s thinking about Mary might be too radical for me. I even prayed that if God wanted me to do this, something would have to happen for me to be really sure about it being ok to do. I opened up the book and discovered that that day was one of the dates appropriate to start the book, which I thought might be God saying, yes, ok. By Day 3, the readings preparing us had me back pedaling AGAIN. I agree with so many things I read there, but going to God at the end of my life empty handed, seems frightening to me and wrong to me. So, I need some feedback from those who have done this.
 
bmaz said:
One is that Satan fears Mary more than God. What?! I guess Louis de Montfort’s thinking about Mary might be too radical for me
Click to expand...
Satan’s head was crushed by a creature, a woman nonetheless! Do you know how humiliating that is for Satan’s pride?! Also, God put that enmity between Satan and Mary (cf. Gen 3:15).
 
Last edited:
You may just not be ready. That’s understandable. Perhaps pray a novena instead, asking for Our Mother’s guidance. She will direct you.
 
I’m consecrated to Mary, but I’m a cradle Catholic who has never had a problem with Mary.
I agree it sounds like you’re not ready for this exercise yet. It’s okay to take a step back and pray and give it more thought over time.
 
I considering this consecration for about 20 years before I did it.

Looking back, I’m not sure I was ready even then, but I am glad I did it as I think I was protected in a way I might otherwise not have been, and I needed that!
 
A couple more resources you may find useful: the original True Devotion to Mary book by Louis de Montfort, and the following series of talks to go along with it:

I went through the book and the talks but felt like I wasn’t ready; I will do it at some point though.
 
I get it. I didn’t think I had mother issues until I started deMontfort’s True Devotion! 😳

I wear a miraculous medal, pray and make rosaries, ask for Mary’s intercession, but I had to put that book aside, and that’s ok. I’ll keep working on my relationship with her. No rush.
 
bmaz said:
Things that are said in the book bother me a lot. One is that Satan fears Mary more than God.
Click to expand...
I love our Blessed Mother greatly, and always have. But that statement would put me off, too.
There us absolutely nothing wrong with not doing the consecration. It’s not about being “ready,” it just may not be a devotion that’s for you.
 
Last edited:
Agree with the de Monfort discomfort. I’m a cradle Catholic and have always disliked it, though I’ve read it twice. To be honest, I also think Gaitley’s 33 Days is not great; “lite” spirituality IMHO. I consecrate myself to Mary on her major feasts with a single consecration prayer, and I have actually been consecrated to Mary by my mother from birth. So I think Our Lady doesn’t mind that I couldn’t get through the 33 days. There’s nothing magical about that length of time.
 
There’s always the Maximilian Kolbe 9-day consecration ( missionimmaculata.com for USA) That is actually the one I used for my initial consecration. I liked that it was only 9 days and I always liked St. Maximilian, plus since he lived in the modern world, his writing was a bit less “flowery” and it’s certainly not “lite” spirituality either. I am a little hesitant to recommend the 9-day St. Maximilian method to new Catholics, however, because his writing is pretty deep to the point where I would have to read through the daily meditations about 2 or 3 times just trying to “get” them.

I’ve used the de Montfort version to renew my consecration as we are supposed to do that once a year after the initial consecration.
 
BoomBoomMancini said:
Seriously? That seems to be incredibly excessive to me as well. Geez.
Click to expand...
As noted above, it’s scripturally supported that God has put enmity between Mary and Satan.
It’s also been frequently discussed by exorcists and in related writings that Satan is greatly upset by Mary because she can vanquish him though she was just a lowly human woman and not an all-powerful God.

St. Louis de Montfort is not for everyone, and I know from your past threads you’re not into Marian devotions, but you shouldn’t be dismissive of him based on hearing one statement out of context. He is, after all, a saint, and his writings are approved by the Church.
 
I dont´want to derail the thread, just a little question as I am vry interested in this topic:
What does it exactly means to be consecrated to Mary in the catholic context? Is there a difference between promising to fulfill a certain prayer routine for mary and to be consecrated to her?
 
In a Marian consecration, you give all your indulgences and merits to Mary and commit your whole self to Mary for her to use you as she wants to carry out the Divine Will.

Here’s the consecration renewal prayer I say every day:
O Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, today I renew my consecration to you and to your Immaculate Heart. Please accept me, my dear Mother, and use me as you wish to accomplish your designs upon the world. I am all yours, my Mother, my Queen, and all that I have is yours.
Click to expand...
This is a fairly heavy-duty commitment, and while I am happy to see people consecrating themselves to Mary, I also have some concern that people today are being pushed to consecrate themselves to Mary, often by just saying one prayer at a shrine, without having a full understanding/ appreciation of the commitment level. Then again, if you have to crank through a 33-day prayer and reading program before Consecration Day, this probably helps your understanding and commitment greatly if you make it all the way to the end.
 
I’m also a cradle Catholic who loves Mary. I call on her daily for help, yet, I am having trouble with the consecration.
 
You know you don’t have to do it, right? And, it’s totally ok if you don’t.
 
Tis_Bearself I prefer what Kolbe says, that Mary is our companion on our way to Christ, rather than our guide. Not sure why this is causing me so much grief.
 
Last edited:
I get the idea that it’s more humiliating to be beaten by a human woman as opposed to an omnipotent deity, but what really made me recoil a bit is the word “fear.” Being extra humiliated by Mary makes sense precisely because she is less powerful than God. “Fearing” her more than God implies the opposite.

And I freely admit I haven’t read de Montfort so I’m not making any firm judgments.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top