Mar. 22 - Wk 3 - Day 5 - (last 3 days of the journey) "seeking to understand Jesus better."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In his treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”, St. Louis de Montfort leads us to an Act of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, which he considers a perfect renewal of our Baptismal promises. God willing, we will pray this beautiful “Act of Consecration” on Mar. 25 – some perhaps for the first time, and others like myself after too many times to number!

St. Louis also encourages us to renew this Act of Consecration often:

1. Every year at least, on the same date, they should renew the consecration following the same exercises for three weeks. They might also renew it every month or even every day by saying this short prayer: “I am all yours and all I have is yours, O dear Jesus, through Mary, your holy Mother.”

(Note: the “same date” may be different for persons.) Mar. 25 is a date which many choose, but others may have made their Consecration on another date. Most important is our sincere desire to give ourselves to Jesus through Mary.

Our 33 Days of Preparation will end in 3 days, and on Mar.25, God willing we will pray the Act of Consecration. Because of the current situation of Masses being offered without the Congregation present and many persons unable to receive the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharistic Communion, we can participate at Mass via TV or internet and ask the Lord to come into our hearts in a Spiritual Communion. Actually being present at Mass is not required for Consecration. I prayed my first Act of Consecration in a visit to Church with a few classmates, and our Religion teacher, who introduced us to St. Louis de Montfort’s “True Devotion”. I was only about 15 years old at that time.

Anyone sho is reading this today, who has not considered praying this prayer of Consecration, may want to begin reading the online version of “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” and consider it over the next 3 days. My first Act of Consecration was made in June, before the end of the school year, having been taught by a Dominican Sister in High school.

May God grant to all of us His Grace to seek to understand Jesus better through Mary, especially in these last three days before March 25, The Feast of the Annunciation/Incarnation. Please feel free to ask questions or share your gratitude to God for the gift of Jesus through Mary. Our prayers for these last three days are:

Litany of the Holy Spirit: see HERE

Ave Maris Stella: see HERE

Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus: see HERE .

Tha Mass Readings for today are especially encouraging. You can read and ponder them HERE. Please let us pray for one another and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy, through Mary.

 

[KBS]

EWTN is such a rich source of prayer!
Act of Spiritual Communion: see HERE

Editing to add:
Thank you, MariaChrisri, for letting me know that one does not need to go to confession for a spiritual communion to “count.” This was very reassuring to me.

 

[hazcompat]

IOANNES PAULUS PP. II
REDEMPTORIS MATER
On the Blessed Virgin Mary
in the life of the Pilgrim Church

1. When at the Annunciation Mary hears of the Son whose Mother she is to become and to
   whom “she will give the name Jesus” (= Savior), she also learns that “the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,” and that “he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Lk. 1:32- 33). The hope of the whole of Israel was directed towards this. The promised Messiah is to be “great,” and the heavenly messenger also announces that “he will be great”-great both by bearing the name of Son of the Most High and by the fact that he is to assume the inheritance of David. He is therefore to be a king, he is to reign “over the house of Jacob.” Mary had grown up in the midst of these expectations of her people: could she guess, at the moment of the Annunciation, the vital significance of the angel’s words? And how is one to understand that “kingdom” which “will have no end”?

Although through faith she may have perceived in that instant the was the mother of the “Messiah 10 King,” nevertheless she replied: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38). From the first moment Mary professed above all the "obedience of faith, abandoning herself to the meaning which was given to the words of the Annunciation by him from whom they proceeded: God himself.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear KBS,

Thanks for your “faith - full” heart and for your reply, posting the “Spiritual Communion Prayer” from EWTN. My husband and I participated at home this morning in the Mass offered by the Franciscans on TV at 8 AM (for the USA). Because of time zones, others may have a different time to participate, but the Mass will be repeated today at noon on EWTN, if you were unable to participate earlier this morning.

Some years ago, my husband and I participated in the Mass at the very place where it was offered this morning. The Franciscan Priest who offered the Mass today, was the very same priest who heard my confession while we were there as well.

I’m happy that EWTN had the “Spiritual Communion Prayer” on the TV screen this morning for those who may not have practiced this devotion before the Covid - 19 restrictions on being at Mass went into effect. It is a beautiful devotion and can be offered any time, any place.

Thanks again for posting that Prayer, KBS, and for your ever “Faith-full” heart! I agree with you whole-heartedly, that EWTN is a rich source for prayer.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks again, dear hazcompat,

Reading your excerpt from Pope St. John Paul II’s Encyclical on “The Mother of the Redeemer”,
I could not help but smile at St. JPII’s “closeness” to Mary – which he seems to express in the last two sentences of paragraph 15.

"…Although through faith she may have perceived in that instant the was the mother of the “Messiah King,” nevertheless she replied: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38). From the first moment Mary professed above all the “obedience of faith”, abandoning herself to the meaning which was given to the words of the Annunciation by Him from whom they proceeded: God Himself.

How many times did young Karol (future Pope JPII) ponder the Scripture and especially the Gospels of Luke and John? Like St. Louis de Montfort and so many of our saints, he continually grew in his knowledge of Jesus through Mary. He wrote that his reading of St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin was a turning point in his young life.

This most recent journey of 33 Days of Preparation, for my own renewal-- God willing-- on Mar. 25, of St. Louis de Montfort’s “Act of Total Consecration”, has been perhaps not so much a “turning point” as a deepening of my own “abandonment” to the Word of God – Who is Jesus-- proceeding from God Himself through Mary, by the power of His Holy Spirit.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie,

Thanks so much for your “Faith-full” heart. It is good to hear from you always, and especially as we are coming close to the end of our journey. Hopefully it has beedn a blessing for you – it certainly has been for me – and I trust The Lord has blessed many others who have begun or are continuing to read the wisdom God has shared with St. Louis de Montfort in his treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”.

Today is Laetare Sunday and the rose vestments worn by priests are intended to be a sign of rejoicing as we look forward to The great Feast of the Lord’s Resurrection. Blessings to all!

 

[StephieNorthCo]

Thank you. Yes, as wierd as this Lent has been so far, somehow, it has been a productive season. I was pleased to see almost 300 people joined in for the live streamed 9AM Mass today.

God bless,
Stephie