Total Marian Consecration, What Does it Entail?

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I’ve been considering De Montfort’s consecration to the Blessed Mother for quite some time now. However, I’ve been a bit confused by one part. I know that total consecration means that everything one does, prayers, joys, works, and sufferings, are all given to the Blessed Mother to be offered up for what She sees fit. The part that I’m curious about is that if one is still able to offer up sufferings and deeds for his sins or for others. If you fast in reparation for your sins would the suffering of the fasting be offered up for something else? Please correct me if I am wrong in thinking this.
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You can ask Mother Mary to apply your prayers and sacrifices for intentions you choose, and if it’s God’s will she will grant your request.
 
Fr Nicholas Norman (in his work “Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary”) addresses this question here (the work has the nihil obstat and imprimatur):

Scope of the Oblation

What do we surrender to Mary for her use and possession? All that we can and may.

ALL THAT WE CAN:

The merits of every good work are divided into three parts: the one that we cannot give away, and is our inalienable possession; the one that we must give away, for we are members of the Mystical Body, and as such labor not for ourselves alone, but for the whole Body; and the one that it is up to us to keep or give away. It is this last we surrender, without attaching any strings to our offer.

ALL THAT WE MAY:

Sometimes by virtue of our state of life we are bound to apply some of the fruits of our actions for a specific purpose. The priesthood cannot reject the request of the laity to offer the Holy Sacrifice for their specific intentions.

Now it must be remembered that the value of the Mass is infinite, and so can be offered for a number of intentions at the same time. It must be remembered that the priest derives a very special benefit of the Mass, so do the acolytes, and also those who attend, and of course, those for whom it is offered. All that belongs to him as a result of the Holy Sacrifice the priest is free to surrender to Mary, but not the rest. Nor is the priest inhibited by the Act of Consecration from accepting Mass intentions; it is his duty to be at the disposal of the faithful to offer sacrifice for them.

The pastor of a parish is required by the Church to offer Mass on Sundays and some other days for his people. He is not free to dispose of the fruits that belong to his people, only those which belong to him.

The religious who are required by rule or obedience to offer prayers for some particular intention are not free to give these away, even to Mary, nor does she expect it. She is far more concerned with our obligations than we are ourselves, and would not accept them for other purposes. Of course, all petitions must go through her to the Throne of God, and our wills should concur in sending these petitions through her.

Indeed, so much is Mary interested in our obligations, that when we surrender to her all that we are free to give, she will take care of these demands first, and far better than ever we would do by ourselves. For she is not swayed by our personal and mundane likes and dislikes. Do we not pray hardest for the things in which we are interested personally, and often pay but little heed to the things that God and Mary are interested in—the extension of His Kingdom, the spiritual welfare of people we do not know or for whom we have an aversion, for the Pope and the leaders of the Church of Christ, for the sick, the dying, the discouraged, the tempted, and other things too numerous to mention?

continued….
 
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The one who puts all into the hands of Mary knows that all his obligations will be taken care of to the extent of the means he places in her hands. He can rest assured too, that all his prayers and works will be used for the greater honor and glory of God. When we specify our intentions, they may be good, but we cannot be certain that they are the ones that God prefers. But when we surrender all into the hands of Mary, we know for certain that they will redound to His greatest honor and glory, because she knows what He prefers and will use them for that purpose.

Like the husband who puts his paycheck into the hands of his wife, a capable and good manager, knows that all bills will be paid promptly, if he gives her enough money with which to pay them, and that the best possible use will be made of the remaining money; so we can be absolutely certain and content that when we place everything in Mary’s hands, she will do the same for us. All we have to do is to give her enough.

No One the Loser

Making this offering will never occasion loss on our part nor on the part of anyone else. “If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,” said Our Lord, “how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?” (Matt. 7:11). And we might add, for it is true, “… and Mary!”

All the generosity imaginable in us earthbound mortals is no more than a spark of the generosity of God, who is Generosity and Love, and of the generosity of Mary, His faithful image. No generous person will ever wish to be outdone in generosity. The Heavenly Father will never allow it to happen to Him, neither will Mary. Generous giving will meet with generous return. Unlimited giving will meet with undreamed of returns. The more we give, the more we shall get back. This is the way of God, and of Mary, His beloved spouse.

But what about spiritual bouquets, and prayers that others request us to say for them?

Can we continue to promise these things if we make the Act of Consecration? Indeed, we can. But how is this possible, if we have surrendered title to all that we can give away? Let us suppose that a little child has saved up his money to buy Christmas presents, a sum insignificant to his parents, but vast to him. But when the time comes to buy, his love for his mother proves so great that he spends all his money on a present for her, and has nothing left for the others. The day comes to present the gift to her, and she exclaims: “But my dear, you have spent all your money on me; you have nothing left for anyone else!” and he answers: “I know, but I love you so much I couldn’t help it” If that mother has ample means, will she allow his friends to go without gifts? Will she not herself be generous to them, singing in her heart because of her child’s love? Mary has the infinite Treasury at her command. When we give her our all, is there nothing left to give to others?

Of course, we cannot demand her to do so, but he who knows the Heart of Mary knows what she will do!

continued….
 
But what if we have already deeded all our merits to the Poor Souls in the Heroic Act of Charity? Are we not forever enjoined from making the Act of Consecration, having nothing further to give away? No, we are not. No one is impeded from making a more perfect act by reason of a less perfect one previously made. The Act of Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary is more perfect than the Heroic Act of Charity, magnificent and sublime as that unquestionably is.

Sanctity is proportioned to our conformity to the will of God. There is greater conformity to God’s will in the Act of Consecration than in the Heroic Act. The latter designates the recipient; there is a string attached to the gift. The former leaves God utterly unfettered; conformity of will is complete.

Can we be absolutely sure that God would not prefer to use our good works, at least sometimes, to lead souls to Him who are still in this life, and who would otherwise be lost? What brings more glory to Him: to place additional souls before the Throne forever, souls who would never get there otherwise, or to shorten the exile of those who are already His?

But if we have made the Heroic Act, and now make the Act of Consecration, will not the Poor Souls be the losers? Not at all. The supreme love, trust, and confidence evoked in making and living the Consecration will bring a new wealth of graces that would never have been ours had we not made the Act. But once we have made it, we may rely on Our Lady to pay off the mortgage on our good works, and to give to the Poor Souls all that they otherwise would have been entitled to, and still have a lot left over, for them and for the other intentions close and dear to her Immaculate Heart.

If interested, the work is available as either a paperback or ebook here:

https://www.amazon.com/Consecration-Immaculate-Heart-Nicholas-Norman/dp/0895553422
 
There are many kinds, of course, but I did the one posted on fisheaters, by St. Louis de Montfort long, long ago. It’s called: St. Louis de Montfort’s Way of Total Consecration

I’ve had a turbulent relationship with the church for very long and have ceased practicing and returned two times. I truly believe our Lady keeps me coming back because I consecrated myself to her and I think it was one of the promises. Each time I return, I remember the act of consecration because each time, that’s usually the first signal: the return of the feeling of devotion to the virgin.

I hope it helps.
 
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