Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary: Day by Day

The high point of my spiritual life has been and continues to be total consecration according to St. Louis Marie de Montfort. It has been the method which has brought me closer to Jesus Christ. What does it do? In summary, it is a renewal of baptismal vows. For me, and I suppose for many others, it has brought me closer to Mary, and she in turn led me to Jesus. Know Mary, know Jesus. Know Jesus, know Mary. Just as for many people are accompanied in their spiritual journey by friends on earth, Mary as my mother has accompanied me spiritually.

I intend to post small reflections daily. I'll start tomorrow on November 5th. I've found two websites which appear to post the readings and prayers. The first is at Fish Eaters (scroll down to Step 3). The second is at The Catholic Company.

There are several books which guide one in their consecration to Mary. I'll provide a small summary of what I prefer.

This is the newer book by Montfort Publications. It significantly changed the preparation as done in the prior book. Fewer prayers are said, and the readings are short. They have also removed readings from the Imitation of Christ. It's unlikely that I will ever use this book again. But if you're a person who is pressed for time, this might be for you (but maybe the real solution is to make more time for prayer).

ISBN: 9780910984072

This is the most hardcore of the bunch. There are slightly more prayers, but the readings are longer (the longest of all I've seen). It's printed by St. Benedict Center (a short ride from me). It may be for you, but it's not for me. Somehow, I felt it lacked charm. I did not connect with this preparation as well as I thought it would.

ISBN: 9780971682214

This is a popular method of consecration. Only one week of four discusses the method according to St. Louis de Montfort. It's light on prayers (which was intentional on the part of the author), but it goes deep into the ideas behind Marian consecration. Kudos to Fr. Gaitley for writing this book. I recommend this book, but I only recommend that you follow this method once, or infrequently. It is light on prayers, but it really gets the intellect moving. I had been doing the preparation according to the next book on the list, which I think prepared me for Fr. Gaitley's book. And Fr. Gaitley's book gave me a deeper appreciation of what Marian consecration is all about, but sadly, it's not quite enough to repeat.

ISBN: 9781596142442

This is the older book by Montfort Publications. And in my estimation, it is the best, but as far as I know, it's no longer in print. The readings aren't too long, but the prayers gradually get long, going from ten minutes to a half-hour (and add twenty minutes of praying the Rosary on the second week, for approximately fifty minutes). The reason that I think it's the best is because of the prayers. I'm well aware that this amount of praying can be a grind on a person. But I've been able to see the fruit of this prayer (see the conclusion to this post). So, I recommend it.

ISBN: 9780910984102 or 0910984107

 

In various parts of his book, History and Theology of Grace, Fr. Hardon wrote about prayer. For this post, I think this quote fits well:

Similar to the necessity of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, to retain and grow in the supernatural life, is the need of constant prayer, of which St. Robert Southwell wrote in a set of verses prefixed to his Short Rules of Good Life, shortly before his martyrdom in 1595. “Nothing more grateful in the highest eyes, nothing more firm in danger to protect us, nothing more forcible to pierce the skies, and not depart till mercy do respect us: and as the soul life to the body gives, so prayer revives the soul, by prayer it lives.”

It is not by chance that the Pelagians opposed prayer on philosophical grounds, on the logical supposition that if a man’s native powers are enough to make him reach his destiny, why should he pray? St. Augustine pointed out that not the least effect of Pelagianism would be to erase all the prayers of petition in the Church of God. He explained that while there are certain blessings of grace which God gives without request on our part, like the gift of baptism for those baptized in infancy, others He will not grant except in answer to fervent prayer. This includes the grace of perseverance in the supernatural life.

The range of efficacy through prayer is all but infinite. For “as God created all things by His word, so man by prayer obtains whatever he wills. Nothing has so great a power to obtain grace for us as prayer when rightly made; for it contains the motives by which God easily allows Himself to be appeased and incline to mercy.”

What we receive in the order of grace through prayer can be infinite. All we need to do is ask.