Consecration to Jesus through Mary
33 day preparation for consecrating yourself to Jesus through Mary
Why should you consecrate yourself to Jesus through Mary? Why shouldn't you go directly to Jesus? Wouldn't Mary get in the way? An astrophysicist thinks a telescope will not get in the way of seeing something far away, a microbiologist doesn't think an electron microscope "gets in the way" if he wants to see an object that is too small to ordinarily see, nor does a person think reading glasses get in the way of seeing the page of a book. Mary magnifies Jesus. You want Jesus more in your life? Have Mary more in your life and she will bring him close when you feel him far away, make him large when you think him small in your life, or focus him when he seems blurry to your vision.
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Parts of the Preparation for Consecration
INTRODUCTION TO PART I
Examine your conscience, pray, practice renouncement of your own will; mortification, purity of heart. This purity is the indispensable condition for contemplating God in heaven, to see Him on earth and to know Him by the light of faith. The first part of the preparation should be employed in casting off the spirit of the world which is contrary to that of Jesus Christ. The spirit of the world consists essentially in denial of the supreme domination of God; a denial which is manifested in practice by sin and disobedience; thus it is principally opposed to the spirit of Christ, which is also that of Mary. It manifests itself by the concupiscence of the flesh, by the concupiscence of the eyes and by the pride of life. By disobedience to God’s laws and the abuse of created things. Its works are: sin in all forms, then all else by which the devil leads to sin; works which bring error and darkness to the mind, and seduction and corruption to the will. Its pomps are the splendor and the charms employed by the devil to render sin alluring in persons, places and things.
INTRODUCTION TO PART II
Prayers, examens, reflection, acts of renouncement of our own will, of contrition for our sins, of contempt of self—all performed at the feet of Mary, for it is from her that we hope for light to know ourselves. It is near her, that we shall be able to measure the abyss of our miseries without despairing. We should employ all our pious actions in asking for a knowledge of ourselves and contrition of our sins: and we should do this in a spirit of piety. During this period, we shall consider not so much the opposition that exists between the spirit of Jesus and ours, as the miserable and humiliating state to which our sins have reduced us. Moreover, the True Devotion being an easy, short, sure and perfect way to arrive at that union with our Lord, which is Christlike perfection, we shall enter seriously upon this way, strongly convinced of our misery and helplessness. But, how attain this without a knowledge of ourselves?
INTRODUCTION TO PART III
Acts of love, pious affections for the Blessed Virgin, imitation of her virtues, especially her profound humility, her lively faith, her blind obedience, her continual mental prayer, her mortification in all things, her ardent charity, her heroic patience, her angelic sweetness and her divine wisdom: “these being,” as St. Louis De Montfort says, “the ten principal virtues of the Blessed Virgin.” We must unite ourselves to Jesus through Mary—this is the characteristic of our devotion; therefore Saint Louis De Montfort asks that we employ ourselves in acquiring a knowledge of the Blessed Virgin. Mary is our sovereign and our mediatrix, our Mother and our Mistress. Let us then endeavor to know the effects of this royalty, of this mediation, and of this maternity, as well as the grandeurs and prerogatives which are the foundation or consequences thereof. Our Blessed Mother is also perfect—a mold wherein we are able to be molded in order to make her intentions and dispositions ours. This we cannot achieve without studying the interior life of Mary, namely, her virtues, her sentiments, her actions, her participation in the mysteries of Christ and her union with Him.
INTRODUCTION TO PART IV
True Devotion to Mary Nos. 60-67, 183, 212, 226-265 Acts of love of God, thanksgiving for the blessings of Jesus, contrition and resolution During this period we shall apply ourselves to the study of Jesus Christ. What is to be studied in Jesus Christ? First: The Man-God, His grace and glory; then His rights to sovereign dominion over us; since, having renounced Satan and the world, we have taken Jesus Christ as our Lord. Second: His interior life; namely, the virtues and the acts of His Sacred Heart; His association with Mary in the mysteries of the Annunciation and Incarnation. During His infancy and hidden life at the feast of Cana and on Calvary. . . .
At the end of three weeks, we should go to confession and Holy Communion with the intention of giving ourselves to Jesus Christ in the quality of slaves of love, by the hands of Mary. After Communion, we should recite the consecration prayer—we ought to write it, or have it written, and sign it the same day the consecration is made. It would be well that on this day, we should pay some tribute to Jesus Christ and our Blessed Lady, either as a penance for our past unfaithfulness to the vows of Baptism, or as a testimony of dependence on the dominion of Jesus and Mary. This tribute should be one in accordance with your fervor, such as a fast, a mortification or an alms, or a candle. If but a pin is given in homage, and given with a good heart, it will be enough for Jesus, Who loves only the good will. Once a year at least, and on the same day, we should renew this consecration, observing the same practices during the three weeks.