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On a rainy night, on August 21, 1879, Mary McLoughlin and many of the |
SECTION
2: Contemplating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with Mary, St.
Maximilian Kolbe and St. Louis de Montfort as our guides.
1. Resolve to pray a complete set of mysteries of the Rosary every day – as an
act of love to God and in fulfillment of Mary’s requests to us. So, therefore,
PRAY the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary today and every day – see day 8 for instructions/ guidance on how
to fit this into your day.
2. Skim through the accompanying pictures and the extraordinary wisdom of St.
Louis and St. Maximilian Kolbe, and read through as much (below) as possible.
3.
Continue to choose to enter more deeply into the daily prayer program (below)
at least in this way:
Ponder
and pray the Our Father today and the accompanying Scripture texts as you
meditate and PRAY THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES – while praying for the grace to
listen, to hear and respond to God as Mary does.
now also strive to pray also ALL THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY as well,
as we pray for the grace to surrender whatever is keeping us from responding
fully to God – in and through and with Mary’s love and help.
Begin to take steps to make the Mass the center of your life.
light of our meditations on the Rosary, our contemplation on the Holy Mass and
the wisdom of the saints below, let us begin, then, by praying the Our Father,
this
most perfect prayer that Jesus taught us as well as the Nicene Creed – with all of these mysteries in mind:
Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
the Mass is one of the most urgent, insistent and vital requests of Our Lady as well
as the central pillar for living the Consecrated Life.
we will seek to enter into its Mystery, Glory and Holy Sacrifice.
We ask for Mary’s heart, mind and will to enter into and live these greatest of
mysteries.
learn about and ponder the innumerable signs and symbols as well as the LIVING
REALITY of Jesus’ Presence on the Altar, which we are able to receive as our
food.
the revelations of Jesus and Mary regarding the Mass, of Heavenly Worship, of
thousands of angels and saints surrounding the altar, of Jesus’ Sacrifice
poured out, of the supernatural grace of the priesthood, etc…
See more about the revelations of the Mass referenced in the video above here: https://priestlyconsecration.com/2019/11/revelations-from-jesus-and-mary-about.html
gives us countless things to ponder regarding the Holy Mass.
consider Jesus and Mary’s offering of themselves – their oblation to the Father
on behalf of all of us –
as the God man and as the masterpiece of creation –
the perfection of humanity –
Through their perfect offering they entered into a New Covenant of Love,
one in which all souls who wish to know God’s love are brought into the Heart
of the Father.
By their offering they give also us an example to follow in our own
consecrations – striving to live to the fullest extent God’s commands to love
one another as He first loved us and to take up our cross and learn from Jesus
and Mary… ,
Through their obedience and sacrifice, they draw us into the LOVE of the One
Who Created us and in Him alone we find our fulfillment –
IN THE HOLY MASS WE EXPERIENCE A FORETASTE OF HEAVENLY GLORY AND LOVE
– HERE AND NOW – ON EARTH
all the more perfectly if we enter into it in, and through and with Mary’s
heart, mind and will.
Daily Prayer Program for these 33 Days:
is important to make a commitment to strive to pray more deeply, more
intensely and with more of your heart during these days of preparation.
Here are some guidelines and suggestions for how to live these days.
Pray about how you can grow in each of these areas listed below and
while living out this prayer program it is especially important to
• To Jelena: “I’m going to reveal a spiritual secret to you:
if you want to be stronger than evil, make yourself a plan of personal
prayer. Take a certain time in the morning, read a text from Holy
Scripture, anchor the Divine word in your heart, and strive to live it
during the day, particularly during the moment of trials. In this way,
you will be stronger than evil.” (Our Lady of Medjugorje, April 19,
1984)
• St. Louis de Montfort – Mary will form the greatest saints
who ever lived – easiest shortest most sure way to sanctity
Day 9: Total Consecration to the Immaculate According to St. Maximilian Kolbe
What is Total Consecration to the Immaculate?
“Consecration “began at the foot of the cross when John was entrusted
to Mary.
Consecration means setting yourself aside for service to God. The
Church has always advocated consecrating yourself to Jesus Christ
through the Blessed Virgin Mary, the perfect model of discipleship.
One of the best known advocates of Marian consecration is St. Louis
de Montfort (d. 1716). Modem day promoters include Pope John Paul II,
who recommended an “act of entrustment” to Mary (his papal motto was an
enthusiastic Totus Tuus-“Totally Yours.”)
All methods are equally
worthy…”
Total Consecration is a fulfillment of Our Lady’s requests at Fatima:
Our Lady told the children: “Pray, pray, very much, make sacrifices
for sinners. Remember that many souls are lost because there is nobody
to pray and to make sacrifices for them” (Fatima Apparition of August
19, 1917). By offering up our prayers and sacrifices in Total
Consecration to Our Lady, we give Her everything we do for the salvation
of souls and to win all souls for Christ the King for all eternity. (https://saintmaximiliankolbe.com/faqs/)
Marian consecration, therefore, is no archaic spirituality but is a
living and active means of advancing the Faith as a People of God. It is
not just another “devotion,” but is a complete spirituality, one not
lightly undertaken.
St. John Paul endorsed the Kolbean example of Marian Consecration
as a critical element of the “New Evangelization” for the third
Christian millennium, and St. Maximilian as a primary intercessor. In 1992 the Holy Father developed our understanding of this
consecration even further. By dying for another and “consecrating his
life to the lmmaculate Virgin,” St. Maximilian has become, suggested the
Holy Father, a “prophet and a sign of the new era, the civilization of
love.”
St.
Maximilian Kolbe adds this strong missionary dimension to Marian
consecration, because he believed a vast Army of Mary – of souls fully consecrated to the Immaculate – would bring the Kingdom of God here on earth:
“The
reason why the world does not recognize Jesus Christ as King is because
it does not know the Immaculate. It’s commonly said ‘No Mary, No Jesus;
Know Mary, Know Jesus’…. St. Maximilian knew that as soon as the Immaculate was known to all
hearts, the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart would reign in the world.” (https://saintmaximiliankolbe.com/faqs/) Thus,
THE MILITIA OF THE IMMACULATA (MI) encourages a total consecration to Mary Immaculate as a means of
spiritual renewal for individuals and society. Marian consecration in
the MI is a formal act of self-giving that does not stop at Mary but is
Christ-directed. It is really consecration to Jesus. The MI motto is “To
lead every individual with Mary to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
The MI employs prayer as the main weapon in the spiritual battle with
evil. MIs also immerse themselves in apostolic initiatives throughout
society, either individually or in groups, to deepen the knowledge of
the Gospel and our Catholic Faith in themselves and in others.
By joining the MI, members become willing instruments of Our Lady,
the handmaid of the Lord and the immaculate instrument of God. You
become a member of an international movement sharing in the maternal
mission of Mary the conversion and sanctification of all souls. The
goals of the MI are personal sanctification, the conversion of the world
and ultimately the universal reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The MI is one of the few Vatican approved public associations
whose mission, like that of the Catholic Church, is universal.
Distinctive Features of the Kolbean Method:
It requires no set formulation. Nonetheless, St. Maximilian has
identified four elements normally reflected in such an act of love.
1. Invocation of the Immaculate as such. In this
invocation St. Maximilian insists repeatedly on invoking Mary precisely
under her title as the Immaculate, especially in respect to the grace of
total consecration.
2. Total consecration is unlimited and unconditional. The
response is unlimited, precisely because total consecration to the
Immaculate achieves a complete identification in the subject with the
will of the Immaculate. The degree of our consecration to her is the
measure of our response or reaction to God’s prior love for us, and when
that identification with her total consecration to God, i.e. with her
as the Immaculate Conception, is total on our part, then our charity is
perfect as it can be. In obtaining this grace for us, her total
consecration, i.e. her reaction-surrender qua Immaculate to the
love of Father and Son for her as the most perfect fruit of a perfect
redemption becomes in turn an “action” provoking an “equal and contrary
reaction” in each believer to the love of the Father and the Incarnate
Word, her Son.
3. Obedience. Total consecration as identification
with the will of the Immaculate is not merely an affective
identification, but a thoroughly effective, practical love, that is to
say, total obedience to the Immaculate, a willingness and a readiness to
do whatever she asks one to do.
As her reaction to His salvific love was the inspiration for His
obedience to His Father’s command to die on the Cross to establish the
order of salvation, viz. the Church, so it is for us the stimulus to the
perfect implementation of Christ’s commands and instruction for our
salvation in the Church, and thus in practice animates the system of
obedience to a sacerdotal hierarchy established by Christ in the Church
for the salvation of souls.
The term “possession by Mary Immaculate to describe the state of the
soul totally consecrated to her is one particularly stressed by St.
Maximilian. He notes that this state has also been described as a kind
of childhood and as a kind of slavery. He acknowledges the validity of
both descriptions, but adds that the term possession precludes
misunderstandings easily attached to both, viz. that the one making such
a consecration obtains some special rights with Our Lady, or in some
way acts under compulsion, whereas in fact total consecration places one
totally at the disposition of the Immaculate in a quite willing
fashion. He does not mean to deny that Mary has a motherly care for each
one of us in accord with Our Lord’s request on the Cross that she
should be our Mother. But she exercises this responsibility, even if we
have not made total consecration to her. Rather the focus of total
consecration and the obedience it implies is the formation of an
instrument, a true militia perfected by an effective obedience, whereby
the Immaculate may obtain those ends proper to her as the Woman who
crushes the head of the serpent, the father of lies.
The preference for the term possession by the Immaculate to describe
this state suggest an underlying scriptural-liturgical parallel: we are
only fully free of the influence or possession of Satan, when we are
fully possessed by Mary Immaculate. Personal independence, in the
intellectual order the principle of private judgment, so well symbolized
by the ethos of freemasonry, is a gross deception, making a basic
slavery to the prince of this world. Total humility is the only sure way
to freedom. Between these two choices there is no third ground on which
to stand.
4. Scope. In general the scope of total consecration
is to know, love and serve the Immaculate as much as possible, and to
make her known, loved and served in the same way by others, especially
through her commands to pray and to do penance for the conversion of
sinners and the triumph of the Sacred Heart of her Son: in a word to
make her aims totally one’s own.
It is important to observe the stress place by St. Maximilian on two texts:
- Allow me to praise you, Holy Virgin; give me strength against your enemies
– where enemies are first of all understood as enemies of faith, viz.
heretics, and in a particular way the quintessence of all heresy, the
exercise of self-will on principle in the use of the intellect, called
by St. Francis the poison of self-will (Admonitions, 6), and otherwise known as the principle of private judgment. - You have destroyed all heresies in the whole world. The focal point of the battle and its outcome is expressed well in this text, often cited by St. Maximilian.
Herein is the precise task… to oppose this principle so fundamental
to the success of the stratagems of the father of lies in seeking to
undermine the faith of the Church and of Christians, its exact contrary,
i.e., heroic obedience to the desires of the Mother of Truth, the
Immaculate. The humility of true obedience will always unmask the
slavery of false freedom.
St. Maximilian expressed the purpose of the Militia Immaculata in this way: (KW 987C and 1080)
Truly supreme and incomparable joy is infused by the Holy Spirit, when one suffers for love of Christ.
[The purpose of the MI] is to make humanity happy, by instilling into each soul—which thirsts and craves for happiness every moment of its life—the love of the one who can and wants to introduce peace and joy into each heart, during this earthly exile, in the midst of the confusion that surrounds us, of the concerns and headaches that beset us everywhere, of the pain that reaches the very depths of our hearts. Those who truly love the Immaculata and flee to her with filial love and affection at times of temptation and hardship in life, will surely take down all the obstacles on the road to happiness, and foretaste the joys of heaven. Those who in their lifetime have worked with zeal to expand the reign of the Immaculata will be happy at death.
THE SPIRIT of the MI is the spirit of continual
conversion. Not everyone … understands perfectly,
in the beginning, the power of this consecration. But when lived in the
spirit of willingness and humility, the Immaculata will elevate our
natural gifts and inspire us to holiness and fruitful service within the
Church.
As Jesus said to those who would stand up and follow him: “Even greater things than these will you do.”
For those who have struggles in understanding consecrating ourselves completely to Mary, here is an excerpt of a letter Maximilian wrote addressing just this concern:
“My dear, these are lofty things and we, with our human minds, and
even less so with out imagination, often are not able to arrive at
understanding them, but for this reason too, it is necessary not to ever
lose peace. God is a God of peace. Turmoil does not come from God…
It seems that I’ve gone through your whole letter now.
Your difficulty comes from the fact that you confuse feeling,
remembering or understanding with the will. If only our will wants
everything to be according to the Will of God, then by that very same
fact it is so, even if we were not to understand or remember this, nor
to feel it. At a given moment we can think of one thing alone, develop
our feelings in one direction alone. Give yourself freely then to the
devotion which at a given moment you’re drawn by, but remember that the
essence of the love of God lies exclusively in fulfilling the Will of
God in every moment. The more difficult this fulfillment will be, the
more disgust and repugnance [we have to overcome], the greater will the
manifestation of love be. But not even these difficulties belong to the
essence [of love], and without them there can be an equal love. They
serve only to manifest this love.
The fact that one consecrated totally and unlimitedly to the
Immaculate, though he knows that he belongs to Her, even though he might
not think of it, when going to visit Our Lord in the Most Blessed
Sacrament, often explicitly gives the whole visit to the Immaculate just
the same, be it even by means of just one [invocation] “Mary,” is
another matter; he knows that in such a way he will bring to Our Lord
the greatest possible pleasure, that then all the more She performs this
visit in him and through him and he in Her and through Her.
Similarly, there is no better preparation for Holy Communion than
that of giving the whole matter to the Immaculate (at the same time
doing everything we can on our part, of course). She will prepare our
hearts in the best way and we will be certain that we will procure Our
Lord the height of happiness, that in such a way we will show Him the
greatest love. And similarly in many other activities. I repeat though:
even without at the present moment giving ourselves [to the Immaculate]
we still belong to Her, because we have consecrated ourselves to Her and
we have never revoked it.
One more thing. Our Lord has said that we will know a tree by its
fruits [cf. Mt 7:20]. If something then causes you confusion, and all
the more – as you write – if it was the cause of a cooling of fervor,
then certainly it does not come from God. Hence all of this lack of
peace is heavily suspect and it is necessary to always strive for
fidelity in fulfilling the Will of God, even in the smallest things, and
for peace. Our Lord has also said: “My peace I leave you, my peace I
give you” [Jn 14:27].
If on the other hand something were to detract you from Our Lady
under whatever pretense, even if for the sake of a higher devotion, take
it as a suspect ploy, though it seem to be ever so holy.
In Her and through Her we certainly arrive at the Heart of Jesus, but
without Her (according to the above meaning [of without Her])
everything is only a deception of Satan calculated to leading a soul to
ruin. A beautiful illustration of this is the vision of St. Francis of
the two ladders, the red and the white, which the brothers were climbing
to heaven…[6]
May the Immaculate hold you ever closer to Her Immaculate Heart.”
In
living out your consecration, please consider making these devotions
suggested in making your solemn Consecration a part of your daily life –
in particular daily Mass and frequent confession, as well as these
charitable dispositions perscribed by St. Maximilian Kolbe in order to experience a taste of paradise here on earth (KW 1065):
“Paradise was described even better by the man who, in this life, was plucked up to it for a short time: by St. Paul, who says: “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9). It is a description even closer to the truth, because it shows the infinite difference between the ideas that we hold about heaven and its reality. However, those who, here on earth, have had the chance to enjoy a small foretaste of paradise should be able to form an idea of what it will be like. And anyone may achieve that. One need only approach Confession with sincerity and great care, with deep sorrow for sins and firm resolve to make amends. Then they will immediately experience a peace and a happiness compared to which all the fleeting but dishonest pleasures of the world are, rather, loathsome torments.
Let everyone come to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with a good preparation; let them never allow their souls to remain in sin, but purify them right away. Let them perform all their duties well; raise humble and frequent prayers to the throne of God, especially through the hands of Mary Immaculate. Let them also embrace their brothers with charitable hearts, enduring suffering and difficulties for God’s sake. Let them do good to everyone, including their enemies, only for the love of God and not in order to be praised or thanked by men. Then they shall realize what it means to have a foretaste of heaven and find peace and happiness even in poverty, in suffering, in disgrace, in sickness.”
Lastly, here are answers to frequently asked questions regarding Total Consecration according to Maximilian Kolbe if you’re interested:
1. What is Total Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary?
“According to the traditional definition Consecration to Mary
consists in “offering oneself entirely to Mary, in order, through Her,
to belong totally to Jesus. This consecration implies a complete and
never-ending dedication of ourselves to the Blessed Virgin (all that we
are and have) and a generous and total dependence on Her.” (Fr. Luigi
Faccenda, “One More Gift: Total Consecration to the Immaculata According to the Spirituality of St. Maximilian Kolbe”,West Covina, CA: Immaculata Press, P. 31)
2. What does it mean to give oneself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate?
When we give ourselves to Our Lady, it means “we offer to Mary our
soul with all its powers and faculties: affections, memory, intellect,
will and freedom. We offer to Her our material goods, both present and
future. We give Her our spiritual goods which means our merits, virtues,
and past, present and future good works.” (Faccenda, p. 32)
3. How does Total Consecration relate to the ordinary duties of a Catholic?
When we were baptized, we renounced Satan and all his evil works
(through our godparents) and consecrated ourselves to Jesus Christ.
Through both Baptism and Confirmation, we promised to live according to
the Commandments and the teachings of the Church. Jesus told us:”You
must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) St. Paul
reminds us: “For this the will of God, your sanctification.” (Eph. 1
:4)
When we totally consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate we are able to
live out these baptismal vows more perfectly. In trustingly and
lovingly becoming Her instruments, allow her to guide us every moment of
our lives in order that She may mould us more and more into the image
of her first-born son.
4. What dispositions are needed on the part of those who consecrate themselves to Our Lady?
According to St. Maximilian Kolbe anyone who consecrates oneself to
Our Lady should be a “docile instrument” in Her hands. They should
recall from the “Solemn Act of Consecration” that they are her “property
and possession”. They should be willing to sacrifice themselves for Her
as did St. Maximilian when he invited his friars to come to the
missions with him for Our Lady: “Come with us to die of hunger, of
fatigue, of humiliations, and of suffering for the Immaculate!”
5. What does it mean to be the “property and possession” of
the Immaculate according to St. Maximilian in his prayer of
Consecration?
To be the “property and possession” of the Immaculate it means that
we belong entirely to Her as Her possession. We are Hers, according to
St. Maximilian, even more so than a slave; a slave has rights. We have
given her ourselves, all the “powers of soul and body”, our “whole life,
death and eternity,” and “whatever pleases You.” In return, Our Lady
will take us as Her “property and possession” and make sure that all our
works, prayers, and virtues are pleasing to God. Because She is our
Mediatrix with Her Son Jesus, all that we do for Her will be increased
to the maximum for Her glory and the salvation of “many strayed and
indifferent souls” for the spread of the “Kingdom of the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus.”…
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you,
and for all those who do not have recourse to you, especially the
enemies of Holy Church and all those recommended to you.
PART 3: Day 17 Readings and Prayers for St. Louis de Montfort’s 33 Day of Consecration to Jesus through Mary – An Online Guide
Readings and Prayers for St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary
THEME FOR THE WEEK: KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
Prayers,
examinations, 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’?
Day 17 of 33:
Meditation From True Devotion To the Blessed Virgin Mary, No. 228
Of Judgment, and the Punishment of Sinners
In all things look to the end; and how thou wilt stand before that strict Judge (Heb. 10:31) to whom nothing is hid, who is not appeased with gifts, nor admitteth excuses, but will
judge according to right. O wretched and foolish sinner, who sometimes art in terror at the countenance of an
angry man, what answer wilt thou make to God who knoweth all thy wickedness (Job 9:2)! Why dost thou not
provide for thyself (Luke 16:9) against the day of judgement, when no man can be excused of defended by
another, but every one shall be a sufficient burden for himself!
Luke 16:1-8
The Crafty Steward
And he said also to his disciples: There was a certain rich man who had a steward: and the same was accused
unto him, that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said to him: How is it that I hear this of thee? give
an account of thy stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no longer. And the steward said within himself:
What shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? To dig I am not able; to beg I am
ashamed. I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their
houses. Therefore calling together every one of his lord’s debtors, he said to the first: How much dost thou owe
my lord? But he said: An hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill and sit down quickly, and write
fifty. Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to
him: Take thy bill, and write eighty. And the lord commended the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done
wisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Father all powerful, have mercy on us
Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, save us.
Spirit of the Father and the Son, boundless life of both, sanctify us.
Holy Trinity, hear us
Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Holy Ghost, Who art equal to the Father and the Son, enter our hearts.
Promise of God the Father, have mercy on us.
Ray of heavenly light, have mercy on us
Author of all good, have mercy on us
Source of heavenly water, have mercy on us
Consuming fire, have mercy on us
Ardent charity, have mercy on us
Spiritual unction, have mercy on us
Spirit of love and truth, have mercy on us
Spirit of wisdom and understanding, have mercy on us
Spirit of counsel and fortitude, have mercy on us
Spirit of knowledge and piety, have mercy on us
Spirit of the fear of the Lord, have mercy on us
Spirit of grace and prayer, have mercy on us
Spirit of peace and meekness, have mercy on us
Spirit of modesty and innocence, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, the Comforter, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church, have mercy on us
Gift of God, the Most High, have mercy on us
Spirit Who fillest the universe, have mercy on us
Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, have mercy on us
Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin.
Holy Ghost, come and renew the face of the earth.
Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls.
Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts
Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy love.
Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces
Holy Ghost, teach us to pray well.
Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations.
Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation
Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge.
Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good.
Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues.
Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice.
Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Send us Thy Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, pour down into our
souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, grant us the Spirit of
wisdom and piety.
V. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful,
R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Let Us Pray
Grant, 0 merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit may enlighten, inflame and
purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us
fruitful in good works, through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with
Thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and
ever. R. Amen.
God’s own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest.
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva’s name.
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
May the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine.
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus
Joy forevermore.
Through the highest heaven
To the Almighty Three,
Father, Son and Spirit,
One same glory be. Amen.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins,
pray for us.
Mother of Christ,
pray for us.
Mother of divine grace,
pray for us.
Mother most pure,
pray for us.
Mother most chaste,
pray for us.
Mother inviolate,
pray for us.
Mother undefiled,
pray for us.
Mother most amiable,
pray for us.
Mother most admirable,
pray for us.
Mother of good counsel,
pray for us.
Mother of our Creator,
pray for us.
Mother of our Savior,
pray for us.
Virgin most prudent,
pray for us.
Virgin most venerable,
pray for us.
Virgin most renowned,
pray for us.
Virgin most powerful,
pray for us.
Virgin most merciful,
pray for us.
Virgin most faithful,
pray for us.
Mirror of justice,
pray for us.
Seat of wisdom,
pray for us.
Cause of our joy,
pray for us.
Spiritual vessel,
pray for us.
Vessel of honor,
pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion,
pray for us.
Mystical rose,
pray for us.
Tower of David,
pray for us.
Tower of ivory,
pray for us.
House of gold,
pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant,
pray for us.
Gate of Heaven,
pray for us.
Morning star,
pray for us.
Health of the sick,
pray for us.
Refuge of sinners,
pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted,
pray for us.
Help of Christians,
pray for us.
Queen of angels,
pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs,
pray for us.
Queen of prophets,
pray for us.
Queen of apostles,
pray for us.
Queen of martyrs,
pray for us.
Queen of confessors,
pray for us.
Queen of virgins,
pray for us.
Queen of all saints,
pray for us.
Queen conceived without Original Sin,
pray for us.
Queen assumed into Heaven,
pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
pray for us.
Queen of peace,
pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy Servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and by the glorious interession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal happiness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Read:
St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary paragraphs 135-143.
MOTIVES WHICH RECOMMEND THIS DEVOTION
1. By it we give ourselves completely to God
135. This first motive shows us the excellence of the consecration of ourselves to Jesus through Mary.
We can conceive of no higher calling than that of being in the service of God and we believe that
the least of God’s servants is richer, stronger, and nobler than any earthly monarch who does not serve God.
How rich and strong and noble then must the good and faithful servant be, who serves God as unreservedly
and as completely as he possibly can! Just such a person is the faithful and loving slave of Jesus in Mary.
He has indeed surrendered himself entirely to the service of the King of kings through Mary, his Mother, keeping nothing for himself. All the gold of the world and the beauties of the heavens could not recompense
him for what he has done.
Lady, which do so much good in the Church, do not require their members to give up absolutely everything.
They simply prescribe for them the performance of certain acts and practices in fulfilment of their
obligations. They leave them free to dispose of the rest of their actions as well as their time. But this
devotion makes us give Jesus and Mary all our thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings and every moment
of our lives without exception. Thus, whatever we do, whether we are awake or asleep, whether we eat or
drink, whether we do important or unimportant work, it will always be true to say that everything is done for
Jesus and Mary. Our offering always holds good, whether we think of it or not, unless we explicitly retract
it. How consoling this is!
137. Moreover, as I have said before, no other act of devotion enables us to rid ourselves so easily of the
possessiveness which slips unnoticed even into our best actions. This is a remarkable grace which our dear
Lord grants us in return for the heroic and selfless surrender to him through Mary of the entire value of our
good works. If even in this life he gives a hundredfold reward to those who renounce all material, temporal
and perishable things out of love for him, how generously will he reward those who give up even interior
and spiritual goods for his sake!
138. Jesus, our dearest friend, gave himself to us without reserve, body and soul, grace and merits. As St.
Bernard says, “He won me over entirely by giving himself entirely to me.” Does not simple justice as well
as gratitude require that we give him all we possibly can? He was generous with us first, so let us be
generous to him in return and he will prove still more generous during life, at the hour of death, and
throughout eternity. “He will be generous towards the generous.”
2. It helps us to imitate Christ
139. Our good Master stooped to enclose himself in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, a captive but loving
slave, and to make himself subject to her for thirty years. As I said earlier, the human mind is bewildered
when it reflects seriously upon this conduct of Incarnate Wisdom. He did not choose to give himself in a
direct manner to the human race though he could easily have done so. He chose to come through the Virgin
Mary. Thus he did not come into the world independently of others in the flower of his manhood, but he
came as a frail little child dependent on the care and attention of his Mother. Consumed with the desire to
give glory to God, his Father, and save the human race, he saw no better or shorter way to do so than by
submitting completely to Mary.
He did this not just for the first eight, ten or fifteen years of his life like other children, but for thirty
years. He gave more glory to God, his Father, during all those years of submission and dependence than he
would have given by spending them working miracles, preaching far and wide, and converting all mankind.
Otherwise he would have done all these things.
What immeasurable glory then do we give to God when, following the example of Jesus, we submit
to Mary! With such a convincing and well-known example before us, can we be so foolish as to believe that
there is a better and shorter way of giving God glory than by submitting ourselves to Mary, as Jesus did?
140. Let me remind you again of the dependence shown by the three divine Persons on our Blessed
Lady. Theirs is the example which fully justifies our dependence on her. The Father gave and still gives his
Son only through her. He raises children for himself only through her. He dispenses his graces to us only
through her. God the Son was prepared for mankind in general by her alone. Mary, in union with the Holy
Spirit, still conceives him and brings him forth daily. It is through her alone that the Son distributes his
merits and virtues. The Holy Spirit formed Jesus only through her, and he forms the members of the
Mystical Body and dispenses his gifts and his favours through her.
With such a compelling example of the three divine Persons before us, we would be extremely
perverse to ignore her and not consecrate ourselves to her. Indeed we would be blind if we did not see the
need for Mary in approaching God and making our total offering to him.
just said: “Mary has two sons, the one a God-man, the other, mere man. She is Mother of the first corporally
and of the second spiritually” (St. Bonaventure and Origen).
“This is the will of God who willed that we should have all things through Mary. If then, we possess
any hope or grace or gift of salvation, let us acknowledge that it comes to us through her” (St. Bernard).
“All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she
wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills” (St. Bernardine).
“As you were not worthy that anything divine should be given to you, all graces were given to Mary
so that you might receive through her all graces you would not otherwise receive” (St. Bernard).
142. St. Bernard tells us that God, seeing that we are unworthy to receive his graces directly from him,
gives them to Mary so that we might receive from her all that he decides to give us. His glory is achieved
when he receives through Mary the gratitude, respect and love we owe him in return for his gifts to us. It is
only right then that we should imitate his conduct, “in order”, as St. Bernard again says, “that grace might
return to its author by the same channel through which it came to us”.
This is what we do by this devotion. We offer and consecrate all we are and all we possess to the
Blessed Virgin in order that our Lord may receive through her as intermediary the glory and gratitude that
we owe to him. We deem ourselves unworthy and unfit to approach his infinite majesty on our own, and so
we avail ourselves of Mary’s intercession.
143. Moreover, this devotion is an expression of great humility, a virtue which God loves above all
others. A person who exalts himself debases God, and a person who humbles himself exalts God. “God
opposes the proud, but gives his graces to the humble.” If you humble yourself, convinced that you are
unworthy to appear before him, or even to approach him, he condescends to come down to you. He is
pleased to be with you and exalts you in spite of yourself. But, on the other hand, if you venture to go
towards God blindly without a mediator, he vanishes and is nowhere to be found. How dearly he loves the
humble of heart! It is to such humility that this devotion leads us, for it teaches us never to go alone directly
to our Lord, however gentle and merciful though he may be, but always to use Mary’s power of intercession,
whether we want to enter his presence, speak to him, be near him, offer him something, seek union with him
or consecrate ourselves to him.
PART 4: A taste of Fr. Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory if you have time: