Readings and Prayers for St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary
THIRD WEEK
THEME FOR THE WEEK: KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST
Meditation Imitation of Christ, by Thomas á Kempis: Book 1, Chapter 1
Of the Imitation of Christ, and Contempt of all the Vanities of the World
He that followeth Me, walketh not in darkness (John 8:12), saith the Lord. These are the words of Christ, by which
we are admonished, how we ought to imitate His life and manners, if we would truly be enlightened, and delivered
from all blindness of heart. Let therefore our chiefest endeavour be, to meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ.
The doctrine of Christ exceedeth all the doctrine of holy men. and he that hath the Spirit will find therein the
hidden manna (Apocalypse. 2:17). But it falleth out that many who often hear the Gospel of Christ, feel little desire
after it, because they have not the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9). But Whosoever will fully and with relish understand
the words of Christ, must endeavor to conform his life wholly to the life of Christ.
2. What doth it avail thee to discourse profoundly of the Trinity, if thou be void of humility, and art thereby
displeasing to the Trinity? Surely profound words do not make a man holy and just; but a virtuous life maketh him
dear to God. I had rather feel contrition, than know the definition thereof. If thou didst know the whole Bible by
heart, and the sayings of all the philosophers, what would all that profit thee without the love of God (1 Cor. 13:2),
and without His grace?
Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity (Eccles. 1:2), except to love God, and to serve Him only. This is the highest
wisdom, by contempt of the world to press forward towards heavenly kingdoms.
Listen, Sing and Watch or Pray just the words depending on your time constraints:
Litany of the Holy Ghost, Litany of the Holy Name, Ave Maris Stella, St. Louis’ Prayer to Mary, O Jesus, Living in Mary and the Rosary
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.
Litany of the Holy Name of JesusV. Lord, have mercy on us. |
St. Louis’ Prayer to Mary
May the light of thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind; may thy profound humility take the place of my pride; may thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination; may thy continuous sight of God fill my memory with His presence; may the burning love of thy heart inflame the lukewarmness of mine; may thy virtues take the place of my sins; may thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of God and make up for all that is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but thine to know Jesus and His divine will; that I may have no other soul but thine to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but thine to love God with a love as pure and ardent as thine I do not ask thee for visions, revelations, sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privilege to see God clearly; it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumph gloriously in Heaven at the right hand of thy Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons; it is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as thou willest.
Such is, O heavenly Mary, the “best part,” which the Lord has given thee and which shall never be taken away from thee–and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I wish for no other than that which was thine: to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully without human consolation; to die continually to myself without respite; and to work zealously and unselfishly for thee until death as the humblest of thy servants. The only grace I beg thee to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say: Amen, So be it–to all that thou didst do while on earth; Amen, so be it–to all that thou art now doing in Heaven; Amen, so be it–to all that thou art doing in my soul, so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen.
O Jesus Living in Mary
Come and live in Thy servants,
In the spirit of Thy holiness,
In the fullness of Thy might,
In the truth of Thy virtues,
In the perfection of Thy ways,
In the communion of Thy mysteries.
Subdue every hostile power
In Thy spirit, for the glory of the Father.
Amen.
Read:
St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary paragraphs 226-233.
PARTICULAR PRACTICES OF THIS DEVOTION
1. Exterior Practices
226. Although this devotion is essentially an interior one, this does not prevent it from having exterior
practices which should not be neglected. “These must be done but those not omitted.” If properly
performed, exterior acts help to foster interior ones. Man is always guided by his senses and such practices
remind him of what he has done or should do. Let no worldling or critic intervene to assert that true
devotion is essentially in the heart and therefore externals should be avoided as inspiring vanity, or that real
devotion should be hidden and private. I answer in the words of our Lord, “Let men see your good works
that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven.” As St. Gregory says, this does not mean that they
should perform external actions to please men or seek praise; that certainly would be vanity. It simply
means that we do these things before men only to please and glorify God without worrying about either the
contempt or the approval of men.
I shall briefly mention some practices which I call exterior, not because they are performed without
inner attention but because they have an exterior element as distinct from those which are purely interior.
1. Preparation and Consecration
227. Those who desire to take up this special devotion, (which has not been erected into a confraternity,
although this would be desirable), should spend at least twelve days in emptying themselves of the spirit of
the world, which is opposed to the spirit of Jesus, as I have recommended in the first part of this preparation
for the reign of Jesus Christ. They should then spend three weeks imbuing themselves with the spirit of
Jesus through the most Blessed Virgin. Here is a programme they might follow:
228. During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and acts of devotion to acquire
knowledge of themselves and sorrow for their sins.
Let them perform all their actions in a spirit of humility. With this end in view they may, if they
wish, meditate on what I have said concerning our corrupted nature, and consider themselves during six
days of the week as nothing but sails, slugs, toads, swine, snakes and goats. Or else they may meditate on
the following three considerations of St. Bernard: “Remember what you were – corrupted seed; what you are
– a body destined for decay; what you will be -food for worms.”
They will ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to enlighten them saying, “Lord, that I may see,” or
“Lord, let me know myself,” or the “Come, Holy Spirit”. Every day they should say the Litany of the Holy Spirit, with the prayer that follows, as indicated in the first part of this work. They will turn to our Blessed
Lady and beg her to obtain for them that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-
knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris Stella and the Litany of the Blessed
Virgin.
understanding of the Blessed Virgin and ask the Holy Spirit for this grace. They may read and meditate
upon what we have already said about her. They should recite daily the Litany of the Holy Spirit and the
Ave Maris Stella as during the first week. In addition they will say at least five decades of the Rosary for
greater understanding of Mary.
230. During the third week they should seek to understand Jesus Christ better. They may read and
meditate on what we have already said about him. They may say the prayer of St. Augustine which they will
find at the beginning of the second part of this book. Again with St. Augustine, they may pray repeatedly,
“Lord, that I may know you,” or “Lord, that I may see.” As during the previous week, they should recite the
Litany of the Holy Spirit and the Ave Maris Stella, adding every day the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.
231. At the end of these three weeks they should go to confession and Holy Communion with the
intention of consecrating themselves to Jesus through Mary as slaves of love. When receiving Holy
Communion they could follow the method given later on. They then recite the act of consecration which is
given at the end of this book. If they do not have a printed copy of the act, they should write it out or have it
copied and then sign it on the very day they make it.
232. It would be very becoming if on that day they offered some tribute to Jesus and his Mother, either
as a penance for past unfaithfulness to the promises made in baptism or as a sign of their submission to the
sovereignty of Jesus and Mary. Such a tribute would be in accordance with each one’s ability and fervour
and may take the form of fasting, an act of self- denial, the gift of an alms or the offering of a votive candle.
If they gave only a pin as a token of their homage, provided it were given with a good heart, it would satisfy
Jesus who considers only the good intention.
233. 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.”
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