What is Total Consecration?
Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary is a 33-day course that builds on True Devotion to Mary according to St. Louis Marie de Montfort. It’s an amazing way to grow deeper in your faith and draw closer to Jesus through Mary. Each of the 33 days includes a short video, some written reflections, and prayer time. Join us!
First 12 days: Reflection, Day 12
Welcome back to our final day for the first 12 days of preparation for Consecration to Our Lady. It’s going to be more exciting as we finish the first stage of preparation. God will surely bless us for our perseverance, in fact, it’s already a blessing that we persevere to this day. Our reflection for today is a continuation from the same spiritual book The Imitation of Christ. We are given this advice to be very careful of doing something that will result to our shame, that’s one thing for sure, and the other one is the immediate amendment if ever we fall in such situation.
So these last two days of preparation speak more of conversion and amendment, which is good for us because there is so much to be changed in our life if we want to be filled with the Spirit of Christ. I would not be tired of repeating this: renounce the spirit of the world and understand this seriously. We have to work out our salvation seriously. It is so easy to see other faults and shortcomings but we don’t realize that others are also looking or listening to us that may cause scandal. So, acknowledging our faults and making amendments is so important. One of the reasons why there are so many disturbances in our soul is that we fail to acknowledge our own faults. Our Lord says; “How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck of your eye while there is still a beam in your own eye.”
We should be, as true sons and daughters of the Father and should not act below our dignity like the vilest of God’s creatures. Then people will see the contrast between those of the spirit of Christ and those of the spirit of the world. It is so pleasant to see brothers fervent and devout, well-mannered and well disciplined and how sad and afflicting to see those who are not practicing the things they are called to do. How damaging it is to neglect the purpose of our vocation whatever it may be, and be carried by the spirit of the world, I tell you this once again renounce this spirit of the world. Be mindful of the purpose we have undertaken, and place yourselves before Christ Crucified.
My friends, Our Lady loves us so much. What we need is to change our ways and be converted, making amendments, renouncing the spirit of pride and sensuality that throws us away from God and Our Lady.
Our Lord wants us, as he himself showed us by submitting himself to the hands of the Blessed Mother renouncing the spirit of the world. We must do the same. I know its hard to do this and is not always easy especially at the beginning and this is precisely why we need Our Lady and do this consecration. How I wish to unpack all these things at once, the format St. Louis established in his book for this consecration. But this is the way we should do it. Holiness is not an instant process. Even God in the work of salvation there were several stages of preparation beginning from the Old Testament. He gave several instructions to the chosen people through the prophets and even through angels. This is because the goal is so sublime to be with God and to worship him, to adore Him by offering sacrifice. But it demands obedience and sacrifice following the will of God and not their own. And so with us we can not appreciate the crown of glory without passing through different sacrifices in between. We end up today the first 12 days; indeed it is glorious to win with Our Lady. Don’t let the spirit of the world snatch the glorious crown prepared for you by God Himself for all eternity. I tell you now, rejoice even more as we enter the second stage of preparation. Don’t give up for Our Lord is with us and Our Lady is always with us watching us as we move on to the next stage of preparation.
Readings and Prayers for Day 12 of 33
Spiritual Exercises: Examine your conscience, pray, practice renouncement, mortification, purity of heart; this purity is an indispensable condition for contemplating God in heaven, to see Him on earth and to know Him by the light of faith.
Imitation: Continued: Book 1, chapter 25
Zeal in Amending our Lives
Study also to guard against and to overcome the faults which in others very frequently displease you. Make the best of every opportunity, so that if you see or hear good example you may be moved to imitate it. On the other hand, take care lest you be guilty of those things which you consider reprehensible, or if you have ever been guilty of them, try to correct yourself as soon as possible. As you see others, so they see you.
How pleasant and sweet to behold brethren fervent and devout, well-mannered and disciplined! How sad and painful to see them wandering in dissolution, not practicing the things to which they are called! How hurtful it is to neglect the purpose of their vocation and to attend to what is not their business! Remember the purpose you have undertaken, and keep in mind the image of the Crucified. Even though you may have walked for many years on the pathway to God, you may well be ashamed if, with the image of Christ before you, you do not try to make yourself still more like Him.
The religious who concerns himself intently and devoutly with our Lord’s most holy life and passion will find there an abundance of all things useful and necessary for him. He need not seek for anything better than Jesus. If the Crucified should come to our hearts, how quickly and abundantly we would learn!
Always remember your end and do not forget that lost time never returns. Without care and diligence, you will never acquire virtue. When you begin to grow lukewarm, you are falling into the beginning of evil; but if you give yourself to fervor, you will find peace and will experience less hardship because of God’s grace and the love of virtue.
A fervent and diligent man is ready for all things. It is greater work to resist vices and passions than to sweat in physical toil. He who does not overcome small faults, shall fall little by little into greater ones. If you have spent the day profitably, you will always be happy at eventide. Watch over yourself, arouse yourself, warn yourself, and regardless of what becomes of others, do not neglect yourself. The more violence you do to yourself, the more progress you will make.
Veni, Creator Spiritus (Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest)
Come, O Creator Spirit blest!
And in our souls take up Thy rest;
Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid,
To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
Great Paraclete! To Thee we cry,
O highest gift of God most high!
O font of life! O fire of love!
And sweet anointing from above.
Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts art known,
The finger of God’s hand we own;
The promise of the Father, Thou!
Who dost the tongue with power endow.
Kindle our senses from above,
And make our hearts overflow with love;
With patience firm and virtue high
The weakness of our flesh supply.
Far from us drive the foe we dread,
And grant us Thy true peace instead;
So shall we not, with Thee for guide,
Turn from the path of life aside.
Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow
The Father and the Son to know,
And Thee, through endless times confessed,
Of both, the eternal Spirit blest.
All glory while the ages run
Be to the Father and the Son
Who rose from death; the same to Thee,
O Holy Ghost, eternally. Amen.
Ave Maris Stella
Hail, bright star of ocean,
God’s own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest.
Taking that sweet Ave
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva’s name.
Break the captives’ fetters,
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
Show thyself a Mother;
May the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine.
Virgin all excelling,
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.
Magnificat – English
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Magnificat – Latin
Magnificat anima mea Dominum;
Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo,
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae; ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.
Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen ejus, Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam brachio suo;
Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles.
Esurientes implevit bonis, et divites dimisit inanes.
Sucepit Israel, puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae, Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semeni ejus in saecula.
Glory Be – English
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Glory Be – Latin
GLORIA PATRI, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
