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!
Part III: Knowledge of Mary, Day 7
We are now on the final day of Part III, Knowledge of Mary. A little bit of review of what we have said a few days ago. St. Louis Marie de Montfort gave us several aspects of True devotion to Our Lady; we have the characteristics, the nature, the motives, and the effects when this devotion is faithfully practiced. Today we are given this challenge: “If you wish to comprehend the Mother, comprehend the Son, for she is the worthy Mother.” The gospel tells us, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, and no bad tree bears good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit.” (Lk 6:43-44)
Every time, I hear this passage in the Sacred scripture, it always reminds me of the angelic prayer: Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with you… and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Evidently, Jesus the Son of the Eternal Father is the fruit of Mary’s womb. Our Lord says, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” This shows the profound relationship between the Son and the Father, far superior to adopted sonship. But the good news is that The Son; Our Lord chooses to reveal the Father to us in his person and not in ideas. Why? Because it’s hard to love concepts and ideas, it is easy to love a person, more so with God because He is so good and lovable, He is love Himself.
St. Louis Marie de Montfort says, “If you want to know the Mother, know the Son,” Now, if the Son chose to reveal the Father to us, for sure Our Lord can reveal His Mother to us also. How? The saint says, “Let every tongue be silent.” Start looking at the Son of God for example, in the Most Blessed Sacrament and you will know His Mother, I repeat as the saint says, “if you wish to comprehend the mother, comprehend the Son.” Look at our Lord how he humbles himself, not anymore in the form of man but in the form of bread; look how He is so obedient to the will of the Father living in the most desolate places, for most of the time He is alone in the tabernacle. Look at him how he loves us, giving himself completely to us body blood soul and divinity even to the last drop of his most precious blood. Let every tongue be silent here. Look at Our Lord’s humility, obedience, love, generosity, and compassion. Our Lord is the fruit of Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. Contemplating the Son of God in relation to His Blessed Mother is an excellent way of knowing Mary and her sublime role in the Incarnation, Redemption and sanctification of souls.
These are the three great mysteries of salvation. Mary is necessary to God in the Incarnation of the Word. Mary was there at the foot of the Cross in the mystery of redemption. She is necessary to God in the mystery of sanctification of souls. St. Louis Marie de Montfort quoted so many learned people and saints, doctors of the Church (St. Augustine, St. Ephrem, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. John Damascene, St. Anselm, St. Bernard, St. Bernadine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Bonaventure), “The devotion to Our Lady is necessary to salvation, and that, it is an infallible mark of reprobation to have no esteem and love for the Holy Virgin; and on the other hand it is an infallible mark of predestination to be entirely devoted to her.” St. John Damascene says this, “To be devout to you O Holy Virgin is an arm of salvation which God gives to those whom He wishes to save.” Today, we end up this third part of preparation, but we should not stop looking at Mary, so that we may know Her better, and through Her we may see the power, wisdom, and splendor of God, full of joy and gratitude for this glorious Virgin Mother as we move on towards the day of our consecration.
Readings and Prayers for Day 26 of 33
Spiritual Exercises: Acts of love pious affection 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, her divine wisdom her divine purity; “these being,” as St. Louis de Montfort says, “ the ten principal virtues of Our Lady.” (With some slight difference from TD # 108)
True Devotion: Nos. 12-38
If you wish to comprehend the Mother, says a saint, comprehend the Son, for she is the worthy Mother of God. Here, let every tongue be mute. Up to this time, the divine Mary has been unknown, and that is the reason Jesus Christ is not known as He ought to be. If then the knowledge and the kingdom of Jesus Christ are to come into the world, they will be but a necessary consequence of the knowledge and the kingdom of the most holy Virgin Mary, who brought Him into the world for the first time, and will make
His second advent is full of splendor. Mary, being a mere creature that has come from the hands of the Most High, is in comparison with his infinite Majesty less than an atom; or rather she is nothing at all, because He is “He Who Is,” consequently that grand Lord, always independent and sufficient to Himself, never had, and has not now an absolute need of the Holy Virgin for the accomplishment of His Will, and for the Manifestation of His Glory. He has but to will in order to do everything. Nevertheless, God, having willed to commence and to complete His greatest works by the Most Holy Virgin, ever since He created her, we may well think He will not change His conduct in the eternal ages; for He is God, and He changes not, either in His sentiments or in His conduct.
Mary is the Queen of heaven and earth by grace, as Jesus is the King of them by nature and by conquest. Now, as the kingdom of Jesus Christ consists principally in the heart or the interior of Man—according to the words, “The Kingdom of God is within you”—in like manner the kingdom of our Blessed Lady is principally in the interior of man; that is to say, his soul. And it is principally in souls that she is more glorified with her Son than in all visible creatures, and so we can call her, as the saints do, the Queen of All Hearts.
St. Louis Marie de Montfort’s Prayer to Mary
Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father! Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son! Hail Mary, faithful spouse of the Holy Ghost! Hail Mary, my dear Mother, my loving Mistress, my powerful sovereign! Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul! Thou art all mine by mercy, and I am all thine by justice. But I am not yet sufficiently thine. I now give myself wholly to thee without keeping anything back for myself or others. If thou still seest in me anything which does not belong to thee, I beseech thee to take it and to make thyself the absolute Mistress of all that is mine.
Destroy in me all that may be displeasing to God, root it up and bring it to naught; place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to thee. 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.
And Recitation of the Holy Rosary…
Litany of the Holy Ghost
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, R. have mercy on us
Ray of heavenly light,
Author of all good,
Source of heavenly water,
Consuming fire,
Ardent charity,
Spiritual unction,
Spirit of love and truth,
Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
Spirit of counsel and fortitude,
Spirit of knowledge and piety,
Spirit of the fear of the Lord,
Spirit of grace and prayer,
Spirit of peace and meekness,
Spirit of modesty and innocence,
Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier,
Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church,
Gift of God, the Most High,
Spirit Who fillest the universe,
Spirit of the adoption of the children of God,
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, O 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. Amen.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
English
Lord, have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us.
R. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,
R. Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Holy Mary, R. Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace,
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
R. Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
R. Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy servants may enjoy lasting health of soul and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enter into the joy of eternal happiness. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Latin
Kyrie, eleison.
R. Christe, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison.
Christe, audi nos.
R. Christe, exaudi nos.
Pater de caelis, Deus,
R. miserere nobis.
Fili, Redemptor mundi, Deus,
Spiritus Sancte, Deus,
Sancta Trinitas, unus Deus,
Sancta Maria,
R.Ora pro nobis.
Sancta Dei Genitrix,
Sancta Virgo virginum,
Mater Christi,
Mater Ecclesiae,
Mater divinae gratiae,
Mater purissima,
Mater castissima,
Mater inviolata,
Mater intemerata,
Mater amabilis,
Mater admirabilis,
Mater boni Consilii,
Mater Creatoris,
Mater Salvatoris,
Virgo prudentissima,
Virgo veneranda,
Virgo praedicanda,
Virgo potens,
Virgo clemens,
Virgo fidelis,
Speculum iustitiae,
Sedes sapientiae,
Causa nostrae laetitiae,
Vas spirituale,
Vas honorabile,
Vas insigne devotionis,
Rosa mystica,
Turris Davidica,
Turris eburnea,
Domus aurea,
Foederis arca,
Ianua caeli,
Stella matutina,
Salus infirmorum,
Refugium peccatorum,
Consolatrix afflictorum,
Auxilium Christianorum,
Regina Angelorum,
Regina Patriarcharum,
Regina Prophetarum,
Regina Apostolorum,
Regina Martyrum,
Regina Confessorum,
Regina Virginum,
Regina Sanctorum omnium,
Regina sine labe originali concepta,
Regina in caelum assumpta,
Regina Sacratissimi Rosarii,
Regina familiarum,
Regina pacis,
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
R. parce nobis, Domine.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
R. exaudi nos, Domine.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
R. miserere nobis.
V. Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genitrix,
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Oremus.
Concede nos famulos tuos, quaesumus, Domine Deus, perpetua mentis et corporis sanitate gaudere: et gloriosa beatae Mariae semper Virginis intercessione, a praesenti liberari tristitia, et aeterna perfrui laetitia. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R. 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.
