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 IV: Knowledge of Jesus, Day 1
Welcome back to our series and we are now on the first day of Part IV, Knowledge of Jesus. St. Louis Marie de Montfort explains that the goal and the end of all devotions ought to be Jesus Christ, our Savior, true God and true Man, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all things. He added, “If our devotion does not lead us to Jesus it is false and delusive.” For in Jesus alone the whole plenitude of the Divinity dwells together with all the fullness of graces virtues and perfection. He says: “It is in Him, that we have been blessed with all the spiritual benedictions; and he is our only master who has to teach us; our only Lord on whom we ought to depend, our only Head to whom we must be united; our only model to whom we should conform ourselves; our only physician who can heal us; our only Shepherd who can feed us; our only way who can lead us; our only Truth whom we must believe; our only life who can animate us; our only all in all things who can satisfy us.”
He further explains that by Jesus, in Jesus and with Jesus, we can render honor and glory to the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, we can become perfect ourselves and be to our neighbor a good odor of eternal life. This is the fundamental truth of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, that Jesus is the goal of all of our devotions, the first truth mentioned in his book, True devotion to Our Lady. St. Louis Marie de Montfort was so humble to explain this to us in order to throw light on that great and solid devotion which he desired so much to teach us. He is even willing to write this book True Devotion using his own blood as ink, if it is possible, in order to convince us of the importance of this devotion. The reason why he is teaching us a great and solid devotion to the Blessed Mother is none other than to establish a solid, great and more perfect devotion to Our Lord Jesus Christ, and to provide an easy and secure way of finding Him perfectly, of loving Him tenderly, and of serving Him faithfully.
He further explains based on the letters of St. Paul to the Corinthians and Romans, “we do not belong to ourselves but are entirely His as His members and His slaves, whom He has bought at an infinitely dear price, the price of all His blood. Before baptism we belong to the devil, as his slaves; but Baptism made us true slaves of Christ, who have no right to live to work or to die, except to bring forth, fruits for that God-Man, to glorify Him in our bodies and to let Him reign in our souls, because we are His conquest, His acquired people and His inheritance.” The one who possesses a good inheritance finds joy. Now St. Louis Marie de Montfort says, “We are God’s conquest, His acquired people and His inheritance.”
This is so beautiful, for God chose us, you and me, He predestined us, He acquired us as His people, as His inheritance through His love through His precious blood. We are God’s inheritance. But what is missing in us so that the one who possesses us as inheritance finds joy? St. Paul says, God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. He destined us in love to be His sons through Jesus Christ according to His will, to the praise of His glorious grace which He freely bestows on us in the Beloved.” If we are God’s inheritance, what God is expecting from us, is to give praise and glory to His name. Now, devotion to Our Lady as St. Louis de Montfort says is an excellent means of procuring God’s greater glory (fourth motive). God is pleased to see us glorifying His name, by following the example of His Son, submitting ourselves to the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Readings and Prayers for Day 27 of 33
Spiritual Exercises: Acts of love of God, Thanksgiving for the blessings of Jesus, contrition and resolution
True Devotion: Nos. 61-62
Christ our Last End
Jesus Christ our Savior, true God and true Man, ought to be the last end of all our devotions, else they are false and delusive. Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, of all things. We labor not, as the Apostle says, except to render every man perfect in Jesus Christ; because it is in Him alone that the whole plenitude of the Divinity dwells together with all the other plenitudes of graces, virtues, and perfections. It is in Him alone that we have been blessed with all spiritual benediction; and He is our only Master, Who has to teach us; our only Lord on Whom we ought to depend; our only Head to Whom we must be united; our only Model to Whom we should conform ourselves; our only Physician Who can heal us; our only Shepherd Who can feed us; our only Way Who can lead us; our only Truth Whom we must believe; our only Life Who can animate us; and our only all in all things Who can satisfy us. There has been no other name given under heaven, except the name of Jesus, by which we can be saved. God has laid no other foundation of our salvation, our perfection or our glory, then Jesus Christ. Every building which is not built on that firm rock is founded upon the moving sand, and sooner or later infallibly will fall. By Jesus Chris, with Jesus Christ, in Jesus Christ, we can do all things; we can render all honor and glory to the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost; we can become perfect ourselves, and be to our neighbors a good odor of eternal life. If then, we establish solid devotion to our Blessed Lady, it is only to establish more perfectly devotion to Jesus Christ, and to provide an easy and secure means for finding Jesus Christ. Devotion to our Lady is necessary for us, as I have already shown, and will show still further hereafter, as a means of finding Jesus Christ perfectly, of loving Him tenderly, of serving Him faithfully.
Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, 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 Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy on us.
Jesus, Son of the living God, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, Splendor of the Father,
Jesus, Brightness of eternal Light,
Jesus, King of Glory,
Jesus, Sun of Justice,
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary,
Jesus, most amiable,
Jesus, most admirable,
Jesus, the mighty God,
Jesus, Father of the world to come,
Jesus, Angel of great counsel,
Jesus, most powerful,
Jesus, most patient,
Jesus, most obedient,
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Jesus, Lover of Chastity,
Jesus, our Lover,
Jesus, God of Peace,
Jesus, Author of Life,
Jesus, Model of Virtues,
Jesus, zealous for souls,
Jesus, our God,
Jesus, our Refuge,
Jesus, Father of the Poor,
Jesus, Treasure of the Faithful,
Jesus, good Shepherd,
Jesus, true Light,
Jesus, eternal Wisdom,
Jesus, infinite Goodness,
Jesus, our Way and our Life,
Jesus, joy of the Angels,
Jesus, King of the Patriarchs,
Jesus, Master of the Apostles,
Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists,
Jesus, Strength of Martyrs,
Jesus, Light of Confessors,
Jesus, Purity of Virgins,
Jesus, Crown of all Saints,
Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus!
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus!
From all evil, R. Jesus deliver us.
From all sin,
From Thy wrath,
From the snares of the devil,
From the spirit of fornication,
From everlasting death,
From the neglect of Thine inspirations,
Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation,
Through Thine Nativity,
Through Thy Infancy,
Through Thy most Divine Life,
Through your Labors,
Through Thine Agony and Passion,
Through Thine Cross and Dereliction,
Through Thine Sufferings,
Through Thy Death and Burial,
Through Thine Resurrection,
Through Thine Ascension,
Through Thine Institution of the Most Holy Eucharist,
Through Thy Joys,
Through Thy Glory,
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, O Jesus.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou hast said, “Ask and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” mercifully attend to our supplications, and grant us the grace of Thy divine charity, that we may ever love Thee with our whole heart, and with all our words and deeds, and may never cease from praising Thee.
Give us, O Lord, a perpetual fear and love of Thy Holy Name; for Thou never failest to govern those whom Thou solidly establish in Thy love. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
St. Louis Marie de Montfort’s Prayer to Jesus
O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for the grace Thou hast bestowed upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through the devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy majesty and my support in my extreme misery. Alas, O, Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I should be certainly lost. Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things. Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me! Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing! Mary is in me. Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely hers? Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Savior, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to her; but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this offering as Thou dost desire me to renew it. And if Thou seest in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august princess, I pray Thee to take it and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of Thee.
O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Thy faithful spouse; give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy, so that by her Thou mayest truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. Amen.
O Jesus living in Mary
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
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.
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.
