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 4
Welcome back to our fourth day of the first 12 days preparation for Consecration to Our Lady and my name is Br. Julian Mary of the Knights of the Holy Eucharist. As we move forward in this preparation, we noticed from our last readings, a movement growing with intensity, and not just simply despising the spirit of the world but also shedding light on the darkness in our mind. Our Lord said “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness. Today we are moving, shifting from the gospel of St. Matthew to another beautiful spiritual book called The Imitation of Christ, mindful of the theme: renouncement of the spirit of the world. We now begin with two considerations: Firstly, who man is, and secondly who God is. Man is a creature which simply means he exists and can not exists without his Creator. Though endowed with many gifts that reflects the beauty and the omnipotence of his Creator; though man is the pinnacle of God’s creation described in the Book of Genesis; though he is the living splendor far surpassing than the beauty of the universe, the seas and the mountains, and all that it contains, because of the splendor of its soul which receives the breath of divine life, given to him by his Creator; the distance between man and God is an abyss unimaginable.
Even St. Louis Marie de Montfort says, “I avow with all the Church […] that a mere creature that has come from the hands of God, is less than an atom, is nothing at all in comparison with His Infinite Majesty.” [TD # 14] We are nothing, but we exist because God not only created us but lovingly sustains and nourishes us. God is all-powerful, merciful and love. His divinity, splendor, power, and love is infinite. He is the source of all truth, of happiness and the supreme good. He is higher than the heavens as the Book of Job describes. It is true when the author of this book writes, “Lord I am nothing, I can do nothing of myself that is good, but I am in all things defective and ever tend to nothing.” Some people may argue, “I did good works.” Yes, that’s true, but have we realized that it is the infinite goodness of God that is actually working in us, or have realized that it is the grace of God that animates us to do such marvelous works? Can we boast of whatever good that is in us without acknowledging God the source of all goodness and all good things?
The spirit of the world does not have any considerations for God, they are blinded by their own pride. And so, we must renounce the spirit of the world and the spirit of pride that provokes them. And for us who is watching closely this worldly spirit in these days of preparation, must be aware that pride diminishes our zeal to advance in spiritual life and holiness. Be aware also of our strong tendency not to advance, and so we are given this direction and encouragement: practice the virtue of humility; keep your spirit in order and subjection and move forward with the resoluteness and spirit of the fervor of a warrior-knight. Let us ask the assistance of Blessed Virgin as we continue in this preparation. from the litany, we have this beautiful title of Our Lady Mother of Divine grace. St Louis de Montfort says God gathers all the waters and he called it the sea, God gathers all the graces and He called it Mary. Indeed, Mary is the Mother of divine grace as the book of Sirach says: contains all the graces. The archangel Gabriel confirmed this during the Annunciation Gratia plena, and so let us proceed to and approach the throne of grace.
Readings and Prayers for Day 4 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: Book 3, chapters 7, 40
Man has no good in himself and can glory in nothing
Lord, what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You visit him? What has man deserved that You should give him Your grace? What cause have I, Lord, to complain if You desert me, or what objection can I have if You do not do what I ask? This I may think and say in all truth: “Lord, I am nothing, of myself I have nothing that is good; I am lacking in all things, and I am ever tending toward nothing. And unless I have Your help and am inwardly strengthened by You, I become quite lukewarm and lax.” But You, Lord, are always the same. You remain forever, always good, just, and holy; doing all things rightly, justly, and holily, disposing them wisely. I, however, who am more ready to go backward than forward, do not remain always in one state, for I change with the seasons. Yet my condition quickly improves when it pleases You and when You reach forth Your helping hand. For You alone, without human aid, can help me and strengthen me so greatly that my heart shall no more change but be converted and rest solely in You.
He who gives himself up entirely to enjoyment acts very unwisely, for he forgets his former helplessness and that chastened fear of the Lord which dreads to lose a proffered grace. Nor is he very brave or wise who becomes too despondent in times of adversity and difficulty and thinks less confidently of Me than he should. He who wishes to be too secure in time of peace will often become too dejected and fearful in time of trial. If you were wise enough to remain always humble and small in your own eyes, and to restrain and rule your spirit well, you would not fall so quickly into danger and offense. When a spirit of fervor is enkindled within you, you may well meditate on how you will feel when the fervor leaves.
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.
