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 6
After tracing the pages of our spiritual readings in preparation for Consecration to Our Lady, on this 6th day, we will move our attention on how the saints lived the theme renouncement of the spirit of the world. My name is Br. Julian Mary from the Knights of the Holy Eucharist founded by Mother Angelica. So, we are going to focus our ‘lenses’ on the lives of the saints in general.
The saints serve the Lord with great love and fervor. Great love and fervor characterize their service and actions. Love in the context of Divine Precepts described in the gospel, has “two wings” to soar heavenwards without any attachment to earthly things. The “two wings” of charity is Love of God and Love of neighbor. If we want to fly to the heights of holiness, these two wings are indispensable. If we love God, we must also love our neighbor, or else our love of God is false. Sacred Scripture is very clear on this matter. On the other hand, the motive of loving our neighbor must always be, the love of God following the love that exists in the life of The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, ready to give, even if it hurts.
The essence of love is to give and to give demands sacrifice. Love without sacrifice is unthinkable. Our Lord Jesus Christ proves this throughout his life, but His love is far surpassing because He is God and His Love is supremely infinite. It follows that His love for the Eternal Father and for each one of us is also supremely infinite. And so, He is willing to sacrifice. And since His love is infinite His sacrifice is also infinite. If we could fathom how Our Lord suffered all the torments; if we could grasp the full meaning of the word “infinite sacrifice” we will be lost in amazement. Most of the saints had the glimpse of the true meaning of the word sacrifice, while few others don’t and so some flee at the start. In any case, saints are moved by the impulse of gifts and grace. And so, by the grace and gifts of God, they perceived the hidden joys and the sweetness even in sufferings and sacrifices because they loved. That is why they are willing to do all the things described in our readings for today. The thing that really characterizes their service to God is their great fervor. But what is great fervor? Another name for the fervor is passion, intensity, enthusiasm, excitement, energy, fire and spirit. When they are moved by the Holy Spirit there is no such thing as a delay. When it comes to the service of God they are passionate; they have enthusiasm; they are excited; they have fire; they have life. They use their time profitably, putting together prayer and work in beautiful harmony as if creating a virtuous atmosphere in their place, while at the same time renouncing their own life for the sake of life everlasting.
This is the lives of saints and a great challenge for all us who are called to renounce the spirit of the world. They follow the Lord’s way of self-denial renouncing riches, dignities, honor, and glory. What the saints actually renounce in this world is what they obtain in heaven but far surpassing because what they possess in heaven is God in a beatific vision for all eternity. What more could a soul desire than possessing the object of his love who is God. And so, we are to ponder and imitate the saints how to be victorious in renouncing the spirit of the world and to possess God even now in this present life. Again, a reminder for all of us on this first 12 days of preparation, we can never possess the spirit of God unless we successfully get rid of the spirit of the world in our self.
Readings and Prayers for Day 6 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 1, chapter 18
The Example Set Us by the Holy Fathers
Consider the lively examples set us by the saints, who possessed the light of true perfection and religion, and you will see how little, how nearly nothing, we do. What, alas, is our life, compared with theirs? The saints and friends of Christ served the Lord in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in work and fatigue, in vigils and fasts, in prayers and holy meditations, in persecutions and many afflictions. How many and severe were the trials they suffered– the Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all the rest who willed to follow in the footsteps of Christ! They hated their lives on earth that they might have life in eternity.
How strict and detached were the lives the holy hermits led in the desert! What long and grave temptations they suffered! How often were they beset by the enemy! What frequent and ardent prayers they offered to God! What rigorous fasts they observed! How great their zeal and their love for spiritual perfection! How brave the fight they waged to master their evil habits! What pure and straightforward purpose they showed toward God! By day they labored and by night they spent themselves in long prayers. Even at work they did not cease from mental prayer. They used all their time profitably; every hour seemed too short for serving God, and in the great sweetness of contemplation, they forgot even their bodily needs.
They renounced all riches, dignities, honors, friends, and associates. They desired nothing of the world. They scarcely allowed themselves the necessities of life, and the service of the body, even when necessary, was irksome to them. They were poor in earthly things but rich in grace and virtue.
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.
