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 8
Welcome back to day number 8 of the First 12 days of preparation renouncing the spirit of the world, and my name is Br. Julian Mary from Knights of the Holy Eucharist. From our manual for consecration, Today’s reading deals generally with temptation and will continue the following ninth day. There is really such a thing called temptation and everyone can never be free from them even the holiest saint, even God himself during his life on earth. All temptations do not always come from the devil alone, other temptations come from the world and the flesh. To launch a good fight against the spirit of the world it is necessary to aim three major targets namely: the world, the flesh, and the devil. If we are successful to destroy their fortresses it would be easier for us to prevent ourselves from their attacks. Of the three, the most difficult to fight is the “flesh” our very own self. The reason is simple because it is hiding deep within; we carry it within ourselves, and it has three dangerous warheads that will surprise us anytime: These are: the concupiscence of the eyes, the concupiscence of the flesh and the pride of life, and of the three, the most dangerous is pride. Pride is the main source of all evils, the greatest obstacle to grace and repentance, the source of endless self-deception, vanity and madness. It is the door that leads to anger, violence, and war. St. Augustine called pride as the reservoir of all sins; the head and cause of all sins.
Now Temptation can be won either by fighting or by fleeing, for man’s life on earth is a constant spiritual warfare. There will be occasions that a person is called upon by means of an attack, other times he must yield not because of cowardice but it is necessary as in the case of lust and impurities. Also, we need to understand that temptation by itself is not a sin, for sin is an offense against God, a willful violation of God’s law. Temptation can be used for our own good for it can help us provide an opportunity to practice virtues. A good example of this is the life of Job, who was tempted by the devil. however He never gives up, even he was ridiculed, and all things seemed to be lost. At the end of all temptations in his life, he became more humble, trustful and his faith was fortified, and God blessed him super-abundantly more than what he had before.
While our first parents succumbed to the temptation of the Devil in the Garden of Eden, Our Lord victoriously won over temptations in the desert. Again no one in this life can free himself from temptations. Saints passed through all kinds of temptations and they were all purified by them. So, also with us, we are purified and fortified by temptations. In all situations, conquering temptations by renouncing the spirit of the world and practicing virtues, makes us stronger than all our enemies. He who succumbs and decides to give in will profit a little and at the same time making himself vulnerable to the attacks of the enemies. So a reminder, start the basics of spiritual battle by renouncing of the spirit of the world, and if you perceived you ran out of strength and you are in confusion during this fierce battle, do not do it by yourself it’s a sign of pride and will lead you to ruin. Be open, gather more strength, take and follow the good counsel, acknowledge your defects and weaknesses, you need someone, you need Our Lady, you need God. That is humility, it pleases God, it gives victory.
Readings and Prayers for Day 8 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 13
Resisting Temptation
So long as we live in this world we cannot escape suffering and temptation. Whence it is written in Job: “The life of man upon earth is a warfare.”4 Everyone, therefore, must guard against temptation and must watch in prayer lest the devil, who never sleeps but goes about seeking whom he may devour, find occasion to deceive him. No one is so perfect or so holy but he is sometimes tempted; man cannot be altogether free from temptation.
Yet temptations, though troublesome and severe, are often useful to a man, for in them he is humbled, purified, and instructed. The saints all passed through many temptations and trials to profit by them, while those who could not resist became reprobate and fell away. There is no state so holy, no place so secret that temptations and trials will not come. Man is never safe from them as long as he lives, for they come from within us– in sin we were born. When one temptation or trial passes, another comes; we shall always have something to suffer because we have lost the state of original blessedness.
Many people try to escape temptations, only to fall more deeply. We cannot conquer simply by fleeing, but by patience and true humility we become stronger than all our enemies. The man who only shuns temptations outwardly and does not uproot them will make little progress; indeed, they will quickly return, more violent than before.
Little by little, in patience and long-suffering you will overcome them, by the help of God rather than by severity and your own rash ways. Often take counsel when tempted; and do not be harsh with others who are tempted, but console them as you yourself would wish to be consoled.
The beginning of all temptation lies in a wavering mind and little trust in God, for as a rudderless ship is driven hither and yon by waves, so a careless and irresolute man is tempted in many ways.
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.
