My suggestions: If your going to consecrate yourself to Mary you should read St. Louis De Montforts 'True Devotion To Mary' originally written in the early 1700's, but not published until manuscript refound in the mid 1800's according to Montfort prophecy. It is a doctine of Marian Spirituality that preceded the Papal Dogmas concerning Mary. However, its consecration plan is a bit heavy. At this point I suggest Maximillian Kolbes Militia Immaculata for consecration. Max. Kolbe took over where St. Louis De Montfort left off. With Montfort it is a consecration to Mary Immaculate heart, but with Kolbe it is to Marys heart also and to belong to the Militia Immaculata (Marys Army). 1) Read as preparation: http://www.amazon.com/True-Devotion-Louis-Marie-Grignion-Monfort/dp/0895552795/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353812860&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=true devotion to mary kolbe JPII read this several times during his life. Reading it twice is recommended(not right away but 6 mos. or more later). 2)Consecration: consecrate yourself through Kolbe's M.I.( Militia Immaculata), contact them for a free certificate suitable for framing. http://www.consecration.com/ Kolbe takes over where Montfort left off. 3) Wear a miraculous medal and say its prayer. (My journey started with the Miraculous Medal, before anything else, before even meeting someone who influenced me to be a revertt). Quote from 'True Devotion to Mary' by Montfort "“They will have the two-edged sword of the word of God in their mouths and the blood-stained standard of the Cross on their shoulders. They will carry the crucifix in their right hand and the rosary in their left, and the holy names of Jesus and Mary on their heart. The simplicity and self-sacrifice of Jesus will be reflected in their whole behaviour.” --Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, speaking of the great Saints of the end times Those end times to which de Montfort speaks begin now, and he refers to our time.
I too would recommend a reading of "True Devotion to Mary" by Montfort. Also I have found the little booklet "Preparation for Total Consecration" according to Montfort; to be very beneficial. This consists of 33 days of preparation followed by a consecration day of oneself to becoming a slave to Jesus through Mary. Incidently a noticable change occurred when I first started it some years ago; that being a sharp decline in the gifts of the spirit, especially word of knowledge/revelation which I used to receive for people when praying. I have often wondered about this and can only surmise that Our Lady was filtering them a little God Bless BC
As stated above Montforts Consecration is on the order of 33 days. St Maximillian Kolbes is 9 days. Kolbes' Militia Immaculata 9 day consecration: http://consecration.com/default.aspx?id=210 Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.consecration.com/default.aspx?id=11 Q. What exactly is meant by consecration to Mary? A. Consecration to Mary is conformity to the "perfect means" which Jesus chose to unite himself with us and vice versa. Consecration heightens the depth of our commitment to Christ. It explicitly states that our ultimate goal and end is God. By consecrating yourself to Mary, you pledge to become her instrument to perform all your actions through, with and in Mary, for she points the way to the heart of Jesus. Q. What are the fundamental distinctions between the de Montfort and Kolbean consecrations? A. St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Louis de Montfort have very different ways of presenting this total offering and its goals, because of their different historical, cultural and spiritual backgrounds. Yet we can affirm that there is a complementary originality between the two saints' doctrines of consecration to Mary. De Montfort developed the teaching of Holy Slavery or Bondage to Mary, which has nurtured the spiritual life and Marian devotion of numberless souls, including Pope John Paul II. De Montfort clearly and properly states that the purpose of this consecration is to possess Christ as the Eternal and Incarnate Wisdom. His devotion is heavily based on "expropriation" (emptying oneself of one's possessions and oneself) until one's personal point of Calvary is reached. De Montfort viewed Holy Slavery or Bondage as a most "perfect renewal of the vows and promises of Baptism." Kolbe on the other hand, emphasized consecration to Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception, and gave it a specific apostolic purpose: "to gain the whole world for the Immaculata so as to bring about, as soon as possible, the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of Jesus". His view of consecration was that of incorporating oneself into the mystery and mission of the Immaculate Mother of God for the conversion and sanctification of all souls, beginning with oneself. Kolbe also wanted Marian consecrants to collectively join themselves to one another in a spiritual solidarity by enrolling into an authorized spiritual movement and corporately becoming Our Lady's instruments---her maternal presence andactivity---within the Church and throughout the world. Q. How is this different from the St. Louis de Montfort consecration? A. The MI has an apostolic thrust, i.e., each person is encouraged to find some way, no matter how simple, to bring others to Our Lady. The MI has as its goal the consecration of every person. MI consecration is at heart a simple act of the will. St. Louis de Montfort has a much more detailed preparation and his was primarily focused on one's personal sanctification. Q. What does it mean to become an MI? A. It means to become Our Lady's instrument in her most loving hands. Only in this way can we expect to reach our ultimate purpose, which is not only the greater, but also the greatest glory of God. Hence, all our efforts must be directed to this: that we allow ourselves to be led, that we do nothing of ourselves, but only in the way she wants and in the way she wants it. To accomplish this we must unite our will with Mary's, whose will was perfectly conformed to God's will. St. Maximilian once wrote: "One who cannot bend his knees and beg in humble prayer to know what she is, let him not expect to learn anything more intimate about the Immaculata." And again, "You will draw more knowledge about her and will be more inflamed with her love directly from her heart than from all human words put together." Knowledge and understanding of the Immaculata, and hence of her Militia, comes through humble prayer which is the indispensable condition for all spiritual growth. Q. What is enrollment in the MI? A. It is the step of joining the MI and becoming a recognized member of the MI movement. This can be done by any Catholic above the age of reason who willingly consecrates himself and registers himself at a local canonical center of the MI or at the National Center of the MI for the U.S. at Marytown. Q. How does one enroll? A. Select a day on which you consecrate yourself to Mary and request that your name be recorded in the official MI register. This is preferably done on a Marian feast day.
RB2, Thank you for such a thorough explanation! We love you, Mary! Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
Has anyone read 33 Days to Morning Glory A Do It Yourself retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration. By Father Michael E Gaitley?
We as a family our currently doing the 33 Days to Morning Glory, by Father Gaitley. I found this to be more user friendly, especially for my children (ages 13 to 22) The meditations in it our wonderful and I think they are perfect for a the younger crowd I really felt the need to have my family consecrated to Mary and this book is perfect for a family consecration Highly recommend it!
