PREPARATION FOR TOTAL CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY - …

1 TOTAL CONSECRATION TO JESUS THROUGH MARY A GUIDE Page 1 of 39 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .. page 2 Period 1 PRELIMINARY First Twelve Days .. page 3 Period 2 KNOWLEDGE OF SELF First Week of Prayer and Meditation .. page 11 Period 3 KNOWLEDGE OF MARY Second Week of Prayer and Meditation .. page 19 Period 4 KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST Third Week of Prayer and Meditation .. page 28 THE CONSECRATION DAY .. page 38 CONTENTS TOTAL CONSECRATION TO JESUS THROUGH MARY A GUIDE Page 2 of 39 PREPARATION FOR TOTAL CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT'S formula of TOTAL CONSECRATION to Jesus through Mary is not to be taken lightly. This is evidenced from the fact that the Saint himself advocates a serious PREPARATION consisting of twelve preliminary days, in which the soul endeavors to rid itself of the spirit of the world as opposed to the spirit of Christ.

2 This is followed by three weeks of prayer and meditation during which the soul strives to acquire a better knowledge of self (1st week), of Mary (2nd week), and of Jesus Christ (3rd week). Though this preliminary period is strongly recommended, it is obvious that the length of time devoted to such a PREPARATION may vary according to one's personal needs and circumstances. INTRODUCTION TOTAL CONSECRATION TO JESUS THROUGH MARY A GUIDE Page 3 of 39 Period I TWELVE PRELIMINARY DAYS Theme: SPIRIT OF THE WORLD Examine your conscience, pray, practice renouncement of your own will; mortification, purity of heart. This purity is the indispensable condition for contemplating God in heaven, to see Him on earth and to know Him by the light of faith.

3 The first part of the PREPARATION should be employed in casting off the spirit of the world which is contrary to that of Jesus Christ. The spirit of the world consists essentially in the denial of the supreme dominion of God; a denial which is manifested in practice by sin and disobedience; thus it is principally opposed to the spirit of Christ, which is also that of Mary. It manifests itself by the concupiscence of the flesh, by the concupiscence of the eyes and by the pride of life. By disobedience to God's laws and the abuse of created things. Its works are: sin in all forms, then all else by which the devil leads to sin; works which bring error and darkness to the mind, and seduction and corruption to the will. Its pomps are the splendour and the charms employed by the 'devil to render sin alluring in persons, places and things.

4 PRAYERS TO BE RECITED DURING THESE FIRST TWELVE DAYS (From the 1st day to the 12th day) Veni Creator 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 o'erflow 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.

5 Days 1-12 PRELIMINARY DAYS TOTAL CONSECRATION TO JESUS THROUGH MARY A GUIDE Page 4 of 39 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.

6 Magnificat My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation to generations, to them that fear Him. He hath showed might in His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat; and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. Amen. Glory be to the Father, etc.

7 (Indulgence of three years. Plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, if recited daily for a et Pia Opera, 291) 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. (Indulgence of three years. Plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, if recited daily for a month. Preces et Pia Opera, 292.) Days 1-12 PRELIMINARY DAYS TOTAL CONSECRATION TO JESUS THROUGH MARY A GUIDE Page 5 of 39 FIRST DAY St. Matthew: Chapter 5: 1-19 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him.

8 And opening his mouth, he taught them saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice's sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven.

9 For so they persecuted the Prophets that were before you. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing anymore but to be cast out and be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot he hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am come not to destroy but to fulfill. For Amen, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled. He therefore, that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach man, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

10 But he that shall do and teach shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Now turn to page 3, For Prayers, etc. SECOND DAY St. Matthew: Chapter 5: 48, 6: 1-15 Be ye therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect. Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have the reward of your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when thou dost an alms-deed sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. And when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth. That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who sees in secret will repay thee. And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men; Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.