Devotion to Our Lady |
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SPIRITUAL EXERCISES &
PRAYERS TO BE SAID DAILY THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD DEDICATED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS They should apply themselves
during the third week to know Jesus Christ. They can meditate upon what we have
said about Him, and say the prayer of St. Augustine which they will find in the
beginning of the second part of this treatise. They can, with the same saint, repeat
a hundred times a day: “Lord, that I may know Thee!” or: “Lord, that
I may see Who Thou art!” They should recite, as in the preceding weeks, the
Litany of the Holy Ghost and the Ave Maris Stella, and should add daily
the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.
1. Pray the Litany of the Holy Ghost; Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus; Jesus Living In Mary; Ave Maris Stella; St. Louis de Montfort's Prayer to Our Lady (all of these prayers need not be said everyday IF they cause TRUE difficulty). 2. Pray the Holy Rosary, but PRAY IT WELL 3. Pray especially for the GRACE TO GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, not just in theory or in the mind, but pray that this growth of knowledge may go beyond the intellectual, and that it also SHOW ITSELF IN PRACTICE in many ways. 4. Make acts professing your love and affection towards Jesus, together with sorrow for ever having offended Him. 5. Make acts full of faith in Our Lord’s mercy, power and His desire to help you. 6. Beg Jesus for the grace to grow in a 'practical' love of Him; to have a greater attention and love of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; to have a desire to receive the Holy Eucharist more often; to visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament more often and more sincerely; and for the grace to see Him and love Him in every cross that comes our way. 7. Thank God for all His patience with you until this day; than Him for the countless graces and mercies that you have received from Him through Mary, and beg of Him, through Mary, the graces to amend your life in the future. 8. Read and reflect on the readings posted for each particular day. 9. Make many short prayers ('one-liners') begging the grace to: (a) look upon and perform the recommended practices seriously (the devil does not want it) (b) to persevere DAILY in the prayer, spiritual reading, meditation & penance (c) for the grace to know Our Lord and to see His love, mercy, justice and providence in your life. (d) for the grace to make a good examination of conscience and a good Confession (e) to have the strength of mind and heart to MAKE CHANGES and AMEND YOUR LIFE PRAYERS FOR DAYS 20-26
Litany of the Holy Ghost
Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus Prayer to Jesus (by St. Louis de Montfort) Ave Maris Stella The Holy Rosary Optional Prayers Prayers to the Holy Souls These prayers are also fruitful sources of meditation. LITANY OF
THE HOLY GHOST
Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us Father, all powerful, Have mercy on us. Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, Save us. Spirit of the Father and the Son, boundless life of both, Sanctify us. Holy Trinity, Hear us. Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Holy Ghost, Who art equal to the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Promise of God the Father, Have mercy on us. Ray of heavenly light, Have mercy on us. Author of all good, Have mercy on us. Source of heavenly water, Have mercy on us. Consuming fire, Have mercy on us. Ardent charity, Have mercy on us. Spiritual unction, Have mercy on us. Spirit of love and truth, Have mercy on us. Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Have mercy on us. Spirit of counsel and fortitude, Have mercy on us. Spirit of knowledge and piety, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the fear of the Lord, Have mercy on us. Spirit of grace and prayer, Have mercy on us. Spirit of peace and meekness, Have mercy on us. Spirit of modesty and innocence, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Comforter, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church, Have mercy on us. Gift of God, the Most High, Have mercy on us. Spirit Who fillest the universe, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin. Holy Ghost, come and renew the face of the earth. Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls. Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts. Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy love. Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces. Holy Ghost, teach us to pray well. Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations. Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation. Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge. Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good. Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues. Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice. Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Send us Thy Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Pour down into our souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Grant us the Spirit of wisdom and piety. V. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful. R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy Love. Let us pray Grant, O merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit enlighten, inflame and purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us fruitful in good works; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and ever. R. Amen. LITANY OF
THE SACRED HEART Litany of the Sacred Heart
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God, the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mother’s womb, Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, Heart of Jesus, of infinite Majesty, Heart of Jesus, holy Temple of God, Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of Heaven, Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, Heart of Jesus, wherein are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Heart of Jesus, wherein dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father is well pleased, Heart of Jesus, of Whose fullness we have all received, Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon Thee, Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses, Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches, Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities, Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death, Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, R. Make our hearts like unto Thine. Let us pray Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, of Thy great goodness, grant them pardon when they seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee for ever and ever. R. Amen. LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us Jesus, Son of the living God, Have mercy on us Jesus, splendor of the Father, Have mercy on us Jesus, brightness of eternal light, Have ... Jesus, King of glory, Jesus, sun of justice, Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, most amiable, Jesus, most admirable, Jesus, mighty God, Jesus, Father of the world to come, Jesus, angel of the great counsel, Jesus, most powerful, Jesus, most patient, Jesus, most obedient, Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Jesus, lover of chastity, Jesus, lover of us, Jesus, God of peace, Jesus, author of life, Jesus, model of virtues, Jesus, lover of souls, Jesus, our God, Jesus, our refuge, Jesus, Father of the poor, Jesus, treasure of the faithful, Jesus, Good shepherd, Jesus, true light, Jesus, eternal wisdom, Jesus, infinite goodness, Jesus, our way and our life, Jesus, joy of angels, Jesus, King of patriarchs, Jesus, master of Apostles, Jesus, teacher of Evangelists, Jesus, strength of martyrs, Jesus, light of confessors, Jesus, purity of virgins, Jesus, crown of all saints, Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus. From all evil, Deliver us O Jesus From all sin, Deliver us O Jesus From Thy wrath, Deliver us O Jesus From the snares of the devil, Deliver... From the spirit of fornication, From everlasting death, From the neglect of Thine inspirations, Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, Through Thy nativity, Through Thine infancy, Through Thy most divine life, Through Thy labors, Through Thine agony and Passion, Through Thy cross and dereliction, Through Thy sufferings, Through Thy death and burial, Through Thy Resurrection, Through Thine Ascension, Through Thine institution of the most Holy Eucharist, Through Thy joys, Through Thy glory, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Jesus. V. Jesus, hear us. R. Jesus, graciously hear us. Let us pray O Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast said: Ask and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you; grant, we beseech Thee, to us who ask the gift of Thy divine love, that we may ever love Thee with all our hearts, and in all our words and actions, and never cease praising Thee. Grant us, O Lord, a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy Name; for Thou never failest to govern those whom Thou dost solidly establish in Thy love. Who livest and reignest world without end. R. Amen. PRAYER TO JESUS
by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort
O most loving Jesus, deign
to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for the grace Thou hast bestowed
upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through the devotion of Holy Bondage,
that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy majesty and my support in my
extreme misery. Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I
should be certainly lost.
Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere: that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things. Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me! Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing! Mary is in me. Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely hers? Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Savior, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to her but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this offering as Thou desire me to renew it. And if Thou seest in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august Princess, I pray Thee to take it and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of Thee. O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Thy faithful spouse; give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy, so that by her Thou mayest truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. 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 for evermore. Through the highest heaven To the Almighty Three, Father, Son and Spirit, One same glory be. Amen. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY
LANGUENTIBUS IN PURGATORIO
(The Suffering Souls in Purgatory) The suffering souls in Purgatory, Who are being purified in excessive heat, And are tormented by severe punishment, Assist them, in your compassion, O Mary! You are the open-wide fount who wash away the faults of men. All you help, rejecting none: Extend your hand to the Dead, Who in pain languish continually, O Mary! To you the souls of the Dead lovingly sigh, Desiring to be rescued from pain And to stand in your sight, To possess eternal joys, O Mary! As they groan, hasten, Mother; In mercy, show them your heart. May Jesus through His wounds Be pleased to heal them: ask this, O Mary! You are true hope to them that call upon you. The Holy Souls Sodality cry to you for their brethren. Appease your Son, that in Heaven He may give them their reward, O Mary! Grant that the tears we shed at the feet of the Judge, And which you regard with kindness, May soon extinguish the avenging flames, That the Holy Souls may join the choirs of Angels, O Mary! And when the strict accounting takes place In the terrible and awesome Judgment of God, As He judges us, supplicate your Son, That with the Saints may be our portion, O Mary! INVOCATIONS TO THE HOLY SOULS
Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls,
pray to God that I might place Him above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might love Him above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might grow in my knowledge of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that my hope in God may grow daily! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may daily grow in my love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might obtain a fervent love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might shake off my lukewarmness! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may pursue a growth in all virtues! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might love Heaven more than earth! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might hate sin above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might obtain perfect contrition for sin! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might have a love for penance! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I pay my debts for sin before death! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I avoid all future occasions of sin! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I despise and avoid the world! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I place my spiritual life above all! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I grow spiritually with each day! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray that I preserve my Holy Catholic Faith until death! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I daily preserve grace in my soul! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I die in the grace of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I die with a great love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may avoid the fires of Purgatory! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may safely reach Heaven! Eternal rest grant into them O Lord And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen. Pray the "Our Father" …. V. And lead us not into temptation, R. But deliver us from all evil. Amen. V. From the gates of Hell, R. Deliver their souls, O Lord. V. May they rest in peace. R. Amen. V. O Lord, hear my prayer, R. And let my cry come unto Thee. Let us pray: O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy departed servants the remission of all their sins, that through our pious supplications they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. Let us pray: O God, the Giver of pardon and the Lover of the salvation of men, we beg Thy clemency on behalf of our brethren, kinsfolk and benefactors who have departed this life, that by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the saints, Thou wouldst receive them into the joys of Thine everlasting kingdom. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. Let us pray: O God, to Whom it belongs always to have mercy and to spare, be favorably propitious to the souls of Thy servants and grant them the remission of all their sins, that being delivered from the bonds of this mortal life, they may be admitted to life everlasting. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. THE DE PROFUNDIS From the depths, I have cried out to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let Thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord, were to mark iniquities, who, O Lord, shall stand? For with Thee there is forgiveness; and because of Thy law, I stood by Thee, O Lord. My soul has stood by His word. My soul has hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch, even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. |
DAY 33 of 33
FIRST MEDITATION Jesus Use of Mary in the Latter Days of the World Taken from St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary, §50ff (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) JESUS WILL TRIUMPH IN THE
LATTER DAYS THROUGH MARY
God, then, wishes to reveal and make known Mary, the masterpiece of His hands, in these latter times: 1. Because she hid herself in this world and put herself lower than the dust by her profound humility, having obtained from God and from His Apostles and Evangelists that she should not be made manifest. 2. Because, as she is the masterpiece of the hands of God, as well here below by grace as in Heaven by glory, He wishes to be glorified and praised in her by those who are living upon the earth. 3. As she is the dawn which precedes and reveals the Sun of Justice, who is Jesus Christ, she must be seen and recognized in order that Jesus Christ may also be. 4. Being the way by which Jesus came to us the first time, she will also be the way by which He will come the second time, though not in the same manner. 5. Being the sure means and the straight and immaculate way to go to Jesus Christ and to find Him perfectly, it is by her that the souls who are to shine forth especially in sanctity have to find Our Lord. He who shall find Mary shall find life (Proverbs 8:35), that is, Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6). But no one can find Mary who does not seek her; and no one can seek her who does not know her; for we cannot seek or desire an unknown object. It is necessary, then, for the greater knowledge and glory of the Most Holy Trinity, that Mary should be more than ever known. 6. Mary must shine forth more than ever in mercy, in might and in grace, in these latter times: in mercy, to bring back and lovingly receive the poor strayed sinners who shall be converted and shall return to the Catholic Church; in might, against the enemies of God, idolaters, schismatics, Mahometans, Jews and souls hardened in impiety, who shall rise in terrible revolt against God to seduce all those who shall oppose them and to make them fall by promises and threats; and finally, she must shine forth in grace, in order to animate and sustain the valiant soldiers and faithful servants of Jesus Christ, who shall battle for His interests. 7. And lastly, Mary must be terrible to the devil and his crew, as an army ranged in battle, principally in these latter times, because the devil, knowing that he has but little time, and now less than ever, to destroy souls, will every day redouble his efforts and his combats. He will presently raise up cruel persecutions and will put terrible snares before the faithful servants and true children of Mary, whom it gives him more trouble to conquer than it does to conquer others. JESUS WILL USE MARY AND HER 'CHILDREN' IN THE BATTLE AGAINST SATAN It is principally of these last and cruel persecutions of the devil, which shall go on increasing daily till the reign of Antichrist, that we ought to understand that first and celebrated prediction and curse of God pronounced in the terrestrial paradise against the serpent. It is to our purpose to explain this here for the glory of the most holy Virgin, for the salvation of her children and for the confusion of the devil: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.” (Genesis 3:15). God has never made and formed but one enmity; but it is an irreconcilable one, which shall endure and grow even to the end. It is between Mary, His worthy Mother, and the devil—between the children and the servants of the Blessed Virgin, and the children and tools of Lucifer. The most terrible of all the enemies which God has set up against the devil is His holy Mother Mary. He has inspired her, even since the days of the earthly paradise—though she existed then only in His idea—with so much hatred against that cursed enemy of God, with so much ingenuity in unveiling the malice of that ancient serpent, with so much power to conquer, to overthrow and to crush that proud, impious rebel, that he fears her not only more than all angels and men, but in a sense more than God Himself. Not that the anger, the hatred and the power of God are not infinitely greater than those of the Blessed Virgin, for the perfections of Mary are limited; but first, because Satan, being proud, suffers infinitely more from being beaten and punished by a little and humble handmaid of God, and her humility humbles him more than the divine power; and secondly, because God has given Mary such great power against the devils that—as they have often been obliged to confess, in spite of themselves, by the mouths of the possessed—they fear one of her sighs for a soul more than the prayers of all the saints, and one of her threats against them more than all other torments. What Lucifer has lost by pride, Mary has gained by humility. What Eve has damned and lost by disobedience, Mary has saved by obedience. Eve, in obeying the serpent, has destroyed all her children together with herself, and has delivered them to him; Mary, in being perfectly faithful to God, has saved all her children and servants together with herself, and has consecrated them to His Majesty. God has not only set an enmity, but enmities, not simply between Mary and the devil, but between the race of the holy Virgin and the race of the devil; that is to say, God has set enmities, antipathies and secret hatreds between the true children and servants of Mary and the children and slaves of the devil. They have no love for each other. They have no sympathy for each other. The children of Belial, the slaves of Satan, the friends of the world (for it is the same thing) have always up to this time persecuted those who belong to Our Blessed Lady, and will in the future persecute them more than ever; just as Cain, of old, persecuted his brother Abel, and Esau his brother Jacob, who are the figures of the reprobate and the predestinate. But the humble Mary will always have the victory over that proud spirit, and so great a victory that she will go so far as to crush his head, where his pride dwells. She will always discover the malice of the serpent. She will always lay bare his infernal plots and dissipate his diabolical councils, and even to the end of time will guard her faithful servants from his cruel claw. But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel: that is to say, her humble slaves and her poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him. They shall be little and poor in the world's esteem, and abased before all like the heel, trodden underfoot and persecuted as the heel is by the other members of the body. But in return for this they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly. They shall be great and exalted before God in sanctity, superior to all other creatures by their lively zeal, and so well sustained with God's assistance that, with the humility of their heel, in union with Mary, they shall crush the head of the devil and cause Jesus Christ to triumph . JESUS WILL FORM THE SAINTS OF THE LATTER DAYS THROUGH MARY In a word, God wishes that His holy Mother should be at present more known, more loved, more honored than she has ever been. This, no doubt, will take place if the predestinate enter, with the grace and light of the Holy Ghost, into the interior and perfect practice which I will disclose to them shortly. Then they will see clearly, as far as faith allows, that beautiful Star of the Sea. They will arrive happily in harbor, following its guidance, in spite of the tempests and the pirates. They will know the grandeurs of that Queen, and will consecrate themselves entirely to her service as subjects and slaves of love. They will experience her sweetness and her maternal goodness, and they will love her tenderly like well-beloved children. They will know the mercies of which she is full, and the need they have of her help; and they will have recourse to her in all things, as to their dear advocate and Mediatrix with Jesus Christ. They will know what is the surest, the easiest, the shortest and the most perfect means of going to Jesus Christ; and they will give themselves to Mary, body and soul, without reserve, that they may thus belong entirely to Jesus Christ. But who shall those servants, slaves and children of Mary be? They shall be the ministers of the Lord who, like a burning fire, shall kindle the fire of divine love everywhere. They shall be “like sharp arrows in the hand of the powerful” Mary to pierce her enemies. (Psalm 126:4). They shall be the sons of Levi, well purified by the fire of great tribulation, and closely adhering to God (1 Corinthians 6:17), who shall carry the gold of love in their heart, the incense of prayer in their spirit, and the myrrh of mortification in their body. They shall be everywhere the good odor of Jesus Christ to the poor and to the little, while at the same time, they shall be an odor of death to the great, to the rich and to the proud worldlings. They shall be clouds thundering and flying through the air at the least breath of the Holy Ghost; who, detaching themselves from everything and troubling themselves about nothing, shall shower forth the rain of the Word of God and of life eternal. They shall thunder against sin; they shall storm against the world; they shall strike the devil and his crew; and they shall pierce through and through, for life or for death, with their two-edged sword of the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), all those to whom they shall be sent on the part of the Most High. They shall be the true apostles of the latter times, to whom the Lord of Hosts shall give the word and the might to work marvels and to carry off with glory the spoils of His enemies. They shall sleep without gold or silver, and, what is more, without care, in the midst of the other priests, ecclesiastics, and clerics (Psalm 67:14); and yet they shall have the silvered wings of the dove to go, with the pure intention of the glory of God and the salvation of souls, wheresoever the Holy Ghost shall call them. Nor shall they leave behind them, in the places where they have preached, anything but the gold of charity, which is the fulfillment of the whole law. (Romans 13:10). In a word, we know that they shall be true disciples of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of His poverty, humility, contempt of the world, charity; teaching the narrow way of God in pure truth, according to the holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world; troubling themselves about nothing; not accepting persons; sparing, fearing and listening to no mortal, however influential he may be. They shall have in their mouths the two-edged sword of the Word of God. They shall carry on their shoulders the bloody standard of the Cross, the Crucifix in their right hand and the Rosary in their left, the sacred Names of Jesus and Mary in their hearts, and the modesty and mortification of Jesus Christ in their own behavior. These are the great men who are to come; but Mary is the one who, by order of the Most High, shall fashion them for the purpose of extending His empire over that of the impious, the idolaters and the Mahometans. But when and how shall this be? God alone knows. As for us, we have but to hold our tongues, to pray, to sigh and to wait: “With expectation I have waited.” (Psalm 39:2). THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). DAY 33 of 33
SECOND MEDITATION Finding Our Lord in the Eucharist (Part 5) (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can)
From The Three Ages
of the Interior Life by Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange (cont.)
We may use different ways to assist well at Mass, with faith, confidence, true piety, and love. We can be attentive to the liturgical prayers, which are generally beautiful and full of unction, elevation, and simplicity. We can also recall the passion and death of the Savior, of which the Mass is the memorial, and think of ourselves as standing at the foot of the cross with Mary, John, and the holy women. Again, we can apply ourselves to rendering to God, in union with Christ, the four duties that are the ends of the sacrifice: adoration, reparation, petition, and thanksgiving. Provided we pray, even while piously saying the Rosary, we assist fruitfully at Mass. We may, like St. Jane de Chantal and many saints, with great profit continue our mental prayer during the Mass, especially if we are inclined to a pure and intense love, somewhat like St. John resting on the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper. But whatever way we follow the Mass, one important point must be insisted upon. We must, above all, unite ourselves profoundly with the oblation of Christ, the principal Priest; with Him we must offer Him to His Father, remembering that this oblation pleases God more than all sins displease Him. We should offer ourselves also more profoundly each day; offer particularly the trials and contradictions that we already have to bear and those that may present themselves in the course of the day. Blessed Angela of Foligno tells us: “I have not a vague thought, but the absolute certitude that if a soul saw and contemplated any of the intimate splendors of the sacrament of the altar, it would take fire, for it would see divine love. It seems to me that those who offer the sacrifice, or who take part in it, ought to meditate profoundly on the deep truth of the thrice holy mystery, in the contemplation of which we should remain motionless and absorbed.” Our visit to the Blessed Sacrament should remind us of each day's Mass, and we should call to mind that though there is no sacrifice, properly so called, for it ceases with the Mass, Christ, really present in the tabernacle, continues to adore, to pray, and to give thanks. At every hour of the day we ought to unite ourselves to our Savior's oblation. As the prayer to the Eucharistic heart says: “He is patient in waiting for us, eager to hear and grant our prayers. He is the fountain of ever new graces, the refuge of the hidden life, the master of the secrets of divine union.” In the presence of the tabernacle, we ought “to be silent in order to listen to Him, and leave ourselves in order to lose ourselves in Him.” The soul tending to Christian perfection ought to live more and more by the Eucharist, not only by assistance at Mass but by frequent and even daily Communion. The Eucharist is thus the greatest of the sacraments, for it contains not only grace, but the Author of grace. It is the sacrament of love, because it is the fruit of love that gives itself and because it has for its principal effect to increase in us the love of God and of souls in God. All created life needs to be fed: plants draw their nourishment from the secretions of the earth; animals feed on plants or other living creatures; man nourishes his body with material and appropriate food; he nourishes his mind with truth, especially divine truth; he should nourish his will with the divine will to be accomplished daily in order to reach eternal life. In other words, man ought to find his nourishment especially in faith, hope, and love. The acts of these virtues obtain for him, through merit, an increase in supernatural life. But the Savior offers him still another and more divine food; He offers Himself as the food of souls. To St. Augustine, Christ said: “I am the food of the strong; grow and thou shalt feed on Me. But thou shalt not convert Me into thyself as the nourishment of thy body, but thou shalt be changed into Me.” As material bread restores the organism by repairing its losses, the results of labor and fatigue, so the Eucharist repairs the gradual loss of strength which results from our negligences. As the Council of Trent says, it frees us from venial sins, restores to us the fervor which we lost because of these sins, and preserves us from mortal sin. Moreover, ordinary nourishment increases the life of the body in a growing child. Now, from the spiritual point of view, we ought always to grow in the love of God and of our neighbor until death; thus we advance in our journey toward eternity. That we may grow in this way, the Eucharistic bread always brings us new graces. Thus supernatural growth does not stop in the saints, as long as they continue on their way toward God: their faith becomes daily more enlightened and more lively, their hope more firm, their charity more pure and ardent. Little by little they advance from resignation in suffering to the esteem and love of the cross. Through Communion all the infused virtues grow with charity; and through ever more fervent Communions, they may reach a heroic degree. The gifts of the Holy Ghost, being permanent, infused dispositions connected with charity, also grow with it. Lastly, as material bread is pleasant to the taste, the Eucharistic bread is sweet to the faithful soul, which draws from it a comfort and sometimes a spiritual well-being that is more or less felt. Let us on this final day of preparation, beg of the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, the grace of an increasing knowledge, appreciation, love and devotion to both the Eucharistic Christ and His Immaculate Mother. THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). DAY 33 of 33
THIRD MEDITATION Finding Our Lord in the Crosses of Life (Part 5) Taken from St. Louis de Montfort’s Letter to the Friends of the Cross (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can)
PATIENCE,
DEAR FRIEND OF THE CROSS!
If you have not the patience to suffer and the generosity to bear your cross like the chosen ones of God, then you will have to trudge under its weight, grumbling and fretting like reprobates; like the two animals that dragged the Ark of the Covenant, lowing as they went (1 Kings 6:12); like Simon the Cyrenaean who unwillingly put his hand to the very Cross of Christ (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21) complaining while he carried it. You will be like the impenitent thief who from the summit of his cross plunged headlong into the depths of the abyss. No, the cursed earth on which we live cannot give us happiness. We can see none too clearly in this benighted land. We are never perfectly calm on this troubled sea. We are never without warfare in a world of temptation and battlefields. We cannot escape scratches on a thorn-covered earth. Both elect and reprobate must bear their cross here, either willingly or unwillingly. Remember these words: “Three crosses stand on Calvary's height One must be chosen so choose aright Like a saint you must suffer, or a penitent thief Or like a reprobate, in endless grief.” This means that if you will not suffer gladly as Jesus did, or patiently like the penitent thief, then you must suffer despite yourself like the impenitent thief. You will have to drain the bitterest chalice even to the dregs, and with no hope of relief through grace. You will have to bear the entire weight of your cross, and without the powerful help of Jesus Christ. Then, too, you will have that awful weight to bear which the devil will add to your cross, by means of the impatience the cross will cause you. After sharing the impenitent thief's unhappiness here on earth, you will meet him again in the fires of Hell. But if you suffer as you should, your cross will be a sweet yoke (Matthew 11:30), for Christ will share it with you. Your soul will be borne on it as on a pair of wings to the portals of Heaven. It will be the mast on your ship guiding you happily and easily to the harbor of salvation. Carry your cross with patience: a cross patiently borne will be your light in spiritual darkness, for he knows naught who knows not how to suffer (Ecclesiasticus. 34:9). Carry your cross with joy and you will be inflamed with divine love, for only in suffering can we dwell in the pure love of Christ. Roses are only gathered from among thorns. As wood is fuel for the fire, so too is the Cross the only fuel for God's love. Remember that saying we read in the Following of Christ: “Inasmuch as you do violence to yourself”, suffering patiently, “insofar do you advance” in divine love (Bk. 1, Chap. 15:11). Do not expect anything great from those fastidious, slothful souls who refuse the Cross when it approaches and who do not go in search of any, when discretion allows. What are they but untilled soil, which can produce only thorns because it has not been turned up, harrowed and furrowed by a judicious laborer. They are like stagnant water which is unfit for either washing or drinking. Carry your cross joyfully and none of your enemies will be able to resist its conquering strength (Luke 21:15), while you yourself will enjoy its relish beyond compare. Yes, indeed Brethren, remember that the real Paradise here on earth is to be found in suffering for Jesus. Ask the saints. They will tell you that they never tasted a banquet so delicious to the soul than when undergoing the severest torments. St. Ignatius the Martyr said: “Let all the torments of the devil come upon me!” “Either suffering or death!”, said St. Teresa, and St. Magdalen de Pazzi: “Not death but suffering!” “May I suffer and be despised for Thy sake,” said St. John of the Cross. In reading the lives of the saints we find many others speaking in the selfsame terms. Dear Brethren, believe the Word of God, for the Holy Spirit says: The Cross affords all kinds of joy to anyone without exception who suffers cheerfully for God (James 1:2). The joy that springs from the cross is keener than the joy which a poor person would experience if overladen with an abundance of riches, than the joy of a peasant who is made ruler of his country, than the joy of a commander-in-chief over the victories he has won, than the joy of a prisoner released from his fetters. In conclusion, let us picture the greatest joys to be found here below: the joy of a crucified person who knows how to suffer not only equals them but even surpasses them all. Be glad, therefore, and rejoice when God favors you with one of His choicest crosses, for without realizing it you are being blessed with the greatest gift that Heaven has the greatest gift of God. Yes, the cross is God's greatest gift. If you could only understand this, you would have Masses said, you would make novenas at the tombs of the saints; you would undertake long pilgrimages, as did the saints, to obtain this divine gift from Heaven. The world claims it is madness on your part, degrading and stupid, rash and reckless. Let the world in its blindness, say what it likes. This blindness which is responsible for a merely human and distorted view of the cross is a source of glory for us. For every time they provide us with crosses by mocking and persecuting us, they are simply offering us jewels, setting us upon a throne and crowning us with laurels. What I say is but little. Take all the wealth and honors and scepters and brilliant diadems of monarchs and princes, says St. John Chrysostom, they are all insignificant compared with the glory of the Cross, it is greater even than the glory of the Apostles and the Sacred Writers. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, this saintly man goes as far as to say: “If I were given the preference, I would gladly leave Heaven to suffer for the God of Heaven. I would prefer the darkness of a dungeon to the thrones of the highest Heaven and the heaviest of crosses to the glory of the Seraphim. Suffering for me is of greater value than the gift of miracles, the power to command the infernal spirits, to master the physical universe, to stop the sun in its course and to raise the dead to life. Peter and Paul are more glorious in the shackles of a dungeon than in being lifted to the third Heaven and presented with the keys to Paradise.” In fact, was it not the Cross that gave Jesus Christ “a name which is above all names; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those that are in Heaven, on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:9-10). The glory of the one who knows how to suffer is so great that the radiance of his splendor rejoices Heaven, angels and men and even the God of Heaven. If the saints in Heaven could still wish for something they would want to return to earth so as to have the privilege of bearing a cross. If the cross is covered with such glory on earth, how magnificent it must be in Heaven. Who could ever understand and tell the eternal weight of glory we are given when, even for a single instant, we bear a cross as a cross should be borne (2 Corinthians 4:17)! Who could ever collate the glory that will be given in Heaven for the crosses and sufferings we carried for a year, perhaps even for a lifetime. Evidently, my dear Friends of the Cross, Heaven is preparing something grand for you, as you are told by a great Saint, since the Holy Ghost has united you so intimately to an object which the whole world so carefully avoids. Evidently, God wishes to make of you as many saints as you are Friends of the Cross, if you are faithful to your calling and dutifully carry your cross as Jesus Christ has carried His. THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). |
REASONS FOR MAKING THE CONSECRATION IN RELATION TO GOD
1. It is the will of God, as announced by Our Lady at Fatima. The fact that God wants this should be sufficient reason for making the Consecration. 2. Mary is God's masterpiece and in justice deserves praise above and beyond what we give to anything else except the praise we give to God. God receives much glory when we honor Mary, the work of His hands. 3. God has made Mary the channel or mediatrix of all graces. It would be an insult not to use the means that God has appointed for the distribution of His graces, and to seek other means instead. 4. We imitate God's ways by our reliance on Mary in our lives. Just as God chose to enter this world through Mary and chose to rely on Mary for the work of the Redemption, we, likewise, should go to God through Mary and rely upon her for the work of our salvation. |
REASONS FOR MAKING THE CONSECRATION IN RELATION TO OURSELVES
1. If we want to save our souls, then there is no better way of saving them than giving ourselves over to Mary. 2. There can be no salvation without the grace of God. This consecration is a surer and safer way of obtaining, increasing and keeping the graces of God. 3. Mary has been given the role of forming the saints of the end times. We are all called to be saints. There is no better school than the school of Mary for teaching, forming and maintaining sanctity. 4. A true devotion to Mary is almost a guarantee of salvation. This has been affirmed by the testimonies of numerous Saints, Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Who in their right mind doesn't want to save their soul? 5. The devils have confessed that they find it more difficult to overcome the true servants of Mary than other souls who have a lesser devotion to Mary. |
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES &
PRAYERS TO BE SAID DAILY THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD DEDICATED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS They should apply themselves
during the third week to know Jesus Christ. They can meditate upon what we have
said about Him, and say the prayer of St. Augustine which they will find in the
beginning of the second part of this treatise. They can, with the same saint, repeat
a hundred times a day: “Lord, that I may know Thee!” or: “Lord, that
I may see Who Thou art!” They should recite, as in the preceding weeks, the
Litany of the Holy Ghost and the Ave Maris Stella, and should add daily
the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.
1. Pray the Litany of the Holy Ghost; Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus; Jesus Living In Mary; Ave Maris Stella; St. Louis de Montfort's Prayer to Our Lady (all of these prayers need not be said everyday IF they cause TRUE difficulty). 2. Pray the Holy Rosary, but PRAY IT WELL 3. Pray especially for the GRACE TO GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, not just in theory or in the mind, but pray that this growth of knowledge may go beyond the intellectual, and that it also SHOW ITSELF IN PRACTICE in many ways. 4. Make acts professing your love and affection towards Jesus, together with sorrow for ever having offended Him. 5. Make acts full of faith in Our Lord’s mercy, power and His desire to help you. 6. Beg Jesus for the grace to grow in a 'practical' love of Him; to have a greater attention and love of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; to have a desire to receive the Holy Eucharist more often; to visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament more often and more sincerely; and for the grace to see Him and love Him in every cross that comes our way. 7. Thank God for all His patience with you until this day; than Him for the countless graces and mercies that you have received from Him through Mary, and beg of Him, through Mary, the graces to amend your life in the future. 8. Read and reflect on the readings posted for each particular day. 9. Make many short prayers ('one-liners') begging the grace to: (a) look upon and perform the recommended practices seriously (the devil does not want it) (b) to persevere DAILY in the prayer, spiritual reading, meditation & penance (c) for the grace to know Our Lord and to see His love, mercy, justice and providence in your life. (d) for the grace to make a good examination of conscience and a good Confession (e) to have the strength of mind and heart to MAKE CHANGES and AMEND YOUR LIFE PRAYERS FOR DAYS 20-26
Litany of the Holy Ghost
Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus Prayer to Jesus (by St. Louis de Montfort) Ave Maris Stella The Holy Rosary Optional Prayers Prayers to the Holy Souls These prayers are also fruitful sources of meditation. LITANY OF
THE HOLY GHOST
Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us Father, all powerful, Have mercy on us. Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, Save us. Spirit of the Father and the Son, boundless life of both, Sanctify us. Holy Trinity, Hear us. Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Holy Ghost, Who art equal to the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Promise of God the Father, Have mercy on us. Ray of heavenly light, Have mercy on us. Author of all good, Have mercy on us. Source of heavenly water, Have mercy on us. Consuming fire, Have mercy on us. Ardent charity, Have mercy on us. Spiritual unction, Have mercy on us. Spirit of love and truth, Have mercy on us. Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Have mercy on us. Spirit of counsel and fortitude, Have mercy on us. Spirit of knowledge and piety, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the fear of the Lord, Have mercy on us. Spirit of grace and prayer, Have mercy on us. Spirit of peace and meekness, Have mercy on us. Spirit of modesty and innocence, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Comforter, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church, Have mercy on us. Gift of God, the Most High, Have mercy on us. Spirit Who fillest the universe, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin. Holy Ghost, come and renew the face of the earth. Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls. Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts. Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy love. Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces. Holy Ghost, teach us to pray well. Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations. Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation. Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge. Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good. Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues. Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice. Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Send us Thy Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Pour down into our souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Grant us the Spirit of wisdom and piety. V. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful. R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy Love. Let us pray Grant, O merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit enlighten, inflame and purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us fruitful in good works; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and ever. R. Amen. LITANY OF
THE SACRED HEART Litany of the Sacred Heart
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God, the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mother’s womb, Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, Heart of Jesus, of infinite Majesty, Heart of Jesus, holy Temple of God, Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of Heaven, Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, Heart of Jesus, wherein are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Heart of Jesus, wherein dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father is well pleased, Heart of Jesus, of Whose fullness we have all received, Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon Thee, Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses, Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches, Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities, Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death, Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, R. Make our hearts like unto Thine. Let us pray Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, of Thy great goodness, grant them pardon when they seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee for ever and ever. R. Amen. LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us Jesus, Son of the living God, Have mercy on us Jesus, splendor of the Father, Have mercy on us Jesus, brightness of eternal light, Have ... Jesus, King of glory, Jesus, sun of justice, Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, most amiable, Jesus, most admirable, Jesus, mighty God, Jesus, Father of the world to come, Jesus, angel of the great counsel, Jesus, most powerful, Jesus, most patient, Jesus, most obedient, Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Jesus, lover of chastity, Jesus, lover of us, Jesus, God of peace, Jesus, author of life, Jesus, model of virtues, Jesus, lover of souls, Jesus, our God, Jesus, our refuge, Jesus, Father of the poor, Jesus, treasure of the faithful, Jesus, Good shepherd, Jesus, true light, Jesus, eternal wisdom, Jesus, infinite goodness, Jesus, our way and our life, Jesus, joy of angels, Jesus, King of patriarchs, Jesus, master of Apostles, Jesus, teacher of Evangelists, Jesus, strength of martyrs, Jesus, light of confessors, Jesus, purity of virgins, Jesus, crown of all saints, Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus. From all evil, Deliver us O Jesus From all sin, Deliver us O Jesus From Thy wrath, Deliver us O Jesus From the snares of the devil, Deliver... From the spirit of fornication, From everlasting death, From the neglect of Thine inspirations, Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, Through Thy nativity, Through Thine infancy, Through Thy most divine life, Through Thy labors, Through Thine agony and Passion, Through Thy cross and dereliction, Through Thy sufferings, Through Thy death and burial, Through Thy Resurrection, Through Thine Ascension, Through Thine institution of the most Holy Eucharist, Through Thy joys, Through Thy glory, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Jesus. V. Jesus, hear us. R. Jesus, graciously hear us. Let us pray O Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast said: Ask and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you; grant, we beseech Thee, to us who ask the gift of Thy divine love, that we may ever love Thee with all our hearts, and in all our words and actions, and never cease praising Thee. Grant us, O Lord, a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy Name; for Thou never failest to govern those whom Thou dost solidly establish in Thy love. Who livest and reignest world without end. R. Amen. PRAYER TO JESUS
by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort
O most loving Jesus, deign
to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for the grace Thou hast bestowed
upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through the devotion of Holy Bondage,
that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy majesty and my support in my
extreme misery. Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I
should be certainly lost.
Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere: that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things. Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me! Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing! Mary is in me. Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely hers? Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Savior, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to her but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this offering as Thou desire me to renew it. And if Thou seest in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august Princess, I pray Thee to take it and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of Thee. O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Thy faithful spouse; give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy, so that by her Thou mayest truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. 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 for evermore. Through the highest heaven To the Almighty Three, Father, Son and Spirit, One same glory be. Amen. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY
LANGUENTIBUS IN PURGATORIO
(The Suffering Souls in Purgatory) The suffering souls in Purgatory, Who are being purified in excessive heat, And are tormented by severe punishment, Assist them, in your compassion, O Mary! You are the open-wide fount who wash away the faults of men. All you help, rejecting none: Extend your hand to the Dead, Who in pain languish continually, O Mary! To you the souls of the Dead lovingly sigh, Desiring to be rescued from pain And to stand in your sight, To possess eternal joys, O Mary! As they groan, hasten, Mother; In mercy, show them your heart. May Jesus through His wounds Be pleased to heal them: ask this, O Mary! You are true hope to them that call upon you. The Holy Souls Sodality cry to you for their brethren. Appease your Son, that in Heaven He may give them their reward, O Mary! Grant that the tears we shed at the feet of the Judge, And which you regard with kindness, May soon extinguish the avenging flames, That the Holy Souls may join the choirs of Angels, O Mary! And when the strict accounting takes place In the terrible and awesome Judgment of God, As He judges us, supplicate your Son, That with the Saints may be our portion, O Mary! INVOCATIONS TO THE HOLY SOULS
Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls,
pray to God that I might place Him above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might love Him above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might grow in my knowledge of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that my hope in God may grow daily! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may daily grow in my love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might obtain a fervent love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might shake off my lukewarmness! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may pursue a growth in all virtues! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might love Heaven more than earth! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might hate sin above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might obtain perfect contrition for sin! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might have a love for penance! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I pay my debts for sin before death! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I avoid all future occasions of sin! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I despise and avoid the world! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I place my spiritual life above all! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I grow spiritually with each day! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray that I preserve my Holy Catholic Faith until death! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I daily preserve grace in my soul! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I die in the grace of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I die with a great love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may avoid the fires of Purgatory! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may safely reach Heaven! Eternal rest grant into them O Lord And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen. Pray the "Our Father" …. V. And lead us not into temptation, R. But deliver us from all evil. Amen. V. From the gates of Hell, R. Deliver their souls, O Lord. V. May they rest in peace. R. Amen. V. O Lord, hear my prayer, R. And let my cry come unto Thee. Let us pray: O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy departed servants the remission of all their sins, that through our pious supplications they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. Let us pray: O God, the Giver of pardon and the Lover of the salvation of men, we beg Thy clemency on behalf of our brethren, kinsfolk and benefactors who have departed this life, that by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the saints, Thou wouldst receive them into the joys of Thine everlasting kingdom. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. Let us pray: O God, to Whom it belongs always to have mercy and to spare, be favorably propitious to the souls of Thy servants and grant them the remission of all their sins, that being delivered from the bonds of this mortal life, they may be admitted to life everlasting. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. THE DE PROFUNDIS From the depths, I have cried out to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let Thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord, were to mark iniquities, who, O Lord, shall stand? For with Thee there is forgiveness; and because of Thy law, I stood by Thee, O Lord. My soul has stood by His word. My soul has hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch, even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. |
DAY 27 of 33
FIRST MEDITATION We Cannot Love Our Lord unless we Know Him (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) In this fourth period of
preparation, we approach the goal or real purpose of St. Louis-Marie de
Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary. This devotion is simply the shortest,
safest and quickest way of knowing, loving and serving Our Lord Jesus
Christ—which is also the ultimate purpose of our existence. Yet, as St. Therese
of the Child Jesus used to bewail: “Jesus is so little loved, because He is
so little known!”
There are different ways in which we can learn about Jesus. We can read about Him in the Scriptures or the writings of the Saints and theologians of the Church; we can listen to stories about him in sermons or watch videos of His life. All this leads to an intellectual knowledge of Jesus, which illuminates our mind. This is good, but it is not enough! “To know” is not yet “to love.” Knowledge has to come before love, just as the Faith comes before Charity. We cannot love what we do not know. But we need to progress from an intellectual knowledge and intellectual love of Jesus, to a practical knowledge and a practical love of Jesus. Here on earth, two of the principal ways in which we can come to 'practically' know and love Jesus are the Cross and Communion. If we were to try and simplify it still further, then the Sacrifice of the Mass would say it all. For the Mass is both a Sacrifice (the Cross) and a Sacrament (Communion). If we want to find Jesus, then we will find Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We arrive at an ever deeper knowledge and understanding of Christ by entering more and more into the spirit of the Mass, which is none other than the spirit of Jesus. It is through the Mass that we accomplish our principal duties towards God—adoration, propitiation, petition and thanksgiving. In the Mass, through the Gospel readings, we continually dwell upon the life and spirit of Jesus; His spirit is also handed down to us through the writings of His immediate disciples; the Mass imparts to us the sacrificial spirit of Christ that led Him to work tirelessly for the salvation of sinners. It is in the Mass, during Holy Communion, that we enter into a most intimate union with Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by a fruitful reception of that Sacrament, that we are sanctified and transformed into other “Christs” and receive the graces and the strength to continue Christ’s salvific work, as His instruments, in the world around us. St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s recommended meditations should certainly help us grow in this knowledge of Our Lord, and, hopefully, once we know more about Him, we will also grow in our love of Him and in our desire to do something for Him. The most effective way of showing our love of Him and furthering the growth of His kingdom, is by taking up our crosses and carrying them out of love of God. Our Lord Himself said: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23) If the Head of the Mystical Body—Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life—passed by the way of the cross, then it would be spiritual suicide for the Mystical Body to go in an opposite direction to Its Head. In the Cross is salvation (in cruce salus); in the Cross is satisfaction for sin; in the Cross is peace; in the Cross is the power of conversion; in the Cross is our merit and our glory. Let us boast, with St. Paul, in nothing else but the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ—a Cross we have the honor of sharing. Thus, this week we will speak of the Cross. Though St. Louis-Marie de Montfort did not recommend his own work, Letter to the Friends of the Cross, as part of the preparations, we have, nevertheless, included it among the meditations. The most obvious reason for St. Louis-Marie failing to recommend the Letter, is the fact that it was not at that time a published work, and therefore inaccessible to the vast majority of people. However, Our Lord is not only found in the Cross, He is also present—Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity—in the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is both a Sacrifice (of the Cross) and a Sacrament that communicates Our Lord and His graces to us. The Eucharist strengthens us and makes light the burden of the Cross. Our Lord Himself says: “Come to me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you and learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart: and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light!” (Mt. 11:28-30). To know Jesus, we must first find Him and where on earth will we find Him, but in the Eucharist? If we ignore Him there, then we seek Him in vain elsewhere—for that is where He primarily wanted to be found, known and adored. It is when we receive Him in Holy Communion that it can truly be said: “The kingdom of God is within you!” Our Lord could and would do so much more for us, if we would only enter into that intimate union that can be ours in Holy Communion. Yet, today, the world increasingly ignores, neglects and even disbelieves Our Lord’s Real Presence among men. The Imitation of Christ so rightly says: “Alas, how little is what I do! What a short time I spend when I am preparing myself for Communion! Rarely am I recollected, rarely free from all distraction! Surely, in the saving presence of Thy Godhead, no unbecoming thought should arise, nor any created thing lay hold of me—for it is not an angel, but the Lord of Angels, Whom I am about to receive as my guest!...Why then am I not more on fire before Thy awesome presence? Why do I not prepare myself, with greater care, to take up Thy holy things?...How great ought to be the reverence and devotion which I and all Christian people should have in the presence of this Sacrament!...Many rush to various places to visit the relics of the saints and are astonished to hear of their wonderful works; they look upon the vast buildings of their shrines and kiss their bones enwrapped in silks and gold....Often, in seeing such things, there is no more than a curiosity of men and the novelty of what they look upon, but with no real repentance and little fruit of better living being carried home. But here, in the Sacrament of the Altar, Thou art wholly present and where the abundant fruit of salvation is fully received....In this Sacrament, spiritual grace is conferred; and lost virtue made good in the soul; and beauty, marred by sin, returns....It must be a matter for grief and great pity that, lukewarm and negligent, we are not drawn, with greater affection, to receive Christ.... It is to be greatly lamented that many show such little esteem for this saving Mystery, which makes Heaven glad and preserves the whole world. O, the blindness and hardness of heart that does not more highly prize so unspeakable a gift; and from daily custom, slides away into a disregard of it” (Imitation of Christ, Book 4, chapter 1). By a much more fervent participation in the Sacrifice of the Mass and a more fruitful reception of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, our understanding and appreciation of the Cross of Jesus will greatly increase, not to mention our growth in the true spirit of Christ, whereby we will be able to say with St. Paul: “…with Christ I am nailed to the cross. And I live, now not I: but Christ liveth in me” (Gal. 2:19-20). THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). DAY 27 of 33
SECOND MEDITATION Devotion to Jesus Needs a Devotion to Mary Taken from St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary, §1ff & 68ff. (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can)
It was through the most holy Virgin Mary that Jesus came into the world, and it
is also through her that He has to reign in the world .... Mary has been up to
this time unknown, and that this is one of the reasons that Jesus Christ is not
known as He ought to be. If then, as is certain, the knowledge and the kingdom
of Jesus Christ are to come into the world, they will be but a necessary consequence
of the knowledge and the kingdom of the most holy Virgin Mary, who brought Him
into the world for the first time, and will make His second Advent full of
splendor.
Jesus Christ gave more glory to God the Father by submission to His Mother during those thirty years than He would have given Him in converting the whole world by the working of the most stupendous miracles. Oh, how highly we glorify God when, to please Him, we submit ourselves to Mary, after the example of Jesus Christ, our sole Exemplar! If we examine closely the rest of Our Blessed Lord's life, we shall see that it was His will to begin His miracles by Mary. He sanctified St. John in the womb of his mother, St. Elizabeth, but it was by Mary's word. No sooner had she spoken than John was sanctified; and this was His first miracle of grace. At the marriage of Cana, He changed the water into wine, but it was at Mary's humble prayer; and this was His first miracle of nature. He began and continued His miracles by Mary, and He will continue them to the end of ages by Mary. God the Holy Ghost, being barren in God—that is to say, not producing another Divine Person—is become fruitful by Mary, whom He has espoused. It was with her, in her, and of her that He produced His Masterpiece, which is God made Man, and that He goes on producing daily, to the end of the world, the predestinate and the members of the Body of that adorable Head. This is the reason why He, the Holy Ghost, the more He finds Mary, His dear and inseparable spouse, in any soul, the more active and mighty He becomes in producing Jesus Christ in that soul, and that soul in Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost chose to make use of Our Blessed Lady, though He had no absolute need of her, to bring His fruitfulness into action, by producing in her and by her Jesus Christ and His members—a mystery of grace unknown to even the wisest and most spiritual among Christians. The conduct which the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity have deigned to pursue in the Incarnation and the first coming of Jesus Christ, They still pursue daily, in an invisible manner, throughout the whole Church; and They will still pursue it even to the consummation of ages in the last coming of Jesus Christ. If, then, we establish solid devotion to Our Blessed Lady, it is only to establish more perfectly devotion to Jesus Christ and to provide an easy and secure means for finding Jesus Christ. If devotion to Our Lady removed us from Jesus Christ, we should have to reject it as an illusion of the devil; but far from this being the case, devotion to Our Lady, on the contrary, is necessary for us as a means of finding Jesus Christ perfectly, of loving Him tenderly and of serving Him faithfully. An Appeal to Jesus I turn for one moment to Thee, O sweet Jesus, to complain that the greater part of Christians, even the most learned, do not know the necessary union there is between Thee and Thy holy Mother. Thou, Lord, art always with Mary and Mary is always with Thee, and she cannot be without Thee, else she would cease to be what she is. She is so transformed into Thee by grace, that she lives no more—she is as though she were not. It is Thee, my Jesus, who livest and reignest in her ... She is so intimately united with Thee, that it were easier to separate the light from the sun, the heat from the fire; nay, it were easier to separate from Thee all the angels and the saints than the divine Mary, because she loves Thee more ardently and glorifies Thee more perfectly than all the other creatures put together. Furthermore, after Mary has heaped her favors upon her children and faithful servants, and has obtained for them the blessing of the heavenly Father and union with Jesus Christ, she preserves them in Jesus and Jesus in them. She takes care of them, watches over them always, for fear they should lose the grace of God and fall into the snares of their enemies. Is it not an astonishingly pitiable thing to see the ignorance and the darkness of all men, here below, in regard to Thy holy Mother? I speak not so much of idolaters and pagans, who, knowing Thee not, care not to know her. I speak not even of heretics and schismatics, who care not to be devout to Thy holy Mother, being separated as they are from Thee and Thy holy Church; but I speak of Catholic Christians, and even of doctors among Catholics, who make profession of teaching truths to others, and yet know not Thee nor Thy holy Mother, except in a speculative, dry, barren and indifferent manner. These gentlemen speak but rarely of Thy holy Mother and of the devotion we ought to have to her ... and all the while these teachers are without piety or tender devotion toward Thyself, simply because they have none for Mary. They regard the Rosary and the Scapular as devotions proper for weak and ignorant minds, without which men can save themselves. O my sweet Jesus, do these people have Thy spirit? Do they please Thee in acting thus? Does it please Thee when, for fear of displeasing Thee, we neglect doing our utmost to please Thy Mother? Does devotion to Thy holy Mother hinder devotion to Thyself? Does she attribute to herself the honor we pay her? Does she head a faction of her own? Is she a stranger who has no connection with Thee? Does it displease Thee that we should try to please her? Do we separate or alienate ourselves from Thy love by giving ourselves to her and honoring her? Keep me, Lord, keep me from their sentiments and their practices, and give me some share of the sentiments of gratitude, esteem, respect and love, which Thou hast in regard to Thy holy Mother, so that the more I imitate and follow her, the more I may love and glorify Thee. THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). DAY 27 of 33
THIRD MEDITATION Mary Forms Jesus Within Us Taken from St. Louis de Montfort’s The Secret of Mary, §1-§23 (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can)
Chosen soul, living image
of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, God wants you to
become holy like Him in this life, and glorious like Him in the next (Mt.
5:48). It is certain that growth in the holiness of God is your vocation.
All your thoughts, words, actions, everything you suffer or undertake, must
lead you towards that end. Otherwise you are resisting God, in not doing the
work for which He created you and for which He is even now keeping you in being.
Since Mary produced the head of the elect, Jesus Christ, she must also produce the members of that head, that is, all true Christians. A mother does not conceive a head without members, nor members without a head. If anyone, then, wishes to become a member of Jesus Christ, he must be formed in Mary through the grace of Jesus Christ. Mary is called by St. Augustine, and is indeed, the “living mold of God.” In her alone the God-man was formed in His human nature without losing any feature of the Godhead ... A sculptor can make a statue or a life-like model in two ways: firstly, by using his skill, strength, experience and good tools to produce a statue out of a hard, shapeless matter; or, secondly, by making a cast of it in a mold. The first way is long and involved and open to all sorts of accidents. The second is quick and easy, but the mold must be perfect and true to life and the material must be easy to handle and offer no resistance. Mary is the great mold of God. No godly feature is missing from this mold. Everyone who casts himself into it and allows himself to be molded, will acquire every feature of Jesus Christ. He will take on a faithful likeness to Jesus with no possibility of distortion. Dear friend, what a difference there is between a soul brought up in the ordinary way to resemble Jesus Christ by people who, like sculptors, rely on their own skill and industry, and a soul thoroughly tractable, entirely detached, most ready to be molded in her, by the working of the Holy Ghost. What blemishes and defects, what shadows and distortions, what natural and human imperfections are found in the first soul, and what a faithful and divine likeness to Jesus is found in the second! THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). |
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES &
PRAYERS TO BE SAID DAILY THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD DEDICATED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF MARY
1. Pray the Litany of the Holy Ghost; Litany of the Blessed Virgin
Mary; Ave Maris Stella;
St. Louis de Montfort's Prayer to Our Lady (all of these prayers need not be said everyday IF they cause TRUE difficulty). 2. Pray the Holy Rosary, but PRAY IT WELL 3. Pray especially for the GRACE TO GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LADY, not just in theory or in the mind, but that this growth of knowledge go beyond the intellectual, and that it SHOW ITSELF IN PRACTICE in many ways. 4. Make acts professing your love and affection towards Mary. 5. Make acts full of faith in Mary’s power and her desire to help you. 6. Make acts full of trust and confidence in Mary and, with her help, try to imitate her. 7. Thank God for all the graces and privileges that He has given to Mary and also to you, because of her intercession. 8. Read and reflect on the readings posted for each particular day. 9. Make many short prayers ('one-liners') begging the grace to: (a) look upon and perform the recommended practices seriously (the devil does not want it) (b) to persevere DAILY in the prayer, spiritual reading, meditation & penance (c) for the grace to know Our Lady and to see her true role in your life. (d) for the grace to make a good examination of conscience and a good Confession (e) to have the strength of mind and heart to MAKE CHANGES and AMEND YOUR LIFE PRAYERS FOR DAYS 20-26
Litany of the Holy Ghost
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ave Maris Stella Prayer to Mary by St. Louis The Holy Rosary Optional Prayers Prayers to the Holy Souls These prayers are also fruitful sources of meditation. LITANY OF
THE HOLY GHOST
Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us Father, all powerful, Have mercy on us. Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, Save us. Spirit of the Father and the Son, boundless life of both, Sanctify us. Holy Trinity, Hear us. Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Holy Ghost, Who art equal to the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Promise of God the Father, Have mercy on us. Ray of heavenly light, Have mercy on us. Author of all good, Have mercy on us. Source of heavenly water, Have mercy on us. Consuming fire, Have mercy on us. Ardent charity, Have mercy on us. Spiritual unction, Have mercy on us. Spirit of love and truth, Have mercy on us. Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Have mercy on us. Spirit of counsel and fortitude, Have mercy on us. Spirit of knowledge and piety, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the fear of the Lord, Have mercy on us. Spirit of grace and prayer, Have mercy on us. Spirit of peace and meekness, Have mercy on us. Spirit of modesty and innocence, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Comforter, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, Who governest the Church, Have mercy on us. Gift of God, the Most High, Have mercy on us. Spirit Who fillest the universe, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin. Holy Ghost, come and renew the face of the earth. Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls. Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts. Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy love. Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces. Holy Ghost, teach us to pray well. Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations. Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation. Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge. Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good. Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues. Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice. Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Send us Thy Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Pour down into our souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Grant us the Spirit of wisdom and piety. V. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful. R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy Love. Let us pray Grant, O merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit enlighten, inflame and purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us fruitful in good works; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and ever. R. Amen. LITANY TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Lord, have mercy
on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Holy Mary, Pray for us. Holy Mother of God, Pray for us. Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us. Mother of Christ, Pray for us. Mother of divine grace, Pray for us. Mother most pure, Pray for us. Mother most chaste, Pray for us. Mother inviolate, Pray for us. Mother undefiled, Pray for us. Mother most amiable, Pray for us. Mother most admirable, Pray for us. Mother of good counsel, Pray for us. Mother of our Creator, Pray for us. Mother of our Savior, Pray for us. Virgin most prudent, Pray for us. Virgin most venerable, Pray for us. Virgin most renowned, Pray for us. Virgin most powerful, Pray for us. Virgin most merciful, Pray for us. Virgin most faithful, Pray for us. Mirror of justice, Pray for us. Seat of wisdom, Pray for us. Cause of our joy, Pray for us. Spiritual vessel, Pray for us. Vessel of honor, Pray for us. Singular vessel of devotion, Pray for us. Mystical rose, Pray for us. Tower of David, Pray for us. Tower of ivory, Pray for us. House of gold, Pray for us. Ark of the Covenant, Pray for us. Gate of Heaven, Pray for us. Morning Star, Pray for us. Health of the sick, Pray for us. Refuge of sinners, Pray for us. Comforter of the afflicted, Pray for us. Help of Christians, Pray for us. Queen of Angels, Pray for us. Queen of patriarchs, Pray for us. Queen of Prophets, Pray for us. Queen of Apostles, Pray for us. Queen of Martyrs, Pray for us. Queen of Confessors, Pray for us. Queen of Virgins, Pray for us. Queen of all Saints, Pray for us. Queen conceived without Original Sin, Pray for us. Queen assumed into Heaven, Pray for us. Queen of the most Holy Rosary, Pray for us. Queen of peace, Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray Grant unto us, Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, at all times to enjoy health of soul and body; and by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary, ever virgin, when freed from the sorrows of this present life, to enter into that joy which hath no end. Through Christ our Lord. R. 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 for evermore. Through the highest heaven To the Almighty Three, Father, Son and Spirit, One same glory be. Amen. PRAYER TO MARY
by St. Louis de Montfort Hail Mary, beloved Daughter
of the Eternal Father! Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son! Hail Mary,
faithful Spouse of the Holy Ghost! Hail Mary, my dear Mother, my loving
mistress, my powerful sovereign! Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul!
Thou art all mine by mercy, and I am all thine by justice. But I am not yet
sufficiently thine. I now give myself wholly to thee without keeping anything
back for myself or others. If thou still seest in me anything which does not
belong to thee, I beseech thee to take it and to make thyself the absolute
mistress of all that is mine. Destroy in me all that may be displeasing to God,
root it up and bring it to nought; place and cultivate in me everything that is
pleasing to thee.
May the light of thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind; may thy profound humility take the place of my pride; may thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination; may thy continuous sight of God fill my memory with His presence; may the burning love of thy heart inflame the lukewarmness of mine; may thy virtues take the place of my sins; may thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of God and make up for all that is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but thine to know Jesus and His divine will; that I may have no other soul but thine to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but thine to love God with a love as pure and ardent as thine. I do not ask thee for visions, revelations, sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privilege to see God clearly; it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumph gloriously in Heaven at the right hand of thy Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons; it is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as thou willest. Such is, O heavenly Mary, “the best part” which the Lord has given thee and which shall never be taken away from thee—and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I wish for no other than that which was thine: to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully without human consolation; to die continually to myself without respite; and to work zealously and unselfishly for thee until death as the humblest of thy servants. The only grace I beg thee to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say: Amen—so be it, to all that thou didst do while on earth; Amen—so be it, to all that thou art now doing in Heaven; Amen—so be it, to all that thou art doing in my soul, so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY
LANGUENTIBUS IN PURGATORIO
(The Suffering Souls in Purgatory) The suffering souls in Purgatory, Who are being purified in excessive heat, And are tormented by severe punishment, Assist them, in your compassion, O Mary! You are the open-wide fount who wash away the faults of men. All you help, rejecting none: Extend your hand to the Dead, Who in pain languish continually, O Mary! To you the souls of the Dead lovingly sigh, Desiring to be rescued from pain And to stand in your sight, To possess eternal joys, O Mary! As they groan, hasten, Mother; In mercy, show them your heart. May Jesus through His wounds Be pleased to heal them: ask this, O Mary! You are true hope to them that call upon you. The Holy Souls Sodality cry to you for their brethren. Appease your Son, that in Heaven He may give them their reward, O Mary! Grant that the tears we shed at the feet of the Judge, And which you regard with kindness, May soon extinguish the avenging flames, That the Holy Souls may join the choirs of Angels, O Mary! And when the strict accounting takes place In the terrible and awesome Judgment of God, As He judges us, supplicate your Son, That with the Saints may be our portion, O Mary! INVOCATIONS TO THE HOLY SOULS
Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls,
pray to God that I might place Him above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might love Him above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might grow in my knowledge of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that my hope in God may grow daily! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may daily grow in my love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might obtain a fervent love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might shake off my lukewarmness! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may pursue a growth in all virtues! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might love Heaven more than earth! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might hate sin above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might obtain perfect contrition for sin! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might have a love for penance! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I pay my debts for sin before death! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I avoid all future occasions of sin! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I despise and avoid the world! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I place my spiritual life above all! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I grow spiritually with each day! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray that I preserve my Holy Catholic Faith until death! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I daily preserve grace in my soul! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I die in the grace of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I die with a great love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may avoid the fires of Purgatory! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may safely reach Heaven! Eternal rest grant into them O Lord And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen. Pray the "Our Father" …. V. And lead us not into temptation, R. But deliver us from all evil. Amen. V. From the gates of Hell, R. Deliver their souls, O Lord. V. May they rest in peace. R. Amen. V. O Lord, hear my prayer, R. And let my cry come unto Thee. Let us pray: O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy departed servants the remission of all their sins, that through our pious supplications they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. Let us pray: O God, the Giver of pardon and the Lover of the salvation of men, we beg Thy clemency on behalf of our brethren, kinsfolk and benefactors who have departed this life, that by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the saints, Thou wouldst receive them into the joys of Thine everlasting kingdom. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. Let us pray: O God, to Whom it belongs always to have mercy and to spare, be favorably propitious to the souls of Thy servants and grant them the remission of all their sins, that being delivered from the bonds of this mortal life, they may be admitted to life everlasting. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. THE DE PROFUNDIS From the depths, I have cried out to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let Thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord, were to mark iniquities, who, O Lord, shall stand? For with Thee there is forgiveness; and because of Thy law, I stood by Thee, O Lord. My soul has stood by His word. My soul has hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch, even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. |
DAY 20 of 33
FIRST MEDITATION Knowledge Necessary for Devotion (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD PERIOD
Knowledge of Our Lady We now enter the third period of our 33-day preparation for St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion Consecration to Jesus through Mary. The first two periods dealt with the Spirit of the World and Knowledge of Self, with the aim of emptying ourselves of worldliness and cultivating a disgust for our past sinfulness, excessive self-love and pride. Yet, just as nature abhors a vacuum, so too must we replace the bad spirit—of which we seek to rid ourselves—with something else. This means acquiring the good spirit of Jesus and Mary. Therefore, in this third period of preparation, we must start to realize, appreciate and grow in the appreciation of the role that Mary has in our salvation and daily spiritual life. She is our Sovereign...our Mother...our Mediatrix...our Benefactress and our Mistress. Mary is a perfect mold of sanctity in which we must mold ourselves, in order to become perfect imitations of her Son. To be truly devoted to Mary, we must make her intentions our intentions, her dispositions our dispositions, her guiding spirit must become our guiding spirit. The past week, with its knowledge of self, if well done, was most probably a very depressing one. We will have focused upon our faults and past failings: our pride, worldliness, avarice, lack of charity, gossiping, back-biting, complaining, laziness, lukewarmness, etc. Hopefully, we experienced a revulsion at the sight of our past (or even present) state. So much so that we want to flee from it, leaving it far behind. Confession may be the first thing required, to empty our souls of the filth of sin. However, since nature abhors a vacuum, we must replace our sins and past failings with something else—that something else is Mary with her graces and virtues—and she really is “something else!” Getting to Know Mary This week is devoted to meditating upon Mary and humbly asking God to grant us the grace to know Mary better. We are about to attempt a difficult and serious thing. We are to penetrate into a secret and hidden world of beauty, to discover its wondrous charms, so as to love it and dwell in it—just like God, Who finds in it joy, contentment and where He reigns with all power and majesty. We shall seek to know Mary. We, the sin-stained wretches of the earth, the rebels of creation, we shall seek to know her whom the angels do not sufficiently know. We shall seek to uncover the secret that Mary is—a secret only fully known by God. For He alone knows Mary and delights in Mary. If we wish to know Mary, then we must earnestly beg Him for this grace and privilege and, besides praying for it, we should also perform some penance, make some pilgrimage, or go to visit some church named after her. We must offer up some little acts of mortification, denial of our own will, our desires and tastes, etc. We must use every means possible to induce God to look favorably upon us and to grant our request. We will turn to the angels and seek their intercession. We will beg the saints to plead with God for us. We will pray for the souls in Purgatory and ask them, in return, to pray to God that He might share His secret with us. When we have done all this, when we have confessed our unworthiness, and heard or said Mass and received Our Divine Lord in her honor, we will then ask Him to grant this special favor of which we are so unworthy. We will say: "Lord, look upon our unworthiness and show us Thy mercy. Pour into our minds but one single ray of Thy Holy Spirit and make us know Mary. Let Thy glory and mercy shine by stooping to speak to us—as you once stooped down and became man for us. Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, but revealed them to little ones—please reveal to us the greatness, power, majesty, beauty and mercy of Mary, our Mother." Mary Our Mother This will be the first thought in our minds that Mary, though a virgin, is also a Mother—the Mother of God and our Mother too. We will imprint upon our minds the fact that Mary loves us more, far more, than our natural mothers could possibly love us—even more than we could love ourselves. A mother’s love is the most practical thing in existence. It is never satisfied with words, but is always pouring itself out on someone. Motherly love is also capable of the greatest sacrifices; it is born in suffering, and time serves only to increase its generosity and service. If this is true of the motherly love we have all experienced, what must be said of her, who became the Mother of Sorrows and the Queen of Martyrs for love of us? When we see her with the sword of Simeon plunged deeply into her heart, how can we ever doubt that her love for mankind is as practical as that of her Divine Son? Since she became the Mother of Men, she has never stopped showing herself a Mother to all who have gone to her for help. He who is mighty has done great things to her; and she in turn, who is mighty through the power of her divine motherhood, has done great things for those who have sought her intercession. She has been and will continue to be the cause of our joy until the end of time. Devotion Takes Time to Grow True Devotion must grow through several stages—just like a seed, once planted, must go through different stages of growth until it finally matures and brings forth much fruit. Do not imagine that the moment you make the True Devotion Consecration, you will become a saint! You will have merely planted the seed of True Devotion, which will grow, over the future months and years, into the mature Tree of Life that Mary is. The True Devotion Consecration to Jesus through Mary is not a one-time event, but it is an entire way of life! It is the whole and entire ascetical or spiritual life, as taught by the Church, but from the perspective of Mary. If we imagine the spiritual life to a be a grand and majestic cathedral, with entrance doors on all sides, with guides waiting at each door to take us into the cathedral and to explain all to us; then we are entering the cathedral through the doorway of Mary, and she, and her Marian guides, will be the one's explaining the cathedral to us. Other doorways may have other guides (St. Benedict and his followers; St. Dominic and his followers; St. Francis and his followers, etc., etc.), but we will have Mary and her followers for our guides. Prior to the Consecration, we will make use of the externals that help interior devotion—we will pray to Mary, we will read about Mary, we will have ourselves enrolled in, and wear, the Brown Scapular and also the Miraculous Medal, we will regularly pray the Rosary, we will place images or statues of Mary in our homes. This will be to the True Devotion what the sun, rain and minerals are to the seed. Without these helps, the seed will die. By a correct use of these externals of Marian devotion, we shall see Mary increasingly influence and permeate the whole of our daily life. Our True Devotion will grow like the Tree of Life, which it is meant to be. That is what the word "devotion" implicitly demands! For it comes from the Latin verb "devovere", meaning to avow oneself to, or to give oneself entirely to a deity or cause of some kind. Thus devotion to Mary implicitly requires this total consecration of ourselves to her, and through her to God. To do this, we must imitate the interior life of Mary...her virtues...her actions...her supernatural way of seeing things...her participation in the salvation of souls...her union with God. Always remembering that “Where Mary is, there also is God!” However, before we can imitate anyone, we must first carefully observe and study that person. Consequently, we will study the Blessed Mother in order to imitate her virtues and absorb the spirit that animates her. A wonderful source for meditating upon her virtues is the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, which is like a mirror into which we can gaze to see how much we resemble Mary. Just as a child takes on the characteristics of its parents by observing them, so too we should imitate Our Lady’s virtues by meditating upon those listed in her Litany. We will supply with some meditations on her titles (the rest we will give after the consecration, so as not to 'overload' in one particular area. There is so much material that can and should be covered on Our Lady alone, that it would need 33-days many times over in order to even scratch the surface! However we cannot love, trust, rely upon or imitate someone whom we do not know—all these things are consequences of knowledge. Therefore, we must first grow in knowledge of Mary and, then, seeing who and what she really is, we will find that love, confidence, trust and reliance—thus the desire to imitate her will be a natural consequence of getting to know her. Mary is the masterpiece of God Almighty. She is His greatest creation. She is the most loving and caring of all mothers. She is the most merciful of all judges. She is the most generous of all benefactors. She is the most lovable of all creatures. The reason she is so little loved, is that she is so little known. THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). DAY 20 of 33
SECOND MEDITATION True Devotion to Mary in Nothing New (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) THE TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY
IS NOTHING NEW
Let us place the practice of True Devotion to Mary in its proper setting. The devotion that St. Louis recommends is not his creation, but simply a re-presentation of an already existing devotion. St. Louis himself makes mention of this in his book: "No one can object to this devotion as being either a new or an indifferent one. It is not new..." (True Devotion to Mary, §131). St. Louis-Marie goes on to clearly prove the antiquity of this devotion of consecrating oneself to Mary: "This devotion to Our Blessed Lady ... the practice which I am teaching is not new. Father Boudon, who died a short time ago in the odor of sanctity, says in a book, which he composed on this devotion, that it is so ancient that we cannot fix precisely the date of its beginning. It is, however, certain that for more than seven hundred years we find traces of it in the Church. St. Odilon, the Abbot of Cluny, who lived about the year 1040, was one of the first who publicly practiced it in France, as is told in his life. The cardinal St. Peter Damian relates that, in the year 1016, Blessed Marino, his brother, made himself a slave of the Blessed Virgin. Caesarius Bollandus mentions an illustrious knight, Vautier de Birbac, who, about the year 1300, consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin. "This devotion was also practiced by several private individuals up to the seventeenth century, when it became public. ► Father Simon de Rojas, of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, known as the Order of Redemption of Captives, made this devotion popular in Spain and Germany. ► Father de los Rios, the Augustinian, devoted himself, with his intimate friend, Father de Rojas, to spreading this devotion throughout Spain and Germany both by preaching and by writing. ► In the seventeenth century the Theatine Fathers established this devotion in Italy, Sicily and Savoy. ► Father Stanislaus Phalacius, the Jesuit, furthered this devotion wonderfully in Poland. ► Cornelius a Lapide, having been commissioned by several bishops and theologians to examine this devotion, did so with great thoroughness and deliberation, and praised it in a manner which we might have expected from his well-known piety; and many other distinguished persons have followed his example. ► The Jesuit Fathers presented a little treatise on this devotion to Duke Ferdinand of Bavaria, who was then Archbishop of Cologne. He approved it, granted permission for its printing, and exhorted all the parish priests and religious of his diocese to promote this solid devotion as much as they could. ► Cardinal de Berulle, held in veneration throughout all France, was one of the most zealous in spreading this devotion in that country. He said that the devotion was founded on the example of Jesus Christ, on the obligations which we have toward Him, and ... that this consecration to the holy Virgin and to Jesus Christ by her hands, is nothing else than a perfect renewal of the vows and promises of Baptism. We may also see in Father Boudon's book the different Popes who have approved this devotion, the theologians who have examined it, the persecutions it has undergone and has overcome, and the thousands of persons who have embraced it, without any Pope ever having condemned it. Indeed, we cannot see how it could be condemned without overturning the foundations of Christianity" (True Devotion to Mary, §159-§163). Quite a pedigree of approval and example! The devil knows that Our Lady is the one that will crush his head, and so it is in his interests to stop any devotion to her, or, if he cannot stop it, then at least hinder it, minimize it, neutralize it, make it misunderstood, make it practiced lukewarmly, etc., etc. So, St. Louis-Marie de Montfort is simply handing down the tradition of the Church with this True Devotion to Mary. While, on the other hand, the devil traditionally attacked both the messenger and the message. St. Louis-Marie, in the book True Devotion to Mary, prophetically wrote: "I clearly foresee that raging brutes will come in fury to tear with their diabolical teeth this little writing and him whom the Holy Ghost has made use of to write it; or at least to envelop it in the silence of a coffer, in order that it may not appear." Nevertheless, he prophesies both its appearance and its success. All this was fulfilled to the letter. St. Louis-Marie de Montfort died in 1716, and the treatise was found by accident by one of the priests of his congregation of St. Laurent-sur-Sevre, a little over 100 years later, in 1842. The devil had it hidden for a while, but not for good! The Venerable Fr. Frederick Faber, a priest of the Oratory, came across St. Louis-Marie de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary, in 1846 or 1847 (4 to 5 years after it was found). Rome, in pronouncing St. Louis-Marie de Montfort as Venerable in 1852, also pronounced his writings to be free of all error in matters of faith and morals. The Ven. Fr. Faber after having studied the writings and spirit of St. Louis for over 15 years, produced his translation of the original French True Devotion to Mary in English. THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). DAY 20 of 33
THIRD MEDITATION The Necessity and Power of True Devotion to Mary (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) HEAVEN EXPLICITLY WANTS & COMMANDS DEVOTION TO OUR LADY
Heaven, as recently as Fatima in 1917, has commanded this devotion to Our Lady and has made it known, through the mouth of the Blessed Virgin Mary herself, that "God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace" (Our Lady, Fatima, July 13, 1917). Together with the Holy Rosary, it is the remedy for our times. There will be no other remedies given. Use it or lose it! Again, we have this testimony given by one of the three seers at Fatima, Lucia. In December of 1957, in an interview with Fr. Fuentes, Sr. Lucia said: "Father, the Most Holy Virgin did not tell me that we are in the last times of the world but she made me understand this for three reasons. The first reason is because she told me that the devil is in the mood for engaging in a decisive battle against the Virgin. And a decisive battle is the final battle where one side will be victorious and the other side will suffer defeat. Hence from now on we must choose sides. Either we are for God or we are for the devil. There is no other possibility. The second reason is because she said to my cousins as well as to myself that God is giving two last remedies to the world. These are the Holy Rosary and Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These are the last two remedies which signify that there will be no others. The third reason is because in the plans of Divine Providence, God always before He is about to chastise the world, exhausts all other remedies. Now, when He sees that the world pays no attention whatsoever then, as we say in our imperfect manner of speaking, He offers us with a certain trepidation the last means of salvation, His Most Holy Mother. It is with a certain trepidation because if you despise and repulse this ultimate means we will not have any more forgiveness from Heaven because we will have committed a sin which the Gospel calls the sin against the Holy Spirit. This sin consists of openly rejecting with full knowledge and consent, the salvation which He offers. Let us remember that Jesus Christ is a very good Son and that He does not permit that we offend and despise His Most Holy Mother" (Sister Lucy, one of Fatima seers, speaking to Father Fuentes, December 26, 1957) TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY IS POWERFUL Fr. Frederick Faber, who personally translated St. Louis-Marie de Montfort's book True Devotion to Mary from French into English in the mid 1800's, soon after the book was discovered (in 1846), writes in his Preface to his translation the following words: "All those who are likely to read this book [True Devotion to Mary], love God, and lament that they do not love Him more; all desire something for His glory—the spread of some good work, the success of some devotion, the coming of some good time. One man has been striving for years to overcome a particular fault, and has not succeeded. Another mourns, and almost wonders while he mourns, that so few of his relations and friends have been converted to the Faith. One grieves that he has not devotion enough; another that he has a cross to carry which is a peculiarly impossible cross to him; while a third has domestic troubles and family unhappinesses which feel almost incompatible with his salvation; and for all these things prayer appears to bring so little remedy" (Fr. Faber, Preface to True Devotion to Mary). "But what is the remedy that is wanted? What is the remedy indicated by God Himself? If we may rely on the disclosures of the saints, it is an immense increase of devotion to our Blessed Lady; but, remember, nothing short of an immense one. Here in England, Mary is not half enough preached. Devotion to her is low and thin and poor. It is frightened out of its wits by the sneers of heresy. It is always invoking human respect and carnal prudence, wishing to make Mary so little of a Mary that Protestants may feel at ease about her. Its ignorance of theology makes it unsubstantial and unworthy. It is not the prominent characteristic of our religion which it ought to be. It has no faith in itself. Hence it is that Jesus is not loved, that heretics are not converted, that the Church is not exalted; that souls which might be saints wither and dwindle; that the Sacraments are not rightly frequented, or souls enthusiastically evangelized" (Fr. Faber, Preface to True Devotion to Mary). "Jesus is obscured because Mary is kept in the background. Thousands of souls perish because Mary is withheld from them. It is the miserable, unworthy shadow which we call our devotion to the Blessed Virgin that is the cause of all these wants and blights, these evils and omissions and declines. Yet, if we are to believe the revelations of the saints, God is pressing for a greater, a wider, a stronger, quite another devotion to His Blessed Mother. I cannot think of a higher work or a broader vocation for anyone than the simple spreading of this peculiar devotion of the Venerable Grignon de Montfort. "Let a man but try it for himself, and his surprise at the graces it brings with it, and the transformations it causes in his soul, will soon convince him of its otherwise almost incredible efficacy as a means for the salvation of men, and for the coming of the kingdom of Christ. Oh, if Mary were but known, there would be no coldness to Jesus then! Oh, if Mary were but known, how much more wonderful would be our faith, and how different would our Communions be! Oh, if Mary were but known, how much happier, how much holier, how much less worldly should we be, and how much more should we be living images of our sole Lord and Savior, her dearest and most blessed Son!" (Fr. Faber, Preface to True Devotion to Mary). THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). |
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES &
PRAYERS TO BE SAID DAILY THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD DEDICATED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
1. Pray the Veni Creator & Ave
Maris Stella
2. Pray the Holy Rosary, but PRAY IT WELL 3. Read and reflect on the readings for this day 4. Practice a mortification of your Worldly Spirit wherever applicable 5. Make many short prayers ('one-liners') begging the grace to: (a) look upon and perform the recommended practices seriously (the devil does not want it) (b) to persevere DAILY in the prayer, spiritual reading, meditation & penance (c) for the grace to see the lurking spirit of the world in yourself and your surroundings (d) to have the strength of mind and heart to MAKE CHANGES where necessary (e) for the grace NOT TO BE INFLUENCED BY HUMAN RESPECT (what others think or say) PRAYERS FOR DAYS 1-12
Veni Creator
Ave Maris Stella The Holy Rosary Optional Prayers Prayers to the Holy Souls Try to say the Veni Creator before and the Ave Maris Stella after each meditation; or say them both at least once a day. Both prayers are also fruitful sources of meditation. VENI CREATOR
Come, O Creator Spirit blest!
And in our souls take up Thy rest; Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid, And 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. O 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 for evermore. Through the highest heaven To the Almighty Three, Father, Son and Spirit, One same glory be. Amen. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY
LANGUENTIBUS IN PURGATORIO
(The Suffering Souls in Purgatory) The suffering souls in Purgatory, Who are being purified in excessive heat, And are tormented by severe punishment, Assist them, in your compassion, O Mary! You are the open-wide fount who wash away the faults of men. All you help, rejecting none: Extend your hand to the Dead, Who in pain languish continually, O Mary! To you the souls of the Dead lovingly sigh, Desiring to be rescued from pain And to stand in your sight, To possess eternal joys, O Mary! As they groan, hasten, Mother; In mercy, show them your heart. May Jesus through His wounds Be pleased to heal them: ask this, O Mary! You are true hope to them that call upon you. The Holy Souls Sodality cry to you for their brethren. Appease your Son, that in Heaven He may give them their reward, O Mary! Grant that the tears we shed at the feet of the Judge, And which you regard with kindness, May soon extinguish the avenging flames, That the Holy Souls may join the choirs of Angels, O Mary! And when the strict accounting takes place In the terrible and awesome Judgment of God, As He judges us, supplicate your Son, That with the Saints may be our portion, O Mary! INVOCATIONS TO THE HOLY SOULS
Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls,
pray to God that I might place Him above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might love Him above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might grow in my knowledge of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that my hope in God may grow daily! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may daily grow in my love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might obtain a fervent love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might shake off my lukewarmness! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may pursue a growth in all virtues! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might love Heaven more than earth! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might hate sin above all things! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might obtain perfect contrition for sin! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I might have a love for penance! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I pay my debts for sin before death! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I avoid all future occasions of sin! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I despise and avoid the world! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I place my spiritual life above all! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I grow spiritually with each day! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray that I preserve my Holy Catholic Faith until death! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I daily preserve grace in my soul! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I die in the grace of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I die with a great love of God! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may avoid the fires of Purgatory! Poor, yet Holy, Suffering Souls, pray to God that I may safely reach Heaven! Eternal rest grant into them O Lord And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen. Pray the "Our Father" …. V. And lead us not into temptation, R. But deliver us from all evil. Amen. V. From the gates of Hell, R. Deliver their souls, O Lord. V. May they rest in peace. R. Amen. V. O Lord, hear my prayer, R. And let my cry come unto Thee. Let us pray: O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy departed servants the remission of all their sins, that through our pious supplications they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. Let us pray: O God, the Giver of pardon and the Lover of the salvation of men, we beg Thy clemency on behalf of our brethren, kinsfolk and benefactors who have departed this life, that by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the saints, Thou wouldst receive them into the joys of Thine everlasting kingdom. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. Let us pray: O God, to Whom it belongs always to have mercy and to spare, be favorably propitious to the souls of Thy servants and grant them the remission of all their sins, that being delivered from the bonds of this mortal life, they may be admitted to life everlasting. Through the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and the intercession of His most Holy Mother. Amen. THE DE PROFUNDIS From the depths, I have cried out to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let Thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord, were to mark iniquities, who, O Lord, shall stand? For with Thee there is forgiveness; and because of Thy law, I stood by Thee, O Lord. My soul has stood by His word. My soul has hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch, even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. |
MASTER FOR FIRST PERIOD
DAY 12 of 33
FIRST MEDITATION Sermon of St. Alphonsus Liguori The Death of the Wordling (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can)
One day, the Pharisees, with the malignant intention of
ensnaring Jesus in His speech, that they might afterwards accuse Him before the
ministers of Caesar, sent their disciples to ask Jesus Christ, if it were
lawful to pay tribute to Caesar. In answer, the Redeemer, after looking at the
coin of the tribute, asked: “Whose image and inscription is this?” Being told it was Cæsar’s, He said: “Render
then to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."
By these words Jesus Christ
wishes to teach us, that it is our duty to give to men what is due to them; and
to reserve for Him all the affections of our heart, since He created us to love
Him, and afterwards imposed upon us a precept of loving Him. ”Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart." Miserable the man
who, at the hour of death, shall see that he has loved creatures, that he has
loved his pleasures, and has not loved God. “When distress cometh upon
them, they will seek peace, and there will be none” (Ezechiel 7:25). He
will then seek peace, but shall not find it; for many causes of distress and
trouble shall assail him. What shall these causes be? Behold, the unhappy man
shall then say, first: God! I could have become a saint, but have not
become one. Secondly, he shall say: Oh, if I only had time to repair the evil I
have done! But time is at an end! Thirdly: Oh, that at least, in the short time
which remains, I could remedy the past! But, alas, there is no longer enoughfor
repairing past evils.
First Point. God! I could have, but have not, become a saint. Because, during their whole life, they thought only of pleasing God and sanctifying themselves, the saints go with great confidence to meet death, which delivers them from the miseries and dangers of the present life, and unites them perfectly with God. But the man who has thought only of his pleasures and of his own ease, and has neglected to recommend himself to God, or to reflect on the account which he must one day render, cannot meet death with confidence. Poor sinners! They banish the thought of death whenever it presents itself to them, and think only of living in pleasures and amusements, as if they never were to die. But for each of them the end must one day come. “The end is come; the end is come." (Ezechiel 7:2). And when this end is come every one must gather the fruit which he has sown during his life. “For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap.” (Galatians 6:8). If he has sown works of holiness, he shall receive rewards of eternal life; but if he has sown evil works, he shall reap chastisements and eternal death. The scene of his past life is the first thing which shall rush on the mind of the dying man, when the news of death shall be announced to him. He shall then see things in a light far different from that in which he viewed them during life. The acts of revenge which appeared to him lawful the scandals which he disregarded the liberty of speaking obscenely and injurious to the character of his neighbor the pleasures which were regarded as innocent the acts of injustice which he held to be allowable shall then appear what they really were: grevious sins and offences against God, each of which merited Hell. Alas! Those blind sinners, who voluntarily blind themselves during life, by shutting their eyes to the light shall, at death, involuntarily see all the evil they have done. ”Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened." (Isaias 35:5). At the light of the candle which lights him to death, “the wicked shall see and shall be angry," (Psalm 111:10). He shall see all the irregularities of his past life his frequent abuse of the sacraments, confessions made without sorrow or purpose of amendment, contracts completed with remorse of conscience, injury done to the property and reputation of others, immodest jests, rancor, and vindictive thoughts. He shall then see the bad examples which he gave to young persons who feared God, and whom he treated with contempt, and turned into derision by calling them hypocrites and other reproachful names. He shall see so many lights and calls received from God, so many admonitions of spiritual fathers, and so many resolutions and promises made but afterwards neglected. He shall see particularly the bad maxims by which he regulated his conduct during life. “It is necessary to seek the esteem of the world, and to preserve honour” But is it necessary for a man to preserve his honor by trampling on the honor due to God? “We ought to indulge in amusements as often as we can.” But is it lawful to indulge in amusements by insulting God? “Of what use to the world is the man who lives in poverty and has no money?” But, will you, for the sake of money, lose your soul? In answer to these questions the sinner says: No matter. What can be done? “If we do not make a fortune in the world we cannot appear among our equals.” Such the maxims of the worldling during life; but at death he shall change his language. He shall then see the truth of that maxim of Jesus Christ: ”"What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul.” (Matthew 16:26). “Unhappy me!” the worldling shall exclaim on the bed of death, “I have had so much time to tranquillize my conscience, and behold I am now at the point of death, and I find my soul burdened with so many sins? What would it have cost me to have broken oft such a friendship, to have gone to confession every week, to have avoided certain occasions of sin? Ah! Very little, but though it should have cost me a great deal of pain and labor, I ought to have submitted to every inconvenience in order to save my soul. Salvation is of greater importance to me than the dominion of the entire world.” But, alas! The sentiments of negligent Christians at death are as fruitless as the sorrows of the damned, who mourn in hell over their sins as the cause of their perdition, but mourn in vain. At that time they derive no consolation from their past amusements or pomps, from their exalted dignities, or from the humiliation of their rivals. On the contrary, at the hour of death, these things, like so many swords shall pierce their hearts. "Evil shall catch the unjust man unto destruction" (Psalm 139:12). At present the lovers of the world seek after banquets, dances, games, and scenes of laughter and joy; but, at the time of death this laughter and joy, as St. James says, shall be turned into mourning and affliction. "Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow" (James 4:5.) Of this we see frequent examples. A young man who entertains his companions by sallies of wit and by immodest jests, is seized with a severe illness. His friends come to see him, and find him. overwhelmed with grief and melancholy. He indulges no more in jests, or laughter, or conversation. If he speaks at all, his words are words of terror or despair. His friends ask why he speaks so despondingly why he is so melancholy. Have courage, they say: your illness is not dangerous. They endeavor to inspire hope and cheerfulness: but he is silent. And how can he be cheerful when he feels his conscience burdened with many sins, sees that he must soon appear before Jesus Christ to give an account of his entire life, and that he has much reason to fear that he shall receive the sentence of eternal death? He will then say: O fool that I have been! Oh! that I had loved God! Had I loved him, I should not now find myself in these straits, in, this anguish. Oh! that I had time to tranquillize the troubles of my conscience? Let us pass to the second point. Second Point. Oh, if only I had time to repair the evil I have done! But now time is at an end. “Oh, if only I had time,” he will say, “to repair the past!” But, when will he say this? When the oil in the lamp is consumed: when he is on the point of entering into eternity. One of the greatest causes of the distress and anguish of the careless Christian at the hour of death, is the remembrance of the bad use he has made of the time in which he ought to have acquired merits for Heaven, and in which he has accumulated merits for Hell. “Oh! that I had time!” Do you seek for time? You have lost so many nights in gaming, and so many years in indulging the senses, without ever thinking of your soul; and now you seek for time; but time is now no more. “Time shall be no longer" (Apocalypse 10:6). Were you not already admonished by preachers to be prepared for death? Were you not told that it would come upon you when you least expected it? "Be you ready," says Jesus Christ; “for at what hour you think not the Son of Man will come" (Luke 12:40). You have despised My admonitions, and have voluntarily squandered the time which My goodness bestowed upon you in spite of your demerits; but now time is at an end. Listen to the words in which the priest that assists you shall tell you to depart from this world: “Go forth, Christian soul, from this world!” And where shall you go? To eternity, to eternity! Death respects neither parents nor monarchs; when it comes, it does not wait even for a moment. “Thou hast appointed his bounds, which cannot be passed” (Job 14:5). Oh, what terror shall the dying man feel at hearing the assisting priest tell him to depart from this world! What dismay shall he experience in saying with himself: “This morning I am living, and this evening I shall be dead! Today I am in this house; tomorrow I shall be in the grave: and where shall my soul be found?” His terror shall be increased when he sees the death-candle lighted, and when he hears the confessor order the relatives to withdraw from his chamber, and to return to it no more. It shall be still more increased when the confessor gives him the crucifix, and tells him to embrace it, saying: "Embrace Jesus Christ, and think no more of this world." He takes the crucifix and kisses it; but, in kissing it, he trembles at the remembrance of the many injuries which he has offered to Jesus Christ. He would now wish to repent sincerely of all his injuries to his Savior, but he sees that his repentance is forced by the necessity of his approaching death. "He," says St. Augustine, “who is abandoned by sin before he abandons it, condemns it not freely, but through necessity.” The common delusion of worldlings is, that earthly things appear great, and that the things of Heaven, as being distant and uncertain, appear to be of little value. They regard tribulations as insupportable, and grievous sins as unimportant. The miserable beings are as if they were shut up in a room filled with smoke, which hinders them from seeing objects before their eyes. But at the hour of death this darkness shall vanish, and the soul shall begin to see things in their real colors. At that hour all temporal things appear to be what they really are vanity, lies, and deception; and the things of eternity assume their true value. Oh! how important shall judgment, hell, and eternity, which are so much disregarded during life, appear at the time of death. According as these shall begin to put on their true colors, the fears of the dying man shall increase. “The nearer the sentence of the Judge approaches, the more sensible the fear of condemnation becomes” says St. Pope St. Gregory the Great (Mor. 25). Hence the sick man will say: “Oh, in what anguish do I die! Unhappy me! Oh, if I’d have only known that so unhappy a death awaited me!” You have not known; but you ought to have foreseen it; for you knew that a good death could not be expected after a wicked life. But, since I must soon die, oh, that I could at least, in the little time that remains, tranquillize my conscience! Let us pass to the third point. Third Point. Oh that I could, in the little time that remains, repair the past! But, alas! There is not enough time for repairing past evils. The time allowed to careless Christians at the hour of death, is, for two reasons, unfit for tranquillizing the troubles of their conscience. First, because this time will be very short; for at the commencement, and for some days during the progress, of the disease, the sick man thinks only of physicians, of remedies, and of making his last will. During that time his relatives, friends, and even the physicians deceive him by holding out hopes of recovery. Hence, deluded by these hopes, he will not be able for some time to persuade himself that his death is at hand. When shall he begin to persuade himself that death is near? Only when he shall be at the very point of death. This is the second reason why that time is unfit for repairing the evils of the soul. At that time the dying man is sick in mind as well as in body. He shall be assailed by pains in the chest, spasms in the head, debility, and delirium. Those shall render him unable to make any effort to excite a true detestation of his past sins, or to apply to the disorders of his past life a remedy which will calm the terrors of his conscience. The news of his approaching death will astound him to such a degree, that he shall be scarcely half alive. A person laboring under a severe headache, which deprives him of sleep for two or three nights, will not even attempt to dictate a letter of ceremony. And at death when he feels but little, understands but little, and sees only a confusion of things which fills him with terror, the careless Christian adjusts a conscience burdened with the sins of thirty or forty years. Then are verified the words of the Gospel: “The night cometh when no man worketh” (John 9:4). Then his conscience will say to him: “Now thou canst be steward no longer” (Luke 16:2). There is no more time for negotiation; what has been done, is done. “When distress cometh upon them, they will seek for peace, and there shall be none. Trouble shall come upon trouble” (Ezechiel 7:25-26). It is often said of a person that he led a bad life, but afterwards died a good death; that by his sighs and tears he gave proofs of sincere repentance. " The wailing of such persons proceeds, not from sorrow for their sins, but from the fear of imminent death” says St. Augustine, “He was not afraid of sinning”, says the holy doctor, “but of burning” (Epist. cxiv). Till this moment the dying man has loved sinful objects: will he now detest them? Perhaps he will then love them with more tenderness; for the objects of our affections become more dear to us when we are afraid of losing them. The celebrated master of St. Bruno died with signs of repentance; but when laid in the coffin, he said that he was damned. If, at the hour of death, even the saints complain that on account of the state of the head, they can think but little of God, or make but little effort to excite good acts, how can the negligent Christian make these acts at death, when he was not in the habit of making them during life? It may be said that he appeared to have a sincere sorrow for the wickedness of his past life. But, was his sorrow true sorrow? The devil persuades him that the wish to have sorrow is true sorrow; but he deceives him. The dying man will say: “I am sorry from the bottom of my heart," etc.; but these words shall come from a heart of stone. “From the midst of the rocks they shall give forth their voices.”(Psalm 103:12). But he has frequently been at confession, and has received all the sacraments; he has died in perfect resignation. Ah! The criminal who goes to be executed, appears to be perfectly resigned: but why? Because he cannot escape from the officers of justice, who bring him in chains to the place of execution. O moment on which eternity depends! This moment made the saints tremble at the hour of death, and made them exclaim: “God! where shall I be in a few hours ?” “Sometimes," says St. Gregory, “the soul even of the just man is disturbed by the terror of vengeance” (Mor. xxiv.) What, then, shall the careless Christian, who has disregarded God, feel when he sees the scaffold prepared on which he must die? “His eyes shall see his own destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty." (Job 21: 20). He shall see with his own eyes death prepared for his soul, and shall from that moment begin to feel the anger of the Lord. The Viaticum which he must receive, the Extreme Unction which will be administered to him, the Crucifix which is placed in his hands, the recommendation of the soul which is read by the assisting priest, the lighting of the blessed candle all these shall form the scaffold of divine justice. The poor sick man perceives that he is already in a cold sweat, that he can no longer move or speak, that his respiration has begun to fail: in a word, he sees that the moment of death is at hand; he sees his soul defiled with sins; the Judge waiting for him; Hell burning under his feet; and in this confusion of darkness and terror he shall enter into eternity. “O that they would be wise, and would understand, and would provide for their last end" (Deuteronomy 32:29). Behold, dearly beloved brethren, how the Holy Ghost exhorts us to provide now for the terrible straits and distress by which we shall be encompassed at death, and to adjust at present the accounts which we must render to God; for it will be then impossible to settle these accounts so as to save our souls. My crucified Jesus, I will not wait till death to embrace Thee; I embrace Thee at this moment. I love thee above all things; and because I love Thee, I repent with my whole heart of all the offences and insults I have offered to Thee, who art infinite goodness; and I resolve and hope, with Thy grace, to love Thee always, and never more to offend Thee. Through the merits of Thy Passion I ask Thee to assist me. THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). DAY 12 of 33
SECOND MEDITATION The Seven Deadly Sins (Part 3) (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can)
PRIDE - the One that Lurks Everywhere
“The devil took him up into a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them” (Matthew 4:8). Oh, how glorious is the world! How wonderful is the world! How beautiful is the world! How seductive is the world! How desirable is the world! How proud is the world! Such are the temptations of the world! Yet, “Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), and three of the four Evangelists add: “For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, and cast away himself?” (Luke 9:25). “What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” (Mark 8:36). The things of this world will be used to lead us to God, or to lead us away from God. We can choose to put all our eggs in the basket of the world; or we can choose to put all our eggs in the basket of God! Most people try put their eggs in both baskets, but that doesn't work, as Our Lord said: "No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). Yet how enticing is that mammon! Especially in this modern day, with all the advertising possibilities: the TV, the internet, the magazines, the movies, the billboards, etc. The world is forever rubbed in our face, put under noses, talked about and flaunted wherever we turn. Fellow Catholics, weakened by the onslaught, begin to "dip their big-toe" in the enticing waters of the world. Before very long, some even dive in at the deep-end, while others wade blissfully in more shallow waters. The world will cater for all tastes, sinful and non-sinful. The world offers a plan to suit your personal Christian beliefs; giving you things that are 'acceptable' in the eyes of other Christians and ones that will not cause shockwaves among your fellow Christians. The world will show how you CAN love God and mammon! The world does not want to be your enemy! The world bends over backwards to please you! It offers you things that make life more comfortable; more economical; more pleasurable; more relaxing; more rewarding; more adventurous; more fulfilling; more exciting; more...more...more...! Hey! You can't help liking such wonderful attention and such a desire to please! Hey! If it's not sinful...why not? IF YOU LOVE THE WORLD, THEN YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF GOD “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4). “Flee the corruption of that concupiscence which is in the world” (2 Peter 1:4). “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). “For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). I WANT TO PLAY, NOT PRAY! Yet sadly, the advertising of the world has more attention paid to it than the 'advertising' of the Bible! The jingles and slogans of the advertising gurus find a greater receptivity in our minds and hearts, than the sayings and counsels of Scripture and the Saints. We decide that "WE WILL PLAY NOW AND PRAY LATER!" God will understand! He does not want us to be all gloomy and morose practicing mortification all day, we say! Yet St. Paul warns us: "Neither become ye idolaters, as some of them, as it is written: 'The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.'" (1 Corinthians 10:7). We are also reminded of the Angel at Fatima, who pulled Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco away from their games and told them to pray instead: From Lucia's own words: "We spent the day there, among the rocks, in spite of the fact that the rain was over and the sun was shining bright and clear. We ate our lunch and said our Rosary. I am not sure whether we said it that day, in the way I have already described it to Your Excellency, saying the word Hail Mary, and Our Father on each bead, so great was our eagerness to our play! Our prayer finished, we started to play ‘Pebbles’. We had enjoyed the game for a few moments only, when a strong wind began to shake the trees. We looked up startled, to see what was happening. Then we saw coming towards us, above the olive trees, a young man, about fourteen or fifteen years old, whiter than snow, transparent as crystal when the sun shines through it, and of great beauty. On reaching us, he said: "Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me." "Kneeling on the ground, he bowed down until his forehead touched the ground, and made us repeat these words three times: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon of Thee for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee." Then rising he said: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications." His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds, that we could never forget them. From then on, we used to spend long periods of time, prostrate like the Angel, repeating his words, until sometimes we fell exhausted." PLAY LESS, PRAY MORE "One day, we were playing on the stone slabs of the well at the bottom of the garden belonging to my parents, which we called the Arneiro ( I have already mentioned this well to Your Excellency in my account of Jacinta). Suddenly, we saw beside us the same figure, or rather, an Angel, as it seemed to me. "What are you doing?” he asked. "Pray, pray very much! The most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the most High." “How are we to make sacrifices?” I asked. "Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners." (Lucia's own words). We are not primarily in this life to play, but to pray. We are not here primarily to enjoy life more, but to adore God more. How alien is this idea to the worldly! How boring and uninteresting is this prospect to the fun-seekers of this world! How excessive is the thought of this to those whose first thought races to the thrills this world has to offer! “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4). “Flee the corruption of that concupiscence which is in the world” (2 Peter 1:4). “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). “For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). DAY 12 of 33
THIRD MEDITATION The Purgatorial Consequences of the "Spirit of the World" Taken from Fr. Francis Xavier Schouppe's book, Purgatory Explained (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) Fr. Schouppe writes:
St. Vincent Ferrer, the celebrated wonder-worker of the Order of St. Dominic, who preached with so much eloquence the great truth of the Judgment of God, had a sister who remained unmoved either by the words or example of her saintly brother. She was full of the spirit of the world, intoxicated with its pleasures, and walked with rapid strides towards her eternal ruin. Meanwhile, the saint prayed for her conversion, and his prayer was finally answered. The unfortunate sinner fell mortally sick; and, at the moment of death, entering into herself, she made her confession with sincere repentance. Some days after her death, whilst her brother was celebrating the Holy Sacrifice, she appeared to him in the midst of flames and a prey to the most intolerable torments. “ Alas! my dear brother,” said she, “ I am condemned to undergo these torments until the day of the last judgment. Nevertheless, you can assist me. The efficacy of the Holy Sacrifice is so great: offer for me about thirty Masses, and I may hope the happiest result.” The saint hastened to accede to her request. He celebrated the thirty Masses, and on the thirtieth day his sister again appeared to him surrounded by angels and soaring to Heaven. Thanks to the virtue of the Divine Sacrifice, an expiation of several centuries was reduced to thirty days. This example shows us at once the duration of the pains which a soul may incur, and the powerful effect of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, when God is pleased to apply it to a soul. But this application, like all other suffrages, does not always take place, at least not always in the same plenitude. THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing). |
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On the left, you will find three downloads to help you with your consecration. The first is a Certificate of Consecration that you can sign and frame, if you wish. This can be used together with a handwritten Act of Consecration, or in place of it.
The second file is a guide on how to best make your Consecration on the actual day itself. These are only suggestions, you may do as you wish. The third file contains the text of the Act of Consecration plus a fifteen page guide on Life after Consecration and what could be done to keep the fire of True Devotion burning brightly in our souls. The text of this third file is found in the readings below. |
REASONS FOR MAKING THE CONSECRATION IN RELATION TO GOD
1. It is the will of God, as announced by Our Lady at Fatima. The fact that God wants this should be sufficient reason for making the Consecration. 2. Mary is God's masterpiece and in justice deserves praise above and beyond what we give to anything else except the praise we give to God. God receives much glory when we honor Mary, the work of His hands. 3. God has made Mary the channel or mediatrix of all graces. It would be an insult not to use the means that God has appointed for the distribution of His graces, and to seek other means instead. 4. We imitate God's ways by our reliance on Mary in our lives. Just as God chose to enter this world through Mary and chose to rely on Mary for the work of the Redemption, we, likewise, should go to God through Mary and rely upon her for the work of our salvation. |
REASONS FOR MAKING THE CONSECRATION IN RELATION TO OURSELVES
1. If we want to save our souls, then there is no better way of saving them than giving ourselves over to Mary. 2. There can be no salvation without the grace of God. This consecration is a surer and safer way of obtaining, increasing and keeping the graces of God. 3. Mary has been given the role of forming the saints of the end times. We are all called to be saints. There is no better school than the school of Mary for teaching, forming and maintaining sanctity. 4. A true devotion to Mary is almost a guarantee of salvation. This has been been affirmed by the testimonies of numerous Saints, Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Who in their right mind doesn't want to save their soul? 5. The devils have confessed that they find it more difficult to overcome the true servants of Mary than other souls who have a lesser devotion to Mary. |
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SPIRITUAL EXERCISES &
PRAYERS TO BE SAID DAILY THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD DEDICATED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF MARY 1. Pray the Litany of the Holy Ghost; Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus; Prayer to Jesus (by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort); Ave Maris Stella; (all of these prayers need not be said everyday IF they cause TRUE difficulty).
2. Pray the Holy Rosary, but PRAY IT WELL 3. Pray especially for the GRACE TO GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, not just in theory or in the mind, but pray that this growth of knowledge may go beyond the intellectual, and that it also SHOW ITSELF IN PRACTICE in many ways. 4. Make acts professing your love and affection towards Jesus, together with sorrow for ever having offended Him. 5. Make acts full of faith in Our Lord’s mercy, power and His desire to help you. 6. Beg Jesus for the grace to grow in a 'practical' love of Him; to have a greater attention and love of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; to have a desire to receive the Holy Eucharist more often; to visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament more often and more sincerely; and for the grace to see Him and love Him in every cross that comes our way. 7. Thank God for all His patience with you until this day; than Him for the countless graces and mercies that you have received from Him through Mary, and beg of Him, through Mary, the graces to amend your life in the future. 8. Read and reflect on the readings posted for each particular day. 9. Make many short prayers ('one-liners') begging the grace to: (a) look upon and perform the recommended practices seriously (the devil does not want it) (b) to persevere DAILY in the prayer, spiritual reading, meditation & penance (c) for the grace to know Our Lord and to see His love, mercy, justice and providence in your life. (d) for the grace to make a good examination of conscience and a good Confession (e) to have the strength of mind and heart to MAKE CHANGES and AMEND YOUR LIFE OPTIONAL PRAYERS
that could be said at intervals throughout the day. Pray one, several, or all of them. (only a suggestion, no obligation) 1. Litany of the Holy Ghost
2. Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 3. Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus 4. Litany of Our Lady 5. Jesus Living in Mary 6. Ave Maris Stella 7. Prayer to Jesus 8. Prayer to Mary 9. Act of Consecration to Jesus through Mary LITANY OF THE
HOLY GHOST Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us Father, all powerful, Have mercy on us. Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, Save us. Spirit of the Father and the Son, boundless life of both, Sanctify us. Holy Trinity, Hear us. Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Holy Ghost, Who art equal to the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Promise of God the Father, Have mercy on us. Ray of heavenly light, Have mercy on us. Author of all good, Have mercy on us. Source of heavenly water, Have mercy on us. Consuming fire, Have mercy on us. Ardent charity, Have mercy on us. Spiritual unction, Have mercy on us. Spirit of love and truth, Have mercy on us. Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Have mercy on us. Spirit of counsel and fortitude, Have mercy on us. Spirit of knowledge and piety, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the fear of the Lord, Have mercy on us. Spirit of grace and prayer, Have mercy on us. Spirit of peace and meekness, Have mercy on us. Spirit of modesty and innocence, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Comforter, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, Who governsthe Church, Have mercy on us. Gift of God, the Most High, Have mercy on us. Spirit Who fillest the universe, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin. Holy Ghost, come and renew the face of the earth. Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls. Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts. Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy love. Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces. Holy Ghost, teach us to pray well. Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations. Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation. Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge. Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good. Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues. Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice. Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Send us Thy Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Pour down into our souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Grant us the Spirit of wisdom and piety. V. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful. R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy Love. Let us pray Grant, O merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit enlighten, inflame and purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us fruitful in good works; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and ever. R. Amen. LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God, the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mother’s womb, Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, Heart of Jesus, of infinite Majesty, Heart of Jesus, holy Temple of God, Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of Heaven, Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, Heart of Jesus, wherein are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Heart of Jesus, wherein dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father is well pleased, Heart of Jesus, of Whose fullness we have all received, Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon Thee, Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses, Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches, Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities, Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death, Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, R. Make our hearts like unto Thine. Let us pray Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, of Thy great goodness, grant them pardon when they seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee for ever and ever. R. Amen. LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us. God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us Jesus, Son of the living God, Have mercy on us. Jesus, splendor of the Father, Have mercy on us. Jesus, brightness of eternal light, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, King of glory, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, sun of justice, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most amiable, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most admirable, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, mighty God, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, Father of the world to come, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, angel of the great counsel, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most powerful, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most patient, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most obedient, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, lover of chastity, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, lover of us, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, God of peace, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, author of life, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, model of virtues, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, lover of souls, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, our God, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, our refuge, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, Father of the poor, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, treasure of the faithful, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, Good shepherd, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, true light, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, eternal wisdom, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, infinite goodness, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, our way and our life, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, joy of angels, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, King of patriarchs, Have mercy on us..Jesus, master of Apostles, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, teacher of Evangelists, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, strength of martyrs, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, light of confessors, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, purity of virgins, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, crown of all saints, Have mercy on us.. Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus. From all evil, Deliver us O Jesus. From all sin, Deliver us O Jesus. From Thy wrath, Deliver us O Jesus. From the snares of the devil, Deliver... From the spirit of fornication, Deliver us O Jesus. From everlasting death, Deliver us O Jesus. From the neglect of Thine inspirations, Deliver us O Jesus. Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy nativity, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thine infancy, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy most divine life, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy labors, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thine agony and Passion, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy cross and dereliction, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy sufferings, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy death and burial, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy Resurrection, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thine Ascension, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thine institution of the most Holy Eucharist, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy joys, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy glory, Deliver us O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Jesus. V. Jesus, hear us. R. Jesus, graciously hear us. Let us pray O Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast said: Ask and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you; grant, we beseech Thee, to us who ask the gift of Thy divine love, that we may ever love Thee with all our hearts, and in all our words and actions, and never cease praising Thee. Grant us, O Lord, a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy Name; for Thou never failest to govern those whom Thou dost solidly establish in Thy love. Who livest and reignest world without end. R. Amen. LITANY OF OUR LADY
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Holy Mary, Pray for us. Holy Mother of God, Pray for us. Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us. Mother of Christ, Pray for us. Mother of divine grace, Pray for us. Mother most pure, Pray for us. Mother most chaste, Pray for us. Mother inviolate, Pray for us. Mother undefiled, Pray for us. Mother most amiable, Pray for us. Mother most admirable, Pray for us. Mother of good counsel, Pray for us. Mother of our Creator, Pray for us. Mother of our Savior, Pray for us. Virgin most prudent, Pray for us. Virgin most venerable, Pray for us. Virgin most renowned, Pray for us. Virgin most powerful, Pray for us. Virgin most merciful, Pray for us. Virgin most faithful, Pray for us. Mirror of justice, Pray for us. Seat of wisdom, Pray for us. Cause of our joy, Pray for us. Spiritual vessel, Pray for us. Vessel of honor, Pray for us. Singular vessel of devotion, Pray for us. Mystical rose, Pray for us. Tower of David, Pray for us. Tower of ivory, Pray for us. House of gold, Pray for us. Ark of the Covenant, Pray for us. Gate of Heaven, Pray for us. Morning Star, Pray for us. Health of the sick, Pray for us. Refuge of sinners, Pray for us. Comforter of the afflicted, Pray for us. Help of Christians, Pray for us. Queen of Angels, Pray for us. Queen of Patriarchs, Pray for us. Queen of prophets, Pray for us. Queen of Apostles, Pray for us. Queen of Martyrs, Pray for us. Queen of Confessors, Pray for us. Queen of Virgins, Pray for us. Queen of all Saints, Pray for us. Queen conceived without Original Sin, Pray for us. Queen assumed into Heaven, Pray for us. Queen of the most Holy Rosary, Pray for us. Queen of peace, Pray for us. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray Grant unto us, Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, at all times to enjoy health of soul and body; and by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary, ever virgin, when freed from the sorrows of this present life, to enter into that joy which hath no end. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. JESUS LIVING IN MARY
O Jesus living in Mary
Come and live in Thy servants; In the spirit of Thy holiness, In the fullness of Thy might, In the truth of Thy virtues, In the perfection of Thy ways, In the communion of Thy mysteries, Subdue every hostile power, In Thy spirit, for the glory of the Father. 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 for evermore. Through the highest heaven To the Almighty Three, Father, Son and Spirit, One same glory be. Amen. PRAYER TO JESUS
O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for the grace Thou hast bestowed upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through the devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy majesty and my support in my extreme misery. Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I should be certainly lost.
Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere: that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things. Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me! Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing! Mary is in me. Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely hers? Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Savior, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to her but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this offering as Thou desire me to renew it. And if Thou seest in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august Princess, I pray Thee to take it and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of Thee. O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Thy faithful spouse; give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy, so that by her Thou mayest truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. Amen. PRAYER TO MARY
Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father! Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son! Hail Mary, faithful Spouse of the Holy Ghost! Hail Mary, my dear Mother, my loving mistress, my powerful sovereign! Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul! Thou art all mine by mercy, and I am all thine by justice. But I am not yet sufficiently thine. I now give myself wholly to thee without keeping anything back for myself or others.
If thou still seest in me anything which does not belong to thee, I beseech thee to take it and to make thyself the absolute mistress of all that is mine. Destroy in me all that may be displeasing to God, root it up and bring it to nought; place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to thee. May the light of thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind; may thy profound humility take the place of my pride; may thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination; may thy continuous sight of God fill my memory with His presence; may the burning love of thy heart inflame the lukewarmness of mine; may thy virtues take the place of my sins; may thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of God and make up for all that is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but thine to know Jesus and His divine will; that I may have no other soul but thine to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but thine to love God with a love as pure and ardent as thine. I do not ask thee for visions, revelations, sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privilege to see God clearly; it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumph gloriously in heaven at the right hand of thy Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons; it is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as thou willest. Such is, O heavenly Mary, “the best part” which the Lord has given thee and which shall never be taken away from thee—and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I wish for no other than that which was thine: to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully without human consolation; to die continually to myself without respite; and to work zealously and unselfishly for thee until death as the humblest of thy servants. The only grace I beg thee to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say: Amen—so be it, to all that thou didst do while on earth; Amen—so be it, to all that thou art now doing in heaven; Amen—so be it, to all that thou art doing in my soul, so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen. LITANY OF HUMILITY
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus. That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may become holier than I, Provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. Amen. ACT OF CONSECRATION TO JESUS THROUGH MARY
O Eternal and Incarnate Wisdom! O sweetest and most adorable Jesus! True God and True Man, only Son of the Eternal Father and of Mary, always Virgin! I adore Thee profoundly in the bosom and splendors of Thy Father during eternity, and I adore Thee also in the virginal bosom of Mary Thy most worthy Mother, in the time of Thy Incarnation.
I give Thee thanks that Thou hast annihilated Thyself, taking the form of a slave in order to rescue me from the cruel slavery of the devil. I praise and glorify Thee that Thou hast been pleased to submit Thyself to Mary, Thy Holy Mother, in all things, in order to make me Thy faithful slave through her. But, alas! Ungrateful and unfaithful as I have been, I have not kept the promises which I made so solemnly to Thee in my Baptism. I have not fulfilled my obligations; I do not deserve to be called Thy child nor yet Thy slave; and as there is nothing in me which does not merit Thine anger and Thy repulse, I dare not any more come by myself before Thy most holy and august Majesty. It is on this account that I have recourse to the intercession of Thy Most Holy Mother, whom Thou has given me for a mediatrix with Thee. It is through her that I hope to obtain of Thee contrition, the pardon of my sins, and the acquisition and preservation of Wisdom. Hail then, Immaculate Mary, living Tabernacle of the Divinity, where the Eternal Wisdom willed to be hidden and to be adored by angels and by men! Hail, Queen of Heaven and earth, to whose empire everything is subject which is under God! Hail, O sure Refuge of sinners; whose mercy fails no one! Hear the desires which I have of the Divine Wisdom, and for that end, receive the vows and offerings which in my lowliness I present to Thee. I (here say your own name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism: I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before. In the presence of all the heavenly court, I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Receive, O benignant Virgin, this little offering of my slavery, in honor of, and in union with, that subjection which the Eternal Wisdom deigned to have to thy maternity, in homage to the power which both of you have over this poor sinner, and in thanksgiving for the privileges with which the Holy Trinity has favored thee. I declare that I wish henceforth, as thy true slave, to seek thy honor and to obey thee in all things. O admirable Mother, present me to thy dear Son as His eternal slave, so that as He has redeemed me by thee, by thee He may receive me! O Mother of Mercy, grant that I may obtain the true Wisdom of God, and for that end receive me among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children and thy slaves. O faithful Virgin, make me in all things so perfect a disciple, imitator and slave of the Incarnate Wisdom, Jesus Christ thy Son, that I may attain, by thine intercession and by thine example, to the fullness of His age on earth and of His glory in Heaven. Amen THE LITTLE CROWN OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
CROWN OF EXCELLENCE
To honor the divine maternity of the Blessed Virgin; Her ineffable virginity; Her purity without stain; Her innumerable virtues 1. Our Father....Hail Mary....Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst bear the Lord, the Creator of the world; thou didst give birth to Him Who made thee and remainest a Virgin forever. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 2. Hail Mary....O Holy and Immaculate Virgin, I know not with what praise to extol thee, since thou didst bear in thy womb the very One Whom the heavens cannot contain. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 3. Hail Mary....Thou art all fair, O Virgin Mary, and there is no stain in thee. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 4. Hail Mary....Thy virtues, O Virgin, surpass the stars in number. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 5. Glory be to the Father.... CROWN OF POWER To honor the royalty of the Blessed Virgin; Her magnificence; Her universal mediation; The strength of her rule 1. Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory be to thee, O Empress of the world! Bring us with thee to the joys of heaven. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 2. Hail Mary....Glory be to thee, O treasure house of the Lord's graces! Grant us a share in thy riches. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 3. Hail Mary....Glory be to thee, O Mediatrix between God and man! Through thee may the Almighty be favorable to us. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 4. Hail Mary....Glory be to thee, who destroyest heresies and crushest demons! Be thou our loving guide. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 5. Glory be to the Father.... CROWN OF GOODNESS To honor the mercy of the Blessed Virgin toward sinners, the poor, the just and the dying 1. Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory be to thee, O refuge of sinners! Intercede for us with God. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 2. Hail Mary....Glory be to thee, O Mother of orphans! Render the Almighty favorable to us. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 3. Hail Mary....Glory be to thee, O joy of the just! Lead us with thee to the joys of heaven. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 4. Hail Mary....Glory be to thee, who art ever ready to assist us in life and in death! Lead us with thee to the kingdom of heaven! Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! 5. Glory be to the Father.... Let us Pray Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father! Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son! Hail Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost! Hail Mary, Temple of the most Holy Trinity! Hail Mary, my Mistress, my treasure, my joy, Queen of my heart; my Mother, my life, my sweetness, my dearest hope, yea, my heart and my soul! I am all thine and all that I have is thine, O Virgin blessed above all things! Let thy soul be in me to magnify the Lord; let thy spirit be in me to rejoice in God. Set thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon my heart, that in thee and through thee I may be found faithful to God. Receive me, O gracious Virgin, among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children. Grant that, for love of thee, I may despise all earthly consolations and ever cling to those of heaven; until through the Holy Ghost, thy faithful Spouse, and through thee, His faithful Spouse, Jesus Christ thy Son be formed in me for the glory of God the Father. Amen. THE PRAYERS
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THE CONSECRATION IS MERELY THE PLANTING OF THE SEED OF
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On the left, you will find three downloads to help you with your consecration. The first is a Certificate of Consecration that you can sign and frame, if you wish. This can be used together with a handwritten Act of Consecration, or in place of it.
The second file is a guide on how to best make your Consecration on the actual day itself. These are only suggestions, you may do as you wish. The third file contains the text of the Act of Consecration plus a fifteen page guide on Life after Consecration and what could be done to keep the fire of True Devotion burning brightly in our souls. The text of this third file is found in the readings below. |
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES &
PRAYERS TO BE SAID DAILY THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD DEDICATED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF MARY 1. Pray the Litany of the Holy Ghost; Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus; Prayer to Jesus (by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort); Ave Maris Stella; (all of these prayers need not be said everyday IF they cause TRUE difficulty).
2. Pray the Holy Rosary, but PRAY IT WELL 3. Pray especially for the GRACE TO GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, not just in theory or in the mind, but pray that this growth of knowledge may go beyond the intellectual, and that it also SHOW ITSELF IN PRACTICE in many ways. 4. Make acts professing your love and affection towards Jesus, together with sorrow for ever having offended Him. 5. Make acts full of faith in Our Lord’s mercy, power and His desire to help you. 6. Beg Jesus for the grace to grow in a 'practical' love of Him; to have a greater attention and love of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; to have a desire to receive the Holy Eucharist more often; to visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament more often and more sincerely; and for the grace to see Him and love Him in every cross that comes our way. 7. Thank God for all His patience with you until this day; than Him for the countless graces and mercies that you have received from Him through Mary, and beg of Him, through Mary, the graces to amend your life in the future. 8. Read and reflect on the readings posted for each particular day. 9. Make many short prayers ('one-liners') begging the grace to: (a) look upon and perform the recommended practices seriously (the devil does not want it) (b) to persevere DAILY in the prayer, spiritual reading, meditation & penance (c) for the grace to know Our Lord and to see His love, mercy, justice and providence in your life. (d) for the grace to make a good examination of conscience and a good Confession (e) to have the strength of mind and heart to MAKE CHANGES and AMEND YOUR LIFE THE PRAYERS
LITANY OF THE
HOLY GHOST Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us Father, all powerful, Have mercy on us. Jesus, Eternal Son of the Father, Redeemer of the world, Save us. Spirit of the Father and the Son, boundless life of both, Sanctify us. Holy Trinity, Hear us. Holy Ghost, Who proceedest from the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Holy Ghost, Who art equal to the Father and the Son, Enter our hearts. Promise of God the Father, Have mercy on us. Ray of heavenly light, Have mercy on us. Author of all good, Have mercy on us. Source of heavenly water, Have mercy on us. Consuming fire, Have mercy on us. Ardent charity, Have mercy on us. Spiritual unction, Have mercy on us. Spirit of love and truth, Have mercy on us. Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Have mercy on us. Spirit of counsel and fortitude, Have mercy on us. Spirit of knowledge and piety, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the fear of the Lord, Have mercy on us. Spirit of grace and prayer, Have mercy on us. Spirit of peace and meekness, Have mercy on us. Spirit of modesty and innocence, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Comforter, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, Who governsthe Church, Have mercy on us. Gift of God, the Most High, Have mercy on us. Spirit Who fillest the universe, Have mercy on us. Spirit of the adoption of the children of God, Have mercy on us. Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin. Holy Ghost, come and renew the face of the earth. Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls. Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts. Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy love. Holy Ghost, open to us the treasures of Thy graces. Holy Ghost, teach us to pray well. Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations. Holy Ghost, lead us in the way of salvation. Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge. Holy Ghost, inspire in us the practice of good. Holy Ghost, grant us the merits of all virtues. Holy Ghost, make us persevere in justice. Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Send us Thy Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Pour down into our souls the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Grant us the Spirit of wisdom and piety. V. Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful. R. And enkindle in them the fire of Thy Love. Let us pray Grant, O merciful Father, that Thy Divine Spirit enlighten, inflame and purify us, that He may penetrate us with His heavenly dew and make us fruitful in good works; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, liveth and reigneth forever and ever. R. Amen. LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God, the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mother’s womb, Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, Heart of Jesus, of infinite Majesty, Heart of Jesus, holy Temple of God, Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of Heaven, Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, Heart of Jesus, wherein are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Heart of Jesus, wherein dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father is well pleased, Heart of Jesus, of Whose fullness we have all received, Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon Thee, Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses, Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches, Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities, Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death, Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, R. Make our hearts like unto Thine. Let us pray Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, of Thy great goodness, grant them pardon when they seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee for ever and ever. R. Amen. LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us. God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us Jesus, Son of the living God, Have mercy on us. Jesus, splendor of the Father, Have mercy on us. Jesus, brightness of eternal light, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, King of glory, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, sun of justice, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most amiable, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most admirable, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, mighty God, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, Father of the world to come, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, angel of the great counsel, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most powerful, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most patient, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, most obedient, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, lover of chastity, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, lover of us, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, God of peace, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, author of life, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, model of virtues, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, lover of souls, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, our God, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, our refuge, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, Father of the poor, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, treasure of the faithful, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, Good shepherd, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, true light, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, eternal wisdom, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, infinite goodness, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, our way and our life, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, joy of angels, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, King of patriarchs, Have mercy on us..Jesus, master of Apostles, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, teacher of Evangelists, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, strength of martyrs, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, light of confessors, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, purity of virgins, Have mercy on us.. Jesus, crown of all saints, Have mercy on us.. Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus. From all evil, Deliver us O Jesus. From all sin, Deliver us O Jesus. From Thy wrath, Deliver us O Jesus. From the snares of the devil, Deliver... From the spirit of fornication, Deliver us O Jesus. From everlasting death, Deliver us O Jesus. From the neglect of Thine inspirations, Deliver us O Jesus. Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy nativity, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thine infancy, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy most divine life, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy labors, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thine agony and Passion, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy cross and dereliction, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy sufferings, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy death and burial, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy Resurrection, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thine Ascension, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thine institution of the most Holy Eucharist, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy joys, Deliver us O Jesus. Through Thy glory, Deliver us O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Jesus. V. Jesus, hear us. R. Jesus, graciously hear us. Let us pray O Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast said: Ask and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you; grant, we beseech Thee, to us who ask the gift of Thy divine love, that we may ever love Thee with all our hearts, and in all our words and actions, and never cease praising Thee. Grant us, O Lord, a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy Name; for Thou never failest to govern those whom Thou dost solidly establish in Thy love. Who livest and reignest world without end. R. Amen. JESUS LIVING IN MARY
O Jesus living in Mary
Come and live in Thy servants; In the spirit of Thy holiness, In the fullness of Thy might, In the truth of Thy virtues, In the perfection of Thy ways, In the communion of Thy mysteries, Subdue every hostile power, In Thy spirit, for the glory of the Father. 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 for evermore. Through the highest heaven To the Almighty Three, Father, Son and Spirit, One same glory be. Amen. PRAYER TO JESUS
O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for the grace Thou hast bestowed upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through the devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy majesty and my support in my extreme misery. Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I should be certainly lost.
Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere: that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things. Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me! Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing! Mary is in me. Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely hers? Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Savior, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to her but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this offering as Thou desire me to renew it. And if Thou seest in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august Princess, I pray Thee to take it and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of Thee. O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Thy faithful spouse; give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy, so that by her Thou mayest truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. Amen. |
FIRST MEDITATION
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SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS THE GOAL: TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE TEXT OF THE ACT OF CONSECRATION, IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE FRUITFULLY
The words of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort concerning the Day of Consecration or its renewal: "The first is to choose a special feastday to consecrate ourselves through Mary to Jesus, whose slaves we are making ourselves. This is an occasion for receiving Holy Communion and spending the day in prayer. At least once a year on the same day, we should renew the act of consecration" (Secret of Mary, §61). "The second is to give Our Lady every year on that same day some little tribute as a token of our servitude and dependence. This has always been the customary homage paid by slaves to their master. This tribute could consist of an act of self-denial or an alms, or a pilgrimage, or a few prayers. St. Peter Damian tells us that his brother, Blessed Marino, used to give himself the discipline in public on the same day every year, before the altar of Our Lady. This kind of zeal is not required, nor would we counsel it. But what little we give to Our Lady we should at least offer with a heart that is humble and grateful" (Secret of Mary, §62). "The third practice is to celebrate every year with special fervor the feast of the Annunciation of our Lord. This is the distinctive feast of this devotion and was chosen so that we might honor and imitate that dependence which the eternal Word accepted on this day out of love for us" (Secret of Mary, §63). "The fourth practice is to say every day, without the obligation of sin, the prayer entitled “The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin,” which comprises three Our Fathers and twelve Hail Marys, and to say frequently the Magnificat, which is the only hymn composed by Our Lady. In the Magnificat we thank God for favoring us in the past, and we beg further blessings from Him in the future. One special time when we should not fail to say it is during thanksgiving after Holy Communion. A person, so scholarly as Gerson, informs us that Our Lady herself used to recite it in thanksgiving after Holy Communion" (Secret of Mary, §64). "The fifth is the wearing of a small blessed chain either around the neck, on the arm, on the foot, or about the body. Strictly speaking, this practice can be omitted without affecting the essential nature of the devotion, but just the same it would be wrong to despise or condemn it, and foolhardy to neglect it" (Secret of Mary, §65). THE PRAYERS
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayer: Jesus Living in Mary St. Louis' Prayer to Mary St. Louis' Prayer to Mary The Holy Rosary Even though it is not absolutely necessary to say each prayer each and every day, nevertheless try to say as many, if not all, the prayers whenever you can. Say at least one of the prayers united to each meditation you make. You could alternate the litanies from day to day. As you sow, so shall you reap. You cannot outdo Our Lord and Our Lady in generosity. Litany of the
Blessed Virgin Mary Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Holy Mary, Pray for us. Holy Mother of God, Pray for us. Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us. Mother of Christ, Pray for us. Mother of divine grace, Pray for us. Mother most pure, Pray for us. Mother most chaste, Pray for us. Mother inviolate, Pray for us. Mother undefiled, Pray for us. Mother most amiable, Pray for us. Mother most admirable, Pray for us. Mother of good counsel, Pray for us. Mother of our Creator, Pray for us. Mother of our Savior, Pray for us. Virgin most prudent, Pray for us. Virgin most venerable, Pray for us. Virgin most renowned, Pray for us. Virgin most powerful, Pray for us. Virgin most merciful, Pray for us. Virgin most faithful, Pray for us. Mirror of justice, Pray for us. Seat of wisdom, Pray for us. Cause of our joy, Pray for us. Spiritual vessel, Pray for us. Vessel of honor, Pray for us. Singular vessel of devotion, Pray for us. Mystical rose, Pray for us. Tower of David, Pray for us. Tower of ivory, Pray for us. House of gold, Pray for us. Ark of the Covenant, Pray for us. Gate of Heaven, Pray for us. Morning Star, Pray for us. Health of the sick, Pray for us. Refuge of sinners, Pray for us. Comforter of the afflicted, Pray for us. Help of Christians, Pray for us. Queen of Angels, Pray for us. Queen of Patriarchs, Pray for us. Queen of prophets, Pray for us. Queen of Apostles, Pray for us. Queen of Martyrs, Pray for us. Queen of Confessors, Pray for us. Queen of Virgins, Pray for us. Queen of all Saints, Pray for us. Queen conceived without Original Sin, Pray for us. Queen assumed into Heaven, Pray for us. Queen of the most Holy Rosary, Pray for us. Queen of peace, Pray for us. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray Grant unto us, Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, at all times to enjoy health of soul and body; and by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary, ever virgin, when freed from the sorrows of this present life, to enter into that joy which hath no end. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Litany of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God, the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mother’s womb, Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, Heart of Jesus, of infinite Majesty, Heart of Jesus, holy Temple of God, Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of Heaven, Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, Heart of Jesus, wherein are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Heart of Jesus, wherein dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father is well pleased, Heart of Jesus, of Whose fullness we have all received, Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon Thee, Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses, Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches, Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities, Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death, Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, R. Make our hearts like unto Thine. Let us pray Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, of Thy great goodness, grant them pardon when they seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee for ever and ever. R. Amen. Jesus Living in Mary
O Jesus living in Mary
Come and live in Thy servants; In the spirit of Thy holiness, In the fullness of Thy might, In the truth of Thy virtues, In the perfection of Thy ways, In the communion of Thy mysteries, Subdue every hostile power, In Thy spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen. Prayer to Mary
by St. Louis de Montfort Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father! Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son! Hail Mary, faithful Spouse of the Holy Ghost! Hail Mary, my dear Mother, my loving mistress, my powerful sovereign! Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul! Thou art all mine by mercy, and I am all thine by justice. But I am not yet sufficiently thine. I now give myself wholly to thee without keeping anything back for myself or others.
If thou still seest in me anything which does not belong to thee, I beseech thee to take it and to make thyself the absolute mistress of all that is mine. Destroy in me all that may be displeasing to God, root it up and bring it to nought; place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to thee. May the light of thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind; may thy profound humility take the place of my pride; may thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination; may thy continuous sight of God fill my memory with His presence; may the burning love of thy heart inflame the lukewarmness of mine; may thy virtues take the place of my sins; may thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of God and make up for all that is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but thine to know Jesus and His divine will; that I may have no other soul but thine to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but thine to love God with a love as pure and ardent as thine. I do not ask thee for visions, revelations, sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privilege to see God clearly; it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumph gloriously in heaven at the right hand of thy Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons; it is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as thou willest. Such is, O heavenly Mary, “the best part” which the Lord has given thee and which shall never be taken away from thee—and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I wish for no other than that which was thine: to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully without human consolation; to die continually to myself without respite; and to work zealously and unselfishly for thee until death as the humblest of thy servants. The only grace I beg thee to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say: Amen—so be it, to all that thou didst do while on earth; Amen—so be it, to all that thou art now doing in heaven; Amen—so be it, to all that thou art doing in my soul, so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen. Prayer to Jesus
by St. Louis de Montfort O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for the grace Thou hast bestowed upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through the devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy majesty and my support in my extreme misery. Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I should be certainly lost.
Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere: that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things. Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me! Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing! Mary is in me. Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely hers? Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Savior, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to her but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this offering as Thou desire me to renew it. And if Thou seest in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august Princess, I pray Thee to take it and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of Thee. O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Thy faithful spouse; give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy, so that by her Thou mayest truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. Amen. |
APPENDIX : DAYS 34 & 35
FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR THE CONSECRATION MEDITATIONS ON THE TEXT OF THE CONSECRATION The Act of Consecration text is taken from the Appendix of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary. (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can)
Act of Consecration
to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, by the Hands of Mary
O Eternal and Incarnate Wisdom! O sweetest and most adorable Jesus! True God and True Man, only Son of the Eternal Father and of Mary, always Virgin! I adore Thee profoundly in the bosom and splendors of Thy Father during eternity, and I adore Thee also in the virginal bosom of Mary Thy most worthy Mother, in the time of Thy Incarnation. I give Thee thanks that Thou hast annihilated Thyself, taking the form of a slave in order to rescue me from the cruel slavery of the devil. I praise and glorify Thee that Thou hast been pleased to submit Thyself to Mary, Thy Holy Mother, in all things, in order to make me Thy faithful slave through her. But, alas! Ungrateful and unfaithful as I have been, I have not kept the promises which I made so solemnly to Thee in my Baptism. I have not fulfilled my obligations; I do not deserve to be called Thy child nor yet Thy slave; and as there is nothing in me which does not merit Thine anger and Thy repulse, I dare not any more come by myself before Thy most holy and august Majesty. It is on this account that I have recourse to the intercession of Thy Most Holy Mother, whom Thou has given me for a mediatrix with Thee. It is through her that I hope to obtain of Thee contrition, the pardon of my sins, and the acquisition and preservation of Wisdom. Hail then, Immaculate Mary, living Tabernacle of the Divinity, where the Eternal Wisdom willed to be hidden and to be adored by angels and by men! Hail, Queen of Heaven and earth, to whose empire everything is subject which is under God! Hail, O sure Refuge of sinners; whose mercy fails no one! Hear the desires which I have of the Divine Wisdom, and for that end, receive the vows and offerings which in my lowliness I present to Thee. I (here say your own name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism: I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before. In the presence of all the heavenly court, I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Receive, O benignant Virgin, this little offering of my slavery, in honor of, and in union with, that subjection which the Eternal Wisdom deigned to have to thy maternity, in homage to the power which both of you have over this poor sinner, and in thanksgiving for the privileges with which the Holy Trinity has favored thee. I declare that I wish henceforth, as thy true slave, to seek thy honor and to obey thee in all things. O admirable Mother, present me to thy dear Son as His eternal slave, so that as He has redeemed me by thee, by thee He may receive me! O Mother of Mercy, grant that I may obtain the true Wisdom of God, and for that end receive me among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children and thy slaves. O faithful Virgin, make me in all things so perfect a disciple, imitator and slave of the Incarnate Wisdom, Jesus Christ thy Son, that I may attain, by thine intercession and by thine example, to the fullness of His age on earth and of His glory in heaven. Amen WE WILL NOW MEDITATE UPON THE TEXT OF THIS ACT OF CONSECRATION.
FIRST MEDITATION
LET WISDOM BE YOUR GUIDE (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can)
EXTRACT FROM THE ACT
OF CONSECRATION: “It is through her
that I hope to obtain...the acquisition of and preservation of Wisdom.”
MEDITATION: Here we are asking for heavenly wisdom, not human wisdom. When Eternal Wisdom communicates Himself to a soul, He confers upon it the gifts of the Holy Spirit and all the great virtues in an eminent degree. That is, He bestows the theological virtues: faith, hope, charity; the cardinal virtues: temperance, prudence, justice, fortitude; moral virtues, such as: religion, humility, meekness, obedience, detachment, mortification, prayer. These, and other admirable virtues are the heavenly gifts which the Holy Spirit describes divinely in but a few words: “If a man love justice; her labors have great virtues, for she teaches temperance and prudence, and justice and fortitude, which are such things as man can have nothing more profitable in life.” Lastly, as Eternal Wisdom is “more active than all active things,” He does not allow those who enjoy His friendship to languish in sloth and negligence. He sets them on fire and makes them do great things for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. To prove them and make them worthy of Him, He gives them occasion for great combats and keeps in store for them contradictions and crosses in almost everything they undertake. He allows the devil to tempt them, the world to calumniate and abuse them, their enemies to have the upper hand and to crush them, their friends and relatives to forsake and betray them. Sometimes, He will cause them to suffer the loss of their goods or of their health; at other times He will load them with reproach, sadness and despondency. In a word, He will try them variously in the crucible of tribulation “but,” the Holy Spirit reminds us, “afflicted in few things, in many they shall be rewarded, because God has tried them and found them worthy of Himself. As gold in the furnace He has proved them; and as a victim of a holocaust He has received them; and in time there shall be respect had to them.” NOW THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing).
SECOND MEDITATION
SAYING GOODBYE TO THE DEVIL, THE WORLD, THE FLESH (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) EXTRACT FROM THE ACT OF CONSECRATION: “I (here say your own name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism: I renounce for ever Satan, his pomps and works...”
MEDITATION: The devil is the Prince of the World and never was the world so corrupt as it is now, because it was never so astute, so wise in its own conceit, so cunning. It is so skillful in deceiving the soul seeking perfection that it makes use of truth to foster untruth, of virtue to authorize vice and it even distorts the meaning of Christ’s own truths to give authority to its own maxims. “The number of those who are fools according to God, is infinite.” The earthly wisdom spoken of by St. James is an excessive striving for worldly goods. The worldly wise make a secret profession of this type of wisdom when they allow themselves to become attached to their earthly possessions, when they strive to become rich, when they go to law and bring useless actions against others in order to acquire or to keep temporal goods; when their every thought, word and deed is mainly directed toward obtaining or retaining something temporal. As to working out their eternal salvation and making use of the means to do so, such as reception of the Sacraments and prayer, they accomplish these duties only carelessly, in a very offhand manner, once in a while, and for the sake of appearances. Sensual wisdom is a lustful desire for pleasure. The worldly-wise make a profession of it when they seek only the satisfaction of the senses; when they are inordinately fond of entertainment; when they shun whatever mortifies and inconveniences the body, such as fasting and other austerities; when they continually think of eating, drinking, playing, laughing, amusing themselves and having an agreeable time; when they eagerly seek after soft beds, merry games, sumptuous feasts and fashionable society. Then, after having unscrupulously indulged in all these pleasures—perhaps without displeasing the world or injuring their health—they look for “the least scrupulous” confessor (such is the name they give to those easy going confessors who shirk their duty) that they may receive from him, at little cost, the peaceful sanction of their soft and effeminate life, and a plenary indulgence for all their sins. I say, at little cost, for these sensually wise want as penance the recitation of only a few prayers, or the giving of an alms, because they dislike what afflicts the body. Devilish wisdom consists in an unlawful striving for human esteem and honors. This is the wisdom which the worldly-wise profess when they aim, although not openly, at greatness, honors, dignities and high positions; when they wish to be seen, esteemed, praised and applauded by men; when in their studies, their works, their endeavors their words and actions, they seek only the good opinion and praise of men so that they may be looked upon as pious people, as men of learning, as great leaders, as clever lawyers, as people of boundless and distinguished merit, or deserving of high consideration; while they cannot bear an insult or a rebuke; or they cover up their faults and make a show of their fine qualities. With Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, we must detest and condemn these three kinds of false wisdom if we wish to acquire the true one which does not seek its own interest, which is not found on this earth nor in the heart of those who lead a comfortable life, but which abhors all that which is great and high in the estimation of men. The worldling, or the man ruled by these three wisdoms, bases his conduct upon his honor, upon what people say, upon convention, upon good cheer, upon personal interest, upon refined manners, upon witty jokes. These are the seven innocent incentives, so he thinks, upon which he can rely that he may lead an easy life. He has virtues of his own for which he is canonized by the world. These are manliness, finesse, diplomacy, tact, gallantry, politeness, sprightliness. He considers as serious sins such traits as lack of feeling, silliness, dullness, sanctimoniousness. He adheres as strictly as possible to the commandments which the world has given him: 1. Thou shalt be well acquainted with the world. 2. Thou shalt be an “honest” man. 3. Thou shalt be successful in business. 4. Thou shalt keep what is thine. 5. Thou shalt get on in the world. 6. Thou shalt make friends. 7. Thou shalt be a society man. 8. Thou shalt make merry. 9. Thou shalt not be a killjoy. 10. Thou shalt avoid singularity, dullness and an air of piety. The wisdom of the world is that of which it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise” according to the world. “The wisdom of the flesh is an enemy to God.” “This is not the wisdom descending from above but earthly, sensual, devilish.” NOW THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing).
THIRD MEDITATION
THE WISDOM OF THE CROSS (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) EXTRACT FROM THE ACT OF CONSECRATION: “...and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before.”
MEDITATION: The Cross is the greatest secret of Eternal Wisdom. O how different are the thoughts and the ways of Eternal Wisdom from those of man! This great God wishes to redeem the world, to cast out and shackle the demons, to close hell and to open heaven to man. What means will be chosen by the Divine Wisdom?” His arm is almighty. In an instant He can destroy all that is opposed to Him. He can create whatever He wills. By one word of His mouth He can annihilate and create. But, O wonder! He perceives a thing which is a scandal and a stumbling block to the Jews, an object of foolishness to the Gentiles. He sees a piece of vile and contemptible wood which is being used to humiliate and torture the most wicked and most unfortunate of men; it is called a gibbet, a gallows, a Cross. He looks upon this Cross. He takes delight in it. He loves it and chooses it before all that is great and resplendent in heaven and on earth. He chooses it to be the instrument of His conquests, the adornment of His majesty, the riches and delight of His empire, the friend and spouse of His heart. “O the depth of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God!” How amazing His choice! How deep and incomprehensible His way of acting and judging! But how ineffable His love of the Cross! The Incarnate Wisdom loved the Cross from His infancy. He placed it “in the midst of His heart,” there to reign. During His life He eagerly sought after the Cross. All His journeying, all His eagerness, all His pursuits, all His desires were directed toward the Cross, because to die in its embrace was for Him the very height of glory and success. At last His wishes were fully satisfied. Loaded with infamy He was attached to the Cross, fixed to it, and joyfully died in the embrace of His dear friend as upon a couch of honor and triumph. Do not think that, to be more triumphant, He relinquished or rejected the Cross after His death. Far from it. He united Himself so closely to it and became, as it were, so incorporated with it, that no angel or man, no creature in heaven or on earth can separate Him from it. Their bond is indissoluble; their union is eternal. Never The Cross Without Jesus; Nor Jesus Without The Cross. NOW THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing).
FOURTH MEDITATION
DO WITH ME WHAT THOU WILT! (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) EXTRACT FROM THE ACT OF CONSECRATION: “...leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity.” MEDITATION: When Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette at Lourdes, she said to the young girl: “I do not promise to make you happy in this life, but in the next.” Our Lady chose to dispose of Bernadette in a seemingly harsh manner, but in giving Bernadette crosses, she was actually doing her a great good. The Cross is good and precious for many reasons: 1. Because it makes us resemble Jesus Christ. 2. Because it makes us worthy children of the Eternal Father; worthy members of Jesus Christ; worthy temples of the Holy Spirit: “God the Father...scourgeth every son He receives.” Jesus Christ receives as His follower only him who carries his cross. The Holy Spirit cuts and polishes all the souls seeking perfection. 3. The Cross is good because it enlightens the mind and affords more knowledge than all the books in the whole world. “He that has not been tried, what does he know?” 4. Because when well borne, the Cross is the cause and the proof of love. The Cross inflames the heart with the fire of Divine Love by detaching it from creatures; it keeps this love alive and increases it. As wood is the fuel of fire, so is the Cross the fuel of love. The Cross is the surest proof that we love God. The Cross was the proof God gave of His love for us, and it is also the proof He requires of us to show our love for Him. 5. The Cross is good because it is an abundant source of all kinds of delight and consolation. It brings joy, peace and grace to the soul. You, who are wise and honest by worldly standards, do not understand this mysterious language. You are too fond of sensual pleasures; you seek too much your own comfort; you love too much the things of this life, you fear too much to be held up to scorn and to be humiliated; in a word, you are too hostile to the Cross of Jesus. In general, indeed, you esteem and praise the Cross in theory, but not your personal crosses. These you shun as much as you can, or else you drag them along unwillingly, with murmurings, impatience and complaints. Eternal Wisdom tells us that the number of fools and unfortunate people is infinite. This is because the number of those who do not know the value of the Cross is infinite and they carry it despite themselves. But, if you have trials and afflictions, if you suffer many persecutions for justice sake, if you are treated as the refuse of the world, be comforted, be glad, thrill with joy, because the cross you carry is a gift so precious, for your reward is great in heaven. Even on earth your reward is great, because of the spiritual graces which the Cross obtains for you. Friends of Jesus Christ, drink of His bitter cup, and your friendship with Him will increase. Suffer with Him and you will be glorified with Him. Suffer patiently and even cheerfully. Yet a little while and the moment of suffering will be changed into an eternity of happiness. Since it was necessary for Eternal Wisdom to enter heaven by the way of suffering, it is necessary for you to enter by the same way. Whithersoever you turn, you will always find the Cross. Jesus and Mary have fixed their abode in the Cross, so that you will not find them in this world save in the Cross. They have so truly incorporated and united themselves with the Cross, that in all truth we can say: Wisdom Is The Cross, And The Cross Is Wisdom. NOW THINK, REFLECT, MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS
(Meditation, for it to be true meditation, is always about making resolutions, otherwise it is merely pious spiritual reading or spiritual musing).
FIFTH MEDITATION
GIVE ALL TO HER, RECEIVE ALL FROM HER (if you cannot manage to make all the meditations, do not worry, make as many as you can) EXTRACT FROM THE ACT OF CONSECRATION: “I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future”
MEDITATION: Mary is charitable. She loves us as her children and servants. Let us give her all, and we shall lose nothing. She will turn everything to our gain. Mary is generous. She gives back more than is given to her. Let us give her unreservedly all that we possess. She will render us a hundredfold. Mary is powerful. No one can take away from her what we place in her hands. Let us, then, commit ourselves to her care and she will defend us against all our enemies and help us to conquer them. Mary is faithful. She does not allow anything that we give her to be lost or wasted. She is, par excellence, the Virgin faithful to God and faithful to man. She faithfully guarded and kept all that God entrusted to her, never allowing a particle of it to be lost. She still keeps every day, with special care, all those who place themselves entirely under her protection and guidance. Let us, then, confide everything to this faithful Virgin. Let us attach ourselves to her as to an immovable pillar, as to an anchor that cannot be lifted, or rather as to Mount Sion which cannot be shaken. Thus, whatever may be our natural blindness, our weakness and inconstancy; whatever may be the number and the wickedness of our enemies, we shall never be deceived nor misled, and we shall never have the misfortune of losing the grace of God and the infinite Treasure of Eternal Wisdom. EXTRACT FROM THE ACT OF CONSECRATION: “Receive, O benignant Virgin, this little offering of my slavery, in honor of, and in union with, that subjection which the Eternal Wisdom deigned to have to thy maternity, in homage to the power which both of you have over this poor sinner, and in thanksgiving for the privileges with which the Holy Trinity has favored thee. I declare that I wish henceforth, as thy true slave, to seek thy honor and to obey thee in all things.” MEDITATION: How can we seek her honor and obey her in all things? St. Louis De Montfort gives the answer in his book True Devotion to Mary. The first thing that he lists is being truly devoted to Mary. This is nothing else than Our Lady’s message at Fatima, wherein she stated that God wanted the whole world to be devoted to her Immaculate Heart. Thus, by making this Consecration to Jesus through Mary, we are fulfilling the most important and essential part in that obligation of honoring and obeying the Blessed Mother. EXTRACT FROM THE ACT OF CONSECRATION: “O admirable Mother, present me to thy dear Son as His eternal slave, so that as He has redeemed me by thee, by thee He may receive me! O Mother of Mercy, grant that I may obtain the true Wisdom of God, and for that end receive me among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children and thy slaves.” MEDITATION: Loving and teaching refer to the will and the intellect—two powers of the soul. Thus we see here the necessity of not only an exterior devotion to Mary, but also an interior devotion that embraces both powers of the soul—the will (which loves) and the intellect (which learns and understands). “Whom thou lovest and teachest...” Let us never doubt Our Lady’s love for us! When Our Lord said to her, as He died on the cross: “Behold thy son!” Our Lady took us under her maternal care. Regardless of our ungratefulness towards her, she has always loved us miserable sinners more than we have ever loved ourselves. Yet love is meant to be reciprocal, it is meant to be returned. By this devotion and consecration, we are taking the first steps, like a little baby, towards our Blessed Mother. By this Consecration, we will, in a certain manner, be born again. We will be treasured all the more by our heavenly Mother, since by our Consecration to her, we become, as it were, her first born, those closest to her heart. Let us not be as ungrateful as we have been in the past. Let us live as the first born, let us take up our responsibility in looking after the other children of this great family of the Mystical Body of Christ, by bringing them to a greater knowledge, love and service of our spiritual Mother. To be able to achieve this, we must first of all make sure that we, ourselves, are ever growing in knowledge and love of our Heavenly Queen, and becoming ever more diligent in her service. There is a philosophical axiom that says: “Nobody can give what they have not got.” This is so very true with regard to Our Lady. We have to know her thoroughly, we have to love her ardently, we have to work for her tirelessly. It is only then that we will succeed in bringing others to her. This Consecration has been a start along these lines. Let us never take this Consecration for granted, whereby we let all our knowledge, love and service go to waste. There are many who have made the Consecration, and then have fallen back into a Marian lukewarmness! Let us not become such ungrateful wretches, who expect so much, in having given so little! Let us remember the words of St. Alphonsus Liguori, who says: “It is impossible that a servant of Mary be damned, provided he serves her faithfully and commends himself to her maternal protection.” Or the words of St. Bonaventure, who says: “They who neglect the service of Mary shall die in their sins!” EXTRACT FROM THE ACT OF CONSECRATION: “O faithful Virgin, make me in all things so perfect a disciple, imitator and slave of the Incarnate Wisdom, Jesus Christ thy Son, that I may attain, by thine intercession and by thine example, to the fullness of His age on earth and of His glory in heaven. Amen” Meditation: This making of us into disciples, “in all things so perfect” and “imitators and slaves of the Incarnate Wisdom,” leads us to the practice of virtue and the practical aspects of the True Devotion Consecration. In his book Love of the Eternal Wisdom, St. Louis de Montfort sets forth the Spiritual Maxims of the Eternal Wisdom, to whom we shall consecrate ourselves through a perfect devotion to Mary. I give these twelve Maxims below. These give a wonderful foundation to the spiritual life and can be profitably returned to, time and time again, over the course of many years. By following these maxims you shall truly become “in all things so perfect a disciple, imitator and slave of the Incarnate Wisdom” that you will certainly attain “to the fullness of his age on earth and of his glory in Heaven.” |