Ad Jesum per Mariam
We will start the preparation for total consecration on February 20, ending on our patronal feast of the Annunciation on March 25. Find other dates →
What is total consecration?
Total consecration is not merely a prayer or a one-time act—it is a way of life.
Every day, waking up and completely giving oneself—body, soul, possessions, everything—to Mary so she can lead us more perfectly to her Son, Jesus Christ. It is an ongoing journey of spiritual renewal and conversion. It calls for daily commitment to perform all "our actions in Mary, with Mary, through Mary, and for Mary” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).
What is preparation for total consecration?
Because total consecration is a way of life, proper preparation is essential. The fundamental disposition required is humility.
“Those who desire to take up this special devotion should spend at least twelve days in emptying themselves of the spirit of the world, which is opposed to the spirit of Jesus, and then spend three weeks imbuing themselves with the spirit of Jesus through the most Blessed Virgin“ (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).
Formulas for Preparation for Total Consecration
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St. Louis-Marie breaks the 33-day period of exercises days into sections, each section having its own prayers, and each particular day having its own brief readings with which to fill the mind for that day (the readings come from Sacred Scripture, "The Imitation of Christ," and "True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary").
Then follow 3 weeks, each week having a specific focus.
The first week focuses on offering up our prayers and devotions for the purpose of coming to understand ourselves and our sins; humility is the key, and the prayers the Litany of the Holy Ghost, the Litany of Loreto, and the Ave Maris Stella help us.
During the second week, we ask the Holy Ghost to help us better understand the Blessed Virgin; we pray the Litany of the Holy Ghost, the Litany of Loreto, the Ave Maris Stellis, the prayer to Mary by St. Louis-Marie, and 5 decades of the Holy Rosary each day for assistance.
During the third week, we seek to better understand Christ through meditation and the Litany of the Holy Ghost, the Ave Maris Stella, and the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, Montfort's prayer to Jesus, and the prayer O Jesus Living in Mary
Purchase Book - True Devotion to Mary with Preparation for Total Consecration
Covered in the book are topics such as:
The necessity of the Blessed Virgin and of devotion to her
The nature of perfect devotion to Mary
The effects of devotion to Mary
The practices of Marian devotion
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This booklet is written as a day-by-day guide to arrive at a very specific goal: your total consecration to the Immaculate. It was written as much as possible in the words and spirit of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe himself, as well as of other saints and holy persons who wrote about Our Lady and whose spirituality the saint recognized as his own.
Why do you need a daily guide to reach this goal? You know that at every period of its history, our world moves at a certain pace. In our times, it is a fast pace — so fast a pace that, in keeping up with it, you might be struggling to not forget your soul, its salvation and its sanctification. Hopefully, this little day-by-day guide will motivate you and help you to find time every day for your soul, even in the midst of the busyness of a fast-paced life like yours.
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A 33-day journey to Marian consecration with four giants of Marian spirituality: St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Blessed Pope John Paul II.
Fr. Gaitley summarizes their teaching, making it easy to grasp, and simple enough to put into practice. More specifically, he weaves their thoughts into a user-friendly, do-it-yourself retreat that will bless even the busiest of people.
It is recommended to additionally read the “Secret of Mary” and “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort.