The Queen: Articles:
Consecration Aids: A New Way of Thinking!
”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, to the greater! Glory of God, in time and eternity.” (Consecration)
As a follower of Montfort’s way to Jesus through Mary, you have made this consecration. Have you understood clearly the terms of this contract with Our Lady? As the essential of this devotion consists in the interior which it ought to form, it will not be equally understood by everybody. Some will stop at what is exterior in it, and will go no farther, and these will be the greatest in number. Some, in small number, will enter into its inward spirit; but they will mount only one step. Who will mount the second step? Who will get as far as the third step? Lastly, who will advance to make this devotion his habitual state? (TD #119)
Yes, so many fail to grasp the true meaning of Montfort’s consecration formula! Read it slowly… Reflect upon its deep significance. Are you fully conscious of the implications in your daily life? You are not yours! You are Mary’s property! The use that you make of this property must always meet with her approval.
New Way of Thinking
To get into the spirit of this devotion, you must re-educate yourself to some extent. Up to the time of your Consecration you were in the habit of thinking in terms of self, perhaps. You decided to go to this party, or attend this concert, if you were in the mood for it. To be true to your consecration, you must accustom yourself to think in terms of your promise to Mary. Remember that you have left her ”the entire and full right of disposing of you and all that belongs to you, without exception, according to her good pleasure.” The deciding factor in choosing to go or not to go to a party should not be whether you feel like it or, but whether Mary wants you to go or stay at home. The reason for that kind of thinking is the fact that you do not belong to yourself any longer. You are Mary’s property; She has, or should have the right of disposing of that property as she wants and you are bound, by the terms of your consecration to respect her wishes.
It will not be easy for a beginner to get used to this way of life, but it remains the only way of practicing this devotion. Your consecration is truly a contract with Mary. If in practice you violate its clauses, you draw little profit from it. That is why you simply must get into the habit of consulting Our Lady frequently. Many a time you will find yourself making decisions on the sole basis of your likes or dislikes. Those are trying moments when you must stop, look and listen to Our Lady. Her wishes will not always be opposed to yours and surely it would be a distorted view of this devotion to imagine that you are bound to stifle all your likes or dislikes. At times, and this varies with each one, what you would like to do will he exactly what Mary prompts you to do. Even then the ultimate reason for acting as you do should not be the enjoyment that you foresee but the fact that Our Lady wishes you to enjoy yourself. Deciding merely because of the enjoyment in sight, regardless of Mary’s good pleasure, would be to dispose of yourself as you see fit. Obviously that would be encroaching upon Our Lady’s ”property rights” over your person.
Author: Fr. Lucien Ledoux, SMM
This is the fifth in a series of articles covering Consecration Aids.
To be true to your consecration, you must accustom yourself to think in terms of your promise to Mary.
The problem of finding out what Mary wants you to do in this or that particular circumstance simply requires frankness on your part. Forget for one moment what you would prefer doing, and picture Our Lady in your place. She is pure, prudent and forever so thoughtful of others. Would she do what you contemplate doing? If you sincerely think so, then you are justified in thinking that she would have you do it.
Duties of State
The question of deciding what Our Lady would do in our place should be answered in the light of your own obligations. Coming down to particulars if you are a housewife, Our Lady will never ask you to neglect your husband in order to do some otherwise praiseworthy work of mercy. Devotion to your family, thoughtfulness for your husband and your children is your first all-important duty. There may be times,
for instance, when our Lady would rather have you attend a party with your husband than, let us say, help at the parish sewing club. Surely so, if he insists on your going with him, (thereby you merit by your obedience) or if your accompanying him may help rebuild an already waning mutual affection, (merit of charity and conjugal love on your part) or if your staying with him means keeping him from an occasion of sin. Our Lady‘s wishes are always in harmony with your obligations to your family.
With regard to strictly personal enjoyment as for instance, the reading of a good book, following a radio serial, eating, sweets, etc, Mary’s good pleasure is that you not only avoid excess but practice moderation and Christian mortification. Just where the dividing line between honest need and excess stands is difficult for us to determine here, since this will necessarily vary with each individual soul. The determining factor, in the final analysis, is divine grace. St Louis de Montfort lays down the principle clearly, in his Secret of Mary, when he writes: “The faithful soul will, with great grace, perform a great action and with lesser grace a lesser action,’
In a word, do not act like spoiled children who keep insisting against their mother’s will and against their own better judgement… until they persuade themselves that she approves of their selfish motives. Frankness with yourselves and frankness with Mary, your spiritual Mother, will determine your progress in the practice of this devotion.
