Q&A: I know that there are many forms of consecration to Our Lady. What makes the Montfort form of consecration so special that Pope John Paul II says it is taught in all the seminaries in Poland? What makes it so special?
Father James McMillan, SMM
Submitted by Member: J.V., Lancaster, PA.
What Makes Total Consecration So Special?
Pope John Paul II recommends the Montfortian form of consecration to Jesus through Mary, not only to the seminarians of Poland, but seminarians and priests throughout the world. He has personal experience of its value and knows how much it helps in the spiritual formation of holy and dedicated priests.
What appeals to the Holy Father in this form of consecration is St. Louis de Montfort’s statement that it is a perfect renewal of the promises we make in baptism. “Before baptism,” Montfort explains, “every Christian was a slave of the devil because he belonged to him. At baptism he has either personally, or through his sponsors, solemnly renounced Satan, his seductions and his works. He has chosen Jesus as his Master and his sovereign Lord and undertaken to depend upon Him as a slave of love.”
Montfort calls his form of consecration a “perfect renewal” of these promises because, by it, we give everything we have to Jesus through Mary, including the value of our prayers and good works. It is this total belonging to Jesus and Mary that gives special efficacy to the apostolate and ministry of priests.
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