Day Eight Consecration to Mary for the 21st Century/A Lenten Journey

Day Eight Consecration to Mary for the 21st Century/A Lenten Journey 

Drawing by MEK

Day Eight

Thursday of the First Week of Lent

Prayers for this week, Days 5-10 in Lent:

Begin each day with, "Mary, Mother of God, help me with your prayers."

End each day with, "Mother of God, pray for me," and don't forget your examen.

First Meditation

St. Louis de Montfort tells us that if Jesus is not known, it is because Mary is not known.  Read his words.

"One reason Jesus is not known as He ought to be is because Mary is unknown.  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."  (St. Louis de Montfort's True Devotion Consecration to Mary, by Fr. Helmuts Libietis, Angelus Press, Kansas City, 1998, p.153.) 

Second Meditation

Contemplate this fact.  God is God and above all.  Mary is human and only a mere creature, like ourselves.  God did not need her to accomplish His Will.  Yet, He did.  God chose Mary to complete His plan.  Think upon that!  Now do you think she's special?

Third Meditation

I hope you've made arrangements to go to confession.  Meanwhile pray a decade of the Rosary thinking that you are joining in the praises of Mary heard throughout the world.

Our Father

Hail Mary (10x)

Glory Be

End the day with "Mother of God, pray for me" and the examen.

End your day with an examination of conscience--even in bed.

Mother of God, pray for me. 

What good did I do today?

Where did I fail?

How can I do better?

Consecration to Mary for the 21st Century/A Lenten Journey

Consecration to Mary for the 21st Century

Lenten Journey--40 days
1.  Introduction: Spirit of the world, knowing oneself, knowing Mary, knowing Jesus, and final preparation.
2.  Recommended prayers
3.  Daily meditations
4.  Act of Consecration

Preface

It is my hope that my Lenten Consecration to Mary will be of assistance to somebody!  My apologies to Saint Louis de Monfort's True Devotion Consecration to Mary by Fr. Helmuts Libietis.  I tried, and in fact, did complete all of the saint's five week (55 days) of prayers, daily meditations and spiritual guidance.  I was faithful to the point of stupidity.  I pushed myself to read with eyes glazed over in ennui,  I prayed something--with lips, if not my mind.  But as de Montfort said himself:

       Do not fear distractions.  They often make prayer more powerful and meritorious
       when we are faithful in driving them away and thus showing our desire to remain
        in the presence of God.

Hence, I was inspired to modernize St. Louis de Montfort's True Devotion Consecration to Mary.  Today's culture with its demanding pace of living, just is not conducive to de Montfort's consecration.  I, myself, would not have been able to undertake this consecration endavor were it not for the fact that I am retired.  I do not have a job.  Consequently, I can arrange my time around de Montfort's daily schedule requirements.

Even more than the daily prayer demands, the outdated language and medieval sources of meditation are beyond today's imagination, let alone any
acceptable common perceptions of holiness.  De Montfort's book sorely needs updating.  This is why I am attempting to adapt his ideas to fit into today's working person's schedule.  I hope like like St. Louis de Montfort, that your journey through the consecration will bring you closer to Mary.  I know Mary will straighten out my inadequacies.  The end result will lead you to Jesus.  You and Mary, together, will see Jesus throuogh the eyes of love.

This is my intention for composing this Lenten Consecration.  This is my prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.