Ave Maria: Growing into Total Consecration to Mary

9/21/2011

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the conversion of souls to deep Marian devotion, and I joyfully took the final leap into the arms of my waiting Mother.

Bearing Marian Fruit

In most of our prayers we ask God for those things we need. In the consecration, we instead place ourselves and all we have and are into Mary's hands, to facilitate whatever needs to be done, to embellish it all, and to offer it all to Jesus on our behalf. We trust her as completely as Jesus trusted her as a newborn infant, completely dependent on her for everything.

Mother Teresa's "birthday" into heaven is also my birthday. In the novena leading up to that day I assented to and completed my consecration to Mary, and I experienced a spiritual breakthrough the likes of which I have never before experienced as a Christian. In the consecration to Mary, we ask for nothing, but receive everything.

One of the lessons of the Church Fathers and particularly of Fatima is that the whole world's ills can, and someday will, be remedied by Jesus through Mary and the special power of her Rosary. Mary's humility was so complete, and establishing Jesus' identity was so important, that she remained largely hidden until these last days, in which Jesus has begun to reveal her role in history and redemption more fully. It is through her that he came into the world, and it is through her that he will reign in the world.

In the end, like so many of my devout Catholic brothers and sisters, I found that St. Maximilian Kolbe was right when he exhorted us, "Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did."

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Sonja Corbitt is a Catholic speaker, Scripture study author, and a contributing writer for Catholic Online. Visit pursuingthesummit.com for information about Sonja's apostolate or to order her 10-week, DVD-driven Bible study, Soul of the World, The Heart as God's Dwelling Place.
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: St. Louis de Montfort, Mary, Consecration to Mary, Marian devotion, Sonja Corbitt

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

Josie
1 year ago
When I first saw this picture, God said to me...
Be hold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
janita
1 year ago
I've told this story before... but, when I was a new Catholic I didn't know about the rosary. One day after mass people began to pray the rosary and I listened. A voice from behind my right shoulder said, "Thank you for honouring my mother."
Graeme
1 year ago
Great article. I recently also read a good website about consecrating children to Our Lady: http://www.armatabianca.org/index.php?state=eng and there is an especially interesting download about the "apostles of the last times" in the light of St Louis de Montfort and Fatima here: http://www.armatabianca.org/eng/consacrazione/consacrazione_7.php?sottomenu=1&level=1 . Indeed, one assumption I made when reading the message of Fatima is that Our Lady gave the message THROUGH children FOR adults, but reading the Armata Bianca website I realised that that assumption is ungrounded, and that the message of Fatima is intended FOR children at least as much as for adults, perhaps more so. Saint Pio is quoted as saying, "Children will save the world!"
Bill Sr.
1 year ago
Sonja,
I also fell in love with Mary and her Mission after joining the church in my twenties.
A love that has deepened over several decades. Which brings me to say..
My Mother Mary…….yes, that Mary….
….who was living a simple life dedicated to serving the God of Israel from her very early childhood.
…who was full of grace and awaiting the angel’s salutation to share a child with the Holy Spirit and carry our Lord in her womb for nine months that He might carry the Cross of Salvation for all of us.
…who, in union with God’s plan, willfully in true charity and sacrifice accepted the prophecy, announced on her son’s first visit to the temple by Simeon, because of this child that her heart would be pierced like non before her.
…who cared for and nourished that child sharing house, home, and daily family and personal exchanges of love and devotion with Him for thirty years as He grew to manhood.
…whose mutual love had so entwined its trust in her young son that it would allow Him leave of her for nearly two days journey in their humble land (a preview of his passion and burial) until she would become aware of His absence from friends and her own loving care.
…who, as His closest companion over many years, knew exactly where to look for Him upon her return to Jerusalem.
…who would accept His decision to “be about His Fathers work” but with a mothers love guided His youthful ambitions to a more proper time and place for fulfillment where at her wish and petition He initiated His ministry with the miracle at the wedding feast of Cana.
,,,who faithful to words of God to Simeon had to watch with a bleeding heart the horrid brutality thrust upon her child during His powerful passion.
…and finally that Mary, who though weeping in sorrow would be so willing to lovingly listened to and carry out her son’s dying request along side the disciple whom He loved well that she now take John under her wing in place of Him and that John in turn protect and defend her among men until she rejoined her son the Prince of Peace in heaven.
This Mary, the world’s very first “Christian”, is my mother and should be recognized in faith as truly the mother of all Christians
Trad Dad
1 year ago
No matter how we approach this , or what we do , we can in no way love Our Lady & Our Lord any where near as much as they love us . We simply cannot love too much .
Prayers for you Sharon.
Pax et bonum .
Sharon Dawson
1 year ago
Thank you so much for writing this. Even though a cradle Catholic, I'm still working through the stumbling block that total consecration to Mary feels like a less than total commitment to Jesus. Thank you for the nudge and please pray for me and my family.

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