Day 10: God Alone - With, In and through Mary - 33 Days to Total Consecration

 "I am all yours, and all that I have is yours, O most loving Jesus, through Mary, your most holy Mother" 

(True Devotion, 233).

DAY 9 of 33: 
WEEK 2: Contemplate the Our Father as we take St. Maximilian Kolbe as our guide.

Action: 
Resolve to pray a complete set of mysteries of the Rosary every day - as an act of love to God and in fulfillment of Mary's requests to us.
Start by contemplating the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary - see day 8 for instructions/ guidance on how to fit this into your day.
Also, pray and contemplate the 2nd Luminous Mystery - the Wedding Feast of Cana

See Video teaching to hear a glimpse of this:
Today we contemplate the Wedding Feast of Cana and the tremendous beauty of marriage and family life.
A Wedding is at the beginning of Scripture at Creation, at the end of Scripture at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, and it is in the middle - where, in the heart of Scripture - we find this Mystery of the Wedding Feast at Cana.
Married Love reflects the continuous outpouring  of Love and Life that flows out of the Blessed Trinity - this Communion and Union of Love and Fruitfulness of the Three Divine Persons. 
We are called to share in this free, full, faithful and fruitful love and reflect it in the world no matter what our vocation or calling in life - for all of us are called to wedded to God in a Love and Fruitfulness that surpasses understanding!
Mary, as the Spouse of the Holy Spirit to the fullest extent - (we all our spouses of God, too, to lesser extents) - knows and anticipates our imperfections and our needs and intercedes for us - obtaining Superabundant New Wine of God's Grace poured out upon us to enliven our souls, our marriages and our families.
Particularly in these times, when our very identity as men and women as well as marriage and family life is under such attack - we are called to Truly Live out this Reality of God's love in our lives, and marriages and families - even though imperfectly!

See these articles referenced in the video:   https://enteringintothemystery.blogspot.com/2019/11/how-radical-communist-feminism-has.html
https://enteringintothemystery.blogspot.com/2019/11/five-ways-lenins-propaganda-have.html

As we contemplate marriage and family life in this mystery, we recognize none of us is perfect so none of us will be able to live out this call perfectly.
Yet, we must never let this stop us, as St. Peter showed us yesterday (in our video reflection): God doesn't require perfection of us - only a humble and obedient heart attentive to His Word!
So, we ask for a heart willing to listen and obey God's voice like St. Peter's - for even though he failed - he was quick to begin again and to keep his eyes on Christ and not on himself.
For, it is only in acknowledging our weakness that God can be strong in us - because it is then that we cling to God and steadfastly go to Him for our strength instead of seeking it mistakenly in ourselves.
As we further contemplate marriage and family, we recognize Mary is the best of all mothers, for she loves us completely in and though and with the fullness of grace she possesses from God... 
yet - even though we will never be perfect at loving as Mary is - still A MOTHER'S LOVE (even today in the midst of so many attacks on motherhood) - IS STILL THE GREATEST EXAMPLE ON EARTH OF A HUMAN FRAIL LOVE COVERING A MULTITUDE OF SINS...

...that is why Satan has attacked motherhood so fiercely... for not only is a mother a living sign of God's unconditional love, she is also a sign of His fruitfulness - as she alone is capable of bringing forth new life. 
It is in these very gifts of fruitfulness and love - a mothers' greatest gifts - that she is most fiercely attacked and disparaged. 
This is why husbands, fathers, children and the very sacrament of marriage which God established are all so terribly maligned and attacked - for these are the very persons and the institution in which she is supposed to be most cherished and supported. 
While these assaults reflect the post Christian era in which we live, the Wedding Feast of Cana shows forth a Glorious Reality that we are made for! 

WE ARE CALLED TO SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT THE WORLD TELLS US WILL SATISFY US AND ASKS US TO SETTLE FOR:

The Father intended for us to have Love and Life and to have it abundantly! 

For all of His children, whether married or celibate, whether single or religious, whether a nun or a priest, we are called to express and LIVE this LIFE of self-giving love that reflects the very Trinitarian Life of God - THIS is the source of true happiness. 

It is by living and loving, within the perimeters of our unique vocations - fully, freely, fruitfully and faithfully - that we are most able to glorify and hallow His Name.

Action:
1. Skim through the accompanying pictures and words below that highlight the extraordinary wisdom of St. Louis. Read them more thoroughly as the Holy Spirit inspires you and as time allows and when it is possible.
2. Continue to choose to enter more deeply into the daily prayer program (below) at least in this way: 
Ponder and pray the Our Father today and the entire Joyful Mysteries as well as the 2nd Luminous Mystery  - while praying for the grace to listen, to hear and respond to God as Mary does.
Praying also for the grace to surrender whatever is keeping me from responding fully  - in and through and with Mary’s love and help.

Daily Prayer Program for these 33 Days:

It is important to make a commitment to strive to pray more deeply, more intensely and with more of your heart during these days of preparation. Here are some guidelines and suggestions for how to live these days. Pray about how you can grow in each of these areas listed below and while living out this prayer program it is especially important to 

Trust in the Truth and Supernatural Reality of God’s Presence within each of them

1. Sacraments

    •            LIVE Grace and Renew our Baptism - renounce sin and Satan

    •            Mass and the Eucharist the Center of our lives

    •            Confession frequently

2. Scripture - Pray and Internalize it daily

    •           To Jelena: “I’m going to reveal a spiritual secret to you: if you want to be stronger than evil, make yourself a plan of personal prayer. Take a certain time in the morning, read a text from Holy Scripture, anchor the Divine word in your heart, and strive to live it during the day, particularly during the moment of trials. In this way, you will be stronger than evil.” (Our Lady of Medjugorje, April 19, 1984)

    •           Rosary – With and in Mary, contemplating Scripture and the mysteries of God

3. Fill mind with wisdom of Mary and the Saints

    •            God is sending Mary to earth for she is the Crusher of Satan. Listen to her words.

    •            St. John Paul II – example of life given over – Totus Tuus

    •            St. Maximilian Kolbe – Militia Immaculata every soul consecrated to Mary will save the world

    •            St. Louis de Montfort – Mary will form the greatest saints who ever lived – easiest shortest most sure way to sanctity

    •            St. Mother Teresa and many more

PART 2: Day 10 Readings and Prayers for St. Louis de Montfort's 33 Day of Consecration to Jesus through Mary - An Online Guide

12 Days of Preparation renouncing the spirit of the world

Praying over and reading the Teaching of Christ

Praying with the Heart

Examining our conscience 

Learning about Mary's place in God's plan 

PART 3: A taste of Fr. Gaitley's 33 Days to Morning Glory if you have time:

"Come, Holy, Spirit, living in Mary. Unveil for me the meaning of the Immaculate Conception.”

CLICK HERE for Podcast of Day 10

© Janet Moore 2019. All Rights Reserved.