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domchurch3
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| Posted: March 10 2008 at 4:42pm | IP Logged
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How do you consecrate yourself and family to Mary? What does it mean to do this and how do you grow in your relationship with her after consecrating yourself?
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aussieannie
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| Posted: March 10 2008 at 7:59pm | IP Logged
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Thank you for this great question, I want to come back share a few of my own thoughts very soon but firstly I'd like to pass on some wonderful links to Helen's blog The Castle of the Immaculate. It is a wonderful place to visit in understanding more on how to live out a Marian consecration of oneself and family and it always edifies me.
This series of postings is very relavent to your question: Consecration to Mary - everyday.
Also you are sure to enjoy these:
May Altar and Prayers for Consecration (for children)
Preparation for Consecration with the Children
Prayer in the Family
and A Collection of Marian Posts
Hope to get back again soon and hopefully other ladies will share their thoughts. God Bless, Anne
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domchurch3
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| Posted: March 10 2008 at 10:11pm | IP Logged
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I thank you for all those posts. I plan to dive into them tomorrow evening and thereafter to research. This may sound silly, but I think I keep waiting for the feelings to be there. Like I need to be overcome with emotions for Our Lady in order to consecrate myself to her. Or I need to do it during the month of May. Does that make sense? I think perfectionism is rearing its ugly head again and it's an excuse. I look forward to reading the links. You know, it's interesting that aussieannie would be the one to respond to this as it was going onto your blog today that renewed an interest that I've had for some time in doing this.
Blessings,
Elizabeth
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aussieannie
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 4:53am | IP Logged
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Elizabeth, no it doesn't sound silly, we all prefer beautiful feelings to accompany anything that we hold dear or wish to hold dear. Feelings have there place in the spiritual life but in this life especially, they are very much subordinate to our will, and it is our will that is priceless in the eyes of God. I say that with great conviction at present as I have been reading the recently released letters of Mother Teresa in the book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light it is an incredible read and it has floored the world. She experienced NO FEELINGS WHATSOEVER for 55 years, even longer than St John of God himself who wrote The Dark Night of the Soul. Her feelings left her the day she stepped out of the Loreto convent and started the work that God Himself had called her to. So interesting...she lost all feelings when embarking on the very road to paradise that God had called her upon.
But she in fact was treading very closely the last moments of Christ life on earth in the "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" "I Thirst" is the words of Christ we often associate with Mother Teresa and she joined in that thirst in a way that was truly close to the suffering Heart of Jesus. It took Mother Teresa many years to fully realise this herself, even she had thought for a long period of time that God must be displeased with her, that she was lacking greatly but it was her spiritual director who pointed out she had in fact be given what she had always desired...to live the life of Our Lord as completely as possible.
I think it shows the great depths of her sanctity and holiness, she is indeed one of the greatest saints in history in my opinion, precisely due to her 'lack of feelings' for she received no personal consolations that gave HER pleasure, so her whole life was one based on a very pure love for God.
So don't be distracted by lack of feelings, if you act on your will, that will that tells you that the Consecration to Mary is a very sure and pleasing path to God, then your lack of feelings only adds more merit to your actions. Still in saying that, we all like nice feelings, I being one of them! And it is not to say that you will experience them from time to time or in the future.
You know, it never ceases to amaze me the 'hurdles' so many people have to negotiate and work through when preparing or considering the Consecration, and I feel that it the devil throwing up distractions and confusion since he knows it's power and it's defeat over him. Not saying that the devil is at you but it just seems 'par for the course' from what I have observed with myself and others over the years. I've even heard well know identities on EWTN share similar things, but they have also added that their spiritual life took on a new dimension that changed their lives forever, so that is encouraging.
Tell me about perfectionism Elizabeth! God is slowly but surely beating it out of me over the years, and it is DEFINATELY for my own good! 
I am glad StarryMantle was an encouragement for you Elizabeth. 
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Helen
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 2:44pm | IP Logged
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I am so glad to be thinking about this subject and to have others to discuss this with. I find that the life of wife and mother requires frequent modifications in one’s spiritual life. What works one year doesn’t always work the next. Personally, I feel as though I’ve woken up after a year of illness to find my prayer routine at the bare minimum.
So, I’m starting again.
What is the most important? Well I’m coming up with:
~Say the Rosary everyday. (Each and every apparition of Our Lady at Fatima included this request.)
~Daily renew my consecration using the formula of St. Maximilian Kolbe.
~Use Aspirations – spontaneous talking to Our Lady and giving her my troubles and good works.
~Spiritual reading
In one of our classes at the Franciscans of the Immaculate, Father said consecration is not solely about saying Marian prayers rather it is about becoming Marian. We need to cultivate a relationship with Mary so that we may act with Her Heart.
When I ask myself what should I teach my children I think I need to make sure that I am living my consecration first and then I can teach my children. My children need me to say my prayers and cultivate a relationship with Our Lady.
Anne confirmed that for me today when I read her first entry at Tuesdays with St. Anne. Anne said it is what we do which resonates more with our children than what we say. (I should come back with links.)
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Tina P.
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 10:35am | IP Logged
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Now I have to ask, how does one consecrate or dedicate a specific child in one's family to Mary?
ETA: What is St. Maximillian Kolbe's formula? Am I missing something?
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
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Tina P.
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 11:05am | IP Logged
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I'd like to clarify that this question I have concerning consecration or dedication to Mary is for a baby not yet born.
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aussieannie
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 4:56pm | IP Logged
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Tina, I'm not sure about the St Maximillian formula, Helen may know that one.
In regard to consecrating a child to Mary in utero it can be simple or formal. The moment I found out I was expecting Annuncia, I went to my image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and knelt down and consecrated her informally, just talking to my Blessed Mother, giving Annuncia completely to her. Then each day I used my Loreto Oil (could be Holy Water or neither) and traced the sign of the cross over my belly, repeating an informal consecration prayer "I consecrate my baby to your Immaculate Heart" sometimes I'd add things like, "may she be a saint in heaven one day" things like that...whatever touched my heart at the time.
And believe me informal prayers of that nature must be powerful as I read a beautiful book (can't remember the name of it) of a girl who was born Catholic but descended into the occult with weird health/mind practises. When she fell pregnant with her daughter, her mother took her on a trip to Europe and they went into a beautiful cathedral and this lady walked over to look at a particularly beautiful statue of Our Lady and even though she was not practising in any way and beliving in other strange things, she felt an urge to give her baby to the Blessed Mother. When the girl was born she gave her a beautiful native name that meant Mary. That little girl, as she grew had a natural dislike and animosity towards her mother's occultic practises and she would tell her mother so. The long and short of it was through this girl, she came back to the faith and it was Our Lady who called upon her heart to do this...such a beautiful story and testimony (and this lady was DEEP into it, it took a 16hour confession renouncing all her stuff, she had developed psychic abilities that started to drive her mad with the distraction of it, and all that stopped when she walked out of the confessional)...well that was the blessed result of a mother giving her child to Mary in utero.
I think there may be formal prayers for what your looking for, I'll have a look for you Tina and get back soon.
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aussieannie
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 5:08pm | IP Logged
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Oh Tina, look what I found! It is so beautiful and I wish I had this prayer 6 children ago!
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, begotten of the Father before all ages yet willing to dwell in the womb of the All-pure Virgin Mary: be ready with Your choicest blessings for this child dwelling in the womb of Your handmaid ______. Protect and bless + her and the child she carries, and grant them health and strength unto an easy birth-giving, for You are the merciful Lover of Mankind.
O Blessed Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, we consecrate to you today this child in the womb of your handmaid ______. Through your maternal intercession, preserve this child from every harm, from every hostile rage, and from evil spirits by day and by night. Obtain for this child bright shining angels to enfold and cherish it, guarding it from every assault of the evil demons and from all sickness and infirmity of body and soul.
Holy Mother, who are entrusted by God with the care of His little ones, this child now belongs to you. Therefore we pray that you lift up this child into the light of His countenance, that the child may always be signed with the Cross of your Son, in its heart and understanding; that the child may flee the vanity of this world and every evil device of the enemy, and follow God’s commandments, living the Truth in Love. We beseech you to intercede that the name of the Lord Jesus may always remain unrenounced upon this little one. At a fitting time may this child be joined to the Holy Catholic Church and be perfected through the awesome Mysteries of Christ, and attain unto the blessedness of the elect in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Keep this child ever close to your Immaculate Heart, surrounded and nourished by your motherly love. Take this little one as your own special charge; teach the child all the ways of righteousness, that it prefer nothing to God’s will, giving thanks to Him always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let your designs for this child be known at the proper time, and arrange everything for the glory of God, so that one day this child, and all of us your faithful children, will join you in the joy of Heaven.
And may the blessing of the Lord + be henceforth and forevermore upon this child, through the grace, mercy, and loving-kindness of His only-begotten Son, with whom He is blessed together with His all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and forever and unto ages of ages. Amen!
HT: Word Incarnate
Here is another one to the Two Hearts:
Consecration of an Unborn Child to Jesus and Mary
Dear Blessed Mother, we gather here in your presence and in the presence of your Son, the Almighty God, here present in the tabernacle and in our hearts. We ask you, Blessed Mother, in union with your Spouse, the Holy Spirit, to be the safeguard of this little child at birth and throughout its life. We ask you, dear Lady, to keep your mantle over this little one as well as (name), the mother. We come to you to consecrate this child to your Immaculate Heart and to the Heart of your Son. Please give this child your special blessing now and for eternity, and guard it from all the evils of the world.
In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Amen.
- This Consecration of an Unborn Child is by Harold Kellner
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Helen
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 7:50pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Anne for the links and prayers!
Great question Tina -- we've consecrated our children at their baptisms. The Franciscan of the Immaculate priests have a prayer. I think I could get a copy of it.
(Or maybe Brenda would be better able to get it.)
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Mary Vitamin & Castle of the Immaculate
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Tina P.
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 10:31pm | IP Logged
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Thank you so much, Anne! You're a wonderful help!
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Topic: How Do You Consecrate Yourself...
