2.5 Prayer

STAGE 2: Awareness of Self

MY MONEY

SUPPORTING GROWTH

PRAYER

Rosary

With St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, let us contemplate the total self-giving that we actualize through the “perfect consecration to Jesus Christ”.

We give our merits, graces and virtues. “By this consecration of ourselves to the Blessed Virgin, we give her all satisfactory and prayer value as well as the meritorious value of our good works, in other words, all the satisfactions and the merits. We give her our merits, graces and virtues, […] that she may keep, increase and embellish them for us, […] and we give her our acts of atonement that she may apply them where she pleases, for God’s greater glory” (TD 122).

We give in the most perfect manner. “By this devotion we give to Jesus all we can possibly give him, and in the most perfect manner, that is, through Mary’s hands. Indeed, we give him far more than we do by other devotions which require us to give only part of our time, some of our good works or acts of atonement and penances” (TD 123).

We give more than it’s given in religious orders. “In this devotion everything is given and consecrated, even the right to dispose freely of one’s spiritual goods and the satisfactions earned by daily good works. This is not done even in religious orders. Members of religious orders give God their earthly goods by the vow of poverty, the goods of the body by the vow of chastity, their free will by the vow of obedience, and sometimes their freedom of movement by the vow of enclosure. But they do not give him by these vows the liberty and right to dispose of the value of their good works. They do not despoil themselves of what a Christian considers most precious and most dear – his merits and satisfactions” (ibid.).

We give all to Mary. “Those who consecrate and sacrifice themselves voluntarily to Jesus through Mary may no longer dispose of the value of any of their good actions. All their sufferings, thoughts, words, and deeds belong to Mary. She can then dispose of them in accordance with the will of her Son and for his greater glory” (TD 124).

We give to Mary and Jesus. “It follows that we consecrate ourselves at one and the same time to Mary and to Jesus. We give ourselves to Mary because Jesus chose her as the perfect means to unite himself to us and unite us to him. We give ourselves to Jesus because he is our last end. Since he is our Redeemer and our God we are indebted to him for all that we are” (TD 125).

Concluding Prayer

Litany of Our Lady (Just click or tap) or

“Prayer of Abandonment”, by Bl. Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916).

Father, I place myself into your hands;

Father, I entrust myself to you;

Father, I abandon myself to you.

Father, do with me as it pleases you;

Whatever you do with me,

I thank you.

Thank you for everything.

I am ready for everything,

I accept everything,

I thank you for everything

So long as your will is done in me, my God,

So long as your will is done in all your creatures,

In all your children,

In all whom your heart loves.

I want nothing else, my God.

Into your hands I commend my soul,

I give it to you, my God,

With all the love of my heart,

Because I love you,

And because in my love I need to give myself,

To place myself into your hands

Beyond all measure.

I place myself into your hands

With infinite trust,

Because you are my Father.

Amen!

[2-5] CALL RESPONSE COMMITMENT PRAYER