3.3 Commitment

STAGE 3: In Communion with Mary

MARY AND BAPTISM

THE VOLUNTARY WAY

COMMITMENT

Aim: To commit ourselves voluntarily to Marian practices which help us to keep our Baptismal Promises.

Reading

The perfect practice (TD 118): “Having read nearly every book on devotion to the Blessed Virgin and talked to the most saintly and learned people of the day, I can now state with conviction that I have never known or heard of any devotion to our Lady which is comparable to the one I am teaching. No other devotion calls for more sacrifices for God, none empties us more completely of self and self-love, none keeps us more firmly in the grace of God and the grace of God in us. No other devotion unites us more perfectly and more easily to Jesus. Finally no devotion gives more glory to God, is more sanctifying for ourselves or more helpful to our neighbour”.

Comment

In TD 115-117 and 226-265, Montfort gives a list of interior and exterior Marian practices that can help us to live our consecration as a perfect renewal of our baptismal promises. The list appears long, yet we may feel like adding to it some of our own creative ways, especially when these result from our spiritual insights.

Interior practices (TD 115 & 257-265). Here are the main ones as recommended by Montfort.

Honouring Mary, as the worthy Mother of God, more than all the other saints as the masterpiece of grace and the foremost in holiness after Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Meditating on her virtues, privileges and actions.
Contemplating her sublime dignity.
Offering to her acts of love, praise and gratitude.
Invoking her with a joyful heart.
Offering ourselves to her and uniting ourselves to her.
Doing everything to please her.
Beginning, carrying out and completing our actions through Mary, in Mary, with Mary, and for Mary in order to do them through Jesus, in Jesus, with Jesus, and for Jesus, the goal of our Baptism.

Exterior practices (TD 116 & 226-256). Montfort recommends the following.

Special regard is given to the 33-day-preparation for the consecration (cf. TD 227-233).
To be held “in high esteem is the celebration of the mystery of the Incarnation, March 25^th, which is the mystery proper to this devotion” (cf. TD 243-248).

Then, Montfort goes on to suggest:

Enrolling in Marian confraternities and sodalities.
Joining religious orders dedicated to Mary.
Making her privileges known and appreciated.
Giving alms, fasting, performing interior and exterior acts of self-denial in her honour.
Carrying or wearing such signs of devotion as the rosary, the scapular, or little chains.
Praying the Magnificat, reciting the Rosary and the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin, with attention, devotion and reverence.
Singing hymns to her or teaching others to sing them.
Saying in the morning or throughout the day sixty or a hundred times, “Hail Mary, Virgin most faithful”, so that through her intercession with God we may faithfully correspond with his graces; and in the evening saying “Hail Mary, Mother of Mercy”, asking her to obtain God’s pardon for the sins we have committed during the day.
Taking charge of her confraternities, decorating her altars, crowning and adorning her statues.
Carrying her statues or having others carry them in procession, or keeping a small one on one’s person as an effective protection against the evil one.
Having statues made of her, or her name engraved and placed on the walls of churches or houses and on the gates and entrances of towns, churches and houses.
Solemnly giving oneself to her by a special consecration.

“These devotions are a wonderful help for souls seeking holiness, provided they are performed in a worthy manner, that is, with the right intention of pleasing God alone, seeking union with Jesus, our last end, and giving edification to our neighbour” (TD 117).

Personal Reflection and Sharing

Which practices, included in the above lists, have I practiced so far, and which ones am I intending to intensify my commitment to? In what ways do these practices help me to live my Baptism?

Have I ever thought of creating my own interior and/or exterior practices? If so, what benefits have they given me? Besides, have I ever shared them with anybody else?

[3-3] CALL RESPONSE COMMITMENT PRAYER