October 7 was a special day to me. Not only was it my birthday, my 45th to be exact, it is the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary and the day I celebrated my consecration to Mary.To many this may be confusing. Hey, it was confusing to me at first. Consecrate myself to Mary? What does that mean? Isn't Jesus my savior? Wouldn't this be wrong?
But after some initial spiritual guidance from a priest I trust (Mahalo Father Matthew Spencer), I decided this would not be pulling me away from Christ but possibly towards a better place in my faith journey. Under his guidance, I opted for the 33 Days to Morning Glory to guide my journey and happily it is available and affordable via Amazon.
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You can pick what consecration date speaks to your heart because Our Lady is honored many times throughout the year but since October 7 is my birthday, the rosary is something that has been pulling at my heart, Our Lady of the Rosary seemed to be the perfect fit for me.
I was eager to begin my faith journey but also weary. Will I be able to fit in what I am supposed to do every day on top of everything else I am aiming to do each day? Well, it was actually pretty easy and my daily reading followed my daily bible reading and I tried my best to ponder the messages and prayers throughout the day. Some days were better than other days but hey, I am a work in progress and this is something I intend to return to and renew each year. And like bible verses, I hope messages will pop out differently to me each year.
Things that stuck out to me this year is this is something not to be feared as amazing people such as Saint Mother Teresa and Saint Pope John Paul II followed this method of faith formation. I am not one to argue with a saint and by golly, Saint Mother Teresa pulls at my heartstrings in so many ways. The darkness she felt, the tenderness she gave, the complete devotion to doing Jesus' will, and the complete devotion to Mary and her tender heart.
The more I studied the more I realized, Jesus did give his mother to us to help us, to guide us, to take care of us. We all need all the help we can get! And ironically, just the other weekend my parish priest (not the same priest who gave me the initial direction) talked about Mary and how we all should behold her because without Mary there would be no Jesus and without Jesus, no salvation. Yikes!
But personally, one thing that always stood out to me about Mary was her complete and amazing faith during her life and struggles. I know it could not have been easy for her but yet she never caved. I need that strength! And she guided all to follow her son's will, Jesus' will, not hers.
If nothing else, just following her example can set us all on a better course in humanity and charity. To be kind, loving, patient, charitable no matter what.
I ended my journey with the following consecration day prayer:
I, ___________________________ , a repentant sinner, renew and ratify today in your hands, O, Immaculate Mother, the vows of my Baptism. I renounce Satan and resolve to follow Jesus Christ even more closely than before.
Mary, I give you my heart. Please set it on fire with love for Jesus. Make it always attentive to his burning thirst for love and for souls. Keep my heart in your most pure Heart that I may love Jesus and the members of his Body with your own perfect love.
Mary, I entrust myself totally to you: my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions. Please make of me, of all that I am and have, whatever most pleases you. Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for bringing the greatest possible glory to God. If I fall, please lead me back to Jesus. Wash me in the blood and water that flow from his pierced side, and help me never to lose my trust in this fountain of love and mercy.
With you, O Immaculate Mother - you who always do the will of God - I unite myself to the perfect consecration of Jesus as he offers himself in the Spirit to the Father for the life of the world.
Amen.
The book offers various forms of this prayer and you can pick the form that fits you best. The thing is, it isn't so rigid you need to do x, y, and z only but gives you great guidance and insight to be a better you and grow closer to Jesus and increase your faith. That is good, y'all, very, very good.
And my yearning quest to say a rosary daily --> it is finally happening with much more ease than ever before. I have found that "magic" moment/way that works best for me and I firmly attest that this journey, this consecration path, this devotion to keep Mary's loving heart in my own heart, to love better, to live better, to be better, is that "magic" key I needed.
Daily Bible Verse: When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. ~ John 19:26-27
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful to Immaculate Heart Radio (now Relevant Radio) to being my guide and beacon to growing faith.
