Day 71, Nineveh 90 – Day 15 of Total Consecration
Theme II
Preparation for Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary – Part II
THEME: KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
Prayers, examinations, reflection, acts of renouncement of our own will, of contrition for our sins, of contempt of self, all performed at the feet of Mary, for it is from her that we hope for light to know ourselves. It is near her, that we shall be able to measure the abyss of our miseries without despairing.
We should employ all our pious actions in asking for a knowledge of ourselves and contrition of our sins: and we should do this in a spirit of piety. During this period, we shall consider not so much the opposition that exists between the spirit of Jesus and ours, as the miserable and humiliating state to which our sins have reduced us. Moreover, the True Devotion being an easy, short, sure and perfect way to arrive at that union with Our Lord which is Christlike perfection, we shall enter seriously upon this way, strongly convinced of our misery and helplessness. But how attain this without a knowledge of ourselves’?
15th Day
St. Luke: Chapter 13: 1-5
Examples inviting repentance
It was just about this time that some people arrived and told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, “Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.”
True Devotion: No. 81, 82
We need Mary in order to die to ourselves
In order to rid ourselves of self, we must die to ourselves daily. This is to say, we must renounce the operation of the powers of our soul, and the senses of our body. We must see as if we saw not, understand as if we understood not and make use of all the things of this world, as if we made no use of them at all. This is what St. Paul calls dying daily: “Unless the grain of wheat falling in the ground die, itself remaineth alone, and bringeth forth no good fruit.” If we do not die to ourselves, and if the holiest devotions do not incline us to the necessary and useful death, we shall bring forth no fruit worth anything, and our devotion will become useless.
We must choose, therefore, among all the devotions to the Blessed Virgin, the one which draws us most toward this deaths to ourselves, inasmuch as it will be the best and most sanctifying.
Now offer these prayers (for Days 13-19) found at the Rosary Army’s Total Consecration/Daily Prayers
An audio version of today’s readings, reflections and prayer can be found at the Rosary Army’s Total Consecration/Audio
For those choosing the option of preparing for consecration using Fr. Michael Gaitley’s “33 Days to Morning Glory,” you can order his book HERE.
