Consecration to Mary?

[cmarie423]

What's the difference between that and using her to intercede like normal? I've seen a few books about it and it's been a bit confusing to me.

 

[Fish and Bread]

I'm not sure the strong but humble woman who said "Be it be done to me according to God's will" in the bible would want "total consecration" to her. I am of course on board with prayer to Mary, Marian statues, and so on and so forth. But I've always felt some things like calling Mary the co-redemptrix or mediatix of all graces, and total consecration to Mary are a little much. I am not expressing opposition to them, but I would not promote them personally.

I would pray to Mary and I would pray to God, and just leave it at that. I don't understand the mindset that demands total consecration to another human being, even one for whom Jesus had a very special place in his heart.

While the Reformation was too strong in their rejection of the very historic practice of veneration of Saints that goes all the way back to Apostolic times, I think perhaps the counter-Reformation swung the pendulum too far the other way, and the Church has drifted, missing the influence of the would-be Catholic Saints and sinners who are not in union with Rome. You take all the moderating influences out on issues like this, and you get a Mary who seems to tower above the trinity, or be it's fourth member, which to me is as far off as those Protestants who call statues or prayer to Saints idol worship.

When Jesus speaks in the Gospel of St. John and prays that they all may be one, I wonder if perhaps he wasn't just praying that because unity is good, but, because, as I believe it was St. Paul wrote in an epistle (paraphrasing) that the foot can not say it has no need for the leg. While perhaps all that is essential in the Church is preserved whereever a bishop is surrounded by the faithful, as St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote in 107AD, I nevertheless think we tend to be missing elements when we all go to our own corners. Elements that balance each other and provide for a more diverse understanding of God. There are pluses to being factionalized as well, at times, but I think this kind of stuff is a minus, though I would not outright condemn it by any means.

Mary is very important to a proper understanding of Christianity as it has existed in the first two millennia, and many Protestants have lost that, but I wonder if Roman Catholics have also lost something in this regard by allowing them to be pushed to an extreme that didn't seem to exist in, say, 600AD.

I think there is a via media here that might be found in ecumenical talks someday, that will enrich all parties, bring many to Mary who do not know her, and bring many to Christ who know him through his mother but put so much emphasis on her that they may inadvertently be losing some Christian distinctives.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

I haven't studied about consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. But I think the one who is most associated with it is St. Louis de Montfort. So I recommend seeking out his writings.

Edit:

Here's a good source that I found for his writings:

St. Louis de Montfort

And more specifically this:

The Perfect Devotion to Our Lady
.

 

[Rhamiel]

When Jesus speaks in the Gospel of St. John and prays that they all may be one, I wonder if perhaps he wasn't just praying that because unity is good, but, because, as I believe it was St. Paul wrote in an epistle (paraphrasing) that the foot can not say it has no need for the leg. While perhaps all that is essential in the Church is preserved whereever a bishop is surrounded by the faithful, as St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote in 107AD, I nevertheless think we tend to be missing elements when we all go to our own corners. Elements that balance each other and provide for a more diverse understanding of God.

sorry this is kind of off topic to the OP
but I agree with a lot of what you said here, not so much about your views of Marian devotions
but just more in general to this

 

[cmarie423]

I actually picked up a book on it so I could try and figure it out. I get confused about certain subjects in the RCC more often then I would like.

 

[Rhamiel]

what book did you get?
there is a book called "33 days to morning glory" that is a more modern book on consecration

 

[cmarie423]

I got a book called consecration to Jesus through Mary, following the plan of St. Louis De Montfort. I don't know if it's any good or not, but I hope so.

 

[Rhamiel]

I got a book called consecration to Jesus through Mary, following the plan of St. Louis De Montfort. I don't know if it's any good or not, but I hope so.

St Louis De Montfort is very deep into Christological theology and also very deep into Marian Devotion
he uses a lot of flowery language and some people are turned off by his style

 

[MikeK]

St Louis De Montfort is very deep into Christological theology and also very deep into Marian Devotion
he uses a lot of flowery language and some people are turned off by his style

Yeah, he is unquestionably devoted to Our Lady and Jesus, but I did think he took some things a bit over the top sometimes in his miracle of the Rosary book - and I love the Rosary and respect that it was him who really popularized it.

 

[benedictaoo]

I have all those books and read them years ago. Not light reading and it does require a knowledge of Catholic theology and devotions. He needs to be taken in context. He was dealing with the French heresy, Jansenism and much of his stuff was in response to fighting that bad heresy.

It's a devotion, not dogma and JP11 followed DeMontfort's devotion to Mary. No, this kind of love for Mary and devotion to her is not strictly required by anyone to practice. You do not need to pray to her if you don't want to, or any Saints for that matter. It's not a Catholic must but you can not deny their intersession because the Saints ability to interceded is a truth that can not be denied.

So, it's a matter of, and all De Monfort basically said was, how can you love Mary too much? Did Jesus love her too much? And he was filled with love for the virgin and so was a lot of Saints, including JP11. It can be argued that is what made him such a great pope and a Saint himself. And JP11 said, devotion (true devotion, cuz there's a lot of posers out there) is a tell sign of the elect. And getting into what is meant by the elect is another conversation. This is what De Monfort's point was/is. Being truly devoted to Mary and it being a sign of the elect.

And... when I hear/read people saying, Oh, they (Saints) were over the top with Mary... De Montfort's point , can you love her too much? Is there an over the top? When we read about Saints offering the Mass to Mary, then we can say that's "over the top"... or it's crossed from devotion to worship.

So, De Montfort enlightened us to what a true devotion to Mary is. Yes, you can take it or leave it but why would you when the virgin is so good? That's the point.

 

[benedictaoo]

I got a book called consecration to Jesus through Mary, following the plan of St. Louis De Montfort. I don't know if it's any good or not, but I hope so.

Yes its good... very good but some serious tough meat to chew on and I think right now you are more on milk. It requires a lot of context and discussion about certain Catholic schools of thought regarding theology. So... you can read it but you may not be able to put it into the perspective it was written. IOW, it's good, but deep. real deep.

 

[cmarie423]

Thanks for the response. I'm going to try to break it down. If possible. If it's too much I might just put it aside for now, but what I've read so far is really interesting.

 

[Rhamiel]

it is like of like a book on sub-atomic physics
just because you do not understand it at first, does not mean it is bad
not everything is meant to be populist