You know the way for me
You know the time
Into your hands
I trustingly place mine 
Your plan is perfect 
Born of perfect love
You know the way for me
 That is enough 

October 2020

            “Say one Our Father and then consecrate yourself to Mary,” he said. I wondered as I left the confessional if this young confessor I stumbled upon, considered that some of us consecrate ourselves to Mary every day, at least, once a day.  Of course he didn’t, I thought, shaking my head, because it is not his job to consider what I have already done. It is his job to heed the whims of the Spirit and give me a penance fitting for what I have done and what I need to overcome my sin. What happened next though was perhaps one of the most humbling moments in my Spiritual Life thus far. Before I get into that though, I had to do a little historical referencing on when and where consecrations to Mary started. Wikipedia states the following:

      The beginnings of the notion of "belonging to Mary" can be seen in the writings of Saint Ephrem the Syrian in the 4th century, and a form of personal consecration to Mary dates back to the 5th century, where its practitioners were called "servants of Mary" and the practice was sometimes referred to as "holy servitude". However, the first consistent and repeated use of the concept of consecration to Mary was perhaps by Saint Ildephonsus of Toledo in the 7th century, and Pope John VII also referred to it in the 8th century.^[7]
       The notion that consecration to Mary is linked with consecration to Christ and has an ultimate Christocentric goal was already present in the 7th century writings of Ildephonsus, when he wrote: "What is delivered up to the Mother rebounds to the Son; thus passes to the King the honor that is rendered in the service of the Queen."^[7]
       In the 8th century, Saint John Damascene continued the theme of consecration to Mary, and when he wrote "to you we consecrate (anathemenoi) our minds, our souls and our bodies, in a word our very selves" he used the Greek term anathemenoi which indicates "the setting aside for sacred use".^[7] 

            Now, the rest of the story. I knelt in a pew in the nearly empty church and very slowly recited the Our Father. I took a minute and began the consecration prayer. I don’t think I made it through 5 words before the knot in my chest traveled up my throat and fell out of my eyes. These tears took me to Mary at the foot of the cross. Instead of her holding Jesus she was holding me. She was stroking my hair and placing my head in her lap and holding me. In an instant I knew that her forgiveness was immediate and necessary. Mary, my mother, let her Son hang on the cross a few moments longer to hold me.

            I would like to encourage you to get to confession this month. Fulfill your penance as prescribed by your confessor and when completed consecrate yourself to Mary. I am indebted to this young priest and offer his Blessed Mother inspired wisdom to you.

Oh Mother, let your goodness always resound ever so clearly in my heart. Let me never forget the ease with which you forgive and the intercession you make on my behalf. Pray that I may have the grace to never take for granted your mercy and love. Show me the way to model your strength and purity and self-sacrifice. Pray that I may be always gratuitous and forgiving to all who cause me pain and suffering. Let my suffering be united with yours to bring about the conversion of souls that we might all glorify God by learning how to know Him, love Him, and serve Him better. Mary, Queen of forgiveness; Mary, Mother of Hope. Pray for us. Amen.



Submitted by an anonymous Schoenstatt  member