I had a "Little Flower" moment when I was in Detroit this past September. Fr. Ignatius, a priest of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, was giving a talk on the stages of spiritual ascent and outlined it on a whiteboard:
As I studied the path laid out from my table, feeling like the mountain was too lofty, too out of reach, I remembered the words of St. Therese of Lisieux:
I needed help if there were any hope for me. That is when Fr. Ignatius mentioned the spirituality of St. Louis de Montfort and St. Maximilian Kolbe, and the tender devotion of those who are fervent souls, to Mary as a way to Jesus. "Write Mary a blank check," he said, "by totally consecrating yourself to her, and she will lead you to Jesus."
Now this is a tough sell for many people, even devout Catholics, and total blasphemy to Protestants. But I was open to listening. I knew there is no human who was closer to Jesus than his very mother, his first disciple, flesh of his flesh. To give her liberty, to turn my life over to her, to write her a blank check was indeed a daunting prospect because, of course, it meant my life was not really my own anymore. Was she trustworthy? Yes, I had faith in that. So what was holding me back?
It became clear that attachment to my sin and "loving my life" (Jn 12:25) was a hindrance. It was scary too, since Fr. Ignatius made clear that "the blessings our Lady sends....are crosses." What would become of my life, the life of my family, should we consecrate ourselves to the mother of the Lord, totally dispose ourselves to her aid, to lead us to Jesus? Would we lose it all? Would we suffer?
It was as if I had been playing pretend Christian all these years, keeping one foot in the door and one foot out. A blank check. Do you know what Jesus writes in the 'Amount' line when you give him a blank check? "EVERYTHING" All of it. Empties the account. Net zero. Doesn't leave a cent.
When I got back home from the conference, I thought a lot about Marian consecration--what it meant for me, for my family, and for my relationship with Jesus. I knew my weaknesses. I knew my lack of discipline. I knew I needed help (of course) to have any hope of eternity with Jesus in Heaven. I needed friends, allies, and a bodyguard from the forces of evil surrounding us in the culture. People told me about it at the conference, and I had never before heard of such a thing, but that was no accident.
On Friday the 13th of October I took my family to a traditional Polish church in the city for a Mass commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Apparitions at Fatima. A statue of Our Lady of Fatima was in the front of the Church, and we were gratefully able to receive the merciful gift of the Holy Father in the form of a plenary indulgence, and consecrate ourselves and our family to Jesus through Mary, and enrolled in the Militia Immaculata (MI), founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe.
I started praying the rosary, every day. When I came across the 15 promises of the rosary that were given to St. Dominic and Bl Alan de la Roche, I recognized the fruit of this devotion laid out in my own life:
1) Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2) I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3) The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4) It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the heart of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5) The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
6) Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered and never overwhelmed by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death (unprepared for heaven). The sinner shall convert. The just shall grow in grace and become worthy of eternal life.
7) Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8) Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have, during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9) I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10) The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
11) You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12) All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13) I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14) All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
15) Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
My spiritual director recommended a book for at at home retreat title "Consoling the Heart of Jesus" by Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, which I have started reading. I was encouraged that the book opens with the words of St. Therese, the great Doctor of the Church, in her radical "little treatise", helping me to realize that maybe there is hope for me yet in God's great mercy--not in anything I can do or any great pious feats, but by my very inability to do great things:
I was never a "Mary guy." Like many converts, I struggled for most of my early years as a Catholic of 'what to do' with Mary. I prayed the rosary, but truth be told it wasn't my favorite of prayers, and I struggled with distraction. But now, I don't know what I would do without her. She has changed my life, and brought me closer to her son. I need her help, and I have entrusted myself and my family to her by way of total consecration to Jesus through Mary. I'd encourage you to consider it as well, as she is true to her promises and so much like her Son, is able to be trusted.
Purgative (Beginner)
1st-FAITHFUL SOULS
2nd-GOOD SOULS
3rd-PIOUS SOULS
Illuminative (Proficient)
[Night of the Senses]
4th-FERVENT SOULS
5th-RELATIVELY PERFECT
Unitive (Perfect)
[Night of the Spirit]
6th-HEROIC SOULS
7th-GREAT SAINTS
"I leave to great souls and lofty minds the beautiful books I cannot understand, much less put into practice and I rejoice that I am little because children alone and those who resemble them will be admitted to the heavenly banquet. I am glad that there are many mansions in the Kingdom of God, because if there were only those whose description and whose road seem to me incomprehensible, I could never enter there."
I needed help if there were any hope for me. That is when Fr. Ignatius mentioned the spirituality of St. Louis de Montfort and St. Maximilian Kolbe, and the tender devotion of those who are fervent souls, to Mary as a way to Jesus. "Write Mary a blank check," he said, "by totally consecrating yourself to her, and she will lead you to Jesus."
Now this is a tough sell for many people, even devout Catholics, and total blasphemy to Protestants. But I was open to listening. I knew there is no human who was closer to Jesus than his very mother, his first disciple, flesh of his flesh. To give her liberty, to turn my life over to her, to write her a blank check was indeed a daunting prospect because, of course, it meant my life was not really my own anymore. Was she trustworthy? Yes, I had faith in that. So what was holding me back?
It became clear that attachment to my sin and "loving my life" (Jn 12:25) was a hindrance. It was scary too, since Fr. Ignatius made clear that "the blessings our Lady sends....are crosses." What would become of my life, the life of my family, should we consecrate ourselves to the mother of the Lord, totally dispose ourselves to her aid, to lead us to Jesus? Would we lose it all? Would we suffer?
It was as if I had been playing pretend Christian all these years, keeping one foot in the door and one foot out. A blank check. Do you know what Jesus writes in the 'Amount' line when you give him a blank check? "EVERYTHING" All of it. Empties the account. Net zero. Doesn't leave a cent.
When I got back home from the conference, I thought a lot about Marian consecration--what it meant for me, for my family, and for my relationship with Jesus. I knew my weaknesses. I knew my lack of discipline. I knew I needed help (of course) to have any hope of eternity with Jesus in Heaven. I needed friends, allies, and a bodyguard from the forces of evil surrounding us in the culture. People told me about it at the conference, and I had never before heard of such a thing, but that was no accident.
On Friday the 13th of October I took my family to a traditional Polish church in the city for a Mass commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Apparitions at Fatima. A statue of Our Lady of Fatima was in the front of the Church, and we were gratefully able to receive the merciful gift of the Holy Father in the form of a plenary indulgence, and consecrate ourselves and our family to Jesus through Mary, and enrolled in the Militia Immaculata (MI), founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe.
I started praying the rosary, every day. When I came across the 15 promises of the rosary that were given to St. Dominic and Bl Alan de la Roche, I recognized the fruit of this devotion laid out in my own life:
1) Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2) I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3) The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4) It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the heart of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5) The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
6) Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered and never overwhelmed by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death (unprepared for heaven). The sinner shall convert. The just shall grow in grace and become worthy of eternal life.
7) Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8) Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have, during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9) I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10) The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
11) You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12) All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13) I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14) All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
15) Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
My spiritual director recommended a book for at at home retreat title "Consoling the Heart of Jesus" by Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, which I have started reading. I was encouraged that the book opens with the words of St. Therese, the great Doctor of the Church, in her radical "little treatise", helping me to realize that maybe there is hope for me yet in God's great mercy--not in anything I can do or any great pious feats, but by my very inability to do great things:
"Alas! I have always noticed that when I compared myself to the saints, there is between them and me the same difference that exists between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and the obscure grain of sand trampled underfoot by passers-by. Instead of being discouraged, I said to myself: God cannot inspire unrealizable desires. I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness. It is impossible for me to grow up, and so I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short, and totally new."
I was never a "Mary guy." Like many converts, I struggled for most of my early years as a Catholic of 'what to do' with Mary. I prayed the rosary, but truth be told it wasn't my favorite of prayers, and I struggled with distraction. But now, I don't know what I would do without her. She has changed my life, and brought me closer to her son. I need her help, and I have entrusted myself and my family to her by way of total consecration to Jesus through Mary. I'd encourage you to consider it as well, as she is true to her promises and so much like her Son, is able to be trusted.
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