Marian Consecration Part I is HERE and Part II is HERE.
The last few days before my Marian consecration was spent reviewing the lessons of the past 4 weeks. The book also reminded me of the duties I would be pledging to carry out and also the corresponding obligations Mary would take on in response. I liked it that it wasn’t all on me and it wasn’t all on Mary. We were doing this together, like mother and daughter.
A few days before the consecration I went to confession. I
always find that a good confession facilitates an even more powerful experience
of God working in my life, no matter what I am involved in. It’s like clearing
a blocked pipe – everything runs more smoothly and efficiently after the junk
is gone. Retreats, pilgrimages, teaching RCIA, praying for
others, all of it is enriched and more effective after receiving the Sacrament
of Reconciliation.
I also needed a Miraculous Medal to wear as a sign of my
consecration. Thankfully I already had one so on the day of the consecration I
wore it and had my priest bless it.
Finally, the Big Day arrived! I was grateful that I had chosen January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, to be consecrated as it is a holy day of obligation. I went to Mass and immediately after I received Holy Communion, I prayed the Consecration Prayer. It was a more moving experience than I had anticipated.
The rest of 2016 was relatively uneventful though I did find
new employment. I also participated in the Life in the Spirit seminars which I
found tremendously rewarding. I would say that my consecration began to pave
the way to fulfilling one of my lifelong dreams the following year, my
pilgrimage to Lourdes. I’ll discuss that in another series of blog posts in the
future.
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