Act of Consecration

ACT OF CONSECRATION

Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary

by St. Louis de Montfort

O ETERNAL and incarnate Wisdom! O sweetest and most adorable Jesus! True God and true man, only Son of the Eternal Father, and of Mary, always virgin! I adore Thee profoundly in the bosom and splendors of Thy Father during eternity; and I adore Thee also in the virginal bosom of Mary, Thy most worthy Mother, in the time of Thine incarnation.

I give Thee thanks for that Thou hast annihilated Thyself, taking the form of a slave in order to rescue me from the cruel slavery of the devil. I praise and glorify Thee for that Thou hast been pleased to submit Thyself to Mary, Thy holy Mother, in all things, in order to make me Thy faithful slave through her. But, alas! Ungrateful and faithless as I have been, I have not kept the promises which I made so solemnly to Thee in my Baptism; I have not fulfilled my obligations; I do not deserve to be called Thy child, nor yet Thy slave; and as there is nothing in me which does not merit Thine anger and Thy repulse, I dare not come by myself before Thy most holy and august Majesty. It is on this account that I have recourse to the intercession of Thy most holy Mother, whom Thou hast given me for a mediatrix with Thee. It is through her that I hope to obtain of Thee contrition, the pardon of my sins, and the acquisition and preservation of wisdom.

Hail, then, O immaculate Mary, living tabernacle of the Divinity, where the Eternal Wisdom willed to be hidden and to be adored by angels and by men!

Hail, O Queen of Heaven and earth, to whose empire everything is subject which is under God. Hail, O sure refuge of sinners, whose mercy fails no one. Hear the desires which I have of the Divine Wisdom; and for that end receive the vows and offerings which in my lowliness I present to thee.

I,                             ________________                        , a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before. In the presence of all the heavenly court I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God in time and in eternity.

Receive, O benignant Virgin, this little offering of my slavery, in honor of, and in union with, that subjection which the Eternal Wisdom deigned to have to thy maternity; in homage to the power which both of you have over this poor sinner, and in thanksgiving for the privileges with which the Holy Trinity has favored thee. I declare that I wish henceforth, as thy true slave, to seek thy honor and to obey thee in all things.

O admirable Mother, present me to thy dear Son as His eternal slave, so that as He has redeemed me by thee, by thee He may receive me! O Mother of mercy, grant me the grace to obtain the true Wisdom of God; and for that end receive me among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children and thy slaves.

O faithful Virgin, make me in all things so perfect a disciple, imitator and slave of the Incarnate Wisdom, Jesus Christ thy Son, that I may attain, by thine intercession and by thine example, to the fullness of His age on earth and of His glory in Heaven. Amen.

 

 

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Sign your name here

 

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Date

 

 

Four Options for Wearing a Chain

There are several ways you can wear such a chain. A few examples are below.

One, you can make your own.  You can buy several smallish chain links from the local hardware store and fastened them to the wrist with pliers, with no clasp, with the intention of never removing it. This is a rugged, inexpensive, and durable option.

Two, you can purchase a special large chain link bracelet made by a Catholic jewelry designer in keeping with the spirit of holy slavery to the Blessed Virgin.  We carry a Bronze Total Consecration Bracelet and a Silver Total Consecration Bracelet for this purpose.

Three, you can purchase a somewhat thick chain link necklace and include a Miraculous Medal on it (Miraculous Medals are sold alone or with chains).

Four, you can choose to wear another kind of Marian medal associated with the feast day on which you chose to make your consecration, if one is available. You can find a selection here, and also use the search bar to locate the medal you’re looking for if it's not listed.  You can also choose to have the date of your consecration personalized on the back (Miraculous Medals do not allow for personalization as the design of the medal is double-sided).

The practice of wearing a chain around the wrist or neck as a sign of special devotion to Our Lady is described by St. Louis de Montfort in his classic work True Devotion to Mary, excerpted below:

 

THE WEARING OF LITTLE CHAINS

(by St. Louis de Montfort)

 

It is very praiseworthy and helpful for those who have become slaves of Jesus in Mary to wear, in token of their slavery of love, a little chain blessed with a special blessing.

It is perfectly true, these external tokens are not essential and may very well be dispensed with by those who have made this consecration. Nevertheless, I cannot help but give the warmest approval to those who wear them. They show they have shaken off the shameful chains of the slavery of the devil, in which original sin and perhaps actual sin had bound them, and have willingly taken upon themselves the glorious slavery of Jesus Christ. Like St. Paul, they glory in the chains they wear for Christ. For though these chains are made only of iron they are far more glorious and precious than all the gold ornaments worn by monarchs.

At one time, nothing was considered more contemptible than the Cross. Now this sacred wood has become the most glorious symbol of the Christian faith. Similarly, nothing was more ignoble in the sight of the ancients, and even today nothing is more degrading among unbelievers than the chains of Jesus Christ. But among Christians nothing is more glorious than these chains, because by them Christians are liberated and kept free from the ignoble shackles of sin and the devil.

Thus set free, we are bound to Jesus and Mary not by compulsion and force like galley-slaves, but by charity and love as children are to their parents. "I shall draw them to me by chains of love" said God Most High speaking through the prophet. Consequently, these chains are as strong as death, and in a way stronger than death, for those who wear them faithfully till the end of their life. For though death destroys and corrupts their body, it will not destroy the chains of their slavery, since these, being of metal, will not easily corrupt. It may be that on the day of their resurrection, that momentous day of final judgment, these chains, still clinging to their bones, will contribute to their glorification and be transformed into chains of light and splendour. Happy then, a thousand times happy, are the illustrious slaves of Jesus in Mary who bear their chains even to the grave.

 

Here are the reasons for wearing these chains:

(a) They remind a Christian of the promises of his baptism and the perfect renewal of these commitments made in his consecration. They remind him of his strict obligation to adhere faithfully to them. A man's actions are prompted more frequently by his senses than by pure faith and so he can easily forget his duties towards God if he has no external reminder of them. These little chains are a wonderful aid in recalling the bonds of sin and the slavery of the devil from which baptism has freed him. At the same time, they remind him of the dependence on Jesus promised at baptism and ratified when by consecration he renewed these promises. Why is it that so many Christians do not think of their baptismal vows and behave with as much licence as unbelievers who have promised nothing to God? One explanation is that they do not wear external sign to remind them of these vows.

(b) These chains prove they are not ashamed of being the servants and slaves of Jesus and that they reject the deadly bondage of the world, of sin and of the devil.

(c) They are a guarantee and protection against enslavement by sin and the devil. For we must of necessity choose to wear either the chains of sin and damnation or the chains of love and salvation.

 

Dear friend, break the chains of sin and of sinners, of the world and the worldly, of the devil and his satellites. "Cast their yoke of death far from us." To use the words of the Holy Spirit, let us put our feet into his glorious shackles and our neck into his chains. Let us bow down our shoulders in submission to the yoke of Wisdom incarnate, Jesus Christ, and let us not be upset by the burden of his chains. Notice how before saying these words the Holy Spirit prepares us to accept his serious advice, "Hearken, my son," he says, "receive a counsel of understanding and do not spurn this counsel of mine."

Allow me here, my dear friend, to join the Holy Spirit in giving you the same counsel, "These chains are the chains of salvation". As our Lord on the cross draws all men to himself, whether they will it or not, he will draw sinners by the fetters of their sins and submit them like galley-slaves and devils to his eternal anger and avenging justice. But he will draw the just, especially in these latter days, by the chains of love.

These loving slaves of Christ may wear their chains around the neck, on their arms, round the waist or round the ankles. Fr. Vincent Caraffa, seventh General of the Society of Jesus, who died a holy death in 1643, carried an iron band round his ankles as a symbol of his holy servitude and he used to say that his greatest regret was that he could not drag a chain around in public. Mother Agnes of Jesus, of whom we have already spoken, wore a chain around her waist. Others have worn it round the neck, in atonement for the pearl necklaces they wore in the world. Others have worn chains round their arms to remind them, as they worked with their hands, that they are the slaves of Jesus. 

 

Once you have made your consecration, to assist you in living out your consecration to Jesus through Mary, it is rec­ommended to jjoin the Association of Mary, Queen of All Hearts which has been approved by the Holy See. It is not necessary to do this, however it is recommended for those who desire to join what the Church classifies as a "pious union" of the faithful. There are associated indulgences which you can read below.

 

Nature and purpose of the Confraternity

The Association (or Confraternity) of Mary, Queen of All Hearts, is a pious union of the faithful, without officers or meetings. Its purpose is to help the members live and publicize the Marian Way of Life as the easier and more secure means to sanctify themselves. This Marian way of life is explained in the writings of St. Louis de Montfort; its object is to establish within us the reign of Mary as a means of establishing more perfectly the reign of Jesus in our souls.

From to the Association,

"We are a Catholic organization that is associated with the Company of Mary, the religious community founded by Fr. de Montfort, and we join with its members in striving to bring about the reign of Jesus Christ through Mary. We do this by first embracing each day the Queenship of Our Lady over our own hearts in the daily renewal of our personal Act of Total Consecration and then by seeking to make the Total Consecration the heart of all of our thoughts, words and activities. We endeavor to give authentic witness, especially through personal example, to the transformative power of Fr. de Montfort’s way of Consecration so that others might come to experience its life-giving fruit in their lives."

 

How to join the Confraternity

Any Catholic, including clerics and religious, may become members of the Confraternity of Mary, Queen of All Hearts. Membership in the Confraternity is acquired by entering the applicant's name in the official reg­ister of any Confraternity Center. (One such Confraternity is directed by The Montfort Fathers, Bay Shore, New York, see address below). Prior to the enrollment, the applicant must consecrate themselves to the Blessed Virgin using for this purpose the consecration of St. Louis de Montfort.

 

Conditions for Membership

Any Catholic, including clerics and religious, may become a member of the Confraternity of Mary, Queen of All Hearts … the members may assume other obligations special to their spiritual life or their apostolate. Prior to their enrollment, the applicants must consecrate themselves to the Blessed Virgin, using for this purpose the consecra­tion of St. Louis Marie De Montfort.

Obligations

In keeping with the purpose of the Confraternity, the members should enrich their lives with a Marian spirit – doing all things with Mary, through Mary, in Mary, and for Mary. By this means, they will more perfectly live and act with, through, in, and for Christ. They should renew their consecration faithfully and frequently, making a special practice of renew­ing it every morning at the beginning of each new day. The members also have an obligation to publicize Marian teaching, especially that of St. Louis de Montfort, that all may come to acknowledge and honor the Blessed Virgin as their Mother and Queen.

 

Feasts of the Confraternity

The Annunciation (March 25) is the principal feast of the Confraternity. The second principal feast is the feast of St. Louis de Montfort (April 28).

 

Share in Good Works

The members share in all the good works and prayers of the members of the Company of Mary and the Daughters of Wisdom. Feasts of the Confraternity The Annunciation (March 25) is the principal feast of the Confraternity. On this feast, there is recalled to our minds the great truth of Our Divine Lord's Incarnation and that He came to us through Mary and willed to submit Himself to her, His Holy Mother. The feast of Saint Louis De Montfort (April 28) is the second principal feast of the Confraternity. Other special feasts of the Confraternity are: the Immaculate Conception (December 8), Christmas (December 25), the Purification (February 2), the Visitation (May 31), the Assumption (August 15), the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the feast of our Lady of Sorrows (September 15).

 

Indulgences

On the occasion of the initial consecration (using the De Montfort formula) or, on the occasion of its renewal, a PLENARY INDULGENCE is granted, under the usual conditions (Confession, Com­munion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father). Also, a PLENARY INDULGENCE on the following days:

1 – The day of enrollment in the Confraternity; 2 – Holy Thursday; 3 – Christmas; 4 ­Feast of the Annunciation; 5 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception; (Dec. 8); 6 – St. Louis De Montfort's Feast day (April 28); 7 – Every First Saturday of the Month.

Members of the Confraternity also share in the sat­isfaction, prayers and good works of the Mission­aries of the Company of Mary (the Montfort Fathers and Brothers), the Daughters of Wisdom, and the Brothers of St. Gabriel, the three congregations founded by St. Louis De Montfort.

In answer to a petition by the Montfort Missionaries to the Sacred Penitentiary in Rome, the above Indulgences have now been granted in perpetuity to the two Confra­ternities (Priests of Mary, Queen of All Hearts and the Confraternity of Mary, Queen of All Hearts), thus bringing them in line with the conditions laid down by the new Enchiridion of Indulgences.