Dear Friends in Christ,
This year, the incredible need for peace is a poignant, urgent reality in our world, and a call for us to respond with deeper prayer and supplication for peace in the face of so much need. As this liturgical year draws to a close, and we will soon enter the Season of Advent, let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us reflect with deeper love waiting upon Jesus through the joy of consecrating ourselves to Him through our Blessed Mother's Immaculate Heart.
A spirituality of a true devotion to Mary, a spirituality of total consecration to Jesus through Mary, draws us closer to her son who offered himself to us in forgiveness and divine love.
Let's begin our retreat, 33-Days to Morning Glory preparing to consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This 33-day consecration is based on Father Michael Gaitley's beautiful daily Marian reflections of 17th century Saint Louis de Montfort, and three twentieth century Saints; Saint John Paul II, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
Jesus invites us from the cross to, "Behold your Mother" and tells us to take Mary into our home, into our heart. Our Blessed Mother wants to bring us to her Immaculate Heart so she may guide each and every one of us to her Son.
We invite you to share in this special invitation November 4th to bring the love of Christ to all. Make this the year to consecrate yourself and your loved ones to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, starting November 5th and ending on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8th.
See below to receive and to pray your daily meditations. Fr. Michael Gaitley
May God bless you!
Beginning November 4th to December 8th on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, receive 33 Days to Morning Glory daily Consecration meditations:
Consecration in the words of Fr. Michael Gaitley MIC
To properly understand the essence of total consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we first must reflect on an important point: Jesus wants to include all of us in his work of salvation. He doesn’t just redeem us and then “kick back” and relax! Jesus puts us to work; to labour in His Father’s vineyard in one way or another, offering our unique gifts and talents.
Dear Jesus. Thank you for the gift of your Mother received from Jesus on the cross. I embrace her, love her, and allow her to form me. Amen
This is the gift of Marian Consecration! Mary helps us take up our own cross and follow Jesus. We are invited to take this 33-day total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and follow this silent retreat to Morning Glory together!
Every week of this 4-week retreat (plus 5 days for review) there will be beautiful daily reflections and prayers. We will read how one of our four giants (saints) of Marian Consecration lived out his or her consecration to Jesus through Mary.
The goal will be not to just read about them and their teachings, but like Mary, to deeply ponder their message in our hearts.
So, for 33 days, we won’t be going through a long list of prayers. Rather, we’ll do our best to spend all day, each day, pondering the day’s teaching and allowing it to sink in. As we know from Sacred Scripture, this heart-pondering attitude is specifically Marian (see Luke 2:29, 51).
To spend a few short moments early in the day to read and pray is something we can do, no matter how busy we are. Moreover, Fr. Gaitley has included a short prayer to go with each day’s reading to help us ponder the day’s lesson.
Because our goal during these 33 days is to remain in an atmosphere of heart pondering prayer, he has called this time not just a preparation but a (silent) retreat.
Of course, 33 days is a long time to be on a retreat, and it just might happen that, despite all our good intentions and best efforts, we will miss a day (or days) of the readings and prayers. If this happens, do NOT get discouraged. And do NOT quit. Instead, Fr. Gaitley suggests picking up and continuing with the retreat. You can catch up on the missed readings as soon as the time opens up. The Lord knows what is in our hearts, and if our desire truly is to make the consecration, we shouldn’t let any temptations stop us.
It is very likely that you will face temptations and be very inclined to cancel this preparation. Do not give in. Together, let’s do our best to be faithful to the readings and the prayerful pondering for each day. If we falter because of negligence, let’s tell the Lord we are sorry, trust in His mercy, make up the missed readings. Trust in the Lord, and KEEP on going!
Week 1: Saint Louis de Montfort November 5th
Week 2: Saint Maximilian Kolbe November 12th
Week 3: Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta November 19th
Week 4: Saint John Paul II November 26th
Review: November 29th
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Mass: Prayer of Consecration December 8th
God bless you as we journey together with open hearts on our pilgrimage of 33 Days to Morning Glory, to a glorious new day!