From www.consecration.com, website of the Militia of the Immaculata:
Consecration means setting yourself aside for service to God. The Church has always advocated consecrating yourself to Jesus Christ through the Blessed Virgin, the perfect model of discipleship.
Marian consecration is a formal act of self-giving that does not stop at Mary, but is Christ-directed. It is really consecration to Jesus. The MI's mission is "To Lead Every Individual With Mary to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus."
By joining the MI, members become willing instruments of Our Lady, the woman foreshadowed in Genesis 3:15. She leads them to personal sanctification, the conversion of Church opponents and ultimately the universal reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The spirit of the MI is the spirit of continual conversion. Not everyone who enrolls as a member understands perfectly in the beginning the power of this consecration. But when lived in the spirit of willingness and humility, the Immaculata will elevate our natural gifts and inspire us to holiness and fruitful service within the Church.
As Jesus said to those who would stand up and follow him: "Even greater things than these will you do."
The Militia of the Immaculata was founded by Saint Maximilian Kolbe on October 16, 1917.
In 1941, the Nazis imprisoned Father Maximilian in the Auschwitz death camp. There he offered his life for another prisoner and was condemned to slow death in a starvation bunker. On August 14, 1941, his impatient captors ended his life with a fatal injection. Pope John Paul II canonized Maximilian as a "martyr of charity" in 1982. St. Maximilian Kolbe is considered a patron of journalists, families, prisoners, the pro-life movement and the chemically addicted.
It is traditional in the MI movement to choose a Marian feastday on which to dedicate yourself to Jesus through Mary. Sunday is the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. There are many Marian feasts peppered throughout the church year.
January 1 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
January 8 - Our Lady of Prompt Succor
February 2 - Presentation of the Lord
February 11- Our Lady of Lourdes
March 25 - Annunciation
May 31 - Visitation
June 27 - Our Mother of Perpetual Help
July 16 - Our Lady of Mount Carmel
August 15 - Assumption
August 22 - Queenship of Mary
September 8 - Birth of Mary
September 12 - The Most Holy Name of Mary
September 15 - Our Lady of Sorrows
September 24 - Our Lady of Walsingham, England
October 7 - Our Lady of the Rosary
November 21 - Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 8 - Immaculate Conception
December 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe
Wow, Jonathan and I joined the Militia Immaculata this month, we renew our concecration each day and say the monthly prayer etc, it's very rewarding even though we have only been members for a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteThat's great! I made my consecration on January 1, 2000. A new century, a new life. They are right about not fully understanding what it means or what it will mean for your life. I think I won't really fully understand it until I get to heaven.
ReplyDeletenow i'm all excited because I found someone else doing it, here is a link to when Jonathan wrote about us becoming a part of it if you are interested
ReplyDeletehttp://jonathanbennett.typepad.com/afcm/2005/11/packing_heat_fo.html
Ah! Marian consecration! Always wise to be consecrated to Our Lady on the first day of the year!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carmel. I checked it out and wrote a post.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful to see all the Marian feast days this month. I will definitely be making a copy so I remember those dates.
ReplyDeleteI think there are definately more Marian feasts than most of us in the "modern" Church realize.
ReplyDeleteCertainly enough to continually remind us of Mary's love and protection.
I saw that and Jonathan was pleased to read your comment, thanks. Ok you made your consecration on Jan 1st, wow what a lovely way to start that year! And every year by renewing it. I must admit it's been hard keeping up but so far so good. :D
ReplyDelete