Total Consecration

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23rd Day

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True Devotion Nos. 120-121

Nature of perfect devotion of the Blessed Virgin or perfect consecration to Jesus Christ

All our perfection consists in being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus Christ; and therefore the most perfect of all devotions is, without any doubt, that which the most perfectly conforms, unites and consecrates us to Jesus Christ. Now Mary, being the most conformed of all creatures to Jesus Christ, it follows that of all devotions, that which most consecrates and conforms the soul to our Lord is devotion to His most holy Mother; that the more a soul is consecrated to Mary, the more it is consecrated to Jesus Christ (Sec 120). Hence it comes to pass that the most perfect consecration to Jesus Christ is nothing else but a perfect consecration, of ourselves, to the Blessed Virgin, and this is the devotion which I teach; or, in other words, a perfect renewal of the vows and promises of Holy Baptism. This devotion, consists then, in giving ourselves entirely to our Lady, in order to belong entirely to Jesus Christ, through her.
We must give her: our body, with all its senses and members; our soul with all its powers; our exterior goods of fortune, whether present or to come; our interior and spiritual goods, which are our merits, our virtues and our good works, past, present, and future. In a word, we must give her all we have in the order of nature and in the order of grace and all that may become ours in the future in the orders of nature, grace and glory; and this we must do without reserve of so much as one farthing, one hair, or one least good intention. We must do it also for eternity, and we must do it without pretending to, or hoping for any other recompense for our offering and service, except the honor of belonging to Jesus Christ, through Mary and in Mary even though that sweet Mistress were not, as she always is, the most generous and the most grateful of creatures.