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Traditional Catholic Faith => The Sacred: Catholic Liturgy, Chant, Prayers => Topic started by: Nishant Xavier on March 25, 2019, 01:52:29 AM

Title: Life Offering to Our Lady: Can serve as Marian Consecration or Heroic Vow.
Post by: Nishant Xavier on March 25, 2019, 01:52:29 AM: Dear friends, the most beautiful feast of the Annunciation is now here, when Our Lady gave Her Heart to God, the Spirit of God overshadowed Her, and the Son of God was Conceived in Her Holy Womb. Let us imitate the perfect consecration Our Lady made of Her Life and Her Will by saying "Fiat" to God. Let us say our own Fiat to God and for Her this day, now almost 2020 years since the day She first said Her Fiat to God for us Her children. As per many sources, Total Consecration to Mary is heavily indulgenced (see for e.g. http://www.brizek.com/mary/tdtmatc.htm and https://www.ecatholic2000.com/montfort/true/devotion.shtml) and at least on particular days, one can receive a plenary indulgence by Total Consecration. On other days, even if not exactly same, there will be similar effects, if we consecrate ourselves without reserve, we can come close to Baptismal innocence. Let us not waste this wondrous festival of the Annunciation, but use it to surrender ourselves wholeheartedly, either for the first time, or renew our consecration, to Jesus and Mary.

Every good work done in grace, especially if it is painful, has a twofold value: a meritorious value that increases the degree of the state of grace in us, and results in a corresponding increase of glory in eternity. And a satisfactory value, that can be used to pay the debts owed to sin. Now, in Total Consecration as St. Montfort explains, we entrust our personal merits to the Blessed Mother only for safe-keeping, merit as such is strictly personal and is not transferred. What is transferred is satisfactory value, applied either to the Souls in Purgatory to pay their debts to Divine Justice, or to dying souls who can be saved by this life offering, or to other souls known to God.

For a very rough analogy, imagine they are two bank accounts, say there are 1000 credits in the first and 10 credits in the second by all the good works you have done in life, all the Sacraments you have received well etc. The second is what is donated. In return, Our Lady communicates to you Her super-abundant merits so that if you are truly surrendered to Her, you will likely be able not merely to merit much more, but also to obtain much greater satisfaction for sins than before; so, really, if you trust Her totally, and make this act of consecration, or vow for the holy souls, or life offering, in complete faith, blind obedience, and perfect love, you really lose nothing. Nay rather, you will gain very much, both for your soul, for that of your family and loved ones, and all others in the world if you wish. For e.g. your merits will be enhanced very highly to several times what they were, e.g. to 100000 credits or even more, and satisfaction likely will similarly be multiplied several times, say to 10,000. Then, if 1000 souls died with 10 debits remaining, they can all be liberated. The analogy is rough, but the point should be clear - the satisfactory value gained can be used to pay off the debts of others.

"TEXT OF THE LIFE OFFERING
My dear Jesus, before the Holy Trinity, Our Heavenly Mother, and the whole Heavenly Court, united with your most precious Blood and your sacrifice on Calvary, I hereby offer my whole life to the intention of your Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Together with my life, I place at your disposal all Holy Masses, all my Holy Communions, all my good deeds, all my sacrifices, and the sufferings of my of my entire life for the adoration and supplication of the Holy Trinity, for unity in our Holy Mother Church, for the Holy Father and priests, for good priestly vocations, and for all souls until the end of the world.
O my Jesus, please accept my life sacrifice and my offerings and give me your grace that I may persevere obediently until my death. Amen."
* * *
This life offering must be made with a humble heart, firm resolution, and clear intent. All prayer, good deeds, suffering, and work done with a pure intention has great merit, if it is offered together with the merits, the sufferings, and the Blood of Jesus Christ. https://marianapostolate.com/life-offering/

This life offering was made known to a saintly Hungarian Nun. The Bishop approved fully and later offered His own life to Our Lady.

The Blessed Mother made Five Great Promises: "THE FIVE PROMISES OF OUR HEAVENLY MOTHER TO THOSE WHO OFFER THEIR LIVES TO HER:
1. Their names will be written in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, inflamed by love.
2. Their life offering, together with the infinite merits of Jesus, can save many souls from damnation. All souls who will live until the end of the world will benefit from their life offering.
3. None of their family members will go to hell, even if it seems otherwise, because they will receive, in the depths of their souls, the grace of sincere contrition before the soul departs from their bodies.
4. On the day they offer their lives, their loved ones suffering in Purgatory will be released.
5. I will be with them at the hour of their death. They will not know Purgatory. I will carry their souls straight to the presence of the Glorious Trinity, where they will live with me in a special place created by God and will rejoice forever.

See this site for the indulgences earlier attached to the vow for the holy souls: http://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/heroic-act.htm

Souls who make the life offering are recommended to receive Holy Communion frequently and offer them up; at least Spiritual Communion.
Title: Re: Life Offering to Our Lady: Can serve as Marian Consecration or Heroic Vow.
Post by: Viva Cristo Rey on March 25, 2019, 03:13:47 AM: Thank you for the above.
Title: Re: Life Offering to Our Lady: Can serve as Marian Consecration or Heroic Vow.
Post by: Incredulous on April 01, 2019, 08:20:41 AM: Thank you XavierSem for the reminder of the Total Consecration to Mother Mary.

(https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2Fe9%2F72%2Fee%2Fe972ee30455b25a2aba9a480d7f7d8f3.jpg&f=1)

The promises made for those who make it are fantastic! With rewards so very hard to achieve by any other means.

Every family needs the Total Consecration!
Title: Re: Life Offering to Our Lady: Can serve as Marian Consecration or Heroic Vow.
Post by: Nishant Xavier on April 01, 2019, 08:47:50 AM: You're welcome, Incredulous. :) God's blessings on you and your family. There's a plenary indulgence coming up for those who make the Consecration on the Feast of St. Montfort according to our Holy Father Pope St. Pius X. http://www.brizek.com/mary/tdtmatc.htm (http://www.brizek.com/mary/tdtmatc.htm)

"True Devotion to Mary
and Total Consecration
One of the most zealous promoters of St. Louis Grignion de Montfort's True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and his Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary which brings about what is called a "Holy Slavery of Love" was Pope St. Pius X, a devoted "Slave of Mary."

So ardent was the desire of this Marian Pope to encourage interest in Montfort's method of devotion to Our Lady that he gave a special apostolic blessing to all those who even merely read the Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, at the same time, he declared: "We eagerly commend the Treatise on True Devotion." In addition to this, the Holy Father granted a plenary indulgence (on 24 December 1907), under the usual conditions, to be gained on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8th, and on the Feast of Saint Louis de Montfort, April 28, to those who recite the Montfort formula of consecration entitled "Consecration of Ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, by the Hands of Mary." This plenary indulgence, which Leo XIII (also a "Slave of Mary") had granted for only seven years, was now granted "in perpetuum"—in perpetuity.

What is also of particular significance, among other things, is the dependence of St. Pius X on the Marian doctrine of St. Louis de Montfort in writing the second Encyclical of his Pontificate, Ad Diem Ilium (2 February 1904), commemorating the Golden Jubilee of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pius IX, "a Pontiff of most holy memory," in 1854. And though the character of the Encyclical is obviously Marian throughout, and devotes considerable space to the doctrine of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, its chief purpose, as the Pope takes special care to point out, is "to restore all things in Christ" which was the theme of his first Encyclical, E Supremi Apostolatus (4 October 1903), as well as the chosen theme and motto of his entire Pontificate. As he explained it, "there is no surer nor easier way than Mary for uniting all persons with Christ." And this is precisely the doctrine of St. Louis de Montfort, as is evident already in the very title of his formula of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary."

See also: https://www.ecatholic2000.com/montfort/true/devotion.shtml (https://www.ecatholic2000.com/montfort/true/devotion.shtml)
Title: Re: Life Offering to Our Lady: Can serve as Marian Consecration or Heroic Vow.
Post by: Ladislaus on April 01, 2019, 09:00:34 AM: There's no private revelation that you don't immediately glom onto, is there?
Title: Re: Life Offering to Our Lady: Can serve as Marian Consecration or Heroic Vow.
Post by: Nishant Xavier on April 04, 2019, 06:10:21 AM: Quote from: Ladislaus on April 01, 2019, 09:00:34 AM
There's no private revelation that you don't immediately glom onto, is there?
Some people, even traditional Catholics, despise the Scapular, considering wearing it all the time to be beneath them, then later on have scruples and worries about whether they will avoid eternal fire. How needless. When Our Lord or Lady makes a Promise, in a fully Church approved apparition especially, it's an act of simple, pious, childlike Faith to believe God in His Promises. You can disagree.

This particular apparition was made known to a devout Nun in Hungary, whose Bishop fully approved and H.E. offered his own own life.

But beside that, Marian Consecration, and the idea of offering satisfactory value of all one's works, has many indulgences and blessings.

The purpose of our life day by day in Christ should be to grow in holiness: to co-operate with God's purpose in sanctifying and saving our own souls, our loved ones, and all those around us. Everything else will be added, as also the Lord promised in the Gospel.

Mat 6:[33] (http://www.drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=47&ch=6&l=33-#x) Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.

Total Consecration that is deeply lived is a simple and efficacious way to do that. Our Lady also promised many centuries ago to St. Dominic that one day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, She will save the world. The Scapular signifies a totally consecrated life.

It is great to wear the Scapular, as we all should because of Her great Promise, but even better to truly live a life of Total Consecration.

Total Consecration, says St. Montfort, requires a great sacrifice and will have a great reward in heaven. So, all Catholics should try to make it and renew their Consecration frequently. It is an excellent way, by performing the ordinary actions of one's own state of life, to help free souls from Purgatory, or help save souls who are far from God, per the same Saint: ""To appreciate the excellence of this motive we must understand what a wonderful thing it is to convert a sinner or to deliver a soul from Purgatory. It is an infinite good, greater than the creation of heaven and earth, since it gives a soul the possession of God ... It may well be that at the hour of death a person who has been faithful to this devotion will find that he has freed many souls from Purgatory and converted many sinners, even though he performed only the ordinary actions of his state of life. Great will be his joy at the judgement. Great will be his glory throughout eternity."
Title: Re: Life Offering to Our Lady: Can serve as Marian Consecration or Heroic Vow.
Post by: forlorn on April 04, 2019, 03:29:40 PM: What are the T&Cs of offering your life? From the way you described it, you just basically say a couple extra prayers and try to live a virtuous life(as we all try to anyway), and suddenly your good works are amplified exponentially and your whole family is saved based off your merits and not theirs. That sounds way too good to be true. Especially since you aren't really "offering your life" when all you're doing is just what you'd be doing anyway. It just sounds like a "Get out of jail free" card in that if you happened to hear about this one prayer from your friend and say it, suddenly getting into Heaven is 10x easier for you and your family just because you said it.