Preparing for Consecration

Knowledge of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Acts of love, pious affection for the Blessed Virgin, imitation of her virtues, especially her profound humility, her lively faith, her blind obedience, her continual mental prayer, her mortification in all things, her surpassing purity, her ardent charity, her heroic patience, her angelic sweetness, and her divine wisdom: "there being," as St. Louis De Montfort says, "the ten principal virtues of the Blessed Virgin."

We must unite ourselves to Jesus through Mary - this is the characteristic of our devotion; therefore, Saint Louis De Montfort asks that we employ ourselves in acquiring a knowledge of the Blessed Virgin.

Reflection

Mary is a wonderful example to us of quiet contemplation and motherhood.  In the few accounts of her in the scriptures, she is often portrayed as "pondering," not questioning, not demanding, not even responding.  She takes in what happens around her and ponders it in her heart.  Her pondering rather than questioning or responding illustrates her perfect abandonment to God's will and might suggest that as Jesus grew in stature, she grew in insight and understanding of God's plan.

The infancy narratives close with the story of Mary and Joseph going in search of Jesus and finding him with the temple priests.  This time she does question him, though likely more for our benefit than as a reflection of her personhood.  Again she ponders the events that unfolded that day.  Among other things, this story speaks to those who are devoted to Mary.  As any mother would seek a lost child, when we take her for our mother, she will pursue us until she finds us, and with her help she will find us in Gods house.  What a beautiful example and promise!  Let us accept her as our mother and follow her example, pondering God's work in our lives and pursuing our faith with the same abandonment and confidence she models. – Bernadette Harmon

Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 16-21, 42-52

¹⁶ And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; ¹⁸ and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. ²¹ And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

⁴¹ Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; ⁴³ and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, ⁴⁴ but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; ⁴⁵ and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; ⁴⁷ and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously." ⁴⁹ And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" ⁵⁰ And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. ⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.