DAY 5
Should We Really Give Mary
Everything? (Part One)
The second part of de Montfort's formula of consecration says
that we should give Mary everything, including "our interior
and spiritual goods, which are our merits and our virtues, and our
good works, past, present, and future." Isn't this a bit too
much? No. It's perfect. It's beautiful. Let's see why by learning
how the offering affects others and ourselves.
In regard to others, when we fully consecrate ourselves to
Mary, we lose the unconditional right to distribute the value of
our prayers and good actions to others. In other words, we give
the rights to the grace (merit) of our prayers to Mary. We're
telling her, "Mary, I give you the right to distribute the
grace of my prayers as you see fit."
Making such a gift to Mary has a big benefit. It ensures that
the grace of our prayers will be used in the best way possible. It
works like this: Because of her unique vantage point from heaven,
and on account of her most intimate communion with her Divine Son,
Mary can best determine which people are most in need of our
prayers. For instance, seeing some forgotten person in China about
to die in despair, Mary can take the grace of our prayers (and
"offered up" sufferings) and use it to help that dying
person to trust in God and accept his mercy.
Now, perhaps this idea has got some of us thinking:
 Well, that's great.
I'm happy to help the dying
person in China, whom I don't know, but I'd be disappointed if I
therefore couldn't use the grace of my prayers and good works to
help the people I do know, like my family and friends. I'm worried
that if I give Mary the right to distribute the grace of my
prayers and good works, then I thereby lose the right to pray for
those whom I especially love, even if they're less in need than
other people in the world.
This is a legitimate concern, but there's no need to worry.
Why? For two reasons: First, Mary makes the good things we give
her more perfect. In other words, she augments, increases, and
purifies the spiritual gifts and merits we give her. When we give
them to her, because she makes them more perfect, there's more
grace and merit to go around. St. Louis uses an unforgettable
analogy to explain this:
It is as if a peasant, wishing to gain the
friendship and benevolence of the king, went to the queen and
presented her with a fruit which was his whole revenue, in order
that she might present it to the king. The queen, having accepted
the poor little offering from the peasant, would place the fruit
on a large and beautiful dish of gold, and so, on the peasant's
behalf, would present it to the king. Then the fruit, however
unworthy in itself to be a king's present, would become worthy of
his majesty because of the dish of gold on which it rested and the
person who presented it.
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Here's the second reason we shouldn't worry: Mary is never
outdone in generosity. So, if we're so generous as to give her the
right to distribute the grace of our prayers and good works,
she'll surely be especially generous to our loved ones. In fact,
she'll take even better care of our loved ones than we ourselves
can. For instance, let's say one of our family members or friends
is in need of prayer, and we don't know it. Well, Mary knows it,
and she'll make sure that that person doesn't go without. Giving
Mary the right to distribute the grace of our prayers and good
works doesn't mean we can't still pray for our loved ones. We can
and should pray for them. It's just that we give Mary the final
say in deciding to whom and for what purpose the grace of our
prayers and good works should be applied.
Remember, Mary is not outdone in generosity. She especially
hears the prayers of those of us who have given her everything -
including the value of all our good works — and she wants us to
tell her of the people and intentions we hold in our hearts. If
we've given her everything, is there any doubt that she'll be
generous in giving whatever good we ask for to those who are dear
to us?17
Today's Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Help me be generous in
giving all I am and have to Mary.
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