“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:43-45).
I have been reflecting on a consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
When we consecrate ourselves to the Blessed Virgin, we are entrusting ourselves faithfully to her care. Through the action and commitment of that consecration we are asking the Blessed Virgin to take all that we have and possess and use it to her satisfaction – not ours… And that takes a great deal of trust and faith.
So, please let me give you an example of exactly how that works…
I might have a very special intention for which I am praying. I may be praying for one thing in particular. For example, I might be praying for the safety – spiritual and physical – of my children. By consecrating myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, what I am actually doing is entrusting myself to her care. And I ma asking her to take all of my prayers and to apply them as she sees fit – not as I see fit.
So what does that mean? Well, that means that when I make a vow to the Blessed Virgin asking her to use me for her purposes and not my own, what I am actually saying is that even though I feel so strongly for the protection of my children, I am happy for her to apply my prayers to a complete stranger who I never knew and would never meet instead. I am saying to the Blessed Virgin that I am comfortable with giving her permission to take the Graces that could have gone to my own children and using them for the merit of a stranger who I do not really love and could never really know.
And of course, when we adopt this process, it becomes imperative that we have faith. In facte faith is the most important part of this type of prayer.
You see, if I were to offer my prayers for a stranger, that would mean that I have complete faith and confidence that God will provide the necessary Graces for my own children and loved ones and that the Graces given will not run out…
And I have been reflecting on that today, because it takes a serious and dedicated denial of the self to actually trust my intentions to the Blessed Virgin and believe that she will petition her Holy Son to answer my prayers, when I entrust them to her care and accept the Graces that she will administer to others.
And this brings me right back to the commandment of LOVE that Christ preached twenty centuries ago when He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:43-45).
For it is only when I love my God with all my heart that I can entrust his Blessed Mother to do as she pleases. For it is only then that I shall please my God and only then that He shall hear my prayers…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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