Bonus: Reasons why we should consecrate ourselves entirely to God
All things come to us from God, as signs of his love for us. There is only one response: giving ourselves back to him.
All things come to us from God, as signs of his love for us. There is only one response: giving ourselves back to him.
Editor’s Notes
This is a bonus instalment (without audio) for Day 34 of our Total Consecration series – although like all parts of that series, it stands alone as a great text in its own right.
(Readers who are encountering this series for the first time through this article can find out more here.)
Day 34 is the last day of the series – the day of the Consecration of ourselves to God, through the Blessed Virgin Mary. It contained the first part of Fr Aloysius Ambruzzi’s explanation of the final meditation of St Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises – which is The Contemplation to Obtain Divine Love. This exercise is especially appropriate for the final day of preparing for St Louis de Montfort’s consecration, for the reasons discussed in Day 34 itself.
You can find that instalment, explanation and audio here:
Day 34: The Day of Total Consecration has arrived
Contemplation to Obtain Divine Love
The Prayer of Consecration is available in a printable form here:
We only included the first of the four parts with Day 34, because the whole section was too long to record in audio format (especially with the Formula of Consecration itself).
However, as we have spent so much time with Fr Aloysius Ambruzzi in this series, we wanted to provide this section (without audio) as well. This bonus instalment contains the rest of the text.
CONTENTS:
READING: The text is an extract from Fr Aloysius Ambruzzi SJ’s work Companion to the Spiritual Exercises, with the points of meditation inserted inter alia
MEDITATION: The text of the meditation from the Spiritual Exercises. A guide on how to use these points in meditation can be found here.
Reading: Contemplation for Obtaining Love
Heaven Anticipated
A Companion to the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius
Fr Aloysius Ambruzzi SJ
Parts II-IV (Part I available here)
First Point
The First Point is, to bring to memory the benefits received, of Creation, Redemption and particular gifts, pondering with much feeling how much God our Lord has done for me, and how much He has given me of what He has, and then the same Lord desires to give me Himself as much as He can, according to His Divine ordination.
And with this to reflect on myself, considering with much reason and justice, what I ought on my side to offer and give to His Divine Majesty, that is to say, everything that is mine, and myself with it, as one who makes an offering with much feeling:
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my intellect, and all my will—all that I have and possess. Thou gavest it to me: to Thee, Lord, I return it! All is Thine, dispose of it according to all Thy will. Give me Thy love and grace, for this is enough for me.
This part is explained in Day 34’s instalment of the series.
Creation and conservation
Redemption, sanctification and glorification
God’s gifts are individual
Particular gifts
Sume et suscipe
The second to fourth points form a bonus instalment of our Total Consecration series for WM+ members.
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