spiritual Formation Prayer & Devotion TOTAL CONSECRATION MARIAN SPIRITUALITY OBJECTIVE: Teens will grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus through learning about Marian Spirituality. This is a starting-point for your teens to begin St. Louis de Montfort s Preparation for Total Consecration to Our Lady. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a seat brought for the king s mother; and she sat on his right. Then she said, I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me. And the king said to her, Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you. 1 Kings 2:19-20 CATECHISM REFERENCE: This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation.... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix. (Lumen Gentium 62) CCC 969 2013 Augustine Institute. 1
SESSION SNAPSHOT Review the entire lesson plan in advance so you are prepared to lead and discuss comfortably. Gather necessary supplies and review any songs or video clips prior to your gathering. Adjust the suggested time allotments as necessary. Time Section Session Overview 10 minutes Dig In A small game will be played where the group considers situations that are good and what kinds of conditions can make them bad. The group will compare this to St. Louis de Montfort s idea of Total Consecration. 5 minutes Plant Seeds Read a Scripture passage (1 Kings 2: 19-20) about the intercession of the Queen Mother in the Kingdom. 30 minutes Sink Roots The teens will begin a discussion about the Scripture passage. They will also learn about the life of St. Louis de Montfort, and walk through the preparation steps of his Total Consecration to Our Lady. 15 minutes Live it! As a group, teens will pray and walk through the first day of the Way of Total Consecration to Our Lady. 5 minutes Take it to Prayer Direct the teens to their books The Way of Total Consecration to Our Lady and help them to see the daily structure for the 33 days of prayer. 5 minutes Bear Fruit Discuss what your group will do when you make an Act of Total Consecration at the end of your 33 day journey. 5 minutes Closing Prayer Close by praying a decade of the rosary together. 2013 Augustine Institute. 2
SUPPLIES NEEDED: A Bible Copies of St. Louis de Montfort's Preparation for Total Consecration to Our Lady for every member of the group. Copies are available at amazon.com. Pens or pencils Teen Sheets Information about St. Louis de Montfort Rosaries for every member of the group Chains (little chain links that you pick up at any hardware store) PREPARE IN ADVANCE: Ask one of the teens ahead of time to research the life of St. Louis de Montfort and find as much information about him as possible. The teen should prepare a short presentation (3-5 minutes) on the life of St. Louis de Montfort. You will need to order Preparation for Total Consecration for every member in your group. Order it in advance so that you have it available for this session. The Act of Total Consecration should normally be done on a Marian Feast Day, although this is not required (a Sunday would be sufficient). Therefore, your discipleship group may wish to begin the journey to Total Consecration 33 days in advance. The suggested timeline for starting can be found on the inside cover of the book, Preparation for Total Consecration, or else online at: fisheaters.com/ totalconsecrationmontfort.html. Text, tweet and/or update your group s Facebook page to remind the teens about the gathering. Use a message like this: How well do you know your Mama? Come to d-group at [time, date, location] to see how you can grow closer to Jesus through her! As teens arrive, offer snacks and drinks people tend to talk more freely and mingle more when they have some food in their hands or are gathered around a common table. 2013 Augustine Institute. 3
DIG IN SAY: Today, we are going to learn about Marian Spirituality and how to pray. Our inspiration will be St. Louis de Montfort, who became a popular saint because Blessed John Paul II had a great devotion to him. St. Louis de Montfort believed that the best way to Jesus was through His Mother. Before we get more into St. Louis de Montfort, let s start with a little exercise. Tell me if you think the following things are good or bad: Ask the teens to tell you whether they think the following are good or bad scenarios. Read each of the following, one at a time, and pause for the teens responses. - A day off from school. - A day off from school because the school burned down. - A new puppy. - A new puppy that has rabies. - Free chocolate. - Free chocolate that makes you throw up because you have an allergy. - An open parking spot. - An open parking spot, 3 blocks from your desired destination. - A tornado on your wedding day. SAY: All of these things are good, but in a certain context they can become bad. Pull out the chains and show them to the teens. SAY: When we see chains, we might think of bondage or slavery. We might think that chains are a bad thing. But St. Louis de Montfort did not see slavery as a bad thing, in a certain context. It all depended on who was your master. St. Louis de Montfort felt that if Mary the Mother of God was his master, the only place that he could go was to follow her to Jesus. In this way, St. Louis de Montfort wanted to be a slave of Mary. He wanted all of his prayers, good works, and fasting to be directed to her. But, why? 2013 Augustine Institute. 4
PLANT SEEDS Begin with the Sign of the Cross. READ: And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a seat brought for the king s mother; and she sat on his right. Then she said, I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me. And the king said to her, Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you. 1 Kings 2:19-20 PRAY: Mother Mary, we pray that you teach us to know your Son more and help us as we begin our journey to Total Consecration to you. We ask this through your intercession as we pray together, Hail Mary End with the Sign of the Cross. 2013 Augustine Institute. 5
SINK ROOTS SAY: That Scripture verse we just read is about how King Solomon treated his mother the Queen Mother. Let s take a few minutes to debrief what we read with these questions: What do you notice about the way that King Solomon treats his mother? Why do you think he says he will grant her anything she asks? SAY: The way that Solomon (an imperfect king) strives to treat his mother is the way that Jesus (the perfect King) actually treats His mother. Mary sits at the right hand of Jesus and has inherited His Kingdom. When she asks Him for something, He grants it. St. Louis de Montfort recognizes this, and he decides that if he wants to get close to Jesus, he needs to be close to Jesus mother. Let s take a few minutes to learn about St. Louis de Montfort s life. Ask the teen who prepared ahead of time to present about St. Louis de Montfort s life. The rest of the teens can look at his biography on their Teen Sheets. SAY: St. Louis de Montfort had a deep Marian Spirituality. The heart of his spirituality involved a Total Consecration to Mary. This means that all of his desires, prayers, and merits were given to Mary to perfect and then to present to Jesus. He gave everything to Mary. In a way, one could say that St. Louis de Montfort was a slave to Mary. We are going to prepare ourselves for a Total Consecration as well. St. Louis de Montfort wrote a 33-day prayer exercise intended to prepare a person to make a Total Consecration to Mary. We want to become closer to Jesus, and the best way to do that is through His Mother. Distribute the Preparation for Total Consecration to Our Lady books. SAY: If you want to learn to grow deeper in a relationship with Jesus, there is no better way than through His Mother. Let s begin together by praying the first day together. 2013 Augustine Institute. 6
LIVE IT! As a group, take 15 minutes to complete the first day reflection and prayers. Ask one of the teens to read the Scripture verse, and then have everyone recite the prayers together. The reflection can be found in your books, on the Teen Sheets, or below in your Leader Guide. Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs if the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:1-19 Examine your conscience, pray, practice renouncement of your own will; mortification, purity of heart. This purity is the indispensable condition for contemplating God in heaven, to see Him on earth and to know Him by the light of faith. The first part of the preparation should be employed in casting off the spirit of the world which is contrary to that of Jesus Christ. The spirit of the world consists essentially in the denial of the supreme dominion of God; a denial which is manifested in practice by sin and disobedience; thus it is principally opposed to the spirit of Christ, which is also that of Mary. 2013 Augustine Institute. 7
It manifests itself by the concupiscence of the flesh, by the concupiscence of the eyes and by the pride of life. By disobedience to God's laws and the abuse of created things. Its works are: sin in all forms, then all else by which the devil leads to sin; works which bring error and darkness to the mind, and seduction and corruption to the will. Its pomps are the splendor and the charms employed by the devil to render sin alluring in persons, places and things. At the end of the reflection, pray the Veni Creator, Ave Maris Stella, and Magnifcat found in your book. CLOSING PRAYER With your teens, take a look at the next 33 days of preparation for Total Consecration together. Preparation for Total Consecration is broken into four parts: PART 1 Spirit of the World (12 days) These twelve preliminary days are intended for the purpose of helping the soul and the body learn to resist the temptations of the flesh and to seek higher contemplation of God. The steps are intended to help with purity of heart. PART 2 Knowledge of Self (1st week) These seven days are intended to give you a greater understanding of yourself and your own sinfulness. This week should conclude with reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. PART 3 Knowledge of Our Lady (2nd week) These seven days are dedicated to getting to know Mary, the Mother of God, in prayer and contemplation. This week is accompanied by the recitation of the rosary every day. PART 4 Knowledge of Christ (3rd week) These last seven days are dedicated to the study of and greater devotion to Jesus Christ. PART 5 Total Consecration At the end of the 33 days, the discipleship group will make an Act of Total Consecration to Our Lady together. 2013 Augustine Institute. 8
SAY: Keeping a daily commitment to the 33 day preparation can be difficult. Here are tips that can help you to remain faithful. Grab a Partner: Ask someone else in your discipleship group to do the Preparation for Total Consecration with you. You can check in on each other every day to make sure that you are both keeping up with the book and prayers. Set Aside Time: Set aside time every day to do the prayers and read the book. The best time is at the beginning of your day so that you can focus on the reflections. Try to read in the same place each day and choose a location that is quiet and free from distractions. Take it Seriously: This book and spirituality have lasted for centuries, and it will be most fruitful if you take the daily exercises seriously and stick to your commitment. Pray a decade of the rosary together. Ask one of the teens to lead. 2013 Augustine Institute. 9
Teen Sheet TOTAL CONSECRATION MARIAN SPIRITUALITY A short biography of St. Louis de Montfort can be found at http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4306. Q 2 : Quotes and Questions She [Mother Mary] is an echo of God, speaking and repeating only God. If you say Mary she says God. St. Louis de Montfort If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children. St. Louis de Montfort 2013 Augustine Institute. 1
Pray the first day of the Total Consecration together: Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs if the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:1-19 2013 Augustine Institute. 2
Examine your conscience, pray, practice renouncement of your own will; mortification, purity of heart. This purity is the indispensable condition for contemplating God in heaven, to see Him on earth and to know Him by the light of faith. The first part of the preparation should be employed in casting off the spirit of the world which is contrary to that of Jesus Christ. The spirit of the world consists essentially in the denial of the supreme dominion of God; a denial which is manifested in practice by sin and disobedience; thus it is principally opposed to the spirit of Christ, which is also that of Mary. It manifests itself by the concupiscence of the flesh, by the concupiscence of the eyes and by the pride of life. By disobedience to God s laws and the abuse of created things. Its works are: sin in all forms, then all else by which the devil leads to sin; works which bring error and darkness to the mind, and seduction and corruption to the will. Its pomps are the splendor and the charms employed by the devil to render sin alluring in persons, places and things. At the end of the reflection, pray the Veni Creator, Ave Maris Stella, and Magnifcat found in your book. 2013 Augustine Institute. 3
With your leader, take a look at the next 33 days of preparation for Total Consecration. Preparation for Total Consecration is broken into four parts: PART 1 Spirit of the World (12 days) These twelve preliminary days are intended for the purpose of helping the soul and the body learn to resist the temptations of the flesh and to seek higher contemplation of God. The steps are intended to help with purity of heart. PART 2 Knowledge of Self (1st week) These seven days are intended to give you a greater understanding of yourself and your own sinfulness. This week should conclude with reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. PART 3 Knowledge of Our Lady (2nd week) These seven days are dedicated to getting to know Mary, the Mother of God, in prayer and contemplation. This week is accompanied by the recitation of the rosary every day. PART 4 Knowledge of Christ (3rd week) These last seven days are dedicated to the study of and greater devotion to Jesus Christ. PART 5 Total Consecration At the end of the 33 days, the discipleship group will make an Act of Total Consecration to Our Lady together. 2013 Augustine Institute. 4
Keeping a daily commitment to the 33 day preparation can be difficult. Here are tips that can help you to remain faithful. Grab a Partner: Ask someone else in your discipleship group to do the Preparation for Total Consecration with you. You can check in on each other every day to make sure that you are both keeping up with the book and prayers. Set Aside Time: Set aside time every day to do the prayers and read the book. The best time is at the beginning of your day so that you can focus on the reflections. Try to read in the same place each day and choose a location that is quiet and free from distractions. Take it Seriously: This book and spirituality have lasted for centuries, and it will be most fruitful if you take the daily exercises seriously and stick to your commitment. 2013 Augustine Institute. 5
parent sheet TOTAL CONSECRATION: MARIAN SPIRITUALITY Parents, we invite you to use this overview to continue the conversation that we started this week with your teen. We encourage you to respond to the questions as well, so your teen can see that God is working through you also. WHAT WE RE TALKING ABOUT As parents, you likely understand the concept of being devoted to your children. You want to support and encourage them in all that they do. You would do anything for them, and most parents would say that they desire a close and intimate relationship with their children throughout their life. Now, we know that the parent-child relationship is not humanly perfect; some are damaged, wounded, and strained. The relationship that Mary has with her Son, though, is a model for us, and one that is beneficial to us in our faith; for the closer we can become with Mary, the closer we can become with Jesus. In this session, teens learned about growing in a relationship with Jesus through having a relationship with Mary. They also learned about St. Louis de Montfort and began preparation for Total Consecration to Mary, a prayer devotion that has been popular for centuries. This 33-day prayer exercise intends to bring a person closer to Mary, the Mother of God. It ends with an Act of Total Consecration, giving everything that one has desires, prayers, and merits to Mary, to perfect and present to Her Son. MAKE THE CONNECTION Here are some conversation starters for this week. Remember to share your perspectives as well. How do you personally grow closer in your relationships with other people? How do you think Mary can help you grow closer to Jesus? What can our family do to grow closer to Jesus through Mary? What will you do to make sure you stay committed to the 33-day prayer exercise? Q 2: Quotes and Questions And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a seat brought for the king s mother; and she sat on his right. Then she said, I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me. And the king said to her, Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you. 1 Kings 2:19-20 "If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children." St. Louis de Montfort 2013 Augustine Institute.