From Gentilucci’s compilation, Life of the Blessed Virgin
Strictly, the devout clients of Mary, at least the most fervent, should not only propose to imitate the heart of Mary, but also to consecrate themselves perpetually by a solemn obligation to this imitation, and thus united to Jesus in the heart of Mary, become like him as His holy Mother was. [Consecration to our Lady is not of recent development. In the 11th century St. Odilo, for example, was known to have publicly consecrated himself to her in a holy bondage.] To make our consecration entire and perfect, we must generously offer Mary all our senses, all the powers of our soul, all our spiritual goods, that is, our weak merits; in a word, we must give her, by an irrevocable act, all we have or can have on earth. From this perpetual consecration to the heart of our Queen, we shall reap the fairest fruits. In the first place, the Blessed Virgin, seeing us thus weaned from ourselves, will offer to God in the most perfect manner, all our works, and we for this end will endeavor to do them with care, diligence, and exactness. In the second place, we shall not let our devotion grow cold, because, having made of all we possess a perpetual and irrevocable donation to the heart of Mary, and knowing certainly that she will come to our aid if we are faithful to her, we cannot, without a great offense to her and injury to ourselves, revoke so solemn a donation. Finally, this consecration of ourselves to Mary embraces at the same time our consecration to Jesus, since we take the Blessed Virgin as the perfect means that Jesus Christ has Himself chosen to unite us to Him, our Redeemer and God, and consequently our last end. [Origen’s words on servitude are certainly applicable to those consecrated to our Blessed Mother: “The bondage of Christ is nobler than liberty. O free servitude! O bondage, glorious above all dominion! What glory is not reserved in heaven, when such joy is given here?”]
The motive which should excite us to make this consecration cheerfully, is that there is no function on earth, no honor greater than that of serving God. His servants are far nobler and more honored than the servants of the mightiest monarchs of earth; for, after all, the latter are only the servants of a man, while the former, by Mary’s aid, endeavor to serve with fidelity Him who is King of kings, and Lord of lords; a free, generous, and noble servitude, which Scripture calls a royalty. Moreover, we act like Jesus, who, able like the first Adam to come into the world an adult, chose [rather] to remain… [enclosed] nine whole months in Mary’s Virginal womb, and for thirty years remain with her, submissive and obedient as the most loving and respectful of children. What, too, shall we say of the humility which we will have to practice continually, considering ourselves stripped of all and unworthy of every grace, and acknowledge that all good comes to us from Jesus through the hands of Mary?
And then, as Mary Immaculate, our Mother, is all love, sweetness and mercy towards us, as she will not be surpassed in generosity and liberality, what tongue, what power of eloquence can ever express the abundance of graces which she will shower on us…[all for His greater glory!]
