Newsletter #17

Dear friends and benefactors,

In my Newsletter #15 of last month I began to explain the practice this devotion of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by showing the meaning of “CONVERSION” (Sanctification) in the Immaculate heart of Mary, and how to practice it in our life. This month let us see the second aspect of reparation “CONSECRATION” – (Union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary) and the practice of it.
On June 13, 1917 Our Lady said to Lucia that “Her Immaculate Heart would never abandon her but will be her refuge and the way that will lead to God.” Here Our Lady confirms that the devotion to Mary is nothing but the external fruit of interior and personal union with, or Consecration to Her Immaculate Heart.
Therefore, making Our Lady better known and loved is possible only when one consecrates oneself and remains united with the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
This consecration will be fulfilled in three ways:
UNION means to be one with Our Lady; to belong to Her. This consists of imitating the virtues of Our Blessed Mother and in living always in the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
DEPENDENCE means to find Our Lady as our refuge; to be attached to Her as our only support. This consists of living always in the hope that She will never fail.
HUMILITY means to be a slave of love to Our Queen. This consists of living always in obedience to Her plans.

Personal consecration
1. Internal: Personal consecration is being practiced internally by loving and praising Jesus and Mary unceasingly in our thoughts, words and actions; by the faithful observance of our spiritual duties; and chiefly in keeping the sanctifying grace always by willingly avoiding and detesting all occasions of sin.
2. External: The external practice of this personal consecration consists in: – (a) Signing the Fatima Pledge to enroll oneself as a member of this crusade of reparation. (b) Reciting daily the Fatima Pledge or the Act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. (c) Reciting at least five decades of the Rosary every day. (d) Wearing the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel as a sign of one’s consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Total Consecration
If the mere wearing of the Scapular implies a commitment to Our Lady and obliges us to imitate all the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, How much more totally should, those who wish to dedicate themselves to serve Her as “The Apostles of Reparation”, consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary?
Therefore, from among the informal members of this apostolate, if some specially inspired souls would come forward as “The Apostles of Reparation”, they must strive for a much closer union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
“God wishes that His holy Mother should be at present more known, more loved, more honored than she has ever been. This, no doubt, will take place if the predestinate (Apostles of Reparation) enter, with the grace and light of the Holy Ghost, into the interior and perfect practice (of total consecration) which I will disclose to them shortly.” St. Louis De Montfort. (True Devotion No. 55)
Hence, those who would call themselves “The Apostles of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, must practice the “Total consecration” according to the spirit of St. Louis De Montfort. For this is the most ideal of all the practices of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; and the closest to the spirit of Fatima Message.
Practice of Total Consecration
This practice consists in giving oneself entirely to the Blessed Virgin Mary in order to belong entirely to Jesus. The Basic Requirement of this Practice is to give the following to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
– Our body with all its senses and members.
– Our soul with all its faculties.
– Our present and future material possessions.
– Our interior and spiritual possessions. i.e.: Our merits, graces and virtues so that She may keep, increase and beautify them for us; and the value of all our good works of satisfaction (reparation) and impetration.
The qualification of this practice:
– The essential qualification is to be willing:
– To be emptied of the spirit of the world.
– To be filled with the spirit of Christ.
This qualification is being acquired by the exercises of the 33 days preparation, before making the solemn consecration and before every annual renewal of the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, according to St. Louis De Montfort. (See the Golden Book of Total Consecration)
From among these Consecrated Apostles of Reparation, may arise a properly approved Religious “SOCIETY OF REPARATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY”.
“We must all obey Our Blessed Lady’s requests at Fatima. The time of doubting is long past. It is now time for action.” (Pope Pius XII, 1950) My only joy and reward are to make SAINTS of you. Let us offer ourselves as slaves to Jesus through his blessed mother.
Fr. Pancras Raja
Spiritual Director
November 01, 2019