by Jayson M. Brunelle

Marian Consecration brings about a radical transformation within the soul, provided the client of Mary is co-operating with Mary’s will (It is not theologically incorrect to speak of conformity to Mary’s will, as Her will is perfectly united with the Divine Will of the Father, and God has chosen to be dependent on her for the distribution of all His graces to humanity).  Moreover, we can speak explicitly of total consecration to Mary, as she is always a proximate end to the ultimate end of conformity to the Will of Christ.  Yes, it is true that there is one mediator between the Father and humanity, and that divine Person is Jesus Christ, 100% human and 100% divine, who began the reconciliation of God with humanity at the pivotal moment of His Incarnation, and completed that reconciliation on the cross, where He offered, once for all, the perfect sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God.

But Mary has been given to us as a mediator between humanity and Christ.  She is continually exercising her maternal mediation by telling us, in Jn 2:5, to “do whatever He tells [us].”  At the wedding of Cana, Christ made it clear that “[His] hour had not yet come” (John 2:4), and he was not yet prepared to manifest His glory, yet he could not deny the request of His Mother, Our Mother.  Neither can He deny us when, holding her hand, and being clothed in her mantle, we make a request of the Master.  There is a hierarchy within the family of God: To the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, through Mary.  If Christ is the Head of the Mystical Body, then Mary is the “Neck,” as the Church Fathers referred to her.

Mary, who cannot be outdone in liberality, sees that we give ourselves, our bodies and souls, our lives, death and eternity to her.  Essentially, we give the core of our personhood to her; we give her our “heart.”  Wonderfully, she meets us in the same spirit, taking from us our stoney hearts and replacing them with Her own Immaculate Heart.  Further, she adorns us with all the virtues and graces that make Her so utterly pleasing in Gods sight.  In fact, Mary is so magnificent, that St. Louis de Montfort calls her God’s favorite resting place, the place of God’s consolation, the only creature who renders Him the Immaculate worship, homage, love, adoration and gratitude that the Immaculate one can.  If one were to hypothetically combine all the virtues and good works of all the Saints who ever lived, such an offering wouldn’t hold a candle to the abyss of virtue that is Mary.  May we each constantly strive to be more and more united to the Immaculata, in order to be most perfectly conformed to Christ!