51 b-c
I have no need of human means. Even the little book is only a means for the spread of my Movement. It is an important means which I have chosen because it is small. It will serve to make known to many this work of my love among the priests. But to adhere to it depends entirely on correspondence to a special grace which I will grant to each one. And this you can obtain through your prayer, my son, through your love, through your suffering, and even through your inability to act. (Message to Fr. Gobbi from Our Blessed Mother)
As a Professed Lay Carmelite I’ve made many ‘consecrations to Jesus through Mary’ in my day. But it was in 2012 that a Christian brother and fellow Carmelite introduced me to the Louis DeMontfort method through his book ‘910’. I made my first Marian Consecration that year on September 8th, at the little Carmelite Chapel at the Mall where I had made my Carmelite profession. The second year, 2013 I was blessed to be in Fatima at that time for my 50th birthday. It was an amazing experience. I’ve renewed my consecration every year since then.
Fast toward to 2020… the year when the world stopped. I had heard about a new consecration book ‘Mary’s Mantle’ and was drawn to it. I started doing it and just felt compelled to just continue doing it over and over after each consecration. One of the times I even had my family join me. This took me through Lent and the remaining of the year. When I was about done with it the last time, I got an email from a friend that had been instrumental in my faith development in the past, especially through her book ‘A Mother’s Rule of Life’ and she inquired whether I knew about the Marian Movement of Priests and the Blue book. I hadn’t… so I immediately looked it up. They have the Blue Book online so I started reading it.
“The M.M.P. is not therefore an association, however praiseworthy, with a lot of statutes and directors, promoted by some Priest or fervent soul, but it is “a spirit” as the Holy Father John Paul II happily and intuitively perceived. It is something impalpable, but still strong and alive, as are the gifts of God, and has as its principal purpose the living of the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
Here it was, my ‘next step’. I had been doing these consecrations non stop, and it was now time to start living it! I felt elated. I later decided to check with some priests that I trusted very much, at Our Lady’s Chapel in New Bedord. I was given the name of one of their priests that has great devotion to the movement. I had felt called to that chapel towards the end of the year, when our parishes were instituting harsh Covid regulations. But it was all coming together, Our Blessed Mother had planned it all so flawlessly. I’m still in awe, and filled with gratitude for God’s Divine Providence and for all the souls He has working for His Kingdom.
Below I have linked the books that I mention above.
