Mom is on Campus

If you have ever been to Mount St. Mary’s campus, certainly you have seen the massive golden statue of Mary that beams from the quaint University. She towers over us and allows graces to flow down constantly on our campus. Most of us see her and know of her iconic presence, but we often forget about her involvement and participation in our lives.

    On November 5th, many college campuses across the country, including Mount St. Mary’s University, started the 33 Days to Morning Glory, a Marian Consecration for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is so exciting, and I am sure Mary is so pleased. I have already been given graces of enthusiasm and zeal to start and renew my consecration while inviting others to do it with me. On Monday (November 5th), I consciously wore my new t-shirt that has Our Lady of Guadalupe on the back. I was so happy knowing I had her with me. I then was able to grab a stack of the 33 Days to Morning Glory pamphlets and hand them out to people I encountered on campus.

    To my surprise, many people were open to accepting this pamphlet. I think that is in part because we all want to be saints and this is a means to getting on the right track, and because Mary wants us to do it so she helps us to even be open to consecrating ourselves. While the world is afraid of the public scorn of others or even their privacy, we are able to give everything to Mary and be comforted and protected. She is a privation and security.

    So what is Marian Consecration?! It is, as 33 Days to Morning Glory explains, the “quickest, surest, easiest way” to sainthood. It is because Marian Consecration is the renewal of our baptismal promises through Mary who brings us to her son Jesus. It is a way for us to come to understand the intimate relationship we are in; not just religion we are a part of. It brings to life the faith that we are a part of through the help of saints, particularly Mary.

Some people worry about idolizing Mary, but we are not worshipping Mary or skipping Jesus or God. We are simply going through Mary because of a variety of reasons. One, Mary is the means that God chose to bring Jesus to us, through the incarnation, so it is the channel that is set in place. She is the perfect human we humbly and faithfully accepted God’s plan so God looks favorable upon her as his queen. Therefore whatever we bring to Mary to bring to God is presented more attractively. She takes our meager prayers and efforts and polishes them up like a good mother to show off to our Father. She was given to us as our own spiritual mother by Jesus on the cross. She has the most perfect and loving heart of a mother but especially in regards to our spiritual life and so when we give her permission, through the consecration, she brings us directly to her Son. She is the moon which is nothing without the S(o)n. As long as we see her in light of the sun we will always have direction, even in dark times.

If you are now looking to consecrate yourself to Jesus through Mary with a 33 day consecration, there are always opportunities. Anytime there is a Marian feast you begin preparation 33 days before. The next one would be for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the preparation starts on November 9! Join me in allowing Mary, Our Mother, to guide us to our heavenly home.

Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.

-Saint Francis de Sales