Learn the relationship between consecration to the Virgin Mary and baptismal promises.
Consecration to the Virgin Mary is closely linked to baptismal promises. According to, in his book “”, the perfect consecration to Jesus Christ is a perfect and entire consecration of the soul to Our Lady. This devotion consists of a “” (TVD 120). The importance of this lies precisely in the fact that it is a renewal of baptismal promises, which according to Saint Augustine is “the greatest and most indispensable of vows” (TVD 127), in which we promise to remain in Christ.
Every Christian, upon receiving the sacrament of baptism, renounces Satan, his pomps, his works and assumes Jesus Christ as Lord of his life. This devotion also consists of this: one renounces “the devil, the world, sin and oneself (as expressed in the formula of consecration), giving oneself entirely to Jesus Christ through the hands of Mary” (TVD 126).
In this consecration, even more is done, because in baptism the surrender to Jesus Christ is made by intermediaries, who are the parents and godparents. But, in this slavery of love we surrender ourselves voluntarily, with full awareness of what we do. Another difference is that in baptism we do not give ourselves to Jesus Christ through the hands of Mary, as happens in this Devotion. Furthermore, in Baptism we do not give Jesus Christ the value of our good works, while in the consecration according to Saint Louis we hand over everything to Our Lord through the hands of Mary, including the value of all our good deeds.
Saint Louis asks: “Isn’t it true that almost all Christians break the fidelity promised to Jesus Christ at their baptism?” Human beings easily forget, and therefore are not faithful to the promises and commitments made at baptism. The Council of Sens took place in 1140 in order to remedy the great disorders of Christians at the time. In this, it is clear that: “the main cause of this corruption of customs came from the forgetfulness and ignorance in which people lived from the promises of Baptism” (TVD 128). In the end, they came to the conclusion that the best way to remedy this great evil was to get Christians to renew the vows and promises of baptism.
Saint Louis Maria states that councils, the Fathers of the Church and experience show that the best way to lead Christians to fidelity is to remind them of the obligations of their baptism and lead them to renew their baptismal promises. The Saint says that devotion and consecration to Our Lord through His Holy Mother is the most perfect way to renew the promises and vows made in baptism.
Thus, devotion and consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to , is the perfect renewal of baptismal promises. Therefore, we do not carry out this renewal by trusting in our strength, but by trusting ourselves into the hands of Our Lady, so that she may lead us to fidelity to Our Lord Jesus Christ. She, who was faithful to the end, will teach us to renounce sin, evil, Satan and his seductions and also be faithful to the vocation that the Lord has entrusted to us.
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