Thursday, August 5, 2010

Devotions Meme

So, I was contemplating during the past few days, without too much intent, a post I would write about devotions, seeing as I had started a devotion again which I did not do last year, and which has been - now that I'm doing it again - like something wonderfully familiar yet new.

Then Terry memes me (yes, I'll verb the word if I want to). In the meme you have to list your five favourite devotions. Well, thank you Terry, for tagging me and for the confirmation.

Here they are:

1. Adoration

2. The Holy Face of Jesus. I've been slack in this one of late. Though I go to Adoration every Tuesday (if because I go practically every day) I do not always remember the intention when I do go. You see, how could I forget that? It happens when you don't consciously keep it in mind. One who practices this devotion is recommended to go every Tuesday before the Blessed Sacrament to make reparation for the insults and injuries which Christ's Holy Countenance has received, and which He receives in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. If one cannot make it to a chapel at the time, one can console the Face of Christ within one's heart - of course, having an image of His Holy Face helps in that regard: "I firmly wish that My Face reflecting the intimate pains of my Soul, the suffering and love of my Heart, be more honoured! Whoever gazes upon My Face already consoles me."

3. Total Consecration to Mary according to Saint Louis Marie de Montfort. This is the devotion which I failed to renew last year, by which I mean that I re-consecrated myself to Mary, but I failed to do the 33 days of preparation again leading up the anniversary of the consecration date, which for me was in 2007. So, consecration to Mary, while being sufficient the first time, is something one is to keep renewing. Anyone who wishes to do this Total Consecration, simply go to this link. All you do is email the apostolate your mailing address, signifying your intention, and they send you, totally free of charge, the preparation booklet, instructions and calendar.

4. The Brown Scapular. As with the above, wearing the Brown Scapular goes with its practices. I pray the rosary instead of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin. I also pray the Morning Offering:

O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary (here kiss your Scapular as a sign of your consecration), I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world joining with It the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day. O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate, that she may best apply them to the interests of Thy most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

In addition to this is holding the Scapular and kissing it - not always for myself, but for another person who I may happen to be thinking about.

5. The Rosary

3 comments:

Terry Nelson said...

Me too - I have the same devotion - scapular, rosary, adoration, total consecration, the Holy Face. Each morning I wake up my first prayer is, Show us your Face O Lord and we shall be saved."

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

Reading other people's responses are filling me with new awe at the whole concept of devotion. I just looked up the etymology; the Latin devovare means "to consecrate by a vow." Now, I know this, of course--even when I didn't know it in words, I had to know it in order to make my devotions--but I don't know something well unless I know it in words.

Okay, I'll stop babbling now . . .

Paul Stilwell said...

Thanks for that prayer, Terry. I'll have to remember that one.

Enbrethiliel, I had the same feeling reading Terry's and Tom's.