TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 21 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

This week, in order to potentially get to know Our Lady in a more personal way, I recommend that you pray the "optional" Litany of Loreto for these next six days, if you are able to do so. However, as St. Francis de Sales so aptly pointed out in his book Introduction to the Devout Life, not everyone is called to approach prayer in the same way, so some of us may have the opportunity to pray these optional prayers, but others may not. (By the way, if you've never read this classic book, then I highly recommend that you do so, because it's written specifically for lay people like you and me.)

Anyway, the reason I recommend trying to pray the litanies more frequently during this devotion is that they are brimming and overflowing with rhetorical repetition, which simply means intentional repetition. Again, we may have to slow down on the spiritual freeway so that we don't try to race through the repetition. On the contrary, we should embrace it. So if we can slowly, deliberately, and meaningfully pray The Litany of Loreto every day this week, while gazing at the stunning beauty of Raffaello Sanzio's "The Sistine Madonna," it can potentially give us a deeper appreciation of just how wonderful Our Lady really is. We should never lose sight of the fact that Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, is the sweetest, the gentlest, and the most beautiful woman in the history of the world.

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 21" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

3. Optional: If you would like to pray the Holy Rosary with classic sacred art, then please click on the following link:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/rose-let

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 20 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Today we begin the next stage of our journey as we focus on "Knowledge of Mary." The saints and angels in Heaven are rejoicing because they know that we're getting within striking distance of making our Act of Total Consecration -- so please don't give up now! It would be like playing in Game 7 of the World Series and then suddenly deciding to quit. Remember, we have the opportunity to do one of the most beautiful things that we've ever done in our lives.

So hang in there, and be patient with yourself, and also be patient with the process -- even if you feel like you're not getting anything out of it. Yes, I will repeat this yet again: please don't judge this by how it makes you feel! The first time I made the Total Consecration, I really didn't feel anything -- until Consecration Day.

By the way, you'll notice that the Holy Rosary is an optional prayer over the next several days. However, on Day 26 it will be a required prayer (I'm sharing this with you in advance so that you'll be prepared to carve out more prayer time on that day).

Traditionally, the Joyful Mysteries are prayed on Mondays and Saturdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Luminous Mysteries are prayed on Thursdays, and the Glorious Mysteries are prayed on Sundays and Wednesdays.

If you wish to pray the Holy Rosary with classic sacred art, then please click on the following link:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/rose-let

At the top of this page you will find the Joyful Mysteries, then underneath you will also find the Luminous Mysteries, Sorrowful Mysteries, and Glorious Mysteries (in that order). 

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 20" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 19 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Tomorrow we will take our prayer experience to the next level as we transition from "Knowledge of Self" to "Knowledge of Mary." Now the fun part begins as Mary will gently lead us by the hand and lovingly take us towards her wonderful son Jesus.

By the way, I discovered that the website for the Vatican Museums has a page which explains who the saints are in Raphael's "Disputation of the Sacrament." Please click on the link below if you want to read this very short explanation. Many of the saints that are mentioned in the "Litany of the Saints" are in this painting (plus Dante Alighieri, the great poet, who was a Third-Order Franciscan, and Blessed Fra Angelico, who is the patron of artists).

Here is the link:

http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/stanze-di-raffaello/stanza-della-segnatura/disputa-del-ss--sacramento.html

Enjoy!

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 19" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 18 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

We're almost ready to conclude the second stage, whose theme is "Knowledge of Self," and we're so close to starting the third stage that I'm really starting to get excited!

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 18" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 17 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Keep up the excellent work! In a few more days, we will complete the second stage of our journey and then take our prayer experience to the next level. By the way, yesterday I mentioned the importance of planning your day for confession. In addition, I highly recommend that you also plan your Consecration Day.

Since Day 34 (Consecration Day) will fall on February 11, think and pray about where and when you will go to mass on that day. Depending upon your work and/or life schedule, it may be possible that you will need to go to a different mass -- or even a different parish -- on that day. For instance, when I made my original consecration, my best alternative that day was to go to a very early morning mass at a different parish. But God richly rewarded me that day -- in an unforgettable way.

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 17" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 16 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

We're almost exactly at the midpoint of our "Pilgrimage of Prayer" and I want to make sure that we're looking ahead to what is approaching. Before we make our Act of Total Consecration (on Day 34), we need to go to confession. I recommend that you look at your calendar today and mark in advance the exact day and time on which you choose to go to confession. Please don't wait until the last moment for this -- otherwise, it may lead to discouragement and stress, especially if there are long lines for confession.

By the way, don't be surprised if some distraction "unexpectedly" pops up and it conflicts with your confession time. The devil tries this trick on me all the time. So my recommendation is that once we have scheduled our confession time, we need to protect it and treasure it like the most valuable pearl in the world. We should never forget that confession is even better than a private papal audience. Instead, confession is like a private audience with the King of the Universe!

For myself, I typically try to go to confession no earlier than one week before Consecration Day; in addition, I try to go to confession no later than the day before Consecration Day. The reason for this is that I want confession to be in relatively close proximity to the reception of Holy Communion, especially since we will have the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence (I'll talk more about that one later). The bottom line is that we need to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance on the best time to go.

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 16" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 15 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Here's another consideration on how to deal with dryness in prayer. When we pray, do we follow the prayers silently in our minds? If we do, then perhaps reading them out loud may help us even more. I find that this really helps me, even if I speak in the softest whisper.

But, at the same time, I want to read my prayers with emphasis, as if Jesus, or Our Lady, or the saints were speaking directly to me (which they are). I want to read my prayers with conviction, as if I were pouring out my heart and soul in speaking directly to them (which I am).

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 15" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 14 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Again, as we're nearing the halfway point in our journey, it's not uncommon to experience dryness in our prayer. But we shouldn't allow ourselves to be troubled by this. Some of the great saints, such as St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Mother Teresa, experienced long periods of dryness in their prayer.

But this doesn't mean that we can't pray more effectively if we've experienced dryness. For example, perhaps we might reflect upon the tempo of our prayers. If we're praying "HailMaryFullOfGraceTheLordIsWithThee," then we're essentially racing down the prayer freeway at 100 miles per hour -- and it's hard to enjoy the beautiful spiritual scenery that surrounds us when we're traveling so quickly. If that's the case with us, then maybe we're falling into the trap of "getting our prayers in" instead of getting into our prayers.

So maybe we can slow down our tempo to something more like this: "Hail Mary... full of grace... the Lord is with Thee..." By traveling at 65 miles per hour on the prayer freeway, we can still get to our destination in a reasonable amount of time while maximizing our appreciation for God's beauty that is all around us when we engage in meditative and/or contemplative prayer.

I've found that even moderating the tempo just the slightest little bit can make a very big difference for me -- and, actually, meditating upon the sacred art as I am praying really helps me with this. At times I have used the natural pause that is produced by a comma or a period by using that brief moment to glance at the sacred art.

By the way, for the rest of this week, you'll notice that the "Litany of the Saints" is optional; however, I would strongly encourage you to pray it all week, if you're able to do so. The litanies, because of their rhetorical (or intentional) repetition, can be wonderful for helping us gradually deepen our relationship with the communion of saints (though it may happen quite imperceptibly).

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 14" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 13 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Let me remind you about something I mentioned earlier, because as we near the midpoint of our journey, some might be tempted to throw in the towel and simply give up.

It's possible that the devil might be tempting us more strongly now because he knows -- better than we do -- that something fantastic may be right around the corner for us. Even the great St. John Vianney had this experience.

But whatever you do, don't give up! You have the opportunity to do one of the most beautiful things you've ever done in your life. So hang in there, and be patient with yourself, and also be patient with the process -- even if you feel you're not getting anything out of it. Again, don't judge this by how it makes you feel. The first time I made the Total Consecration, I really didn't feel anything, until Consecration Day.

So try to be courageous like St. Mother Teresa: be strong to the end! You can do it! I believe in your potential!

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 13" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 12 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Tomorrow we will take our prayer experience to the next level as we transition from "The Spirit of the World" to "Knowledge of Self." This will be a great opportunity to look more introspectively at ourselves -- honestly, openly, and with compassion. In other words, it will be a chance to look at the truth about ourselves, but with charity.

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 12" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 11 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

We're almost ready to conclude the first stage, whose theme is "The Spirit of the World," and we're so close to starting the second stage that I can almost taste it!

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 11" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 10 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Keep up the great work! In a few more days, we will complete the first stage of our journey and then take our prayer experience to the next level.

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 10" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 9 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Here is our artistic quote of the day:

"Authentic beauty, however, unlocks the yearning of the human heart, the profound desire to know, to love, to go towards the Other, to reach for the Beyond."

-- Pope Benedict XVI

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 9" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 8 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Here is our artistic quote of the day:

"The link between good and beautiful stirs fruitful reflection. In a certain sense, beauty is the visible form of the good, just as the good is the metaphysical condition of beauty."

-- St. John Paul II

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 8" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 7 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Here is our artistic quote of the day:

"Beauty, whether that of the natural universe or that expressed in art, precisely because it opens up and broadens the horizons of human awareness, pointing us beyond ourselves, bringing us face to face with the abyss of Infinity, can become a path towards the transcendent, towards the ultimate Mystery, towards God."

-- Pope Benedict XVI

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 7" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 6 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Here is our artistic quote of the day:

"Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece."

-- St. John Paul II

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 6" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 5 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Here is another insightful quote on the arts by Pope Benedict XVI:

"However some artistic expressions are real highways to God, the supreme Beauty; indeed, they help us to grow in our relationship with him, in prayer. These are the works that were born from faith and express faith."

-- Pope Benedict XVI

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 5" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 4 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Since we've been combining holy prayer with inspiring sacred art, over the next week or so I'll share with you some inspiring quotes on the arts from Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Here is an insightful quote by the former:

"In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art. Art must make perceptible, and as far as possible attractive, the world of the spirit, of the invisible, of God."

-- St. John Paul II

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 4" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +

MEDITATION: THE STORM ON THE SEA

The storm strikes!

It strikes suddenly,

and without warning.

Then lightning flashes in a frenzy

in the vast vault of the dark sky,

in the form of a frightening cross.

What am I to do?

I spiritually fall to my knees,

and I surrender to you, Jesus.

In that moment,

in my emotional pain,

my heart is wrenched

within me like your mother’s,

who wailed with woe

at the foot of the cold cross.

In that moment,

in my physical pain,

I suffer sorrowfully with you,

in the Agony in the Garden,

in the Scourging at the Pillar,

in the Crowning with Thorns,

in the Carrying of the Cross,

in the Crucifixion.

I remember that patience

is the companion of wisdom.

And I realize that I am

so focused on the cross

that I forget that the resurrection

is right around the corner,

though I cannot yet see the Light.

San Filippo Neri reminds me

that when Our Blessed Lord

came into this wacky world,

He had the divine sense of humor.

And I think of the multitudes

in the courts of Heaven,

chortling and guffawing,

observing me feeble futile efforts

to conquer the cross alone,

which ultimately results in a

Shakespearean comedy of errors.

I remember that true joy

is Divine Mercy in the dark night.

Goodness and Truth show me

that Beauty is drawing near --

I begin to see the Light,

and feel His holy warmth.

O Merciful Master,

thank you for saving me,

thank you for loving me so much,

thank you for teaching me faith.

Jesus, I trust in you!

Amen.

TOTAL CONSECRATION -- DAY 3 OF 33

Hi, everyone!

Right about now I expect that there may be some people who are beginning to question whether or not they should continue the journey that will culminate in a Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. I say this because that's the way the devil seems to work with me. He always seems to try to discourage me and convince me that it's a lost cause.

But whatever you do, don't give up! You have the opportunity to do one of the most beautiful things you've ever done in your life. So hang in there, and be patient with yourself, and also patient with the process -- even if you feel you're not getting anything out of it. Don't judge this by how it makes you "feel." The first time I made the Total Consecration, I really didn't feel anything, until Consecration Day.

So try to be courageous like St. Maximilian Kolbe: be strong to the end! You can do it! I believe in your potential!

In order to find the prayers, as well as the links to magnificent sacred art, please do the following items: 

1. Click the following link to go to my website:

http://www.josephpeteranthony.com/total-consecration

2. Scroll down a little bit and please read the instructions entitled "How to Pray with the Book," "How to Pray without the Book," and "The Benefit of Praying with Sacred Art"

3. Scroll down a little farther and click the link entitled "Total Consecration: Day 3" (this will take you to the prayers and the sacred art)

God bless you, and may Our Lady, the Queen of All Hearts, sweetly shower God's graces upon you!

Joe

+ + +