Last year I wrote about the coinciding of a Blue Supermoon happening in August. I thought this was a great reminder of the way the Church honors the august princess, Mirror of Justice and Morning Star, Mary. I am reminded of this again because a Blue Supermoon, which is apparently fairly rare, is happening in August again for a second consecutive year.
August 19th Blue Supermoon
This year’s Blue Supermoon lands on August 19th, right between the Feast of Mary’s Assumption (August 15th) and the Feast of Mary’s Queenship (August 22nd). By being a Supermoon, this means that the sky will be extra bright as the full moon will be extra close during the nights surrounding Our Lady’s feasts.
Closeness of the Moon: True Devotion to Mary
St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary lay’s out an easy and perfect way to grow closer to Jesus by being close to His mother, Mary. He calls us “to do all that we do, through Mary, with Mary in Mary and for Mary in order to do it more perfectly through Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus, and for Jesus.”
In order to live through, in, and with Mary, we look to her the way we look to the moon, as a light to guide us and to show us the sun. We meditate on her life, learn her virtues, and try to live as closely to the way she would live. Living in Mary is living in the spirit of Mary by her example and her perfections.
10 Principal Virtues of Mary
These are the virtues that we want to live by when living through, with, in, and for Mary. In the order that St. Louis lists them they are:
- Deep Humility
- Lively Faith
- Blind Obedience
- Unceasing Prayer
- Constant Self-denial
- Surpassing Purity
- Ardent Love
- Heroic Patience
- Angelic Kindness (or Sweetness)
- Heavenly Wisdom
Each of these virtues could be reflected on at length individually. For now, maybe one jumps out that will stick with you today so that you can be thinking of Mary and how to be close to her on her Feasts.
On Consecration to Mary
Living your life for Mary is to do all things for Jesus through his mother. He chose to come to us through her, so we can trust that we can be close to Him through her. She can take our offerings to Jesus and present them to Him in a way that is more perfect, as she is without sin and she is with Him.
To fully live the practices laid out in St. Louis’ True Devotion, one would almost have to be a monk. However, that should not stop us from consecrating ourselves to Mary and striving to live by this spirituality.
Consecration is On Going
To consecrate means “to make or declare something sacred.” To make something sacred, like when a priest blesses a sacred object, this is a one time event. However, we can declare something many times through a recommitment.
Consecration to Jesus through Mary
To make a Consecration to Jesus through Mary, there is a great guide that leads you through 33 days in preparation for this commitment of “True Devotion”.
It begins with 12 days to empty yourself of the “spirit of the world”. Then there are 7 days to grow in knowledge of yourself, 7 for Mary, and a final 7 to know Jesus more. The consecration ends with a consecration prayer and commitment to live as slave to Jesus through Mary.
Lastly, this declaration is ongoing. It is encouraged that we renew our consecration on the same date each year, often a Marian feast day.
Though I haven’t lived this consecration perfectly, I continue to renew it each year on August 15th. Each year, the days of preparation with reflections and readings are always a highlight where I rediscover how important this devotion is to me and bringing me closer to Jesus.
See the Sun by Watching the Moon
So this month, when you see a larger than average blue moon in the sky, reflect on how closeness to Mary is a true way to have closeness to Jesus.
I’d highly recommend considering a consecration to Jesus through Mary. If you want to learn more, this link has a good step-by-step guide.
Mary, Mother of God, Pray for Us!
Read more Formed by a Flame or Subscribe to the Newsletter!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In