I have hundreds of books, half unread, some on the nightstand, in a bag, on a shelf, stacked in closets, and truly, if I only had Saint Louis DeMontfort’s True Devotion to read for the rest of my life, I would die in good shape. Feeling like a rudderless ship, and curious about when the next Consecration to Mary would begin, I reached for this book, opened it, and, oh, what a coincidence — the next consecration would start the very next day. And so here we are, already on day five, feeling the weight of temptation, the misery of my sin, the disgust at any inclination towards earthly things, and loving every minute of it. Thank you, Blessed Mother, for your heroic patience when it comes to me-little me, prideful me, jealous me, always offended me-for never failing to lead me to your Son, whom without, I would continue to open the door of temptation at the very first knock, drown in my pride, and quit every good resolution I ever made and was once so confident I would maintain forever. Oh Jesus, thank you for this test, this painful trial and tribulation, for without these, “I am in danger of ruining myself.”1
True Devotion to Mary with Preparation for Total Consecration, Saint Louis De Montfort, TAN Classic Books, 2010, p.160