Our Blessed Mother and Advent

St Louis de Montfort teaches us that the Total Consecration should be lived out in every part of our lives and throughout the whole year, not only during the time when we renew it. Since the beginning, this has been a difficulty for me, partly because it is often difficult to keep it in mind. Lately, I've been thinking; how can we live out the Consecration this Advent?

There's a beautiful Advent devotion that encourages us to see our hearts like the stable in which Christ was born, and to prepare our hearts for Christmas with prayers, good works, sacrifices, etc.. just like in some homes children prepare a "crib" for baby Jesus with good works throughout the day.

The devotion continues for each day of Advent, and the last one, December 24th, is focused on Mary:

December 24 -
The BLESSED VIRGIN
Go meet your Blessed Mother. Lead her to the manger of your heart and beg her to lay the Divine Infant in it. Shorten your chats and telephone conversations and spend more time today thinking of Jesus and Mary and Joseph.
Come, dear Jesus, Come; my heart longs for You

When I read this, I got this mental picture... I don't know how accurate it is, but here it is. Say your heart is like the stable, - importantly, not like the inn, - full of noise and crowded with people and possessions.. but simple, humble, and not hiding the spiritual poverty that is in us. Only such a heart can accept a Savior, and in such a heart Jesus can be born on Christmas day.

But Jesus was not alone in the stable that day. His Mother and St Joseph were there too.. and it is Mary who gave birth to Him and laid Him in the manger.

This Advent, I want Our Blessed Mary to prepare my heart for Christmas.. to make it more like the stable and less like the inn.. the Holy Family came to the stable because there was no room in the inn, just as there is no room for God in the proud, worldly, and distracted heart. Jesus came to save the lost and the spiritually poor, and though He is the King of Kings, His birth was witnessed by animals and shepherds. Probably the people at the inn didn't even realize He had come into the world. That makes me think, how important are humility and simplicity, and I need Mary to give me these virtues.

I need Mary to make me more able to receive Jesus, so that on Christmas she could come and lay her precious Child there. Maybe all that I could offer Him to lay on is straw... but our Blessed Mother can offer Him something much better, and could hold Him in her arms.

I challenge us all to try and pray the Rosary every day for the rest of Advent (and of course, it is a great idea to pray the Rosary every day any time of the year). May Jesus be born in our hearts through Mary :) .