“Everywhere in the world where my messages have been given, it would seem that one preached in the cemeteries. The response which the Lord expected was not there..."

“The Holy Rosary is the weapon which the enemy fears. It is also the refuge of those who look for relief for the sufferings, and it is the door to enter into my heart."

Interestingly, Mary also here says, "The prince of evil spills today his poison with all the forces, because he sees that he is concluding his sad reign. He has little left, his end is near" and "The coming of the Savior is imminent...”

--From approved apparitions at San Nicolas, Argentia.

(http://www.ncregister.com/blog/joseph-pronechen/its-official-major-apparitions-of-mary-are-approved)

Other approved apparitions have also mentioned the Jesus' return. We don't know when, but that approved apparitions speak of this is obviously of tremendous importance. How much time is left to help Mary save souls? We don't know, but for whoever is going to die today, their time is about up, and the time to help save them by prayer and sacrifice is now, not later.

Jesus Longs for Us to Console Mary

Jesus desires that each person console Mary. And of course he would! Do we not share his divine life? Do we not have his Heart as our own? We, too, should long to console Mary, who is the Beloved of each soul alive with Jesus' life...

"On December 10th, 1925, the most holy Virgin appeared to her, and by her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was a child. The most holy Virgin rested her hand on her shoulder, and as she did so, she showed her a heart encircled by thorns, which she was holding in her other hand. At the same time, the Child said:

'Have compassion on the Heart of your most Holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them.'”

From Fatima in Lucia’s own words, Vol. I, ed. by Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD., Postulation Centre, Fatima, Portugal, 9th edition, 1995, p. 231.

Insignia Blessed

Yesterday, the day after the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary-Our Lady of Victory, but still the weekend of the feast, our pastor at the Dominican parish we attend blessed the Consolatio Mariae insignia, specifically the one on the first item to bear the insignia. It was a beautiful blessing that the insignia and the association would lead many hearts to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

Interestingly, having the insignia blessed at this time was not deliberate. I had been looking to have it blessed as soon as the shirt came in the mail, but it wasn't working out during the week (I go to daily Mass at a different and closer parish). I figured it would be best anyway to ask our pastor to bless it, since he knows about and has encouraged the association. In fact I asked, earlier in the week, my Guardian Angel to arrange, somehow, for the pastor specifically to bless the insignia on the coming Sunday. I wasn't sure I would see him on Sunday, and three other priests were at the Mass we went to, the pastor no where in sight. They say different Masses at different times of course. After Mass I saw no priests at all whom I could ask to bless the insignia. But I figured I would try outside in the front of the church, figuring if there was one there it would be the priest who said Mass. There to my wondering eyes was the pastor, only the pastor, no idea why he was the only one there and why the priest who was saying Mass was not there, as any of them usually would be. Providential timing! He had just been given a rum cake by some friends for he and the friars, and the friends having left, it was only Father and I there. And thus the blessing came about on the weekend of the Rosary by our pastor. 

May all hearts be saved from the dragon, the ancient serpent, who prowls about trying to murder souls, and may they be brought to Mary's Heart there to share Jesus' own union with her.

"The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness."

-Our Lady in her apparitions at Akita, Japan

We should keep in mind that usually people die as they live. Most people today are far from God. About 6,300 people die each hour. The likelihood that some of those souls end up in Hell is really a certainty, though the numbers are a guess. But if it was "many souls" in 1917, it is surely not less worse now. 

This is a tragic concurrence of facts, but knowing important facts is not a doom and gloom thing. It's also deadly to run into a highway, and one should tell one's kids not to go there, and if there is a fire and people are trapped, it is not doom and gloom to say there are people in the house on fire and we must run in to save them if possible or they will die. This is an act of charity. 

So it is with so many souls in danger of going to Hell. Their home, so to speak, for many, is on fire. But we can rush in with Mary to save at least some of them. Pray the Rosary, make sacrifices, however small, strive for sanctity, and console Mary, which also consoles her little Son. 

Photos--not very good, but the best I could get--of the very first Consolatio Mariae vesture: dark blue (photo does not bring this out well at all) sweatshirt with insignia of Consolatio Mariae, embroidered. After weeks of preparation, it came in the mail yesterday. If you are are member of this private association, I encourage you to get something with the logo to wear as well; sweatshirt, jacket, polo shirt. This is a witness to the world, admittedly a small one, of the Catholic Faith. It is also a sweet reminder to the one wearing it of Mary's joy at our helping her to save souls by prayer and sacrifices. This truly does save souls--the devil is very good at trying to convince us it is useless or a waste of time or is imagination. Don't listen to thoughts like that, it's just the evil spirit.

In regard to printed or embroidered clothing, again, there are many venders out there. I went with Queensboro. Some of the best people in business I have worked with. They do have a $50 minimum order, but you could get two shirts, or various other things they have, such as coffee mugs etc, and have the emblem put on anything. The sweatshirt itself that I got, with embroidery, only cost me 26.00 and change.

“My child, behold my heart surrounded with the thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me.” #consolemary

A Consecration Prayer of Offering to Console Mary

From Mary, the Beloved by Keith Berube, MA (copyright 2017 Enroute Books and Media)

Mary, my life and my sweetness, I give myself totally to you, I give my heart to you and take your Heart as my own. I want to console you in your sorrows, remove thorns from your Heart, love your Heart as dearer than my own, and in so doing place the balm of requited love upon your Heart.

Jesus, give me this grace: to truly requite Mary’s love for me, and to console her in her sorrows. On my own, Jesus, I cannot; but if you and I are one, then I can, because then it is not I that live, but you that live in me and as one with me, and then she can lean upon me. “Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved?” (Canticles, 8:5).

Not that Mary, the Strong Woman of Proverbs 31, needs to lean upon me—I need to lean upon her! (“She will feed him with the bread of understanding, and give him the water of wisdom to drink. He will lean on her and will not fall, and he will rely on her and will not be put to shame,” Sirach 15:3-4). But let me console her, as her beloved, to whom she can look to and rely on for comfort in her sorrow.

So lean on me, my most precious Mary, who loves me with the purest love of every womanly love, with all the loves of mother, sister and spouse, you who were entrusted to me at the Cross by Jesus in his holy Passion as I was entrusted to you. Lean on my prayers, sufferings, mortifications and Holy Communions offered to you in penance for sins and to save souls with you.

Be comforted, my sorrowful Mary, because I love you with all my heart and mind and will, as Jesus loves you. Your love in me is requited! I am all yours, I love you as my Mother, sister and spouse, as you love me with all these loves (“She will come to meet him like a mother, and like the wife of his youth she will welcome him,” Sirach 15:2), and I take you for all mine with praise and thanksgiving to Our Father.

May we and all those souls we save from Hell rejoice with him in his house forever more. Amen.

Below are the two versions of the insignia of Consolatio Mariae. The first is the version to use for embroidery. Note that the circle of white with the blue will the color of whatever the insigna is embroidered upon. So, if on a navy blue sweatshirt, that white ring will be navy blue. One can use the second image of the insignia as an embroidery, but due to more color makes it much more expensive since there are many more stitches involved. So the second version, below, is better for a printed version (screen or digital).

Consolatio Mariae

Private Association of Consolatio Mariae (“The Consolation of Mary”)

Founded on August 14, 2017

Statutes

A private association of the faithful comprised of those faithful who strive to heed the words of Mary at Fatima, “Many souls go to hell because there is no one who prays or makes sacrifices for them,” and who thus pray and make sacrifices in their daily lives in order to help Mary save those souls and to console her Heart. This private association exists per canons 298 (this private association, Consolatio Mariae, exists to exercise the works of piety and charity as outlined in the document below, per canon 298) and 299, with due regard for the prescriptions of canons 300 (this private association, Consolatio Mariae, does not, nor will, use the name “Catholic” without the “consent of competent ecclesiastical authority,” per canon 300) and  301 (this private association, Consolatio Mariae, does not “set out to teach Christian doctrine in the name of the Church, promote public worship or aim at other ends whose pursuit by their nature is reserved to ecclesiastical authority” per canon 301).

Purpose

The goal of this association is simple and requires very little of those who join: First, to join it is recommended, not required, that one have made a total consecration to Mary. In addition to this, all that is added to one’s life otherwise is a bit more prayer, especially the Rosary, a bit more sacrifice, trying to go to Mass every day if possible, being invested in and wearing the Brown Scapular, and a few other things we as Catholics should be doing (or trying to do) anyway.

Of course, one can fulfill this request of Mary at Fatima on one’s own. Why then this group? The basic idea is that it is generally easier to do something if many people are doing the same thing, and so this group is a way for people to say, “I am doing this too, you are not alone!” Further, to join this association is an encouragement for other Catholics to also heed the words of Mary at Fatima, and still further, such an association is a witness of the Gospel to the world as member of this association put into practice in their individual lives key elements of the spiritual works of mercy: By simply belonging to this group a member, by his or her very life, is admonishing sinners in a passive manner; a member of this group is also comforting the afflicted by praying and sacrificing for those who live in the darkness of sin and which souls are thus most afflicted; and a member of this group is also praying for the living (physically) who are dead (spiritually) in sin.

In brief, this association is solely for the purpose of praying and sacrificing for souls per Mary’s request at Fatima and as an encouragement to others who are doing this or want to.

Members...

1 It is recommended, have made a total consecration to Mary (prior to joining), but this is not essential.  

The reason for the recommendation: In total consecration to Mary, one gives Mary all of one’s life, including prayers, good works, penances, sacrifices, merits and all temporal and spiritual goods (True Devotion, n. 123 and n. 124): “All his sufferings, all his thoughts, words, and deeds belong to Mary. She can then dispose of them in accordance with the will of her Son and for his greater glory” (True Devotion, n. 124). Clearly praying and sacrificing for sinners to save them from Hell is the will of her Son, since Mary speaks of this at Fatima as something Catholics ought to do. Because a person is consecrated to Mary he or she is thus able to fulfill her request at Fatima in a very deep way, since everything in one’s life is used by Mary for the good of souls, even when the person consecrated to her is not conscious of this in a particular moment of prayer, suffering or sacrifice.

2 Wear the Brown (or “Five-Fold”) scapular (if not invested in the Brown Scapular or Five-Fold Scapular ask a priest to enroll you).

3 Pray (or at least try to pray) a five-decade Rosary each day.

4 Try to pray the Rosary as much as possible in one’s state in life over and above those 5 decades. This has a double benefit: listening to music, watching TV, playing video games, etc must be put aside at times in order to pray the Rosary more, and this is a) a good sacrifice to offer for souls who are in danger of Hell and b) purifying for the soul of the one so sacrificing. These extra Rosaries or at least extra decades can be prayed in the car, prior to bed, in the middle of the night if one wakes up and can’t sleep, taking a walk, and so on. It does not mean totally giving up music, TV, etc, but in sometimes sacrificing those things to spend time with Mary and save souls with her. This may mean one five-decade Rosary and adding an additional 1 decade of whatever mystery one wants to pray. Or it may mean praying all 15 decades of the Rosary, or more.

5 Try to always carry a Rosary on one’s person, in a pocket, on one’s belt, in a purse, etc.

6 Try to spread devotion to the Rosary when possible, encouraging other Catholics to pray it or pray it more.

7 Try to go to Mass and Holy Communion every day, if possible.

8 Offer up other sacrifices/penances for others. They can be small or big: no sugar in one’s coffee; no salt on one’s food; not drinking in the night if you wake up thirsty; fasting on bread and water on Fridays if it won’t interfere with one’s work; etc.

9 Strive to know and love Mary more and more and ask Jesus for this grace for oneself and others. Try to be like Mary by living with her and imitating her virtues, sweetness, and love of souls, and try to be like Jesus--and no one is more like Jesus than Mary.

10 Optional, but a good thing to do in that this keeps one conscious of Mary’s request to pray and sacrifice for sinners and as a good example to others and to encourage others to heed Mary’s request: Wear when possible or practicable a shirt, sweatshirt, or hooded sweatshirt with insignia of the group; again, optional since buying a shirt is a cost and joining and remaining in the group costs nothing. Any color shirt available may be chosen, but all shirts must be absolutely modest and have the same insignia of the group, though there is a slightly modified version for an embroidered version. These two insignia are seen at the bottom of this document.

To order such a shirt one only has to find a shirt printing or embroidery company that one feels comfortable purchasing from. On such companies’ websites there will be an option to upload a logo from one’s own computer files. Simply save and upload the picture file of the insignia. The usual placement of the insignia is on the left shoulder area, though usually other options are available: right shoulder, back, etc. Placement is optional according to what one wants. Members could also have this insignia put on any suitable object (backpack, a coffee mug, etc). The two forms of the insignia will be available on Facebook at the Consolatio Mariae Facebook group or at the Consolation Mariae website (in the process of being created).

Obtaining a shirt in this way allows that neither the Association of Consolatio Mariae, as an association, nor any members, including the founder, receive any money or remuneration for these shirts or use of the insignia. Indeed, this association has nothing to do with making money in any way, shape or form. Consolatio Mariae is solely a spiritual association of individuals.

Wearing the insignia is meant to be a sign of membership and is reserved to those who are members (keeping in mind of course that if a person, for example, only has one jacket to wear, and that jacket contains the insignia, there is no prohibition; the prohibition of using the insignia if not a member is only prohibited if it’s reasonable to avoid it. In any case, in regard to number 12 above, none of this binds under any sin—this prohibition is simply requested; only using the insignia for any deliberately deceitful or immoral purpose would be sinful inasmuch as deliberate lying and immorality are objectively sinful for anyone in any case).

11 There are no meetings. Each member tries to carry out Our Lady’s request in his or her own life, hopefully encouraged that others are doing the same thing and hopefully by their lives encouraging others also to heed Our Lady’s request.

12 Obviously none of the above binds under any sort of sin in any regard; to be a member of this association is a completely voluntary undertaking and one may withdraw or rejoin at any time if one wishes to.

13 To join, and in regard to the statutes 1-13, one need simply desire to join and put into practice in one’s life the statutes as outlined above; make an act of the will. However, members are encouraged to submit their name, if possible, so that some record of how many people are involved may be kept. Submitting one’s name may be done by joining Consolatio Mariae via the association’s presence on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1902231673430874/?ref=group_header) or by sending one’s name to the moderator at the following email (again, name only; further, this account is not meant for replying to people) to mariavirginediligote@gmail.com. Of course it is possible that the email could change, become defunct, the Facebook presence could be lost, the current moderator could die, etc, hence the option to join by a simple act of the will. Given this, while there is a membership role, it likely will not reflect the complete count of members.

14 This group belongs totally to the Blessed Virgin Mary and is a gift of love to her from myself, the undersigned, and from every single member of this private association.

In sum

Aside from this group, I know of no other association of the faithful, confraternity or other group that has been established for the sole purpose of praying and sacrificing for the salvation of souls per Mary’s lament and request at Fatima. Mary is able to use our prayers and sacrifices to save souls from Hell, and thus we console her, who so loves each soul that she willingly offered her Son on the Cross for each of us that we may be with her in Heaven. Hence the name of this group: Consolatio Mariae, “The Consolation of Mary.” And since it is generally easier to do something if many people are doing the same thing, as previously mentioned, this group is a way for people to fulfill Our Lady’s request at Fatima, or would like to, or would like to do it better, and in joining to say, “I am doing this too, you are not alone!” In this way we are each encouraged. All individual members, as unique human persons and as a group, are thus presented to Mary as a balm for her Heart, bringing her consolation and joy, and not only to her, but to her Son, in this time of grievous trial for the world.

Below are the two versions of the insignia of Consolatio Mariae. The first is the version to use for embroidery. Note that the circle of white with the blue will the color of whatever the insigna is embroidered upon. So, if on a navy blue sweatshirt, that white ring will be navy blue. One can use the second image of the insignia as an embroidery, but due to more color makes it much more expensive since there are many more stitches involved. So the second version, below, is better for a printed version (screen or digital).