# Renewal of baptismal vows and the path to consecration
*2018-04-11*

> Bill Young discusses Day 3 of the '33 Days to Morning Glory' retreat, focusing on St. Louis de Montfort's teaching on renewing baptismal vows through Mary to overcome sin.

## The Influence of St. Louis de Montfort

Today we continue our journey through '33 Days to Morning Glory,' a self-directed retreat composed by Father Gately. This first week is concentrated on St. Louis de Montfort, leading us toward the final goal of consecrating ourselves to Mary in the Marian consecration. Yesterday, we pondered the incredible influence that de Montfort's brief life had on the Church. It is striking that a priest who lived only to be 43 years old could leave such a powerful testimony of authority, recognized by no less than the popes.

## Two Keys to Marian Consecration

In the introduction of this retreat, I presented consecration as giving a 'yes' to Mary, allowing her to fulfill God's task of forming us into another Christ. However, St. Louis de Montfort provides two key emphases to explain this further: first, the renewal of our baptismal vows, and second, the particular intimate gift of ourselves to Mary. We are looking at the first of these today.

## The Significance of Baptism

The day of our baptism is the most significant day of our lives. It is when we, poor sinful creatures, are not only cleansed of sin but given the amazing dignity and honor of being transformed into sons and daughters of the Almighty God. On that joyous occasion, we promised—or others promised in our name—to reject Satan and commit ourselves to Jesus Christ. While we solemnly renew these promises every Easter, the reality is that we often fail to keep them. We are sinners, and we frequently give in to Satan's prompts and reject Christ in small ways.

## Overcoming Sin Through Mary

Why do we fall? While original sin and our fallen nature play a role, St. Louis de Montfort invites us to examine our consciences deeper. He suggests that a primary reason we fall into sin is the forgetfulness of our baptismal promises. De Montfort suggests that if we personally and sincerely renew our baptismal vows and place them in the hands of Mary, this act alone will go a long way in helping us overcome sin. This is why renewal of vows is an essential element of his prayers of consecration.

## The Power of Humility

In his prayer, de Montfort has us address Mary, saying: 'I, [Name], a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my baptism. I renounce forever Satan, his prompts, and his works, and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life and to be more faithful to Him than I ever had been before.'

By doing this through Mary, we attack sin at its root. Why through Mary? Because God has put the enmity between her and Satan, as seen in Genesis 3:15. According to St. Louis, Satan fears her humility more than divine power; the proud enemy is more humbled and beaten by a humble handmaid of God than by anything else.

*We can effectively overcome sin by formally renouncing Satan and recommitting ourselves to Christ through the humble mediation of Mary.*