# Should We Really Give Mary Everything? – Day 5 of 33 Days to Morning Glory
*2018-04-13*

> Bill Young explores why St. Louis de Montfort’s consecration asks us to give Mary all our interior and spiritual goods, and how this generosity actually benefits us and those we love.

## Why Give Mary Everything?

In the second part of St. Louis de Montfort’s formula, we are asked to give Mary all our interior and spiritual goods—our merits, virtues, and all good works, past, present, and future. At first glance this sounds overwhelming, but it is actually beautiful. By offering everything to Mary we surrender the right to distribute the grace of our prayers and works. We are saying, “Mary, I entrust you with the disposition of my prayers as you see fit.” This entrustment allows the grace of our prayers to be used in the most effective way, because Mary, from her unique place in heaven and her intimate union with Christ, can discern who most needs that grace.

## How Mary Uses Our Gifts

When we give Mary our prayers, she does not merely keep them for herself; she refines and multiplies them. St. Louis uses a vivid analogy: a humble offering presented to a queen is placed on a golden platter, making the modest gift worthy of the king. Likewise, Mary takes our modest offerings and, by placing them in the “golden platter” of her intercession, makes them more effective. This means there is more grace and merit “to go around” for the needs of the world.

## What About Praying for Our Loved Ones?

A common worry is that by giving Mary the right to distribute our prayers we might lose the ability to pray specifically for family and friends. The answer is that we do not lose that ability. Mary is “never outdone in generosity.” She knows the particular needs of those we love, often better than we do, and she will ensure that their needs are met. We still pray for them, but we also trust Mary to apply the grace of our prayers where it will be most fruitful.

## Practical Steps in the DIY Retreat

This series is a do‑it‑yourself retreat preparing for a Marian consecration. List the people and intentions you hold in your heart and present them to Mary along with the offering of all your interior goods. Remember the prayer for today: “Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary, help me be generous in giving all I have to Mary. Amen.”

*Entrusting all our interior goods to Mary deepens the effectiveness of our prayers while ensuring that the needs of those we love are lovingly cared for.*