Our Lady and our Prisons

Elaine Sinnott shares how Our Lady revealed the prison she had built around herself, preventing her from growing spiritually.

What is a Marian Consecration?

This past May 13, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima, I renewed my Marian consecration to Jesus through Mary. And I was amazed how she immediately revealed something to me that was hindering me spiritually and as a wife and mother.

What is a Marian consecration? It’s giving ourselves to Jesus through Mary, granting her permission to use us to gain souls for heaven. We give her our sufferings, our joy, our heart, our prayers. And she has permission to use those for someone who needs them the most. In turn, she protects us and showers us with graces we need to lead others and ourselves closer to her Son.

And when completing a Marian consecration, we accept everything as coming from Mary from there on out. We are to trust that whatever comes our way will draw us closer to her Son.

A Mother’s Intervention

The day after I completed the renewal of my consecration, I found myself searching for my phone for an hour with no luck. This wasn’t unusual with five children running around, the toddler especially finding great joy in taking my phone.

I grabbed my laptop and messaged my husband on Facebook Messenger since he had recently left for work on his night shift. I asked him if he could call my phone, and at the same time he messaged me saying he realized it was in his pocket.

“I grabbed it from upstairs to bring down to you before I left, but completely forgot,” he said.

So odd, I thought.

Earlier that day, I had glanced up at a painting of the Blessed Mother holding her Immaculate Heart and began mumbling to myself “How can Mary use me when I’ve been more impatient today than I have in weeks?! HOW?!” All this mumbling was running through my mind as I scrolled on my phone and ignored my children, often getting irritated with them when they’d “interrupt” me.

“How can you possibly use me, Mother?” I begged for an answer

Well, a few hours later, she took my phone away. Haha! Just like a good mother would!

I struggled with putting my phone down. And being on my phone made me nasty to my kids and husband. I was aware of this, yet I still sat and scrolled. I wanted a temporary escape from the constant chaos and ignored my children to have just that.

So realizing I was going to be phone-less for the duration of my husband’s shift from 6 pm to 6 am, I thought of what else I could do before bed. I didn’t know what to do with myself after I put the kids to bed for the night.

Leaving the Cell

As soon as I walked into my bedroom (early, instead of too late as usual) with only my cup of water in my hand and no phone in the other, I suddenly whispered, “I feel like I’m not in prison anymore.” This was the very first thought that shot through my mind. It was extremely eye-opening.

I had the freedom to pray. I prayed my Rosary effortlessly instead of fighting with myself about it, normally preferring YouTube over that calming contemplative prayer.

I was also more productive than I had been in weeks. From that flowed two articles I needed to finish with upcoming due dates, articles I had been struggling to write before that.

The Gospel of Facebook

I was always justifying to myself: “I have five kids and a business. I don’t have time to pray as much as I should!”

And yet, I had probably 1 to 2 hours of phone surfing each day. Maybe more. So what was my true priority? Where was my heart? My treasure? (Matthew 6:21)

But Our Lady’s help didn’t stop there.

Then I received a gentle rebuke. I opened my Bible to the first page of Galatians just because I wanted to see what I could find, looking for an encouraging word. And I saw this:

“I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel.” (Galatians 1:6)

Ouch! I am so sorry, Lord!

I had been frustrated thinking I couldn’t even write anymore because I couldn’t think of anymore material. It was a major struggle.

But what material am I going to get from the gospel of Facebook??

N.O.T.H.I.N.G.

My Blessed Mother gently showed me if I just put my phone down how much the spiritual world would open up for me! And how much I’d learn and therefore be able to share.

Removing Your Prison Bars

If you’re struggling with this exact same prison, I recommend doing two things:

1. Leave your phone in your kitchen charging at night. DO NOT take it to bed. Buy an alarm clock for your nightstand if you rely on your phone for your clock and alarm.
2. Read 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration by Michael E. Gaitley (not sponsored, just highly recommended)

Consecrating ourselves to Jesus through His Mother takes us into a deeper understanding of her role in the wedding at Cana. She interceded for and asked for the needs of the couple to be met by going to her Son. Then she told the servers, “do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5) She will intercede for you and for your needs as well!

This is Our Heavenly Mother’s role. To help us draw closer to her Son each and every day. Everything that comes from her is an invitation for you to grow closer to Jesus. No one knows how important a relationship with Him is more than Mary.

It’s amazing how incredible and loving our Blessed Mother is. Jesus gave her to us while on the Cross: “Behold your mother.” (John 19:26) She will always point us to Him in everything she does for us.

Making Your Own Marian Consecration

If you’re tired of being stagnant in your spiritual life, this book will help you so much to begin moving forward in love and trust of your Lord Jesus Christ.

If you’ve been thinking of doing the consecration but haven’t moved forward, here is your sign you need: Do it. You will never regret it!

What is your prison? What is keeping you from being the person you want to be? Is it your phone as well, or a completely different prison? Is it anger? Gossip? Lust?

What is keeping you from spending time with Jesus?

I dare you to go through the 33 Days to Morning Glory retreat yourself and see how your Heavenly Mother will help you escape your own prison and become closer to her Son! Ask her to reveal to you the things you need to remove in your life to allow Jesus to sit on the throne of your heart.

What is your prison? What is keeping you from being the person you want to be? #catholicmom

Copyright 2020 Elaine Sinnott
Image: Denny Muller (2018), Unsplash