Montfort’s direction for this phase
227. First practice. Those men and women who wish to enter into this particular devotion, which is by no means erected into a confraternity, although that were to be wished, after having, as I have said in the first part of this preparation for the Reign of Jesus Christ, spent twelve days at least in emptying themselves of the spirit of the world, contrary to that of Jesus Christ, shall spend three weeks in filling themselves with Jesus Christ through the Most Blessed Virgin. Here is the order they may keep:
St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary §227. Our complete English edition.
Montfort unfolds that order in the three weeks that follow: knowledge of self, of Mary, and of Jesus Christ. These first twelve days prepare for those weeks.
True Devotion to Mary, paragraphs 94–95
This optional reading accompanies the phase; Montfort’s preparation instructions above remain the guide.
94. The scrupulous devotees are people who fear to dishonor the Son by honoring the Mother, to abase the one by elevating the other. They cannot bear that the Blessed Virgin should be given the very just praises which the holy Fathers have given her; they can hardly endure that there should be more people kneeling before an altar of the Blessed Virgin than before the Blessed Sacrament, as if the one were contrary to the other; as if those who pray to the Blessed Virgin were not praying to Jesus Christ through her! They do not want us to speak so often of the Blessed Virgin, or to address ourselves to her so often. Here are some of the sayings that are usual with them: What is the good of so many chaplets, so many confraternities and exterior devotions to the Blessed Virgin? There is much ignorance in all that. It makes a mummery of our religion. Speak to me of those who are devout to Jesus Christ (they often name him without uncovering their heads, I say it by way of parenthesis): we must have recourse to Jesus Christ, he is our only mediator; we must preach Jesus Christ, that is the solid thing! What they say is true in one sense; but with regard to the application they make of it, to hinder devotion to the Most Blessed Virgin, it is very dangerous, and a subtle snare of the evil one, under the pretext of a greater good; for never is Jesus Christ more honored than when the Most Blessed Virgin is more honored, since one honors her only in order to honor Jesus Christ more perfectly, since one goes to her only as the way by which to find the end to which one is going, which is Jesus.
95. Holy Church, with the Holy Spirit, blesses the Blessed Virgin first, and Jesus Christ second: Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Not that the Blessed Virgin is more than Jesus Christ or equal to him: that would be an intolerable heresy; but in order to bless Jesus Christ more perfectly, one must first bless Mary. Let us say, then, with all the true devotees of the Blessed Virgin, against her scrupulous false devotees: O Mary, you are blessed among all women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary §§94–95. Our complete English edition.
The prayers for this phase
Turn away from the spirit of the world and ask to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus. The prayers below are this companion’s selection for these first twelve days. Continue your accustomed Rosary.
The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Traditional Catholic prayer.
Act of Contrition
O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.
Baltimore Catechism No. 1 (1885).
Veni Creator Spiritus · Come, Creator Spirit
Come, Creator Spirit, visit the minds of those who are Thine; fill with heavenly grace the hearts which Thou hast made.
Thou who art called the Paraclete, gift of God Most High, living fountain, fire, and charity, and spiritual anointing:
Thou art sevenfold in Thy gifts, the finger of the Father’s right hand; Thou art the Father’s promised gift, enriching our tongues with speech.
Kindle light within our minds; pour love into our hearts; sustain the weakness of our bodies with Thy enduring strength.
Drive the enemy far away, and grant us peace without delay; with Thee going before us as our guide, may we avoid all harm.
Through Thee may we know the Father, and know the Son as well; and may we believe in Thee, the Spirit of them both, for ever.
Glory be to God the Father, and to the Son who rose from the dead, and to the Paraclete, unto ages without end. Amen.
Traditional Latin hymn; English rendering for The Marian Way.
Ave Maris Stella · Hail, Star of the Sea
Hail, Star of the Sea, loving Mother of God, and ever Virgin, blessed gate of heaven.
Receiving that Ave from Gabriel’s mouth, establish us in peace, reversing the name of Eve.
Loosen the bonds of the guilty; bring light to the blind; drive away our evils; ask for us every good.
Show thyself a mother: through thee may He receive our prayers who, born for us, willed to be thy Son.
Virgin without equal, meek above all others, make us, freed from sin, meek and chaste.
Grant us a pure life; prepare a safe journey, that, seeing Jesus, we may rejoice together for ever.
Praise be to God the Father, glory to Christ Most High, and to the Holy Spirit: one honor to the Three. Amen.
Traditional Latin hymn; English rendering for The Marian Way.
Close in prayer.
O mother of mercy, you are full of charity towards all; do not forget my miseries. You already see them. Commend me to that God who denies you nothing. Obtain for me the grace to be able to imitate you in holy charity, both towards God and towards my neighbour. Amen.
St. Alphonsus de Liguori · The Glories of Mary · On the Charity of Mary towards Our NeighbourPrayer sources and translation notes
Days 1–12: turn away from the spirit of the world and ask to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus. Montfort appoints at least twelve days for this purpose in True Devotion 227 but does not supply a fixed daily prayer list there. The Act of Contrition, Veni Creator, and Ave Maris Stella are the traditional prayers chosen for this companion; they are an editorial aid, not an additional rule attributed to Montfort. Continue your accustomed Rosary. Read Montfort’s direction.
The Sign of the Cross
Traditional formula; Holy Spirit matches the site’s prayer register.
Act of Contrition
Complete historical public-domain prayer; no wording borrowed from a modern prayer adaptation.
Veni Creator Spiritus · Come, Creator Spirit
Traditional Latin hymn; fresh English rendering for The Marian Way. All seven stanzas are included.
Ave Maris Stella · Hail, Star of the Sea
Traditional Latin hymn; fresh English rendering for The Marian Way. All seven stanzas are included; Ave and Eva retain the hymn’s contrast between Mary’s welcome and Eve’s disobedience.
An optional memory aid saved on this device. You may read any day at any time.
The preparation follows St. Louis de Montfort’s directions in True Devotion to Mary §§227–233. The readings are his words in our English translation. Their day-by-day selection and the first twelve days’ prayer selection are this companion’s arrangement; Montfort does not assign a separate reading for each day.