Total Consecration Through the Mysteries of the Rosary (Sophia Institute Press)

St. Louis de Montfort was a great man who understood one of the great "secrets" of Catholicism - the quickest way to Jesus is through Mary. However, he didn't keep this truth to himself. He shared it with everyone in his numerous writings, particularly True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. In this treatise, he gave people a 33-day program to consecrate themselves to Jesus through Mary. Recently, Sophia Institute Press published a book by Fr. Ed Broom called Total Consecration Through the Mysteries of the Rosary. Drawing from de Montfort for inspiration, Fr. Broom developed this do-it-yourself retreat that uses the Mysteries of the Rosary and the Seven Sorrows of Mary as the backbone for this consecration.

The book is divided into five weeks with one week devoted to each set of Rosary mysteries (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious) and one week to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Each week is further divided into days, which focus on individual mysteries/sorrows. Since there are only five mysteries in each set, you will find that some weeks, you are asked to pick a mystery already covered and re-visit it. Each day is laid out as follows:

1. Scripture passage to read slowly and prayerfully
2. Meditation on the particular mystery/sorrow
3. Bullet points of Consideration (For example, in the Visitation, you reflect on Mary Starting her Journey, Mary's Canticle of Praise, and Mary's Three Months with Elizabeth)
4. A daily walk/conversation with Mary to properly close the mediation and apply it to your daily life

For those who have never participated in a consecration, this one was put together beautifully. Each day is laid out succinctly. It is detailed enough, so you don't have to pull from other resources that you don't need to turn to another resource when going through this book, but simple enough that you won't feel overwhelmed on your journey. If you are familiar with the Rosary already and pray it every day, then you need this book and to perform this consecration.

This book was provided to me for free by Sophia Institute Press in exchange for an honest review.