Marian Consecration
Marian Consecration is...
Our act of consecration to Jesus through Mary centers on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus told Sr. Lucia of His desire to have the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary spread throughout the world and to be placed alongside devotion to His Sacred Heart.
Consecration means to set aside for a sacred purpose. Mary’s life was set aside for the sole purpose of serving our Lord. Mary, as the Mother of Christ, is wholly united to Jesus’ redemptive mission. By following her example, we, too, can completely give ourselves to Christ in a fundamental way that consecrates us to Him. We give our lives to Him in service and love. Thus by dedicating ourselves to the heart of Mary, we discover a sure way to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and grow more in communion with the merciful love of our Savior.
The basic premise set forth by St. Louis Marie de Montfort is simply that Jesus came into the world through Mary and that for us too Mary, as our Heavenly Mother, will keep us close to Jesus.
How to do the Marian Consecration...
The method of consecration set forth by St. Louis de Montfort consists of a 33-day period of prayerful preparation followed by the actual act of consecration, itself, which takes place on “Day 34.” Day 34 of the consecration typically falls on a Marian Feast Day.
The 33-day preparation includes a preliminary period of twelve days of self-examination and emptying ourselves of worldly desires. Following the initial twelve days is a three-week period. Each week is broken down into knowledge of ourselves, the second to that of the Blessed Virgin and the third to that of Jesus Christ.
St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion the Blessed Virgin Mary is a spiritual guide to help us on this consecration. St. Louis de Montfort (1673 – 1716) had a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He extensively on the virtues of Our Lady, what true devotion to her consists in, and how the faithful need to turn to her as the way to her Son, Jesus Christ.
33 Days to Morning Glory – A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration, Fr. Michael Gaitley, provides additional updates into Marian consecration through St. Maximillian Kolbe, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. Pope John Paul II.