Consecration to Mary
One
Jesus
What was the very first thing the Son of God did to save the world? He died on the Cross. Yes, but before He could die, He had to become man. And how did He become man? He entrusted Himself entirely to Mary, to be a helpless embryo in her womb, and a little child in her care. He gave Himself completely to her so that she might receive Him, nourish Him, and form Him.
And what did Mary do? Everything. She gave Him His human nature. She nourished, protected, and provided for Him. She educated and formed Him. She prompted the beginning of His public ministry at Cana. She stood by Him at the Cross. She laid Him in the tomb.
Jesus began His saving mission by consecrating Himself to Mary. So, then what should we do if we want to live in imitation of Jesus? Begin by walking on water, preaching to the multitudes, raising the dead…hardly! Begin the way Jesus did. Entrust or consecrate oneself entirely to Mary to be her little son or daughter. We begin by consecration.
Two
John
The Apostle John was the second person to consecrate himself to Mary. When did this take place? At the Cross, Jesus said, “Woman, behold your son…Behold your mother.” (John 19:26–27)
In that moment, Mary became the Mother of the Church, the Mother of every disciple. And then we are told, “From that hour, the disciple took her into his home.” The Greek phrase eis ta idia means far more than a physical home. It means He took her into everything that was his, into his interior life, into his soul. John welcomed Mary into the whole of his life so that the Holy Spirit would form Christ in him. This is consecration. Like the beloved disciple: we welcome Mary into our soul. We entrust ourselves entirely to her so that the Holy Spirit, through her, may form Christ in us
Three
Why Consecration Is Necessary
In every century, the saints tell us that consecration to Mary is the simplest and surest path to becoming like Christ. The Holy Spirit forms Christ in us, and He has chosen to do it through Mary. And yet we fall into the same trap over and over, we try to follow Christ by our effort, we try to form Christ in ourselves.
So, we face a choice: We can try to shape ourselves into Christ by our own effort…or we can entrust ourselves completely to the Holy Spirit working through Mary. St. Louis de Montfort gives us the decisive image: Mary is the “living mold of God.”
A sculptor can chisel a statue out of stone, slowly, painfully, and with constant risk of ruining the work. Or he can pour material into a perfect mold, quickly, easily, and with precision. So, it is with us. If we try to form ourselves, we remain hard, resistant, and unfinished. But if we cast ourselves into Mary, allowing no resistance, she forms us perfectly into Christ. For as Montfort writes, “Mary is the great Mold of God, fashioned by the Holy Spirit…to fashion through grace men who are like God…Everyone who casts himself into it and allows himself to be molded will acquire every feature of Jesus Christ, with little pain or effort, as befits our weak human condition.” Secret of Mary 16-17
This is consecration: not straining to make ourselves into Christ, but consecrating ourselves to Mary so that the Holy Spirit may form Christ within us.
Four
How do we consecrate ourselves to Mary?
Jesus is giving you the Gift of His Mother. From the Cross, He says to you what He said to John, “Behold your mother.” She is a gift, personally given to you by Jesus. Will you accept her and give yourself to her? Like John, you take her into your soul. Consecrate yourself entirely to her so that the Holy Spirit may form Christ in you.
Consecration is a simple act of the will. “Mary, I am all yours.” That is enough. Saints, like St. Louis de Montfort, propose a 33-day preparation. It is a beautiful path, but it is not required. John did not take 33 days at the Cross. He responded in an instant. You can prepare if you wish…use the 33-day plan suggested by Montfort, or pray this Rosary Podcast for 33 days with the intention of preparing, or you can respond right now.
Because consecration is not a program. It is a relationship with your Mother. Just give yourself totally to her.
Five
Act of Consecration
I invite you, right now, to entrust yourself completely to Mary. As I pray this Act of Consecration by St. Maximilian Kolbe, make it your own. Give her your consent. Offer her your whole self. And at the end, seal that gift with your Amen.
“O Immaculate, Queen of heaven and earth, Refuge of sinners and our most Merciful Mother: You to whom God entrusted the entire order of mercy: I,…unworthy sinner, prostrate myself at your feet, humbly imploring you to accept my whole and entire self as your possession and property, and to dispose of me, of all my faculties of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, as it pleases you.”
“Make use of me if such be your will, entirely without reserve to bring about that which was said of you: “She will crush your head,” and again, “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world,” so that in your Immaculate and Merciful hands, I might become a useful instrument towards implanting and developing your glory in a most eminent degree in the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus become instrumental in the spreading the sweet Kingdom of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, for wherever you enter, there you obtain the grace of conversion – since through your hands flow all the graces from the Sweetest Heart of Jesus.”
“Grant that I may praise you, O Sacred Virgin,”
“Give me strength against your enemies!”
“Amen!”