What’s the point of consecration to Mary, anyway? What if I already have a devotion to Mary, pray the Rosary, and ask for her intercession?Ĭonsecration to Mary is simply a furthering and deepening of our devotion to and relationship with Jesus through Our Lady. This period of prayer culminates in a beautiful prayer of consecration that one makes in conjunction with the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the reception of Holy Communion, ideally on a Marian feast day. His 33-day prayer consists of short instructions on why one would even consecrate themselves to Mary in the first place (more on that below) and praying the Rosary and other various prayers to Mary and God. She is, after all, our mother, too.Ī more formal method of consecration to Mary was developed by Saint Louis de Montfort in the 1600s. We’ve been asking for Mary’s intercession and intervention in our lives since the beginning of the Church. The early Christians and Church fathers recognized Mary’s holiness and her significance as the Mother of God. Jesus Himself entrusted His beloved disciple, John, to Mary while He was on the Cross (John 19:26-27). The act of entrusting oneself to Mary’s care and intercession is nothing new. Marian consecration is the act of entrusting one’s body, soul, possessions, works, and entire life to the protection, guidance, and intercession of Our Lady. One of the definitions for the word “consecrate” is to “dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose” ( source).
Consecrating oneself to Our Lady is a profoundly spiritual and impactful path to sanctity. One such tradition that has been practiced throughout the centuries is Marian consecration.
Holy Mother Church offers prayers, devotions, liturgies, and traditions that speak to every personality and life stage of her children. As Catholics, we have an incredibly rich spiritual buffet presented to us.