33 Day Concecration to Jesus Through Mary Begins Today!

Dear Friends,
All are invited to join the Children's Rosary in a St. Louis De Montfort consecration to Jesus through Mary.  The daily prayers begin today and conclude with a consecration prayer to Jesus through Mary on January 1st 2014: The Feast of Mary Mother of God.

Our Children’s Rosary groups are Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary at their first meeting but this would be a way to beautifully place our individual families under the protection of Our Blessed Mother who always leads us on the straightest path to her son.  For those of you unfamiliar with Consecration to Jesus through Mary it has been blessed and supported by Cardinal Justin Rigali, Bishops and Pope Benedict XVI. Blessed John Paul II urged Catholics to make this Act of Entrustment, which involves ten minutes of private prayer daily, for 33 days, in your home.  Many may be familiar with Totus Tuus which was John Paul’s papal motto. It is a Latin phrase meaning "totally yours" and expressed his personal Consecration to Jesus through Mary.

We would like to use the 33 days to Morning Glory written by Fr. Gaitley to guide our Consecration.    The book has daily reflections with a short prayer.  The first week contains reflections from writings of St. Louis de Montfort.  The second week has excerpts from St. Maximilian Kolbe; the third Bl. Mother Teresa and the fourth Bl. John Paul II.  It spends more time in reflection and less on vocal prayers of litanies.  From all that I have seen it has been well received by many folks and is especially appropriate for children which seemed perfectly suited for our needs.  While I am recommending we use the 33 Days to Morning Glory, if you would prefer using a different format this would be fine.  I myself used the traditional St. Louis de Montfort Consecration prayers but look forward to this more contemplative approach. 

The books 33 Days to Morning Glory can be purchased in many religious gift shops but a slim version with the same content can be obtained free through the website www.myconsecration.org

This morning one of our Children's Rosary group leaders from Kenya wrote that her materials had not arrived in time to begin today.  She said she would begin a Immaculate Conception Novena and attached the one she was planning to begin today.  In reflection a wonderful idea emerged.  I quickly wrote back that I would like to join her in the Immaculate Conception Novena so that she too would be unified in prayers. In this way there would be more prayers going up despite the delay in the mail.  

This actually brought such joy since the Feast of the Immaculate Conception has been so special for the Children's Rosary.  I had hesitated to mention it as I thought beginning two prayer initiatives in one day as a group would be overwhelming. Yet Our Lord always finds a beautiful way of including everyone and bringing joy to a seemingly insurmountable problem.  For those of you reading this post for the first time and who do not have the materials to begin the 33 Day concecration today please consider joining our Immaculate Conception Novena.  For those of you who have the materials may we begin a wonderful journey of prayer which will conclude on January 1st the Feast of Mary Mother of God.

Thank you all and may Our Lord Bless you with joy of heart. Amen.