How to Make Your Consecration to Mary
What is Total Consecration to Mary?
Consecration means setting yourself aside for service to God. The Church has always advocated consecrating yourself to Jesus Christ through the Blessed Virgin Mary, the perfect model of discipleship
From the earliest known prayer to Mary, the Sub Tuum Praesidium (c. 200) to St. John Damascene (d. 750) to St. Louis de Montfort (d. 1716), devotion to Mary and total consecration to her have ancient roots. In our times Pope John Paul II recommended an “act of entrustment” to Mary (his papal motto was an enthusiastic Totus Tuus-“Totally Yours”). St. Maximilian Kolbe adds a strong missionary dimension to Marian consecration.
Marian consecration, therefore, is no archaic spirituality but is a living and active means of advancing the Faith as a People of God. It is not just another “devotion,” but is a complete spirituality, one not lightly undertaken.
In 1992 the Holy Father developed our understanding of this consecration even further. By dying for another and “consecrating his life to the lmmaculate Virgin,” St. Maximilian has become, suggested the Holy Father, a “prophet and a sign of the new era, the civilization of love.” St. John Paul endorsed the Kolbean example of Marian Consecration as a critical element of the “New Evangelization” for the third Christian millennium, and St. Maximilian as a primary intercessor.
What is the Militia of the Immaculata?
The MILITIA OF THE IMMACULATA (MI) is a worldwide evangelization movement founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe in 1917. It encourages total consecration to Mary Immaculate as a means of personal conversion and sanctification, and of spiritual renewal of society. Marian consecration in the MI is a formal act of self-giving that does not stop at Mary but is Christ-directed. It is really a consecration to Jesus through, in, and with Mary. The MI motto is “To lead every individual through Mary to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
The MI employs prayer and self-sacrifice as the main tools in the spiritual battle for the victory of good over evil. As Marian missionary disciples, MI members also engage in apostolic initiatives throughout society, either individually or in groups, to give witness to the Lord and our Catholic Faith and to spread devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
By joining the MI, you become a willing instrument of Our Lady, the handmaid of the Lord, and the immaculate instrument of God! You become a member of an international spiritual family sharing in the maternal mission of Mary for the conversion and sanctification of all souls. The goal of the MI is nothing less than the conversion and sanctification of all people and, ultimately, the universal reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: “To win the whole world for Christ through the Immaculata.”
The MI is a Vatican-approved international public association of the faithful, whose mission, like that of the Catholic Church, is universal. Although membership in the MI is open to Catholics only, the MI encourages all people of goodwill to develop a trusting relationship with Our Lady, given to each person as our Mother by the Lord as He was on the Cross (cf. Jn 19:25-27).
Why Should I Join the MI?
Consecrating yourself to Mary through the ideal of St. Maximilian will be one of the most important acts of your life. You will be placing yourself under the mantle of Mary’s protective care as the Immaculate Conception, Mother of the Church and Mediatrix of All Graces.
Through total consecration, you cooperate with Mary in the work of building up and renewing the Church of the third millennium. She will enlighten your mind, guide your will, empower your efforts and intercede for you in a special way before the throne of the Father. You will also share in the intercessory prayers of all MI members, especially the Knights at the Foot of the Cross, who pray daily for the success of the MI movement and the sanctification of its members.
Finally, you will have the support that comes from being a part of an international movement of spiritual renewal. You will have access to MI materials, its online resources, and regular mailings from the National Office on how better to live out your consecration.
Am I Ready to Consecrate Myself Totally to Mary and Join the MI?
The spirit of the MI is an invitation to continual conversion and conformity to Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Not everyone who enrolls as a member understands perfectly, in the beginning, the power of this consecration. But when lived in the spirit of willingness and humility, the Immaculata will elevate our natural gifts and inspire us to holiness and fruitful service within the Church.
As Jesus said to those who would stand up and follow Him: “Even greater things than these will you do.”
How Do I Enroll in the MI?
A. SELECT the date on which you want your name recorded in the official register of the MI, preferably a Marian feast day, and enroll online at our website.
- January 1 Solemnity of the Mother of God
- February 2 Presentation of the Lord
- February 11 Our Lady of Lourdes
- March 25 Solemnity of the Annunciation (occasionally moved to another date)
- May 13 Our Lady of Fatima
- May 31 The Visitation
- Monday after Pentecost Sunday: Mary Mother of the Church
- Saturday after the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart: Immaculate Heart of Mary
- June 27 Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- July 16 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
- August 15 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- August 22 Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- September 8 Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- September 12 The Most Holy Name of Mary
- September 15 Our Lady of Sorrows
- October 7 Our Lady of the Rosary
- October 9 Our Lady of Champion
- November 21 Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- December 8 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
- December 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe
B. PREPARE for your consecration and enrollment by spiritual reading, the Rosary and the reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation on or shortly before the day of your enrollment.
- For preparation for consecration resources, click here.
C. ON THE DAY of your MI enrollment, attend Mass, if possible, and recite the official MI Act of Consecration, composed by St. Maximilian. Give yourself wholeheartedly to Our Lady so as to let the Holy Spirit guide you on the path to holiness with her! Subject to the usual conditions, a plenary indulgence is granted by the Church for enrollment in the MI. This special gift was bestowed on the MI by Pope Pius XI in 1926.
Implore Our Lady and St. Maximilian to show you how you may serve the Lord as an instrument of love and mercy in your life and be ready to share with everyone the gift you have received.
Enjoy being part of the MI Family and stay in touch by prayer and regularly visiting the MI websites.
Wear a Miraculous Medal and pass it on to others! Get involved and attend MI local events, if possible.
D. FINALLY, ask Our Lady and St. Maximilian to show you how you can best serve the Lord from this moment on.
The Miraculous Medal
The Miraculous Medal owes its origins to the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the chapel of the Rue du Bac, Paris, in 1830. She appeared to Catherine of Labouré, showing the young nun and future canonized saint the design of a medal that serves as a mini-catechism of the Church’s teaching on Our Lady.
In a vision, Mary stood on a globe with brilliant light streaming from her jeweled fingers. “Behold the symbol of graces shed upon those who ask for them,” she said, representing herself as Mediatrix of All Graces. Surrounding her a banner read, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you,” symbolizing her Immaculate Conception. The vision reversed, showing the letter “M” entwined with a cross above the Sacred Hearts. This image represents Mary as Co-redemptrix, a unique participator in Jesus’ saving act of redemption.
Millions of medals have been distributed and untold graces given “to those who wear it around the neck” as the Virgin promised to St. Catherine. Hearing of the miraculous conversion of the agnostic Alphonse Ratisbonne through the medal, St. Maximilian made wearing it and giving it away an integral part of his movement. He called the Miraculous Medal “a ‘bullet’ with which the faithful soldier hits the enemy, that is evil, and thus rescues souls.”
Those who join the MI movement receive a complimentary medal from the National Center along with a membership certificate and the MI prayer book.
Daily Miraculous Medal Prayer
O MARY, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you, and for all who do not have recourse to you, especially the enemies of the Church and those recommended to you.
MI Prayer of Marian Consecration
Composed by St. Maximilian Kolbe
O IMMACULATA, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet, humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you. If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: “She will crush your head,” and “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world.” Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
V. Allow me to praise you, O Sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against your enemies.
Gaining a Plenary Indulgence Upon Joining the MI
A Plenary Indulgence – the complete remission of temporal punishment in purgatory due to sin – is granted by the Church for enrollment in the MI. This great honor was bestowed on the Movement by Pope Pius XI in 1926.
According to the Apostolic Penitentiary (The Gift of the Indulgence, January 29, 2000), in order to obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of grace:
— have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin;
— have sacramentally confessed their sins;
— receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required);
— pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope’s intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an “Our Father” and a “Hail Mary” are suggested. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions are required for each plenary indulgence.
Plenary Indulgences Granted to Members of the Militia of the Immaculata
On October 24, 1967, the Holy See granted a plenary indulgence to MI members on the following days, in addition to the day of their enrollment in the MI:
- On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8;
- On the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, February 11;
- On the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, March 25;
- On the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13;
- On the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15;
- On the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, October 4;
- On the Anniversary of the Founding of the MI, October 16.
The customary conditions for gaining the indulgence must be observed (see above); in addition, each member ought to renew his/her consecration on each of these days.