God Is Asking This of You
The Fatima Center invites you to personally consecrate yourself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The Dreadful Problem
As you well know, the Church and the world are in a dire situation. The terrible crisis we face in every facet of our lives is unprecedented. Every day we hear of alarming situations.
Elon Musk predicts a civil war will break out in the U.K. The Olympics brazenly blasphemed Our Lord and His sacred Last Supper (i.e., the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass). At the same time, French citizens are arrested simply for having a sign on their vehicle, reading “Stop Attacks on Christians.” In the USA, the Democratic Party has put forward a most radically liberal ticket for the presidency, including the man who allowed Minneapolis to be burned and devastated by illegal and violent “riots.” The most popular movie this weekend (grossing over 100 million) features a protagonist who repeatedly blasphemes Our Lord. To our great shame, this has become acceptable. We must offer reparation (one excellent means is the Holy Face Devotion).
Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual defense pact. The war in Ukraine shows no signs of abating and it’s very likely that more nations will get involved. Likewise, the war in the Middle East is escalating and Iran is threatening retaliation against Israel on August 13th. As the U.S. prepares for war, Russia has warned that it will not allow Iran to be defeated and that it will get involved if the West goes too far in the coming war. Also, China has warned that they will enter the war if the U.S. attacks Iran and its allies. (A similar intricate system of alliances was a leading cause of World War I. It was during this Great War that Our Lady appeared at Fatima.)
And, in addition to all this, apostasy runs rampant within the Church, even at the highest levels of the hierarchy.
Clearly, we stand at the precipice of cataclysmic [divine] chastisements.
The Only Solution
It should be clear to every one of us that there is no human solution to this grave crisis. It can only be resolved by Divine intervention. Yet the Blessed Trinity is infinitely good and merciful. Knowing all things, God provided the solution for our times over a century ago. We have but to obey.
Our Lord sent His most Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to Fatima in 1917. She revealed His designs:
“Jesus wishes to make use of you to make Me known and loved. He wills to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart.”
The privileged means Our Lady provided to accomplish this are the Consecration of Russia [by the Pope in union with all Catholic bishops of the world] and the Communion of Reparation on First Saturdays [the First Saturday devotion]. She also asked us to cease offending God, to pray the Rosary every day, to wear the Brown Scapular, and to offer prayer and penance (for poor sinners, for the pope and hierarchy, etc.)
The Call for a Personal Consecration
A powerful and excellent means by which each one of us has the power to cooperate with God’s will is to consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Each person who does this takes us all one step closer to establishing devotion to Her Immaculate Heart in the world. At Fatima, Our Lady also said:
“You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wills to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.”
The Church has never prescribed a rite by which a person is to consecrate themselves to Our Lady. However, various methods have been proposed, most notably by St. Louis de Montfort and St. Maximilian Kolbe. There are also consecrations to Our Lady under Her various titles, such as Mount Carmel, Perpetual Help, Miraculous Medal, and Her Seven Sorrows. Each method has a different emphasis, bringing specific graces and corresponding commitments. Thus, they are not opposed or mutually exclusive. Rather, a Catholic may consecrate himself by a plurality of these methods.
Now Is the Time to Act
With the assistance of renowned Mariologist and Fatima expert, Father Karl Stehlin, The Fatima Center is encouraging everyone to make a personal consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Although this can be done at any time of the year, an ideal day for this consecration is August 22, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. A Novena of Preparation for the Consecration can then be done from August 13 – August 21, inclusive.
To this end, we have produced a booklet with appropriate novena prayers and reflections. You can request a copy of the booklet or download a free PDF copy. (Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.)
The booklet explains the process in five easy steps, which culminate in a solemn Act of Consecration. This Act is best done in the presence of a priest and with his blessing; however, it is valid even when done alone or privately. A proper spiritual preparation also includes Sacramental Confession so that one is assured of making this consecration in the state of grace. The booklet also recommends ways of living one’s consecration on a daily basis and emphasizes the importance of renewing such a consecration yearly.
Meet Father Karl Stehlin, author of the Personal Consecration booklet, at this conference. He is one of the keynote speakers. Join us as we pray the novena together during the days of the conference.
Benefits of Consecration
The spiritual benefits of consecrating oneself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary are too numerous to list. Quite frankly, an exhaustive list is beyond the intelligence of man and known to God alone. Yet here are some compelling reasons:
- Consecration means setting something (or someone) apart for a sacred and special purpose. Thus, we freely give ourselves to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart to accomplish Her purpose.
- By such a consecration we trust in Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart as a sure refuge and path which leads to God, even when our reason fails to grasp God’s inscrutable will.
- It is a sign of our love and devotion to Our Lady and increases our love and devotion for Her.
- It expresses our desire to imitate Our Lady, in our thoughts, words, and actions.
- Such an act provides special intercession and assistance by Our Lady.
- Such an act provides special protection by Our Lady, especially needed in these times of grave crisis, rampant apostasy, and moral depravity.
- Our Lady Herself promises salvation to those souls devoted to Her Immaculate Heart.
- Such a consecration can help save other souls.
- All of your good actions (those done in the state of grace) gain much greater merit because they are offered to God through Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
- Such an act pleases God (it is His positive will) and brings greater honor to Him, Our Lady, and you. It also gains you a special place in Heaven. This honor will last for all eternity!
Clearly, it behooves each one of us to consecrate himself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Additional Resources
The Fatima Center is also producing a series of videos and podcasts to facilitate this consecration.
- Consecrate Yourself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Video / Podcast
- Consecration Has Great Spiritual Benefits: Video / Podcast
- Consecration Renounces the Spirit of the World: Video / Podcast
- Consecration Requires Self-Knowledge: Video / Podcast
Spread the Word
Please tell everyone you know about this spiritual initiative. Recall for them as well the certain and divinely inspired words of Our Lady:
“Do you suffer a great deal? Do not lose heart. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”
“To whoever embraces this devotion [to My Immaculate Heart] I promise salvation; these souls shall be dear to God, as flowers placed by Me to adorn His throne.”
DEUS VULT!
You can [and must] help solve the crisis. Let us do God’s will now, here on earth, as it is done in Heaven. Let us be devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May our consecrations thereby launch an “avalanche” of grace, spreading this Devotion throughout the world. Deus vult! (God wills it!). As devotees of Our Lady serving God’s will, may we merit and cooperate with the graces needed to bring about the Consecration of Russia, peace in the world, and Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, be our salvation.
The post God Is Asking This of You first appeared on The Fatima Center.
These views are those of the Fatima Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of Immaculata South Africa
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Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
