Marian consecration, the act of consecrating oneself to Jesus through the intercession of his Blessed Mother, is actually rooted in the words of Jesus himself when he beseeched the Apostle John to look upon Mary as his mother (John 19:27) and to “take her into his own home.” He was actually instructing us all to do likewise — to “behold your mother” and take Mary into our hearts, for wherever she is beloved, Christ is known and praised.

St. Maximilian Kolbe described Mary as “the stairway to Heaven.” Marian consecration, therefore, could be likened to climbing the stairs. Different formulas exist for spiritual development in preparation for the consecration, based on the writings of saints like St. Louis de Montfort, and there are different prayers for the act of consecration. However, there is no “right” way to consecrate oneself to Jesus through Mary, so long as the ultimate goal is closeness to Christ and the glorification of God.

©LPi

Consecration to Mary prayer provided by EWTN

O Mary, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart.

We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country.

We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee, and may share in the benefits of thy motherly benediction. And that this act of consecration may be truly efficacious and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion.

We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths of our holy Faith, and to live as befits Catholics who are duly submissive to all the directions of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him.

We pledge ourselves to keep the commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

We likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an integral part of our lives, in so far as we shall be able so to do.

Finally, we promise thee, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of men, to devote ourselves whole-heartedly to the service of thy blessed cult, in order to hasten and assure, through the sovereignty of thine Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of thine adorable Son, in our own hearts and in those of all men, in our country and in all the world, as in heaven. so on earth. Amen.