Already Tomorrow, the Consecration of ourselves and the world to Immaculate Heart of Mary
Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Heart of Mary by Pope Francis on March 25, 2022, may it be an indication for us to do likewise in our families.
"(...) the punishment is coming on the world for its many crimes, there will be war, hunger, persecution of the Church and the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.”. These words of Our Lady, addressed to the world in Fatima in 1917, are often mentioned in various publications. For this reason, the theme of consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart is well known. However, it is worth asking a few questions and paying attention to some important content that is often overlooked for various reasons. Announced by Pope Francis the celebration of the consecration of the world, especially Russia and Ukraine to the Heart of Mary, in the presence of the statue of Our Lady, is a kind of impulse to take up this issue.
Consecration and compensation
Russia has already been consecrated to the Heart of Mary many times because Pius XII, Paul VI and John Paul II did so. Did these acts really answer Mary's request? It is said, about the lack of full collegiality of all bishops with the Pope at the time of consecration, which was a fundamental condition for the validity of this act. Note, however, that this condition did not appear in Our Lady's message of 1917. So why should the Pope consecrate Russia in union with all the bishops? The answer is also known. For Mary appeared once again to Sister Lucia in Tuy in 1929 and then precisely specified the content of the petition addressed to the Holy Father. This is a very important fact, as it clearly indicates that the message from Fatima cannot be closed only in the framework of 1917. It would then be incomplete to indicate any conditions as to the said consecration.
It is also important to pay attention to the compensation on the first Saturdays, which was mentioned by Mary in 1917. Her request consists of two equally important elements: one is for consecration, the other for compensation. When it comes to the consecration of Russia, the message of Our Lady of 1929 in Tuy is unequivocally emphasized, while when it comes to compensation, the validity of the apparitions of Mary of 1925 in Pontevedra is very often overlooked or even questioned. It is therefore necessary to recall that both the apparitions in Pontevedra and in Tuy were recognized by the bishop of the diocese of Leiria and constitute the content of the so-called Great Promise of Fatima. Therefore, whenever the content of Mary's call to consecrate the world and Russia to her Immaculate Heart is interpreted, an equally important element concerning compensation on the first Saturdays cannot be ignored.
At the apparition in 1917, Mary said she would come to ask for Consecration and compensation. The future "I will come" should direct us to the fact of the apparitions of 1925 and 1929. Their content is a kind of complement or specification of the appeal from 1917. This was reflected in the letter of Bishop José Correia da Silva of Leiria addressed to Pius XI in 1937 " Of the three children to whom our Lady appeared, two have died and the one surviving is a religious at the Institute of Saint Dorothy in Spain. This religious asks me to communicate to your Holiness that, according to a heavenly revelation, the good God promises to end the persecution in Russia, should your Holiness deign to make and order that all the bishops of the Catholic World together make a solemn and public act of reparation and consecration of Russia to the most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary and approve and recommend the practice of reparatory devotion which consists in receiving Holy Communion, Reciting the Rosary, making fifteen minutes of meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary, all this on the first Saturday of five consecutive months”.
Consecration of the nation – rescue and saving the world
When recalling the call to consecrate Russia contained in the content of the Fatima message, it should be noted that there is a second thread of it, but not always noticed. The Pope and the bishops consecrated the world and Russia in 1984, so why did Portugal, Poland and other countries (such as Slovenia, Belarus or Ireland in 2013) consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? The call of the Mother of God has a much wider meaning. Sister Lucia wrote about it to Pius XII in 1940. " Most Holy Father, if in the union of my soul with God I have not been deceived, our Lord promises a special protection to our country in this war, due to the consecration of the nation by the Portuguese Prelates, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; as proof of the graces that would have been granted to other nations, had they also consecrated themselves to Her " Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is therefore a great gift that God gives to the world to save it from evil and atheism; it is an appeal addressed not only to the Pope. The history of Portugal is very eloquent and is "evidence of the graces" flowing through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
A reminder of this thread can be found in the Directory on popular piety of 2001, signed by John Paul II. Regarding the cult of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we read: "In popular piety devotions to the Immaculate Heart of Mary resemble those of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, while bearing in mind the distance between Jesus and his Mother: consecration of individuals and families, of religious communities and nations (189); reparation for sins through prayer, mortification and alms deeds; the practice of the First Five Saturdays.
Let us therefore use the gift given to us by Mary in Fatima. May the consecration of the world, especially Russia and Ukraine, which Francis will make tomorrow at 5:00 PM roman time, be an indication for us to do likewise in our families. While making a consecration, let us not forget to compensate our Mother's pained Heart on the first Saturdays of the month!
Pope Francis has invited the bishops of the whole world, along with their priests and Faithfull to join him in the prayer for peace and in the consecration and entrustment of Russia and of Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Pontifical Almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, will preside over the act of consecration at the same time in Fatima, Portugal.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george