St. Louis Marie de Montfort was a French priest who lived in the 17th and 18th centuries. He was known for his deep devotion to Our Lady and his writings on the spirituality of the Gospel. Perhaps his most famous work is a book called “True Devotion to Mary,” in which he lays out a path for Catholics to consecrate themselves entirely and irrevocably to Mary.
The 33-day consecration is a process of preparation that leads up to the actual act of consecration itself. It is divided into four parts, each lasting for one week, and each with its own theme. The first week is focused on purifying our hearts of any obstacles that might prevent us from fully committing ourselves to Mary. We ask her to help us recognize and cast off any attachments to sin or worldly goods that might hinder our progress on the spiritual path.
The second week is concerned with deepening our knowledge of Mary, and with developing a greater appreciation for her role in salvation history. We meditate on her life as the mother of Jesus and the mother of the Church, seeking to understand more fully her unique relationship with God and with humanity.
The third week is dedicated to asking for Mary’s intercession in our lives. We entrust our worries, our hopes, and our desires to her, knowing that she will bring them to her Son on our behalf. We also pray for the grace to imitate her virtues more closely, asking her to mold us into better disciples of her Son.
Finally, in the fourth week, we prepare ourselves for the moment of consecration itself. We ask for the grace to make this commitment with sincerity and with a spirit of true devotion. We also pray for the strength to live out our consecration every day, by following Mary’s example and by growing ever closer to her Son.
The consecration itself takes place on a chosen feast day of Mary, such as the Annunciation, the Assumption, or the Immaculate Conception. On that day, we make a formal act of consecration, offering ourselves entirely to Mary and asking her to take us as her own. We pledge to love her, to serve her, and to follow her guidance all the days of our lives.
The 33-day consecration to Mary is a beautiful and powerful way to deepen our faith, and to entrust ourselves more fully to God’s mercy and love. It is a path that has been followed by countless saints over the centuries, and it continues to inspire and transform the lives of Catholics all over the world. By committing ourselves to Mary in this way, we grow closer to her Son, and we become more fully the people that God created us to be.