Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary
“Totus Tuus, (“Totally Yours”) was the personal motto of St. John Paul II – expressing his consecration to Jesus through Mary in line with the teachings of St. Louis de Montfort.
A 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 A.D.), devotion to Mary and total consecration to her have ancient roots. In our times, St. John Paul II recommended an “act of entrustment” to Mary (his papal motto was an enthusiastic Totus Tuus, “Totally Yours”), and St. Maximilian Kolbe added a strong missionary dimension to the Marian consecration.
St. Louis de Montfort developed a specific 33-day program consisting of various prayers and readings to help the faithful detach themselves from the world and bond themselves more closely with Christ through the example and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It consists of an initial 12-day preparation followed by a period of three consecutive weeks, each week focusing on a different theme. It is recommended that the consecration be done on a major feast day of Our Lady, meaning that the preparation would begin 33 days prior. This program is detailed in his famous work, True Devotion to Mary.
Once you make the consecration, it is for life. It can then be renewed annually. This is a formal consecration to Our Lady, not unlike a vow, that is to be done in a solemn manner. This consecration allows Our Lady free reign in your life to make you holy (as she assists you, through the Holy Spirit, to conform to her virtues) and to use your prayers, sacrifices and sufferings for the greater glory of God.