Be not afraid! - Opening words of Bl. John Paul II's papacy
Blessings to all who chose Oct. 22, Blessed Pope John Paul II's feast day, as the day they entrust their lives to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Congratulations on your consecration to Jesus through Mary!
Blessed Pope John Paul II lived a life of heroic consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He renewed his consecration every day and took the words Totuus Tuus, or "totally yours," as his episcopal and papal motto.
John Paul explained in a Dec. 8, 2003 Letter to the Montfort Religious Family, "[T]he motto Totus tuus is inspired by the teaching of St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort. These two words express total belonging to Jesus through Mary: 'Tuus totus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt', St. Louis Marie wrote, and he translates his words: 'I am all yours, and all that I have is yours, O most loving Jesus, through Mary, your most holy Mother' (Treatise on True Devotion, n. 233). This Saint's teaching has had a profound influence on the Marian devotion of many of the faithful and on my own life."
Through his dedication to praying the Rosary, devotion to Our Lady under all her titles, but especially the great Polish titles of Our Lady of Czestochowa and Lichen, and many acts of devotion to Mary throughout his life, John Paul II was a truly devoted child of Mary, offering us all a model of a life consecrated to the Mother of God and the Church.
When he visited the Shrine at Lichen, Poland, in 1999, John Paul II paid tribute to the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, the Congregation of which HAPP founder Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, is a member. The Marians are the custodians of the Lichen shrine. John Paul II also closed his address with a wonderful prayer to Mary:
We thank you, Mary, because you ceaselessly and unfailingly lead us to Christ.
Mother of the Divine Son, watch over us, watch over our unshakable fidelity to God, to the Cross, to the Gospel and to the holy Church, as you have done since the first moments of our Christian history. ... Grant that we live, grow and persevere in faith until the end.
Hail, O Daughter of God the Father,
Hail, O Mother of the Son of God,
Hail, O Bride of the Holy Spirit,
Temple of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
As many of you already know, we're looking forward to Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014, the day when Pope Francis will canonize both Bl. Pope John Paul II and Bl. Pope John XXIII. Mark your calendars! Get ready to celebrate with the universal Church when two great sons of Mary officially become recognized saints!
If you consecrated to Jesus through Mary, we'd love to hear your story. Please take a moment and share your journey below. If you have pictures, we'd love to see them, too. Just email them to HAPP@Marian.org!
To join the Marians on a pilgrimage to the canonization of Bl. Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, visit our pilgrimage page. To learn more about Bl. Pope John Paul II's Divine Mercy legacy, see here.
