Fatima Family

Mary Her Heart and the Interior Life-by John C. Preiss

admin — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:00:18 +0000

Mary Her Heart and the Interior Life
” My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my Savior”. All ages to come will call Her Blessed. It was the interior life of Mary’s Heart that enabled Her to identify with the first mystery of Christ at the annunciation when She answered yes, “Your will is my will”. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit she adored the Son of the Most High within Her as she carried him as in a tabernacle for nine months. She surely adored God within Her. The same Word of God which lived in Mary’s heart, was made flesh in her womb dwells in us by faith. God said, “You must be holy as I am holy”. Just as this interior life of Mary, the union of Her will with His accomplished that the word was made flesh and dwells among us so our living an interior life like Mary can enable the word to take up itself in other souls. We are called to be missionaries. St Teresa , the little flower said, ” We are called to become Mother to Him in other souls”. Mary’s role will always be unique and unsurpassed as mother. She is still our model. The whole world is called to be Christian and when the world comes to recognize Christ, as its sole savior, it will come at the same time to recognize Mary as Mother. Mary, our mother continues to play a very special role in the union of Christians among themselves and bringing the world’s non-Christians to Christ. Let Our Lady lead us to her Son Jesus.

Mary, Her Heart and the Interior Life-by John C. Preiss

admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:32:28 +0000

“My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my Savior”.

It was the interior life of Mary’s Heart that enabled Her to identify with the first mystery of Christ at the annunciation when She answered yes, “Your will is my will”. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit she adored the Son of the Most High within Her as she carried him as in a tabernacle for nine months. She surely adored God within Her. The same Word of God which lived in Mary’s heart, was made flesh in her womb dwells in us by faith. God said, “You must be holy as I am holy”.

Just as this interior life of Mary, the union of Her will with His accomplished that the word was made flesh and dwells among us so our living an interior life like Mary can enable the word to take up itself in other souls. We are called to be missionaries. St Teresa , the little flower said, ” We are called to become Mother to Him in other souls”.

Mary’s role will always be unique and unsurpassed as mother. She is still our model. The whole world is called to be Christian and when the world comes to recognize Christ, as its sole savior, it will come at the same time to recognize Mary as Mother. Mary, our mother continues to play a very special role in the union of Christians among themselves and bringing the world’s non-Christians to Christ. Let Our Lady lead us to her Son Jesus.

What is Fatima?

admin — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:34:43 +0000

In the second decade of the 20th century, in 1917, the Mother of God appeared to three young children in central Portugal, in the parish of the village of Fatima, north of Lisbon.

The parish church is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua; the name of the village is of Muslim origin, a reminder that the Iberian peninsula had once been in the control of the followers of Mohammed. Fatima was the name of Mohammed’s sister.
About a mile and a half to the west of Fatima, still within the parish boundaries, is the Cova da Iria (“cove of Irene”). Some say the cove was named after St. Irene of Portugal (d. 653); others say that there used to be a chapel dedicated to St. Irene on the site, or that the land was once owned by a woman named Irene. In any case, it was in the Cova da Iria that the Virgin Mary-Our Lady of Fatima-appeared to the three children on six occasions between May 13 and October 13, 1917.

The holm-oak tree – a shrub-size evergreen species-above which the Virgin appeared to the children is gone now, and in its place stands the Capelinha (“little chapel”), or Chapel of Apparitions.

The Cova has become a mecca for millions of pilgrims from all over the world. But the Cova as it was in 1917 is no longer visible. A beautiful basilica has been constructed there; and visitors may experience a sense of disappointment unless they come already informed about the events that happened there in 1917 and about their meaning.

I have celebrated Mass on several occasions with Sister Lucia (Lucia Santos) present. She was one of the three children who witnessed the Virgin’s appearances. The other two children, Francisco and Jacinto Marto, Lucia’s cousins, died shortly after experiencing the apparitions.

I have met with surviving members of all their families, who still live in the hamlet of Aijustrel, barely a mile distant from St. Anthony of Padua Church in Fatima.

Listen To Reliable Sources- by John C. Preiss

admin — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 20:40:24 +0000

Confusion continues to stir among many Catholics. Since the election of Pope Francis there has been some skepticism. Of course, the skepticism comes from the fears that surround our everyday lives. One instance, I had a lady call me the other day concerned about the remarks of Pope Francis on atheism. They were almost convinced that Pope Francis was supporting atheism and without surprise the secular media took the story by a whirlwind and caused some confusion. This confusion can be detrimental as we all sit back and try and understand what Pope Francis is all about. If we openly try and understand his comments we realize that he is saying that atheists may not believe in God, but in general they can still be good people here on earth. We have to be very careful these days of secular media. I would encourage you to follow EWTN closely for news and information. We must continue daily to pray for our church and Pope Francis. We continue to live in diabolical times. Our Lady has warned us on many occasions we must answer Her call in order to change our society. Trust in Jesus in all you do, He will be your comfort. God Bless!

Sharing Our Catholic Faith-by John C. Preiss

admin — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 00:43:56 +0000

If we openly try and understand his comments we realize that he is saying that atheists may not believe in God, but in general they can still be good people here on earth. We have to be very careful these days of secular media. I would encourage you to follow EWTN closely for news and information.

We must continue daily to pray for our church and Pope Francis. We continue to live in diabolical times. Our Lady has warned us on many occasions we must answer Her call in order to change our society. Trust in Jesus in all you do, He will be your comfort. God Bless!

What are private revelations?

admin — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:41:19 +0000

Catechism of the Catholic Church Second Edition

66 “The Christian economy, therefore, since it is the new and definitive Covenant, will never pass away; and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (DV 4: cf. 1Tim6:14; Titus2:13)” Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries.

67 “Throughout the ages, there have been so-called `private’ revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the magisterium of the Church, the “sensus fidelium” knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church. ”

Christian faith cannot accept `revelations’ that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such revelations.

Catechism of the Catholic Church Second Edition

Public divine revelation ended with the death of the last Apostle, St. John. The Church is still studying and meditating what Revelations have been handed her from God through the Sacred Scripture and Tradition. Deeper insights into God’s Word thus progresses. While private revelations can help us see what is already in Scripture and the traditional teachings of the Church any private revelation is never the source of our divine faith.

With the multiplicity of reported private revelations and locutions so widespread in the world at the present time it is difficult for people to know which, if any, can be trusted. It must, of course be said, that all we need to know and believe and practice is already contained in the Scriptures and Magisterial teachings of the Church. No one is obliged to believe private revelations, even those approved by the Church as worthy of human faith.

The basic motive of all faith is the authority of the one who is speaking. It is known as divine faith when the one believed is God. It known as human faith when the persons believed are human beings. Divine faith then is the assent of the mind to what God has revealed and is distinct from human faith, which is the acceptance of the word of a human being. As sincere Catholics we must have divine faith in all that is contained in the Word of God which makes up the Sacred Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

A dogma of faith is a doctrine taught by the Church to be believed by all the faithful as part of divine revelation. Those who consider themselves sincere Catholics must accept as formally revealed truths dogmas which have been promulgated as such by the Church. Dogmas of faith are revealed either in Sacred Scripture or Tradition, either explicitly, such as the Incarnation, the Word made flesh, or implicitly, such as the bodily Assumption of Our Blessed Mother into heaven.

It goes without saying then that the messages of Little Mary do not fall under divine faith except insofar as they may contain what is already in Sacred Scripture or the dogmatically defined revelations of Jesus Christ. One could be a good Catholic who did not believe the source of the messages even of Guadalupe, Lourdes or Fatima to be supernatural in origin. We may put human faith in their origin.

As one who has studied Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima and some other private revelations approved by the Church as worthy of human faith, it would seem to me rather foolish if one is well informed on these sources and their messages and still would not accept them.Yet, it would be the privilege of a sincere Catholic not to accept as of supernatural origin that which is not solemnly required in divine faith by the Church if one were not humanly convinced.

The simplest and surest way to recognize whether phenomena are supernatural, and not natural or preternatural phenomena, would be humility on the part of the person, obedience to Church authority, and, of course, that the fruits of the supernatural gifts are having good effects. The effects would refer both to the person with the charism, and especially others, for a charism is for others. So the surest way to test authenticity is the character of the person who receives the messages and whether good fruit is the result.

It is even possible that the devil can be speaking through a person who manifests signs or presents messages that cause wonderment in others.

What is meant by preternatural? It is that which is beyond the natural but is not strictly supernatural. It is either because natural forces are used by God to produce effects beyond their native capacity, or because above-human forces, angelic or demonic, are active in the world of space and time. This means that it is possible in the spiritual world for phenomenon to be of evil spirits.

It is important then to determine the effects.

Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits” (Mt 7:15-20).

The greatest temptation is pride. There have been genuine mystics who eventually have fallen victim to pride. Thus they can betray the grace of God and not bear the fruit that originally was intended.

It would seem this is why Lucia of Fatima remained upon the earth for so many years, even remaining close to 90 more years on earth [as this commentary is written] after the 1917 revelations when she was already then 10 years old. Lucia remaining upon earth for so many years was not only to fulfill her mission given, that she remain upon earth for years to spread devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but her presence and prudence in general, with obedience, has confirmed the genuiness of her mission. She has remained humble. She has in fact often been humbled. She has not lost her balance. What is needed in the studying of persons who are instruments of God in performing miracles is the character of the person who is used and the effects.

It is wise in the case of persons seeming to possess unusual phenomena which seem to be supernatural that, for the record, all be put on paper. I once heard the theological advisor to the Fatima Family Apostolate advise that when such phenomena seems evident to put all on paper. In the case of Little Mary heaven has asked her to write the messages, even dictating them. This is what Sister Josefa Menendez experienced in the early 1920′s.

Writing is a duty to persons who have been given a special mission. Remember Our Blessed Lady instructed Lucia to learn how to read. This was also that she would learn how to write, as she was later put under obedience by her bishop to do so more than once.The Memoirs of Sister Lucia became a classic in spirituality already in her own life time.

Jesus Christ Himself did not write. Others wrote for Him, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in the case of the canonical texts of the Bible. God decided that there would be the Scriptures we know today as the Bible. For a long time there were no scriptures. Then, Abraham became the father of the chosen people. He was chosen by God. God being all wise decided there must be a record for the people of what He had said and done. That’s how the Bible began. Judaism and Christianity are the only two religions who have written records which are historically verifiable. Mohammed was a dreamer but not of the kind in Scripture where God uses dreams. The Koran, which is the Moslem Bible, is not factual.

The importance of writing, in the case of one who is supposedly receiving messages or being used in a supernatural way, is not only that there be a record for the good of others, but also, in the case of those whose experiences are not supernatural, but only natural or preternatural, the record can eventually assist in determining the falsehood. Where there are records which show frequent contradictions, statements contrary to the Sacred Scriptures and dogmas of faith, drawing attention primarily to oneself, and evidence of bad fruits, all this will be on record too, but not for authenticity of things of a genuine supernatural character. Admittedly, the one keeping the records must be authentic, sincere in heart, truthful.

The author of this article on private revelations has exercised his priesthood for near 50 years at the time this is written. He has been engaged in Apostolates which have become international. Being also active in the Catholic media, more than a few cases of reported heavenly messages have come to his attention. What I have learned from frequent exposure to reported private revelations among other things is this: If a work is of God and is producing good fruit, good effects, one can also expect sufferings and attempts to destroy the good effects. The devil is never happy when souls are being converted and coming to Jesus Christ through the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist.

I have also learned that often well-intended people with reported messages from supposed supernatural sources, however sincere they may be, are too often under deceptions, not making proper distinctions, and not under proper spiritual direction and guidance. The Church in her wisdom knows well the need to be cautious and how often reported apparitions and seemingly supernatural phenomena eventually prove to be something else.

On the other hand, we can see in history, especially during the past century of the Marian Era, that even at times, religious leaders as least at first, in great caution which in itself is praiseworthy, have tried to suppress the messages. This has been true especially when Church authorities have been misinformed. I personally know more than one mystic, in this country and abroad, who at first received silent response from the higher Church authorities, but then mistrust from some local priests, sometimes for motives not the most pure. At a later time authenticity was established as worthy of human faith.

Often it has been lack of sufficient communication, misinformation given authorities, etc. which cause concern. The Church more than once has had to reverse itself on decisions about private revelations and persons when authorities received more reliable information, and made more thorough study.

The Church had to reverse itself regarding Saint Padre Pio during his early years of suffering the stigmata. Even the Vatican imposed obedience on him not to meet the public or celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass publicly. Over emotional reactions from some of the faithful hindered the mission given him and sent a false message about Padre Pio to the Vatican.

In the case of Saint Faustina, the apostle or secretary of Divine Mercy, poor and incorrect translations from the Polish of her writings into various languages hindered the Church’s study. Such were the cause of many years of having Saint Faustina’s now classic writings on Divine Mercy placed under a blanket of censure for many years. It was Carol Cardinal Wojtyla, (Pope John Paul II) who as Archbishop of Krakow, was able to inform the Vatican correctly. He has seen fit as Pope to teach much about Divine Mercy, obviously inspired greatly by Saint Faustina. In August of 2002 he dedicated an International Shrine to Divine Mercy on the grounds where Sister Faustina lived as a nun.

Am I asking that you believe that the source of Little Mary’s messages are authentic and that she is a true mystic? No. I am not. I am sharing with you the record I’ve been keeping of one I’ve known the past few years and have studied messages from years before I became personally acquainted. The past few years, several times a week, I’ve been in conversation with her to encourage her. I’ve discovered the great sufferings she undergoes which are known to few and which some in responsible positions have not yet taken the time or had to occasion or interest to investigate. Her sufferings, I believe, could only be bore with special divine help.

I’ve been on pilgrimages with Little Mary, given a retreat at which she was present. I’ve worked consciously to be honest in reporting, not reporting many things that would duplicate or not be of particular value beyond which is already on record.

The reader can decide for him/herself whether he or she desires to accept what I see as appearing authentic. The messages have already helped hundreds, indeed thousands of people in a positive way.My judgement is not a judgment on behalf of the Church. It is as I have perceived things myself during the past years.

If some desire to say the messages are simply the fruit of Little Mary’s personal meditations, that is their privilege. Then, so long as they are in harmony with our holy Catholic faith, they should not resist the diffusion of the messages if they themselves are sincere Catholics.

Personally, messages given to me by Little Mary, even directed to me personally at times in the living of my priestly life, I am convinced she could never have given or known or composed, except with help from above. But the messages given with precise dates, as often stated, are for people throughout the world.

Little Mary does not claim to be a special saint. She has her weaknesses about which I’ve frequently teased her. She has not wanted the mission of these messages. She has often been tempted to quit. She early on, as I became acquainted with her, offered to let me be the one who receives them. “No way,” was my response. “I’d never get my work done, especially with all the suffering that must go with being such a messenger.”

I and her more official spiritual advisor repeatedly have had to work to give her courage to continue, especially when diabolic attacks were in evidence. I have not seen her wanting notoriety. I’ve seen her desiring to hide. You are not asked to believe these messages as a part of Catholic faith, certainly not “divine” faith. If you care to put human faith, which is distinct from divine faith, in what is contained in the messages, that is your choice. But there is no responsibility to believe the contents even in human faith, unless of course what is said is already in agreement with the Scriptures and teachings of the Church, which sources good Catholics accept and strive to live by.

Your responsibility then is to believe by divine faith and practice what is already contained in the Scriptures and the Magisterial teachings on faith and morals of the Catholic Church. If the messages assist you in appreciating better what is in the Sacred Scriptures and the official teachings and practices of the Church – then I shall rejoice for such, I believe, is the purpose of the messages.

If you don’t believe these messages are of supernatural origin, then perhaps you will want to read thier content as you would a novel. Novels of a spiritual kind have been known to touch many souls, for they have often drawn for their sources the truths of the scriptures and the teachings of the Church.

The opinion of this author is that Little Mary is authentic in giving us the messages. But that is only my educated position after much thorough investigation and hundreds of interviews with Little Mary and reading of countless numbers of messages.

I look to the fruits. I am aware of hundreds of souls drawn closer to Jesus Christ and His Sacraments through the prayers and activates of Little Mary and her messages from the Heart of Our Mother. I am aware of marriages healed, of souls which have returned to the Sacraments after many years, once they came into contact with these messages.

I am reminded here much as I have been with the case of “Francis” who bears the bleeding wound marks in his hands and his life and mission as I wrote of in the book titled: “FRANCIS”.

I am well aware of the plethora of reported apparitions and messages today claiming to be supernatural. I admit to discounting most, as sufficient evidence is unavailable. I remain neutral to some, and totally reject others which lack the ring of authenticity and too often lack a spirit of humility and obedience.

If you know the teachings of the Church, I think you will agree that in a most simple and motherly way the messages reported here aid us in knowing and living in a practical way much of what is in public revelation. We will then not be indifferent to the role God assigns to private revelation in the life of the Church.

Little Mary has a real perception by her external senses. It seems a real acoustical vibration is produced in her ears. She hears our Blessed Mother, sometimes Jesus. She tells me this happens as clearly as she hears me when I am talking to her by phone.

Can we act upon these messages? Certainly, a person may act upon these messages if one observes that they contain nothing contrary to faith and morals and that they help bring one closer to God.

“… A sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit.“ (Mt 7:17-18).

Have there been signs? I have received written testimonies from people who have received physical healings after Little Mary prayed over them. I have received one even from a doctor whose four year old child was serious but when they arrived at Mayo clinic in Rochester for treatment, all symptoms of the problem had disappeared. I personally know a woman whose child would soon have been born dead except for the message given Little Mary to relay to the mother of this unborn child that her unborn child was in deep trouble and seek the help of doctors immediately. After the child was born the mother gave me a long and detailed account.

The world is in turmoil. The family is in crisis. Many souls are being lost. The Church itself is in crisis even though Jesus has promised it can never totally be destroyed. People are confused by some who should teach the fullness of the Gospel but misrepresent the true faith and morals of Catholicism. Some who do not explicitly misrepresent rather ignore or are silent on matters of faith and morals which need to be taught. Thus our heavenly Mother comes with messages pleading for faith in the full Gospel and a living of the full Gospel.

I have long been a professional Catholic writer, with all my own personal weaknesses and failings. Having written more than 50 books and thousands of articles, still, I would not be able to write the messages day after day which Little Mary receives and writes as they are dictated to her. I could not express such calls for living the Gospel, our Catholic faith, so simply, so pointedly, so meaningfully for the average person so that the Heart of Our Mother touches the hearts of her children. Knowing Little Mary well, I know that she too is incapable of composing these messages on her own. They flow. At times they seem almost poetic. I believe they harmonize with Scripture and the Magisterial teachings. Often the content is the same as that of Scripture without Little Mary even realizing it until I point out the message is the same as the Gospel.

May you discover the Heart of Jesus through the Heart of His Mother as you read the contents of these messages.

Meditation on Sacred Scripture- By John C. Preiss

admin — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:09:38 +0000

“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” Psalms 1:6

Do we actually think that those who live in sin will not perish and will not have everlasting life? In the world in which we live, it is as though people almost forget the existence of God or they have this belief that they can live however they want and be saved. According to the Sacred Scriptures in this verse in Psalms, it is not the case. We must not fall into the clutches of sin especially mortal sin because this will lead to death and the devil. Mortal sin causes decay to our soul and can only be repaired by the Sacrament of Confession. After one commits a mortal sin they often forget about this very important part of absolution by Jesus, “Go and sin no more”. Let us reflect on this verse in Psalms and strive to live a righteous and virtuous life in Christ.

Our Lord through His death and ressurection has overcome death through the cross. We all have our own crosses to bear that lead us on this path to righteousness. As we accept our cross, then overcome it within our lives our road to salvation will be paved with the grace of God and we will live forever in His Kingdom of eternal happines. God Love You!

Discovering God’s Will in our Lives

admin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:22:29 +0000

Let’s face it – not all of us have a
prophet like Nathan living in our home and we are not likely to be visited by
an Archangel. So how are we to discover God’s plan for us? I think too many of
us look for a great sign and fail to hear the quiet voice of God when He speaks
to us in our hearts and through others. So here are what I believe are five
essentials for discovering and living God’s Will:

Live in Christ’s Friendship – We Catholics refer to this as being in a state of
grace. That is, live the sacramental life and, particularly, seek
forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever you become aware
of committing a grave sin. Mortal sin particularly deafens our spiritual
hearing.
Practice Humility and Surrender to the Lord – We are all inclined to be prideful. If we think we
already have all the answers, we won’t be open to new ones, so get into
the habit of practicing humility daily. Humbly surrender your will to the
Lord.
Pray Daily
– Do we really love God above all else? Then we should be praying before
and above all else. That’s what you do when you love someone; you spend
time in their company. Prayer is spending time with God. In prayer, we
must ask God to reveal His Will to us.
Be Aware and Listen
– Do you normally limit your prayer to speaking to God? If so, you need to
set aside time during and after your prayer to listen. Trust Jesus. He
said, “Seek and you will find, ask and you will receive, knock and the
door will be opened.” Have faith that God will answer and you will
discover that answer – one way or the other.
Decide to Act
– The desire to live God’s Will is not the same as the decision to live
God’s Will. The former is a feeling; the latter is an act of human will.
This is not always easy and it can sometimes be painful, but you can
believe that God has only the good for you in His answer. We cannot always
see very far down the road. We won’t always understand the specific
purpose and end, beyond our own salvation, for our actions and decisions
that God has in His Plan of Divine Providence for us. It is only ours to
trust and act.

A Simple Act of Kindness- by John C. Preiss

admin — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:08:23 +0000

It is amazing to view those who say that they are Christians. This short article is not an article to be judgemental in any way it is to help us exceed in our daily effort to help others. Recently I have been listening to an audio book called, “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”, by Dale Carnegie. This book is helping me dramatically in a sense to help others with kindness. Many times we tend to focus on self and not others. What we don’t realize is that if we do a simple act of kindness each day we will remove the focus of self and we will be filled with happiness. Also, this will open up another element of our Christianity that should already be embedded within us.

I want to encourage all of you to try this: A simple act of kindness each day.

COUNTDOWN to 2017

admin — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 23:16:33 +0000

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

Any formula may be used to consecrate oneself to the Mother of God, as long as it involves a total oblation of oneself. As a suggestion, one of the following consecrations could be renewed each first Saturday with the shorter formula renewed daily.

0 Virgin Mary, most powerful Mother of Mercy, Queen of Heaven and earth, in accordance with your wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate myself today to your Immaculate Heart. To you I entrust all that I have, all that I am. Reign over me, dearest Mother, that I may be yours in prosperity, in adversity, in joy and in sorrow, in health and in sickness, in life and in death.Most compassionate Heart of Mary, Queen of Virgins, watch over my mind and heart and preserve me from the deluge of impurity which you lamented so sorrowfully at Fatima. I want to be pure like you. I want to atone for the many crimes committed against Jesus and you. I want to call down upon this country and the whole world the peace of God in justice and charity.Mindful of this consecration, I now promise to strive to imitate you by the practice of the Christian virtues without regard for human respect. I resolve to receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of every month when possible, and to offer daily five decades of the Rosary, with all my sacrifices in the spirit of penance and reparation. Amen.I, . . ., a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy Heart, O Immaculate Mother, the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before.Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, in the presence of all the heavenly court, I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, and to thy Immaculate Heart, as thy child and slave of love, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Amen.Short daily renewal of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, I renew my consecration to you and to your Immaculate Heart. Please accept me, my dear Mother, and use me as you wish to accomplish your designs upon the world. I am all yours, my Mother, my Queen, and all that I have is yours.TO JESUS THROUGH MARYLest there should be any misconception about the place of devotion to Mary in Catholic piety, we honor in a special way the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of Jesus, i.e., the person of Mary in her eminent sanctity and glorification by God, because it is the wish of her Son – as Our Lady revealed in her second apparition at Fatima. Jesus knows well that true devotion to His Mother leads souls to Him. As Pope Paul VI wrote in his encyclical celebrating the centenary of the apparitions at Lourdes:”Everything in Mary leads us toward her Son, our only Savior, by whose foreseen merits she was preserved immaculate and full of grace; everything in Mary lifts up our hearts to the praise of the Holy Trinity.”And as Our Lady assured Lucy, June 13, 1917:”I will never abandon you, my child. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”The Church sees Mary, then, not as the goal, but as the guide, who always leads souls who honor her with true devotion – to her Son, especially to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. When we pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for help in time of need, she in turn points to the Tabernacle, to Him who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” and has a way of conveying to us what she said to the steward at Cana: “Do whatever he tells you.” (Jn.2:5)