Today is Consecration Day. Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for Us!
St. Maximilian Kolbe Prayer of Consecration
O Immaculata, Queen of heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, N…, a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you. If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: “She will crush your head,” and, “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the world.” Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
V. Allow me to praise you, O sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against your enemies.
V. Our Lady of Lourdes.
R. Pray for us.
V. St. Bernadette of Lourdes.
R. Pray for us.
About this Marian Consecration on the Feast of St. Bernadette
By God’s Divine Providence, we had scheduled our Marian Consecration Day on this day, April 16, which is the day after our 54 Day Rosary Novena, and this is the Feast Day of St. Bernadette of Lourdes. St. Bernadette is one of the most beloved saints of France, and of the world.
As we lament the burning of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, we call upon Our Lady and St. Bernadette to inspire a multitude of conversions throughout the world.
We are tempted to despair, that this horrific burning down of one of the world’s great monuments to faith occurred on Day 54 of our 54 Day Rosary Novena. But, I believe God is up to something that will be revealed. Could this bring a multitude of conversions? We shall see.
The two requests of Our Lady at Lourdes were to 1) Pray the Rosary, and 2) Pray for the conversion of sinners. By God’s design, those were our two main actions during these past 54 Days of prayer and reparation.
You can learn more about St. Bernatte of Lourdes HERE
About St. Maximilian Kolbe
My friend, Stephen Herreid, is a freelance writer whose articles are seen at Stream.org, Crisis Magazine, Aleteia.org, CatholicVote.org, The Intercollegiate Review Online, and other publications.
In 1917, St. Maximilian Kolbe embarked on another kind of harrowing when he founded the Militia of the Immaculata. He and his Militia marched courageously into the hell of modern, progressive brutality, and “preached unto the spirits” dominated by it.
They founded publications. They evangelized courageously where it was dangerous to do so. They used the most advanced media technology available to shine the light of truth. Fr. Kolbe even planned to establish a film studio.
But the same Christlike zeal that moved Maximilian to rescue souls would also move him to save the lives of those living under a modern regime that many called “Hell on Earth.” His work would inevitably bring him face to face with evil, and ultimately to his death soon after the Nazi invasion of Poland.
St. Maximilian Kolbe’s heroism, as well as his use of the most advanced media technology, makes him one my favorite saints. Kolbe lived during a time when propaganda was intense, attempting to turn the minds and hearts away from God. Kolbe needed to fight back with their own weapons.
Today sees an even more intense propaganda occurring. Jeffrey Kuhner of the Washington Times wrote: “For the past 50 years, every major institution has been captured by the radical secular left. The media, Hollywood, TV, universities, public schools, theater, the arts, literature — they relentlessly promote the false gods of sexual hedonism and radical individualism.” Inspired by St. Maximilian Kolbe, we simply must use the most advance media technology to bring the light of truth to a darkened world.
Join the Militia Immaculata HERE
This past year, I was gifted a very rare First Class Relic of St. Maximilian Kolbe (Kolbe was incinerated). I keep this relic on my desk, as I seek his intercession in my own use of modern media technology to bring the light of truth.
