A practical guide to understanding, preparing for, and living out Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary.
Total consecration to Mary was a turning point in my faith
Last year, I was asked to give a teaching at a Pentecost retreat. After months of preparing, pondering, and praying, I was ready to speak about the necessity of living a life completely dependent on the Holy Spirit.
When the day came and I began to share, I was steady and sure. But when I reached the part about the Blessed Virgin, I began to cry. It wasn’t planned. I paused, took a moment, and said to the audience through tears, “I’m often prone to tears when I speak of Mary… because I love her so much.”
I blew my nose and carried on.
After the talk, someone shared, “Out of the whole presentation, the part that touched me most was your love for Mary.”
That comment stuck with me. It led me to reflect: Where has this deep love for Mary come from?
Whilst I’ve long desired to get close to Mary, it’s in recent years that something changed. That love has intensified. Deepened. Taken root.
I trace that change back to a particular act: the day I made a Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. On that day, I gave her everything and entrusted my whole life to her care. In doing so, not only did she lead me more deeply to her Son, but my love for her grew. What began as an act of surrender became a profound and tender friendship with the Mother of God.
Everything you need to know about Marian consecration
What is consecration to Mary?
Total Consecration to Mary is a formal act by which a person entrusts their soul unreservedly to Mary. This act involves surrendering one’s will, prayers, and actions to Mary, who then leads them more perfectly to Christ. A consecrated person seeks to imitate Mary’s complete “yes” to God and give her full permission to guide their spiritual life.
Why not go straight to Jesus?
Marian consecration is a gift of self that does not end with Mary, but is directed to Christ. Really, it is a consecration to Jesus through Mary. The act does not replace faith in Christ. Instead, it deepens our relationship with Him by imitating Mary’s example of total obedience and love for God.
Reasons to do a Marian consecration
You receive powerful spiritual protection. Entrusting yourself to Mary places you under her maternal care. You give Mary total permission to watch over you and defend you against spiritual danger.
It’s an act of humility and trust. Entrustment is an acknowledgement that you cannot do it all on your own—and that you need Mary’s help.
Mary perfects the offerings of your prayers and works. By offering your prayers and works to Mary, she purifies and presents them beautifully to Jesus.
You grow in virtue and holiness. Mary’s virtues begin to take root more deeply in your life as you unite yourself more closely to her.
What the saints say
St. Louis de Montfort
Mary is the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus.
Teaching that total consecration to Mary is the quickest path to holiness, de Montford’s whole spirituality centred on the need to entrust oneself to Mary, believing that in her hands, our hearts are drawn more efficaciously to Christ.
St. Maximilian Kolbe
Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.
St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of Auschwitz, endorsed total consecration to Mary as a means of personal conversion and holiness. He understood it as a path for the spiritual renewal of the world.
Pope St. John Paul II
Totus Tuus (Totally Yours).
This expression–taken from St. Louis de Montfort’s consecration prayer–became St. John Paul II’s papal motto. He credited the reading of True Devotion to Mary (St. Louis de Montfort’s book on total consecration) as a “decisive turning-point” in his spiritual life, and claims it is “indispensable to anyone who means to give himself without reserve to Christ.”
Why not skip the preparation part?
Since consecrating ourselves to Mary means entrusting every part of our life to her, it is a big deal! Committing to extra prayer and spiritual reading in the lead up to the consecration prepares our hearts for the growth that Mary offers once we are consecrated.
Consecration: What do I need?
There are several beautiful books to help you prepare for Total Consecration to Mary. They are all suitable—what matters most is the desire to give yourself completely to Jesus through Mary. Since it’s recommended to renew your consecration each year, you can explore a different guide each time and allow your devotion to deepen through new insights.
Here are some resources to help you prepare for consecration:
St. Louis de Montfort’s 33-Day Preparation for Total Consecration is the classic method, from his spiritual masterpiece True Devotion to Mary. Written in the 18th century and embraced by countless saints and faithful over the years, this preparation is rich in scripture, litanies, and prayers. It is the most rigorous in terms of time commitment—but also profoundly rewarding.
Fr. Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory offers a more modern approach. This guide weaves together the Marian spirituality of four saints: St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. John Paul II, and St. Teresa of Calcutta. It’s simple and engaging, perfect for someone new to Marian devotion or looking for a personal retreat experience.
St. Maximilian Kolbe’s method of total consecration emphasises simplicity. It’s less about following a program and more about making a wholehearted, daily offering of self to Mary in trust and love. His approach is especially appealing for those who long for surrender but are drawn to a more flexible format.
The Hallow App offers an audio-guided preparation for total consecration, led by Sr. Miriam James Heidland. This version typically requires 10–15 minutes a day and includes a recommendation to pray the Holy Rosary daily.
Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.
St. Maximillian Kolbe
When to start
It is customary—though not required—to begin your preparation for Marian consecration in such a way that your Consecration Day (which takes place the day after the preparation ends) falls on a Marian feast day.
Day of consecration
On the day of consecration, a person typically performs several actions:
1. Formally pray the act of consecration prayer. This is the pivotal moment when you hand your life over to Mary.
2. Go to Mass. If possible, receiving Holy Communion is a beautiful way to celebrate the occasion. The consecration prayer can be recited after communion.
3. Go to confession. Receiving the sacrament prior (even days before) to making the act of consecration is a wonderful way to prepare your heart spiritually.
4. Mark the day. Some people like to note when the consecration took place as a reminder of their promise.
Living out the consecration
Following your consecration, it is customary to renew your commitment daily. This can be the same prayer you prayed on your consecration day, or a simple variation like, “Mary, I am yours.”
While there is no strict rule, it is a fruitful practice to prepare for Marian Consecration each year, as a sign of your continued commitment and a deepening of your entrustment.
Consecration to Mary is not a one-time event. In fact, it’s only the beginning. While Mary is always ready to be a mother to us, choosing to consecrate our lives entirely to her takes the relationship to the next level. It is an act of the heart desiring nothing but to love and be holy. It is an act of surrender.
Have you consecrated yourself to Mary? If not, is she inviting you now to take this step of trust and love?
Read My Journey to Total Consecration to Mary for a woman’s personal experience of consecration.
Stephanie Philippou, co-founder of Litany of the Home, is a Catholic wife and mother of eight in Melbourne. She has a heart for instilling liturgical living in her home, loves ordered spaces and often laughs at her own jokes.
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