Feast of the Annunciation

Act of Consecration to Immaculate Heart of Mary

When the angel Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Virgin Mary at Nazareth, Mary, by her response, not only consented to be the mother of the Son of God, but allowed her life to be swept up into the drama of human salvation.

Her ‘yes’ not only meant that she would give birth to Christ, but now her whole existence was engaged with his saving work. In the temple she heard the prophesy of Simeon about her child and that a sword would piece her own soul too. She would not only have the joy of conceiving the Saviour captured wonderfully in her Magnificat, but she would also stand in silent grief at the foot of the cross. She would know both joy and sorrow. She would be forced into exile until the threats of Herod were removed. But she would also observe her son in his ministry, seeing the large crowds gathering to listen to his inspiring teaching and witnessing the extraordinary miracles that he wrought. She would also be aware of the growing resistance and opposition to him and, no doubt, anguish would grow within her.

St Luke said on several occasions that Mary pondered all these things in her heart. She lived the mission and ministry of her son. And finally shared deeply in his passion and death. She oversaw the placement of the body of her son in the tomb. She would also experience Jesus in his risen life and be present as the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles inaugurating the proclamation of the Gospel and the birth of the Church.

But she was not done yet. Jesus, in entrusting his mother to John, the beloved disciple, entrusted her to all of the disciples of Jesus, down all the ages. She became our mother, Mother of the Church. Christians have always known this and have instinctively turned to her. Mary has a place deep in the heart of all who love and follow Jesus.

The Christian tradition has produced many beautiful prayers to the Virgin Mary. In the Hail Mary, after echoing the greeting of the Angel and Elizabeth, we simply ask, “Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death”. We ask her intercession for us and for our needs. In other prayers in our Catholic tradition, like the Hail Holy Queen or the Memorare, we find expression to our desire to seek her intercession with her Son.

And Mary has shown her maternal concern for us in a number of extraordinary visitations, like at Guadalupe, or Lourdes, or Fatima. God the Father has sent her to call people to prayer, fasting and repentance, surely knowing that they will listen to the entreaties of our Blessed Mother.

At Fatima in 1917 she addressed not only the call to prayer and penace but she focussed quite particularly on world events of that time and what was to come, and issued specific requests.

One request made now over one hundred years ago has come to have very important significance at this time. The children reported that on 13 July 1917 our Lady called for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart, adding, “If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace”.

Today, on this Feast of the Annunciation, when Mary’s role in God’s great act of redemption of humanity was announced and accepted, Pope Francis has decided to carry out a solemn Act of Consecration of humanity, and Russia and Ukraine in particular, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Act of Consecration will actually take place around 6.30pm Rome time which translates to 4.30am tomorrow morning Tasmanian time. However, along with the bishops of the world, the Pope invited priests, religious and faithful to assemble in churches and places of prayer on this Feast Day of Our Lady so that, as he says, “God’s Holy People may raise a heartfelt and choral plea to Mary our Mother”. He said that the words of consecration can be recited “throughout the day”.

Here in St Mary’s Cathedral, Hobart, at this morning Mass in a few moments I will recite the Act of Consecration before a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. You will have the text which you can follow and take with you so that you may use it on other occasions.

We are all deeply aware of the immense suffering of the people of the Ukraine at this time. We pray that through this action God’s mercy will be poured out upon the earth. In particular, we pray that this war may end, the suffering cease and peace be restored.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

Archbishop Julian Porteous

Friday, 25 March 2022