June 28: The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A Mother to all her Children
“We have strayed from that path of peace. We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars. We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations. We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young.
We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns. We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons. We stopped being our neighbor’s keepers and stewards of our common home. We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters. We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves. Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!
Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life. He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity. By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.
We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart. We are your beloved children. In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion. At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort. Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?” You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times. In you we place our trust. We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.
This is the text of the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of the Church, of humanity, and in a special way, of Russia and Ukraine, recited by Pope Francis before the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, on March 25, 2022, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, during a penitential celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica.
It was, in the words of Pope Francis, “a gesture of the universal Church, which, in this dramatic moment, lifts to God—through His and our Mother—the cry of pain of those who suffer and implores the end of violence, entrusting the future of humanity to the Queen of Peace.” He expressed this in a letter sent to bishops worldwide, urging them to join in the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The Saturday following the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This celebration is intimately linked with the previous day’s solemnity and highlights the deep union between the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
In biblical language, the “heart” represents the whole person—the inner core of being, where mind, will, affections, and spirit come together. Thus, the Heart of the Virgin symbolizes her entire person, her undivided love for God and for humanity, and her total dedication to the plan of salvation.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary is the perfect reflection of the Heart of Christ and a model for every Christian. Celebrating it means recognizing Mary as a spiritual mother and faithful guide, entrusting ourselves to her maternal love, and imitating her virtues in fulfilling God’s will.
Just as a mother’s heart is the center of love in every family, so the Heart of Mary is a refuge, a source of safety and tenderness. Consecrating oneself to her Heart means fully entrusting oneself to her, accepting her maternal care, and allowing her to lead us to God, offering our whole selves to her so that she may present us to Jesus.
On the cross, Jesus entrusted us to Mary with these words to the beloved disciple: “Behold, your mother” (John 19:27). To welcome Mary as John did means to make her part of our daily lives, our spirituality, and our journey of faith.
To consecrate ourselves to her Heart also means to follow her as a model, allowing her to shape us so that we may live a deeper, fuller, and more authentic faith, as is required of us by our baptism.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary is, therefore, a perfect model of humility, charity, purity, and faith—a heart that treasures the Word of God, as the Gospel says: “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).
In the apparitions at Fatima, especially on June 13, 1917, Our Lady said to Lucia:
“Jesus wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. To those who embrace it, I promise salvation.”
This devotion is not merely an external practice but a profound commitment—a true offering of oneself to Mary in order to grow in love for God.
Also on June 13, Our Lady showed the three shepherd children her Heart, surrounded by thorns, symbolizing the offenses caused by the sins of humanity. She requested reparation for these wounds.
In the apparition of July 13, 1917, the Virgin explicitly asked for the consecration to her Immaculate Heart and prayers for sinners.
Later, in the visions at Pontevedra and Tuy, she reiterated this request and introduced the First Five Saturdays devotion, as a means of reparation to her Heart. This practice includes:
- Confession, with the intention of making reparation to Mary
- Holy Communion, in a state of grace, with the same intention
- Recitation of the Rosary
- Fifteen minutes of meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary
To those who faithfully live this devotion, Mary promises the graces necessary for eternal salvation.