Totally Yours

The Immaculate Conception

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus. (Luke 1: 28-31)

I slept very little last night, thinking of what the morning would bring. I rose early, around 4:30 a.m., got ready as quickly as I could and left to meet my mother for 6:30 mass on this beautiful feast day of the Immaculate Conception.

We arrived about 30 minutes early to pray together.You see, for the past thirty three days, I have been preparing and waiting for this special feast day of our Lady, because it would be my day of consecration, "To Jesus, through Mary".

As I walked up to receive Holy Communion, the cantor was leading us all in Immaculate Mary. Tears filled my eyes, and joy filled my heart. Returning to my pew, I once again read my Act of Consecration, as the presence of Christ embraced me.

After mass, my mother and I recited the "Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary", hugged one another, and thanked Jesus for the gift of His mother.

Hail, then, O Immaculate Mary, living tabernacle of the Divinity, where the Eternal Wisdom willed to be hidden and to be adored by angels and by men. Hail, O Queen of Heaven and earth, to whose empire everything is subject which is under God. Hail, O sure refuge of sinners, whose mercy fails no one. Hear the desires which I have of the Divine Wisdom; and for the end receive the vows and offering which in my lowliness I present to thee…….

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....

Today I, too, can say the words of Pope John Paul II, “Totus Tuus”, which in Latin means, “totally yours”.