Now this should be big news, but there has been barely a peep about it even from online Catholic sites.
To make this wonderful consecration as powerful as possible, we, too, need to consecrate ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses and our nations in union with this solemn act tomorrow. At the bottom of this blog post there will be a prayer you can use until the full text of the Pope's consecration prayer is available.
EWTN will be televising the Papal Mass at 7.30pm Sunday 13 October, Sydney time. If you are able to, join in either via their online feed or via satellite.
A thought has been striking me of late. At Fatima the three children were asked to pray specifically for the Pope - but we've never really worked out which Pope they were praying for in particular. They saw visions of him. The Pope they prayed for could well be Pope Francis.
One of the hallmarks of Pope Francis' pontificate has been his frequent and gentle requests that we pray for him. According to the big interview with journalists on the plane trip returning to Rome after WYD Rio de Janiero, asking for prayers is something that he started to do early in his priesthood, and which he increasingly did more of as greater responsibilities were given to him. How wonderful it is to conjecture that Our Lady was answering his requests for prayers some 100 years before his pontificate began, and getting Lucia, Bl Francisco and Bl Jacinta to do the same. What a model and example our heavenly mother is! She was the very first person to start answering his pleas for prayers.
Let us do likewise, and pray for Pope Francis - and pray with him the consecration prayer tomorrow.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Sr Lucia, Bl Francisco, Bl Jacinta, pray for us, for Pope Francis, and for our troubled world.
Consecration Prayer
Immaculate Virgin Mary, Our Lady Help of Christians, Mother of
the Church, we consecrate our family, our parish, our diocese and our nation to your Immaculate Heart. To you we entrust our country, our families, our hearts, our souls and all that we have. We make this consecration in the same spirit in which the Pope, in union with all the Bishops of the world, consecrated the world to your Immaculate Heart, thus recognizing your role as Queen of Peace and Mother of the Church. Obtain for us, through your intercession, God’s grace and protection for our family, our parish, our diocese and our nation. In order that this consecration of our family, parish, diocese and nation may be truly effective and lasting, we renew today the promises of our Baptism and Confirmation; and we undertake to live as good
Christians – faithful to God, the Church and the Holy Father. We desire to pray the Rosary, partake in the Holy Eucharist and work for the conversion of sinners. Furthermore we promise, O most holy Virgin, that we will spread devotion to you, so that through our consecration to your Immaculate Heart, and
through your own intercession, the coming of the Kingdom of Christ in the world may be hastened. Amen.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Our Lady Help of Christians, our Hope, pray for us.