A happy and blessed Easter to you all!

With May just around the corner, it’s time to think about May devotions and how we can draw our families closer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. For us, that means a pilgrimage to a shrine of Our Lady (if one will be open!), praying the rosary with more love and devotion, and renewing our consecration to Mary.

Consecrating ourselves and our children to the Mother of God is one of the most beautiful devotions a family can do. So I am excited to tell you we have something special to help your family with this wonderful devotion:

Several years ago my daughter Carolyn read Fr. Michael Gaitley’s book, 33 Days to Morning Glory — a Do-it-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration. She was so moved by the book that she decided to write a children’s version. Afterall, children are capable of understanding the theology behind Marian Consecration; it just needs to be explained in words they can understand. More importantly, they are capable of loving Our Lady; that love just needs to be nurtured and inspired.

So here is a wonderful family “retreat” to prepare young children for Marian Consecration: A Gift to Our Lady — Consecration to Mary for Children.

A Gift for Our Lady presents Marian consecration to children in a way that is lovely, accessible, and engaging.  This book provides an excellent guide for children who wish to consecrate themselves to Jesus through Mary.  The inclusion of short, exciting biographies of saints in each of the thirty-three days of preparation attracts the reader to the beauty of holiness and of consecration to Jesus.    Parents, teachers and older siblings who read A Gift to Our Lady with younger children will also likely be inspired to a life of holiness and devotion to Mary.  I would highly recommend this book to families and schools who wish to teach children about Marian consecration and inspire them to holiness.  What a gift this preparation for Marian consecration will be to the children (and parents) who read and pray with A Gift to Our Lady!

-Sister Marie Genevieve Robertson, O.P.

Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia

Our family read it outloud together over 33 days when Carolyn had finished her second draft. The day our children made their consecration, Sparky announced, “I think we should pray the whole rosary every day as a family.” Up until then, we had only been praying a decade each night as a family along with other prayers. But when your nine year old tells you the family should pray the rosary every night… you do it! That was a year and a half ago, and we’ve been doing it since.

More than ever, our families need the intercession and protection of Our Blessed Mother. This spring, consider doing a Marian consecration with your children, or renew it if your family has already made a consecration. Usually, you should choose a feast day of Our Lady for the day of consecration, and thus begin preparations 33 days prior.

Some upcoming feast days of Our Lady are:

Our Lady, Help of Christians – May 24, begin April 21

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles – Saturday after the Ascension, begin 33 days before 

Mary Mother of the Church – Monday after Pentecost, begin 33 days before

The Visitation of Mary – May 31, begin April 28

Our Lady, Virgin Mother of Grace – June 9, begin May 8

The Immaculate Heart of Mary – Saturday after the Feast of Corpus Christi, begin 33 days before

Our Lady of Perpetual Help – June 27, begin May 25

May Our Blessed Mother keep your families safe, spiritually and physically, and may she draw us all ever closer to her Divine Son!

A Gift to Our Lady — Consecration to Mary for Children.