“Do whatever he tells you.”

John 2:5

We have been given such a beautiful gift in the mother of our Lord. Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary we are invited to participate in her humility by trusting in the goodness of her Son. She lived an exemplary life of purity, humility, and compassion.

As Catholics, we honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in reference to her interior life, her love for God, and her compassion for humanity. The term "immaculate" refers to Mary's freedom from sin and her perfect purity, which is believed to have been preserved by God from the moment of her conception.

The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is closely associated with the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It has its roots in the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. During these apparitions, Mary revealed her Immaculate Heart to the children and asked them to promote devotion to it as a way of bringing peace to the world and converting sinners.

The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary includes various prayers and practices, such as the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Five First Saturdays devotion, and the Rosary.

• The Act of Consecration is a prayer in which a person consecrates themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and promises to live a life of devotion and love to her.

• The Five First Saturdays devotion involves receiving Communion on the first Saturday of five consecutive months in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

• At Fatima, Mary encouraged daily a rosary to for peace, the conversion of sinners, and the Souls in Purgatory.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary is seen as a symbol of Mary's maternal love for all humanity and her desire to lead us closer to her Son, Jesus Christ. The devotion to her heart is a way of seeking her intercession and protection, as well as expressing our gratitude for her role in salvation history. This beautiful devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary continues to be an important part of the Catholic faith today.