Day 28 or 29 of the 33 Day Consecration to Mary - Growing in Age, Wisdom and Favor

Today is day 28 or 29 of the 33-day consecration to Mary, depending on whether you were planning to end on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Thanks for following along. If you haven’t been following, I'll bet you could say the consecration prayer even once and have a benefit. As we get closer to the birth of Jesus, we hear in today’s Gospel the story of the day Mary was asked to be Jesus’ mom. I am so grateful the Church asks us to pray the rosary meditations of Jesus’ early life twice a week. To ponder the things of Jesus in Mary's heart is such a treasure. We hear the angel say that Mary will conceive a son and name Him Jesus. It’s amazing to me that the Second Person of the Trinity was humble enough to reduce Himself to a microscopic size at conception, wait nine months until He was born, remain rather helpless as a baby and a child, and submit to earthly parents, even though He helped in their creation.

Jesus, who is God, became human, so He could grow in age, wisdom and favor (Luke 2:53). He gave Himself as an example to the people He was going to save. This is a deep meditation for me. I am often frustrated that I am not nearly as wise as I was hoping to be. I make plenty of mistakes and find myself having to deal with so many consequences that I didn’t want to deal with. I’ll leave the details to my confessor. But the Lord did not beam Himself down fully grown and already perfect. He learned to walk, He went to school, He lived at home until the Father said it was time to go into the world. If Jesus could grow, I should be able to grow. If Jesus had to learn, I should be able to learn. If Jesus had to wait, I should be able to wait. Jesus waited nine months in the womb of Mary and was just as pleasing to His Father as when He was in His public ministry. I am growing and waiting and learning, and the Father is just as pleased as if I were doing “more” or “better.” Prayers today for wherever we are frustrated that we aren’t where we wanted to be, for wherever we are still growing, for wherever we still need maturity. May Mary’s prayers help us to also grow in age, wisdom and favor with Jesus. Today we consecrate ourselves, our families, our nation, our Church. A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of Your Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to You, all the people of our country and all the world. Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as You wish to accomplish Your designs in the world. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully. We come with confidence to You, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed Your own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes Your shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home. Amen. --Venerable Pope Pius XII