Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is, in a sense, a counterpart and consequence of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Between the moment of Our Lord’s conception at the Annunciation and the moment when His Own newly formed Heart began to beat in Mary’s womb, the heart of Mary served simultaneously as the one heart for both herself and her Divine Son. In a sense, her heart was His Heart during those first weeks of His life on earth. And when His Heart was opened on the Cross by the thrust of the lance, so her heart was pierced also by the sword, as prophesied by Simeon during the Presentation of the newborn Savior in the temple.

We see the unity of those loving and beloved Hearts clearly manifested in Our Blessed Mother’s messages at Fatima. There, in 1917, she told the children that Our Lord Himself sent her to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart and to make reparation for the offenses committed against her Divine Motherhood. Upon the fulfillment of this devotion would depend mankind’s hopes for peace in the world. The words which Our Lady addressed to the children were committed to them as secrets, to be revealed only at a later time designated by Mary. Ten years later, in 1927, after the deaths of Jacinta and Francisco, the Blessed Mother instructed Lucia to reveal the first and second secrets involving the need for devotion to her Immaculate Heart, the terrifying vision of hell, the call for repentance, for prayer, and for sacrifice. Lucia told of Our Lady’s prophecy that if men did not stop offending God by sin, Russia would spread her errors throughout the world, causing great suffering by inciting wars and persecutions. Russia’s conversion and a subsequent time of peace would depend on the Holy Father consecrating Russia to Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Lucia revealed that the Blessed Mother had said the Holy Father would indeed make that consecration of Russia, but that it would be late.

In 1942, the 25th anniversary of the apparitions, Pope Pius XII acted together with the bishops of Portugal in consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart. Russia was not named, but there was an oblique reference to it. Lucia said the consecration pleased Our Lord and that, although it was not exactly the consecration as demanded, it would cause the shortening of World War II. But now, Lucia said, what was required was that every Catholic family must consecrate itself, with each faithful soul, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Finally, by a special apostolic letter of 1952, Pope Pius XII did fulfill Mary’s prophesy that the Holy Father (himself) would consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart “but it would be late.” Yet, by that time, with the inexplicable delays, more was required: as in 1932 was added the need for all the bishops of the world to unite in the consecration, so in 1942 was stated the need for all Catholic families and each faithful soul to consecrate himself and herself personally to the Immaculate Heart. And this we must do — each and every one of us.