How can we forget Pope Francis, who, on March 25, 2022 – in communion with the bishops of the whole world – consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? And, praying for peace, he said: «Lord Jesus, who died in your mother's arms in a bunker in Kharkiv, have mercy on us».
Her words help us understand the meaning, importance, and continued relevance of the memorial that the Church proposes on June 17: the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is not merely a remembrance, nor merely something to honor; it is not something distant that “does not concern us”; it is a living message even today and a word that tells us to hope beyond all hope and to respond to hatred with love.
«My Immaculate Heart will triumph!»
This is the promise that the Virgin made in 1917 to the three shepherd children of Fatima and, with them, to all of us; it is a promise that teaches a hopeful outlook and still resonates in all its beauty today.
In 2000, Joseph Ratzinger explained it in these words, reported by “Vatican News”: «What does it mean?
A heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than rifles and weapons of every kind. Mary's “fiat,” the word of her heart, changed the history of the world because it brought the Savior into this world; because, thanks to this “yes,” God could become man in our space, and that moment remains forever. The evil one has power in this world; we see and experience it continually; […] But since God himself has a human heart and has thus directed human freedom toward good, toward God, freedom for evil no longer has the last word. From then on, the words hold true: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to entrust ourselves to this promise».
Prayer can prevail for the world and in the world
And so, if we ask ourselves what we can do today, in our small way, for the world and in the world; what we can do to spread peace, the most immediate answer is: cultivate prayer and this spirit of invincible hope that the Virgin Mary teaches us, she who knows how to treasure everything in her heart and offer everything to the Lord.
Let us entrust ourselves to her, with the opening words of the Act of Consecration pronounced by Pope Francis last year:
O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this hour of tribulation, we turn to you.
You are our Mother; you love us and know us: nothing of what we hold dear is hidden from you.
Mother of mercy, so many times we have experienced your providential tenderness, your presence that restores peace, because you always guide us to Jesus, Prince of Peace.
