Catholic Feasts - Feast of Immaculate Heart of Mary:

“The Immaculate alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan. She seeks souls that will consecrate themselves entirely to her, that will become in her hands forceful instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spread of God’s kingdom.” – Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has been in practice since early times of the Church but gained greater impetus after the messages that Our Lady gave to the three shepherd children at Fatima where she revealed her Immaculate Heart. In the second apparition, Our Lady told them that Jesus wished to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She assured Lucia, one of the seers “I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” As the Blessed Virgin spoke her hands radiated the intense light. In front of her right palm was a heart encircled by thorns which pierced it. This was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, outraged by the sins of humanity and seeking reparation. At the third apparition In July 1917, she gave them a vision of hell saying “you have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart“. She asked for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses committed against her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. Accordingly, on 31 October 1942, Pope Pius XII, consecrated the human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin. On 8 December 1942, the Holy Father officially and solemnly declared this consecration in a ceremony in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.

This feast reminds us to consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, imitate her heroic virtues, make reparation for the sins of mankind against her Beloved Son and her Immaculate Heart, hoping in return to receive the honor of being united to Her Beloved Son. The Blessed Virgin was the most conformed to her Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, whilst on earth and so a soul that is consecrated to her will also be conformed to Jesus.

“May the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, always smile on your spirit, obtaining for it, from her Most Holy Son, every heavenly blessing.” --Saint Padre Pio