True Devotion

Why “Slaves?”

The name “Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” inspired by the writings of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, is both bold and beautiful. It expresses the total consecration embraced by both Brothers and Sisters in this unique religious community—one that alone has courageously chosen and joyfully gloried in such a humble title. “To serve thee (Mary) is liberty!”

Saint Louis Marie de Montfort beautifully explains this holy consecration in his writings: “There is nothing among Christians that more completely unites us to Jesus Christ and His holy Mother than the slavery of the will, following the example of Jesus Christ Himself, Who, out of love for us, took on the form of a slave (Phil. 2:7), and of the Holy Virgin, who called herself the servant of the Lord (Lk. 1:38). Thus, in the spirit of the saints and great men, we may call ourselves and strive to become the loving slaves of the most holy Virgin, so that, by this very means, we may more perfectly become the slaves of Jesus Christ.” 

Give All to Find All

Total Consecration to Mary is not a one-time commitment. It is a way of life. Each year, those who made their consecration renew it with prayerful preparation lasting thirty-three days.

Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort formulated this as an official consecration to Mary, and it is known as Holy Slavery, with the end in view of perfect union with Jesus Christ. It consists of a period of thirty-three days in honor of the years Our Lord spent on earth. This “prayerful preparation” comprises prayers from Holy Scripture, readings from the “Imitation of Christ”, and his own writings based on Church teachings. What the novitiate is to a religious life and basic training is to athletes, this preparation is to slavery to Mary. If you spend it well, you will begin to be consumed with the thought of pleasing Our Lord and His Mother, Mary, in all you do. Out of love for her, you will learn to sacrifice whatever is displeasing to her and her Divine Son. From there, you will have a singleness of purpose and earnestly do all through her, with her, in her, and for her. This is True Devotion.

Why True Devotion is Important

In the great competitive struggle to overcome the enemies of our salvation, the world, the flesh, and the Devil – and to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ, we must look for advice from the Church and the writings of the saints- those spiritual giants who have gone before us. Saint Louis Marie de Montfort put his whole heart and soul into the task of finding the best way to place oneself under the patronage of the Mother of God. After extensive research, he found the best method: Slavery to Mary. This approach was not new, but at that time, it was little known and not thoroughly formulated. He developed and expounded this Slavery, and defended it too, in his popular book, “True Devotion To Mary.”

What can I expect after making the Consecration?

The essence of this true devotion is the total offering of one’s self and all one’s goods, both temporal and spiritual, to Our Lady, inasmuch as the duties of one’s state in life will allow, and then living as dependent upon her as a slave to a Queen.

The practice of this humble relationship is the source of many unique graces and privileges. This Queen will undoubtedly use us, and all that we give her, to the furthering of the glory of God and His Kingdom on earth.

Slavery to the Blessed Virgin Mary is a stumbling block to a world obsessed with asserting personal rights. The slaves of Mary, however, willingly place themselves in the service of that most loving Queen with no desire for any payment, reward, or termination of service. Our Lady, in turn, uses her slaves to achieve their own sanctification, the salvation of countless other souls, and the realization of her triumphant reign foretold by God in the Book of Genesis: She shall crush thy head… and repeated in the Fatima message: “In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”