“The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence, and you’ll be amazed at the results.” —St. Josemaría Escrivá
The power of the rosary is clearly a great grace for all, as many saints of the Catholic Church have testified to its efficacy. I think they understood the rosary so well because they understood their Mother—our Mother—the Mother of God so well; it’s only possible through a relationship with her! St. Catherine of Siena tells us, “Upon knowledge, follows love,” and in my own life, especially this year, as I (truly only by the grace of Mary’s great motherly love) consecrated myself to Jesus through Mary, I have come to know Mary genuinely and therefore love her. In loving her, I better love and appreciate the grace—Beauty Himself—she is filled with, as she is perfectly united to God.
Can A Catholic Love Mary Too Much?
For the longest time, I had this fear of loving Mary too much because I was scared I’d end up worshipping her. It was tough because I learned so much about our wonderful Mother through the grace of having great teachers and attending Catholic school basically my whole life. I just tried to prevent her beauty from sinking into my heart by ignoring it, or really ignoring her. When I was in college, I wanted to prepare for Marian consecration ( I even wrote it as a goal in my notes). Still, I was too afraid to do it—not realizing just how True it is when saints like Maximilian Kolbe say, “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” I remember telling God, not in a rude way, but just an honest one, that if He wanted me to do this, He’d have to make it happen because there was no way I was going to without grace, really!
A couple of years passed, and then I went on a retreat with an open heart, and I truly believe this allowed God to whisper to my heart “Behold thy Mother!” (John 19:27); immediately my heavenly Mama stepped in and, in a sense, simply embraced, me, her daughter: someone I’ll never forget, and now always pray for, changed my life by giving me a small book to prepare for Marian Consecration. I took it as an “okay; maybe this is my chance,” so I was still a little reluctant, but I went for it. This book (Preparation for Total Consecration to the Immaculate According to Saint Maximilian M. Kolbe) helped me understand Mary so well, and watching Gabi After Hours on YouTube go through it along with me made it even more amazing.
My Consecration
My consecration date was January 1, 2026—which honors Mary as the Mother of God, my favorite Marian feast day! I remember marching through falling snow just to have my consecration made in front of a statue of Jesus and Mary (the Pietà): I grew to love this image more as Mary really placed her deep compassion, seen clearly in this image—not only for her Son but for me—on my heart during my preparation. There will never be enough words to describe how our perfect Mother continues to travel in haste, as she did for her cousin Elizabeth, to help me, love me, and bring me even closer to her Son in the best way possible—through her, who carried Jesus in her womb.
Now that I understand Mary and love her more, I can’t help but see the rosary under a warmer light. I know that through merely holding the rosary, I am holding the hand of the Immaculate Conception herself. She so earnestly wants to be a mother near her children. Something I’ve come to recognize as well is just how readily grace is available to the hearts and hands that empty themselves: graces that are especially available through Mary, whom Jesus loves and trusts more than we can fathom—as He so clearly did during The Wedding at Cana.
Grace upon grace is at the ready, so much so that with the rosary and each Hail Mary prayed, it’s right at our fingertips as we hold the beads, trusting, with an open heart, the one tenderly holding us—our Mother who is full of grace. Even now, when I pray the rosary with the same intentions over and over, my heart deeply knows that anything given to her will not only reach Jesus’ heart but move it—to pour out infinite graces at the right time. Ultimately, the rosary is helping me grow in virtues (like patience) necessary for a joyful life; necessary also in order to become like little Christs through the help of the one who nurtured Him!
The Saints Inspire Us To Love Mary
“Place yourself in Mary’s hands; she will think of everything and provide for the needs of soul and body. Therefore, be at peace, be at complete peace, with unlimited confidence in her!” —St. Maximilian Kolbe
“What seems impossible to nature is quite easy to grace.” —St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
“Blessed is the man, O Virgin Mary, who loves thy name; thy grace will comfort his soul.” —St. Bonaventure
“The title of Mary as our mother is not merely symbolic. Mary is our mother in the most real and lofty sense, a sense which surpasses that of earthly maternity.” —St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
“There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.” —Sister Lúcia of Fatima.
Keep Growing In Your Devotion To Mary
True Devotion to Mary: with Preparation for Total Consecration
Mary-Virgin, Mother, and Queen: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics
The Life of Mary As Seen By the Mystics
33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah
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The Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide
