Act of Consecration of the Youth to Mary
Pope John Paul II
To the Young People in Preparation for World
Youth Day
April 10, 2003
"Behold, your Mother!' (Jn 19: 27)
O Virgin Mary, Jesus
on the Cross
wanted to entrust us to you,
not to lessen
but to reaffirm
his exclusive role as Saviour
of the world.
If in the disciple John
all the children of the Church were entrusted to
you,
the happier I am to see
the young people of the world
entrusted to you, O Mary.
To you, gentle Mother,
whose protection I have always experienced,
this evening I entrust them to you once again.
All seek refuge and
protection under your mantle.
You, Mother of divine grace,
make them shine with
the beauty of Christ!
The young people of this century,
at the dawn of the new millennium, still live
the torment that derives from sin,
from hatred, from violence,
from terrorism and from war.
But it is also the young to whom the Church
looks confidently, knowing
that with the help of God's grace,
they will succeed in believing and in living as
Gospel witnesses
in present day history.
O Mary,
help them to respond to their vocation.
Guide them to the knowledge of true love
and bless their affections.
Support them in times of suffering.
Make them fearless heralds
of Christ's greeting on Easter Day: Peace be
with you!
With them, I also entrust myself
once again to you
and with confident affection
I repeat to you:
Totus Tuus ego sum!
I am all yours!
And each one of them
cries to you, with me:
Totus Tuus!
Totus Tuus!
Amen.
