Marian Consecration: "Pure to God"

On Christmas day 2011, archaeologists digging near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem found a small clay seal (see upper left corner of photo above) which said in Aramaic "Pure to God." The 2,000 year-old stamp was used to identify objects or offerings that were "set apart" or "consecrated" to be used in worship.

As I read about this remarkable find, I thought "Hey, that's what we are doing in the HAPP program!" We are consecrating ourselves to be "Pure to God." Like St. Paul, we are preparing ourselves to be "elect vessels to [God] to bear [his] name" (Acts 9:15).

The Blessed Virgin's whole life is shaped by the language on this ancient seal: At her Immaculate Conception, the Lord consecrated Mary to be "Pure to God" as the vessel chosen to be the Mother of God. As a young girl, tradition tells us, Mary was brought to the Temple by her parents to be "consecrated" for the Lord's purposes. Later, at the Annunciation, her Fiat expresses her personal willingness to be "consecrated" to God's saving plan, by receiving Christ in her womb.

And, the Presentation of Jesus reminds us that Mary also knows something about bringing "Pure to God" offerings to the Lord (Luke 2:22-39). This is exactly what is being accomplished in Marian consecration: we offer ourselves to her, and she in turn offers us to the Father through Christ by the Holy Spirit, as a "Pure to God" offering. The cool thing about being part of the New Covenant is we are "living sacrifices" (Rom. 12:1-2), and as exciting as our 33-day Consecration will be, I am even more excited to see how this army of over 1,000 offerings will live out their consecration.

I am so excited to be joining our leader Kathy Alexander and 11 others in my parish family, Holy Spirit Catholic Community, in Pocatello Idaho, as those who have given our Fiat to be presented to the Father by Mary, as "Pure to God" and I anticipate with joy how our humble self-offering (like Mary and Joseph's turtledoves at the Presentation), will be the beginning of something new and exciting in our parish community and the broader Body of Christ.