Prayer and fasting and works of mercy to back up Our Holy Father's Consecration of Russia and Ukraine on March 25th

[Fr. Thomas Koller]

I've been asked to pass this along, and I wholeheartedly agree with the request. The only caution I add on my own is that we all need to be careful not to fall into the performance mentality trap with regard to this or any prayer--especially this most urgent novena leading up to the 25th! What I mean is, let us remember the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, Who cautions us: "In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." We pray from the Father's love for us, NOT FOR the Father's love. We already have His love, from conception and most especially from the day we were baptized and become His and He ours. We don't have to convince Him to help us, we have to let Him convince us of how much He wants to help us in this time of great need. So let us concentrate on not necessarily adding more prayers during this Novena, but on praying from the heart, listening through Jesus in the Spirit for our Father's Voice, asking Him how He wants us to pray and letting Him guide our prayer, since "we do not know how to pray as we ought" (Rom 8). We want to ask our Father, "How would you like me to pray for Mr. Putin right now? How would like me to pray for Mr. Zelenskiy right now? Etc." And then wait and listen a little before beginning to pray. Our Heavenly Father wants to speak to each of us personally much much more than we want to receive His personal words! That is the exact opposite of a performance approach to the Blessed Trinity. It is what we call an inheritance approach: we are already part of His Family, and are learning to grow and mature as His beloved sons and daughters, as we learn to hear and follow His Voice.

OK, so here is the request:

Dear friends, 

This could be nine days to change the world! You may have heard the blessed news that Pope Francis just announced that on March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, he will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our mother. The Ukrainian bishops asked him specially for this consecration, inspired by Our Lady's requests at Fatima. I am deeply glad about this, since I know that when we open to the door to our Mother and put things in her hands, great blessings and deeper closeness to Jesus come; and it's another step, perhaps a very important one, towards peace and the triumph of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart.  I think we should do all we can to help with this consecration -- and as it happens, March 25 is nine days away! So I'm praying a novena for all the blessings God wants to give through this consecration, for all Our Lady's intentions regarding it. I will be praying specially for every bishop who should join in this consecration to do so. 

I very much hope you'll pray for this intention too, in one way or the other - even one memorare is powerful and helpful! I'll be praying parts of the Akathist, a beautiful ancient prayer I learned from my Eastern Catholic friends (including dear Ukrainian friends, with whom it's a way to be more closely united during this time of trial.) The Akathist is largely a meditation on the Annunciation, and has its origins in vigils at times of turmoil and danger. If you want daily reminders, please let me know!

Dearest Lord, we join with the Holy Father in consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary so that both countries may be given totally to You through her hands. We pray for all her intentions for those countries and the world, for all the blessings You want to give through this consecration. Please perfect this consecration, and let every bishop who should join in making it do so.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal one, have mercy on us. (Three times)

As soon as the angel had received his command, he hastened to Joseph's house and said to the ever-virgin: "Behold, heaven was brought down to earth when the Word Himself was fully contained in you! Now that I see Him in your womb, taking a servant's form, I cry out to you in wonder: Hail, O Bride and Maiden ever-pure!"

An Archangel was sent from heaven to greet the Mother of God, and as he saw you assuming a body at the sound of his bodiless voice, O Lord, he stood rapt in amazement and cried out to her in these words:

Hail, O you, through whom Joy will shine forth!

Hail, O you, through whom the curse will disappear!

Hail, O Restoration of the Fallen Adam!

Hail, O Redemption of the Tears of Eve!

Hail, O Peak above the reach of human thought!

Hail, O Depth even beyond the sight of angels!

Hail, O you who have become a Kingly Throne!

Hail, O you who carry Him Who Carries All!

Hail, O Star who manifest the Sun!

Hail, O Womb of the Divine Incarnation!

Hail, O you through whom creation is renewed!

Hail, O you through whom the Creator becomes a Babe!

Hail, O Bride and Maiden ever-pure!

Trying to grasp the meaning of this mystery, the Virgin asked the holy messenger: "How is it possible that a son be born from a virginal womb? Tell me." And he answered her with awe, crying out in these words:

Hail, O hidden Sense of the Ineffable Plan!

Hail, O Belief in Silence That Must Be!

Hail, O Forecast of the Marvels of Christ!

Hail, O Fountainhead of truths concerning Him!

Hail, Celestial Ladder, by whom God came down!

Hail, O Bridge leading earthly ones to heaven!

Hail, O Wonder, ever-thrilling to the angels!

Hail, O Wound, ever-hurting to the demons!

Hail, O you who gave birth to Light ineffably!

Hail, O you who told no one how it was done!

Hail, O you who surpass the wisdom of the wise!

Hail, O you who enlighten faithful minds!

Hail, O Bride and Maiden ever-pure!

Unto you, O Theotokos, invincible Champion, your City in thanksgiving ascribes the victory for the deliverance from sufferings. And having your might unassailable, free us from all dangers, so that we may cry unto you: Hail, O Bride, and Maiden ever pure!

link for the whole Akathist: https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=249

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250674/pope-francis-to-consecrate-ukraine-and-russia-to-immaculate-heart-of-mary