# Day 28 – John Paul II, Marian Entrustment (Part 2)
*2018-05-05*

> Bill reflects on Saint John Paul II’s Fatima homily, drawing out its theology of Marian consecration and Divine Mercy as we near the end of the 33‑day Morning Glory retreat.

## Returning to Fatima with John Paul II

We begin day 28 by revisiting Fatima, where Saint John Paul II went a year after the assassination attempt in St. Peter’s Square to thank Mary for the mercy that saved his life. In his heartfelt homily he offered a rich source for understanding Marian consecration and entrustment. While the full text is too long to quote, the key point is the connection he makes between consecration to Mary, Divine Mercy, and the redemptive work of Christ.

## Divine Mercy in John Paul II’s Teaching

John Paul II describes Divine Mercy as God’s limit on evil, expressed through the pierced side of Christ from which blood and water flowed. The modern Divine Mercy devotion, centered on the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, implores mercy for our sins and for the whole world. In the homily, the Pope emphasizes that even amid the “dark cloud” of contemporary evil, hope rests in a love more powerful than sin—merciful love, which is ultimately rooted in Mary’s intercession.

## Mary as the Path to the Fountain of Mercy

According to the Pope, consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary draws us, through her maternal intercession, to the “fountain of life” – the pierced side of Christ, the source of grace and mercy. By bringing the world’s suffering to Christ’s wounded heart, we are led back to the source of redemption. Mary, who knows this merciful love better than anyone, guides us to accept her help, to offer ourselves to Christ, and to participate in the redemptive mission of the Church.

## Living the Entrustment

Consecrating ourselves to Mary means entrusting ourselves to the one who is most united to Christ, relying on her prayers to help us live fully the consecration of Christ for the whole human family. As John Paul II reminds us, God gave His only Son for the salvation of the world (John 3:16); we respond by offering ourselves to the same love, becoming instruments of redemption for others (cf. 1 Cor 12:15‑19).

## Prayer of the Day

Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary, draw me to the fountain of love and mercy through her. Amen.

*Consecrating ourselves to Mary leads us to the merciful heart of Christ, the source of true redemption for the world.*