Offering Everything to Mary

[joymercy]

My Queen, my Mother

I offer everything I am up to you

And to prove my devotion to you

I offer you this day

My eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being up entirely to you

Where fore good mother, as I am thine own

Keep me and guard me as they property and possession

 

[joymercy]

In Catholic theology, when you offer your prayers, merits, and indulgences to Mary, she acts as a spiritual custodian. She takes your offerings and "places them into the hands" of her Son, Jesus. She then applies these spiritual graces according to her perfect will and the interests of the Sacred Heart. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
She specifically handles your offering in the following ways:

• Distributing Grace to the Souls in Purgatory: You can choose to assign your plenary or partial indulgences to a deceased loved one. When offered to Mary, she often redirects these graces toward the souls who are most in need of mercy, helping them to be released from Purgatory. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Applying Them to the Needs of Others: Mary acts as a dispenser of God's grace. She can apply the spiritual "merit" of your indulgences to living people—such as friends, family members, or sinners who are in need of spiritual healing or conversion. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Returning the Gift: Because Mary is viewed as entirely loving and generous, offering your spiritual works to her doesn't mean you lose them. Many saints teach that when you give everything to Mary, she invests those graces on your behalf, often returning them as spiritual protection, deeper faith, or assistance at the moment of your own judgment. [1]

Ultimately, Mary does not keep these offerings for herself. Her primary role is Mediatrix, meaning she acts as a channel that directs all of your spiritual efforts and prayers directly to Jesus to bring about the greatest good for the Church. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Catholic Answers