Day 9 – May 12 – Feast of Saints Nereus, Achilleus, Pancras, and Domitilla
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst prepare a worthy dwelling place for Thy Son, we entreat Thee, Who didst preserve Her from all stain of sin by the Death of that same Son, foreseen by Thee, to grant that through Her intercession, we also may be made clean, and so may come to Thee, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. Ave Maria…
May the blessed and solemn remembrance of thy Martyrs Nereus, Achilles, Domitilla, and Pancras, making our hearts to burn within us, may cause us to be more meet for thy service. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditation –
“Father Auriemma (Aff. Scamb. p. 2, c. 8) relates that there was a certain poor shepherdess, whose sole delight was to go to a little chapel of our Blessed Lady, situated on a mountain, and there, whilst her flocks were browsing, she conversed with her dear Mother and rendered honor to her. Seeing that the little image of Mary (which was carved in relief) was unadorned, she set to work to make her a mantle. One day, having gathered a few flowers in the fields, she made a garland, and climbing on the altar of the little chapel, placed it on the head of the image, saying, "My Mother, I would place a crown of gold and precious stones on thy brow, but, as I am poor, receive this crown of flowers, and accept it as a mark of the love that I bear thee." With this and other acts of homage, the pious maiden always endeavored to serve and honor our beloved Lady. But let us now see how the good Mother on her part recompensed the visits and the affection of her child. The latter fell ill, and was at the point of death. It so happened that two religious were passing that way, and, fatigued with their journey, sat down under a tree to rest: one fell asleep, and the other remained awake; but both had the same vision. They saw a multitude of most beautiful young women, and amongst these was one who in beauty and majesty far surpassed them all. One of the religious addressed himself to her: "Lady, who art thou, and where art thou going by these rugged ways?" "I am," she replied, "the Mother of God, and am going with these holy virgins to a neighboring cottage to visit a dying shepherdess who has so often visited me." Having said these words, all disappeared. At once these two good servants of God said, "Let us go also to see her." They immediately started, and having found the cottage of the dying virgin, they entered it and found her stretched on a little straw. They saluted her, and she said, "Brothers, ask our Lord to let you see the company that is assisting me." They immediately knelt, and saw Mary by the side of the dying girl, holding a crown in her hand and consoling her. All at once the virgins began to sing, and at the sound of this sweet harmony her blessed soul left her body. Mary placed the crown on her head, and taking her soul, led it with her to Paradise.”
-Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, The Glories of Mary, Ch. 1, Part III
Prayers for each day.
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 8
Day 8 – May 11 – Feast of Saints Philip and James the Less, Apostles
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O Mary; for He that is mighty hath done great things unto thee. (The Roman Missal) Ave Maria…
O God, Who dost every year gladden us by the solemn memorial of thine Apostles Philip and James, grant us grace, we beseech thee, not only to rejoice because of their worthy deeds, but also to tread in their footsteps. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditation –
Excerpted from Pope Leo XIII’s Encyclical: Diuturni Temporis of 5 September 1898
We have long desired to secure the welfare of the human race in an increase of devotion to the Blessed Virgin, as in a powerful citadel, and We have never ceased to encourage the constant use of the Rosary among Christians, by publishing every year since September 1, 1883, an Encyclical Letter on this subject, besides frequently issuing Decrees, as is well known. And now, since God in His merciful Providence has this year again allowed Us to see the approach of the month of October, which We have already consecrated to our Heavenly Queen under the title of the Rosary, We would not refrain from again addressing you; but summarizing in a few words all that we have hitherto done for the promotion of his form of prayer, We will crown our work by yet a new document, in which Our earnest desire and zeal for this form of devotion to Mary may appear still more clearly, and the fervour of the faithful may be stimulated to the devout and constant use of this pious practice.
Impelled, therefore, by a constant desire that Christians should ever be convinced of the efficacy and dignity of the Rosary of Our Lady, We first of all pointed out that the origin of this form of prayer is divine rather than human, showing it to be an admirable garland woven from the Angelic Salutation, together with the Lord’s Prayer, joined to meditation, and that this form of prayer was most powerful and particularly efficacious for attaining eternal life. For besides the special excellence of the prayers, it affords a powerful protection to faith and conspicuous models of virtue in the mysteries proposed for contemplation. We showed also how easy the devotion is and how suited to the people, offering an absolutely perfect model of domestic life in meditation on the Holy Family at Nazareth, and that therefore Christendom had never failed to experience its salutary effects.
For these reasons We have ever repeatedly encouraged the recitation of the Holy Rosary, and have endeavoured to increase its dignity by a more solemn cult, following in this the footsteps of our predecessors. Pope Sixtus V., of happy memory, approved the ancient custom of reciting the Rosary; Gregory XIII dedicated a day under this title, which Clement VIII. afterwards inscribed in the martyrology, and Clement XI extended to the Universal Church. Benedict XIII inserted the feast in the Roman Breviary, and We, ourselves, in perpetual testimony of Our affection for this devotion commanded that the solemnity with its office should be celebrated in the Universal Church as a double of the second class, consecrating to this devotion the entire month of October. Finally we ordered the addition to the Litany of Loreto of the invocation “Queen of the most Holy Rosary,” as an augury of victory in our present warfare.
Prayers for each day.
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O Mary; for He that is mighty hath done great things unto thee. (The Roman Missal) Ave Maria…
O God, Who dost every year gladden us by the solemn memorial of thine Apostles Philip and James, grant us grace, we beseech thee, not only to rejoice because of their worthy deeds, but also to tread in their footsteps. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditation –
Excerpted from Pope Leo XIII’s Encyclical: Diuturni Temporis of 5 September 1898
We have long desired to secure the welfare of the human race in an increase of devotion to the Blessed Virgin, as in a powerful citadel, and We have never ceased to encourage the constant use of the Rosary among Christians, by publishing every year since September 1, 1883, an Encyclical Letter on this subject, besides frequently issuing Decrees, as is well known. And now, since God in His merciful Providence has this year again allowed Us to see the approach of the month of October, which We have already consecrated to our Heavenly Queen under the title of the Rosary, We would not refrain from again addressing you; but summarizing in a few words all that we have hitherto done for the promotion of his form of prayer, We will crown our work by yet a new document, in which Our earnest desire and zeal for this form of devotion to Mary may appear still more clearly, and the fervour of the faithful may be stimulated to the devout and constant use of this pious practice.
Impelled, therefore, by a constant desire that Christians should ever be convinced of the efficacy and dignity of the Rosary of Our Lady, We first of all pointed out that the origin of this form of prayer is divine rather than human, showing it to be an admirable garland woven from the Angelic Salutation, together with the Lord’s Prayer, joined to meditation, and that this form of prayer was most powerful and particularly efficacious for attaining eternal life. For besides the special excellence of the prayers, it affords a powerful protection to faith and conspicuous models of virtue in the mysteries proposed for contemplation. We showed also how easy the devotion is and how suited to the people, offering an absolutely perfect model of domestic life in meditation on the Holy Family at Nazareth, and that therefore Christendom had never failed to experience its salutary effects.
For these reasons We have ever repeatedly encouraged the recitation of the Holy Rosary, and have endeavoured to increase its dignity by a more solemn cult, following in this the footsteps of our predecessors. Pope Sixtus V., of happy memory, approved the ancient custom of reciting the Rosary; Gregory XIII dedicated a day under this title, which Clement VIII. afterwards inscribed in the martyrology, and Clement XI extended to the Universal Church. Benedict XIII inserted the feast in the Roman Breviary, and We, ourselves, in perpetual testimony of Our affection for this devotion commanded that the solemnity with its office should be celebrated in the Universal Church as a double of the second class, consecrating to this devotion the entire month of October. Finally we ordered the addition to the Litany of Loreto of the invocation “Queen of the most Holy Rosary,” as an augury of victory in our present warfare.
Prayers for each day.
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 7
Day 7 – May 10th – St Antonius, Sts Gordian & Epimachus, and St Damien Joseph de Veuster of Molokai
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Ave Maria…
Help us, O Lord, we beseech thee, for the sake of thine holy Bishop and Confessor Antonine, and so show thyself merciful in us, Who didst show thyself wondrous in him. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
V. Precious in the sight of the Lord, alleluia.
R. Is the death of His saints, alleluia.
Grant, we beseech thee, that we who celebrate the feast of Gordian and Epimachus, martyrs, also enjoy their intercession. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
(Prayer of Saint Francis Xavier for the Conversion of Infidels [app. Blessed Pope Pius IX, May 18, 1848])
Æterne rerum omnium effector DEUS, memento abs te animas infidelium procreatas, easque ad imaginem et similitudinem tuam conditas. Ecce, DOMINE, in opprobrium tuum his ipsis infernus impletur. Memento JESUM FILIUM tuum pro illorum salute atrocissimam subiisse necem. Noli, quaeso, DOMINE, ultra permittere, ut FILIUS tuus ab infidelibus contemnatur; sed precibus sanctorum virorum et Ecclesiae sanctissimi FILII tui Sponsae placatus, recordare misericordiae tuae, et oblitus idololatriae et infidelitatis eorum, effice ut ipsi quoque agnoscant aliquando quern misisti DOMINUM JESUM CHRISTUM, qui est salus, vita, et resurrectio nostra; per quem salvati et liberati sumus: cui sit gloria per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Meditation –
Taken from the Readings in the Divine Office for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
From the Sermons of St Jerome, Priest at Bethlehem - On the Assumption
Who and what was the blessed and glorious Mary, always a Virgin, hath been revealed by God by the message of an Angel, in these words, Hail, thou that art full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women. It was fitting that a fulness of grace should be poured into that Virgin who hath given to God glory and to man a Saviour, who hath brought peace to earth, who hath given faith to the Gentiles, who hath killed sin, who hath given law to life, who hath made the crooked ways straight. Verily, she is full of grace. To others grace cometh measure by measure; in Mary grace dwelleth at once in all fulness. Verily, she is full of grace. We believe that the holy Fathers and Prophets had grace; but they were not full of grace. But into Mary came a fulness of all the grace which is in Christ, albeit otherwise (than as it is in Him.) Therefore is it said Blessed art thou among women, that is, Blessed art thou above all women. The fulness of blessing in Mary utterly neutralized in her any effects of the curse of Eve. In her praise Solomon writeth in the Song of Songs (2:10) Rise up, my dove, my fair one, for the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. And again, Come from Lebanon, my Spouse, come, thou shalt be crowned. (SofS 4:8)
Not unjustly then is she bidden to come from' Lebanon, for Lebanon is so named on account of its stainless and glistening whiteness. The earthly Lebanon is white with snow, but the lonely heights of Mary's holiness are white with purity and grace, brilliantly fair, whiter far than snow, sparkling with the gifts of the Holy Ghost she is undefiled like a dove, all clean, all upright, full of grace and truth. She is full of mercy, and of the righteousness that hath looked down from heaven, and therefore is she without stain because in her hath never been any corruption. She hath compassed a man in her womb, saith holy Jeremiah, but she conceived not by the will of fallen man. The Lord, saith the Prophet, hath created a new thing in the earth; a woman shall compass a man. (31:22) Verily, it is a new thing. Verily, it was a new work of power, greater than all other works, when God, Whom the world cannot bear, and Whom no man shall see and live, entered the lodging of her womb, breaking not the blissful cloister of her virgin flesh. And in her body He was borne, the Infinite inclosed within her womb. And from her womb He came forth, so that it was fulfilled which was spoken of the Prophet Ezekiel, saying, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. (44:2) Hence also in the Song of Songs it is said of her (4:12) A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed, thy perfumes are a garden of delights. Verily a garden of delights, filled with the perfumes of all flowers, rich with the sweet savour of grace. And the most holy Virgin herself is a garden enclosed, whereinto sin and Satan have never entered to sully the blossoms, a fountain sealed, sealed with the seal of the Trinity.
Prayers for each day.
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Ave Maria…
Help us, O Lord, we beseech thee, for the sake of thine holy Bishop and Confessor Antonine, and so show thyself merciful in us, Who didst show thyself wondrous in him. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
V. Precious in the sight of the Lord, alleluia.
R. Is the death of His saints, alleluia.
Grant, we beseech thee, that we who celebrate the feast of Gordian and Epimachus, martyrs, also enjoy their intercession. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
(Prayer of Saint Francis Xavier for the Conversion of Infidels [app. Blessed Pope Pius IX, May 18, 1848])
Æterne rerum omnium effector DEUS, memento abs te animas infidelium procreatas, easque ad imaginem et similitudinem tuam conditas. Ecce, DOMINE, in opprobrium tuum his ipsis infernus impletur. Memento JESUM FILIUM tuum pro illorum salute atrocissimam subiisse necem. Noli, quaeso, DOMINE, ultra permittere, ut FILIUS tuus ab infidelibus contemnatur; sed precibus sanctorum virorum et Ecclesiae sanctissimi FILII tui Sponsae placatus, recordare misericordiae tuae, et oblitus idololatriae et infidelitatis eorum, effice ut ipsi quoque agnoscant aliquando quern misisti DOMINUM JESUM CHRISTUM, qui est salus, vita, et resurrectio nostra; per quem salvati et liberati sumus: cui sit gloria per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Meditation –
Taken from the Readings in the Divine Office for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
From the Sermons of St Jerome, Priest at Bethlehem - On the Assumption
Who and what was the blessed and glorious Mary, always a Virgin, hath been revealed by God by the message of an Angel, in these words, Hail, thou that art full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women. It was fitting that a fulness of grace should be poured into that Virgin who hath given to God glory and to man a Saviour, who hath brought peace to earth, who hath given faith to the Gentiles, who hath killed sin, who hath given law to life, who hath made the crooked ways straight. Verily, she is full of grace. To others grace cometh measure by measure; in Mary grace dwelleth at once in all fulness. Verily, she is full of grace. We believe that the holy Fathers and Prophets had grace; but they were not full of grace. But into Mary came a fulness of all the grace which is in Christ, albeit otherwise (than as it is in Him.) Therefore is it said Blessed art thou among women, that is, Blessed art thou above all women. The fulness of blessing in Mary utterly neutralized in her any effects of the curse of Eve. In her praise Solomon writeth in the Song of Songs (2:10) Rise up, my dove, my fair one, for the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. And again, Come from Lebanon, my Spouse, come, thou shalt be crowned. (SofS 4:8)
Not unjustly then is she bidden to come from' Lebanon, for Lebanon is so named on account of its stainless and glistening whiteness. The earthly Lebanon is white with snow, but the lonely heights of Mary's holiness are white with purity and grace, brilliantly fair, whiter far than snow, sparkling with the gifts of the Holy Ghost she is undefiled like a dove, all clean, all upright, full of grace and truth. She is full of mercy, and of the righteousness that hath looked down from heaven, and therefore is she without stain because in her hath never been any corruption. She hath compassed a man in her womb, saith holy Jeremiah, but she conceived not by the will of fallen man. The Lord, saith the Prophet, hath created a new thing in the earth; a woman shall compass a man. (31:22) Verily, it is a new thing. Verily, it was a new work of power, greater than all other works, when God, Whom the world cannot bear, and Whom no man shall see and live, entered the lodging of her womb, breaking not the blissful cloister of her virgin flesh. And in her body He was borne, the Infinite inclosed within her womb. And from her womb He came forth, so that it was fulfilled which was spoken of the Prophet Ezekiel, saying, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. (44:2) Hence also in the Song of Songs it is said of her (4:12) A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed, thy perfumes are a garden of delights. Verily a garden of delights, filled with the perfumes of all flowers, rich with the sweet savour of grace. And the most holy Virgin herself is a garden enclosed, whereinto sin and Satan have never entered to sully the blossoms, a fountain sealed, sealed with the seal of the Trinity.
Prayers for each day.
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 6
Day 6 – May 9th - Saint Gregory Nazianzen
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
By thine Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my spirit holy. Ave Maria…
O God, who didst give blessed Gregory to be thy people minister in eternal salvation; grant, we pray, that that we who have him for teacher of life here on earth, may also deserve now that he is in heaven, to have him for an advocate. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditation –
Taken from Saint Louis Marie de Montfort's True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary (#261)
“We must do everything in Mary. To understand this we must realize that the Blessed Virgin is the true earthly paradise of the new Adam and that the ancient paradise was only a symbol of her. There are in this earthly paradise untold riches, beauties, rarities and delights, which the new Adam, Jesus Christ, has left there. It is in this paradise that he "took his delights" for nine months, worked his wonders and displayed his riches with the magnificence of God himself. This most holy place consists of only virgin and immaculate soil from which the new Adam was formed with neither spot nor stain by the operation of the Holy Spirit who dwells there. In this earthly paradise grows the real Tree of Life which bore our Lord, the fruit of Life, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which bore the Light of the world.
“In this divine place there are trees planted by the hand of God and watered by his divine unction which have borne and continue to bear fruit that is pleasing to him. There are flower-beds studded with a variety of beautiful flowers of virtue, diffusing a fragrance which delights even the angels. Here there are meadows verdant with hope, impregnable towers of fortitude, enchanting mansions of confidence and many other delights.
“Only the Holy Spirit can teach us the truths that these material objects symbolise. In this place the air is perfectly pure. There is no night but only the brilliant day of the sacred humanity, the resplendent, spotless sun of the Divinity, the blazing furnace of love, melting all the base metal thrown into it and changing it into gold. There the river of humility gushes forth from the soil, divides into four branches and irrigates the whole of this enchanted place. These branches are the four cardinal virtues.”
Prayers for each day.
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
By thine Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my spirit holy. Ave Maria…
O God, who didst give blessed Gregory to be thy people minister in eternal salvation; grant, we pray, that that we who have him for teacher of life here on earth, may also deserve now that he is in heaven, to have him for an advocate. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditation –
Taken from Saint Louis Marie de Montfort's True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary (#261)
“We must do everything in Mary. To understand this we must realize that the Blessed Virgin is the true earthly paradise of the new Adam and that the ancient paradise was only a symbol of her. There are in this earthly paradise untold riches, beauties, rarities and delights, which the new Adam, Jesus Christ, has left there. It is in this paradise that he "took his delights" for nine months, worked his wonders and displayed his riches with the magnificence of God himself. This most holy place consists of only virgin and immaculate soil from which the new Adam was formed with neither spot nor stain by the operation of the Holy Spirit who dwells there. In this earthly paradise grows the real Tree of Life which bore our Lord, the fruit of Life, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which bore the Light of the world.
“In this divine place there are trees planted by the hand of God and watered by his divine unction which have borne and continue to bear fruit that is pleasing to him. There are flower-beds studded with a variety of beautiful flowers of virtue, diffusing a fragrance which delights even the angels. Here there are meadows verdant with hope, impregnable towers of fortitude, enchanting mansions of confidence and many other delights.
“Only the Holy Spirit can teach us the truths that these material objects symbolise. In this place the air is perfectly pure. There is no night but only the brilliant day of the sacred humanity, the resplendent, spotless sun of the Divinity, the blazing furnace of love, melting all the base metal thrown into it and changing it into gold. There the river of humility gushes forth from the soil, divides into four branches and irrigates the whole of this enchanted place. These branches are the four cardinal virtues.”
Prayers for each day.
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 5
Day 5 – May 8th - Apparition of Saint Michael the Archangel
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
By thine Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my spirit holy. Ave Maria…
Pray of Pope Leo XIII to Saint Michael the Archangel
(Mot. Pr. September 25, 1888)
O glorious Archangel St Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and Powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in his own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan, who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of his Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring- help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
V. Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
R. The Lion of the tribe of Juda has conquered, the root of David.
V. Let thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
R. As we have hoped in thee.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let us pray.
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon thy holy name, and as suppliants we implore thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St Michael, thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen.
Meditation –
Taken from The Secret of the Rosary, by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort...
The learned Franciscan, Carthagena, as well as several other authors, says that an extraordinary event took place in 1482. The venerable Fr. James Sprenger and the religious of his order were zealously working to re-establish devotion to the Rosary and its Confraternity in the city of Cologne. Unfortunately, two priests who were famous for their preaching ability were jealous of the great influence they were exerting through preaching the Rosary. These two Fathers spoke against this devotion whenever they had a chance, and as they were very eloquent and had a great reputation, they persuaded many people not to join the Confraternity. One of them, the better to achieve his wicked end, wrote a special sermon against the Rosary and planned to give it the following Sunday. But when the time came for the sermon he did not appear and, after a certain amount of waiting, someone went to fetch him. He was found to be dead, and he had evidently died without anyone to help him.
After persuading himself that this death was due to natural causes, the other priest decided to carry out his friend’s plan and give a similar sermon on another day, hoping to put an end to the Confraternity of the Rosary. However, when the day came for him to preach and it was time to give the sermon, God punished him by striking him down with paralysis which deprived him of the use of his limbs and of his power of speech.
At last he admitted his fault and that of his friend and in his heart he silently besought our Lady to help him. He promised that if only she would cure him, he would preach the Rosary with as much zeal as that with which he had formerly fought against it. For this end he implored her to restore his health and his speech, which she did, and finding himself instantaneously cured he rose up like another Saul, a persecutor turned defender of the holy Rosary. He publicly acknowledged his former error and ever afterwards preached the wonders of the Rosary with great zeal and eloquence.
Prayers for each day.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 4
Day 4 – May 7th - Saint Stanislaus of Cracow
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our
Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy
Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray
for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and
Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
In
thy Conception, O Virgin Mary, thou wast immaculate; pray for us to the Father
whose Son Jesus, after He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, thou didst bring
forth into the world. Ave Maria…
O
God, for Whose glory the noble Bishop Stanislaw fell by the swords of sinful
men, grant, we beseech thee, that all whosoever ask his help, may find such
answer to their petition as may profit them to the everlasting salvation of
their souls. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth
with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
Amen.
Meditation –
Taken from True Devotion to the
Blessed Virgin by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, #175-6
Mary
is the Virgin most faithful who by her fidelity to God makes good the losses
caused by Eve’s unfaithfulness. She obtains fidelity to God and final
perseverance for those who commit themselves to her. For this reason St. John
Damascene compared her to a firm anchor which holds them fast and saves them
from shipwreck in the raging seas of the world where so many people perish
through lack of such a firm anchor. “We fasten souls,” he said, “to Mary, our
hope, as to a firm anchor.” It was to Mary that the saints who attained
salvation most firmly anchored themselves as did others who wanted to ensure
their perseverance in holiness.
Blessed,
indeed, are those Christians who bind themselves faithfully and completely to
her as to a secure anchor! The violent storms of the world will not make them
founder or carry away their heavenly riches. Blessed are those who enter into
her as into another Noah’s ark! The flood waters of sin which engulf so many
will not harm them because, as the Church makes Mary say in the words of divine
Wisdom, “Those who work with my help – for their salvation – shall not sin.”
Blessed are the unfaithful children of unhappy Eve who commit themselves to
Mary, the ever-faithful Virgin and Mother who never wavers in her fidelity and
never goes back on her trust. She always loves those who love her, not only
with deep affection, but with a love that is active and generous. By an
abundant outpouring of grace she keeps them from relaxing their effort in the
practice of virtue or falling by the wayside through loss of divine grace.
Prayers for each day.
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 3
Day
3 – May 6th - Saint John before the
Latin Gate
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our
Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy
Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray
for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and
Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
Blessed
be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of
God. Ave Maria…
To
thee, therefore, most Blessed Virgin, in the presence of the nine choirs of
Angels and all the Saints, I now give it. Do thou, in my name, consecrate it to
Jesus; and out of the filial confidence which I hereby make profession of, I am
certain that now and always thou wilt do all thou canst to bring it to pass
that my heart may ever wholly belong to Jesus, and may imitate perfectly the
example of the Saints, and in particular that of Saint Joseph, thy most pure
Spouse. Amen. (Bl. Vincent Pallotti)
O God, Which seest that
sins and sufferings do on every side rise up to trouble us, grant, we beseech
thee, that we may find a shield in time of need through the glorious
intercession of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist John. Through Jesus Christ,
thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy
Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditation –
Taken from the Readings in the Divine
Office for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke (1:26-28)
“In
that time the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called
Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And so on.”
Homily
by St German, Patriarch of Constantinople
On
the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin
Hail,
Mary, full of grace, holier than the Saints, higher than the heavens, more
glorious than the Cherubim, more honourable than the Seraphim, and the most
worshipful thing that the hands of God have made. Hail, O dove, bearing in thy
beak the olive-branch of peace that telleth us of salvation from the spiritual
flood (Gen. 8:10), O dove, blessed omen of a safe harbour, whose wings are of
silver, and thy feathers of gold, shining in the bright beams of the Most Holy
and Light-giving Spirit. (Ps. 67:14) Hail, thou living garden of Eden, planted
towards the East by the right hand of the Most Merciful and Mighty God, wherein
do grow to His glory rich lilies and unfading roses, for the healing of them
that have drunk in death from the blighting and pestilential breezes of the
bitter West, Gen. ii. 8, 9; Eden, wherein hath sprung that Tree of life,
Whereof if any man eat he shall live for ever. (Gen. 2:9; 3:22; John 6:52)
Hail, stately Palace of the King, most holy, stainless, purest, House of the
Most High God, adorned with His Royal splendour, open to all, filled with
Kingly dainties; Palace wherein is that spiritual bridal chamber, not made with
hands, nor hung with divers colours, in the which the Eternal Word, when He
would raise up fallen man, wedded flesh unto Himself, that He might reconcile
unto the Father them who had cast themselves away.
Hail,
O rich and shady Mountain of God, whereon pastured the True Lamb, Who hath
taken away our sins and infirmities (Hab. 3:3; Isa. 53:4; John 1:29), mountain,
whereout hath been cut without hands that Stone which hath smitten the altars
of the idols, and become the head-stone of the corner, marvellous in our eyes.
(Dan. 2:34; Ps. 117:22, 23) Hail, thou holy Throne of God, thou divinest
store-house, thou temple of glory, thou bright crown, thou chosen treasure,
thou mercy-seat for the whole world, thou heaven declaring the glory of God.
(Ps. 18:2) Hail, thou vessel of pure gold, made to hold the manna that came
down from heaven, the sweet food of our souls, even Christ. (Ex. 16:33; Heb.
9;4; John 6:49-51). Hail, O purest Virgin, most praiseworthy and most
worshipful, hallowed treasury for the wants of all creatures; thou art the
untitled earth, the unploughed field; thou art the vine full of flowers, the
well overflowing with waters, Maiden and Mother; thou art the Mother that knew
not a man, the hidden treasure of guilelessness, and the clear, bright star of
holiness; by thy most acceptable prayers, strong from thy motherly mouth,
obtain for all estates of men in the Church that they may continually tend unto
Him Who is the Lord, and God, and Maker of thee, and of them, and of all, but
of thee the Son also, conceived without man's intervention; obtain this, O
Mother, pilot them to the harbour of peace.
Prayers for each day.
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 2
Day 2 – May 5th - Pope Saint Pius V
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious
Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles
of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by
which He is offended. And through the
infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I
beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our
Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy
Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray
for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta and
Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
O
Mary, thou didst enter the world without stain; do thou obtain for me from
God,
that I may leave it without sin. Ave Maria…
O God, Who when Thou wast pleased to break the teeth of them that hate thy Church, and to restore again the solemn worship of thyself, didst choose the blessed Pope Pius to work for thee in that matter, grant that he may still be a tower of strength for us grant that we also may be more than conquerors over all that make war upon our souls, and in the end may enter into perfect peace in thy presence. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditation -
“The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families…that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.” (Ven. Sister Maria Lucía of the Immaculate Heart of Mary O.C.D.)
“Father
Bovio (Es. E. Mir. p. 1, es. 2) relates that there was a wicked woman, named,
Ellen, who entered a church, and by chance heard a sermon on the Rosary. On
leaving the church she purchased a set of beads, but wore them concealed, as
she did not wish it to be known that she had them. She began to recite them,
and though she did so without devotion, our most Blessed Lady poured such
sweetness and consolation into her soul during the whole time, that she could
not cease repeating the Hail Marys. At last she was filled with such a horror
for her wicked life, that she could no longer find repose, and was obliged to
go to confession. She accomplished this duty with such contrition that the
priest was filled with astonishment. After her confession, she went to the foot
of an altar of the most Blessed Virgin, and there, as a thanksgiving to her
advocate, said the Rosary. The divine mother then addressed her from the image
in the following words: “Ellen, thou has already too much offended God and me;
from this moment change your life, and I will bestow a large share of my graces
upon thee.” The poor sinner, in the deepest confusion, replied: “Ah! most Holy
Virgin, it is true that hitherto I have been a wicked sinner; but thou canst do
all, help me; on my part I abandon myself to thee, and will spend the remainder
of my life in doing penance for my sins.” With the assistance of Mary, she
distributed all her goods among the poor, and began a life of rigorous mortification.
She was tormented with dreadful temptations, but constantly recommended herself
to the Mother of God, and thus was always victorious. She was favored with many
extraordinary graces, with visions, revelations, and even the gift of prophecy.
Finally, before her death, which was announced to her by Mary some days before
it took place, the most Blessed Virgin came herself, with her divine Son, to
visit her; and when she expired, her soul was seen flying towards heaven in the
form of a beautiful dove.” (Saint Alphonsus Maria de Ligouri, The Glories of
Mary)
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 1
Day 1 – May 4th – Feast of Saint Monica
Prayers-
Most Holy Trinity, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious
Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles
of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by
which He is offended. And through the
infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I
beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Our
Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Most Holy
Rosary, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray
for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
pray for us.
Blessed
Jacinta and Francisco Marto of Fatima, pray for us.
To thee, O Virgin Mother, who wast never touched by any spot of Original or actual sin, I commend and entrust the purity of my heart. Ave Maria…
To thee, O Virgin Mother, who wast never touched by any spot of Original or actual sin, I commend and entrust the purity of my heart. Ave Maria…
O God, the consoler of those Who mourn and the safety of those who put their trust in thee; Who mercifully accepted the holy tears of blessed Monica for the conversion of Augustine, her son; grant us through the intercession of both to bewail our sins and to obtain the grace of thy forgiveness. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditation –
Taken from the Readings in the Divine Office for the Feast of the Purification of the BVM
From
the Holy Gospel according to Luke (2:22-32)
“In
that time after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses,
were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord:
As it is written in the law of the Lord: And so on.”
Homily
on this passage by St Ambrose, Bishop of Milan - Bk. 2, Comm. on Luke ii.
And,
behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and the same man
was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. The birth of the
Lord is attested not only by Angels and Prophets, and shepherds, but also by
elders and just men. Every age, and both sexes, as well as the miracles of the
events themselves, are here to strengthen our faith. A virgin conceiveth, a
barren woman beareth, a dumb man speaketh, Elizabeth prophesieth, the wise man
worshippeth, the unborn child leapeth, the widow praiseth, and the just man
waiteth.
Well
is he called just, who looked not for favour for himself, but for consolation
for his people. He desired to be set free from the bondage of this frail body,
but he waited to see the Promised One for he knew that blessed are the eyes
that see Him. Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said Lord,
now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. Behold a
just man, confined in the weary prison of the body, desiring to be dissolved
and to begin to be with Christ. For to be dissolved and to be with Christ is
much better. Phil. i. 23.
Whosoever
will be dissolved and be with Christ, let him come into the Temple, let him
come to Jerusalem, let him wait for the Lord's Christ, let him take hold on the
Word of God, let him embrace it with good works, as it were with arms of faith
and then let him depart in peace, for he shall not see death, who hath seen
life. Behold how the Lord's Birth doth overflow with abounding grace for all,
and prophecy is not denied to the just, but to the unbelieving. Behold, Simeon
prophesieth that the Lord Jesus Christ is come for the fall and rising again of
many yea, He shall separate the just from the unjust by their deserts, and
according as our work shall be, so shall the true and righteous Judge command
us to be punished or rewarded.
Novena to our Lady of Fatima
Novena for the Feast of our Lady of Fatima (May 4th-12th)
Feast of our Lady of Fatima – May 13th
(Note the length of the prayers assigned for daily recitation in this novena is substantial, however, if you wish to abridge them to accommodate your own situation please feel free to do so.)
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 1
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 2
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 3
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 4
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 5
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 6
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 7
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 8
Novena to our Lady of Fatima - Day 9
Prayers to be said each Day
Hail holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our
sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To
thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after
this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O
loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of
Christ.
Almighty,
everlasting God, who by the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, didst prepare the
body and soul of the glorious Virgin-Mother Mary to become a worthy dwelling
for Thy Son; grant that we who rejoice in her commemoration may, by her loving
intercession, be delivered from present evils and from the everlasting death.
Amen.
Litany of the Immaculate Heart
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us. Christ graciously
hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have
mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the
world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy
on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy
on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
favorite Daughter of God the Father, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother
of God the Son,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Spouse
of the Holy Ghost,
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
redeemed in a sublime manner by the merits of thy Son,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother
and Model of the Church,
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
excellent exemplar in faith and charity,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, who
conceived the Word of God in Thy heart before thy did in thy womb,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, who
gave precious Blood to the Son of God in His human nature,
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
conceived free of Original Sin,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, who
embraced God's saving will with a full heart, impeded by no sin,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose sweet soul a sword pierced beneath the Cross,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose sweet soul a sword pierced beneath the Cross,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, given
to us as Mother by Jesus as He hung dying on the Cross,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, who
accepted us as sons as thou stood beneath the Cross,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, all
pure and holy,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, exalted
by Divine grace above all Angels and men,
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Mediatrix of grace,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the
sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the
sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the
sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of
God.
R. That we may be made worthy of
the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
bearing with love for all thy children upon earth, pray for us who have
recourse to thee. Show to Our Heavenly Father the Wound in the Heart of Thy Son
and at the same time offer again the sword that pierced thy Sorrowful and
Immaculate Heart as thou suffered by compassion with Thy Divine Son for the
redemption of the world. By thy intercession, through the merits of Jesus
Christ, bring us to salvation. Amen.
Prayer of Saint Alphonsus Liguori to Our Lady the Immaculate
Conception
Ah, my Immaculate Lady! I rejoice with thee on seeing thee enriched
with so great purity. I thank, and,
resolve always to thank, our common Creator for having preserved thee from
every stain of sin; and I firmly believe this doctrine, and am prepared and
swear even to lay down my life, should this be necessary, in defense of this
thy so great and singular privilege of being conceived immaculate. I would that the whole world knew thee and
acknowledged thee as being that beautiful "Dawn" which was always illumined
with divine light; as that chosen "Ark" of salvation, free from the
common shipwreck of sin; that perfect and immaculate "Dove" which thy
divine Spouse declared thee to be; that "enclosed Garden" which was
the delight of God; that "sealed Fountain" whose waters were never
troubled by an enemy; and finally, as that "white Lily," which thou
art, and who, though born in the midst of the thorns of the children of Adam,
all of whom are conceived in sin, and the enemies of God, wast alone conceived
pure and spotless, and in all things the beloved of thy Creator. Permit me, then, to praise thee also as thy
God himself has praised thee: Thou art
all fair, and there is not a spot in thee (Cant. 4:7). O most pure Dove, all fair, all beautiful,
always the friend of God. O how
beautiful art thou, my beloved! How beautiful art thou! (Cant. 4:1). Ah, most sweet, most amiable, immaculate
Mary, thou who art so beautiful in the eyes of thy Lord,—ah, disdain not to
cast thy compassionate eyes on the wounds of my soul, loathsome as they
are. Behold me, pity me, heal me. O beautiful loadstone of hearts, draw also my
miserable heart to thyself. O thou, who
from the first moment of thy life didst appear pure and beautiful before God,
pity me, who not only was born in sin, but have again since baptism stained my
soul with crimes. What grace will God
ever refuse thee, who chose thee for his daughter, his Mother, and Spouse, and
therefore preserved thee from every stain, and in his love preferred thee to
all other creatures? I will say, in the
words of St. Philip Neri, "Immaculate Virgin, thou hast to save
me." Grant that I may always
remember thee; and thou, do thou never forget me. The happy day, when I shall go to behold thy
beauty in Paradise, seems a thousand years off; so much do I long to praise and
love thee more than I can now do, my Mother, my Queen, my beloved, most
beautiful, most sweet, most pure, Immaculate Mary. Amen.
Prayer of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort to Our Lady
Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of
the Eternal Father. Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son. Hail Mary, faithful
Spouse of the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary, my Mother, my loving Mistress, my powerful
sovereign. Hail, my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul. Thou art all mine by
mercy, and I am thine by justice. But I am not yet sufficiently thine. I now
give myself wholly to thee without keeping anything back for myself or others.
If thou seest anything in me which does not belong to thee, I beseech thee to
take it and make thyself the absolute Mistress of all that is mine.
Destroy in me all that may
displease God; root it up and bring it to nought. Place and cultivate in me
everything that is pleasing to thee. May the light of thy faith dispel the
darkness of my mind. May thy profound humility take the place of my pride; may
thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination.
May the continuous sight of God fill my memory with His Presence; may the
burning love of thy heart inflame the lukewarmness of mine. May thy virtues
take the place of my sins; may thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of
God and make up for all that is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother,
grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but thine to know
Jesus, and His Divine Will; that I may have no other soul but think to praise
and glorify God; that I may have no other heart but thine to love God with a
love as pure and ardent as thine.
I do not ask thee for visions,
revelations, sensible devotions, or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privilege to
see God clearly, it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy
privilege to triumph gloriously in heaven at the right hand of thy Son and to
hold absolute sway over angels, men, and demons.
It is thy privilege to dispose of
all the gifts of God, just as thou willest. Such, O heavenly Mary, the 'best
part', which the Lord has given thee, and which shall never be taken away from
thee--and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I
wish for no other than that which was thine, to believe sincerely without
spiritual pleasures, to suffer joyfully without human consolation, to die
continually to myself without respite, and to work zealously and unselfishly
for thee until death, as the humblest of thy servants. The only grace I beg
thee, for me, is that every moment of the day, and every moment of my life, I
may say, "Amen, so be it, to all that thou art doing in heaven. Amen, so
be it, to all thou didst do while on earth. Amen, so be it, to all thou art doing
in my soul," so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time
and eternity. Amen.
Novena Prayer
Most Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with sincere love of this devotion. By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in your Rosary, may we gather the fruits contained therein and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, the Peace of Christ for the world, and this favor that I so earnestly seek of you in this novena. (here mention your request) I ask this of you, for the greater glory of God, for your own honor and for the good of all people. Amen
Most Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with sincere love of this devotion. By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in your Rosary, may we gather the fruits contained therein and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, the Peace of Christ for the world, and this favor that I so earnestly seek of you in this novena. (here mention your request) I ask this of you, for the greater glory of God, for your own honor and for the good of all people. Amen
Recitation of the most Holy Rosary
Day of Feast: May 13th - Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Virgin Mary, most powerful Mother of Mercy, Queen of Heaven and earth, in accordance with your wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate myself today to your Immaculate Heart. To you I entrust all that I have, all that I am. Reign over me, dearest Mother, that I may be yours in prosperity, in adversity, in joy and in sorrow, in health and in sickness, in life and in death.
Most compassionate Heart of Mary, Queen of Virgins, watch over my mind and heart and preserve me from the deluge of impurity which you lamented so sorrowfully at Fatima. I want to be pure like you. I want to atone for the many crimes committed against Jesus and you. I want to call down upon this country and the whole world the peace of God in justice and charity.
Mindful of this consecration, I now promise to strive to imitate you by the practice of the Christian virtues without regard for human respect. I resolve to receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of every month when possible, and to offer daily five decades of the Rosary, with all my sacrifices in the spirit of penance and reparation. Amen.
I, . . ., a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy Heart, O Immaculate Mother, the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, in the presence of all the heavenly court, I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, and to thy Immaculate Heart, as thy child and slave of love, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Amen.
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