With God/Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Devotions in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Dedication to Mary
MY Queen! my Mother! I give myself entirely to thee; and to show my devotion to thee, I consecrate to thee this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being, without reserve. Wherefore, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me, guard me, as thy property and possession.
His Holiness, Pope Pius IX, by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, Aug. 5, 1851, granted to all the faithful who, with fervor and at least contrite heart, shall say, morning and evening, one Hail Mary, together with this prayer, to implore of the Blessed Virgin victory over temptations,
especially over those against chastity, an indulgence of 100 days, once a day.
Three Offerings in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
I. Holiest Virgin, with all my heart I worship thee above all the angels and saints in paradise as the daughter of the eternal Father, and to thee I consecrate my soul and all its powers. Hail Mary, etc.
II. Holiest Virgin, with all my heart I worship thee above all the angels and saints in paradise as the Mother of the only-begotten Son, and to thee I consecrate my body with all its senses. Hail Mary, etc.
III. Holiest Virgin, with all my heart I worship thee above all the angels and saints in paradise as the spouse of the Holy Ghost, and to thee I consecrate my heart and all its affections, praying thee to obtain for me from the ever blessed Trinity all the graces which I need for my salvation. Hail Mary, etc.
Indulgence of 300 days, each time. — Leo XII, Oct. 21, 1823.
Prayer of St. Alphonsus de Liguori to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Most holy and immaculate Virgin! O my Mother! thou who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the advocate, hope, and refuge of sinners! I, the most wretched among them, now come to thee. I worship thee, great Queen, and give thee thanks for the many favors thou hast bestowed on me in the past; most of all do I thank thee for having saved me from hell, which I had so often deserved. I love thee, Lady most worthy of all love, and, by the love which I bear thee, I promise ever in the future to serve thee, and to do what in me lies to win others to thy love. In thee I put all my trust, all my hope of salvation. Receive me as thy servant, and cover me with the mantle of thy protection, thou who art the Mother of mercy! And since thou hast so much power with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the grace ever to overcome them. From thee I ask a true love of Jesus Christ, and the grace of a happy death. O my Mother! by thy love for God I beseech thee to be at all times my helper, but above all at the last moment of my life. Leave me not until thou seest me safe in heaven, there for endless ages to bless thee and sing thy praises. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days, each time; plenary indulgence once a month, on the usual conditions. — Pius IX, Sept. 7, 1854.
Dedication of St. Alphonsius to Our Lady
MOST holy Mary, my Lady, into thy blessed trust and special custody, and into the bosom of thy mercy I this day, every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and my body: to thee I commit all my anxieties and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that by thy most holy intercession and by thy merits all my actions may be directed and disposed according to thy will and that of thy Son. Amen.
Indulgence of 200 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 15, 1890. Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
To Obtain some Spiritual or Temporal Favor
Recite each day three Hail Marys, in thanksgiving to the most holy Trinity for the privileges bestowed on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Then recite the following prayer:
OUR Lady of Perpetual Help, show that thou art indeed our Mother, and obtain for me the favor I desire (here specify the desired favor) and the grace to use it for the glory of God and the salvation of my soul.
Glorious St. Alphonsus, who by thy confidence in the Blessed Virgin didst obtain from her so many favors, and who, by thy writings, hast shown us what graces God bestows on us by the hands of Mary. Obtain for me the greatest confidence in our good Mother of Perpetual Help, and beg of her to grant me the favor I am asking of her power and maternal goodness.
Eternal Father, in the name of Jesus, and by the intercession of our Mother of Perpetual Help, and of St. Alphonsus, I pray Thee to hear me and to grant my request, if it be to Thy greater glory and the good of my soul. Amen.
Prayer to Mary, Our Lady of Good Counsel
MOST glorious Virgin, chosen by the Eternal Counsel to be the Mother of the Eternal Word made Man, treasure-house of divine graces and advocate of sinners; I, the most unworthy of thy servants, have recourse to thee, begging of thee to be my guide and counselor in this vale of tears. Obtain for me, through the most precious blood of thy divine Son, forgiveness of my sins, and the salvation of my soul with all the means necessary to secure it. Obtain for Holy Church triumph over her enemies and the extension of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ over the whole earth. Amen.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Nov. 23, 1880.
AH sweet Mother, it is sufficient for me to tell thee my need and difficulty, for thy loving heart always longs to help thy children. Remember the Holy Ghost has made thee the Mother of Good Counsel in order that we might find in thee a guardian and a guide. Turn to me then, I beseech thee, and listen to my prayer. Show me how to act in this matter, for the glory of God and the good of my soul. Amen.
REMEMBER, O most
gracious Virgin
Mary! that never was it
known that any one who
fled to thy protection, implored thy help, and
sought thy intercession,
was left unaided. Inspired
with this confidence, I fly
unto thee, O Virgin of
virgins, my Mother! To
thee I come; before thee
I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the
Word incarnate! despise
not my petitions, but, in
thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time; also a plenary indulgence, once a month, to all those who, having said it at least once a day for a month, on any day, being truly penitent, after confession and communion, shall visit a church or public oratory, and pray there, for some time, for the intention of His Holiness. — Pius IX, Dec. II, 1846.
EJACULATION
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation!
Indulgence of 300 days, each time. — Pius IX, Sept. 30, 1852.
Prayer to Our Lady, Mother of Divine Providence
O IMMACULATE Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Providence, take possession of my soul with all the fulness of thy favor and protection. Govern thou my life, and direct it along the way of virtue to the fulfilment of the divine will. Do thou obtain for me the pardon of my sins; be my refuge, my protection, my defense, my guide in the pilgrimage of this life; console me in afflictions, sustain me in dangers, and in the storms of adversity afford me the security of thy guardianship. Obtain for me, O Mary, the renewal of my heart within me, so that it may become the holy dwelling-place of thy divine Son, Jesus; remove far from me, weak and miserable as I am, every kind of sin, negligence, sloth, timidity and human respect; entirely expel from me pride, vainglory, self-love, and all other earthly affections which hinder the efficacy of thy patronage. O sweetest Mother of Providence, turn thy maternal regard upon me, and if through frailty or malice I have provoked the menaces of the eternal Judge and embittered the most sacred Heart of my loving Jesus, do thou throw over me the mantle of thy protection, and I shall be safe. Thou art the watchful Mother, the Virgin of forgiveness, and my hope on earth; oh, grant that I may have thee for the Mother of glory in heaven. Ave Maria, thrice.
Indulgence of 200 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Feb. 27, 1886.
Ejaculations
MY Queen! my Mother! remember I am thine,
Keep me, guard me, as thy property and possession.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation!
Indulgence of 300 days, each time. — Pius IX, Sept. 30, 1852.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 15, 1884.
Mary, Mother of God, and Mother of mercy, pray for me and for the departed.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Dec. 15, 1883.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Sacrament, pray for us!
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us!
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, June 25, 1902.
Mary, most sorrowful Mother of all Christians, pray for us.
Indulgence of 300 days. — Pius X, June 27, 1906.
Our Lady of Good Studies, pray for us.
Indulgence of 300 days. — Pius X, May 22, 1906.
Mary, our hope, have pity on us!
Indulgence of 300 days. — Pius X, Jan. 8, 1906.
Chaplet in Honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows
Suitable for a Novena
God! come to my assistance.
R. O Lord! make haste to help me.
V. Glory be to the Father, etc. etc.
R. As it was, etc.
I. IMMACULATE Virgin, who, conceived without sin, didst direct every movement of thy most pure heart to that God Who was ever the object of thy love, and who wast ever most submissive to His will; obtain for me the grace to hate sin with my whole heart, and to learn of thee to live in perfect resignation to the will of God.
Our Father, once. Hail Mary, seven times.
- Heart transpierced with pain and woe!
- Set my heart with love aglow.
II. I marvel, Mary, at thy deep humility, through which thy blessed heart was troubled at the gracious message brought thee by Gabriel, the archangel, that thou wast chosen Mother of the Son of the Most High, and through which thou didst proclaim thyself His humble handmaid; wherefore, in great confusion at the sight of my pride, I ask thee for the grace of a contrite and humble heart, that, knowing my own misery, I may obtain that crown of glory promised to the truly humble of heart. Our Father, etc., Heart, etc.
III. BLESSED Virgin, who, in thy sweetest heart didst keep as a precious treasure the words of Jesus, thy Son, and, pondering on the lofty mysteries they contained, didst learn to live for God alone; how doth my cold heart confound me! O dearest Mother! get me grace so to meditate within my heart upon God's holy law that I may strive to follow thee in the fervent practice of every Christian virtue. Our Father, etc.. Heart, etc.
IV. Glorious Queen of martyrs, whose sacred heart was pierced in thy Son's bitter passion by the sword whereof the holy old Simeon had prophesied; gain for my heart true courage and a holy patience to bear the troubles and misfortunes of this miserable life, so that by crucifying my flesh with its desires, while following the mortification of the cross, I may, indeed, show myself to be a true son of thine.
Our Father, etc.. Heart, etc.
V. O MARY, mystical rose, with loving heart, burning with the living fire of charity. Thou didst accept us for thy children at the foot of the cross, becoming thus our tender Mother! make me feel the sweetness of thy maternal heart and thy power with Jesus that, when menaced by the perils of this mortal life, and most of all in the dread hour of death, my heart, united with thine, may love my Jesus then and through all ages. Amen. Our Father, etc., Heart, etc.
LET us now turn to the most sacred Heart of Jesus that He may inflame us with His holy love. O divine Heart of Jesus! to Thee I consecrate myself, full of deep gratitude for the many blessings I have received and daily do receive from Thy boundless charity. With my whole heart I thank Thee for having, in addition to them all, vouchsafed to give me Thy own most holy Mother, giving me to her as a son, in the person of the beloved disciple. Let my heart ever burn with love for Thee, finding in Thy sweetest Heart its peace, its refuge, and its happiness.
Indulgence of 300 days, once a day. — Pius IX, Dec. 11, 1854.
Novena in Honor of the Immaculate Conception
IMMACULATE Virgin! Mary, conceived without sin! Remember, thou wert miraculously preserved from even the shadow of sin, because thou wert destined to become not only the Mother of God, but also the mother, the refuge, and the advocate of man; penetrated, therefore, with the most lively confidence in thy never-failing intercession, we most humbly implore thee to look with favor upon the intentions of this novena, and to obtain for us the graces and the favors we request. Thou knowest, O Mary, how often our hearts are the sanctuaries of God, Who abhors iniquity. Obtain for us, then, that angelic purity which was thy favorite virtue, that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone, and that purity of intention which will consecrate every thought, word, and action to His greater glory. Obtain also for us a constant spirit of prayer and self-denial, that we may recover by penance that innocence which we have lost by sin, and at length attain safely to that blessed abode of the saints, where nothing defiled can enter.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Recite the "Litany of the Blessed Virgin," or the following Hymn.
Hymn
V. Thou art all fair O Mary.
R. And the original stain is not in thee.
V. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem.
R. Thou art the joy of Israel.
V. Thou art the honor of our people.
R. Thou art the advocate of sinners.
V. O Mary.
R. O Mary.
V. Virgin, most prudent.
R. Mother, most tender.
V. Pray for us.
R. Intercede for us with Jesus Christ Our Lord.
V. In thy conception, Holy Virgin, thou wast immaculate.
R. Pray for us to the Father, Whose Son thou didst bring forth.
V. O Lady! aid my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let us pray
HOLY Mary, Queen of heaven. Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and mistress of the world, who forsakest no one, and despisest no one, look upon me, O Lady! with an eye of pity, and entreat for me of thy beloved Son the forgiveness of all my sins; that, as I now celebrate, with devout affection thy holy and immaculate conception, so, hereafter, I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness, by the grace of Him whom thou, in virginity, didst bring forth, Jesus Christ our Lord: Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, in perfect Trinity, God, world without end. Amen.
Then Add the Following Prayer:
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, look mercifully down on Thy servant, our Holy Father, Pope N., whom Thou hast chosen to be the shepherd of Thy Church.
Grant, we beseech Thee, that he may both by word and example benefit those over whom he governs, that, together with the flock entrusted to his care, he may come to life everlasting.
O God, our refuge and our strength, listen to the prayers of Thy servants, and grant that we may obtain what we ask for with faith and confidence, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pious Exercise in Honor of Our Lady of Dolors
Bid me bear, O Mother blessed!
On my heart the wounds impressed
Suffered by the Crucified.
An indulgence of 300 days, once a day, to those who, with contrite heart, shall say the Hail Mary seven times, and, after each Hail Mary, the stanza, as above. — Pius VII, Dec. 1, 1815.
Prayer and Consecration to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
MOST holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, whom I love to honor under the lovely title of Mother of Perpetual Help, I, N., although most unworthy to be thy servant, yet moved by thy wonderful compassion, and by my desire to serve thee, now choose thee, in presence of my guardian angel and of the whole celestial court, for my queen, advocate, and mother: and I firmly purpose always to love and serve thee for the future, and to do whatever I can to induce others to love and serve thee also. I beseech thee, O Mother of God, and my most compassionate and loving Mother, by the blood which thy Son shed for me, to receive me into the number of thy servants, to be thy child and servant forever. Assist me in my thoughts, words, and actions every moment of my life, so that all may be directed to the greater glory of my God; and through thy most powerful intercession, may I never more offend my beloved Jesus, but may I glorify Him, and love Him on earth, and enjoy and praise Him forever in heaven. Amen.
Prayer to Our Lady, Mother of Confidence
IMMACULATE Mary, when we venerate thee under the gracious title of Mother of Confidence, how our hearts overflow with the sweetest consolation, how we are moved to hope for every good gift from thee! That such a name should have been given to thee is a sign that none have recourse to thee in vain. Receive, then, with a mother's compassion these acts of homage, with which we earnestly pray thee to be propitious to us in every necessity. Above all we ask thee to make us live ever united to thee and thy divine Son Jesus. Under thy escort we shall safely walk along the straight road; and so shall it be our lot to hear on the last day of our lives those consoling words: Come, O faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord. Amen.
Indulgence of 200 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, June 23, 1902. Prayer to Our Lady of Light
OUR Lady of Light, spouse of the Holy Ghost, I give thee my whole self, soul and body, all I have, or may have, to keep for Jesus, that I may be His for evermore.
Our Lady of Light, spouse of the Holy Ghost, pray for me.
The Hymn Ave, Maris Stella
HAIL, thou star of ocean!
Portal of the sky!
Ever virgin Mother
Of the Lord most high!
Oh! by Gabriel's Ave,
Uttered long ago,
Eva's name reversing,
Establish peace below.
Break the captive's fetters.
Light on blindness pour;
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
Show thyself a Mother;
Offer Him our sighs,
Who for us incarnate
Did not thee despise.
Virgin of all virgins!
To thy shelter take us;
Gentlest of the gentle!
Chaste and gentle make us.
Still, as on we journey.
Help our weak endeavor,
Till with thee and Jesus
We rejoice forever.
Through the highest heaven,
To the almighty Three,
Father, Son, and Spirit,
One same glory be.
Amen.
His Holiness Leo XIII, by a rescript of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, Jan. 27, 1888, granted to the
faithful who shall recite the above hymn, an indulgence of
three hundred days, once a day.
Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows
O MARY! I beseech thee by the sorrows thou didst experience in beholding thy divine Son dying on the cross, procure for me a good death; obtain for me that, having loved Jesus and thee, my most tender Mother, here on earth, I may love you both and bless you eternally in heaven. Amen.
Novena in Honor of the Dolors of the Blessed Virgin
O MOST holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of martyrs! thou who didst stand beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of thy divine Son — through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ. Through the merits of His most sacred passion and death, and through thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, I hope to obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I recur in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Sancta Maria, Mater Dolorosa, ora pro me!
INVOCATION
O Mary! conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 15, 1884.
EJACULATION
Blessed be the holy and immaculate conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
His Holiness, Pope Leo XIII, revoking the concession made Nov. 21, 1793, by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VI, granted by brief, Sept. 10, 1S78, to all the faithful each time that, devoutly and with contrite hearts, they recite this ejaculation, an indulgence of 300 days.
INVOCATION
Holy Virgin Mary
immaculate, Mother
of God and our Mother,
speak thou for us to the
Heart of Jesus, Who is
thy Son and our brother.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Dec. 20, 1890.
ANTHEM, VERSICLE, AND PRAYER IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE MARY
Ant. This is the rod in which was neither knot of original sin, nor rind of actual guilt.
V. In thy conception,
O Virgin! thou wast immaculate.
R. Pray for us to the Father, Whose Son thou didst bring forth.
Let us pray
O God, Who, by the immaculate conception of the Virgin, didst prepare a worthy habitation for Thy Son; we beseech Thee that, as in view of the death of that Son, Thou didst preserve her from all stain of sin, so thou wouldst enable us, being made pure by her intercession, to come unto Thee. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
To the faithful who shall say this anthem, versicle, and prayer, an indulgence of 100 days, each time. — Pius IX, March 31, 1876.
Indulgenced Acts of Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary
For the Members of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sodality
I
Act of Consecration
By St. John Berchmans
HOLY Mary, Mother of God, and Virgin, I choose thee this day for my queen, patron, and advocate, and firmly resolve and purpose never to abandon thee, never to say or do anything against thee, nor to permit that aught be done by others to dishonor thee. Receive me, then, I conjure thee, as thy perpetual servant; assist me in all my actions and do not abandon me at the hour of my death. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days, for each recitation. — Pius X, Nov. 17, 1906,
II
Act of Consecration
By St. Francis de Sales
Most Holy Mary, virgin Mother of God, I (full name) , most unworthy though I am to be thy servant, yet touched by thy motherly care for me and longing to serve thee, do, in the presence of my guardian angel and all the court of heaven, choose thee this day to be my queen, my advocate, and my mother, and I firmly purpose to serve thee evermore myself, and to do what I can that all may render faithful service to thee.
Therefore, most devoted Mother, through the precious blood thy Son poured out for me, I beg thee and beseech thee, deign to take me among thy clients and receive me as thy servant forever.
Aid me in my every action, and beg for me the grace never, by word or deed or thought, to be displeasing in thy sight and that of thy most holy Son.
Think of me, my dearest Mother, and desert me not at the hour of death. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days, for each recitation. — Pius X, Nov. 17, 1906.
By request of the Rev. Fr. Elder Mullan, S.J., an indulgence of 300 days, applicable to the souls in purgatory, has been attached to the devout recitation, every time, of each of the acts of consecration, by members regularly enrolled in the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin. The first of the two forms was used by St. John Berchmans, the other by St. Francis de Sales. The Sacred Congregation authenticates the concession of the indulgence under date of Nov. 17, 1906. Signed by Cardinal Tripepi, Prefect, and by Archbishop Panici, Secretary. — American Ecclesiastical Review, May, 1907, p. 555.
The Four Great Anthems of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Alma Redemptoris, Ave Regina Coelorum, Regina Coeli and Salve Regina -
They are to be recited in the following order, in the
course of the year. ALMA Redemptoris
From the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent to Candlemas inclusive.
MOTHER of Christ! hear
thou thy people's
cry, Star of the deep, and
portal of the sky.
Mother of Him Who
thee from nothing made.
Sinking we strive and
call to thee for aid.
Oh, by that joy which
Gabriel brought to thee,
Pure Virgin, first and
last, look on our misery.
In Advent
V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.
Let us pray
POUR forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.
From the First Vespers of Christmas to Candlemas.
V. After childbirth, O Virgin, thou didst remain inviolate.
R. O Mother of God, plead for us.
Let us pray
O God, Who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary hast given to mankind the rewards of eternal salvation: grant, we beseech thee, that we may experience her intercession for us, by Whom we deserved to receive the Author of life. Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.
May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.
Ave Regina Coelorum
From Candlemas until Compline on Holy Saturday exclusively.
ANTHEM
HAIL, O Queen of heav'n enthroned! Hail, by angels Mistress owned ! Root of Jesse! Gate of morn, Whence the world's true Light was born: Glorious Virgin, joy to thee. Beautiful surpassingly! Fairest thou where all are fair! Plead for us a pitying prayer.
V. Grant that I may praise thee, O blessed Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thine enemies.
Let us pray
O MOST merciful God, grant succor unto our frailty; that as we celebrate the memory of the holy Mother of God, so by the help of her intercession we may rise again from our sins. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.
Regina Coeli
From Compline of Holy Saturday until None on the Saturday after Pentecost inclusively.
ANTHEM
O QUEEN of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia, For He Whom thou wast meet to bear. Alleluia, Hath risen, as He said, Alleluia.
Pray for us to God, Alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia. R. For the Lord hath risen indeed, Alleluia.
Let us pray
O God, Who didst vouchsafe to give joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ; grant, we beseech Thee, that, through His Mother, the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.
From Compline of the Saturday after Pentecost until Advent.
ANTHEM
HAIL, holy Queen, Mother of mercy! Hail, 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 vale 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.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
ALMiGHTY, everlasting God, Who, by the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, didst so make ready the body and soul of the glorious virgin Mother, Mary, that she deserved to become a meet dwelling for Thy Son: grant that we, who rejoice in her memory, may by her loving intercession be delivered from the evils that hang over us, and from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.
The October Rosary
His Holiness, Leo XIII, by his Encyclical Supremi Apostolatus, Sept. i, 1883, and by a decree of the S. Congr. of Rites, Aug. 20, 1885, had granted and confirmed some Indulgences for the saying of the Rosary during the month of October; then by a rescript of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, July 23, 1898, he made them perpetual and modified them, granting to the faithful who, during the said month, publicly in church or privately anywhere, recite at least a third part of the Rosary, an indulgence of 7 years and 7 quarantines on each day of that month; a plenary indulgence on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, or on any one day of its octave, to those who, both on the feast itself and on every day of its octave, shall have recited at least a third part of the Rosary on the usual conditions: confession, communion, and a visit to some church or public oratory and there praying according to the intention of the Pope. A plenary indulgence, on any one day, to those who, after the said octave, shall have recited at least the third part of the Rosary for ten days during the same month, on the same conditions.
Page:Withgodbookofpra00las.djvu/722 A PIOUS custom assigns the different parts of the Rosary to different days of the week, as follows:
1. The Joyful Mysteries are honored on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the year, and on all Sundays from the first of Advent to the first of Lent.
2. The Sorrowful Mysteries are honored on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the year, and on Sundays of Lent.
3. The Glorious Mysteries are honored on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the year, and on all Sundays from Easter to Advent.
Prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary
O VIRGIN Mary, grant that the recitation of thy Rosary may be for me each day, in the midst of my manifold duties, a bond of unity in my actions, a tribute of filial piety, a sweet refreshment, an encouragement to walk joyfully along the path of duty. Grant, above all, O Virgin Mary, that the study of thy fifteen mysteries may form in my soul, little by little, a luminous atmosphere, pure, strengthening, and fragrant, which may penetrate my understanding, my will, my heart, my memory, my imagination, my whole being. So shall I acquire the habit of praying while I work, without the aid of formal prayers, by interior acts of admiration and of supplication, or by aspirations of love. I ask this of thee, O Queen of the Holy Rosary, through St. Dominic, thy son of predilection, the renowned preacher of thy mysteries, and the faithful imitator of thy virtues. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days, once a day. — Pius X, March 15, 1907.
Little Office of the Immaculate Conception
At Matins
Come, my lips, and wide proclaim
The Blessed Virgin's spotless fame.
O LADY! make speed to befriend me.
R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.
V. Glory be to the Father, etc. Allelulia.
From Septuagesima to Easter, instead of Alleluia is said:
Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of everlasting glory.
HYMN
Hail, Queen of the heavens!
Hail, Mistress of earth!
Hail, Virgin most pure Of immaculate birth!
Clear Star of the morning
In beauty enshrined!
O Lady! make speed
To the help of mankind.
Thee God in the depth
Of eternity chose;
And formed thee all fair,
As His glorious spouse;
And called thee His Word's
Own Mother to be,
By Whom He created
The earth, sky, and sea.
Amen.
V. God elected her, and pre-elected her.
R. He made her to dwell in His tabernacle.
V, O Lady! aid my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let us pray
Holy Mary, Queen of heaven, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Ali stress of the world, who forsakest no one, and despisest no one, look upon me, O Lady! with an eye of pity, and entreat for me, of thy beloved Son, the forgiveness of all my sins; that, as I now celebrate, with devout affection, thy holy and immaculate conception, so, hereafter, I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness, by the grace of Him Whom thou, in virginity, didst bring forth, Jesus Christ our Lord: Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth in perfect Trinity, God, world without end.
Amen.
V. O Lady! aid my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.
At Prime
O LADY! make speed to befriend me.
R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.
V. Glory be to the Father, etc. Alleluia.
Hymn
HAIL, Virgin most wise.
Hail, Deity's shrine!
With seven fairy pillars.
And table divine!
Preserved from the guilt
Which hath come on us all;
Exempt, in the womb,
From the taint of the fall!
O new Star of Jacob,
Of angels the Queen!
O Gate of the saints!
O Mother of men!
To Zabulon fearful
As th' embattled array!
Be thou of the faithful
The refuge and stay.
Amen.
V. The Lord Himself created her in the Holy Ghost.
R. And poured her out over all His works.
V. O Lady, aid, etc. (with the prayer as above).
At Tierce
V. O Lady, make speed, etc.
HYMN
Hail, Solomon's
Throne!
Pure Ark of the law,
Fair Rainbow and Bush,
Which the patriarch saw!
Hail, Gedeon's Fleece!
Hail, blossoming rod!
Samson's sweet Honeycomb!
Portal of God!
Well-fitting it was
That a Son so divine
Should preserve from all touch
Of original sin,
Nor suffer by smallest
Defect to be stained
That Mother, whom He
For Himself had ordained.
Amen.
V. I dwell in the highest.
R. And my throne is on the pillar of the clouds.
V. O Lady, aid, etc. (with the prayer as above).
At Sext
V. O Lady, make speed etc.
HYMN
HAIL, virginal Mother!
Hail, purity's Cell!
Fair Shrine, where the Trinity
Loveth to dwell!
Hail, Garden of pleasure!
Celestial Balm!
Cedar of chastity!
Martyrdom's Palm!
Thou Land set apart
From uses profane!
And free from the curse
Which in Adam began.
Thou City of God!
Thou gate of the East,
In thee is all grace,
O joy of the blest!
Amen.
V. As the lily among the thorns.
R. So is my beloved among the daughters of Adam.
V. O Lady, aid, etc. (with the prayer as above).
At None
V. O Lady, make speed, etc.
HYMN
HAIL, City of refuge!
Hail, David's high tower.
With battlements crowned
And girded with power!
Filled at thy conception
With love and with light!
The dragon by thee
Was shorn of his might.
O Woman most valiant!
O Judith thrice blest!
As David was nursed
In fair Abisag's breast;
As the saviour of Egypt
Upon Rachel's knee:
So the world's great Redeemer
Was cherished by thee.
Amen.
V. Thou art all fair, my beloved.
R. And the original stain was never in thee.
V. O Lady, aid, etc. (with the prayer as above).
At Vespers
V. O Lady , make speed, etc.
HYMN
HAIL, Dial of Achaz!
On thee the true sun
Told backward the course
Which from old he had run!
And, that man might be raised.
Submitting to shame,
A little more low
Than the angels became.
Thou, rapt in the blaze
Of His infinite light,
Dost shine as the morn
On the confines of night;
As the moon on the lost
Through obscurity dawns;
The serpent's destroyer!
A lily 'mid thorns!
Amen.
V. I made an unfailing light to arise in heaven.
R. And as amist I overspread the whole earth.
V. O Lady, aid, etc. (with the prayer as above).
At Compline
May Jesus Christ, thy Son, reconciled by thy prayers, O Lady! convert our hearts.
R. And turn away His anger from us.
V. O Lady! make speed to befriend us.
R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.
F. Glory be to the Father, etc.
HYMN
HAIL, Mother most
pure!
Hail, Virgin renowned!
Hail, Queen with the stars,
As a diadem, crowned.
Above all the angels
In glory untold,
Standing next to the King
In a vesture of gold.
O Mother of mercy!
O Star of the wave!
O Hope of the guilty!
O Light of the grave!
Through thee may we
come
To the haven of rest;
And see heaven's King
In the courts of the blest!
Amen.
THY name, O Mary! is as oil poured out.
R. Thy servants have loved thee exceedingly.
V. O Lady, aid, etc. (with the prayers and versicles as above).
The Commendation
THESE praises and prayers
I lay at thy feet,
O Virgin of virgins !
O Mary most sweet !
Be thou my true guide
Through this pilgrimage here;
And stand by my side
When death draweth near.
R. Thanks be to God.
Ant. This is the rod in which was neither knot of original sin, nor rind of actual guilt.
V. In thy conception, O Virgin! thou wast immaculate.
R. Pray for us to the Father, Whose Son thou didst bring forth.
Let us pray
O God, Who, by the immaculate Conception of the Virgin, didst prepare a worthy habitation for Thy Son: we beseech Thee, that, as in view of the death of that Son, Thou didst preserve her from all stain of sin, so Thou wouldst enable us, being made pure by her intercession, to come unto Thee. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days, each time. — Pius IX, March 31, 1876.
The Thirty Days' Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Commemorative of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
It is particularly recommended as a proper devotion for every day in Lent, and on all Fridays throughout the year.
EVER glorious and blessed Virgin, Queen of virgins, Mother of mercy, hope and comfort of dejected souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart, whilst thine only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John; take pity, we beseech thee, on our poverty and necessities; have compassion on our anxieties; assist and comfort us in all our infirmities and miseries. Thou art the Mother of mercies, the sweet consolatrix and refuge of the desolate and afflicted: look, therefore, with pity on us, miserable children of Eve, and hear our prayer: for since, in just punishment of our sins, we are encompassed by evils, whither can we fly for more secure shelter than to thy maternal protection? Attend, therefore, with an ear of pity, we beseech thee, to our humble and earnest request. We ask it through the mercy of Jesus Christ, thy Son, the Redeemer of the world. We ask it through the anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on Mount Olivet, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future Passion. We ask it through the threefold repetition of His prayer in the garden, from whence afterwards, with mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful Stations of His sufferings and death. We ask it through the welts and sores of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. We ask it through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted, the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. We ask it through His bitter tears and sweat of blood, His silence and resignation, His sadness and grief of heart. We ask it through the blood which trickled from His royal and sacred head, when struck with the scepter of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. We ask it through the torments He endured, when His hands and feet were cruelly fastened to the tree of the cross. We ask it through His vehement thirst and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. We ask it through His dereliction on the cross, when He exclaimed: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" We ask it through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying: "All is consummated." We ask it through the blood mixed with water which issued from His sacred side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy hath flowed upon us. We ask it through His immaculate life, bitter Passion, and ignominious death upon the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and darkness of the sun and moon. We ask it through His descent into hell, where He comforted the saints of the Old Law, and led captivity captive. We ask it through His glorious victory over death. His triumphant ascension into heaven, and through the grace of the Holy Ghost, infused into the hearts of the disciples when He descended on them in the form of fiery tongues. We ask it through His awful appearance on the Last Day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We ask it through the compassion He bore thee, and the ineffable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever blessed Virgin, comfort the hearts of thy supplicants, by obtaining for us —.[1] And as we are persuaded that our divine Saviour honors thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He can refuse nothing, so let us experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and the charity of His amiable Heart, which mercifully granteth the requests, and complieth with the desires of those who love and fear Him. O most Blessed Virgin! besides the object of our present petition, and whatever else we may stand in need of, obtain for us of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition, a horror of sin, love of God and our neighbor, contempt of the world, and patience and resignation under the trials and difficulties of this life. Obtain for us, O sacred Mother of God! the gift of final perseverance, and the grace to receive the last sacraments worthily at the hour of death. Lastly, obtain, we beseech thee, for our parents, our relatives, and our benefactors, whether living or dead, life everlasting. Amen.
Month of May Devotions
Indulgence of 300 days for each day, to all who shall honor the Blessed Virgin, during the month of May (in public or in private), with prayer or other devotion.
Plenary indulgence once in the month (or on one of the first eight days of June), to all who keep up this devotion every day during the month. Conditions: confession, communion, and prayer according to the Pope's intention. — Pius VII, June 18, 1822.
Prayer for the Month of May
O MOST august and blessed Virgin Mary! holy Mother of God! glorious Queen of heaven and earth! powerful protectress of those who love thee, and unfailing advocate of all who invoke thee! look down, we beseech thee, from thy throne of glory on thy devoted children; accept the solemn offering we present thee of this month, especially dedicated to thee, and receive our ardent, humble desire, that by our fervent love we may worthily honor thee, who, next to God, art deserving of all honor. Receive us, O Mother of mercy, among thy best beloved children; extend to us thy maternal tenderness and solicitude ; obtain for us a place in the Heart of Jesus and a special share in the gifts of His grace. Oh, deign, we beseech thee, to recognize our claims on thy protection, to watch over our spiritual and temporal interests, as well as those of all who are dear to us; to infuse into our souls the spirit of Christ and to teach us thyself to become meek, humble, charitable, patient, and submissive to the will of God.
May our hearts burn with the love of thy divine Son, and of thee, His blessed Mother, not for a month alone, but for time and eternity; may we thirst and labor for the promotion of His glory and for thy greater veneration. Receive us, O Mary, thou refuge of sinners; grant us a mother’s blessing and a mother’s care, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Prayer to the Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Incarnate Word.
Most holy Virgin, Mother of the incarnate Word, treasure house of grace, and refuge of us wretched sinners, with lively faith we have recourse to thy motherly love, and ask of thee the grace of ever doing God’s will and thine. In thy most holy hands we place our hearts, and of thee we ask health of body and soul; and, as we have the sure hope that thou, our most loving Mother, wilt hear us, we say to thee with lively faith:
Hail Mary, three times.
Let us pray
Defend, we beseech thee, O Lord! through the intercession of the blessed Mary, ever virgin, Thy servants from all infirmity; and mercifully deign to guard them, prostrate in the sincerity of their hearts before thee, against the snares of the enemy. Through Christ our Lord. &. Amen.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XII, Aug. 11, 1824. Ejaculation to the Mother of Mercy
Mary, Mother of God and Mother of mercy, pray for us and for the departed.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Dec. 15, 1883.
Prayer to Mary, Refuge of Sinners, for a Good Death.
O MARY, conceived without stain, pray for us who fly to thee. Refuge of sinners, Mother of those who are in their agony, leave us not in the hour of our death, but obtain for us perfect sorrow, sincere contrition, remission of our sins, a worthy reception of the most holy Viaticum, the strengthening of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, so that we may be able to stand with safety before the throne of the just but merciful Judge, our God and our Redeemer. Amen.
Indulgence of too days, once a day. — Pius IX,March 11, 1856.
Eleven Novenas in Honor of Our Lady.
At any time of the year, with any form of prayer approved by competent ecclesiastical authority.
In honor of (1) the Immaculate Conception; (2) the Nativity B. V. M.; (3) the Presentation B. V. M.; (4) the Annunciation B. V. M.; (5) the Visitation B. V. M.; (6) the Sacred Delivery of Mary and Birth of Jesus; (7) the Purification B. V. M; (8) the Seven Dolors B. V. M.; (9) the Assumption B. V. M.; (10) the Sacred Heart of Mary and her Patronage; and (11) for the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary.
Indulgence of 300 days, each day; plenary indulgence once during the Novena, on the usual conditions, viz., Confession, Communion, and Prayer according to the Pope’s intention. — Pius IX, Nov. 26, 1876.
Novena in Honor of the Blessed Virgin for any Festival and for Any Special Occasion
Note. — For the Eleven Novenas mentioned above, as well as for any Novena in honor of Our Lady, the following prayer may be used in connection with other prayers that are found in this book according to each one’s pleasure or particular devotion, such as
1. The Litany of Loretto;
2. An Act of Consecration ;
3. The Memorare ;
4. The Prayer of St. Alphonsus ;
5. The Prayer of St. Aloysius ;
6. The Prayer for a Good Death;
7. The Three Offerings, etc. ;
8. Ejaculations to Our Lady.
One of the best prayers, for daily recitation, in the course of a novena, is, of course, The Rosary.
O MARY, ever blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Queen of the angels and the saints, I salute thee with the most profound veneration and filial devotion. I renew the ccnsecration of myself and all I have to thee. I thank thee for the many blessings that I have received through thy merciful protection and most powerful intercession. In all my necessities I have recourse to thee with unbounded confidence. O Help of Christians, O Mother of mercy, I beseech thee now to hear my prayer, and to obtain for me of thy divine Son the favor that I request in this novena.
Obtain for me, also, dearest Mother, the grace that I may imitate thee and become more like to thee in the practice of the virtues of humility, obedience, purity, poverty, submission to the will of God, and charity. Be my protectress in life, guard and guide me in dangers, direct me in perplexities, lead me in the way of perfection, and assist me in the hour of my death, that I may come to Jesus, and with thee enjoy Him, bless Him, and love Him eternally in heaven. Amen.
Ejaculations
Virgin Mother of God, Mary, pray to Jesus for me.
Indulgence of 50 days, once a day. — Leo XIII,March 29, 1894.
Holy Virgin, Mary immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother, speak thou for us to the Heart of Jesus, Who is thy Son, and our brother.
Indulgence of too days, once a day. — Leo XIII,Dec. 20, 1890.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 15, 1884.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
O EVER immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, health of the sick, refuge of sinners, comfort of the afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings; deign to cast upon me a look of mercy. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors, and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence, to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests. I will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that I may one day share your glory, and bless you in eternity. Amen.
Reparation for Blasphemy against Our Lady
O MARY, bless this house, where thy name is ever held in benediction. All glory to Mary ever immaculate, ever Virgin, blessed among women, the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Queen of paradise.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, March 21, 1905.
Dedication to Our Lady
By St. Aloysius
MOST HOLY MARY, my Lady, into thy blessed trust and special custody, and into the bosom of thy mercy I this day, every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and my body: to thee I commit all my anxieties and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that by thy most holy intercession and by thy merits all my actions may be directed and disposed according to thy will and that of thy Son. Amen.
Indulgence of 200 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 15, 1890.
Aspiration
My Lady and my Mother, remember I am thine; protect and defend me as thy property and possession.
Indulgence of 40 days, every time, when tempted. — Pius IX, Aug. 5, 1851.
Three Invocations, with the Hail Mary Thrice
THOU who wast a Virgin before thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary.
Thou who wast a Virgin in thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary.
Thou who wast a Virgin after thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day — Leo XIII,May 20, 1893. Ejaculations to the Virgin Mother of God
Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.
Indulgence of 50 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 29, 1891.
Mother of love, of sorrow, and of mercy, pray for us.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, May 30, 1908.
Pious Exercise in Honor of Our Lady of Dolors
Say the Hail Mary seven times, and after each Hail Mary:
Holy Mother, pierce me through;
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Saviour crucified.
Indulgence of 300 days, once a day. — Pius IX, June 18, 1876.
The Month of September
His Holiness, Pope Pius IX, by a brief, April 3, 1857, and by a rescript of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, Nov. 26, 1876, and Leo XIII, by a rescript of the same S. Congr., Jan. 27, 1888, granted to all the faithful who, with at least contrite heart and devotion, shall practice this devout exercise in honor of the Blessed Virgin of sorrows, an indulgence of 300 days, every day of the month; a plenary indulgence once in this month, or, according to the established rule, on one of the first eight days of October, with the usual conditions — confession, communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff.
A Visit to Our Lady of Sorrows
PRAYER BEFORE HER ALTAR OR IMAGE
HOLY MARY, Mother of sorrows, whose heart was pierced with a fresh sword of grief at every station on the way of the Cross, obtain for us, we beseech thee, O most loving Mother, a perpetual remembrance of our blessed Saviour’s cross and death, and a true and tender devotion to all the mysteries of His most holy Passion; obtain for us the grace to hate sin, even as He hated it in the agony of the Garden; to endure wrong and insult with all patience, as He endured them in the judgment-hall; to be meek and humble in all our trials, as He was before His judges; to love our enemies even as He loved His executioners, and prayed for them upon the cross; and to glorify God and do good to our neighbors, even as He did in every mystery of His sufferings. O Queen of martyrs, who, by the dolors of thy immaculate heart on Calvary, didst merit to share the Passion of our blessed Redeemer, obtain for us some portion of thy compassion, that for the love of Jesus crucified, we may be crucified to the world in this life; and in the life to come, may, by His infinite merits and thy powerful intercession, reign with Him in glory ever-lasting. Amen.
Prayer in Honor of the Sorrows and Joys of Mary
O most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul a sword of grief went through in the Passion of thy Divine Son, and who in His glorious resurrection wast filled with unending joy at His triumph; intercede for us thy suppliants, that we may become so truly partakers in the adversities of the Church and the trials of the Supreme Pontiff, that we may deserve to share in the consolations they desire, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Indulgence of 200 days, once a day.— Pius X, Feb. 3, 1906.
Seven Sundays in Honor of the Immaculate Conception
Indulgence of 7 years, on each of any 7 consecutive Sundays, once a year; plenary indulgence on the seventh Sunday. Conditions: Confession, communion, visit to a church, and prayer according to the Pope’s intention. — Leo XIII, July 23, 1808.
N.B. To gain this indulgence recite some prayers in honor of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Antiphon, Versicle, and Prayer in Honor of the Immaculate Conception
Ant. This is the rod in which was neither knot of original sin nor rind of actual guilt.
V. In thy conception, O Virgin, thou wast immaculate.
R. Pray for us to the Father, whose Son thou
didst bring forth. Let us pray
God, Who, by the immaculate conception of the Virgin, didst prepare a worthy habitation for Thy Son: we beseech Thee that, as in view of the death of that Son Thou didst preserve her from all stain of sin, so Thou wouldst enable us, being made pure by her intercession, to come unto Thee. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Indulgence of 100 days, every time. — Pius IX,March 31, 1876.
Ejaculation
IN thy conception, O Virgin Mary, thou wast immaculate; pray for us to the Father, whose Son, Jesus Christ, conceived of the Holy Ghost, thou didst bring forth.
Indulgence of too days, every time. — Pius VI, Nov. 21, 1793. Prayer of St. Alphonsus for Purity
Hail Mary, thrice, and after each:
By thy immaculate conception, O Mary, make my body pure, and my soul holy.
Indulgence of 300 days, twice a day (morning and evening). — Pius X, Dec. 5, 1904.
Ejaculations and Invocations in Honor of the Immaculate Conception
To thee, O Virgin Mother, who wast never defiled with the slightest stain of original or actual sin, I commend and entrust the purity of my heart.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Pius IX, Nov. 26, 1854.
O Mary, who didst enter the world free from stain, do thou obtain for me from God, that I may pass out of it free from sin.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Pius IX, March 27, 1863.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Leo XIII, Sept. 10, 1378.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 15, 1884. 736
Most holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, speak on our behalf to the Heart of Jesus, Who is thy Son and our Brother.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Dec. 20, 1890.
The Magnificat
My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He that is mighty hath done great things unto me, and holy is His name.
And His mercy is from generation to generation: unto them that fear Him.
He hath shown strength with his arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath upholden His servant Israel: being mindful of His mercy.
As He spoke unto our fathers: to Abraham and to his seed forever. Glory be to the Father, etc.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day; 7 years and 7 quarantines, once on Saturdays. — Leo XIII, Sept. 20, 1879; Feb. 22, 1888.
Prayer to Our Lady, Help of Christians
Mary, immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and our Mother, thou seest how the Catholic Faith, in which we propose by the help of God to live and die, and so attain to eternal glory, is everywhere assailed by the devil and the world. Do thou, Help of Christians, renew thy victories as of old, for the salvation of thy children. To thee we entrust our firm purpose of never joining assemblies of heretics or sectaries. Do thou, all holy, offer to thy divine Son our resolutions, and obtain from Him the graces necessary to enable us to remain steadfast in them to the end. Bring consolation to the visible head of the Church; support the Catholic episcopate; protect the clergy and the people who proclaim thee Queen; hasten by the power of thy prayers the day when all nations shall be gathered together around the Supreme Pastor. Amen. Mary, help of Christians, pray for us.
Indulgence of too days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Dec. 20, 1890.
INVOCATION TO OUR BLESSED MOTHER TO BE SAID MORNING AND EVENING
My Mother, preserve me this day from mortal sin.
Indulgence of 200 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Feb. 8, 1900.
EJACULATION
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, Nov. 9, 1907.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, our King and our God, truly present in the adorable Eucharist : grant, we beseech Thee, that, in venerating this sublime mystery of Thy body and blood, we may remember the immaculate Virgin Mary, in whom Thou didst will to be conceived by the operation of the Holy Ghost; grant also that we may imitate the worship she herself, while on earth, rendered to this most holy sacrament, in order that we may see Thy eucharistic kingdom propagated all over the world. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Indulgenced Prayers
1. Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, pray for us!
Indulgence of 300 days to those who recite this invocation before the Blessed Sacrament exposed. — Pius X, Dec. 30, 1905.
2. O Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, who art the glory of Christians, the joy of the universal Church, and the hope of the world, pray for us! Stir up in all the faithful devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist, that they may render themselves worthy to communicate every day.
Indulgence of 300 days each time.— Pius X, Dec. 9, 1906.
3. Let us with Mary Immaculate adore, thank, supplicate, and console the most sacred and beloved eucharistic Heart of Jesus!
Indulgence of 200 days for each recital—Pius X,
Dec. 19, 1904. Pious Exercise on Fridays
Indulgence of 100 days, to all who when the church bell rings on Friday at three in the afternoon, or at any other hour fixed by custom, kneel and say five times Our Father and Hail Mary, in memory of the Passion of Our Lord, praying according to the intention of the Pope. — Benedict XIV, Dec. 13, 1740; Leo XIII, May 15, 1886.
Devotion to Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament[2]
We invoke the Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus, and our tender Mother, under the title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, because she is the Mother of the Saviour, Who lives in the Eucharist, and because it is from her that he takes the flesh and blood with which He nourishes us; because, moreover, she is the sovereign dispenser of all grace, and consequently of those graces contained in the august Sacrament; and, finally, because she was the first to practise the duties of the eucharistic life, showing us by her example how to assist becomingly at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, how to communicate worthily, and to visit the Most Blessed Sacrament frequently and with piety.
The Cardinal-Vicar has graciously granted leave to the Sons of the Venerable Pere Eymard — the Fathers of the Blessed Sacrament — to erect in their church of; San Claudio, Rome, a chapel and an altar in honor of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and to have her picture publicly exposed to the veneration of the faithful. May this example be followed in America; let us hope that ere long many new altars and shrines shall be dedicated to Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Prayer to Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament
O MARY, sweet Mother of Jesus and our own tender mother, we love to call you Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, because you were the first tabernacle of the Most High and the first adorer of Our Lord and Saviour. You have, indeed, given us the Blessed Eucharist. It was your ‘“‘fiat,” your acquiescence in the Incarnation of the Son of God — the Divine Word — that began the great mystery of the union with us which Jesus accomplished during His mortal life, and which He continues in the Holy Eucharist. And after Our Lord’s ascension into heaven, you became the model and mother of all adorers of Jesus in the Tabernacle by adoring and serving Him with loving assiduity. Pray for us who have recourse to you, that we may love Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist ever more and more with a love like that which inflamed your own immaculate Heart, O Mary, so that we may seek in all things His pleasure and His glory, and may daily grow more like to Him, and thus be able to exclaim with the burning heart of the great apostle, St. Paul: I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. It is your mission, dear Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, to form Jesus in His adorers. Dying for love of us, He, in His agony on the cross, bequeathed you to us as our mother, and confided us to your maternal care; help us, then, to be more devoted to Him in the sacrament of His love; help us to show our love for Him by striving to draw others to the love of His sacred Heart, and by our constant efforts to imitate His meekness, humility, and patience, His poverty, obedience, and purity, His boundless and all-embracing charity, and, indeed, all those virtues which He taught us in His mortal life from Bethlehem to Calvary, and of which He continues to give us an example in His Eucharistic life upon the Altar. May His Kingdom be established in the whole world; may He live and rule in all hearts. Blessed and praised every moment be the most holy and divine Sacrament. Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, pray for us — pray that we who now adore and love Jesus here below under the veil of the sacred species, may one day have the joy to behold Him in His unveiled beauty in the realms above, and to sing His praises with the angels and the saints, and above all with you, dear Mother, in eternal tabernacles. Amen.
I
When the sun illumes the heaven,
When he sinks into the west,
Dearest Lord, from morn till even
With me ever take Thy rest.
Nought from Thee my soul may sever,
Life nor death may stay our love,
In sweet union living ever —
Union which no power can move.
While with life my heart is beating,
Ceaseless hymns of praise I'll pour;
Still I’ll sing, in heaven repeating,
Hymns from never failing store:
When, from sight each veil upraising,
All Thy beauty I shall see,
And, with choirs of angels praising,
Love Thee through eternity.
— From a Thanksgiving Hymn after Holy Communion by FATHER BRIDGETT, C.SS.R.
2
Mother, we pray false love may lose its lure,
And only love that doth not taint or cloy
May hold us — as the Spotless holds the Pure,
As thou, Immaculate, the Stainless Boy!
Mother, Mary! to thy keeping
Soul and body we confide,
Toiling, resting, waking, sleeping.
To be ever at thy side;
Cares that vex us, joys that please us,
Life and death we trust to thee;
Thou must make them all for Jesus,
And for all eternity!
— Rev. F. W. Faber, D.D.