Thought for the Day – 23 May – Prayer to Mary, Our Mother

Thought for the Day – 23 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer to Mary, Our Mother

“Even if we fall often into sin, we should never be discouraged.
Although Mary is the Mother of all mankind, she, in a special fashion, is the merciful Mother of sinners.
No matter how sinful a man maybe, he will not be lost if he is sincerely devoted to Mary.
We must not be deluded into imagining, however, that it is enough to pray to Our Lady in order to be saved, even if we continue to commit sin.
St Brigid tells us in her revelations, that Mary is not the Motbher of hardened sinners but, only of those sinners who desire to amend their lives and pray to her with this intention (Rev Bk 4, C 138).

Jesus has told us, moreover, that “not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven but he who does the will of my Father in Heaven, shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 7:21).
The same holds for those who are devoted to Our Lady.
It is not sufficient to pray to her but we must also imitate her and accompany our prayers with the resolution of improving.

Fervent prayer is certain to obtain Mary’s intercession on our behalf.
St Alphonsus recommends, in particular:
(a) the Hail Mary repeated three times every morning and every night, with the invocation “Mother most pure, pray for me;”
(b) an invocation to Our Lady everytime the clock strikes the hour;
(c) the daily recitation of the Holy Rosary;
(d) a visit to the Altar of Our Lady evertime we make our daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament;
(e) and some acts of mortification on the vigil of principal Feasts of Our Lady, followed by a fervent celebration of the Feasts themselves.
If we show our good dispositions in this manner, Mary will be our true Mother in life and in death.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/22/thought-for-the-day-22-may-prayer-to-mary-our-mother/