Our Morning Offering – 28 June – Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ / The institution of the Angelus on 28-29 June 1456 by Pope Callistus III.
Pope Innocent XI, after the victorius battle of Vienna in 1683, requested the whole Christian world to recite the Angelus for peace. Let us renew this pious practice if we have become lax in our devotion and let us pray the Angelus, for the protection of the Church in our own times, from the many menaces, on all fronts, internally and exteriorly facing the Faith, the world and the whole existence of the Catholic Church.
The Angelus 6.00a.m. + 12.00Noon + 6.00p.m.
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with Thee; Blessed art thou among women And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now and at the hour of our death. Amen
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh. R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
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. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour (Help)
“O Mary, you give assistance to everyone endeavouring to rise to God!”
St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom of His most chaste Mother, Christ took to Himself flesh and united to Himself, the spiritual Body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour within her, may be said, to have also carried, all those. whose life was contained in the life of the Saviour. Therefore, all we, who are united to Christ and, as the Apostle says, are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary, like a body united to it’s Head.”
St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914 Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11
“Be our Mother, O Mary, for you have borne us spiritually on Mount Calvary, at the foot of the Cross. Deign to obtain for us, through your intercession that we may love Jesus as you loved Him and follow Him faithfully, as you followed Him, unto Death. Amen.”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Succour, When In Urgent Need By St Alphonsus’ Redemptorists
O Mother of Perpetual Succour, numerous clients continually surround thy Holy picture, all imploring thy mercy. All bless thee as the assured help of the miserable, all feel the benefit of thy motherly protection. With confidence then, do we present ourselves before thee in our misery. See, dear Mother, the many evils to which we are exposed, see how numerous are our wants. Trials and sorrows often depress us, reverses of fortune and privations, often grievous, bring misery into our lives, everywhere we meet the Cross. Have pity, compassionate Mother, on us and on our dear ones, especially in this our necessity …………… (mention your need). Help us, dear Mother in our distress, deliver us from all our ills, or, if it be the Will of God, that we should suffer still longer, grant that we may endure all, with love and patience. These Grace’s we expect of thee with confidence, because thou art our Perpetual Succour, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 27 June – Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour
Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Succour
O Holy Virgin Mother Mary! Thy sweet name, “Mother of Perpetual Succour,” inspires me with unlimited confidence. I beg of thee to help me at all times and in all places; in my temptations, after my falls, in all my difficulties, in all the miseries of this life but above all, at the hour of my death. May I always have recourse to thee, for I am sure that if I invoke thee faithfully, thou wilt be faithful in helping me. Obtain for me, then, the grace to pray to thee with the confidence of a child, in order that I may secure thy perpetual help and final perseverance. Bless me, O tender Mother and pray for me, now and at the hour of my death. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 24 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians/Auxilium Christianorum
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to thy feet imploring thy perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can thou, the most loving of all mothers, forget me? Grant then to me, I implore thee thy perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations. I ask for thy unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through thy intercession, many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked thee on earth we may love and eternally thank thee in Heaven. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 26 April – Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel
This prayer to our Lady of Good Counsel, like many other Marian prayers, asks for Our Blessed Mother’s help in obtaining our salvation. Note the reference to our earthly existence as being a “vale of tears,” an expression we find too in the Salve Regina, the Hail Holy Queen.
Prayer to Our Mother of Good Counsel
Most Glorious Virgin chosen by the Eternal Counsel to be the Mother of the Eternal Word made flesh, thou, who art the Treasurer of Divine Graces and the Advocate of Sinners, I, thy most unworthy servant, have recourse to thee; be thou pleased to be my Guide and Counsellor in this vale of tears. Obtain for me, through the Most Precious Blood of thy Divine Son, the forgiveness of my sins, the salvation of my soul and the means necessary to obtain it. In like manner, obtain for Holy Mother the Church, victory over her enemies and the spread of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ upon the whole earth. Amen
Pope Paul II sent two Bishops to investigate the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel and the numerous miracles that took place, following its appearance at this Church (by one account 171 alone in the period from 27 April to 14 August 1467)!
The fresco is still there to this day, having survived earthquakes over the Centuries and even aerial bombardment during World War II which destroyed much of the Church.
Many Popes have been great champions of Our Lady of Good Counsel and her image. Pope Paul II first approved devotion to her. Popes Urban VIII and Pius IX made visits to the Church in Genazzano to honour her. In 1753 Pope Benedict XIV established the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel which has included, among its members, the Popes Pius VIII, Pius IX, Leo XIII and Pius XII,the last, who placed his Papacy under her maternal care. He later composed this prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel which can be used as a novena:
O Mother of Good Counsel By Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
O Holy Virgin, to whose feet we are led by our anxious uncertainty in our search for and attainment of, what is true and good, invoking thee by the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel, we beseech thee to come to our assistance, when, along the road of this life, the darkness of error and of evil conspire towards our ruin, by leading our minds and our hearts astray. O Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, enlighten the doubtful and the erring that they, be not seduced, by the false appearances of good; render them steadfast in the face of the hostile and corrupting influences, of passion and of sin. O Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us from thy Divine Son, a great love of virtue and, in the hour of uncertainty and trial, the strength to embrace the way which leads to our salvation. If thy hand sustains us, we shall walk unmolested, along the path indicated to us, by the Life and Words of Jesus, our Redeemer and, having followed freely and securely, even in the midst of this world’s strife, the Sun of Truth and Justice, under thy maternal Star, we shall come to the enjoyment of full and eternal peace, with thee, in the Haven of Salvation. Amen
It is also worth noting, especially in these uncertain times for the Church as for the world (and in many ways, the two may be said to be linked together!) that Our Blessed Mother is ready, willing and more than able, to help us i“in the midst of this world’s strife.” We need only to approach her for assistance, in drawing closer to Jesus with fervent, humble prayer and devotion.
Keep in mind too, regarding the line in the first of our prayers above about our Church’s “victory over her enemies” that, in 1571, St Pius V credited Our Lady of Good Counsel with having assisted the Holy League of forces from Catholic maritime states, to defeat the Muslim Ottoman Empire in the famous Battle of Lepanto. This was a decisive victory which kept Italy from being overrun by the Muslims. Let us also pray to Mary for help, as Pope Pius V did, in the midst of our own battles! Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 31 March – Friday in Passion Week, the Fifth Friday in Lent, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows – Judith 13:22, 25, John 19:25-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
REFLECTION – “Mary, the Mother of the Lord, stood by her Son’s Cross. No-one has taught me this but the holy Evangelist John. Others have related how the earth was shaken at the Lord’s Passion, the sky was covered with darkness, the sun withdrew itself and how, the thief was, after a faithful confession, received into paradise. John tells us what the others have not told, how the Lord, while fixed on the Cross called to His Mother. He thought it was more important that, victorious over His sufferings, Jesus gave her the offices of piety, than that He gave her a Heavenly Kingdom. For if it is the mark of religion to grant pardon to the thief, it is a mark of much greater piety, that a mother is honoured with such affection, by her Son. “Behold,” He says, “thy son.” “Behold thy mother.” Christ testified from the Cross and divided the offices of piety, between the mother and the disciple.
Nor was Mary below what was becoming the Mother of Christ. When the Apostles fled, she stood at the Cross and with pious eyes beheld her Son’s wounds. For she did not look to the death of her offspring but to the salvation of the world. Or perhaps, because that “royal hall” knew, that the redemption of the world would be through the death of her Son, she thought that by her death, she also might add something to that universal gift. But Jesus did not need a helper, for the redemption of all, Who saved all without a helper. This is why He says, “I am counted among those who go down to the pit. I am like those who have no help.” He received indeed, the affection of His Mother but sought not another’s help. Imitate her, holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son, set forth so great an example of maternal virtue. For neither have you sweeter children, nor did the Virgin seek the consolation of being able to bear another son.” – St Ambrose (340-397) Archbishop of Milan, Great Western Father and Doctor (Letter 63)
PRAYER – O God, in Whose Passion the sword, according to the prophecy of blessed Simeon, pierced through the soul of Mary, the glorious Virgin and Mother, mercifully grant that we, who reverently commemorate her piercing through and her suffering, may, by the interceding glorious merits of all the saints faithfully standing by the Cross, obtain the abundant fruit of Thy Passion. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 4 March – Saturday of Ember Week in Lent and the First Saturday of the Month
Say Not, Merciful Virgin By St Francis de Sales (1567-1622 Doctor Caritatis
Say not, Merciful Virgin, that you cannot help me, for your Beloved Son holds all power in Heaven and on earth. Say not, that you ought not to assist me, for you are the Mother of all poor children of Adam and my Mother in particular. Since, then, Merciful Virgin, you are my Mother and you are all-powerful, what excuse can you offer if you do not lend your assistance? See, my Mother, see, you are obliged to grant me what I ask and to yield to my entreaties. Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 28 November – The Memorial of St Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) Virgin, Religious Sister of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Marian visionary of the Miraculous Medal.
THE PROMISES OF THE MEDAL When Our Lady appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré on 27 November 1830, rays of light flowed from the rings (made of precious stones) on her fingers. However, some of the stones on the rings did not shine.
Our Lady explained:
“These rays symbolise the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls omit to ask.”
“Graces will be poured out on all those, small, or great, who ask for them with confidence and fervour. … ”
The Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Catherine Labouré DC (1806-1876) November 1830
“If you listen to Him, He will speak to you also because with the good God, it is necessary to speak and to listen.”
Our Prayers to the Saints – 27 November – Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal – Patronages – Special graces, miracles of healing, for conversions, for believers.
Our Blessed Lady and her Miraculous Medal are the solution to the difficulties we are facing. Now, more than ever, we need our Blessed Mother’s comfort and protection. Now, more than ever, we need to discover her peace. Now, more than ever, we need to know that our Mother is with us.
Prayer to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Virgin Mother of God, Mary Immaculate, we unite ourselves to thee under thy title of Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. May this medal be, for each one of us, a sure sign of thy motherly affection for us and a constant reminder of our filial duties towards thee. While wearing it, may we be blessed by thy loving protection and preserved in the grace of thy Son. Most powerful Virgin, Mother of our Saviour, keep us close to thee, every moment of our lives so that like thee, we may live and act according to the teaching and example of thy Son. Obtain for us, thy children, the grace of a happy death, so that in union with thee we may enjoy the happiness of heaven forever. Amen O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Our Morning Offering – 31 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Goodbye October
Through Thee, to Us, our Saviour Came Sweet Lady of the Rosary By St Amadeus of Lausanne O.Cist (1108-1159)
Through thee, to us, our Saviour came, Through thee, to Him, we fain would go. Our lives are marred by wrong and shame, Yet, confidence in thee we know. The friendship thou dost give to all Who love thy name, shall ever be Assurance thou wilt hear our call, Sweet Lady of the Rosary!
Thou art our Strength upon the way, Our Morning Star, to cheer and guide; Our Beacon Light to show the day, And lead us to the Saviour’s Side; A Comforter in ev’ry pain We find, O Mother blest, in thee, And seek we, never, thee in vain, Fair Lady of the Rosary!
Thy praises, Mary, we would sing, And all our faculties employ, That unto thee our hearts might bring A glory-crown of love and joy. Bless thou each humble effort made In thy regard and grant that we, May by thy influence be swayed, Our Lady of the Rosary!
Quote/s of the Day – 13 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” and the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima: The Sixth & Final Apparition
Our Lady’s Words
“Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego 9 December 1531
“Penance, penance, penance. Pray for sinners.”
Our Lady to St Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes, 1858
“I have come, to warn the faithful, to amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not continue to offend Our Lord, Who is already too much offended.”
“Look, my Daughter,” Our Lady said to Lúcia on 10 December 1925, “at my heart, surrounded with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce me.”
“My child, behold my Heart all pierced with thorns, which the blasphemies and ingratitude of men drive deeper at every moment . . . make known to men that:
I promise to assist. at the hour of death. with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturdays of five consecutive months, go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, say the Rosary and spend a quarter of an hour with me, in meditation on te fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary, with the object of making reparation to me.”
“Say the Rosary everyday to obtain peace for the world. And after each decade, say the following prayer: ‘O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.’”
Our Morning Offering – 13 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary” and the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima: The Sixth & Final Apparition
Act of Consecration and Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth and tender Mother of men, in accordance with thy ardent wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate to thee, myself, my brethren, my country and the whole human race. Reign over us and teach us how to make the Heart of Jesus reign and triumph in us and around us, as It has reigned and triumphed in thee. We wish to atone for the many crimes committed against Jesus and thee. We wish to call down upon our country and the whole world, the peace of God in justice and charity. We promise to imitate thy virtues, by the practice of a Christian life without regard to human respect. We resolve to receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of every month and to offer thee five decades of the Rosary on this day, together with our sacrifices in the spirit of reparation and penance. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 1 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Month of the Holy Rosary
“It is untrue to say that the Rosary is a monotomous prayer in that it neccessitates a constant repetition of the same formulae. In the first place, recitation of these prayers should be accompanied by meditation on the principal Mysteries of our Religion. Secondly, if we are inspired by love, the repetition of the same words can draw from them, each time, a new significance.
The Catholic who loves God and His Divine Mother, will be happy to call on his heavenly Father with filial confidence and to pray to the Blessed Virgin, with trust in her maternal protection. An affectionate son does not find it boring to speak with his own Mother!”
Our Morning Offering – 1 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels”
The Holy Rosary By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)
Accept, mighty Maid, we beseech thee, This prayer with its fragrance of flowers; With one soul we seek thus to reach thee And hail thee, God’s Mother and ours.
Thy heart is made glad by our praying; Thy bounty is generous and wise; Thy hands are enriched for conveying What God’s tender Mercy supplies.
We kneel at thy Shrines in the Churches; Oh, gently look down from above, And welcome the heart that then searches For worthy expressions of love.
Let others present precious caskets Of gems, or heap Altars with gold; Slight prayer-beads shall serve us for baskets To bring thee the garland they hold.
With violets lowly we fashion This wreath and with these combined Red roses–our faith in the Passion With Chastity’s lilies entwined.
Our minds, as the Mysteries vary, Are active, our hands play their part; And always thy name, Holy Mary, Oft-uttered, rejoices the heart.
Be with us, we trust thee to guide us Through life and when labouring breath At the last, seeks thine aid, be beside us To help at the hour of our death. Anen
Announcing a Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary Begins 28 September
The Feast of the Most Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October.
Please join me in praying a Novena in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary for the nine days preceding her Feast on 7 October and, of course, October is the Month of the Holy Rosary.
This Feast was instituted to commemorate the victory of Christianity over the forces of Islam at the battle of Lepanto on 7 October 1571. The victory was brought about through the recitation of the Rosary. In thanksgiving for another victory over the same foes in Hungary in 1715, the Feast was extended to the entire Church. In the course of centuries the Rosary has been a source of abundant blessings. In her apparitions at Lourdes, France, in 1858 and again at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, Mary urged Catholics to pray the Rosary daily in order to bring about the conversion of sinners and a lasting world peace. We should resolve to say the Most Holy Rosary everyday. Besides being a beautiful tribute of love and filial piety, to our Heavenly Mother, it will be our support and joy in life and our consolation at the hour of death.
Our Morning Offering – 22 September – “The Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Cross”
My Most Sorrowful Lady By St Anselm (1033-1109) Marian Doctor Magnificent Doctor
My most sorrowful Lady, what can I say about the fountains, that flowed from your most pure eyes, when you saw your only Son before you, bound, beaten and suffering? What do I know of the flood, that drenched your matchless face, when you beheld your Son, your Lord and your God, stretched on the Cross without guilt, when the flesh of your flesh, was cruelly butchered by wicked me? How can I judge what sobs troubled your most pure breast when you heard, “Woman, behold your son,” and the disciple, “Behold, your Mother,” when you received, as a son, the disciple, in place of the Master, the servant, for the Lord? Amen
Saint of the Day – 27 August – Feast of the Seven Joys of Our Lady. This Feast is also known as “The Franciscan Crown,” The Seven Joys of the Virgin. Today was kept by the Franciscans as the Feast of the Seven Joys of the Virgin Mary. As an expression of the Seraphic Order’s devotional life, it corresponds to the Feast of the Holy Rosary, which began among the Dominicans and the observance on 15 September of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin,
The devotion to the Seven Joys in and of itself, however,is much older; the story of its origin is told thus in the Manual for Franciscan Tertiaries.
About the year 1420, a young man, deeply devoted to Our Lady, took the habit of St Francis. Before joining the Order, he had, among other practices, been accustomed daily, to make a Chaplet of flowers,and with it, to Crown a Statue of the Blessed Virgin. Having in his novitiate no longer an opportunity of making this Crown for his Most Beloved Queen, he, in his simplicity, thought that she would withdraw her affection from him; this temptation of the devil disturbed his vocation. He resolved to abandon the cloister. The merciful mother appeared to him and gently rebuking him, strengthened him in his vocation by telling him to offer her, instead of the Chaplet of Flowers, a Crown much more pleasing to her, composed of seventy two Ave Marias and a Pater after each decade of Ave Marias. Our Lady instructed him to meditate at each decade upon the seven joys she had experienced, during years of her exile upon the earth.
The novice immediately commenced reciting the new Crown or Chaplet and derived, therefrom, many spiritual and temporal graces.
This pious practice spread quickly through the whole Order, and even throughout the world… St Bernardin of Siena used to say that it was by the Crown of the Seven Joys that he had obtained all the graces which Heaven has heaped upon him.
The Seven Joys listed in the Manual are the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Christ, the Adoration of the Magi, the Finding of the Christ Child in the Temple, the Resurrection and the Assumption but other version of the list may be found. Two more Aves are added to make the number seventy-two mentioned above and another Pater and Ave for the intentions of the Pope. The recitation concludes with a versicle and response and with the Collect of the Immaculate Conception.
Praying The Franciscan Crown
Using beads for the Franciscan Crown (seven decades), announce the First Mystery and pray the Our Father on the single bead just before the medallion.
Pray one Hail Mary for each of the ten beads. (It seems most fitting to proceed around the beads in a clockwise direction.)
On the single bead between the decades, announce the next Mystery and then pray the Our Father. Continue as in Step 2 for the remaining Mysteries.
After the last Mystery, pray one Hail Mary each on the fourth and third beads from the Cross to complete 72 years of Mary’s Joy.
Pray the Our Father and the Glory Be to the Father (Gloria Patri), for the intention of the Holy Father on the 2nd bead from the Cross.
Pray a Hail Mary on the single bead closest to the Cross.
The recitation concludes with a versicle and response and with the Collect of the Immaculate Conception.
V. In thy Conception, o Virgin, thou wast immaculate. R. Pray for us to the Father, whose Son thou didst bear. Let us pray. O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling place for Thy Son; we beseech Thee, that, as by the foreseen death of Thy sam, Son, Thou preserved her from every stain, so Thou may grant us also, through Her intercession, to come to Thee with pure hearts. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 22 August – Month and Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Octave Day of the Assumption)
“In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
Our Lady of Fátima 1917
“Let us decide to become one, with all the faithful, in offering the prayers and actions and sufferings of each day to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of His Mother Mary. We shall certainly receive showers of graces, both for ourselves and for the salvation of the souls of our neighbours.”
Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Prayer to the Two Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary
O Heart of Jesus pierced for our sins and giving us Your Mother on Calvary! O Heart of Mary pierced by sorrow and sharing in the sufferings of your divine Son for our redemption! O sacred union of these Two Hearts! Praised be the God of Love who united them together! May we unite our hearts and every heart so that all hearts may live in unity and in imitation of that sacred unity which exists in these Two Hearts. Triumph, O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary! Reign, O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! – in our hearts, in our homes and families, in the hearts of those who as yet do not know You and in all nations of the world. Establish in the hearts of all mankind the sovereign triumph and reign of your Two Hearts so that the earth may resound from pole to pole with one cry: Blessed forever be the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary! Obtain for me a greater purity of heart and a fervent love of the spiritual life. May all my actions be done for the greater glory of God in unions with the divine heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Hear and answer our prayers and intentions according to Your most merciful will. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 22 August – Month and Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Octave Day of the Assumption)
O Immaculate Heart of Mary By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, I have nothing in myself to offer thee which is worthy of thee but what thankgiving I ought I to pay thee, for all the favours which thou hast obtained for me from the Heart of Jesus! What reparation ought I to make thee for all my tepidity, in thy service! I desire to return thee love for love, the only good which I possess, is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which thou, thyself hast given me. I offer thee this Treasure of Infinite Price, I cannot do more and thou dost not deserve less, at my hand but, receiving from me, this Gift most Precious in thy sight, be pleased, I beseech thee, to accept too, my poor heart, which I here offer to thee and I shall be forever blessed. Amen.
Preparatory Prayer by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Mary, Virgin most Blessed and Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through thy mercy I beseech thee, to come to my aid and to inspire me with such confidence in thy power that I may have recourse to thee, pray to thee and implore thy aid, in all needs of soul and body. Amen
Meditation: Mary’s glory received its culmination by her coronation as Queen of Heaven and earth. It was meet that in her, should be fulfilled, the words of Holy Scripture: “Come from Libanus, my Spouse, come, thou shalt be crowned” (Cant. 4:81) and, that her own prophetic words, “He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble” (Luke 1:52) should be exemplified in her. For it was reasonable and becoming that she, who once with Jesus, wore the crown of shame and contempt, should now share with Him, the crown of immortal glory. It was but fair and just that, the immaculate being, who was chosen above all inhabitants of heaven and earth, to be the true and worthy Mother of God, should now be solemnly installed over all creatures in Heaven and on earth, as the Queen of Angels and men and that, to her, should be offered homage, praise and honour, by the blessed spirits and by the souls of the Saints. But the crown which she received,is not one made of gold and precious stones, it is composed of the virtues with which Mary, in faithful co-operation with Divine grace, embellished herself. It consists, too, of all the homage and glory, which she receives, as Queen of Heaven. The most precious gem, in this crown, is the filial love and gratitude, Jesus shows toward His Mother in Heaven.
Practice: Indeed, “eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man,” what the heavenly Father has prepared in the mansions of eternal bliss, for His beloved Daughter, the Son for His Blessed Mother, and the Holy Ghost, for His chosen Spouse. She is now Queen of Heaven and earth – of Heaven, for she is the Queen of all Angels and Saints; of earth, for as Mother of God, she is the Mother of all mankind, the mediatrix between the Redeemer and the redeemed. You, too, may contribute a gem toward the crown of your heavenly Mother, by paying her filial homage, imitating her virtues and preserving, for the love of her, your innocence and purity of heart and body.
Prayer of the Church: We beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants that we who, by our own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Novena Prayer: Day Six
Glorious Virgin and Mother of God, Mary! I beseech thee, through the everlasting crown of glory with which God has crowned thee, Queen of Heaven and earth; obtain for me, through thy mighty intercession, the grace to persevere in virtue to the end, so that finally, I may attain the crown of bliss prepared by God. for those that love Him. I beseech thee too, glorious Queen and Mother, for this my special petition ………………
Hail Mary …….
Ejaculation: Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!
Indulgence. (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A Plenary Indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall have said it everyday for a month, under the usual conditions.
The Fifth Day: Mary’s Glorious Entrance into Heaven
Preparatory Prayer by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Mary, Virgin most Blessed and Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through thy mercy I beseech thee, to come to my aid and to inspire me with such confidence in thy power that I may have recourse to thee, pray to thee and implore thy aid, in all needs of soul and body. Amen
Meditation: Joy greater, than human heart can conceive, fills the heavenly spirits when a soul enters Heaven, to receive its reward. What jubilant transports, then, must those have been, with which they hailed the entrance into heavenly bliss of the most pure and holy Virgin, the Mother of the Son of God, body and soul, transfigured in glory! And she is and shall be, for all eternity, their mistress and Queen! What an ineffable joy, too, for the Blessed Virgin, to behold the countless numbers of Angels, to admire their beauty, their purity, their intense love of God! But as the feeble light of a candle disappears before the splendour of the sun’s rays, thus are these choirs of Angels, obscured by the ineffable glory of her Divine Son, coming to welcome His Mother. Who can describe this moving meeting? What a superabundant reward for love and suffering! What an ocean of joy and bliss, when the Son of God presented His Mother before the throne of His heavenly Father, Who greeted her as His Beloved Daughter! What a joy to behold the Holy Ghost, Whose pure Spouse she had been, even on earth! These transports of bliss baffle all attempts at description.
Practice: Although we are unable to have an adequate perception of Mary’s glory in Heaven, by which she is raised above all Angels and Saints, yet, it is in our power, to do one thing – we can rejoice at the glory of our Blessed Mother and join the heavenly spirits and the Saints, in paying homage to her. Let us resolve to do this and never to forget that Mary attained to the largest share of her Divine Son’s glory because, she was foremost in sharing His sufferings. Let this encourage us to bear our cross, to bear it with our Saviour, even to the height of Calvary, there to die with Him.
Prayer of the Church: We beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants that we who, by our own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Novena Prayer: Day Five
Glorious Virgin and Mother of God, Mary! I beseech thee through the preparation with which thou wast glorified by God– by the Father ,as His most Beloved Daughter, by the Son, as His Immaculate Mother and by the Holy Ghost, as His most pure Spouse, in Heaven; obtain for me the grace to share, to some extent, this, thy glory and, therefore, to live so that I may deserve it. And too most Blessed Mother, this, my special Petition: ………………….
Hail Mary …….
Ejaculation: Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!
Indulgence. (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A Plenary Indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall have said it everyday for a month, under the usual conditions.
The Fourth Day: Reasons for the Bodily Assumption of Mary into Heaven
Preparatory Prayer by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Mary, Virgin most Blessed and Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through thy mercy I beseech thee, to come to my aid and to inspire me with such confidence in thy power that I may have recourse to thee, pray to thee and implore thy aid, in all needs of soul and body. Amen
Meditation: The wages of sin is death. Now, as the Blessed Virgin, from the first moment of her existence was preserved from all sin and even from original sin, it necessarily follows that death could have no permanent dominion over her and that, her body would not be permitted to see corruption.
This sinless body had been the medium by which the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was the conqueror of death, had been formed. How, then, could such a highly privileged body, a pure and virginal body, be permitted to pass through corruption and decay?
As Mary had yielded up her sacred person to be a dwelling-place for the Lord of Heaven, it seems fitting that this same Lord, in His turn, should give the Kingdom of Heaven to her as her resting-place. St Bernard expresses this sentiment as follows: “When Our Lord came into this world, Mary furnished Him with the noblest dwelling on earth, the temple of her virginal womb. In return, the Lord,on this day, raises her up to the highest throne in Heaven.”
Practice: If You desire to look forward to death, without fear and to expect your dissolution with confidence, follow the Apostle’s injunction, “Therefore, whilst we have time, let us do good works, to all men” (Gal. 6:10). Avoid sin, perform good works, be patient in affliction and strive to expiate the punishment due to your sins by voluntary acts of penance, thus reducing your inclination to sin. Therefore, offer up to God, every morning, in a spirit of penitence, all your labours, trials and sufferings.
Prayer of the Church: We beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants that we who, by our own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Novena Prayer: Day Four
Glorious Virgin and Mother of God, Mary! I beseech thee through the ineffable glory, thou didst make for thy departure from this world by a life of retirement, full of merits and virtue, dedicated to God alone; obtain for me the grace, of, following thy example, that I may detach my heart from this world and patiently bear affliction and adversity, carefully avoid sin and always strive to advance in the love of God. Obtain for me too, I beg thee Holy Mother, this my special petition ……………………
Hail Mary …….
Ejaculation:Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!
Indulgence: (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A Plenary Indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall have said it everyday for a month, under the usual conditions.
Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption, the Third Day
The Third Day: The Empty Tomb
Preparatory Prayer by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Mary, Virgin most Blessed and Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through thy mercy I beseech thee, to come to my aid and to inspire me with such confidence in thy power that I may have recourse to thee, pray to thee and implore thy aid, in all needs of soul and body. Amen
Meditation: St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church, writes: “St Thomas was not with the other Apostles when the Blessed Virgin died but arrived in Jerusalem on the third day after that event. Ardently desiring to see once more and to venerate the sacred body which had given flesh and blood to his Beloved Master, the grave was opened for this purpose. The body could nowhere be seen and a delicious perfume filled the empty tomb. The Apostles then became convinced, that as God had preserved the body of Mary free from sin before, in and after the Birth of His Son, He was pleased, likewise, after her death, to preserve that same body from corruption and, to glorify it in Heaven.”
A Council held in Jerusalem, in the year 1672, declared: “It is beyond all doubt, that the Blessed Virgin is not only a great and miraculous sign on earth because she bore God in the flesh and yet remained a virgin but, she is also, a great and miraculous sign in Heaven because she was taken up to Heaven, with soul and body. For although her sinless body was enclosed in the tomb, yet, like the body of Our Lord, it arose on the third day and was carried up to Heaven.”
Although the Doctrine of the bodily Assumption of Mary into Heaven, was not defined by the Church as an Article of Faith in the strict sense, yet, the learned Pope Benedict XIV rdeclares, “It would be presumptuous and blameworthy in anyone, to call into doubt or to question, this beautiful and consoling belief of ages.”
Practice: Let us rejoice at the thought of the glorious resurrection of our dear Mother. Let us unite ourselves in spirit with the Apostles in Heaven and with Holy Church, to congratulate her on this extraordinary privilege. But let us also rejoice at the thought of our own resurrection. True, it shall not take place immediately after death but. it is, therefore, not the less certain and it depends on us, to make it glorious and blessed.
Prayer of the Church: We beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants that we who, by our own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Novena Prayer: Day Three
Glorious Virgin and Mother of God, Mary! As thy sacred body, after death, was preserved from corruption and, united with thy sinless soul, was borne to Heaven by the Angels; obtain for me the grace that my life and death be holy, so that on the Day of Judgement, I may arise to glory everlasting. Obtain for me too, I beg thee, the granting of this my special petition: …………………………… Amen
Hail Mary …….
Ejaculation: Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!
Indulgence. (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A Plenary Indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall have said it everyday for a month, under the usual conditions.
Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption, the Second Day
The Second Day: At Mary’s Deathbed and Tomb
Preparatory Prayer by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Mary, Virgin most Blessed and Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through thy mercy I beseech thee, to come to my aid and to inspire me with such confidence in thy power that I may have recourse to thee, pray to thee and implore thy aid, in all needs of soul and body. Amen
Meditation:
Ancient legend relates that, led by Heaven, all the Apostles, except St Thomas, Wwho joined them a little later, assembled at the Blessed Virgin’s deathbed. After she had breathed forth her pure spirit, her sacred remains were prepared for the grave by wrapping the body in new white linen and decking it with flowers . Meanwhile ,the Apostles, assembled in another room, sang Psalms and Hymns, in praise of their departed Mother. The Apostles, all the disciples and the faithful dwelling in Jerusalem, followed the blessed remains to the grave chanting Psalms and Hymns. Arriving in the valley of Josaphat, the body was gently placed in a sepulcher of stone, not far from the Garden of Olives. After the entombment ,the Apostles and crowds of the faithful, lingered near the sacred spot in prayer, meditation and chanting of Psalms in which Angels’ voices were heard to mingle.
Practice:
Join in spirit with the Apostles and faithful in their prayer and meditation at the grave of our Blessed Mother. Contemplate and review her whole life. Could a course like hers have terminated more appropriately than with so beautiful, painless and tranquil a passing away? Prepare yourself, even now, for your departure from this life. Do not postpone the settlement of your affairs, spiritual and temporal, until the last uncertain hours. Above all, remove now, or as soon as possible, all doubts, anxieties and irregularities of conscience because, delay is dangerous and leads to impenitence and because, in the last hours, the powers of hell usually assail the departing soul with all their might.
Prayer of the Church: We beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants that we who, by our own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Novena Prayer: Day Two
Glorious Virgin, who for thy consolation didst deserve to die comforted by the sight of thy dear Son Jesus and in the company of the Apostles and Angels, pray for us, that at that awful moment we, too, may be comforted by receiving Jesus in the most holy Sacrament and may feel see nigh, when we breathe forth our soul. Obtain for me too, I beseech thee, this my special petition ……………….. Amen
Hail Mary …….
Ejaculation: Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!
Indulgence . (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A Plenary Indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall have said it everyday for a month, under the usual conditions.
Preparatory Prayer by St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
O Mary, Virgin most Blessed and Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through thy mercy I beseech thee, to come to my aid and to inspire me with such confidence in thy power that I may have recourse to thee, pray to thee and implore thy aid, in all needs of soul and body. Amen
Meditation: Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was conceived without original sin. She never dimmed by actual sin, the lustre of sanctifying grace which beautified her soul. Nevertheless, she had to pass through the dark prtal of death, before she was assumed, body and soul, into Heaven. She had not been endowed with the privilege of immortality, with which God had invested our first parents in paradise. It was meet that she should be like unto her Divine Son in everything, even in death. But as she had drained, the bitter cup of suffering during her whole life and especially, when standing beneath the Cross, her death was to be free from pain and suffering. She quietly passed away, yielding up her spirit, in a yearning desire to be united forever, with her Divine Son in Heaven.
Practice: If you have dispossessed your heart of all unruly attachment to the goods and enjoyments of this earth, you, too, may hope for a happy and tranquil transition, from this land of exile, to your home in Heaven. Therefore, if you are still attached to the transitory things of this life, disengage your heart from them now. The voluntary renouncement of earthly goods, alone is meritorious before God. The separation from them, enforced by the strong hand of death, is of no supernatural value.
Prayer of the Church:We beseech Thee, O Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants that we who, by our own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Novena Prayer: Day One
O Most benign Mother Mary! I rejoice that by thy happy and tranquil death, the yearning of thy heart was appeased and thy life, so rich in merit and sacrifice, received its crown. I rejoice that after passing from this life, thou, O most loving Mother, was made the glorious and powerful Queen of Heaven and dost exercise thy influence as such, for the benefit of thy frail, exiled children on earth. Obtain for me, I beseech thee, this my special petition ……………….. and a happy death that I may praise and glorify thy might and kindness, forever in Heaven. Amen
Hail Mary …….
Ejaculation:Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!
Indulgence. – (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A Plenary Indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall have said it everyday for a month, under the usual conditions.
Begins 6 August in preparation for the Feast on 15 August – a Holy Day.
On 1 November 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Dogma of the Assumption. Thus he solemnly proclaimed that the belief whereby, the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the close of her earthly life, was taken up, body and soul, into the Glory of Heaven, definitively forms part of the deposit of faith, received from the Apostles. To avoid all that is uncertain, the Pope did not state either the manner or the circumstances of time and place in which the Assumption took place — only the fact of the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into the Glory of Heaven, is the matter of the definition.
Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul.
Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 1 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”
“This Virgin Mother of the Only begotten of God is called Mary, worthy of God, Immaculate of the Immaculate, one of the One.”
Origen (c 185-253)
“In the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I trust. Look to the Star, call upon Mary! In danger, in difficulty or in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Keep her name on your lips, never let it pass out of your heart.”
St Bernard (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
“Do you not know, that not only is Jesus, resting and dwelling continually in the Heart of Mary but that He is, Himself the Heart of Mary … “
St John Eudes (1601-1680) Apostle of the Two Holy Hearts
“The most efficacious means to foster devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690 Visionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Quote of the Day – 30 July – Our Lady’s Saturday – Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16, Luke 11:27-28
“Gracious Lady, you are a Mother and Virgin, you are the Mother of the body and soul of our Head and Redeemer, you are also truly Mother of all the members of Christ’s Mystical Body. For through your love, you have co-operated in the begetting of the faithful in the Church. Unique among women, you are Mother and Virgin, Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ. You are the beauty and charm of earth, O Virgin. You are, forever, the image of the holy Church. Through a woman came death, through a woman came life, yes, through you, O Mother of God.“
Quote/s of the Day – 9 July – Our Holy Mother’s Saturday and the Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace
“No matter how sinful one may have been, if he has devotion to Mary, it is impossible that he be lost.”
St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Father & Doctor of the Church
“O Mary, you give assistance to everyone endeavouring to rise to God!”
St Bridget of Sweden (c 1303 – 1373)
“Let us run to Mary and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of the Church
The Holy Rosary By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)
Accept, mighty Maid, we beseech thee, This prayer with its fragrance of flowers; With one soul we seek thus to reach thee And hail thee, God’s Mother and ours.
Thy heart is made glad by our praying; Thy bounty is generous and wise; Thy hands are enriched for conveying What God’s tender Mercy supplies.
We kneel at thy Shrines in the Churches; Oh, gently look down from above, And welcome the heart that then searches For worthy expressions of love.
Let others present precious caskets Of gems, or heap Altars with gold; Slight prayer-beads shall serve us for baskets To bring thee the garland they hold.
With violets lowly we fashion This wreath and with these combined Red roses–our faith in the Passion With Chastity’s lilies entwined.
Our minds, as the Mysteries vary, Are active, our hands play their part; And always thy name, Holy Mary, Oft-uttered, rejoices the heart.
Be with us, we trust thee to guide us Through life and when labouring breath At the last, seeks thine aid, be beside us To help at the hour of our death.
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom of His most chaste Mother, Christ took to Himself flesh and united to Himself, the spiritual Body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour within her, may be said, to have also carried, all those. whose life was contained in the life of the Saviour. Therefore, all we, who are united to Christ and, as the Apostle says, are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary, like a body united to it’s Head.”
St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914 Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11
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.”
AnaStpaul 
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