Our Morning Offering – 3 June – Ember Saturday of Pentecost – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and First Saturday
To the Two Loving Hearts By St John Eudes (1601-1680)
O Jesus, only Son of God, only Son of Mary, I offer You the most loving Heart of Your divine Mother which is more precious and pleasing to You than all hearts.
O Mary, Mother of Jesus, I offer you the most adorable Heart of your well-beloved Son, who is the life and love and joy of your Heart.
Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen
Thought for the Day – 29 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Great Exile
“Holy Mary my Mother, grant that God may rule my mind and that thou may be always in my thoughts. Help me to live always in the Presence of God and to dedicate all my thoughts, desires ands affections to Him. Grant that all the actions of my poor life, may be in accordance with His Holy Will. Amen”
Thought for the Day – 27 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Mary, Our Hope
“O Mary, my Mother, I place my trust in you because I know, that your intercession, is all-powerful with your Divine Son, Jesus. Help me to detach myself completely from sin and, to conquer my rebellious inclinations. Grant that I may imitate the shining example of your sanctity in such a way, that you may be truly my hope and my sure refuge, now and at the hour of my death. Amen.”
Thought for the Day – 26 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed”
“O Mary, my loving Mother, I wish to add my voice to the millions of voices which have proclaimed thy blessedness throughout the ages. Grant that my recognition of thy sanctity may not be merely verbal but may be proved by deeds. Let me do more than pray to thee as my Mother, my Queen and my powerful Mediatrix with God. Let me also acknowledge that thou are all this to me by a practical and filial imitation of thou outstanding virtues. Amen.”
Our Morning Offering – 26 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Memorial of St Philip Neri (1515-1595) Confessor
Immaculate Virgin By St Philip Neri (1515-1595)
Immaculate Virgin, thou hast to save me. Grant that I may always remember thee and thou, do thou never forget me. The happy day, when I shall go to behold thy beauty in paradise, seems a thousand years off. So much do I long to praise and love thee more than I can now do, my Mother, my Queen, my beloved, most beautiful, most sweet, most pure, Immaculate Mary. Amen
Thought for the Day – 25 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Search for God
“Holy Mary, help me to aim at pleasing God throughout my life. Help me to see Him in all things, to love Him in all my affections, to direct all my thoughts and desires towards Him. This is the only way in which I can become like you, my Mother. In this way, I shall find peace on earth, even in the midst of suffering and the happiness in Heaven, which will never pass away. 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
Thought for the Day – 23 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Prayer to Mary, Our Mother
“O Mary, be my merciful and kind Mother always but especially when you see me struggling against temptation and against the wiles of the devil. Grant that I may never fall and offend God again. I need you so much. Help me and save me. Amen.”
Thought for the Day – 22 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth
“O Queen pf Angels and of Saints, my most powerful and most loving Mother, have pity on me, for I am surrounded by such great perils and need so much to advance in virtue. Although I am weak and weary, I desire ardently to imitate the shining example of thy holidness. Obtain for me, from thy Divine Son, the grace to imitate thee, as far as I am able on earth, so that one day I may share thy happiness in the Presence of God for all eternity. Amen.”
Our Morning Offering – 20 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Feast of Our Lady Queen of the Apostles
Prayer to Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles By St Vincent Pallotti SAC (1795-1850)
Immaculate Mother of God, Queen of the Apostles, we know that God’s commandment of love and our vocation to follow Jesus Christ, impels us to co-operate in the mission of the Church. Realising our own weakness, we entrust the renewal of our personal lives and our Apostolate, to your intercession. We are confident, that through God’s mercy and the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, you, who are our Mother, will obtain the strength of the Holy Spirit, as you obtained it for the Apostles, gathered in the Upper Room. Therefore, relying on your maternal intercession, we resolve, from this moment, to devote our talents, learning, material resources, our health, sickness and trials and every gift of nature and grace, for the greater glory of God and the salvation of all. We wish to carry on those activities, (which especially promote the Catholic Apostolate,) for the revival of faith and love of the people of God and so, bring all men and women, into the faith of Jesus Christ. (And if a time should come when we have nothing more to offer, serviceable to this end,) we will never cease to pray, that there will be one fold and one Shepherd, Jesus Christ. (In this way, we hope to enjoy the results of the Apostolate of Jesus Christ) for all eternity. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 17 May– Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Living in the Presence of God
“The masters of the spiritual life advise us to the best way to cultivate an awareness of the presence of God (Cf St Alphonsus Liguori, Al Divino Servizio, III, 3). This may be done by employing the intellect to form the concept of God’s nearness and by using the will, to offer to Him, ourselves and everything around us, with acts of humility, adoration and love. The intellect, enlightened by faith, tells us that God is everywhere, “Do not I fill heaven and earth? said the Lord” (er 23:24). We should see Him in all His creations which reflect His eternal glory. “Learn to love the Creator in the creature” says St Augustine, “so that you may not become attached to created things and so lose Him by Whom, you yourself were created” (In Px 18).
When we wish to revive, in our minds, a sense of the presence of God, we should not picture Him as a distant Being but, as our own God, Who condescended to dwell within us. We should then listen to His inspirations and humbly venerate His Divine Majesty, which resides in our souls. “Do you not know,” says St Paul, “that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16). God is everywhere but He dwells in a special manner, in our souls. It is difficult for us, however, to live with our minds constantly concentrated on Him. If we were able to do so, this would be an anticipation of the happiness of the Blessed in Heaven. But, we should have a habitual intention, which we should renew as often as possible, of living in the presence of God and of offering Him all our desires and actions. Then, our whole life will be a continual prayer of great value in the sight of God.
My loving Mother Mary, you lived both physically and spiritually, permanently in God’s presence, help me to live as you did. Help me to consciously remember the Divine presence in my soul and offer Him all that I am and do. Help me to love our good God, more and more. Amen.”
It’s 1 May Let us Rejoice in our Mother Mary! The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“Bright Mother of our Maker, Hail! Thou Virgin ever blest, the Ocean’s Star by which we sail and gain the port of rest!” (Anonymous 8th Century Latin Hymn)
The May Magnificat By Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)
May is Mary’s month and I Muse at that and wonder why: Her feasts follow reason, Dated due to season-
Candlemas, Lady Day: But the Lady Month, May, Why fasten that upon her, With a feasting in her honour? Ask of her, the mighty Mother: Her reply puts this other Question: What is Spring? Growth in everything- All things rising, all things sizing Mary sees, sympathising With that world of good, Nature’s motherhood.
Well but there was more than this: Spring’s universal bliss Much, had much to say To offering Mary May.
Visits to the Altar of Our Lady On the Love of Mary for Her Children (Imprimatur, 1867)
Mary loves us because we are her children. A loving and tender Mother is never wearied by the importunities of her little ones and Mary, who is the most loving and tender of all mothers, will never weary of hearing and answering our petitions. The one great thing that she desires, for all her children is that they should become like her Son Jesus. He is the only Child who never disobeyed her or grieved her. It is for His love that she loves us. How great must be His love for us, when He inspires Mary with such a love! The best return we can make Him is to have a perfect trust and confidence in His Blessed Mother. Those who are not devout to Mary cannot really understand the great Mystery of the Incarnation and do not love Jesus as they should – for, if they loved Him, they would love His Mother too, even a tiny bit as much as He loves her.
Let us try, then, during this Month of May, to become more like Jesus. Let us consider what spiritual grace we need most, in order to attain this great end and let us ask it with confidence everyday. Let us also try to induce others, to honour Mary, by special devotion to her during this most beautiful month.
Let Me Love Your Jesus By St Ildephonsus (c 607-670)
Virgin Mary, hear my prayer, through the Holy Spirit, you became the Mother of Jesus, from the Holy Spirit, may I too have Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, your flesh conceived Jesus, through the same Spirit, may my soul receive Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, you were able to know Jesus, to possess Jesus and to bring Him into the world. Through the Holy Spirit, may I too come to know your Jesus. Imbued with the Spirit, Mary, you could say “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word,” in the Holy Spirit, lowly as I am, let me proclaim the great truths about Jesus. In the Spirit, you now adore Jesus as Lord and look on Him as Son, in the same Spirit, Mary, let me love your Jesus. Amen
Hail Mary, Queen of Our Hearts, Our Mother Prayer in Honour of Mary By St Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)
Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father! Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son! Hail Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit! Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity! Hail Mary, our mistress, our wealth, our mystic rose. Queen of our hearts, our Mother, our life, our sweetness and our dearest hope! We are all Thine and all we have is thine. O Virgin, blessed above all things, may thy soul be in us, to magnify the Lord, may thy spirit be in us, to rejoice in God. Place thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon our hearts, that in thee and through thee, we may be found faithful to God. Grant, most gracious Virgin, that we may be numbered among those, whom thou art pleased to love, to teach and to guide, to favour and to protect, as thy children. Grant that with the help of thy love, we may despise all earthly consolations and cling to heavenly things, until through the Holy Spirit, thy faithful Spouse and through thee, His faithful Spouse, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, be formed within us for the glory of the Father. Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 27 April – St Peter Canisius (1521-1597) Confessor, Doctor of the Church
This 16th Century Saint, known as the second Apostle of Germany, followed in the giant footsteps of St Boniface, who evangelised Germany a thousand years earlier. He was also active at the Council of Trent and wrote much on the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The first half of the Hail Mary, of course, comes from Scripture. What many Catholics do not know, is that the second half of this Catholic prayer is due to the intervention of St Peter Canisius at the Council of Trent. St Peter began adding onto the scriptural part of the Hail Mary the second half of this familiar prayer: “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.” It was the Fathers of Trent who officially accepted this addition and included it in their famous Catechism of the Council of Trent in 1566.
“For the sake of obtaining that eternal life, no works of piety, ought to seem too difficult to a true believer, no toil too heavy, no pain too bitter, no time spent in labour and suffering, too long or too wearisome. For, if nothing is sweeter, or more desirable, than this present life which is so full of calamities, how much more desirable, must that other life be deemed which is so far removed from all sense of evil, or fear of it, which will, in every conceivable way, always abound in the unspeakable and unending joys, delight and happiness of Heaven.”
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.
Mary, I Beg You By St Anselm (1033-1109) Magnificent Doctor Marian Doctor
Mary, I beg you, by that grace through which the Lord is with you and you will to be with Him, let your mercy be with me. Let love for you always be with me, and the care for me be always with you. Let the cry of my need, as long as it persists, be with you, and the care of your goodness, as long as I need it, be with me. Let joy in your blessedness be always with me, and compassion for my wretchedness, where I need it, be with you. Amen.
Quote/s of the Day – 21 April – The Memorial of St Anselm (1033-1109) Archbishop of Canterbury, Confessor, Magnificent and Marian Doctor of the Church
“For I do not seek to understand, in order that I may believe but I believe, in order to understand. For this also I believe – that unless I believe, I shall not understand.”
“Teach me to seek Thee and reveal Thyself to me as I seek because I can neither seek Thee, if Thou doea not teach me how, nor find Thee, unless Thou reveal Thyself.”
“God does not delay to hear our prayers because He has no mind to give but that, by enlarging our desires, He may give us the more largely.”
The Joy of My Lord By St Anselm (1033-1109) Doctor of the Church
I beseech You, O my God, that I may know You, love You, and rejoice in You. If in this life, I cannot do these things fully, grant that I may, at the least, progress in them, from day to day. Advance in me the knowledge of You now, that in the life to come, it may be complete. Increase in me the love of You here, that there, it may be made full. O God of Truth. I pray, that I may obtain that which You promise, that my joy may be complete. And in the meantime, let my mind meditate on it, let my soul hunger after it and my whole being long for it, till at last, I enter into the joy of my Lord, Who is God, blessed forever. Amen
Mother of Salvation, Blessed Lady By Anselm (1033-1109) Magnificent Doctor Marian Doctor
Mother of Salvation, Blessed Lady, you are the Mother of Justification and those who are justified; the Mother of Reconciliation and those who are reconciled; the Mother of Salvation and those who are saved. What a blessed trust and what a secure refuge! The Mother of God is our Mother. The Mother of the One in Whom alone, we hope and Whom alone, we fear, is our Mother! … The One Who partook of our nature and by restoring us to life, made us children of His Mother, invites us by this grace, to proclaim that we are His brothers and sisters. Therefore, our Judge, is also our Brother. The Saviour of the world, is our Brother. Our God has become – through Mary – our Brother! Anen
O Mary, My Hope! By St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
I salute you, O Mary! you are the hope of Christians. Receive the prayer of a sinner, who loves you tenderly, honours you in a special manner and places in you the whole hope of his salvation. From you I have my life. You reinstate me in the grace of your Son: you are the sure pledge of my salvation. I beseech of you, therefore, to deliver me from the burden of my sins, dispel the darkness of my mind, banish from my heart the love of the world, repress the temptations of my enemies and so rule my whole life, that by your means and under your guidance, I may obtain everlasting happiness in heaven. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 10 April – Easter Monday – “The Month of the Resurrection”
REMINDER: To exchange your Angelus prayer for the Regina Coeli as from Compline on Holy Saturday for the next 50 days of Eastertide, until the None (Afternoon) Prayer on the Saturday following Pentecost, inclusively. St Gregory the Great (540-604) heard Angels chanting the first three lines one Easter morning in Rome, while following barefoot in a great religious procession of the Icon of the Virgin painted by St Luke the Evangelist. He was, thereupon, inspired to add the fourth line.
Regina Coeli Queen of Heaven By Angels and St Gregory the Great (540-604)
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia. For He whom thou didst merit to bear, Alleluia. Has Risen, as He said, Alleluia. Pray for us to God, Alleluia. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia. For the Lord has truly Risen, Alleluia.
Let us pray. O God, Who gave joy to the world through the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 1 April – Saturday in Passion Week
What Can I Say? By St Anselm (1033-1109) Magnificent Doctor Marian Doctor
My most merciful Lady, what can I say about the fountains which flowed from thy most pure eyes when thou saw thy only Son before thee, bound, beaten and suffering? What do I know of the flood which drenched thy matchless face, when thou beheld thy Son, thy Lord and thy God, stretched on the Cross without guilt, when the flesh of thy flesh was cruelly butchered by wicked men? How can I judge, what sobs, troubled thy most pure breast, when thou heard, “Woman, behold thy son,” and the disciple, “Behold, thy Mother,” when thou received as a son, the disciple, in place of the Master, the servant, for the Lord? Amen
From “The Prayers and Meditations of Saint Anselm with the Proslogion,” Benedicta Ward, trans,1973, Penguin classics, Penguin Group (UK)
Quote of the Day – 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/
STABAT MATER
At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, All His bitter anguish bearing, Now at length the sword had passed.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed Was that Mother highly blest, Of the sole begotten One! Christ above in torment hangs. She beneath beholds the pangs Of her dying glorious Son.
Is there one who would not weep, Whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ’s dear Mother to behold? Can the human heart refrain From partaking in her pain, In that Mother’s pain untold?
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled, She beheld her tender Child, All with bloody scourges rent. For the sins of His own nation, Saw Him hang in desolation Till His spirit forth He sent.
O thou Mother: fount of love! Touch my spirit from above, Make my heart with thine accord. Make me feel as thou hast felt; Make my soul to glow and melt With the love of Christ my Lord.
Holy Mother, pierce me through; In my heart each wound renew Of my Savior crucified. Let me share with thee His pain, Who for all my sins was slain, Who for me in torment died.
Let me mingle tears with thee, Mourning Him who mourned for me, All the days that I may live. By the Cross with thee to stay; There with thee to weep and pray, Is all I ask of thee to give.
Virgin of all virgins best, Listen to my fond request: Let me share thy grief divine. Let me to my latest breath, In my body bear the death Of that dying Son of thine.
Wounded with His every wound, Steep my soul till it hath swooned In His very blood away. Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, Lest in flames I burn and die, In His awful Judgment day.
Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, Be Thy Mother my defense, Be Thy Cross my victory. While my body here decays, May my soul Thy goodness praise, Safe in Paradise with Thee. Amen
Note: This text of the Stabat Mater is one of over 60 translations of this famous 13th Century Latin Hymn/Prayer. The Author is uncertain but is believed to be either St Jacopone da Todi OFM (1230-1306) or Pope Innocent III (1161-1216)[reigned from from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216]. The title comes from its first line, “Stabat Mater dolorosa” – which means “the sorrowful mother was standing.” It is often used when praying the Stations of the Cross. The original Latin text of the Stabat Mater has also been set to music by such composers as Haydn, Rossini, and Poulenc.
Our Morning Offering – 31 March – Friday in Passion Week, the Fifth Friday in Lent, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
My Sorrowful Mother, Help Me to Bear My Crosses By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the Church
My sorrowful Mother, by the merit of that grief which you felt at seeing your beloved Jesus led to death, obtain for me the grace to bear with patience, those crosses which God sends me. I will be fortunate if I also shall know how to accompany you with my cross until death. You and Jesus, both innocent, have borne a heavy cross and shall I, a sinner who has merited hell, refuse mine? Immaculate Virgin, I hope you will help me to bear my crosses with patience. Amen
Our Lenten Journey with St Francis de Sales – 18 March – Saturday of the Third Week in Lent, to Mary our Mother we pray today
“Let us run to Mary and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.”
“Hail Mary, full of grace …”
THE ANGELIC SALUTATION St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor Caritas
“LET US GLORY, says a pious author, in repeating this salutation, with the Angel Gabriel, the Apostles, the Martyrs and all the Christian world. Let this Ave Maria, which comes to us fragrant as a Canticle of Heaven and repeated by as many echoes as there are faithful souls on earth, be sweet to our lips and sweeter still to our hearts. It is a rare and enviable favour indeed to be able to salute a Queen and yet, everyday, at every moment, men and women, old and young, all of every condition, can salute the Queen of Heaven and earth, who contains, in her hands all the treasures of God and can be sure of being always heard and, that each salutation addressed to her, will meet with a corresponding benefit. . . . But can the sinner too, dare to approach her? Yes, certainly – let him also come with humble confidence and salute her, who is his refuge, for she will in no wise be offended by his prayer and, if the Hail Mary from his lips be a cry of sorrow and repentance, it will become omnipotent and will obtain mercy, pardon, grace and salvation. Hail Mary ! Ave Maria ! . . . A sweet and beautiful word it is, which Heaven sent to earth and earth again returns, so frequently to heaven! ” – (The Month of Mary According to the Spirit of St Francis de Sales).
Our Morning Offering – 18 March – Saturday of the Third Week in Lent, to Mary our Mother we pray today
Virgin Full of Goodness, Mother of Mercy By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor angelicus Doctor communis
Virgin full of goodness, Mother of mercy, I entrust to you my body and my soul, my thoughts and my actions, my life and my death. My Queen, come to my aid and deliver me from the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after Him, O Mary, of loving you with all my heart and above all things. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 11 March – Saturday in the Second Week of Lent and a day for our Mother Mary
Most Holy Virgin, My Consolation By St Germanus of Paris (c 490-576)
Most Holy Virgin! Who are the greatest consolation that I receive from God, you, who art the heavenly dew which assuages all my pains, you, who are the light of my soul when it is enveloped in darkness, you, who are my guide in unknown paths, the support of my weakness, my treasure, in poverty, my remedy, in sickness, my consolation, in trouble, my refuge, in misery, and the hope of my salvation, hear my supplications, have pity on me, as becomes the Mother of so good a God and obtain for me a favourable reception of all my petitions at the throne of mercy. Amen
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.
Our Morning Offering – 25 February – The First Saturday of Lent
Shelter Me Under Thy Mantle, Refuge of Sinners By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to thee, who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the Universe, the Advocate, the Hope, the Refuge of sinners, I, who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate thee, great Queen and I thank thee for the many graces thou hast bestowed upon me, even unto this day, in particular, for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often deserved by my sins. I love thee, my dearest Lady and because of that love, I promise to serve thee willingly forever and to do what I can to make thee loved by others. I place in thee all my hopes for salvation, accept me as thy servant and shelter me under thy mantle, thou, who art the Mother of Mercy. And since thou are so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least, obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From thee, I implore, a true love for Jesus Christ. Through thee, I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by thy love for Almighty God, I pray thee to assist me always but most of all, at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until thou shalt see me safely in Heaven, there to bless thee and sing of thy mercies, throughout all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen
Lenten Preparation Novena in Reparation to the Holy Face Day Seven
“All those who, attracted by My Love and venerating My Countenance, shall receive, by virtue of My Humanity, a brilliant and vivid impression of My Divinity. This splendour shall enlighten the depths of their souls, so that in eternal glory the celestial court shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features, with My Divine Countenance.” … Our Lord Jesus Christ to St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
(Console the Holy Face
and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer) below.
Psalm 50:14-15: Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and strengthen me with a perfect spirit. I will teach the unjust Thy ways and the wicked shall be converted to Thee.
DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER
O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the Passion of her Divine Son, we ask Thy help, in making a perfect Novena of Reparation with Jesus, united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment. We now implore all the Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen
THE SEVENTH DAY:
Lord Jesus! After contemplating Thy features, disfigured by grief pain, after meditating upon Thy Passion with compunction and love, how can our hearts fail to be inflamed with a holy hatred of sin, which even now, outrages Thy Adorable Face! Lord, suffer us not to be content with mere compassion but grant us grace to closely follow Thee in this Calvary, so that the opprobrium destined for Thee may fall on us, 0 Jesus, that thus, we may have a share, small though it may be, in expiation of sin. Amen
Mary, our Mother, intercede for us.
Saint Joseph pray for us. Through the merits of Your Precious Blood and Your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition ……………… Pardon and mercy. Amen
Hail Mary, Queen of Our Hearts, Our Mother Prayer in Honour of Mary By St Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)
Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father! Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son! Hail Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit! Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity! Hail Mary, our mistress, our wealth, our mystic rose. Queen of our hearts, our Mother, our life, our sweetness and our dearest hope! We are all Thine and all we have is thine. O Virgin, blessed above all things, may thy soul be in us, to magnify the Lord, may thy spirit be in us, to rejoice in God. Place thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon our hearts, that in thee and through thee, we may be found faithful to God. Grant, most gracious Virgin, that we may be numbered among those, whom thou art pleased to love, to teach and to guide, to favour and to protect, as thy children. Grant that with the help of thy love, we may despise all earthly consolations and cling to heavenly things, until through the Holy Spirit, thy faithful spouse and through thee, His faithful spouse, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, be formed within us for the glory of the Father. Amen
Pray (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Marys, one (1) Glory Be
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every Adoration Thine (Three times)
Our Morning Offering – 9 February – Feast of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) “The Pillar of Faith” “Doctor of the Incarnation”& “Seal of all the Fathers” Bishop,Confessor, Father and Doctor, of the Church.
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God By St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father & Doctor of the Church
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Virgin and Mother! Morning Star, perfect vessel. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Holy Temple in which God Himself was conceived. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Chaste and pure dove. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed in your sacred womb. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you the Conqueror and triumphant Vanquisher of hell, came to us. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, You have saved every faithful Christian. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Adapted from a sermon preached by St Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria (444), presiding as representative of the Holy See at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, in 431. In refuting Nestorianism, he is called “Doctor of the Incarnation.”
AnaStpaul 
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