Category: MARIAN PRAYERS

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The FIVE FIRST Saturdays, THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS DEVOTION

Our Morning Offering – 11 September – Mother of Love, of Sorrow and of Mercy

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Our Morning Offering – 4 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and always Mary’s Saturday

Catholic Time,Saturday: Our Lady – There are a number of theological reasons Saturdays are dedicated to Our Lady, perhaps the most significant is that on Holy Saturday, when everyone else had abandoned Christ in the tomb, she was faithful to Him, confidently waiting for His Resurrection on the first day of the week
On Saturdays, we make the “First Saturdays Devotion” which entails going to Mass and receiving Communion and going to Confession, for the first Saturday of the month for 5 consecutive months in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady promises those who make the 5 First Saturdays to be with them at the hour of their death.

Mother of Love, of Sorrow and of Mercy
By St Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373)

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
Immaculate Mother of God,
who endured a martyrdom of love and grief,
beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus!
Thou didst co-operate in the benefit of my redemption
by thy innumerable afflictions
and by offering to the Eternal Father,
His only-begotten Son, as a holocaust
and victim of propitiation for my sins.
I thank thee for the unspeakable love
which led thee to deprive thyself
of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner.
Oh! make use of the unfailing intercession
of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son,
that I may steadfastly amend my life
and never again crucify
my loving Redeemer by my sins
and that, persevering till death in His grace,
I may obtain eternal life
through the merits of His Cross and Passion.
Amen
Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us!

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering

Our Morning Offering – 8 September – Mary the Dawn, Christ the Perfect Day

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Our Morning Offering – 8 September – Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary the Dawn, Christ the Perfect Day

Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day.
Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way!

Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine.
Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread.
Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red!

Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood.
Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the temple, Christ the temple’s Lord.
Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!

Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven’s Rest.
Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the mother, Christ the mother’s Son.
By all things blest while endless ages run.
Amen

Melody: Mary the Dawn; Music: Anon
Text: Anon, or by the Dominican Sisters of Summit

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 4 September – To Our Lady of Sorrows By St Bonaventure

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Our Morning Offering – 4 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” and Mary’s Saturday

To Our Lady of Sorrows
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

O most holy Virgin,
Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by the overwhelming grief you experienced
when you witnessed the Martyrdom,
the Crucifixion and the Death,
of your Divine Son,
look upon me, with eyes of compassion
and awaken in my heart,
a tender commiseration for those sufferings
and a sincere detestation of my sins,
in order that,
being disengaged from all undue affection
for the passing joys of this earth,
I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem
and that, henceforward, all my thoughts
and all my actions may be directed
towards this one most desirable object,
the honour, glory and love
of our divine Lord Jesus,
and to you,
the Holy and Immaculate
Mother of God.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 1 September – What Can I Say? By St Anselm

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Our Morning Offering – 1 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary”

As we enter the Month of our Sorrowful Mother, let us unite ourselves to her and offer her our meagre consolation.

What Can I Say?
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Magnificent Doctor
Marian Doctor

My most merciful 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 men?
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

From “The Prayers and Meditations of Saint Anselm with the Proslogion,” Benedicta Ward, trans,1973, Penguin classics, Penguin Group (UK)

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PRAYER, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Thought for the Day – 31 August – Prayer and Our Lady

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Thought for the Day – 31 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer and Our Lady

“He told them a parable – that they must always pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1).
Nobody else on earth ever carried out this command of Our Lord as perfectly as Our Lady.
St Albert the Great says that, after Jesus Christ, the spirit of prayer is to be found at it’s most perfect, in Our Lady (Sup Miss 80).
It was because of her immense love for her divine Son that Mary was able to put into practice, throughout her life, that Gospel precept of unceasing prayer.
Prayer in it’s fullest sense, is in fact, an act of love rather than supplication.
It is defined as an elevation of soul to God, to adore and praise Him, to thank Him and to ask Him for His favours.
It leads to lasting and intimate union with God, who should be regarded as our only good and as the final end of our lives.
Since Mary was full of grace, she was always closest to God.
Even before she became His Mother, she constantly enjoyed His intimacy.
Despite the many sorrows of her life, this intimacy became still greater and more beautiful, when she became the Mother of Jesus.
From that time, she was able to hold Him to her immaculate bosom and to live in close familiarity with Him.
She was able, too, to follow Him on His apostolic journeys, until He reached Calvary and the Cross and, finally, to see Him gloriously risen from the dead.
After Jesus had ascended into Heaven, her soul expanded with a nostalgic love for her divine Son, until her earthly journey was over and she was taken up into Heaven.
There, she reigns supreme among the Saints and Angels and never ceases to pray for us, her exiled children, who need her help so much.
Let us learn from Mary, how to pray with love and perseverance.
Then, we shall be able to follow her along the difficult way of perfection, which leads towards Heaven.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

On this last day of the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us call upon her in all our great needs.

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin
By St Paschasius Radbertus (785–865)

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother most pure,
to accept the loving cry of praise
which we send up to you
from the depths of our hearts.
Though they can but add little to your glory,
O Queen of Angels,
you do not despise, in your love,
the praises of the humble
and the poor.
Cast down upon us a glance of mercy,
O most glorious Queen,
graciously receive our petitions.
Through your immaculate purity of body and mind,
which rendered you so pleasing to God,
inspire us with a love of innocence and purity.
Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace,
striving ever after sanctity, so that,
being made like the image of your beauty,
we may be worthy to become the sharers
of your eternal happiness.
Amen

St Paschasius Radbertus was a Theologian and the Benedictine Abbot of Corbie.
Read about him here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2019/04/26/saint-of-the-day-26-april-saint-paschasius-radbertus-785-865/

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUEENSHIP of MARY

Our Morning Offering – 16 August – Mary, our Queen and Mother of Mercy By St Anthony of Padua

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Our Morning Offering – 16 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart”

Mary, our Queen and Mother of Mercy
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor of the Church

Mary, our Queen,
Holy Mother of God,
we beg you to hear our prayer.
Make our hearts overflow with Divine grace
and resplendent with heavenly wisdom.
Render them strong with your might
and rich in virtue.
Pour down upon us the gift of mercy
so that we may obtain the pardon of our sins.
Help us to live in such a way
as to merit the glory and bliss of heaven.
May this be granted us, by your Son Jesus
Who has exalted you above the Angels,
has crowned you as Queen,
and has seated you with Himself
forever, on his refulgent throne.
Amen.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, THE ASSUMPTION

Our Morning Offering – 15 August – Prayer in Honour of the Assumption

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Our Morning Offering – 15 August – The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer in Honour of the Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother of God
and Mother of men,
we believe with all the fervour of our faith,
in thy triumphal Assumption,
both body and soul, into Heaven,
where thou art acclaimed as Queen
by all the Choirs of Angels
and all the legions of the Saints.
And we unite with them
to praise and bless the Lord,
who has exalted thee
above all other pure creatures
and to offer thee
the tribute of our devotion
and our love.
Amen

Posted in DOGMA, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – Day Nine – 14 August

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Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

DAY NINE

Daily Prayer:
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

Day 9:
O Blessed Mother Assumed into Heaven,
after years of heroic martyrdom on earth,
we rejoice that thou hast at last
been taken to the throne
prepared for thee in Heaven by the Holy Trinity.
Lift our hearts with thee in the glory of thy Assumption
above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity.
Teach us how small earth becomes
when viewed from Heaven.
Make us realise,
that death is the triumphant gate
through which we shall pass to thy Son
and that someday, our bodies shall rejoin our souls
in the unending bliss of Heaven.
From this earth, which we tread as pilgrims,
we look to thee for hope and help.
In honour of thy Assumption into Heaven,
we ask for this favour:
………………………………..
(Mention your request)
At the hour of our death,
lead us safely to the presence of Jesus
to enjoy the vision of God for all eternity
together with thee.
O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering

Our Morning Offering – 14 August – O Immaculate Heart of Mary,

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Our Morning Offering – 14 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Heart of Love and Mercy

O Most Blessed Mother,
heart of love,
heart of mercy,
ever listening, caring, consoling,
hear our prayer.
As your children,
we implore your intercession
with Jesus your Son.
Receive with understanding
and compassion
the petitions we place before you today,
especially those so deep in our heart.
We are comforted in knowing
your heart is ever open
to those who ask for your prayer.
We trust to your gentle care and intercession,
those whom we love
and those who are sick or lonely or hurting.
Help all of us, Holy Mother,
to bear our burdens in this life
until we may share eternal life
and peace with God forever.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – Day Eight – 13 August

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Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

DAY EIGHT

Daily Prayer:
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

Day 8:
Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven,
we rejoice that thou art the Queen of Heaven and Earth.
Thou hast given thy holy fiat to God
and thou art the Mother of our Saviour.
Obtain peace and salvation for us
through thy prayers,
for thou have given birth
to Christ our Lord, the Saviour of all mankind.
Intercede for us
and bring our petitions before the Throne of God.
……………………………….
(Mention your request)
Through thy prayers,
may our souls be filled
with an intense desire to be like thee
a humble vessel of the Holy Spirit
and a servant of the Almighty God.
O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 13 August – Shelter Me Under Your Mantle, O Refuge of Sinners

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Our Morning Offering – 13 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

Shelter Me Under Your Mantle,
O Refuge of Sinners
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary,
to you who are 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 you, great Queen
and I thank you for the many graces
you have bestowed upon me even unto this day,
in particular for having delivered me from the hell
which I have so often served by my sins.
I love you, my dearest Lady
and because of that love,
I promise to serve you willingly forever
and to do what I can,
to make you loved by others also.
I place in you all my hopes for salvation,
accept me as your servant
and shelter me under your mantle,
you who are the Mother of Mercy.
And since you are so powerful with God,
deliver me from all temptations,
or at least obtain for me the strength
to overcome them until death.
From you I implore a true love for Jesus Christ.
Through you I hope to die a holy death.
My dear Mother, by your love for Almighty God,
I pray you to assist me always
but most of all, at the last moment of my life.
Forsake me not then,
until you shall see me safe in heaven,
there to bless you
and sing of your mercies through all eternity.
Such is my hope.
Amen

Posted in DOGMA, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – Day Seven – 12 August

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Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

DAY SEVEN:

Daily Prayer:
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

Day 7:
Mary, Queen of every heart,
accept all that we are
and bind us to Jesus and to thyself,
with the bonds of love,
so that we may be thine forever
and may be able to say in all truth:
“I belong to Jesus through Mary.”
Our Mother, Assumed into Heaven
and Queen of the Universe,
ever-Virgin Mother of God,
obtain for us our petitions,
if it be for the glory of God
and the good of our souls.
………………………………..
(Mention your request)
Our Mother, assumed into Heaven, we love thee.
Give us a greater love for Jesus
and for thee.
O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Amen

Posted in DOGMA, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – Day Six – 11 August

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Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

DAY SIX

Daily Prayer:
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

Day 6:
Mary, our dear Mother and mighty Queen,
take and receive our poor hearts
with all their desires,
all the love and all the virtues and graces
with which they may be adorned.
All we are and all we might be,
all we have and hold in the order of nature
as well as of grace,
we have received from God,
through thy loving intercession.
Help us dear Mother,
to surrender to God,
all that we have,
including our petitions.
…………………………………
(Mention your request)
Our Lady and Queen, into thy gentle hands,
we entrust all,
that it may be returned to its noble origin.
O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Amen

Posted in DOGMA, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – Day Five – 10 August

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Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

DAY FIVE

Daily Prayer:
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.

Day 5:
O merciful and loving Mother,
may thy glorious beauty
fill our hearts with a distaste
for earthly things
and an ardent longing
for the joys of Heaven.
May thy merciful eyes
glance down upon our struggles
and our weakness
in this vale of tears.
Hear then loving Mother,
our request and plead to Jesus for us.
………………………………..
(Mention your request)
Crown us with the pure robe of innocence
and grace here
and with immortality
and glory in Heaven.
O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 10 August – Save Us, O Mary!

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Our Morning Offering – 10 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

Save Us, O Mary!
By Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
(Pontiff 1939-1958)

O Virgin, fair as the moon,
delight of the Angels and Saints in Heaven,
grant that we may become like you
and that our souls may receive a ray of your beauty,
which does not decline with the years
but shines forth into eternity.
O Mary, sun of Heaven,
restore life where there is death
and enlighten spirits, where there is darkness.
Turn your countenance to your children
and radiate on us your light and your fervour.
O Mary, powerful as an army,
grant victory to our ranks.
We are very weak
and our enemy rages with uttermost conceit.
But under your banner
we are confident of overcoming him. ….
Save us, O Mary,
fair as the moon,
bright as the sun,
awe-inspiring as an army set in battle array
and sustained not by hatred
but by the ardour of love.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – Day Four – 9 August

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Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

DAY FOUR

Daily Prayer:
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.

Day 4:
O Dearest Mother Mary, Assumed into Heaven,
God placed thee at His right hand
that thou may intercede for his little ones
as the Mother of God.
In the midst of all the saints
thy stand as their Queen and ours —
dearer to the Heart of God
than any of creation.
Pray for thy children
and grant us every grace
won by our loving Saviour on the Cross.
Please intercede for us in our needs
and ask thy divine Son Jesus
to grant our request if it be for the
good of our souls.
………………………………..
(Mention your request)
O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Amen

Posted in DOGMA, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – Day Three – 8 August

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Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

DAY THREE

Daily Prayer:
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.

Day 3:
O Mother, Assumed into Heaven
because thou shared in all the mysteries
of our Redemption here below,
Jesus has crowned thee with glory.
With thy most glorious and powerful intercession,
help us O loving Mother
and present to Jesus our request.
…………………………………
(Mention your request)
O Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – Day Two – 7 August

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Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption

DAY TWO

Daily Prayer:
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.

Day 2:
Mary, Assumed into Heaven,
we venerate thee as the Queen of Heaven and earth.
As thou tasted the bitterness of pain and sorrow
with thy Son on earth,
thou now enjoy
eternal bliss with Him in Heaven.
Loving Queen,
we beg thy intercession,
do not despise our petitions,
for we trust in thy power with God
………………………………….
(Mention your request)
We praise and bless Our Lord Jesus
for giving us such a loving Mother.
O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 7 August – O Mother Blest By St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 7 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

O Mother Blest
By St Alphonsus Maira Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
Trans. Fr Edmund Vaughn C.SS,R, (1827 – 1908 )

O Mother blest, whom God bestows
On sinners and on just,
What joy, what hope thou givest those
Who in thy mercy trust.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste,
Mary thou art fair,
Of all mothers, sweetest best,
none with thee compare.

O heavenly Mother, mistress sweet!
it never yet was told
that suppliant sinner left thy feet,
unpitied, unconsoloed.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste, …

O Mother, pitiful and mild,
Cease not to pray for me;
For I do love thee as a child,
And sigh for love of thee.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

Most powerful Mother, all men know
Thy Son denies thee nought;
Thou askest, wishest it, and lo!
His power thy will hath wrought.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

O Mother blest, for me obtain,
Ungrateful though I be,
To love that God who first could deign
To show such love for me.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste,
Mary, thou art fair.
Of all mothers, sweetest, best,
None with thee compare.

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, THE ASSUMPTION

Novena to Our Lady of the Assumption – Day One, 6 August

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Novena to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven

As we prepare for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we ask her to intercede for all our needs.
After her humble and hidden life on this earth, Our Lady had a greater role after the death of Our Lord as Queen and Mother of the Catholic Church.
She underwent all kinds of suffering, anguish and humiliations on earth.
It is fitting that Our Lord glorified her through her Assumption.
Our world and in particular, South Africa under the Patronage of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, is at a very serious crossroads, with crises and difficulties on many fronts…
Let us share this Novena that many may solemnly pray, begging the merciful intercession of Our Lady on her Country and on our world

Daily Prayer:
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.

DAY 1
Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus
and our Mother,
we believe in thy triumphant Assumption into Heaven
where the Angels and Saints
acclaim thee as Queen of Heaven and earth.
We join them in praising thee
and bless the Lord .
Who raised thee above all creatures.
With them we honour thee.
We are confident that thou
do watch over our daily lives
and we ask that thou
shall intercede for us now
in this, our special need,
…………………………….
(Mention your request)
We are comforted by our faith
in the coming resurrection
and we look to thee
for thy help, prayers and comfort.
After this earthly life,
show unto us, the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
O kind, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
O Queen Assumed into Heaven,
pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Amen.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on NATURE - GOD'S CREATION, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on THE WORLD

Thought for the Day – 5 August – Mary, a Light in the Darkness

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 5 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, a Light in the Darkness

“Let us imagine for a moment, that we have grown blind and are forever plunged in darkness.
It is an unhappy thought.
Never again to see those who are dear to us, never to see the light of the sun nor any of the splendour of the universe.
We should feel as if were alone, for we should have to depend only on sounds and on the voices of others for communication with the external world.
As St Augustine points out, however, in his commentary on the miracle of the man who had been blind from birth, we are all more or less blind in the supernatural order.
The world is the image of God but, do we see His Presence in everything which surrounds us?
Is it not more often the case that created things distract us and lead us to forget their Creator because, we regard them as a means of satisfying our own comfort and our own ego?
We should look on creatures as go-betweens which help us to ascend to God, the beginning and end of all creation.

Unfortunately, instead of climbing this mystical ladder which leads us to God, we often descend it.
We forget God and become excessively wrapped up in worldly affairs.
Sometimes matters may be even worse, not only do we forget God through our love of creatures but, we use them, to offend Him.
God has given us eyes to admire His works and, as a result, to lead us to praise, thank and love Him.
Instead, we often use this wonderful gift in order to commit sin.
He has given us the gift of speech, the gift of hearing and other senses.
But how do we employ them?
The tongue is a marvellous invention but, as St James writes, “if anyone does not offend in the word, he is a perfect man, able also to lead round by the bridle, the whole body … With it we bless God the Father and, with it, we curse men, who have been made after the likeness of God.   Out of the same mouth, proceed blessing and cursing.   These things, my brethren ought not to be so” (Js 3:2-10).
What can be said of vision and of speech can be said of all the senses and faculties of body and soul.
They are all God’s gifts and should, therefore, be used as means of bringing ourselves closer to Him.
If creatures lead us away from God and cause us to forget Him, or if, worse still, they cause us to offend Him, then we are spiritually blind and far more unfortunate than those who have lost their natural vision.

Most Holy Mary, during your earthly pilgrimage, you never once lost sight of God.
Grant that I may not be lost in the darkness of this world.
Grant that I may not be ensnared by the passing charm and false beauty of these created things which surround me.
Grant that I may see, in all things, the Presence and Beauty of God, so that I may always continue to advance, nearer and nearer to Him.   Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 5 August – Concórdi lætítia

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Our Morning Offering – 5 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – The Memorial of the Dedication of Mary Major, Our Lady of the Snows

Concórdi lætítia
Harmonious Joy

Sounds of joy have put to flight
All the sadness of the night.
Now a Maid beyond compare
Hears her praises fill the air:
Virgo María.

Who is she whom angels sing,
Making all creation ring?
She it is who wins our priase,
As on earth our voice we raise:
Virgo María.

Queen of virgins, Maiden mild,
Hear me, take me for your child.
Ever my protector be,
Bring eternal life to me:
Virgo María.

Mighty Godhead, Three in One,
While eternal ages run,
Look to Mary, full of grace,
And forgive the human race:
Virgo María.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering –3 August – Blessed Virgin Mary, Receive Our Gratitude

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering –3 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

Blessed Virgin Mary,
Receive Our Gratitude
By St Augustine (354-430)
Father & Doctor of Grace

Blessed Virgin Mary,
who can worthily repay you
with praise and thanks
for having rescued a fallen world
by your generous consent!
Receive our gratitude
and by your prayers,
obtain the pardon of our sins.
Take our prayers into the Sanctuary of Heaven
and enable them to make our peace with God.
Holy Mary, help the miserable,
strengthen the discouraged,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for your people,
plead for the clergy,
intercede for all women consecrated to God.
May all who venerate you
feel now your help and protection.
Be ready to help us when we pray
and bring back to us,
the answers to our prayers.
Make it your continual concern
to pray for the people of God,
for you were blessed by God
and were made worthy
to bear the Redeemer of the world,
Who lives and reigns forever.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 31 July – Hail, O Mother!

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Our Morning Offering – 31 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” and Mary’s Day

Hail, O Mother!
By St John Chrysostom (347-407)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Hail, O Mother!
Virgin, heaven, throne, glory of our Church,
it’s foundation and ornament.
Earnestly pray for us to Jesus,
your Son and Our Lord,
that through your intercession,
we may have mercy on the day of judgement.
Pray that we may receive, all those good things
which are reserved for those who love God.
Through the grace and favour of Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
be power, honour and glory,
now and forever.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 24 July – Virgin Full of Goodness, Mother of Mercy

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Our Morning Offering – 24 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood”

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.

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 17 July – Deign, O Immaculate Virgin

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Our Morning Offering – 17 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” –

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin
By St Paschasius Radbertus (785–865)

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother most pure,
to accept the loving cry of praise
which we send up to you
from the depths of our hearts.
Though they can but add little to your glory,
O Queen of Angels,
you do not despise, in your love,
the praises of the humble and the poor.
Cast down upon us a glance of mercy,
O most glorious Queen,
graciously receive our petitions.
Through your immaculate purity of body and mind,
which rendered you so pleasing to God,
inspire us with a love of innocence and purity.
Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace,
striving ever after sanctity, so that,
being made like the image of your beauty,
we may be worthy to become,
the sharers of your eternal happiness.
Amen

St Paschasius Radbertus was a Theologian and the Abbot of Corbie.
Read about him here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2019/04/26/saint-of-the-day-26-april-saint-paschasius-radbertus-785-865/

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 16 July – “The Flos Carmeli”

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Our Morning Offering – 16 July – The Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

“The Flos Carmeli
The Flower of Carmel”
By St Simon Stock (1165-1265)

O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel,
fruitful vine, splendour of Heaven,
Blessed Mother of the Son of God,
Immaculate Virgin,
assist me in this my necessity.
O Star of the Sea,
help me and show me herein
that thou art my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of Heaven and earth,
I humbly beseech thee from the bottom of my heart,
to succour me in this my necessity.
There are none that can withstand thy power.
O show me herein, that thou art my Mother. Amen.

O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for those who have recourse to thee.
(Repeat three times)

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands.
(Repeat three times)

This prayer, the “Flos Carmeli” (“The Flower of Carmel”), was composed by St Simon Stock (1165-1265), a Carmelite, so-called because he and other members of his order lived atop Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. St Simon Stock was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary on 16 July 1251, at which time, she bestowed upon him a scapular, or habit, (commonly called “the Brown Scapular”), which became part of the liturgical clothing of the Carmelite order
Oral tradition tells of St Simon Stock praying, with a passionate intensity to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, during a time of great distress and hardship for the Order. With fervour and faith, he prayed his prayer, the Flos Carmeli for the first time. And Our Lady answered his prayer. Thus, for seven centuries the Flos Carmeli continues to be prayed to the Blessed Mother with the firm faith that she she will answer its request with her powerful help.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on VIRTUE, SAINT of the DAY, The HEART

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – St Bonaventure

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Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” and the Memorial of St Bonaventure OFM (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church

“As “pride is the beginning of all sin,” (Eccl. 10:15)
so humility is the foundation of all virtue.
Learn to be really humble and not,
as the hypocrite, humble merely in appearance.”

“Run with eager desire
to this Source of Life and Light,
all you who are vowed
to God’s service.”

St Bonaventure’s Sermon of 4 October 1255

“When we pray,
the voice of the heart
must be heard ,
more than that proceeding
from the mouth.”

“Have Mercy on Me, O Lady

Have mercy on me, O Lady,
for thou art called the Mother of Mercy.
And according to thy mercy,
cleanse me from all my iniquities.
Pour forth thy grace upon me
and withdraw not from me
thine accustomed clemency.
For I will confess my sins to thee
and I will accuse myself of all my crimes before thee.
Reconcile me to the Fruit of thy womb:
and make peace for me with Him,
Who has created me.
Amen.”

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure

“Mary seeks for those
who approach her devoutly and with reverence,
for such she loves, nourishes,
and adopts as her children. ”

MORE HERE:

Quote/s of the Day – 15 July – St Bonaventure

AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/07/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-july-the-wisdom-of-st-bonaventure/

St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 15 July – To our Lady of Sorrows By St Bonaventure

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Our Morning Offering – 15 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” and the Memorial of St Bonaventure (1221-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church

To our Lady of Sorrows
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor of the Church

O most holy Virgin,
Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by the overwhelming grief you experienced
when you witnessed the Martyrdom,
the Crucifixion and the Death,
of your Divine Son,
look upon me, with eyes of compassion
and awaken in my heart,
a tender commiseration for those sufferings
and a sincere detestation of my sins,
in order that,
being disengaged from all undue affection
for the passing joys of this earth,
I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem
and that, henceforward, all my thoughts
and all my actions may be directed
towards this one most desirable object,
the honour, glory and love
of our divine Lord Jesus,
and to you,
the Holy and Immaculate
Mother of God.
Amen.

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering –10 July – Let Me Love Your Jesus By St Ildephonsus

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Our Morning Offering –10 July – “Month of the Precious Blood” and Mary’s Day

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