Category: MARIAN PRAYERS

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, NOVENAS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 12 September – Day Six

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The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Six – The Sixth Sorrow
Mary Receives Jesus

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
It is over. Dark clouds have appeared in the sky and upon the world. Jesus is dead. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take down the Body from the Cross. and Mary receives It in her arms. She is filled with a sadness that no human heart has known. This is her Son. Once she had cradled Him in her arms. listened to His voice, watched Him working at the carpenter’s bench. Now He is dead. She does not weep, her grief is too great for tears.

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful,
in the wounding of thy compassionate heart,
when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance
and His Heart was pierced
before His Body was removed from the Cross.
Dear Mother, by thy heart thus transfixed,
obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity
and the gift of understanding.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
O afflicted Virgin!
O soul, great in virtues and great also in sorrows!
for both arise from that great fire of love thou hast for God;
thou “whose heart can love nothing but God;
O Mother, have pity on me,
for I have not loved God
and I have so much offended Him.
Thy sorrows give me great confidence to hope for pardon.
But this is not enough;
I wish to love my Lord
and who can better obtain this for me than thou,
thou who art the Mother of Fair Love?
O Mary, thou dost console all,
comfort me also.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 12 September – The Power of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 12 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Power of Mary

“O Mary, my powerful and merciful Mother, my soul is constantly troubled by temptations.
I am standing on the edge of the chasm.
I promise to place myself, at once, under your maternal protection.
Grant that I may never fall into sin again.
Cast your merciful eyes upon me and save me when I am tempted.
Grant that temptations may never again endanger the purity of my soul, by obtaining for me from God, a lively spirit of faith, a burning love fo Him and for you, a constant watchfulness over my senses and over worldly dangers and the gift of fervent and persevering prayer, in union with you and your divine Son, Jesus, Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY

Our Morning Offering – 12 September – Mary!

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Our Morning Offering – 12 September – The Memorial of The Most Holy Name of Mary

Mary!
Anonymous

Mary! Sweet name revered above,
And oh! How dear below!
In it are hope and holy love
And blessings from it flow.
Mary! What music in that sound,
Pure lips breathe it forth;
“Ave Maria,” sings earth around,
And souls look up to heaven.

Mary! Bright Angels speak the name
With rev’rence soft and low
And God Himself, ever the same,
His love for it did show.

Mary! To me that name recalls
The Queen who reigns above,
An angel sister in Heaven’s halls,
And one worthy of love.
Mary! Bright star of heavenly rest,
I love thy name and thee;
Mother purest, Virgin ever blest,
Look down and pray for me.
Amen

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

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 11 September – Day Four

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The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Five – The Fifth Sorrow
Jesus Dies on the Cross

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
With John, Mary stands at the foot of the Cross. “A sword shall pierce thy soul,” Simeon told her. Truly her heart is pierced with sorrow. Her beloved Son is dying and she shares in His suffering. She does not ask God to take away this agony. She is His Mother, so close to Him that His pain is hers, too. And now He speaks from the Cross: “Woman, behold thy son.” Jesus give His Mother to John, and to us. For all eternity she is our Mother.

I grieve for thee O Mary, most sorrowful,
in the martyrdom which thy generous heart endured
in standing near Jesus in His agony.
Dear Mother, by thy afflicted heart,
obtain for me the virtue of temperance
and the gift of counsel.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
O Mother, the most afflicted of all mothers,
thy Son, then, is dead;
thy Son so amiable
and who loved thee so much!
Weep, for thou hast reason to weep.
Who can ever console thee?
Nothing can console thee
but the thought that Jesus,
by His death, hath conquered hell,
hath opened paradise which was closed to men
and hath gained so many souls.
From that throne of the Cross
He was to reign over so many hearts,
which, conquered by His love,
would serve Him with love.
Do not disdain, O my Mother,
to keep me near to weep with thee,
for I have more reason than thou to weep
for the offences that I have committed against thy Son.
O, Mother of mercy,
I hope for pardon and my eternal salvation,
first through the death of my Redeemer
and then through the merits of thy dolors.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, NOVENAS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 10 September – Day Four

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The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Four – The Fourth Sorrow
Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
Mary has known fear and sorrow but none so great, as seeing her beloved Son stumbling under the weight of the Cross. She hears the jeering shouts from the crowd and has no power to help Him. Pity and love are in her eyes as she gazes at His blood-stained face. To many around her, He is no better than a criminal and her heart is breaking as she follows Him to Calvary or Golgotha.

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful
in the consternation of thy heart
at meeting Jesus as he carried His Cross.
Dear Mother,
by thy heart so troubled,
obtain for me the virtue of patience
and the gift of fortitude.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
My sorrowful Mother,
by the merit of that grief
which thou did feel
at seeing thy beloved Jesus led to death,
obtain for me the grace also to bear with patience,
those crosses which God sends me.
Happy me, if I also shall know
how to accompany thee with my cross until death.
Thou and Jesus, both innocent,
have borne a heavy cross
and shall I a sinner,
who have merited hell, refuse mine?
O, Immaculate Virgin,
I hope that thou will help me
to bear my crosses with patience.
Amen

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

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 9 September – Day Three

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The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Three – The Third Sorrow
The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
When Jesus is twelve, He is taken to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. On the return journey Joseph and Mary find at the end of the first day that Jesus is not with them. Racked with anxiety, they search for Him. Nobody in the streets, not even the beggars, can tell them where He is. Not till the third day do they find Him, in the Temple.

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful,
in those anxieties which tried thy troubled heart
at the loss of thy dear Jesus.
Dear Mother,
by thy heart so full of anguish,
obtain for me the virtue of chastity
and the gift of knowledge.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
O blessed Virgin,
why art thou afflicted, seeking thy lost Son?
Is it because thou dost not know where He is?
But dost thou not know that He is in thy heart?
Dost thou not see that He is feeding among the lilies?
Thou, thyself have said it:
“My beloved to me and I to Him who feeds among the lilies.”
These, thy humble, pure and holy thoughts and affections,
are all lilies, that invite the divine spouse to dwell with thee.
O Mary, do thou sigh after Jesus,
thou who loves none but Jesus?
Leave sighing to me and so many other sinners
who do not love Him
and who have lost Him by offending Him.
My most amiable Mother,
if through my fault thy Son has not yet returned to my soul,
will thou obtain for me, that I may find Him.
I know well, that He allows himself to be found by all who seek Him:
The Lord is good to the soul that seeks him: ”
Bonus est Dominus . . . animse quaerenti ilium.”
Make me to seek Him as I ought to seek Him.
Thou art the gate through which all find Jesus;
through thou, I too hope to find Him.
Amen

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

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 8 September Day Two

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The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Two – The Second Sorrow
The Flight into Egypt

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
Soon the sword of sorrow strikes. Herod the King seeks to kill the Child. Warned in sleep by an angel, Joseph takes Jesus and His Mother Mary, setting out for Egypt, where they lived in obscurity and poverty until it was safe to return to Nazareth.

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful,
in the anguish of thy most affectionate heart
during the flight into Egypt
and thy sojourn there.
Dear Mother,
by thy heart so troubled,
obtain for me the virtue of generosity,
especially toward the poor
and the gift of piety.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
Then, O Mary,
even after thy Son hath died
by the hands of men
who persecuted Him unto death,
have not these ungrateful men
yet ceased from persecuting Him
with their sins
and continuing to afflict thee, O Mother of Sorrows?
And I also, O God, have been one of these.
O, my most sweet Mother,
obtain for me tears to weep for such ingratitude.
And then, by the sufferings thou didst experience
in the journey to Egypt,
assist me in the journey
that I am making to eternity,
that at length I may go to unite with thee
in loving my persecuted Saviour,
in the country of the blessed.
Amen

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 8 September – Mary, Virgin Filled with Light, Chosen from Our Race

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

Mary, Virgin Filled with Light,
Chosen from Our Race
Breviary Hymn

God, who made the earth and sky
And the changing sea,
Clothed his glory in our flesh:
Man, with men to be.

Mary, Virgin filled with light,
Chosen from our race,
Bore the Father’s only Son
By the Spirit’s grace.

He whom nothing can contain,
No-one can compel,
Bound his timeless Godhead here,
In our time to dwell.

God, our Father, Lord of days,
And his only Son,
With the Holy Spirit praise:
Trinity in One. Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, NOVENAS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

The Seven Sorrows Novena – Begins today 7 September – By St Alphonsus Liguori

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The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day One

The First Sorrow – The Prophecy of Simeon

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
Sorrow as sharp as a sword shall pierce Mary’s heart because of her Child. Mary is in the Temple, having come with Joseph to present the Child to God . They meet Simeon, the holy man and Anna, the prophetess. Simeon takes the Baby in his arms, saying he will now die in peace because he has seen Christ, then he foretells the sorrow to come.

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful,
in the affliction of thy tender heart
at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon.
Dear Mother, by thy heart so afflicted,
obtain for me the virtue of humility
and the gift of the holy fear of God.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:

O my blessed Mother,
not one sword only
but as many swords,
as I have committed sins,
have I added to those seven in thy heart.
O, my Lady,
thy sorrows are not due to thee who art innocent
but to me who am guilty.
But since thou hast wished to suffer so much for me,
O, by thy merits,
obtain for me great sorrow for my sins
and patience under the trials of this life,
which will always be light,
in comparison with my demerits,
for I have often merited hell.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day Nine – 7 September

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Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Day Nine

Mediatrix between God and mankind, admirable Mary,
by your birth you perfected the joy
of all the children of Adam,
who, through you,
have received the Author of Grace,
for He has made you
the treasurer of all the graces
which are imparted to us.
May your birth be a special cause of joy to my soul
by obtaining for me from God,
eternal salvation
and all the graces necessary to obtain it.
Dearest Mother,
please pray for me and for these my intentions…
……………………… (State your intentions)

Hail Mary…

Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice,
Christ our God, Who,
destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.

V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant to us Your servants,
we beseech You, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so from this solemn festival of her Nativity,
may we obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day Eight – 6 September

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Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Day Eight

Brilliant Aurora of Heaven, lovable Mary,
your birth brought great consolation
to the souls of the saints detained in purgatory,
for it announced the approach of the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ,
who would enlighten their darkness
and then conduct them to paradise.
May your birth give joy to my soul
and obtain for me from God,
patience in all adversities,
a perfect and constant conformity to His most holy will.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me
and for these my intentions…
………………………. (State your intentions)

Hail Mary…

Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice,
Christ our God, Who,
destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.

V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant to us Your servants,
we beseech You, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so from this solemn festival of her Nativity,
may we obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day Seven – 5 September

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Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Day Seven

Resplendent Morning Star, lovable Mary,
your birth was the cause of great joy to the angels,
for they beheld in you,
the Mother of the Redeemer of the world,
who by His Death
would repair the loss sustained
by the fall of rebellious angels in paradise.
May your birth give joy to my soul,
by obtaining for me from God,
victory over the infernal enemy,
deliverance from all his snares
and the grace to be associated
in glory with the angels in heaven.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me
and for these my intentions…
……………………. (State your intentions)

Hail Mary…

Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice,
Christ our God, Who,
destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.

V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant to us Your servants,
we beseech You, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so from this solemn festival of her Nativity,
may we obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 5 September – Prayer to our Lady of Sorrows By St Bonaventure

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Our Morning Offering – 5 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary”and a Marian Saturday – Saturday of the Twenty Second week in Ordinary Time

Prayer to our Lady of Sorrows
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
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,
as well as 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
to our Divine Lord Jesus,
and to you,
the Holy and Immaculate
Mother of God.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day Six – 4 September

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Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Day Six

Most Beautiful Branch of the tree of David,
most admirable Mary,
whose birth was such a consolation
to St Joachim and St Anne
who were entralled by the advent of their holy child.
May your birth be the consolation of my soul,
by obtaining for me from God,
victory over the world
and detachment from all the things of this earth.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me
and for these my intentions…
………………… (State your intentions)

Hail Mary…

Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God,
who, destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.

V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant to us Your servants,
we beseech you, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so from this solemn festival of her Nativity,
we may obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 4 September – Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

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Our Morning Offering – 4 September – Friday of the Twenty Second week in Ordinary Time and the Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

Most Holy Virgin, My Consolation
By St Germanus (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

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day Five -3 September

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Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Day Five

Resplendent Lily of Paradise, lovable Mary,
the Holy Spirit takes delight in your birth
for He sees in you the soul never stained by sin,
which would forever be His worthy Temple.
May your birth give joy to my soul too,
by obtaining for me from the Holy Spirit
His divine love
and final perseverance.
Dearest Mother,
please pray for me
and for these my intentions…
…………………….. (State your intentions)

Hail Mary…

Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice,
Christ our God, Who, destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.

V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant to us Your servants,
we beseech you, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so from this solemn festival of her Nativity
may we obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day Four – 2 September

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Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Day Four

O Chosen One among the daughters of Adam,
admirable Mary,
the Redeemer promised to mankind
from the beginning of the world,
takes delight in your birth,
for He sees the one who is destined
to become the Co-redemptress of souls
by uniting her tears
to the Blood shed on the Cross
to save mankind.
Dearest Mother,
please pray for me and for these my intentions…
…………………….. (State your intentions)

Hail Mary…

Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice,
Christ our God, who, destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.

V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant to us your servants,
we beseech you, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so from this solemn festival of her Nativity
may we obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day Three – 1 September

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Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Day Three

O Chosen One among the daughters of Adam,
lovable Mary,
the Eternal Word takes delight in your birth,
for He sees the source of His Immaculate Blood.
May your birth give joy to my soul also,
by obtaining for me from the Word made Flesh,
the grace to find in this Divine Blood,
the eternal happiness of my soul.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me
and for these my intentions…
………………………. (State your intentions)

Hail Mary…

Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God,
who, destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.

V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant to us your servants,
we beseech you, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so from this solemn festival of her Nativity,
may we obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 1 September – O Sorrowful Virgin, Give Me thy Sorrows!

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Our Morning Offering – 1 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Tuesday of the Twenty Second week in Ordinary Time

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

O Sorrowful Virgin,
Give Me thy Sorrows!
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

O sorrowful Virgin,
unite me at least
to the humiliations and wounds of thy Son,
so that both He and thee,
may find comfort,
in having someone sharing thy sufferings.
Oh, how happy I would be if I could do this!
For is there perhaps anything
greater,
sweeter,
or more advantageous for a person?
Why dost thou not grant me what I ask?
If I have offended thee,
be just and pierce my heart.
If I have been faithful to thee,
leave me not without a reward:
give me thy sorrows!
Amen

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day Two – 31 August

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Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Day Two

O Chosen One among the daughters of Adam,
admirable Mary,
the Son of God delights in your birth,
for He beholds the one chosen to be His Mother
and oh! such a beloved Mother.
May your birth give joy to my soul also,
by obtaining from your divine Son
the grace to be born again spiritually to a holy life,
perfectly conformed to yours,
so that I may merit to obtain eternal glory.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me
and for these my intentions…
……………………… (State your intentions)

Hail Mary…

Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice,
Christ our God, who, destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.

V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant to us Your servants, we beseech You, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so from this solemn festival of her Nativity
may we obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 31 August – Deign, O Immaculate Virgin

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Our Morning Offering – 31 August – The last day of the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary – Monday of the Twenty Second week in Ordinary Time

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 MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day One – 30 August

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Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

DAY ONE

Heavenly Child, lovable Mary,
the Eternal Father delights in your birth,
for He beholds in your coming into this world
one of His creatures who is so perfect
that she will become the worthy Mother of His divine Son.
May your birth give joy to my soul also,
by obtaining for me from the heavenly Father,
the pardon of my sins
and an abiding sorrow for them.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me
and for these my intentions…
……………………………… (State your intentions)

Hail Mary…

Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice,
Christ our God, who, destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.

V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant to us Your servants, we beseech You, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so from this solemn festival of her Nativity
may we obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

At the Birth of the Blessed Virgin , the Immaculate Conception is made visible for all to see. Today we can begin to carry out Our Lord’s dying desire “Behold your mother!” (Jn 19:27).
As we gaze upon the beauty of Mary, we experience the reversal of the evil effects of the fall of both angels and humankind.
When Mary looks upon her own beauty manifested at her nativity,the sight moves the affection of her Immaculate Heart to the Highest Good – and she takes us with her! And so, today as we begin our journey to her nativity, we remind ourselves of her Immaculate Conception by this most beautiful prayer of St Pius X.

O Most Holy Virgin
By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)

Most holy Virgin,
who pleased our Lord and became His Mother,
Virgin Immaculate in your body and soul,
in your faith and love,
at this solemn jubilee of the promulgation of the dogma
which proclaimed you
to the entire world as conceived without sin,
look kindly on us, unfortunate ones,
who implore your powerful protection.
The infernal serpent,
upon whom the primeval curse was laid,
continues, alas, to attack and tempt
the hapless children of Eve.
Ah! Do you, our blessed Mother,
our Queen and Advocate,
who at the first moment of your conception
did crush the enemy’s head,
do you gather together our prayers
and we beseech you (our hearts one with yours),
present them before God’s throne,
that we may never allow ourselves
to be caught in the snares laid for us
but that we may reach the portal of salvation
and that the Church and Christian society
may once more chant the hymn of deliverance,
of victory and of peace.
Amen

Composed for the fiftieth anniversary of the definition of the Immaculate Conception, 8 September 1903.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, NOVENAS, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Announcing a Novena for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Announcing a Novena for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Begins 30 August
In preparation for the Feast on 8 September

Many days passed before God finally completed the masterpiece of His creation. For nine months, the soul of Mary had given form to her virginal body and the hour of her happy birth approached. As the suffocating Palestinian summer neared its end, the mellowing sun poured abundant torrents of golden light on the opulent plain of Samaria, ripening the rich orchards of autumn fruit . On a magnificent September day, with nature adorned in radiant beauty, the most Holy Virgin came into the world in the white-walled city of Nazareth.

She was probably born in the same house where the great mystery of the Incarnation later took place and where Jesus spent most of His childhood and youth in work and prayer. The angels did not acclaim the coming of the glorious Queen with hymns of joy as they later did the birth of the Saviour . Invisible to the eyes of mortal men, the angels considered it an honour to mount guard around the humble crib over which Saints Joachim and Anne lovingly watched. The prophecy of Isaias had come to pass. The root of Jesse, ten centuries removed, had sprouted a new branch. On this same branch in but a few years more, would blossom the eternal Flower, the Incarnate Word.

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 29 August – To You we Cry, O Queen of Mercy! By St Bernard

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Our Morning Offering – 29 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Memorial of the Passion of St John the Baptist

To You We Cry, O Queen of Mercy!
By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Doctor Mellifluus (Mellifluous Doctor)

To you we cry,
O Queen of Mercy!
Return, that we may
behold you dispensing favours,
bestowing remedies,
giving strength.
Ah, tender Mother!
Tell your all-powerful Son
that we have no more wine.
We are thirsty after the wine of His love,
of that marvelous wine
that fills souls with a holy inebriation,
inflames them,
and gives them the strength to despise
the things of this world
and to seek with ardour heavenly goods.
Amen

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

Our Morning Offering – 22 August – Salve Regina, Hail Holy Queen

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Our Morning Offering – 22 August – Saturday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time and The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

Salve Regina
Hail Holy Queen
By Blessed Herman the Cripple (1013–1054)

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy
Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
Poor banished children of Eve,
To thee do we send up our sighs,
Mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
Thine eyes of mercy toward us
And after this our exile,
Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus

This line, below, by St Bernard (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

℣ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
℟ that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.

Posted in DOGMA, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 21 August – O Most Holy Virgin By St Pope Pius X

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Our Morning Offering – 21 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Friday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Pope Pius X (1835-1914) (Pontiff 1903-1914)

O Most Holy Virgin
By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)

Most holy Virgin,
who pleased our Lord and became His Mother,
Virgin Immaculate in your body and soul,
in your faith and love,
at this solemn jubilee of the promulgation of the dogma
which proclaimed you
to the entire world as conceived without sin,
look kindly on us, unfortunate ones,
who implore your powerful protection.
The infernal serpent,
upon whom the primeval curse was laid,
continues, alas, to attack and tempt
the hapless children of Eve.
Ah! Do you, our blessed Mother,
our Queen and Advocate,
who at the first moment of your conception
did crush the enemy’s head,
do you gather together our prayers
and we beseech you (our hearts one with yours),
present them before God’s throne,
that we may never allow ourselves
to be caught in the snares laid for us
but that we may reach the portal of salvation
and that the Church and Christian society
may once more chant the hymn of deliverance,
of victory and of peace.
Amen

Composed for the fiftieth anniversary of the definition of the Immaculate Conception, 8 September 1903.

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

Our Morning Offering – 20 August – Run, hasten, O Lady, I Call upon You By St Bernard

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Our Morning Offering – 20 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Thursday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) “Doctor of Light”

Run, hasten, O Lady,
I Call upon You
By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) Mellifluous Doctor

Run, hasten, O Lady,
and in your mercy help your sinful servant,
who calls upon you,
and deliver him from the hands of the enemy.
Who will not sigh to you?
We sigh with love and grief,
for we are oppressed on every side.
How can we do otherwise than sigh to you,
O solace of the miserable,
refuge of outcasts,
ransom of captives?
We are certain that when you see our miseries,
your compassion will hasten to relieve us.
O our sovereign Lady and our Advocate,
commend us to your Son.
Grant, O blessed one,
by the grace which you have merited,
that He who through you
was graciously pleased to become a partaker
of our infirmity and misery,
may also, through your intercession,
make us partakers, of His happiness and glory.
Amen

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN Saturdays, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, THE ASSUMPTION

One Minute Reflection – 15 August – ‘…For you are venerated in heaven, loved in the world, feared in hell.’

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One Minute Reflection – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Readings: Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10, Psalms 45: 10, 11, 12, 16, 1 Corinthians 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56

My soul glorifies the Lord … Luke 1:46luke 1 46 my soul glorifies the lord - assumption 15 aug 2019

REFLECTION – “He himself is your son, O Mary, He Himself rose from the dead on the third day and with your flesh ascended above all the heavens that He might fill all things.   Therefore, O blessed lady, you have your joy, the object of your desire and the crown of your head have been granted you.   He has brought to you the sovereignty of heaven through His glory, the kingdom of the world though His mercy, the subjugation of hell through His power.   All things with their diverse feelings respond to your great and unspeakable glory – angels by honour, mortals by love, demons by terror.   For you are venerated in heaven, loved in the world, feared in hell.

Rejoice, therefore and be glad, for He who receives you has arisen, your glory, lifting up your head.   You rejoiced at His conception, you were afflicted at His passion. Rejoice again in His resurrection and your joy no-one will take from you.   Christ, rising from the dead, dies no more;  death will have no more dominion over Him.

The Spirit calls you, God says to you:  “Arise, hasten, my love, my dove, my fair one and come.   For the winter is past, the rain has departed and gone, the flowers have appeared on our earth.   The time for pruning has come” (Sg 2:10-12). …   Then the censer, following the incense and lifted up by the hand of the Lord, mounts to the throne of God.   It goes up attended by a train of angelic spirits calling out on high and saying: “Who is this who comes up through the desert like a column of smoke from the odour of myrrh and incense and all the powders of perfume?” (Sg 3:6). … St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Cistercian Monk, then Bishop – Homilies in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary VI, SC 72he himself is your son o mary - st amadeus of lausanne 15 aug 2020 assumption

PRAYER – My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour!
For He has blessed me lavishly
and makes me ready to respond.
He shatters my little world
and lets me be poor before Him.
He takes from me all my plans
and gives me more than I can hope for or ask.
He gives me opportunities
and the ability to become free
and to burst through my boundaries.
He gives the strength to be doing,
to build on Him alone,
for He shows Himself
as the ever greater One in my life.
He has made known to me this!
It is in my being servant that it becomes possible.
For God’s kingdom to break through
here and now.
Amen

A Magnificat
Translated from the German by Olga Warnke of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Marya magnificat translated from the german - 15 aug 2020

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, DOCTORS of the Church, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

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

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Our Morning Offering – 13 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Thursday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time and the Feast of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners

Shelter Me Under Your Mantle
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.
Amenshelter me under your mantle st alphonsus liguori 27 july 2019 no 2 and 13 aug 2020

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 10 August – O Mary, my Queen By St Louis de Montfort

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Our Morning Offering – 10 August – “Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

O Mary, my Queen
By St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)

O Mary, my Queen,
I cast myself into the arms of your mercy.
I place my soul and body
in your blessed care
and under your special protection
from this world.
I entrust to you
all my hopes and consolations,
all my anguish and misery,
my life and the end of my life.
Through your most holy intercession
and through your merits,
grant that all my works
may be directed and carried out
in accord with your will
and the will of your divine Son.
Ameno mary my queen - st louis de montfort - 10 aug 2019 marian sats