Category: The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on THE WORLD, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 December – ‘ … Mary is the new Tree of Life …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 8 December on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – Readings: Genesis 3:9-15, 20, Psalm 98:1-4, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12, Luke 1:26-38

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus.

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” … Luke 1:38

REFLECTION – “Son of God, grant me Your own admirable Gift, that I may celebrate the wondrous beauty of Your beloved Mother! The Virgin gave birth to a Son while preserving her virginity, she suckled Him who gives nourishment to the peoples, in her Immaculate breast she bore Him who carries the whole world in His Hands. She is Virgin and Mother, what will she not be hereafter? Holy in body, all beautiful in soul, pure of mind, upright in intelligence, perfect in feeling, chaste and faithful, pure of heart and filled with virtue.

May the hearts of virgins rejoice in Mary, since of her was born the One Who set humankind free from dreadful slavery. May the old Adam, wounded by the serpent, rejoice in Mary; it is Mary who gives Adam a posterity that allows him to crush the accursed serpent and who cures him of his mortal wound (Gen 3:15). Let Priests rejoice in the blessed Virgin; she has brought the High Priest into the world, Who gave Himself as a victim, putting an end to the sacrifices of the Old Covenant. … Let the Prophets rejoice in Mary, since in her, were fulfilled their visions, in her were realised their prophecies, in her were confirmed their oracles. Let all the Patriarchs rejoice in Mary since she received the blessing promised to them, she, who, in her Son, has brought them to completion. …

Mary is the new Tree of Life, who, instead of the bitter fruit picked by Eve, gives to mankind that Sweet Fruit on which the whole world is fed.” – St Ephrem (306-373) Deacon in Syria, Father and Doctor of the Church (Marian hymn).

PRAYER –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

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Our Morning Offering – 8 December – O Pure and Immaculate Blessed Virgin By St Ephrem

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Our Morning Offering – 8 December – The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

O Pure and Immaculate Blessed Virgin
By St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

O Pure and Immaculate
and likewise Blessed Virgin,
who art the sinless Mother of thy Son,
the mighty Lord of the universe,
thou who art inviolate and altogether holy,
the hope of the hopeless and sinful,
we sing thy praises.
We bless thee, as full of every grace,
thou who didst bear the God-Man:
we bow low before thee;
we invoke thee and implore thine aid.
Rescue us, O holy and inviolate Virgin,
from every necessity that presses upon us
and from all the temptations of the devil.
Be our intercessor and advocate
at the hour of death and judgement,
deliver us from the fire
that is not extinguished
and from the outer darkness;
make us worthy of the glory of thy Son,
O dearest and most clement Virgin Mother.
Thou indeed art our only hope most sure
and sacred in God’s sight,
to Whom be honour and glory
and majesty and dominion
forever and ever,
world without end.
Amen

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 8 December

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The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 8 December. Patronages – barrel makers, coopers, cloth makers, cloth workers, soldiers of the United States, Spanish infantry, tapestry workers, upholsterers, Argentina, Brazil, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guam, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Tanzania, Tunisia, United States, 68 Diocese, 8 Cities.

Altar of the Immaculata by Joseph Lusenberg, 1876. Saint Antony’s Church, Urtijëi, Italy.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, nine months before the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, which is celebrated on 8 September. I wish you all a Blessed and Holy Feast Day!

Juan Antonio Escalante, Spanish, 17th century

This festival began in the East, in the 8th Century, since mention is made of it by Saint John Damascen, who lived n 721. It was instituted in England in the year 1100 by Saint Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury. Afterwards in the Diocese of Lyons in the year 1145. Pope Sixtus IV commanded, in the year 1576, the celebration of it throughout Christendom.

At the very first moment of conception in the womb of Saint Ann, Mary’s soul was flooded with the fullness of grace: “all fair, all beautiful.” The laws of man and of nature did not apply to Mary. Her soul was flooded with light so that she could make her acceptance of the Mystical Marriage with her God.

“You have ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse, you have wounded my heart…My sister, my Bride is a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up…Thou art beautiful, O my Love, sweet and comely; terrible as an army set in array…One is my Dove; My perfect one is but one; she is the holy one of her mother, the chosen of her that bore her. How beautiful art thou, by dearest delights!…Put me as a seal upon they heart, as a seal upon thy arm, for love is strong as death…” – thus God speaks to her in the “Canticle of Canticles,” and Mary replies:
“I found Him Whom my soul loved…”

Juan Antonio Escalante, Spanish, 17th century

Mary’s Suscipe – the most perfect act of surrender a creature ever made, an oblation which would have a permanent re-echo every moment of her life, her bridal consecration, her mystical union with God was spoken at the very first moment of her being. Fiat – Be is done to me…

There was never a questioning of God’s will in the life of Mary but it was always perfect acceptance of whatever He planned and wanted of her. Therein lies sanctity – doing God’s will, not ours, regardless. Yes, even the Motherhood of Mary as the “Mater Dei” depended on this, for Christ in the Gospels says:

“Who are My Mother and My Brethren? If anyone does the will of My Father, he is My Mother and My Brethren.”

You, who love the Blessed Mother so intimately should certainly desire, with all your heart, to imitate Mary’s Fiat in every instance of life. Strive for this initial complete consecration to the Will of God in everything, regardless. At the root, foundation of every life lived for God, there must be a “Suscipe” “Take O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my will…” and a Fiat in deepest love and conformity to God’s Holy Will. In return God will favour you with peace, joy of service but, also, as He did His own dear Mother, with suffering but, always, He will give you the grace to say with Mary, “Behold the Handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy Will.”

Murillo, Immaculate Conception, 1650

Mary is “our tainted nature’s solitary boast” and we are her children. Should not a daughter try to resemble her Mother in everything? Mary is the Treasure-house of God’s graces, she will give whatever we ask of her, if it be the divine Will.

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, Immaculate One, pray for us!”

Posted in IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Immaculate Conception Novena – Day Nine – 7 December

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Day Nine – Immaculate Conception Novena

Let us begin:
In the Name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we beseech You that,
as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son,
You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us,
purified through Her intercession,
to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.
Amen

O Mother of the King of the Universe,
most perfect member of the human race,
our tainted nature’s solitary boast,
we turn to you as mother, advocate
and mediator. O Holy Mary,
assist us in our present necessity.
By your Immaculate Conception,
O Mary conceived without sin,
we humbly beseech you,
from the bottom of our heart,
to intercede for us with your Divine Son
and ask, that we be granted
the favour for which we now plead…
……………………………….
(State your intention here… )
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son
while upon this earth,
you have the same influence now in Heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him,
the granting of our petition,
if it be the Divine Will.
Amen

Say the: Our Father…
the: Hail Mary…
the: Glory Be…

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Vigil of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Virgen del Castillo, Inmaculada Concepción / Virgin of the Castle, Yecla, Spain (1642) and Memorials of the Saints – 7 December

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Vigil of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – 7 December
On this vigil day, Catholics stand in the remains of the night as the dawn makes its appearance. This resplendent dawn is that Singular Conception, the Immaculate Conception, who ushers in the Light of Christ.
A day of Fast and Abstinence following the Rubrics of Pope Pius X for the Universal Calendar of the Church.

“It is through the most Blessed Virgin Mary, that Jesus Christ came into the world and, it is also through her, that He will reign in the world.” – St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

Virgen del Castillo, Inmaculada Concepción / Virgin of the Castle, Yecla, Spain (1642) – 7 and 8 December:

The Virgen del Castillo, Inmaculada Concepción, is venerated as Patron in the City of Yecla ( Murcia, Spain ). The Sanctuary constitutes a pilgrimage centre not only for the people of Yecla but also for the inhabitants of the entire region and even the neighboring Provinces.
The name of Virgen del Castillo or Virgin of the Castle, even though it is not the official title, is the popular name with which the faithful have called their Patron because she is enshrined in the Castle Sanctuary, which is next to the medieval fortress that crowns the hill on which the City is situate. The invocation actually corresponds to the Immaculate Conception, being venerated in the aforementioned Sanctuary since time immemorial. The existence in that same place of a Mozarabic Church, dedicated to Santa María, which even became a Parish until the middle of the 16th century, is documented .

But the event that marked the transcendence of the old Sanctuary would occur during the reign of Felipe IV, when a group of Yeclans led by Captain Martín Soriano Zaplana, returned to the City after fighting against the French troops that had invaded Catalonia. The combatants return to Yecla without having suffered any casualties, a fact that they knew was miraculous, due to their devotion to the Virgin Mary and for which, they went to the hermitage of the Castle in thanksgiving. That act was an event for the City, which from then on would see in the image of Our Lady of the Castle, a symbol of protection.

The Church where the Virgin is enshrined has undergone numerous reconstructions and restorations throughout its history. The current building dates from the 19th century . The carving that is venerated today, is not the original either, since it disappeared in the Spanish Civil War – it is a replica made by Miguel Torregrosa in 1941 in the likeness of the original one, which was canonically crowned in 1954. The Procession is held on 7 December and the High Mass on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 8 December.

St Ambrose (c 340-397) – Father and Doctor of the Church, Bishop, Confessor, Theologian, Apostle of Charity, Writer, Musician, Preacher, Reformer and Protector – all-in-all a brilliant, charismatic, vibrant man. (Memorial)
https://anastpaul.com/2018/12/07/saint-of-the-day-7-december-st-ambrose-c-340-397-father-and-doctor-of-the-church-2/
And More:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/12/07/more-on-todays-saint-st-ambrose-c340-397-father-and-doctor-of-the-church/

St Agatho of Alexandria
St Anianas of Chartres
St Antonius of Siya
St Athenodoros of Mesopotamia
St Buithe of Monasterboice
St Burgundofara
St Charles Garnier SJ (1606-1649) Priest Martyr
St Diuma
St Geretrannus of Bayeux
Bl Humbert of Clairvaux
St Martin of Saujon

St Maria Giuseppa Rosello FdM (1811-1880) Religious sister and Founder of the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy.
About St Maria Giuseppa:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/12/07/saint-of-the-day-7-december-st-maria-giuseppa-rosello-fdm-1811-1880/

St Nilus of Stolbensk

St Sabinus of Spoleto (Died c 303) Bishop of Assisi, Martyr, Miracle-worker.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/07/saint-of-the-day-7-december-saint-sabinus-of-spoleto-died-c-303/

St Servus the Martyr
St Theodore of Antioch
St Urban of Teano
St Victor of Piacenza

Posted in IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Immaculate Conception Novena – Day Eight – 6 December

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Day Eight – Immaculate Conception Novena

Let us begin:
In the Name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we beseech You that,
as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son,
You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us,
purified through Her intercession,
to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.
Amen

O Most gracious Virgin Mary,
beloved Mother of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
intercede with Him for us,
that we be granted the favour
which we petition for so earnestly in this novena…
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence
that your prayers, on our behalf,
will be graciously heard
before the throne of God.
O Glorious Mother of God,
in memory of your joyous Immaculate Conception,
hear our prayers
and obtain for us our petitions. …
………………………………….
(State your intention here… )
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son
while upon this earth,
you have the same influence now in Heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from Him,
the granting of our petition,
if it be the Divine Will.
Amen

Say the: Our Father…
the: Hail Mary…
the: Glory Be…

Posted in IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Immaculate Conception Novena – Day Seven – 5 December

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Day Seven – Immaculate Conception Novena

Let us begin:
In the Name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

O most Holy Virgin,
who was pleasing to the Lord
and became His Mother,
Immaculate in body and spirit,
in faith and in love,
look kindly on us
as we implore your powerful intercession.

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God
and our Mother,
from the sublime heights of your dignity,
turn your merciful eyes upon us while we,
full of confidence in your bounty
and fully conscious of your power,
beg of you, to come to our aid
and ask your Divine Son
to grant the favour we earnestly seek
in this novena…
if it be beneficial for our immortal souls
and the souls for whom we pray.
…………………………
(State your intention here… )
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son,
while upon this earth,
you have the same influence now in Heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us
from Him the granting of our petition
if it be the Divine Will.
Amen

Say the: Our Father…
the: Hail Mary…
the: Glory Be…

Posted in IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Immaculate Conception Novena – Day Six – 4 December

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Day Six – Immaculate Conception Novena

Let us begin:
In the Name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we beseech You that,
as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son,
You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us,
purified through Her intercession,
to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.
Amen

Glorious and immortal Queen of Heaven,
we profess our firm belief
in your Immaculate Conception,
preordained for you,
by the merits of your Divine Son.
We rejoice with you
in your Immaculate Conception.
To the One ever-reigning God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
three in Person, One in nature,
we offer thanks
for your blessed Immaculate Conception.
O Mother of the Word made Flesh,
listen to our petition
as we ask this special grace during this novena…
………………………………..
(State your intention here… )
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son
while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in Heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us,
from Him, the granting of our petition,
if it be the Divine Will.
Amen

Say the: Our Father…
the: Hail Mary…
the: Glory Be…

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

Our Morning Offering – 4 December – Mother of my God

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Our Morning Offering – 4 December – Saturday of the First Week of Advent – Mary’s Day

Mother of my God,
Lady Mary, Queen of Mercy
By St Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Mother of my God and my Lady Mary,
as a beggar, all wounded and sore,
presents himself before a great Queen,
so do I present myself before you,
who are Queen of heaven and earth.
From the lofty throne on which you sit,
disdain not, I implore you,
to cast your eyes on me,
a poor sinner.
God has made you so rich
that you might assist the poor
and has made you Queen of Mercy,
that you might relieve the miserable.
Behold me then and pity me.
Behold me and abandon me not,
until you see me changed
from a sinner into a saint.
Amen

Posted in IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Immaculate Conception Novena – Day Four – 2 December

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Day Four – Immaculate Conception Novena

Let us begin:
In the Name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we beseech You that,
as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son,
You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us,
purified through Her intercession,
to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.
Amen

O Mary, Mother of God,
endowed in your glorious
Immaculate Conception
with the fullness of grace;
unique among women,
in that you are both mother and virgin;
Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ,
we ask you to look down
with a tender heart from your throne
and listen to our prayers
as we earnestly ask,
that you obtain for us the favour
for which we now plead…
…………………………………..
(State your intention here… )
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son
while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in Heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us from him
the granting of our petition
if it be the Divine Will.
Amen

Say the: Our Father…
the: Hail Mary…
the: Glory Be…

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Devotion for December – The Immaculate Conception

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December , Month of The Immaculate Conception

The Immaculate Conception was not, as many people mistakenly believe, a precondition for Christ’s act of redemption but the result of it. Standing outside of time, God knew that Mary would humbly submit herself to His will and in His love for this perfect servant, He applied to her, at the moment of her conception, the redemption, won by Christ, that all Christians receive at their Baptism.

It is appropriate, then, that the Church has long declared the month in which the Blessed Virgin not only was conceived but gave birth to the Saviour of the world, as the Month of the Immaculate Conception.

Holy Light on earth’s horizon,
Star of hope to those who fall,
Light amid a world of shadows,
Dawn of God’s design for all.

Mary, Virgin of Advent,
may we always walk with you
in the Light of the Lord Jesus,
the fruit of your womb!
Amen

Posted in IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Immaculate Conception Novena – Day Three – 1 December

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Day Three – Immaculate Conception Novena

Let us begin:
In the Name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

O most Holy Virgin,
who was pleasing to the Lord
and became His Mother,
Immaculate in body and spirit,
in faith and in love,
look kindly on me
as I implore your powerful intercession.

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
glory of the Christian Catholic people,
joy of the universal Church
and Mother of Our Lord,
speak for us to the Heart of Jesus,
Who is your Son and our Brother.
O Mary, who by your holy
Immaculate Conception
did enter the world free from stain,
in your mercy obtain for us
from Jesus, the special favour
which we now so earnestly seek…
…………………………………..
(State your intention here… )
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son
while upon this eart,
you have the same influence now in Heaven.
Pray for us and obtain for us
from Him the granting of our petitions
if it be the Divine Will.
Amen

Say the: Our Father…
the: Hail Mary…
the: Glory Be…

Posted in IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Immaculate Conception Novena – Day One – 29 November

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Day One – Immaculate Conception Novena

Let us begin:
In the Name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

O most Holy Virgin,
who was pleasing to the Lord
and became His Mother,
immaculate in body and spirit,
in faith and in love,
look kindly on me
as I implore your powerful intercession.

O most Holy Mother,
who by your blessed Immaculate Conception,
from the first moment of your conception
did crush the head of the enemy,
receive my prayer
as I implore you to present,
at the throne of God,
the favour I now request…
…………………….
(Mention your request here…)

O Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of God,
you had influence with your Divine Son
while upon this earth;
you have the same influence now in Heaven.
Pray for me and obtain for me from Him,
the granting of my petitions.
if it be the Divine Will.
Amen

Say the: Our Father…
the: Hail Mary…
the: Glory Be…

Posted in DECEMBER - The DIVINE INFANCY and The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DOGMA, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Prayers and Novena, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENAS, The IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Announcing a Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception

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Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception
Begins 29 November
Feast 8 December

The Dogma was promulgated by Blessed Pius IX in 1854 in the Bull Ineffabilis Deus.
This Dogma is rejected by all Protestants including the Orthodox – another reason why we cannot interact with these the way some do and the Vatican II church endorses.

Let us Pray to our Mother, the Immaculate and Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin.

Posted in CATHOLIC TIME, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, STATIONS of the CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 12 November – To Christ Crucified

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Our Morning Offering – 12 November -Friday, the day of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ

To Christ Crucified
Traditional Irish Prayer
Trans. Brendan Devlin

May the sweet Name of Jesus
Be written deeply
on my heart and mind.
Through the power of His Passion,
Through the force of His Prayer,
Through the shedding of His Blood,
Through the sweetness of His Sweetness,
Through His cruel Death on the Cross,
for the sake of us all.
O Lord Jesus Christ,
be the Saviour of our souls.
O Mary, Mother of Jesus
and Jesus, be with me,
the bond of love,
binding us together
and never be loosed.
Amen

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, QUEENSHIP of MARY

Our Morning Offering – 6 November – Ave Regina Caelorum

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Our Morning Offering – 6 November – Mary’s Day

Ave Regina Caelorum
Queen of Heaven Enthroned

Hail, O Queen of Heaven enthroned.
Hail, by angels mistress owned.
Root of Jesse, Gate of Morn
Whence the world’s true Light was born,
Glorious Virgin, Joy to thee,
Loveliest whom in Heaven they see;
Fairest thou, where all are fair,
Plead with Christ, our souls to spare.

V. Vouchsafe that I may praise thee,
O sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thine enemies.

Let us pray:
We beseech thee, O Lord,
mercifully to assist our infirmity,
that like, as we do now
commemorate the Blessed Mary
Ever-Virgin, Mother of God;
so by the help of her intercession
we may die to our former sins
and rise again to newness of life.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen

“Ave Regina caelorum” is one of the Marian antiphons said or sung in the Liturgy of the Hours at the close of compline. In the Roman Breviary as revised by Pope Pius V in 1569 it was assigned for this use from compline of 2 February until compline of Wednesday of Holy Week.
The original author is unknown – it has been found in a manuscript from the twelfth-century.
It has been set to music by various composers including Hyden and many others.

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, THE ASSUMPTION, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 31 October – “Pray for Us … at the Hour of Our Death”

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

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Pray for Us … at the Hour of Our Death”

“Our divine Redeemer, although He was God and did not except Himself from the law of death.
It was appropriate, therefore, that His divine Mother should have been no exception either.
But Mary had shared in the torments of her Son’s death upon Calvary and so obtained from Him, the privilege of a death so sweet and gentle, as hardly to justify the name at all.
Her soul was separated from her body as if in an ecstasy of love and was united even more indissolubly with God.
She did not die of a natural disease but, out of love for God.
She had always loved God with all the ardour of the noblest of creatures and her life ended in a final outpouring of love.
It was the climax of a continuous ascent towards God.

Death should be like this for us too.
It can be like this if we follow her example, especially in the boundlessness of her love for God.

O Mary, my tender Mother, be at my side throughout my life but especially at the hour of death.
Shelter me beneath your maternal mantle and never let me be far apart from you.
Grant that I may have a calm and peaceful death like yours, a death made easy by a great love for Jesus and for you, as well as by the reception of the Holy Sacraments and by your special blessing, amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/31/thought-for-the-day-31-october-pray-for-us-at-the-hour-of-our-death/

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES

Thought for the Day – 27 October – “Holy Mary”

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Thought for the Day – 27 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
“Holy Mary”

“The Angel’s greeting was later completed by the salavation of St Elizabeth.
As soon as Elizabeth saw the Blessed Virgin coming to visit her, she cried out in humble veneratin: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!” (Lk 1:42).

In the first part of the Hail Mary, then, we pay her the words of the Gospel, the highest tributes ever accorded to any human creature, proclaiming her to be full of grace, blessed among women and Mother of the Redeemer.
The second part, which was later added by the Church,  (composed and proposed by St Peter Canisius 1521-1597) Doctor of the Church), is a heartfelt supplication addressed to Mary as the Mother of God and our Mother.
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.”
It would be difficult to find a more touching plea.
We ask our heavenly Mother to intercede for us now – because we have such great need of her assistance in this vale of tears and temptations.
May she be always by our side, to shelter us beneath her mantle!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/26/thought-for-the-day-25-october-hail-mary/

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Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering

Our Morning Offering – 23 October – Hail, O Mother!

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Our Morning Offering – 23 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” and a Marian Saturday

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 MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUEENSHIP of MARY, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 18 October – The Fifth Glorious Mystery – The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

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Thought for the Day – 18 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Fifth Glorious Mystery
The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary
as Queen of Heaven and Earth

“Mary is also styled, ‘Queen of the Patriarchs‘ because, it was through her, that they came to possess the object of their desires, the divine Redeemer, Who released them from Limbo and brought them to Heaven.
She is ‘Queen of the Prophets‘ because, their prophecies were realised through her.
She is ‘Queen of the Apostles‘ whom she assisted and encouraged after the departure of her divine Son.
She is the ‘Queen of Martyrs‘ because, her maternal heart was pierced by a sword of sorrow.
She is ‘Queen of the Confessors‘ because, nobody else was capable of so deep and lively a profession of the Faith.
She is ‘Queen of Virgins‘ because, her virginal purity was crowned by the supreme dignity of Mother of God.
She is ‘Queen, moreover, of all the Saints‘, for no other human creature could ever surpass, or even dream of the summit of holiness, to which she attained.
Above all, however, she is our Mother and our most powerful Queen.
She loves us because, we have been redeemed by the Blood of her Son, Jesus Christ and she desires to obtain God’s favours for us and to take us under her maternal protection.

We, the children of Eve, in exile in the vale of tears, should turn to Mary with confidence and trust in her power to save us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/17/thought-for-the-day-17-october-the-fifth-glorious-mystery-the-crowning-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-as-queen-of-heaven-and-earth/

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, To JESUS through MARY

Thought for the Day – 11 October – Mary, Mother of God

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Thought for the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, Mother of God

“The near-infinite greatness of Mary, flows from the fact, that she is the Mother of God.
The Eternal Word of the Father, consubstantial with Him in nature and equal to Him in majesty, willed to become man in order to set us free from the slavery of sin and to regain Heaven for us.
He became man in the chaste womb of the Virgin Mary.
He took a human body and soul and was born of her, as the God-Man.
For this reason, there is attributed to His Divine Person, the title of Son of Mary and to Mary, the title of Mother of God.

There is a relationship between Mary and each of the three Divine Persons, for she is the daughter of God the Father, the spouse of the Holy Spirit by whose power the Word became incarnate in her and the mother of the Word made Man.
She is, moreover, in the words of Dante, the “termine fisso di eterno consiglio” (Paradiso 33:1-3).
In other words, she is the centre of the eternal plan which God established for the redemption of the human race.
It was God’s eternal design to reunite creation to the Uncreated, by means of Mary.
She became the mother of the Eternal Word, in whom the divine and human natures were indissolubly united.
He redeemed us by His infinite merits but, in this work of redemption, He employed the co-operation of His holy Mother.
All the graces, privileges and virtues of Mary, flow from this great mystery of her divine Motherhood.
As befitted the future Mother of God, she was conceived free from the stain of original sin and full of grace.
Her mortal life was a continuous ascent towards the highest peak of sanctity.
When she died, she was assumed body and soul into Heaven, where she was crowned in glory, as Queen of Angels and Queen of Saints.
When we consider the sublime nobility of Our Lady, we should be moved to love and venerate her.
This love and veneration does not subtract in the slightest from God’s glory, because, she is the Mother of God.
In fact, it is a great advantage to us, to imitate her and to call on her to intercede for us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

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Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Feast of the Divine Maternity – Readings: Ecclus 24:23-31, Gospel: Luke 2: 43-51

But Mary kept all these things,
pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

“Having confidence in you,
O Mother of God, I shall be saved.
Being under you protection,
I shall fear nothing.
With your help,
I shall give battle to my enemies
and put them to flight,
for devotion to you,
is an arm of Salvation.”

St John Damascene (676-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of the Redeemer
By Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple OSB (1013–1054)

Loving Mother of the Redeemer!
Hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep
and portal of the sky!
Mother of Him
Who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive
and call to thee for aid;
Oh, by that joy
which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last,
let us thy mercy see.

“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom
of His most chaste Mother,
Christ took to Himself flesh
and united to Himself,
the spiritual Body formed
by those who were to believe in Him.
Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour
within her, may be said,
to have also carried, all those.
whose life was contained
in the life of the Saviour.
Therefore, all we who are united to Christ
and, as the Apostle says,
are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30),
have issued from the womb of Mary,
like a body united to it’s head.”

St Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope from 1903 to 1914

Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11

Hail O Mary, Mother of God
By St Cyril of Alexander (376-444)
Doctor of the Incarnation
Known as ‘The Pillar of Faith”

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

Posted in AUGUST - The Immaculate Heart of Mary, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, IMMACULATE HEART Quotes, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MOTHER of GOD, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 October – The Divine Maternity

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One Minute Reflection – 11 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Feast of the Divine Maternity – Readings: Ecclus 24:23-31, Gospel: Luke 2: 43-51

“And his mother kept all these words in her heart.” – Luke 2:51

REFLECTION – “Often, it seems to us, Mary forgot to eat and to drink, keeping vigil in order to think about Christ, to see Christ in His flesh. She burned with love of Him and passionately loved to serve Him. She often did what the Song of Songs sings about: “I was sleeping, but my heart kept vigil.” (Song 5:2) Even when she was resting, she continued to dream of Him who filled her thoughts throughout the day. Whether she was keeping vigil or resting in peace, she always lived in Him, was always occupied with Him.

Where her treasure was, there also was her heart (Mt 6:21); where her glory was, there also was her mind. She loved her Lord and her Son with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her strength (Mt 22:37). She saw with her eyes, touched with her hands, the Word of Life (1 Jn 1:1). How blessed was Mary, to whom it was given to embrace Him who embraces and nourishes everything! How happy was she who carried Him, who carries the universe (Heb 1:3), she who nursed a Son, who gives her life, a Son who nourishes her and all beings on earth (Ps 145:15).

The One Who is the wisdom of the Father, put His arms around her neck, the One Who is the strength, that gives movement to everything sat in her arms. He Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29) rested on her motherly breast. How gently He held her in His hands, peacefully looked at her, He Whom the angels wish to contemplate (1 Pet 1:12) and He gently called her, He Whom every being calls upon when in need. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she held Him close to her heart … She never had enough of seeing Him or of hearing Him, Whom “many prophets and kings wished to see … but did not see.” (Lk 10:24) Thus Mary grew evermore in love and her mind was unceasingly attached to divine contemplation.” – St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop (Homily on the Motherhood of Mary, 4).

PRAYER – Lord open our hearts to Your grace. As You brought joy to the world through the incarnation of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant that through the prayer of His Immaculate Ever-Virgin Mother, our hearts too may grow in virtue and love by learning to reflect constantly on His commandments and counsels. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

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

Our Morning Offering – 11 October – Mother of my God, Lady Mary, Queen of Mercy

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Our Morning Offering – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity

Mother of my God,
Lady Mary, Queen of Mercy
By St Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Mother of my God and my Lady Mary,
as a beggar, all wounded and sore,
presents himself before a great Queen,
so do I present myself before you,
who are Queen of heaven and earth.
From the lofty throne on which you sit,
disdain not, I implore you,
to cast your eyes on me,
a poor sinner.
God has made you so rich
that you might assist the poor
and has made you Queen of Mercy,
that you might relieve the miserable.
Behold me then and pity me.
Behold me and abandon me not,
until you see me changed
from a sinner into a saint.
Amen

Posted in MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VANITY, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The ANNUNCIATION

Thought for the Day – 3 October – The First Joyful Mystery – The Annunciation

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Thought for the Day – 3 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Joyful Mystery
The Annunciation

“Consider now Mary’s reaction to the reverence and praise with which the Angel greets her.
Is she carried away by delight and exaltation at this solemn moment?
Nothing of the sort!
In her humility and modesty, she is disturbed by the Angel’s salutation and wonders what the reason is for it.
“She was troubled at his word and kept pondering what manner of greeting this might be” (Lk 1:29).

How do we behave when we receive praise from our superiors or from our friends and acquaintances?
We are pleased and overcome perhaps by feelings of vanity.
We smile to ourselves and are convinced that we are of more consequence than we really are.
We even feel the need to reveal our thoughts to others and, thereby, seek further aggrandisement!
There is a world of difference between the simplicity and humility of the Blessed Virgin and our vain hunger for praise and honour.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/03/thought-for-the-day-2-october-the-first-joyful-mystery-the-annunciation/

PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/10/03/thought-for-the-day-3-october-the-first-joyful-mystery-the-annunciation/

Posted in MARIAN POETRY, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, PAPAL PRAYERS, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Devotion for October, The Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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October, The Month of the Holy Rosary

The Holy Rosary
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

Accept, mighty Maid, we beseech thee,
This prayer with its fragrance of flowers;
With one soul we seek thus to reach thee
And hail thee, God’s Mother and ours.

Thy heart is made glad by our praying;
Thy bounty is generous and wise;
Thy hands are enriched for conveying
What God’s tender Mercy supplies.

We kneel at thy Shrines in the Churches;
Oh, gently look down from above,
And welcome the heart that then searches
For worthy expressions of love.

Let others present precious caskets
Of gems, or heap Altars with gold;
Slight prayer-beads shall serve us for baskets
To bring thee the garland they hold.

With violets lowly we fashion
This wreath and with these combined
Red roses–our faith in the Passion
With Chastity’s lilies entwined.

Our minds, as the Mysteries vary,
Are active, our hands play their part;
And always thy name, Holy Mary,
Oft-uttered, rejoices the heart.

Be with us, we trust thee to guide us
Through life and when labouring breath
At the last, seeks thine aid, be beside us
To help at the hour of our death.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, 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 – 30 September – My Sorrowful Mother,Help Me to Bear My Crosses

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Our Morning Offering – 30 September – The last day of the Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Mother Mary

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

Posted in NOTES to Followers, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Announcing a Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Begins 28 September

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Announcing a Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary
Begins 28 September
The Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary is on 7 October.

Please join me in praying a Novena in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary for the nine days preceding her Feast on 7 October and, of course, October is the Month of the Holy Rosary.

This Feast was instituted to commemorate the victory of Christianity over the forces of Islam at the battle of Lepanto on 7 October 1571.   The victory was brought about through the recitation of the Rosary.   In thanksgiving for another victory over the same foes in Hungary in 1715, the Feast was extended to the entire Church.
In the course of centuries the Rosary has been a source of abundant blessings.   In her apparitions at Lourdes, France, in 1858 and again at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, Mary urged Catholics to pray the Rosary daily in order to bring about the conversion of sinners and a lasting world peace.   Resolve to say your Rosary every day.   Besides being a beautiful tribute of love and filial piety, to your Heavenly Mother, it will be your support and joy in life and your consolation at the hour of death.

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The NATIVITY of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 18 September – “And some seed fell on good ground” – Luke 8:8

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One Minute Reflection – 18 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” – Readings: Timothy 6: 13-16; Psalm 100: 1b-2-5; Luke 8: 4-15

“And some seed fell on good ground” – Luke 8:8

REFLECTION – “In my view it was to Mary that the blessed Prophet Joel was speaking when he exclaimed: “Fear not, O land! Exult and rejoice! For the Lord has done great things in you” (2,21). For Mary is a land – that ground on which Moses, the man of God, heard the command to remove his sandals (Ex 3,5), an image of the Law now replaced by grace. She is also that land on which, through the Holy Spirit, He was built up of whom we sing that He “fixed the earth on its foundations” (Ps 104[103],5). She is a land which, without being sown, brings forth the fruit that feeds all flesh (Ps 136[135],25). A land on which the thorns of sin have never sprung up, to the contrary, she has given birth to Him who pulled it up by the roots. And she is a land that is not cursed as the first one was, to bring forth a harvest of thorns and thistles (Gn 3,18) but on whom rests the Lord’s blessing and who bears in her breast, a “blessed fruit” as sacred scripture says (Lk 1,42)…

Rejoice, O Mary, House of the Lord, earth trodden by the Footsteps of God… Rejoice, O Paradise more happy than the Garden of Eden, where every virtue has been seeded and where the Tree of Life has grown.” – St Theodore the Studite (750-826) Father, Abbot, Theologian, Writer (Homily 2 for the Nativity of Mary, 4, 7; PG 96, 683f)

PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, turn our ears and hearts to Your Word, that we may hear and live by the seed You have sown. May all that grows in us be of Your good seed and yield fruit a hundredfold. Grant us the grace of imitating the virtues of Mary, the Mother of Your only-begotten Son and our Mother and may her prayers intercede on our behalf. May we may be filled with courage and love and spread Your Word by our lives. We make our prayer through Jesus, our Lord and Word, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever, amen.

Posted in CATHOLIC TIME, 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

Our Morning Offering – 18 September – O Mother of Sorrows, Stand by Me in My Last Agony

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Our Morning Offering – 18 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” and Mary’s Saturday

O Mother of Sorrows,
Stand by Me in My Last Agony
By St Gabriel Francis Possenti
of Our Lady of Sorrows (1838-1862)

O Mother of Sorrows,
by the anguish and love
with which thou did stand at the Cross of Jesus,
stand by me in my last agony.
To thy maternal heart
I commend the last three hours of my life.
Offer these hours to the Eternal Father
in union with the agony of our dearest Lord,
in atonement for my sins.
Offer to the Eternal Father
the most Precious Blood of Jesus,
mingled with your tears on Calvary,
that I may obtain the grace
of receiving Holy Communion
with the most perfect love and contrition
before my death
and that I may breathe forth my soul
in the adorable presence of Jesus.
Dearest Mother,
when the moment of my death has at last come,
present me as your child to Jesus.
Ask Him to forgive me for having offended Him,
for I knew not what I did.
Beg Him to receive me into His kingdom of glory
to be united with Him forever.
Amen