St. Gregory the Wonderworker (d. 270)
The Greatest Marian Prayers: Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York: Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, p. 110
Mary, you are the vessel and tabernacle containing all Mysteries. You know what the patriarchs did not know; you experienced what was not revealed to the Angels; you heard what the prophets did not hear. In short, everything that was hidden from preceding generations was made known to you; even more, most of these wonders depended on you.
St. Ephrem the Syrian (306-373)
A Marian Prayer Book: A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran, Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 226)
O Immaculate and wholly-pure Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Queen of the world, hope of those who are in despair: You are the joy of the saints; you are the peacemaker between sinners and God; you are the advocate of the abandoned, the secure haven of those who are on the sea of the world; you are the consolation of the world, the ransom of slaves, the comfortress of the afflicted….
O great Queen, we take refuge in your protection. After God, you are all my hope. We bear the name of your servants; allow not the enemy to drag us to hell. I salute you, O great mediatress of peace between men and God, Mother of Jesus our Lord, who is the love of all men and of God, to whom be honor and benediction with the Father and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 111)
O Virgin, most pure, wholly unspotted, O Mary, Mother of God, Queen of the universe, you are above all the saints, the hope of the elect and the joy of all the blessed. It is you who have reconciled us with God. You are the only refuge of sinners and the safe harbor of those who are shipwrecked. You are the consolation of the world, the ransom of captives, the health of the weak, the joy of the afflicted, and the salvation of all. We have recourse to you, and we beseech you to have pity on us. Amen.
Saint unknown
The Greatest Marian Prayers: Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York: Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, p. 109
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 35). [Instead of salute: I honor you]
O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, full of grace, the one whom you brought forth, Emmanuel, is the fruit of your womb. In your motherhood you have nurtured all human beings. You surpass all praise and all glory.
I salute you, Mother of God, joy of the angels, because you surpass in fullness what the prophets have said about you. The Lord is with you: you gave life to the Savior of the world.
A Marian Prayer Book: A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran, Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 222)
O, that the soul of Mary were in us to glorify the Lord!
That the spirit of Mary were in us to rejoice in God.
May the life of Blessed Mary be ever present to our awareness.
In her, as in a mirror, the form of virtue and beauty of chastity shine forth.
She was virgin, not only in body, but in mind and spirit.
She never sullied the pure affection of her heart by unworthy feelings.
She was humble of heart.
She was serious in her conversations.
She was prudent in her counsels.
She preferred to pray rather than to speak.
She united in her heart the prayers of the poor
And avoided the uncertainty of worldly riches.
She was ever faithful to her daily duties,
Reserved in her conversations, and always accustomed to recognize God as the witness of her thoughts.
Blessed be the name of Jesus..
Amen.
The Greatest Marian Prayers: Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York: Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (p. 111)
It is becoming for you, O Mary, to be mindful of us, as you stand near Him who bestowed upon you all graces, for you are the Mother of God and our Queen. Come to our aid for the sake of the King, the Lord God and Master Who was born of you. For this reason you are called “full of grace.”
Be mindful of us, most holy Virgin, and bestow on us gifts from the riches of your graces, O Virgin, full of grace.
A Marian Prayer Book: A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran, Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (pp. 76-77).
Hail, O Mother! Virgin, heaven, throne, glory of our Church, its 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 judgment. Pray that we may receive all those good things which are reserved for those who love God. Through the grace and favor of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be power, honor, and glory, now and forever. Amen.
——
In Beyer, also translated as:
Rejoice, Mother and heaven,
maiden and cloud, virgin and throne,
the boast and foundation of our church.
Plead earnestly for us that through you we may obtain mercy on the day of judgment and attain the good things reserved for those who love God,
through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, and honor
now and for ever and for all eternity.
Amen.
The Greatest Marian Prayers: Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York: Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (p. 112)
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996,
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and thanksgiving for rescuing a fallen world by your generous consent? What songs of praise can our weak human nature offer in your honor, since it was through you that it has found the way to salvation?
Accept then such poor thanks as we have to offer, unequal though they be to your merits. Receive our gratitude and obtain by your prayers the forgiveness of our sins. Take our prayers into the sanctuary of heaven and enable them to make our peace with God.
May the sins we repentantly bring before Almighty God through you be forgiven. May what we beg with confidence be granted through you. Accept our offering and grant our request; obtain pardon for what we fear, for you are the sole hope of sinners. We hope to obtain the pardon of our sins through you. Blessed Lady, in you is our hope of reward.
Holy Mary, help those who are miserable, strengthen those who are discouraged, comfort those who are sorrowful, pray for your people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate you experience your assistance and protection.
Be ready to aid us when we pray, and bring back to us the answers to our prayers. Make it your continual concern to pray for the People of God, for you were blessed by God and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world, who lives and reigns forever.
—-
In Beyer, also translated as:
Blessed Virgin Mary,
who can worthily repay you with praise and thanks
for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent!
Receive our gratitude and by your prayers obtain the pardon of our sins.
Take our prayers into the sanctuary of heaven and enable them to make our peace with God. Holy Mary, help the miserable, strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful, pray for your people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate you feel now your help and protection.
Be read to help us when we pray, and bring back to us the answers to our prayers. Make it your continual concern to pray for the people of God, for you were blessed by God and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world, who lives and reigns forever.
Amen.
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 111)
Gracious Lady, you are a mother and virgin; you are the mother of the body and soul of our Head and Redeemer; you are also truly mother of all the members of Christ’s Mystical Body. For through your love, you have cooperated in the begetting of the faithful in the Church. Unique among women, you are mother and virgin; mother of Christ and virgin of Christ. You are the beauty and charm of earth, O Virgin. You are forever the image of the holy Church. Through a woman came death; through a woman came life, yes, through you, O Mother of God.
St. Cyril of Alexandria (382-444)
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 117-118)
This prayer with a similar translation is also found in: The Greatest Marian Prayers: Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York: Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, *(pp. 113-114)
Hail, Mother and Virgin, Eternal Temple of the Godhead, Venerable Treasure of Creation, crown of virginity, support of the true faith, on which the Church is founded throughout the world.
Mother of God, who contained the infinite God under your heart, whom no space can contain: through you the most Holy Trinity is revealed, adored, and glorified, demons are vanquished, Satan cast down from heaven into hell and our fallen nature again assumed into heaven.
Through you the human race, held captive in the bonds of idolatry, arrives at the knowledge of Truth. What more shall I say of you? Hail, through whom kings rule, through whom the Only-Begotten Son of God has become the Star of Light to those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. Amen.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (pp. 79-80).
We honor you, O Mary,
Mother of God,
treasure of the universe,
inextinguishable flame,
crown of virginity,
scepter of the true faith,
indestructible temple,
tabernacle of the one whom
the world cannot contain,
and mother and virgin. …
In your virginal womb
you enclosed the immense and
incomprehensible One.
Through you the Trinity is glorified
and the cross is celebrated and adored
everywhere on earth.
Through you
the heavens exult with joy,
the angels and archangels are glad,
demons are put to flight,
the demon tempter is cast out of heaven,
and our fallen nature has again
been assumed into heaven. …
It is through you that the only-begotten Son of God,
who is the Light,
shone amid the nations
who were seated in darkness and the shadow of death.
What human voice can ever worthily celebrate
the ineffable greatness of Mary?
She is mother and virgin
at the same time.
Through her
peace has been restored to the world.
What peace?
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
whom Mary has brought forth!
A Father of the Council of Ephesus (431)
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage by Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (p. 112-113)
Hail, Mary, Mother of God, venerable treasure of the whole world. You are the lamp that is never extinguished, the crown of virginity, the rule of orthodoxy, the incorruptible temple containing the one whom nothing can contain, the mother and virgin, through whom the one who comes in the Name of the Lord receives in the Gospel the name of “Blessed.”
We salute you, who have borne the immensity of God in your virginal womb. Through you, the Trinity is sanctified. Through you, the Cross is venerated in the whole world. Through you, heaven is filled with joy. Through you, the angels and archangels rejoice.
Through you, demons are sent flying. Through you, the tempter devil is cast out of heaven. Through you, the fallen creature is elevated to heaven.
Through you, the whole universe, possessed by idolatry, has attained the knowledge of the truth. Through you, holy baptism comes to those who believe. Through you, the oil of gladness reaches us.
Through you, churches are established in the whole world. Through you, peoples are led to conversion.
Through you, even more, the only-begotten Son of God has radiated like light upon those who sat in darkness and the shadow of death.
Through you, the prophets have announced their message, and the Apostles have proclaimed salvation to the nations.
Through you, the dead rise, and kings exercise their royalty, by the power of the Holy Trinity.
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage by Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (p. 114)
Blessed are you, O Mary, and blessed is your holy soul, for your beatitude surpasses that of all the Blessed.
Blessed are you who have borne, embraced, and caressed as a baby the One who upholds the ages with his secret word.
Blessed are you, from whom the Savior appeared on this exile earth, subjugating the seducer and bringing peace to the world.
Blessed are you, whose pure mouth touched the lips of the One whom the Seraphim do not dare to look upon in His splendor.
Blessed are you, who have nourished with your pure milk the source from Whom the living obtain life and light.
Blessed are you, because the whole universe resounds with your memory, and the angels and human beings celebrate your feast….
Daughter of the poor, you became the mother of the King of kings. You gave to the poor world the riches that can make it live.
You are the bark laden with the goodness and the treasures of the Father, who sent his riches once again into our empty home.
St. Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre (d. 576)
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (p. 115)
Hail, Mary, full of grace, more holy than the Saints, more elevated than the heavens, more glorious than the Angels, and more venerable than every creature.
Hail, heavenly paradise, all fragrant and a lily that gives off the sweetest scent, a perfumed rose that opens up for the health of mortals.
Hail, immaculate temple of the Lord, constructed in a holy fashion, ornament of divine magnificence, open to everyone, and oasis of mystical delicacies.
Hail, mountain of shade, grazing ground for the holy Lamb Who takes upon Himself the miseries and sins of all.
Hail, sacred throne of God, blessed dwelling, sublime ornaments, precious jewel, and splendiferous heavens.
Hail, urn of purest gold, who contained the manna Christ, the gentle sweetness of our souls.
Hail, most pure Virgin Mother, worthy of praise and veneration, fount of gushing waters, treasure of innocence, and splendor of sanctity.
O Mary, lead us to the port of peace and salvation, to the glory of Christ Who lives in eternity with the Father and with the Holy Spirit.
St. Sophronius (560-638), born in Damascus, patriarch of Jerusalem.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (pp. 79-80).
Truly, you are blessed among women,
for you have changed Eve’s curse into a blessing;
and Adam, who hitherto lay under a curse,
has been blessed because of you.
Truly, you are blessed among women,
Through you the Father’s blessing has shone forth on mankind,
setting them free of their ancient curse.
Truly, you are blessed among women,
because through you
your forebearers have found salvation.
For you were to give birth to the Savior
who was to win them salvation.
Truly, you are blessed among women,
for without seed you have borne, as your fruit,
him who bestows blessings on the whole world
and redeems it from that curse
that made it sprout thorns.
Truly, you are blessed among women,
because, though a woman by nature,
you will become, in reality, God’s mother.
If He Whom you are to bear is truly God make flesh,
then rightly do we call you God’s mother.
For you have truly given birth to God.
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (p. 116)
O Mary, Mother of God, you were foretold by the prophets, foreshadowed by the patriarchs in types and figures, described by the Evangelists, and saluted most graciously by the Angels. Lead us to the wisdom of the Presence of God now and forever.
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations edited by Pamela Moran,Ann Arbor, Mich. : Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 225)
Mary, I beg you, by that grace through which the Lord is with you and you will to be with him, let your mercy be with me. Let love for you always be with me, and the care for me be always with you. Let the cry of my need, as long as it persists, be with you, and the care of your goodness, as long as I need it, be with me. Let joy in your blessedness be always with me, and compassion for my wretchedness, where I need it, be with you.
The prayers and Meditations of Saint Anselm with the Proslogion, Benedicta Ward, trans,1973, Penguin classics, Penguin Group (UK)
My most merciful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains
that flowed from your most pure eyes
when you saw your only Son before you,
bound, beaten, and hurt?
What do I know of the flood that drenched your matchless face, when you beheld your Son, your Lord, and your God, stretched on the cross without guilt, when the flesh of your flesh was cruelly butchered by wicked me?
How can I judge what sobs troubled your most pure breast when you heard, “Woman, behold your son,”
and the disciple, “Behold, your Mother,”
when you received as a son
the disciple in place of the Master,
the servant for the Lord?
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran, Ann Arbor, Mich. : Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991
(p. 224) To you we cry, O Queen of mercy! Return, that we may behold you dispensing favors, 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 ardor heavenly goods.
(p. 227) By you we have access to your Son, O blessed finder of grace, Mother of Life, Mother of Salvation, that by you He may receive us, Who by you was given to us.
(p. 224-225) 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.
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 112)
Mary, our Mother, the whole world reveres you as the holiest shrine of the living God, for in you the salvation of the world dawned. The Son of God was pleased to take human form from you. You have broken down the wall of hatred, the barrier between heaven and earth which was set us by the disobedience of Adam and Eve. In you heaven met earth when divinity and humanity were joined in one person, the God-Man.
Mother of God, we sing your praises, but we must praise you even more. Our speech is too feeble to honor you as we ought, for no tongue is eloquent enough to express your excellence. Mary, most powerful, most holy, and worthy of all love. Your name brings new life, and the thought of you inspires love in the hearts of those devoted to you.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996,
(pp. 95-96)
O blessed Lady, you found grace,
brought forth the Life,
and became the Mother of Salvation.
May you obtain the grace for us to go to the Son.
By your mediation,
may we be received by the One
Who through you gave Himself to
May your integrity compensate with Him
for the fault of our corruption;
and may your humility, which is pleasing to God,
implore pardon for our vanity.
May your great charity cover the multitude of our sins;
and may your glorious fecundity confer on us a fecundity of merits.
Dear Lady,
our Mediatrix and Advocate,
reconcile us to your Son,
recommend us to Him,
and present us to your Son.
By the grace your found,
by the privilege you merited,
by the mercy you brought forth,
obtain for us the following favor,
O blessed Lady.
May the One who–thanks to you–came down to share our infirmity and wretchedness
make us share–
again thanks to you–
His glory and beatitude:
Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
Who reigns in heaven and is blessed forever!
Amen.
(pp. 96-98)
Of Your Love, O Mary
O blessed Virgin,
did anyone ever invoke you in need
and yet fail to receive help?
Only such a person could remain silent
about your mercy.
As for us, who are your poor servants,
we congratulate ourselves for you
on account of all your other virtues,
but we rejoice in your mercy
in a special way for ourselves.
We praise your virginity,
and we admire your humility;
but your mercy has an even sweeter taste for us sinners.
We have a preferential love for your mercy,
we remember it more often,
and we invoke it more frequently …
Who then could measure,
O blessed Lady,
the length and breadth, height and depth
of your mercy?
Its length extends indeed until the last day,
so that you may come to the aid
of all who invoke it.
Its breadth spans the whole world,
so that the whole earth is full of your mercy.
Its height is such that it brought about
the restoration of the heavenly city.
Its depth achieved the redemption of those
who sat in darkness and the shadow of death.
Thanks to you,
heaven has been populated,
hell has been emptied,
the ruins of the heavenly Jerusalem have been rebuilt,
and the unfortunate people living in hope
have been given back the life they had lost!
Thus it is that your charity,
so powerful and at the same time so gentle,
pours forth in abundance,
manifesting itself tenderly
and lending assistance effectively. Amen.
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 108)
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions by Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996,
(pp. 99)
Salutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen,
Mary, Mother of God, ever-virgin;
Chosen by the most holy Father in heaven, consecrated by him
with his most holy and beloved Son and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
On you descended and in you still remains all the fullness of grace and every good.
Hail, his palace.
Hail, his tabernacle.
Hail, his robe.
Hail, his handmaid.
Hail, his mother.
And hail, all holy virtues,
who by the grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are poured into the hearts of the faithful so that, faithless no longer, they may be faithful servants of God through you. Amen.
(pp. 99-100)
Holy Virgin Mary, there is none like you among women born in the world. Daughter and handmaid of the heavenly Father, the almighty King, Mother of our most high Lord Jesus Christ, and Spouse of the Holy Spirit, pray for us to your most holy Son, our Lord and Master.
Hail, holy Lady, most noble Queen, Mother of God, and Mary ever Virgin. You were chosen by the heavenly Father, who has been pleased to honor you with the presence of his most holy Son and the Divine Paraclete.
You were blessed with the fullness of grace and goodness. Hail, Temple of God, his dwelling place, his masterpiece, his handmaid. Hail, Mother of God, I venerate you for the holy virtues that–through the grace and light of the Holy Spirit–you bring into the hearts of your devoted ones to change them from unfaithful Christians to faithful children of God. Amen.
St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 104).
Mary, our Queen,
Holy Mother of God,
we beg you to hear our prayer.
Make our hearts overflow with divine grace
and resplendent with heavenly wisdom.
Render them strong with your might
and rich in virtue.
Pour down upon us the gift of mercy
so that we may obtain the pardon of our sins.
Help us to live in such a way
as to merit the glory and bliss of heaven.
May this be granted us by your Son Jesus
who has exalted you above the angels,
has crowned you as Queen,
and has seated you with Him
forever on his refulgent throne.
Amen.
St. Albert the Great (1206-1280), buried in Cologne.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (pp. 100-101).
Mother of Grace
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.”
For note, Mary,
for you have found grace,
not taken it as Lucifer tried to so.
You have found grace,
not lost it as Adam did.
You have found favor with God
because you desired and sought it.
You have found uncreated Grace,
that is, God himself became your Son,
and with the Grace
you have found and obtained every uncreated good.
St. Germanus (638-730), first bishop of Cyzicus, patriarch of Constantinople.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996,
(pp.87-89)
O Most Honored One,
we are poor in divine gifts, O Mary,
but through you
we see the riches of kindness offered to us.
Therefore, we say with confidence:
the earth is full of the mercies of the Lord.
Rejected by God
because of the multitude of our sins,
through you we seek Him out again,
rediscover him, and are saved.
Therefore, O Mother of God,
grant us your powerful help
so that we may attain salvation.
And obtain for us the aid of your Son,
the sole Mediator necessary with God.
For your magnificence is infinite,
your goodness in helping the needy is inexhaustible,
and the number of your benefits is limitless.
No one achieves salvation except through you,
O Most Immaculate One!
No one receives grace except through you,
O Most Chaste One!
And no one obtains mercy except through you,
O Most Honored One!
Who would then fail to call you blessed?
I will call you
who were enriched by your Son and God
glorious and blessed,
and I will praise you with all generations.
Amen.
(p. 88)
Our Lady
Your name is Our Lady.
You alone are Mother of God
and raised high over all the earth.
O Spouse of God, we celebrate you with faith,
we honor you with longing,
we venerate you with awe;
at every moment we exalt you
and reverently proclaim you blessed.
Amen.
(p. 89)
My refuge and my strength
My Lady,
my refuge, life, and help,
my armor and my boast,
my hope and my strength,
grant that I may enjoy
the ineffable, inconceivable gifts of your Son,
your God and our God,
in the heavenly kingdom.
For I know surely
that you have power to do as you will,
since you are Mother of the most High.
Therefore, Lady most pure,
I beg you
that I may not be disappointed in my expectations
but may obtain them, O Spouse of God,
who bore Him who is the expectation of all,
Our lord Jesus Christ,
true God and master of all things,
visible and invisible,
to whom belongs all glory, honor, and respect,
now and always and through endless ages.
Amen.
(d. 732)
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, p. 116
Who could know God, if it were not for you, most holy Mary? Who could be saved? Who would be preserved from dangers? Who would receive any grace, if it were not for you, Mother of God, full of grace?
What hope could we have of salvation if you were to abandon us, O Mary, who are the life of Christians?
Mary : Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope : in three parts principally taken from authorized works / by Bernard Widger, Dublin : J. Duffy & Co., 1904
BX2160 .W54 1904,
(p. 189) O Sovereign Queen! Thou art our defense and our joy. Make me worthy to share with thee the happiness which thou enjoyest in heaven. Yes, my refuge, my defense, my strength, my hope, obtain for me, by thy all-powerful intercession, a place with thee in Paradise. Being the Mother of God, thou canst obtain it, if thou pleasest, O Mary. Thou are all-powerful in saving sinners, and being the Mother of mercy, thou canst want no inducement to save them by thy intercession.
(p. 188-189) Most Holy Virgin! Who art the greatest consolation that I receive from God, thou who art the heavenly dew which assuages all my pains, thou who art the light of my soul when it is enveloped in darkness, thou who art 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.
St. Ildephonsus of Spain (d. 677)
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran, Ann Arbor, Mich. : Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 222-223)
Virgin Mary, hear my prayer: through the Holy Spirit you became the Mother of Jesus; from the Holy Spirit may I too have Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit your flesh conceived Jesus; through the same Spirit may my soul receive Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit you were able to know Jesus, to possess Jesus, and to bring him into the world. Through the Holy Spirit may I too come to know your Jesus.
Imbued with the Spirit, Mary, you could say “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word”; in the Holy Spirit, lowly as I am, let me proclaim the great truths about Jesus. In the Spirit you now adore Jesus as Lord and look on him as Son; in the same spirit, Mary, let me love your Jesus
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 118-119).
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 86).
I beg you, O holy Virgin, that I may have Jesus from the Spirit from Whom you conceived Jesus. May my soul receive Jesus through the Spirit, through Whom your flesh conceived the same Jesus. Let it be granted to me to know Jesus from the Spirit, from Whom it was given to you to know, to have and to bring forth Jesus. May I in my lowliness speak exalted things of Jesus in the Spirit, in Whom you confess yourself to be the handmaid of the Lord, choosing that it be done unto you according to the angel’s word. May I love Jesus in that Spirit in which you adore Him as Lord and contemplate Him as your Son. Amen.
In Beyer translated as:
Holy Virgin, I beg you:
enable me to receive Jesus from the Spirit,
according to the same process
by which you bore Him.
May my soul possess Christ,
thanks to the Spirit
through Whom you conceived Christ.
May the grace to know Jesus
be granted to me through the Spirit
Who enabled you to know how to possess Jesus
and bring him forth.
May my littleness show forth
the greatness of Christ
in virtue of the Spirit
in Whom you recognized yourself
as the handmaid of the Lord,
desiring that it be done to you
according to the word of the angel.
May I love Christ in the Spirit
in whom you adored Him as your Lord
and looked after Him as your son.
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (pp. 117-118)
Today, the root of Jesse has produced its shoot: she will bring forth a Divine flower for the world…. Today, the Creator of all things, God the Word, composes a new book: a book issuing from the heart of his Father and written by the Holy Spirit, Who is the tongue to God….
O daughter of King David and Mother of God, the universal King; O Divine and living object whose beauty has charmed God the Creator; your whole soul is completely open to God’s action and attentive to God alone.
All your desires are centered only on what merits to be sought and what is worthy of love. You harbor anger only for sin and its author. You will have a life superior to nature – but not for your own sake. For it has not been created for you but has been entirely consecrated to God, who has introduced you into the world to help bring about our salvation in fulfillment of his plan – the Incarnation of his Son and the Divinization of the human race.
Your heart will find nourishment in the words of God, like the tree planted near the living waters of the Spirit, like the tree of life that has yielded its fruit in due time – the incarnate God who is the life of all things.
Your ears will be ever attentive to the Divine words and the sounds of the harp of the Spirit, through whom the Word has come to take on our flesh…. Your nostrils will inhale the fragrance of the Bridegroom, the Divine fragrance with which he scented his humanity.
Your lips will savor the words of God and will rejoice in their Divine sweetness. Your most pure heart, free from all stain, will ever see the God of all purity and will experience ardent desire for Him.
Your womb will be the abode of the one whom no place can contain. Your milk will provide nourishment for God, in the little Infant Jesus…. Your hands will carry God, and your knees will serve as a throne for Him that is more noble than the throne of the Cherubim….
Your feet, led by the light of the Divine Law, will follow him along an undeviating course and guide you to the possession of the Beloved.
You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the city of the living God, made joyous by abundant flowers, the sacred flowers of divine grace. You are all-beautiful and very close to God, above the Cherubim and higher than the Seraphim, right near God Himself!
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (pp. 119)
Your name, O Mother of God, is replete with all graces and Divine blessings. You have contained Him who cannot be contained, and nourished Him who nourishes all creatures.
He who fills heaven and earth, and is the Lord of all, was pleased to be in need of you, for it was you who clothed Him with that flesh which He did not have before. Rejoice, then, O Mother and Handmaid of God!
Rejoice, because you have made Him a debtor who gives being to all creatures. We are all debtors to God, but He is a debtor to you.
That is why, O most holy Mother of God, you possess more goodness and greater charity than all the other Saints, and have freer access to God than any of them, for you are His Mother. Be mindful of us, we beg you, in our miseries, for we celebrate your glories and know how great is your goodness.
St. Paschasius Radbertus (d. 865), Benedictine
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 116-117)
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 innocense 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.
Unknown (11 c)
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (p. 119)
O Mary, you are inviolate, pure and without stain, you who became the glistening gate of heaven. O most dear and gracious Mother of Jesus, receive our modest songs of praise.
We beg you with heart and lips: make our bodies and our souls pure. By your sweet prayers, obtain eternal pardon for us. O Mother most kind! O Queen! O Mary! Who alone remained inviolate!
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (p. 1120-1121)
O holy Virgin, Mother of God, help those who implore your assistance. Turn toward us. Have you perhaps forgotten us because you have been elevated to a position close to God? No, certainly not.
You know well in what danger you left us. You know the miserable condition of your servants. No, it would not benefit such great mercy as yours to forget such great misery as ours.
Turn toward us, then, with your power, for He who is powerful has made you omnipotent in heaven and on earth. For you, nothing is impossible. You can raise even those who are in despair to a hope of salvation. The more powerful you are, the greater should be your mercy.
Turn also to us in your love. I know, O Mary, that you are all kindness and that you love us with a love that no other love can surpass. How often you appease the wrath of our Divine Judge, when He is on the point of punishing us!
All the treasures of the mercy of God are in your hands. You will never cease to benefit us, I know, for you are only seeking an opportunity to save all sinners and to shower your mercies upon them. Your glory is increased when, through you, penitents are forgiven and reach heaven.
Turn, then, toward us, so that we may also be able to go and see you in heaven. For the greatest glory that we can have, after seeing God, will be to see you, to love you, and to be under your protection. So be pleased to grant our prayer; for your beloved Son wishes to honor you by refusing nothing that you ask.
St. Gregory of Narek (d. 1010)
The Greatest Marian Prayers : Their History, Meaning, and Usage, Anthony M. Buono, New York : Alba House, c1999, BX2160.2 .B86 1999, (p. 120)
Assist me by the wings of your prayers, O you who are called the Mother of the living, so that on my exit from this valley of tears I may be able to advance without torment to the dwelling of life that has been prepared for us to lighten the end of a life burdened by my iniquity.
Healer of the sorrows of Eve, change my day of anguish into a feast of gladness. Be my Advocate, ask and supplicate. For as I believe in your inexpressible purity, so do I also believe in the good reception that is given to your word.
O you who are blessed among women, help me with your tears for I am in danger. Bend the knee to obtain my reconciliation, O Mother of God.
Be solicitous for me for I am miserable, O Tabernacle of the Most High. Hold out your hand to me as I fall, O heavenly temple.
Glorify your Son in you: may He be pleased to operate Divinely in me the miracle of forgiveness and mercy. Handmaid and Mother of God, may your honor be exalted by me, and may my salvation be manifested through you.
St. Anselm (1033-1109), bishop, scholar, and Doctor of the Church, Archbishop of Canterbury
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (pp. 92-93).
Mother of Salvation,
Blessed Lady,
you are the Mother of Justification
and those who are justified;
the Mother of Reconciliation
and those who are reconciled;
the Mother of Salvation
and those who are saved.
What a blessed trust, and what a secure refuge!
The Mother of God is our Mother.
The Mother of the One in whom alone we hope and whom alone we fear is our Mother! …
The One who partook of our nature,
and by restoring us to life
made us children of His Mother,
invites us by this to proclaim
that we are His brothers and sisters.
Therefore, our Judge is also our Brother.
The Savior of the world is our Brother.
Our God has become – through Mary – our Brother!
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (p. 115)
O Jesus, Son of God, and you, O Mother Mary, you desire that whatever you love should be loved by us. Therefore, O good Son, by the love you bear your Mother, to grant to me that I may truly love her. And you, O Good Mother, I beg you by the love that you bear your Son, to pray for me that I may truly love him. Behold, I ask nothing that is not in accordance with your will. Since this is in your power, will my sins prevent this being accomplished? O Jesus, lover of all, you were able to love criminals and even to die for them. Can you, then, refuse me, who asks only the love of You and your Mother? And you, too, Mary, Mother of Him who loved us, who did bear Him in your womb, and feed Him at your breast, are you not able to obtain for one who asks it the love of your Son and yourself?
May my mind venerate you both as you deserve. May my heart love you as it should. May my body serve you as it ought. In your service may my life be spent. Blessed be God forever. Amen, amen.
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991.
(p. 222) O Mary, may my heart never cease to love you, and my tongue never cease to praise you.
(p. 223) Have mercy on me, O Lady, for my enemies have trodden upon me every day: all their thoughts are turned to evil against me. Stir up fury, and be mindful of war, and pour out your anger upon them. Renew wonders and change marvelous things: let us feel the help of your arm. Distill upon us the drops of your sweetness: For you are the cupbearer of the sweetness of grace.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996.
(p. 102) Abandonment to Mary
Virgin full of goodness, Mother of Mercy, I entrust to you my body and soul, my thoughts, my actions, my life and my death.
O my Queen, help me, and deliver me from all the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after him, O Mary, to love you with all my heart and above all things.
Amen.
(pp. 102-103.) For a Peaceful Parting
Holy Virgin,
I beg of you,
when my soul shall depart from my body,
be pleased to meet and receive it.
Mary, do not refuse me then the grace of being sustained by your sweet presence. Be for me the ladder and the way to heaven, and finally assure me of pardon and eternal rest.
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Dominican, Doctor of the Church, taught and preached at Paris, Orvieto, Rome, Viterbo, and Naples.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions,Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 105).
Of Dedication to Mary
Virgin full of goodness,
Mother of mercy,
I entrust to you my body and my soul,
my thoughts and my actions,
my life and my death.
My Queen,
come to my aid
and deliver me from the snares of the devil.
Obtain for me the grace of loving
my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
with a true and perfect love,
and after Him, O Mary,
of loving you with all my heart
and above all things.
Amen.
St. Gertrude of Helfta, Saxony (1256-1301), Cistercian nun; also called St. Gertrude the Great.
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 114).
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 106).
Most chaste Virgin Mary, by the spotless purity with which you prepared for the Son of God a dwelling of delight in your virginal womb, I beg of you to intercede for me that I may be cleansed from every stain. Most humble Virgin Mary, by that most profound humility by which you deserved to be raised high above all the choirs of angels and saints, I beg of you to intercede for me that all my sins may be expiated. Most amiable Mary, by that indescribable love that united you so closely and inseparably to God, I beg of you to intercede for me that I may obtain an abundance of all merits. Amen.
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich, Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 222)
O Lady, by the love which you bear Jesus, help me to love him.
St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380). Dominican tertiary, Doctor of the Church and Patroness of Italy.
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (pp. 107-108).
O Mary, temple of the Trinity.
O Mary, bearer of fire.
O Mary, dispenser of mercy.
O Mary, restorer of human generation, because the world was repurchased by means of the sustenance that your flesh found in the Word, Christ repurchased the world with his Passion and you with your suffering.
O Mary, peaceful ocean.
O Mary, giver of peace.
O Mary, fruitful land.
You, O Mary, are that new plant from which we have the fragrant flower of the Word, only-begotten Son of God, because this Word was sown in you, O fruitful land. You are the land and the plant.
O Mary, vehicle of fire, you bore the fire hidden and veiled beneath the ash of your humanity. O Mary, vase of humility, in which there burns the light of true knowledge with which you lifted yourself above yourself and yet were pleasing to the eternal Father; hence he took and brought you to himself, loving you with a singular love.
With this light and fire of your charity and with the oil of your humility, you drew and inclined His divinity to come into you–although He was first drawn to us by the most ardent fire of his inestimable charity.
Today, O Mary, you have become a book in which our rule is written. In you, today, is written the wisdom of the eternal Father. In you, today, is manifested the strength and freedom of all humankind.
I say that the dignity of humankind is manifested because when I look at you, O Mary, I see that the hand of the Holy Spirit has written the Trinity in you, forming in you the Incarnate Word, the only begotten Son of God. He has written for us the wisdom of the Father, that is, the Word. He has written for us His power, because He was powerful in effecting this great mystery. And He has written for us the clemency of that Holy Spirit, because only through grace and the divine clemency was so great a mystery ordained and accomplished.
But today I ardently make my request, because it is the day of graces, and I know that nothing is refused to you, O Mary. Today, O Mary, your land has generated the Savior for us. O Mary, blessed are you among women throughout the ages. Amen.
St.Bernardine of Sienna (1381-1444)
Mary: Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope (in three parts), principally taken from authorized works by Bernard Widger. Dublin: J. Duffy & Co., 1904 BX2160 .W54 1904, (p. 76)
O Lady, since thou art the dispenser of all graces, and since the grace of salvation can only come through they hands, our salvation depends on thee.
Fifteenth century attributed to St. Bernard (d. 1153) popularized by a priest named Claude Bernard (d. 1461).
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999,( pp. 105-106).
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence, I fly to you, O virgins of virgins, my Mother.
To you I come, before you I stand, sinful an sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.
St. Philip Neri (1515-1595), buried in Rome.
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich, Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 220)
Mary, I love you.
Mary, make me live in God, with God, and for God.
Draw me after you, holy mother.
O Mary, may your children persevere in loving you.
Mary, Mother of God and mother of mercy, pray for me and for the departed.
Mary, holy Mother of God, be our helper.
In every difficulty and distress, come to our aid, O Mary.
O Queen of Heaven, lead us to eternal life with God.
Mother of God, remember me, and help me always to remember you.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.
St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584), Cardinal Archbishop of Milan.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 110).
For Holy Priests
O Holy Mother of God, pray for the priests
your Son has chosen to serve the church.
Help them by your intercession,
to be holy, zealous and chaste.
Make them models of virtue
in the service of God’s people.
Help them to be prayerful in meditations,
effective in preaching,
and enthusiastic in the daily offering of
the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
Help them to administer the sacraments with joy.
Amen.
St. Joseph Calasanctius (1557-1648), Spain and Rome, founder of the Piarist Fathers.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (pp. 113-114).
A Trinitarian Prayer of Praise to Mary
Let us offer praise and thanksgiving to the most Holy Trinity Who has shown us the Virgin Mary, clothed with the sun, the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a mystic crown of twelve stars.
Let us praise and thank the divine Father who elected her for his daughter.
Our Father …
Praised be the divine Father who predestined her to be the Mother of his divine Son.
Hail Mary …
Praised be the divine Father who preserved her from all stain in her conception.
Hail Mary …
Praised be the divine Father who adorned her at her birth with his most beautiful gifts.
Hail Mary …
Praised be the divine Father who gave her St. Josph to be her companion and chaste spouse.
Hail Mary … Glory to …
Let us praise and thank the divine Son Who chose her for His Mother.
Our Father …
Praised be the divine Son Who became incarnate in her bosom and there abode for nine months.
Hail Mary …
Praised be the divine Son Who was born of her and was nourished by her.
Hail Mary …
Praised be the divine Son Who in His childhood was taught by her.
Hail Mary …
Praised be the divine Son Who revealed to her the mystery of the redemption of the world.
Hail Mary … Glory to …
Let us praise and thank the Holy Spirit Who took her for His spouse.
Our Father …
Praised be the Holy Spirit Who revealed first to her His name of Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary …
Praised be the Holy Spirit by Whose miracle she was the lving temple of the ever blessed Trinity.
Hail Mary …
Praised be the Holy Spirit by Whom she was exalted in heaven above every living creature.
Hail Mary … Glory to…
St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622).
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 112)
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (pp. 115-116).
Most Holy Mary Virgin Mother of God, I am unworthy to be your servant. Yet moved by your motherly care for me and longing to serve you, I choose you this day to be my Queen, my Advocate, and my Mother. I firmly resolve ever to be devoted to you and to do what I can to encourage others to be devoted to you.
My loving Mother, through the Precious Blood of your Son shed for me, I beg you to receive me as your servant forever. Aid me in my actions and beg for me the grace never by thought, word, or deed to be displeasing in your sight and that of your most holy Son. Remember me, dearest Mother, and do not abandon me at the hour of death.
St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), Society of Jesus, patron of young men.
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 111)
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 117).
O Holy Mary, my mother, into your blessed trust and custody, and into the care of your mercy I this day, every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and my body. To you I commit all my anxieties and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that by your most holy intercession and by your merits all my actions may be directed and disposed according to your will and that of your Son. Amen.
Also in Beyer as:
O holy Mary, my Lady,
into your blessed trust and safe keeping
and into the depths of your mercy
I commend my soul and body this day,
every day of my life,
and at the hour of my death.
To you I entrust all my hopes and consolations, all my trials and miseries,
my life and the end of my life.
By your most holy intercession and by your merits, may all my actions be directed and disposed
according to your will
and the will of your divine Son.
Amen.
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 145-146).
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (pp. 118-119).
Litany of Salutations to Mary
Hail Mary, daughter of God the Father.
Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son.
Hail Mary, Spouse, of God the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Blessed Trinity.
Hail Mary, Pure Lily of the Trinity, One God.
Hail Mary, Celestial Rose of the love of God.
Hail Mary, Virgin pure and humble, of whom the King of Heaven willed to be born.
Hail Mary, Virgin of virgins.
Hail Mary, Queen of Martyrs, whose soul a sword transfixed.
Hail Mary, my Queen and my Mother, my life, my sweetness and my hope.
Hail Mary, Mother most amiable.
Hail Mary, Mother most admirable.
Hail Mary, Mother of Divine Love.
Hail Mary, Immaculate, conceived without sin.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Blessed be your spouse, Saint Joseph,
Blessed be your father, Saint Joachim.
Blessed be your mother, Saint Anne.
Blessed be your guardian, Saint John.
Blessed be your holy Angel, Saint Gabriel.
Glory be to God the Father, Who chose you.
Glory be to God the Son, Who loved you.
Glory be to God the Holy Spirit, Who espoused you.
O Glorious Virgin Mary.
May all people love and praise you.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and bless us,
Now and at death, in the name of Jesus, your Divine Son.
Amen.
Meditations on Various Subjects, Reverend Charles Lebrun, C.J.M., S.T.D., Tr. 1947, P.J. Kenedy & Sons, New York, NY.
At the New Year
O Blessed Virgin, Mother of my God and Savior, I honor and revere you in the first moment of your life. I honor and revere the dispositions of your holy soul, and all that took place in you at that time.
You began immediately, O holy Virgin, to love and glorify God most perfectly, and from that first moment to the last of your life, you did ever love and glorify Him more and more. As for me, in spite of all the years I have been in this world, I have not yet begun to love and serve Him as I should.
O Mother of mercy, beg your divine Son to have mercy on me. Atone for my failings, offering Him on my behalf all the love and glory you ever gave Him, to satisfy for my neglect in loving and glorifying Him. Grant that I may share in your surpassing love for Him, and in the fidelity of that great eternal love. Pray for me, that He may give me the grace to begin, at least now, to love Him perfectly, and that all that shall take place during this year, and all my life, may be consecrated to His glory and your honor.
O angels, and saints of Jesus Christ, pray for me, that our loving Savior may give me new grace and new love for Him, to devote this year and my whole life, purely and solely to the service of His glory and love.
St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716), born in Brittany, founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary and the Daughters of Wisdom, wrote many prayers.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996.
(p. 120) For the Spirit of Mary
My powerful Queen,
you are all mine through your mercy,
and I am all yours.
Take away from me all that may displease God
and cultivate in me all that is pleasing to him.
May the light of your faith
dispel the darkness of my mind,
your deep humility
take the place of my pride,
your continual sight of God
fill my memory with his presence.
May the first of the love of your heart
inflame the lukewarmness of my own heart.
May your virtues take the place of my sins.
May your merits be my enrichment
and make up for all
that is wanting in me before God.
My beloved Mother,
grant that I may have no other spirit but your spirit, to know Jesus Christ and His divine will and to praise and glorify the Lord, that I may love God with burning love like yours.
Amen.
(p. 121) In the Arms of Your Mercy
O Mary, my Queen,
I cast myself in 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.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787), born in Naples, Redemptorist, doctor of canon and civil law, bishop, and author.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 122).
Shelter Me Under Your Mantle
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 for ever and to do what I can to make you loved by others also.
I place in you all my hopes for salvation; accept me as your servant and shelter me under your mantle, you who are the Mother of Mercy. And since you are so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death.
From you I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through you I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by your love for Almighty God, I pray you to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until you shall see me safe in heaven, there to bless you and sing of your mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen.
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 226)
O, 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 in order 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.
St. Vincent Pallotti (1696-1789)
Daily Bread: A Treasury of Prayers from The Pallottines, Milwaukee, WI, (p. 24).
Immaculate Mother of God, Queen of Apostles
We know that God’s commandment of love and our vocation to follow Jesus Christ impels us to cooperate in the mission of the Church. Realizing our own weakness, we entrust the renewal of our personal lives and our apostolate to your intercession.
We are confident that through God’s mercy and the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, you, who are our Mother, will obtain the strength of the Holy Spirit as you obtained it for the community of the apostles gathered in the upper room.
Therefore, relying on your maternal intercession, we are resolved from this moment on to devote our talents, learning, material resources, our health, sickness and trials, and every gift of nature and grace, for the greater glory of God and the salvation of all.
We wish to carry on those activities which especially promote the catholic apostolate for the revival of faith and love of the people of God and so bring all men and women into the faith of Jesus Christ.
And if a time should come when we have nothing more to offer serviceable to this end, we will never cease to pray that there will be one fold and one shepherd, Jesus Christ.
In this way, we hope to enjoy the results of the apostolate of Jesus Christ for all eternity. Amen.
St. John Vianney (1786-1859), the Curé of Ars, France, patron of parish priests.
The Essential Mary Handbook: A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers (with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church), edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer, Liguori, MO:Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999, (pp. 116).
Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 124).
O most holy Virgin Mary,
always present before the most holy Trinity, to whom it is granted at all times to pray for us to your most blessed Son, pray for me in all my needs. Help me, defend me, give thanks for me, and obtain for me the pardon of all my sins and failings.
Help me especially in my last hours. Then, when I can no longer give any sign of the use of reason, give me courage and protect me against all evil spirits. Make in my name a profession of faith. Assure me of my eternal salvation.
Never let me despair of the mercy of God. Help me to overcome the evil spirits. When I can no longer say, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I place my soul in your hands,” say it for me. When I can no longer hear human words of consolation, bring me comfort. Stay with me when I stand in judgment before your Son.
If I have to do penance for my sins in purgatory, pray for me after my death. Inspire my friends to pray for me, and thus help gain for me very soon the happiness of being in the presence of God. Lead my soul to heaven where, united with all the elect, I may bless and praise God and yourself for all eternity. Amen.
Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran, Ann Arbor, Mich. : Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991
(p. 58) What shall bring me forward in the narrow way, as I live in the world, but the thought and patronage of Mary? What shall seal my senses, shall tranquilize my heart, when sights and sounds of danger are around me but Mary? What shall give me patience and endurance, when I am wearied out with the length of the conflict with evil, with the unceasing necessity of precautions, with the irksomeness of observing them, with the tediousness of their reception, with the strain upon my mind, with my forlorn and cheerless condition, but a loving communion with you!
You will comfort me in my discouragements, solace me in my fatigues, raise me after my falls, reward me for my successes. You will show me your Son, my God and my all. When my spirit within me is excited, or relaxed, or depressed, when it loses its balance, when it is restless and wayward, when it is sick of what it has, and hankers after what it has not, when my eye is solicited with evil and my mortal frame trembles under the shadow of the tempter, what will bring me to myself, to peace and health, but the cool breath of the Immaculate and the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon?
(p. 218) It is the time for your Visitation. Arise, Mary, and go forth in your strength into that north country, which once was your own, and take possession of a land which knows you not. Arise, Mother of God, and with your thrilling voice, speak to those who labor with child, and are in pain, till the babe of grace leaps within them!
St. Dominic Savio (1842-1857), Patron of Youth and of the Falsely Accused.
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 227)
O Mary, I give you my heart. Grant me to be always yours. Jesus and Mary, be ever my friends; and, for love of You, grant me to die a thousand deaths rather than to have the misfortune of committing a single mortal sin.
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 49)
How happy my soul was, good Mother, when I had the good fortune to gaze upon you! How I love to recall the pleasant moments spent under your gaze, so full of kindness and mercy for us. Yes, tender Mother, you stooped down to earth to appear to a mere child…. You, the Queen of heaven and earth, deigned to make use of the most fragile thing in the world’s eyes
St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), France, Carmelite.
Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, (p. 126-127).
The Depths of the Love of Your Heart
Virgin full of grace,
I know that at Nazareth you lived modestly,
without requesting anything more.
Neither ecstasies, nor miracles, nor other extra ordinary deeds
enhanced your life,
O Queen of the elect.
The number of the lowly, “the little ones,” is very great on earth.
They can raise their eyes to your without any fear.
You are the incomparable Mother
who walks with them along the common way to guide them to heaven.
Beloved Mother, in this harsh exile,
I want to live always with you
and follow you every day.
I am enraptured by the contemplation of you and I discover the depths of the love of your heart.
All my fears vanish under your motherly gaze, which teaches me to weep and to rejoice!
Amen.
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991.
(p. 222) Grant me, O Mary, that I may get to know the cross; not only Jesus’ cross, but whatever cross fits me best.
(p. 225) Jesus entrusted me to His Mother, and charged me to love her very much. You are then my heavenly Mother. You will be towards me like any mother towards her children. You see me weak? You will have mercy on my weakness. You see me poor in virtue? You will help me. O my Mother, do not forsake me! My dearest Mother, do not abandon me!
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 218)
O Mary, we have exiled your Divine Son from our lives, our councils, our education, and our families! Come with the light of the sun as the symbol of His Power! Heal our wars, our dark unrest; cool the cannon’s lips so hot with war! Take our minds off the atom and our souls out of the muck of nature! Give us rebirth in your Divine Son, us, the poor children of the earth grown old with age!
Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)
A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, (p. 215)
Give us a heart as beautiful, pure, and spotless as yours. A heart like yours, so full of love and humility. May we be able to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life, to love Him as you loved Him, to serve Him under the mistreated face of the poor. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
