Prayer to Our Lady, Taught to Saint Gertrude

Prayer to Our Lady, Taught to Saint Gertrude

When St. Gertrude recited these three petitions, which she had learned of the Blessed Virgin, it seemed to her as though she were so clothed and adorned with her surpassing merits, that the Lord of Majesty took ineffable delight in her.

O most chaste Virgin Mary, I beseech thee by that unspotted purity wherewith thou didst prepare for the Son of God a dwelling of delight in thy virginal womb, that by thine intercession I may be cleansed by every stain of sin.

O most humble Virgin Mary, I beseech thee by that most profound humility whereby thou didst merit to be raised high above all the choirs of the angels and the saints, that by thine intercession all my negligence may be expiated.

O most loving Virgin Mary, I beseech thee by that ineffable love which united thee so closely and so inseparably to God, that by thine intercession I may obtain an abundance of all merits. Amen.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

AT THE ECCE ANCILLA DOMINI

AT THE ECCE ANCILLA DOMINI

Our blessed Lady said to St. Gertrude: Whoever shall devoutly recall to my mind the joy which I felt in uttering the words: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, I will most truly show him that I am his Mother, and will unfailingly succour him. 

O MOTHER of blessedness and most august Sanctuary of the Holy Ghost, I praise and greet thee, and with most devout intention of mind recall to thee that unspeakable joy which thou didst feel when with calmest trustfulness thou didst commend to the Divine Will thy whole unreserved self, and all that was to be done to thee and in thee, saying: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: beseeching thee that thou wouldst show thyself my Mother, and evermore succour me with the saving help of thy compassionate heart. Amen.

On another occasion, when the Mother of God herself appeared to St. Mechtilde, the Saint asked her how she could honor her, and Mary replied:  "Remind me of the joy which I experienced when the Son of God left the bosom of His Father in order to come into my womb. Rejoice with me again in the ineffable bliss with which I was filled when that same Son was born of me, and when I saw Him and pressed Him in my arms as a Mother."

Heavenly Mother, I remind you of the joy which you experienced when the Son of God left the bosom of His Father in order to come into your womb.  I rejoice with you again in the ineffable bliss with which you were filled when the same Son was born of Thee, and when you saw Him and pressed Him in your arms as a Mother!

Eternal Father, we humbly offer Thee our poor presence, and that of the whole of humanity, from the beginning to the end of the world at all the Masses that ever have or ever will be prayed.  We offer Thee all the pains, sufferings, prayers, sacrifices, joys, and relaxations of our lives, in union with those of our Lord Jesus here on earth.  May the most Precious Blood of Christ, all His Blood, Wounds, and Agony save us, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Amen

(This prayer should be recited daily and made known)

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

The Five Joys of the Blessed Virgin

The Five Joys of the Blessed Virgin

On one occasion, while St. Mechtilde was reflecting in sadness that she had never been duly devout to the Blessed Virgin, and was beseeching our Lord to teach her how to supply her defect, it seemed to her that our Lord bade her apply her lips to the wound in His side, saying: Draw hence that which thou dost wish to offer to My Mother. And she felt the five following salutations, which she had never heard or conceived before, trickle down upon her lips as so many drops of water.

I salute thee, O Virgin most resplendent in glory, in that sweetest stream which flowed forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, by reason of thy most blessed predestination from eternity.

I salute thee, O Virgin most radiant in holiness, in that sweetest stream which went forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, by reason of thy most blessed conversation and life.

I salute thee, O Virgin, most noble, in that sweetest stream which shed itself forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, through the teaching and preaching of thy Son.

I salute thee, O Virgin most full of love, in that sweetest stream which gushed forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, through the bitter Passion and Death of thy Son.

I salute thee, O Virgin most worshipful, in that sweetest stream which burst forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, and filled thee with all the glory, all the dazzling magnificence, and the ecstatic joy in which thou dost now exult, as beseemeth thee, the elect above and over all creatures before the world was formed. Amen. 

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Saint Mechtilde Prayer

Saint Mechtilde Prayer

One day when Saint Mechtilde was reproaching herself for not having loved the Blessed Virgin Mary enough, Jesus appeared to her and said:  "For this fault, and in order to make reparation for it, first praise and honor My Mother for the faithfulness with which all her actions….

Prayer

Heavenly Mother I praise and honor you firstly for that faithfulness with which, in all your actions and throughout your life, you submitted your will to Jesus. 

Secondly I praise and honor you for that readiness with which you attended to all the physical needs of Jesus thy Son and for that compassion in your heart for all he had to endure in His body!

Thirdly I exalt you for your devotion to Jesus in heaven, by means of which you draw sinners to him, convert them to Him, and free from the sufferings and flames of Purgatory a multitude of souls, for whom your intercession and your powerful intervention more quickly open the realms where they will glorify Jesus for all eternity.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great to the Blessed Virgin Mary

HAIL, MARY, queen of mercy, olive-branch of forgiveness, through whom we receive the medicine that heals our mortal sickness, the balsam of pardon; Virgin Mother of the divine offspring, through whom the grace of heavenly light has been shed upon us, the sweet-scented scion of Israel! 

Through thy Son, thy only Child who stooped to become the Brother of mankind, thou art become the true Mother of us all. For the sake of his love take me, all unworthy as I am, into thy motherly care. 

Sustain, preserve, and enlighten my conversion; be thou for all eternity my incomparable cherished mother, tenderly caring for me throughout my earthly life, and enfolding me in thy arms at the hour of my death. Amen.

Photo Credit Waiting for the Word

Most Pleasing to Jesus

Most Pleasing to Jesus

What would be most pleasing to Thee at this moment, O Lord?  St. Gertrude once inquired.  “What does thou desire of me?”

“Place thyself before my mother who reigns at my side, and endeavor to praise her.” 

Following this advice Gertrude greeted the heavenly Mother as the paradise of delights, the most beautiful habitation of God.

She also learned from the blessed Virgin that whenever anyone piously greets her with these words: “O radiant Lily of the ever-peaceful Trinity!  O resplendent rose of heavenly charm!”  Mary bestows favors upon him according to her power, through the omnipotence of the Father, the wisdom of the Son and the benignity of the Holy Spirit.

Photo Credit Waiting for the Word

Act of Joy in the Immaculate Conception

Act of Joy in the Immaculate Conception

To Which Innocent VIII Attached an Indulgence at the Request of the Queen of Spain

HAIL, glorious Virgin, Morning-star that dost outshine the sun, gracious Mother of my God, sweeter than the dropping honeycomb: thou art that fair one in comparison with whom all beauty is pale and dim; thou art redder than the rose and more dazzling white than the lily; all virtues adorn thee, thou purer than the Seraphim; and every Saint doth give thee honour, thou that hast thy higher throne in the heavens. Amen.

Image taken from Wikimedia Commons

Act of Reparation

Act of Reparation

Most Pleasing to the Blessed Virgin

While St. Gertrude was bewailing her negligence in that she had never served the Mother of Jesus with due reverence, and was beseeching our Lord to supply her lack of service, she seemed to see the King of Glory arise and present his deific Heart to His Mother, and therewith to make amends for all her negligence. To obtain a like grace, recite the following prayer:

O SWEETEST Jesus, by that love wherewith Thou didst deign to take our flesh of the most pure Virgin and of her to be born, that Thou mightest satisfy the desires of the poor and the wants of the needy, I beseech Thee that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to make amends to Thy ever-virgin Mother, with Thine Own sweetest Heart, for all the manifold defects which through my own negligence and ingratitude have tainted and marred my service and honour of so gentle and loving a Mother, whose gracious succour has never failed me in any danger or necessity. Do thou, O most tender Jesus, present to her Thy sweetest Heart, overflowing with ineffable blessedness, in reparation of this my neglect. Let her see therein all the Divine love whereby Thou didst from all eternity freely elect her to be Thy Mother, didst preserve her from all taint of Original Sin, and incomparably adorn her with all graces and all virtues. Let her see therein all the tenderness wherewith Thou didst cling to her when she cherished Thee, her Child, in her bosom; all the constant unfailing love with which, during the whole time of Thy sojourn on earth, Thou, Who art the Ruler of Heaven and of earth, didst obey her as a son his mother and especially in the hour of Thy death, when, as though forgetting Thine Own intolerable anguish, and touched to the heart by her desolation, Thou didst provide for her a guardian and a son. Let her see therein that love beyond thought with which Thou didst show her how precious she is in Thy sight, when on the day of her most joyous Assumption Thou didst exalt her high above all the choirs of Angels, and crown her Lady and Queen of Heaven and earth. And thus, O good Jesus, may she be still to me a loving and long-suffering Mother, and both in life and in death my compassionate advocate and most gracious patroness.  Amen.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Three Ave Maria's for a Good Death

Three Ave Maria's for a Good Death

St. Mechtilde, having on one occasion asked the Blessed Virgin to assist her in the hour of her death, received this answer: You may feel assured of my presence and aid if you daily address to me this three-fold salutation. 

HAIL, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, as God the Father in the grandeur of His omnipotence hath exalted thee and given thee power above all creatures, be with me, I beseech thee, in the hour of my death, and drive far from me all the snares and craft of my enemies. Amen.

HAIL, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, as God the Son in the excellence of His unsearchable wisdom hath embued thee with so great a knowledge, and filled thee with so great a light that thou knowest the most Holy Trinity more truly and intimately than all Saints, do thou so enlighten my soul in the hour of my death with the knowledge of the faith, that no error or ignorance may lead it astray. Amen.

HAIL, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, as the Holy Spirit hath poured into thee the sweetness of His love with such abundance, that thou art after God the sweetest and most benign of beings, do thou pour into my soul at the hour of my death the sweetness of Divine love, that its every bitterness may be rendered sweet to me. Amen.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Golden Ave Maria

Golden Ave Maria

While St. Mechtilde was ardently desiring to greet the Blessed Virgin with the most sublime salutation possible, she saw in vision our Lady, bearing on her heart the angelical salutation written in letters of gold, and saying to her: No salutation can surpass this, nor can any be so sweet in my ears as that with which God the everlasting Father greeted me, in the following manner:

HAIL, Mary, in union with that reverence wherewith God the Father greeted thee with Ave, and by His omnipotence delivered thee from every woe and sin. Hail, Mary, in union with that love wherewith the Son of God enlightened thee with His wisdom, and made thee a softly-shining star, lighting up Heaven and earth. Hail, Mary, in union with that sweet unction of the Holy Ghost, wherewith He so pervaded thee and made thee so full of grace, that everyone who through thee seeketh grace doth find it.  Call to mind now that unspeakable operation wherewith the whole most Blessed Trinity wrought in thee, when human flesh taken from thy substance was so united to the Divine Nature that God was made man and man became God, and thy whole soul was suffused with a sweetness and a gladness which the heart of man cannot conceive. And therefore every creature with rapturous admiration doth acknowledge and confess that thou art blessed and incomparably exalted above all creatures in Heaven or on earth, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, even Jesus, who quickens, sanctifies, and blesses all things forever. Amen.

Picture Credit Waiting for the Word

Aspirations of a Sinner to Mary

Aspirations of a Sinner to Mary

REMEMBER, O most compassionate Mother, that from the beginning it has never been heard that any who have fled unto thee for protection, or implored thy intercession, have been forsaken by thee. For to this end hath the Fountain of forgiveness been given to thee as thy Son, that thou mightest obtain grace for all who need, and that thine abundant charity might cover the multitude of our sins and our many defects. Wherefore, encouraged by this assurance, I have recourse to thee, and stand before thee in my misery and my defilement. Oh, despise me not for my innumerable and grievous sins, nor cast me away because of the exceeding loathsomeness and hardness of my heart. Thou knowest, O Mary, how deeply I am sunk in sins and vices, and how justly I have deserved all the most dreadful anger of thy Son. Cast me not away from thy favour, O most compassionate Mother, for thou art, after God, my surest confidence, and the, chief, the only ground of my hope. For such is the trust I have in thee, that I shall never believe that I can perish, as long as I love thee and serve thee. 

O most holy Mother of God and of man, thou joy of all Saints, thou solace of the wretched and refuge of the poor, I beseech thee, by that ineffable joy and sweetness thou didst feel when the incomprehensible Divinity took flesh of thee, and thus deigned to unite human nature to Himself forever in thy virginal womb, vouchsafe to undertake my cause, and to render me well-pleasing to the same thy well-beloved Son. Show him, O Mother, the breasts which nursed Him and the arms with which thou didst embrace Him; set now before Him all the toils and all the dolours thou didst suffer for His sake; show Him that heart of thine, sweeter than the honeycomb, all glowing with the fire of His love; and so render Him propitious unto me. 

O my most faithful advocate, turn on me, thy most unworthy servant, those pitying eyes of thine; and by the fragrance of that unimaginable delight thou didst feel as thou wentest up from this world to the royal court of Heaven, leaning blissfully on thy Beloved, vouchsafe to be with me in the hour of my death; and in that dread hour offer for me to the most Holy Trinity the merits of that tranquil and consummate perfection which raised thee, on the day of thine Assumption, far above all human and angelic dignity, and made thee the object of His supreme and everlasting complacency. Amen.

Our Lord Himself taught St. Gertrude to invoke His blessed Mother daily with the words: O thou our advocate, turn on us those pitying eyes of thine; assuring her that she would thus receive great consolation in her last hour.

For the Spirit of Mary

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 fire 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.

By St. Louis De Montfort
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Prayer for Holiness

Prayer for Holiness

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, perfect model of sanctity, take my soul and mold it according to Your sublime perfections. Purify my heart and set it free from every obstacle to holiness, so that detached from self and the pleasures of sense, You may adorn it with the virtues and perfection of YOUR OWN IMMACULATE HEART. Then lead my soul to that divine intimacy which alone can satisfy the immense capacity for love and union with which God has created the human heart. From You I confidently hope for this grace of holiness, and I entrust my eternal destiny to YOUR IMMACULATE HEART. Amen.

Image taken from Wikimedia Commons

The Key to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Key to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Our Lady, Protectress of the Faith

The title and prayer of Our Lady are newly given to a world lacking in the Faith. It is in a time such as this one that Satan is powerful in sowing the seed of mistrust. Her prayer is entitled "The Key to the Immaculate Heart of Mary". It is an effective prayer in time of temptation and trial, for Jesus intends the prayer as Mary's tool for opening the eyes of those fooled by the devil; a prayer, which will help prevent us from falling into any of the infernal one's insidious traps.

THE PROMISES

For all those who devoutly recite her Prayer, the "Key", Our Lady has obtained from her Divine Son these four promises and graces:

1. All the lukewarm who sincerely recite My Prayer shall become more fervent in their Faith.

2. The sinner who recites this Prayer shall be given the grace to see what hinders their Faith.

3. All those who recite My Prayer with a sincere intention will receive peace in their trials.

4. Satan shall be rendered powerless when Mary, Protectress of the Faith is invoked --- doubts and temptations will vanish before this Name for I shall come quickly to the aid of all who so invoke me.

THE PRAYER

O Mary, protectress of our Faith, hear our prayer

and ask thy Beloved Son

to receive our Faith into His Sacred Hands.

Ask him to hide our Faith

in His Wounds, and protect

it from all evil. Amen.

Prayer Before a Picture of Our Sorrowful Mother

Prayer Before a Picture of Our Sorrowful Mother

O most loving Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ, thou who dost never reject nor despise anyone who turns to thee with a contrite heart nor refuse to console the afflicted, behold, poor and sinful, I draw near to thy holy image with deep devotion, and beseech thee to obtain for me the grace to honor and love thee with all my strength. 

O merciful Heart of Mary, let me obtain mercy from thee as so many sinners already have obtained it; for what is thy Heart, O Mary, but a Heart of mercy? How is it possible, then, that grace could be refused to anyone who implores it from this seat of mercy? 

Most tender and compassionate Mother, thou knowest how much an afflicted heart is in want of compassion, because the intensity of thy sufferings was so great that all mankind together would have been incapable of supporting it. 

Oh, what unutterable bitterness filled thy soul when thou didst contemplate the disfigured form of thy beloved Son, when thou didst receive His mangled and lifeless Body into thy virginal arms, and pressing It tenderly to thy maternal heart, didst embrace It countless times, didst bedew It with a stream of burning tears, and finally didst rest thy agonizing heart on the wounded brow of thy Jesus! 

I recall to thy mind this thy inexpressible anguish, and beseech thee to obtain for me the pardon of my sins. O Mary, intercede for me with Jesus, whom thou didst bear in thy arms! O Jesus! O Mary! by your unutterable suffering, have pity on me, a miserable sinner. O dearest Jesus, show to Thy Heavenly Father all the wounds and anguish which Thou didst bear for me! O sweetest Virgin, show Him all the tears which thou didst shed for me! O Son! O Mother! Show Him all the agony, all the anguish of heart which you endured for me. 

O Mary, I beseech thee, through this most painful mystery of thy dolors, obtain mercy for me from God the Father, and taking the mangled and dead Body of thy beloved Son into thy maternal arms, offer Him to the Eternal Father in the same manner as thou didst once offer Him His pierced Side and thy own broken Heart, His bitter sufferings and thy painful compassion, His and thy burning tears, His and thy sighs, in a word, everything which Jesus and thou suffered upon earth, that, through these same sufferings, thou mayest obtain mercy and pardon for me. Amen.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Prayer to Our Sorrowful Mother

Prayer to Our Sorrowful Mother

Heavenly Father I offer you the tears and the sorrows of Our Lady, united to the Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus in reparation for our sins, for all that is lacking in me and in all Creation. (intentions) 

Sorrowful Mother Mary I honour you as I console in your sorrows and I pray that by your merits I will abhor sin and live to do the Will of God.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour the tears that you shed even in your mother’s womb at the knowledge of the state of humanity in relation to God. I honour all your acts of reparation, your life of humility, hardship, penance, exile, humiliation, poverty, self denial and surrender to the Will of God. (Suggested 3 Hail Mary’s between sorrows)

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour the poverty and the difficulties you faced in bringing Jesus into the world, I honour the pain you experienced in your heart during His circumcision and I worship the Precious Blood of Jesus.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour the pain caused by the sorrow piercing your soul at the prophecy of Simeon.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sorrow at the hatred of Herod which caused your difficult flight to Egypt and the lamentation for the slaughtering of the innocent children.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your distress at the loss of Jesus for three days in the temple of Jerusalem. I honour your sorrow for our sins that makes us lose the Presence of Jesus in our souls the temples of the Holy Spirit.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your life of hardship, rejection, persecution and suffering while sharing the public life of Jesus.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour the tears, the pain and the sacrifice that you shared with Jesus in His passion and Death.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sufferings during the Agony of Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sufferings during the cruel scourging of my Jesus by the pillar, tearing his flesh, shedding his blood and making His sacred body one complete wound. 

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sufferings at the savage crowning of the Holy head of Jesus with thorns, causing him physical and spiritual torments because of the pride of man.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sufferings on His journey to Calvary, dragging His cross on his wounded shoulder, meeting you on the way, hurting his agonizing body, falling because of our falls into sin and carrying the weight of our guilt.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sufferings as He was violently stripped of His clothing, therefore causing more wounds upon his wounds and on the wounds of your soul.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sufferings as my Jesus was crucified to die like a criminal, to pay for my sins and for the sins of the whole world.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sufferings as you shared his tears, his pain, his sorrow, his agony and his death.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sufferings as his heart was pierced by a lance also to pierce your heart and your soul with sorrow and to open the ocean of God’s Mercy and Love for us.

+ Sorrowful Mother Mary, I honour your sufferings before the resurrection of Our Lord, as you embraced his lifeless body, as you placed him in the tomb and as you suffer for each soul until we are saved.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Lenten Prayer to the Sorrowful Mother

Lenten Prayer to the Sorrowful Mother

Remember, O Virgin Mother of God, when you stand in the sight of the Lord, to speak good things for us and to turn away His indignation from us.

Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Savior crucified.
Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death,
Of that dying Son of thine.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh
Lest in flames I burn and die.
In that awful judgment day.
Christ, when Thou shall call me hence,
Be Thy Mother my defense.
Be Thy Cross my victory.
While my body here decays,
May my soul Thy goodness praise,
Safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

V. Pray for us, O most sorrowful Virgin,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Let intercession be made for us, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Your mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow, in the hour of Your bitter Passion. Through You, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

Our Lady of a happy Death, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Prayer to the Mother of Sorrows

Prayer to the Mother of Sorrows

Ah, my Blessed Mother, it is not one sword only with which I have pierced thy heart, but I have done so with as many as are the sins, which I have committed. Ah, Lady, it is not to thee, who art innocent, that sufferings are due, but to me, who am guilty of so many crimes. But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, ah, by thy merits, obtain for me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits; for I have often deserved Hell. Amen.

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows, by St. Bridget

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows, by Saint Bridget

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

Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Prayer to the Mother of Sorrow

Prayer to the Mother of Sorrow

O Mother of Sorrows, by the anguish and love with which thou didst 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 length come, present me as your child to Jesus. Ask Him to forgive me for having offended Him for I know not what I did. Beg Him to receive me into His kingdom of glory to be united with Him forever. Amen.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

A Precious Offering

A Precious Offering

O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, I beseech thee, by the inexpressible tortures thou didst endure at the death of thy Son, offer to the Eternal Father, in my stead, thy beloved Son all covered with Blood and Wounds, for the grace of (mention your intention). Amen.  

~ St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Offering - Our Lady of Sorrows

Offering - Our Lady of Sorrows

Eternal Father, we offer Thee the Blood, the Passion, and the Death of Jesus Christ, the sorrows of Mary most holy, and of St. Joseph, in satisfaction for our sins, in aid of the holy souls in Purgatory, for the needs of holy Mother Church, and for the conversion of sinners.

Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us!

The Miracle Prayer

The Miracle Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, I come before Thee, just as I am, I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me. In Thy Name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works. I give Thee my entire self, Lord Jesus, I accept Thee as my Lord God and Savior. Heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul, and spirit. 

Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Thy Precious Blood, and fill me with Thy Holy Spirit, I love Thee Lord Jesus, I praise Thee Lord Jesus, I thank Thee Jesus, I shall follow Thee every day of my life. Amen. 

Mary, My Mother, Queen of Peace, all the Angels and Saints, please help me. Amen.

Say this prayer faithfully, no matter how you feel. When you come to the point where you sincerely mean each word with all your heart, Jesus will change your whole life in a very special way. You will see.

Loving Affections Towards Jesus

Loving Affections Towards Jesus

This prayer was revealed to St. Gertrude during an unusually abundant influx of grace and light. Our Lord said to her: Whoever repeats this prayer shall receive the grace to know Me more intimately, and shall receive into his soul the splendour of My Divinity, even as he who holds up to the sun a mirror of pure gold collects therein the dazzling effulgence of its rays.

O THOU most excelling King of kings, Prince of glory, my loving Jesus, Thou art the life of my soul; may all the affection of my heart be inflamed with the ardour of Thy love, and forever united to Thee. May it sink back baffled and exhausted when it would love aught but what tends to Thee alone; for Thou art the brilliance of all colour, the savour of all dainties, the fragrance of all odours, the charm of all melody, the soothing repose of all love. O Thou overflowing abyss of Divinity, in Thee is pleasure most enrapturing, from Thee ever-gushing streams of plenty spread around, towards Thee a gentle force irresistibly attracts, through Thee our souls are inundated with thrilling gladness. O King of kings most worthy, sovereign Lord of all, Prince most glorious, most clement Ruler, Thou most mighty Protector; Thou art the vivifying gem of human dignity, O most wonderful in Thy working, gentlest of Teachers, Wisest in counsel, most kind and effectual Helper, Friend faithful unto death. No union is so intimate, so beatific, as Thine, O Thou transporting, soothing Lover of souls, most tender and chaste Spouse of Thy chosen. Thou art the spring Flower of noble gracefulness, O my brother most fair, ruddy, and comely in Thy youth, most winning companion, Host most munificent in Thy provision; I choose Thee in preference to all creatures, for Thy sake I renounce all pleasure, for Thee I run with joy to meet all adversity, and in all do I seek no other praise than Thine. I acknowledge with heart and mouth that Thou art the root from which these and all good things spring. With the energy of Thy fervour I unite my intention to that of Thy most availing prayer, that in virtue of this Divine union every movement of rebellion may be quelled and crushed within me, and that I may be led by Thee to the summit and pinnacle of perfection. Amen.

taken from Herald of Divine Love
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Wreath of Gems

Wreath of Gems

While St. Gertrude was offering this wreath of salutations in honour of the name of Jesus, she seemed to see them under the form of roses hung around with golden bells, the fragrance and tuneful harmony of which touched the Sacred Heart with ineffable delight. Those which had been recited with devout intention gave forth a most ravishing melody, while those which had been said carelessly uttered a low and wailing sound. And the Lord said to her: Whenever anyone prays to Me, Hail, sweetest Jesus, etc., the depth of the sweetness of My Godhead is stirred within Me, and there spreads itself before Me all odour of wondrous fragrance, which I shed down on him who repeats these words. 

FIRST GOLDEN BEAD 

HAIL, most loving Jesus, life-giving Gem of the Divine Honour, unfading flower of human dignity, my consummate and my only salvation. Thou art my Creator and my Redeemer, and Thou hast so loved me as to leave all Thy bliss and Thy glory, and to purchase me for Thyself with the anguish of Thy death.   

FIVE SILVER BEADS  

1. Hail, sweetest Jesus, most precious pearl of the most holy Trinity, with Whose price the world has been redeemed.

2. Hail, most tender Jesus, refulgent splendour of the Father's glory, Who with the light of Thy countenance dost enlighten and quicken Thine elect in the heavenly country.

3. Hail, most amiable Jesus, flashing effulgence from the sun of Justice, Who dost inflame the hearts of Angels and Saints with the fire of Thy 
love.

4. Hail, most noble Jesus, living Image of Thy Father's substance, Who dost make all those who cleave to Thee partakers of Thy Divine nature.

5. Hail, most renowned Jesus, Morning Star of Thy Church, Who enlightenest the darkness of the world, and scatterest all the thick darkness of sin.

SECOND GOLDEN BEAD 

HAIL, Jesus, Bridegroom most beauteous in the charm of Thy Divinity; I salute Thee and embrace Thee with the affection of all Thy creatures, and kiss Thee with my mouth, Thou Wound of love.

FIVE SILVER BEADS 

1. Hail, Jesus, fairer than the sons of men, Orient pearl born in the ocean of the Godhead of the Father, Whose generation no created intelligence can declare. 
2. Hail, Jesus, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, heavenly manna of wondrous sweetness, Who dost refresh and satisfy every hungry soul.
3. Hail, Jesus most resplendent, glowing Fire of uncreated love, Who dost lighten and bear the burden of human toil and misery. 
4. Hail, Jesus, most gentle, sweet channel of heavenly streams, Who dost take away the bitterness of every soul in anguish. 
5. Hail, priceless Jesus, treasure-house of the Divine Essence, Who dost enrich the poverty of our nature. Amen. 

THIRD GOLDEN BEAD 

HAIL, Jesus, full of grace, mercy is with Thee, and Thou art blessed among the sons of men; and blessed be Thy most Holy Name, Thy Life and Thy Passion. O sweet Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners now and in the hour of our death. Amen. 

FIVE SILVER BEADS 

1. Hail, Jesus, Spouse and Crown of Virgins, we praise Thee forever, Whose love made Thee Son of the Virgin. 
2. Hail, Jesus, Ruler of all things, fairer in Thy beauty than the sons of men, we acknowledge and worship Thee as our most clement Lord. 
3. Hail, Jesus, wondrous splendour of the Godhead, wonder of wonders, Who dost blot out all the sins of the world. 
4. Hail, Jesus, our consolation, Who dost lay open to us the treasury of the riches of God, Thou true refuge of the poor, and comfort of the afflicted. 
5. Hail, Jesus, glory of Angels, living Fountain, light of all minds, Who dost transcend all joy and all desire. Amen.

OBLATION

O GOOD Jesus, my love, my joy, and my sweetness, my soul loves Thee alone; for Thee alone doth my longing spirit pine. For Thou art more glorious than the sun, fairer than the moon, more radiant than the dawn, more brilliant than the stars. Thou art whiter than the lily, more ruddy than the rose, more vigorous than the hyacinth, and more fragrant than earth's most fragrant flowers. Thou art sweeter than all sweetness, more tender than all affection, more exquisite than all dainties, beloved above all love. Thou alone art great and to be praised, Thou alone art sweet and to be loved, Thou alone art fair and pleasant, Thou alone beauteous and full of delight, Thou alone hast no counterpart or equal in Heaven or in earth. Wherefore, in token of my love, I offer Thee this wreath of gems, and present it to Thee on the golden Altar of thy Divine Heart, in union with that unceasing melody of praise wherewith the whole company of Heaven worships Thee. And since this my meager, barren praise is altogether unworthy of Thee, O true Love of my heart, do Thou Thyself perform the stately solemnity of Thy praise; and together with Thee let all the ranks of Heaven rejoice and sing aloud for that greatest, sweetest blessing, that Thou art my God, and that Thou dost condescend to be acknowledged, and loved, and praised by me, the refuse and offscouring of Thy creatures, Amen. 

taken from Herald of Divine Love by Saint Gertrude

In Time of Calamity

In Time of Calamity

LORD JESUS CHRIST, true God and true Man, God of Sanctity, God of Majesty, God Everlasting, have pity on us and on the whole human race now, and always purify us from our sins and infirmities with Thy Precious Blood, so that we may be able to live in Thy holy peace and charity, now and forever. Amen.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Act of Resignation

Act of Resignation

It was revealed to St. Gertrude that those who submit and conform themselves entirely to the Divine will, desiring above all things that the adorable will of God may be most fully done in all that concerns them whether in body or in soul, touch the Sacred Heart most sensibly. For such perfect resignation is an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, and gives Him as much honour as is given to an earthly king when the crown of his realm is set on his head.

O MOST holy Father, I Thy poor and vile creature entirely renounce my own will, and offer and resign myself to Thy most holy will and pleasure; above all delights of this world, I wish and desire that Thy most adorable, most placid Will may be perfectly done in me, by me, in all that concerns me whether in body or in soul, in time and in eternity. And to this end I would readily submit all the members of my body to suffering of any kind and degree.

O my God, wert Thou to give me fullest choice of asking all I wish, and didst Thou swear to me by Thyself that Thou wouldst grant my petition in all things, I would neither desire nor ask aught else than that Thy most adorable will may be perfectly done in me and in every creature of Thine, according to Thy supreme and faultless good pleasure. Wherefore, in union with that resignation with which Jesus committed Himself wholly to Thy will in the garden of Olives, and in union with His affection and His intention, I say from His heart and in His words:

Not my will, but Thine be done, O most holy Father, in time and in eternity. Amen.

Should any affliction threaten you, add the following words, which are most pleasing to God, as He condescended to reveal to St. Gertrude. If anyone, says she, offers his whole will to the will of God when he knows that affliction is coming on him, his offering will be as acceptable to God as though, during the Passion of Jesus, he had allayed the anguish of His wounds with fragrant ointments.

AND more especially, O good Jesus, I offer and resign myself to Thee, in perfect readiness of will to bear that affliction which I foresee coming upon me; I will accept it with unshaken will as from Thy Hand, and I will bear it with what patience I can; in union with that love wherewith Thou didst accept all Thine afflictions from Thy Father's Hand, and didst offer them to Him again in ineffable gratitude; beseeching Thee that Thou wouldst grant me fortitude and patience, that I may manfully endure, to Thy eternal glory and to the welfare and peace of all the world. Amen.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons