Saturday – The Blessed Virgin Mary
Because of the mission she received from God, her life is most closely linked with the mysteries of Jesus Christ, and there is no one who has followed in the footsteps of the Incarnate Word more closely and with more merit than she: and no one has more grace and power over the Most Sacred Heart of the Son of God and through Him with the Heavenly Father. POPE PIUS XII
The symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the fleur-de-lis.
TO MARY, IMMACULATE QUEEN
O Virgin most pure, wholly unspotted, O Mary, Mother of God, Queen of the universe, thou art above all the saints, the hope of the elect and the joy of all the blessed. It is thou who hast reconciled us with God; thou art the only refuge of sinners and the safe harbor of those who are shipwrecked; thou art 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 thee, and we beseech thee to have pity on us. Amen.
TO MARY, CO-REDEMPTRIX
Christ alone merited our redemption in the strict sense; but. Mary, by offering her Son on Calvary to the eternal Father, and by suffering and almost dying along with Him, may justly be said to have co-redeemed the human race insofar as she was able.
O Mary, thou art the spouse of the Holy Trinity and the hidden treasury of the blessings bestowed by God; grace has been given thee without measure. Through thee Eve was raised up after her fall and Adam restored to Paradise, whence his sin had driven him. It is by thee, O holy Virgin, and by thine aid, that celestial peace has been given to the world, that men have been placed in the ranks of the angels and are called the servants, the friends, and the children of God. It is by thee that death has been trampled under foot, hell despoiled, idols overthrown, and the knowledge of heaven and of thy divine Son spread upon the earth. Deign, then, to interest thyself in our behalf, and we shall enjoy that bliss which thou dost enjoy forever. Amen.
TO MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
Thy name, O Mother of God, contains all divine graces and benedictions. Thou didst contain Him who is incomprehensible and didst nourish Him who gives nourishment to all. He who fills the heavens and the earth, the sovereign Lord of all things, deigned to be thy debtor, for thou gavest Him flesh and blood. Rejoice, 0 Mother and Servant of God! Rejoice! We, indeed, are all debtors to God, but God Himself is thy debtor. Therefore, blessed Mother, thy charity and thine influence with Him surpass the charity and the influence of all other saints. We celebrate thy glory; we know the greatness of thy goodness; we pray thee to remember us and our miseries. Amen.
AN ACT OF CONFIDENCE IN MARY
O Mary! thou art to me the best gift of a dying Savior. However great my sins may be, my hope in thee I will never relinquish. Obtain then for me through thy Seven Dolors, such an ardent love of God, that I may no longer live, but Jesus live in me; such a spirit of prayer and union with God, that my life may be henceforward hidden with Christ in God: so ardent, solid, and practical a devotion towards thee as may procure me the gift of final perseverance and a refuge in thy holy heart at the hour of my death; for happy are they, 0 Mary! who confidently hope in thee. “The mountains shall be moved and the earth tremble,” but the mercy of God shall not depart from those who are sincerely devoted to His Blessed Mother. Teach me, O Mary, to suffer and to die each day with Jesus; teach me so to meditate on His love and sufferings that I may plentifully reap the fruits thereof. Amen.
FOR MARY’S PROTECTION
O glorious Virgin, Mother of God, blessed among all nations, worthy of praise and the greatest of praise, intercede for me with Thy beloved Son. O honored Lady, Mother of the King of angels and archangels, assist me and deliver me from every difficulty and danger.
O blossom of the patriarchs, the virgins and the angels, hope of glory, beauty of virgins, admiration of the angels and archangels, remember me, and forsake me not, I beseech thee, at the terrible hour of my death. O star of the sea, gate of heaven, temple of God, palace of Jesus Christ, harbor of safety, flower of all nations, pearl of all sweetness, hope of the faithful; O Queen who shelters the guilty, who surpasses in radiance the virgins and the angels, thy presence gives joy to all the hosts of heaven.
Therefore, O Mother of mercy, I place in the protection of thy holy hands my going out, my coming in, my sleeping, my waking, the sight of my eyes, the touch of my hands, the speech from my lips, the hearing from my ears; so that in everything I may be pleasing to thine own beloved Son. Amen.
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From The Prayer Book-Beautiful and Helpful Prayers from Ancient and Modern Sources edited by Reverend John P O’Connell, MA, STD and Jex Martin, MA The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago Illinois in 1959. 42-44. © 1954 Imprimatur Samuel Cardinal Stritch, Archbishop of Chicago May 10 1954. Print.