Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary

 

O Virgin Mary, grant that the recitation of the Rosary may be for me each day, in the midst of my manifest duties, a bond of unity in my actions, a tribute of filial piety, a sweet refreshment, an encouragement to walk joyfully along the path of duty. Grant, above all, O Virgin Mary, that the study of thy fifteen mysteries may form in my soul, little by little, a luminous atmosphere, pure, strengthening my will, my heart, my memory, my imagination, my whole being. So shall I acquire the habit of praying while I work, without the aid of formal prayers, by interior acts of admiration and of supplication, or by aspirations of love. I ask this of thee, O Queen of the Holy Rosary, through Saint Dominic, thy son of predilection, the renowned preacher of thy mysteries, and the faithful imitator of thy virtues. Amen.

(Indulgence of 300 days)



Litany of Loretto

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.


God, the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.


Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, pray for us.
Gate of heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of Confessors, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for us.



Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.


V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.


Let us pray:


Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto us Thy servants, that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.



(End of Novena Prayers)

Prayers to Saints Cosmas and Damian for healing

                     

Oh glorious martyrs of Christ,
Saints Cosmas and Damian,
you gave your lives for the love of God,
benefiting your fellow man,
and crowning your martyrdom with an open and loyal profession of your faith.
You taught us to love God above all things,
and to love our fellow man as ourselves,
professing always,
and without fear,
the religion of Jesus.

Augmenting amongst the faithful populace many miracles,
you are glorious indeed.
Through your intercession,
which brings about deliverance of these miracles,
we pray to you for your aid in all things.
May your patronage never be far from us in the illness of our body and soul.

Oh great protectors,
Saints Cosmas & Damian,
assist us with your love and free us from all evils.

Amen.

Prayer:

In you, O illustrious brethren, was fulfilled this saying of the Wise Man : The skill of the physician shall lift up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be praised. The great ones, in whose sight you are exalted, are the princes of the heavenly hierarchies, witnessing today the homage paid to you by the Church militant. The glory that surrounds your heads is the glory of God Himself, of that bountiful king, who rewards your former disinterestedness by bestowing upon you his own blessed life.

In the bosom of divine love, your charity cannot wax cold; help us, then, and heal the sick who confidently implore your assistance. Preserve the health of God's children, so that they may fulfill their obligations in the world, may courageously bear the light yoke of the Church's precepts. Bless those physicians who are faithful to their baptism, and who seek your aid; and increase the number of such.

See how the study of medicine now so often leads astray into the paths of materialism and fatalism, to the great detriment of science and humanity. It is false to assert that simple nature is the explanation of suffering and death; and unfortunate are those whose physicians regard them as mere flesh and blood. Even the pagan school took a loftier view than that; and it was surely a higher ideal that inspired you to exercise your art with such religious reverence. By the virtue of your glorious death, O witnesses to the Lord, obtain for our sickly society a return to the faith, to the remembrance of God, and to that piety which is profitable to all things and all men, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. Amen 

Words of wisdom of Padre Pio

✝ Let us bind ourselves tightly to the Sorrowful Heart of our Heavenly Mother and reflect on its boundless grief and how precious is our soul.

✝ Divorce is the passport to hell

✝ Have courage and do not fear the assaults of the Devil. Remember this forever; it is a healthy sign if the devil shouts and roars around your conscience, since this shows that he is not inside your will.

✝ Prayer is the oxygen of the soul.

✝ Do not fear. Jesus is more powerful than all hell. At the invocation of his name every knee in heaven, on earth and in hell must bend before Jesus; this is a consolation for the good and terror for evil.

✝ Invoke your Guardian Angel who will enlighten you. God gave you your Guardian Angel for this reason. So make use of your Angel’s service.

September 15 – Feast of the Seven Dolours of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

O God, in Whose sufferings, as Simeon foretold, a sword of sorrow pierced the sweet soul of Mary, Your august Virgin-Mother, grant us this boon: that we, who reverently call to mind her anguish and sufferings, may through the pleading of the glorious merits and prayers of all the saints who take their loyal stand beside Your cross, secure the happiness which Your own sufferings have gained for us: You Who are God, living and reigning with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen 

The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary

 

“The most infallible and indisputable sign by which we may distinguish a heretic, a man of bad doctrine, a reprobate, from one of the predestinate, is that the heretic and the reprobate have nothing but contempt and indifference for Our Lady, endeavoring by their words and examples to diminish the worship and love of her, openly or hiddenly, and sometimes by misrepresentations. Alas! God the Father has not told Mary to dwell in them, for they are Esaus” (Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary)

In the Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, St. Louis de Montfort teaches us that the Virgin Mary will lead us in the fight against Satan, to battle against the army of the Antichrist; formed by heretics, apostates, wicked, idolaters and Mohammedans. Saint Louis adds that in these latter times, the Blessed Virgin will raise up great saints, who will extend the empire of Jesus Christ over "the impious, the idolaters and the Muslims."

Saint Maximilian insisted, "there is no greater enemy of the Immaculata and her Knighthood than today's ecumenism, which every Knight must not only fight against, but also neutralize through diametrically opposed action and ultimately destroy.

The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary

from the Liturgical Year, 1903

"'And the Virgin's name was Mary (St. Luke, i. 27).' Let us speak a little about this name, which signifies Star of the sea, and which so well befits the Virgin Mother. Sightly is she likened to a star: for as a star emits its ray without being spoilt, so the Virgin brought forth her Son without receiving any injury; the ray takes nought from the brightness of the star, nor the Son from his Mother's integrity. This is the noble star risen out of Jacob, whose ray illumines the whole world, whose splendour shines in the heavens, penetrates the abyss, and traversing the whole earth, gives warmth rather to souls than to bodies, cherishing virtues, withering vices. Mary, I say, is that bright and incomparable star, whom we need to see raised above this vast sea, and shining by her merits, giving us light by her example.

"O whosoever thou art, that seest thyself, amid the tides of this world, tossed about by storms and tempests rather than walking on the land, turn not thine eyes away from the shining of this star if thou wouldst not be overwhelmed by the hurricane. If squalls of temptations arise, or thou fall upon the rocks of tribulation, look to the star, call upon Mary. If thou art tossed by the waves of pride or ambition, detraction or envy, look to the star, call upon Mary. If anger or avarice or the desires of the flesh dash against the ship of thy soul, turn thine eyes towards Mary. If, troubled by the enormity of thy crimes, ashamed of thy guilty conscience, terrified by dread of the judgment, thou beginnest to sink into the gulf of sadness, or the abyss of despair, think of Mary. In dangers, in anguish, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let her be ever on thy lips, ever in thy heart; and the better to obtain the help of her " prayers, imitate the example of her life. Following her, thou strayest not; invoking her, thou despairest not; thinking of her, thou wanderest not; upheld by her, thou fallest not; shielded by her thou fearest not; guided by her, thou growest not weary; favoured by her, thou reachest the goal. And thus dost thou experience in thyself how good is that saying: 'And the Virgin's name was Mary (Lessons of the 2nd Nocturn of the Feast, ex Bernard. Homil II. superMissus est).'"

Thus speaks the devout St. Bernard, in the name of the Church. But his pious explanation does not exhaust the meanings of this blessed name of Mary. St. Peter Chrysologus adds in this same Night Office: "Mary in Hebrew signifies Lady or Sovereign; and truly the authority of her Son, who is the Lord of the world, constituted her Queen, both in fact and in name from her very birth (Petr. Chrys. Sermo cxlii, de Annuntiat. Homily of the 3rd Nocturn)."

Our Lady: such is the title which befits her in every way, as that of Our Lord beseems her Son; it is the doctrinal basis of that worship of hyperdulia which belongs to her alone. She is below her Son, whom she adores as we do; but above all God's servants, both Angels and men, inasmuch as she is His Mother. At the Name of Jesus every knee is bent; at the Name of Mary every head is bowed. And although the former is the only Name whereby we may be saved; yet, as the Son can never be separated from His Mother, heaven unites their two Names in its hymns of praise, earth in its confidence, hell in its fear and hatred.

It was therefore in the order of Divine Providence that devotion to the most holy Name of Mary should spread simultaneously with the cultus of the adorable Name of Jesus, of which St. Bernadin of Siena was the apostle in the 15th century. In 1513 the Church of Cuenca in Spain was the first to celebrate, with the approbation of the Holy See, a special feast in honour of the Name of Mary; while the Franciscan Order had not yet succeeded in obtaining a Like privilege for the adorable Name of Jesus. The reason of this is that the memory of that sacred Name included in the Feast of the Circumcision, seemed to the prudence of the Pontiffs to suffice. From the same motive we find the Feast of the most holy Name of Mary extended to the universal Church in the year 1683, and that of the most holy Name of Jesus not until 1721.

Our Lady justifies her beautiful title by partaking in the warlike exploits of the King of kings her Son. The city of Vienna having been delivered by her from the power of the Crescent, contrary to all hope, the venerable Innocent XI. made this feast the memorial of universal gratitude to the liberatrix of the West.

The Name of Mary, which is the joy of Angels and the terror of demons, protects man against countless evils, and supports him on his way to heaven. All the delight of heaven, all the hopes of earth, are centered on the cradle where Mary sleeps, while her heart is watching before God. Wisdom praises her own self: by the blessed daughter of Anne and Joachim, the loving preference shown by that Divine Wisdom from the beginning of the world, is already justified; for ever more it will be her delight to be with the children of men. The chosen vine, the vine of the Peaceful One is before us, announcing, by its fragrant blossom, the divine grape, whose juice, pressed out in the wine-press of the cross, will give fruitfulness to every soul, and will inebriate earth and heaven.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Luke. Ch. i.

"At that time: the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the Angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the Angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said to the Angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the Angel answering, said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age ; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: because no word shall be impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word."

This is the most solemn embassy ever recorded in the history of Angels or of men; it shows us how Mary is what her name signifies, Mistress of the world. The highest interests of the human race, past, present, and to come, of the heavenly hierarchy, and of God Himself, are here at stake; and the transaction is carried on between the Most High and the Virgin of Nazareth alone, as having exclusive right, the One to propose, the other to accept, both to conclude. The Angel is but a messenger; man, too, stands in waiting; Mary enters into a contract with the Creator, in the name of Angels and of men, as in her own name; in the name of the entire world, which she represents, and over which she reigns supreme.

Hail, then, to our Queen on her birthday! all hail to Mary! May she herself, in the holy Sacrifice, present our offerings to God for her people.

Prayer:

O Mary, we say to thee with thy faithful client. St. Anselm of Canterbury: By the Name of thy beloved Son, grant us ever to keep the memory of thine own sweetest Name; may it be the delicious food of our souls; may it be with us in danger; may it be with us in anguish; may it be to us the beginning of all joys!

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Prayer in Honor of the Name of Mary by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri

O great Mother of God and my Mother Mary, it is true that I am unworthy to name thee; but thou, who lovest me and desirest my salvation, must, notwithstanding the impurity of my tongue, grant that I may always invoke thy most holy and powerful name in my aid, for thy name is the succor of the living, and the salvation of the dying. Ah, most pure Mary, most sweet Mary, grant that henceforth thy name may be the breath of my life. O Lady, delay not to help me when I invoke thee, for in all the temptations which assail me, and in all my wants, I will never cease calling upon thee, and repeating again and again, Mary, Mary. Thus it is that I hope to act during my life, and more particularly at death, that after that last struggle I may eternally praise thy beloved name in heaven, O clement, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Ah, Mary, most amiable Mary, with what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what tenderness, is my soul penetrated in only naming, in only thinking of thee! I thank my Lord and God, who, for my good, has given thee a name so sweet and deserving of love, and at the same time so powerful. But, my sovereign Lady, I am not satisfied with only naming thee, I wish to name thee with love: I desire that my love may every hour remind me to call on thee, so that I may be able to exclaim with St. Bonaventure, "O name of the Mother of God, thou art my love." My own dear Mary, O my beloved Jesus, may your most sweet names reign in my heart, and in all hearts. Grant that I may forget all others to remember, and always invoke, your adorable names alone. Ah! Jesus my Redeemer, and my Mother Mary, when the moment of death comes when I must breathe forth my soul and leave this worid, deign, through your merits, to grant that I may then pronounce my last words, and that they may be, "I love thee, O Jesus; I love thee, O Mary; to you do I give my heart and my soul."     Amen

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O Mary, Crowned with Stars

O Mary, who, crowned with stars, hast for a footstool under thy feet the moon, and for thy throne the wings of angels ; turn thy eyes upon this valley of sorrows, and listen to the voice of one who puts his hope and refuge in thee. Thou dost now enjoy the infinite sweetness of Paradise, but in the midst of joy and splendour thou bearest always in thy inmost heart the recollection of what thou didst suffer in this life. Thou hast tried the needs of this exile, and therefore knowest how bitterly flow the days of those who live in sorrow. Ever in thy remembrance rises up a mount covered with armed men and the dregs of the people; thou hearest ever a voice, so well known by thee, which says to thee: "O Lady, behold, in my place, thy Son." And these thoughts move thee to profound tenderness, and thou dost realize, O blessed one, that on that mountain and with those words thou wast destined to be the Mother of the living. Without thee what would life be to the unhappy children of Adam. Each one of them has a sorrow which tries him, a grief which overwhelms, a wound which torments. And all have recourse to thee, as to a port of safety, to a fount of complete refreshment. When the waves lash themselves into fury, the wayfarer turns to thee and prays for calm. To thee has recourse the orphan who, like a flower in the wilderness, lies exposed to the whirlwind of life.

To thee pray the poor who want their daily bread; and not one of them remains without help and consolation. But if all find in thee aid and refreshment, what shall we say, to whom thou art wont to appear, glorious as thou art in heaven. O Mary, mother of all, enlighten our minds, soften our hearts, so that this most pure love which streams from thy eyes may be poured forth on every side, and produce those marvellous fruits which thy Son prepared for by shedding His Blood, whilst thou didst suffer the most cruel pangs at the foot of the Cross.    Amen

(Indulgence 300 days)




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The Magnificat

My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear Him. He hath shewed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy: As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

(Indulgence 100 days)




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Reparation for Blasphemy against Our Lady

O Mary, bless this house, where thy name is ever held in benediction. All glory to Mary ever Immaculate, ever Virgin, blessed among women, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, Queen of Paradise.   Amen

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Sermon from St. Alphonsus de Ligouri on:

The Sweetness of the Name of Mary

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows (Feast: September 15)

 

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows

O, most blessed and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs! Thou who didst stand unshrinking beneath the Cross beholding the agony of thy dying Son; through the sword of grief which pierced thee then, through the continual sufferings of thy life of sorrow, through the unutterable joy which now far more than repays thee for them, look down with a mother’s pity and tenderness on me kneeling before thee to venerate thy sacred Sorrows and to lay my petition with child-like trust in the shrine of thy wounded heart.

I beg of thee, o Mother, continually to plead for me with thy Son, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own suffering at the foot of the Cross, so touch His Sacred Heart who can refuse thee nothing, that I may surely obtain my request.

To whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, in not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity and feel for us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this valley of tears.

Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one pang of His Adorable Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and obtain what I ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Pope St. Pius X

 

Glorious Pontiff, Saint Pius the X, devoted servant of Our Lord and loving child of Mary, I invoke you as a saint in Heaven. I give myself to you that you may always be my father, my protector and my guide in the way of holiness and salvation. Aid me in observing the duties of my state in life. Obtain for me great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life after your own example.

Pope of the Blessed Sacrament, teach me to love Holy Mass and Holy Communion as the source of all grace and holiness and to receive this Sacrament as often as I can. Gentle father of the poor, help me to imitate your charity toward my fellowmen in word and deed. Consoler of the suffering, help me to bear my daily cross patiently and with perfect resignation to the will of God. Loving Shepherd of the flock of Christ obtain for me the grace of being a true child of Holy Mother Church.

Saint Pius the X beloved Holy Father, I humbly implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I recommend to you in particular this favor . . . . (mention your request)

Great Pontiff, whom Holy Mother Church has raised to the honor of our altars and urged me to invoke and imitate as a Saint, I have great confidence in your prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God's Holy Will, my petition will be granted through your intercession for me at the throne of God. St. Pius the X pray for me and for those I love. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, do not abandon us in our needs. May we experience the peace and joy of your holy death. Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times each