Devotions to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

I

Behold at thy feet, O Mother of Perpetual Help, a wretched sinner, who has recourse to thee, and confides in thee, O Mother of mercy, have pity on me. I hear thee called by all, the refuge and the hope of sinners: be, then, my refuge and my hope. Assist me, for the love of Jesus Christ; stretch forth thy hand to a miserable fallen creature, who recommends himself to thee, and who devotes himself to thy service for ever. I bless and thank almighty God, who in His mercy has given me this confidence in thee, which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation. It is true that in the past I have miserably fallen into sin, because I had not recourse to thee. I know that whith thy help I shall conquer. I know, too, that thou wilt assist me, if I recommend myself to thee; but I fear that in time of danger I may neglect to call on thee, and thus lose my soul. This grace, then, I ask of thee, and this I beg, with all the fervor of my soul, that in all the attacks of hell, I may ever have recourse to thee. O Mary, help me! O Mother of Perpetual Help, never suffer me to lose my God!

II

O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke thy most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living, and the salvation of the dying. O purest Mary, O sweetest Mary, let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O Blessed Lady! to succor me whenever I call on thee; for, in all my temptations, in all my needs, I shall never cease to call on thee, ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary. Oh what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fills my soul when I utter thy sacred name, or even only think of thee! I thank the Lord for having given thee, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering thy name. Let my love for thee prompt me ever to hail thee, Mother of Perpeutal Help.

III

O Mother of Perpetual Help, thou art the dispenser of all the gifts which God grants to us, miserable sinners; and for this end He has made thee so powerful, so rich, and so bountiful, in order that thou mayest succor us in our misery. Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners, who have recourse to thee, come to my help, I commend myself to thee. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation, and to thee I entrust my soul. Count me among thy most devoted servants; take me under thy protection, and it is enough for me. For, if thou protect me, I fear nothing; not from my sins, because thou wilt obtain for me the pardon of them; not from the devils, because thou art more powerful than all hell together; nor even from Jesus, my Judge, because by one prayer from thee He will be appeased. But one thing I fear, that in the hour of temptation, I may through negligence fail to have recourse to thee, and thus perish miserably. Obtain for me, therefore, the pardon of my sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace ever to have recourse to thee, O Mother of Perpetual Help!