Sunday, July 22, 2007

The Thirty Days' Prayer to The Blessed Virgin Mary

In Honor of the Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

By the devout recital of this prayer for the above space of time, we may mercifully hope to obtain our lawful request. It is particularly recommended as a proper devotion for every day in Lent, and all Fridays throughout the year.

Pietà in Bruelisau, AppenzellEver glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of virgins, Mother of mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart, whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy sorrows, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John; take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries. Thou art the mother of mercies, the sweet consolatrix and refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and the afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer, for since, in just punishment of my sins, I now find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, whither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Attend therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son, through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when, in compliance with the divine will, thou gavest thy consent; and whom, after the expiration of nine months, thou didst bring forth from thy chaste womb, to visit this world, and bless it with His presence. I ask it through the anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on Mount Olivet, when He besought His eternal Father, "to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice" of His future passion. I ask it through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the garden, whence afterwards with sorrowful steps and mournful tears thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings. I ask it through the stripes and sores of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted, the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. I ask it through His bitter tears and bloody sweat, His silence and resignation, His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it through the blood which trickled from His royal and sacred head when struck with the sceptre of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. I ask it through the excruciating torments He suffered when His hands and feet were fastened with large nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it through His vehement thirst and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it through His dereliction on the cross, when He exlaimed: "My God! My God! why hast Thou fortsaken Me?" I ask it through His mercy extended to the repentant thief; and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father, before he expired, saying: "All is comsumated." I ask it through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His sacrted side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it through His immaculate life, bitter passion, and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the temple, the earthquake and darkness of the sun and moon. I ask it through His descent into hell, where He comforted the saints of the Old Law with His presence, and led captivity captive. I ask it through His glorious victory over death, when he arose again to life on the third day; and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed mother, His apostles, and the rest of His disciples, when in thine and their presence, He miraculously ascended into heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, infused into the hearts of His disciples when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the Gospel. I ask it through the awful appearance of thy Son at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and destroy the world by fire. I ask it through the compassion He bore thee in this life, and the ineffable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever-blessed Virgin, comfort the heart of thy suppliant, by obtaining for me:

(Here mention or reflect on your lawful request, with the reservation of its being agreeable to the will of God, who sees whether it will contribute towards your spiritual good.)

And as I am persuaded, my Divine Saviour doth honor thee as His beloved mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because you ask nothing contrary to His honor, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests, and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. Wherefore, O most Blessed Virgin, besides the object of my petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, a horror of sin, love of God and my neighbor, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies: nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Obtain likeweise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me worthily to receive the last sacraments of the Church, and die in thy friendship and favor. Lastly, obtain, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives, and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting. Amen.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Attach Great Importance to Your Scapular - It is an Assurance of Salvation

"Whosoever dies clothed in this (Scapular) shall not suffer eternal fire."
This is Mary's Promise made July 16, 1251 to Saint Simon Stock.

Your SCAPULAR, then should take on deep meaning for you. It is a rich present brought down from Heaven by OUR LADY HERSELF.
"Wear it devoutly and perseveringly", she says to each soul, "it is my garment. To be clothed in it means you are continually thinking of me, and I in turn, am always thingking of you and helping you to secure eternal life."
St. Alphonsus says:
"Just as men take pride in having others wear their livery, so the most holy Mary is pleased when her servants wear her scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to her service, and are members of the Family of the Mother of God."
True Devotion to Mary consists in Three Things: Veneration - Confidence - Love.
Without saying to Mary that we venerate her, love her and trust her, we tell her these things every moment of the day, by simply wearing the scapular.
The Scapular then Is a Prayer.
Our Lord taught us to say the "Our Father". Mary taught us the value of the scapular. When we use it as a prayer, Our Lady draws us to the Sacred Heart of her Divine Son. It is well, therefore, to hold the scapular in the hand, while addressing Our Lady. A Prayer uttered thus while holding the mystical scapular is as perfect as a prayer can be. It is especially in TIME OF TEMPTATION that we need the powerful intercession of God's Mother. The evil spirit is utterly powerless when a scapular-wearer, besides his silent devotion, faces temptation calling upon Mary.
"If thou hadst recommended thyself to me, thou wouldst not have run into such danger", was Our Lady's gentle reproach to Blessed Alan.

The Scapluar Medal

Many Catholics may not know that it is the wish of our Holy Father, the Pope, that the SCAPULAR MEDAL should not be worn in place of the CLOTH SCAPULAR without sufficient reason. Mary cannot be pleased with any one who substitutes the medal out of vanity, or fear to make open profession of religion. Such persons run the risk of not receiving the Promise. The medal has never been noted for any of the miraculous preservations attributed to the BROWN CLOTH SCAPULAR.
Because you love Mary's scapular, venerate if often.
Pope Benedict XV granted an indulgence of 500 days each time the scapular is kissed. MARY'S MOTHERHOOD is not limited to Catholics, it is extended to ALL MEN. Many miracles of conversion have been wrought in favor of good non-Catholics who have been induced to practice the scapular devotion.
"I wanted to know if Mary really and truly interested Herself in me. And in the scapular She has given me the most tangible assurance. I have only to open my eyes. She has attached Her protection to this scapular: 'Whosoever dies clothed in this, shall not suffer eternal fire'." (Blessed Claude de la Colombière)

SOUL Magazine: Washington, N. J. - Imprimatur: +Thomas M. O'Leary, D. D., Bishop of Springfield, July 16, 1941

Saturday, July 07, 2007

The Golden Arrow

My the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most mysterious and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified, in heaven, on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar.

This prayer was revealed by Our Lord to a Carmelite Nun of Tours in 1843 as a reparation for blasphemy.

"This Golden Arrow will wound My Heart delightfully", He said, "and heal the wounds inflicted by blasphemy."

The Holy Face represents the Divinity and the Holy Name of God outraged by blasphemers. -

Eternal Father, we offer Thee the Holy Face of Jesus covered with blood, sweat, dust and spittle, in reparation for the crimes of atheists, heretics, blasphemers and for the profaners of the Holy Name and of the Holy Day of Sunday. Amen.

Imprimatur: + T. J. Toolen, Archbishop of Mobile-Birm.