The soul that regrets her sin

"When I wish to attract a soul nearer to Me, I ask sacrifices of her. That is the mark of My predilection.
It is the sun that gives the earth its beauty and animates it.
It is My grace that gives souls their beauty and that animates them.
My Omnipotence is limited only by your liberty.
It is with coal that I make diamonds.
What whould I not do with a soul, however black she might be, who would give herself to Me!
The soul that regrets her sin and makes reparation for it gives me a greater proof of love than a soul that has avoided sin. She who has avoided it gives me in an instant a passing proof of the solidity of her love; she who regrets and makes reparation offers me repeated proofs of it. She becomes so dear to Me that I unite her to Myself. The other avoided sin because she was already united to Me..."

Jesus to Sister Mary of the Holy Trinity, Poor Clare of Jerusalem (1901-1942)

The Mother's Hymn

Lord, who ordainest for mankind
Benignant toils and tender cares,
We thank Thee for the ties that bind
The mother to the child she bears.
We thank Thee for the hopes that rise.
Within her heart, as day by day
The dawning soul, from those young eyes
Looks with a clearer, steadier ray,
And grateful for the blessing given
With that dear infant on her knee,
She strains her eyes to look to heaven
The voice to lisp a prayer to Thee.

Such thanks the Blessed Mary gave
When from her lap the Holy Child,
Sent from on high to seek and save
The lost on earth, looked up and smiled.
All Gracious! grant to those that bear
A mother's charge, the strength and light
To guide the feet that own them care
In ways of love and truth and light.

William Cullen Bryant

Lady of the Trinity

Maid who wed Infinity,
Clay that shaped Divinity,
Lady of the Trinity,
Life is filled with fears.

Golden wheat that made the Host,
Mortal woman loved the most
By Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Life is wet with tears.

Flame of wisdom, holy shrine,
Chalice of Bread and Wine,
Vineyard that produced the Vine,
Death speeds like a dart.

Immaculate virginity,
God-filled feminity,
Lady of the Trinity,
Keep us in your heart.

Abbey of Gethsemani, Trappist, KY

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

At the time of Mary's birth the whole world was plunged in darkness. The heathen nations were steeped in vice and pride. The Jews, too, had corrupted their ways and departed from God. Everywhere there was sin und gloom, scarce any bright spot on the face of the earth.
But when Mary was born, a light arose amid the darkness: the dawn of the glorious day that was to usher in the Redeemer. So, too, the darkness of the sinner's soul is dispersed by Mary's holy influence. Where the love of her is born in the soul, all becomes full of light, and Jesus comes to make His habitation there. Mary, in the first hour of her life, brought more glory to God than all the saints of the Old Testament. In her were made perfect the obedience of Abraham, the chastity of Joseph, the patience of Job, the meekness of Moses, the prudence of Josue. It is because she is the model and pattern of these and all other virtues that she can communicate them to us.

Special Prayer to Saint Joseph

Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interest and desires.
Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the Loving of Fathers.
Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath.
St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for me.

This prayer was found in the fiftieth year of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In 1505 ist was sent from the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. Whoever shall read this prayer or hear it or keep it about themselves, shall never die a sudden death or be drowned, nor shall poison take effect on them; neither shall they fall into the hands of the enemy, or shall be burned in any fire or shall be overpowered in battle.
Say it for nine mornings for anything you may desire. It has never been known to fail, so be sure you really want what you ask.

Devotion for Benediction

O JESUS, Who art about to give Thy Benediction to me, and to all who are here present, I humbly beseech Thee that it may impart to each and all of us the special graces we need. Yet more than this I ask. Let Thy blessing go forth far and wide. Let it be felt in the souls of the afflicted who cannot come here to receive it at Thy Feet. Let the weak and tempted feel its power wherever they may be. Let poor sinners feel its influence, arousing them to come to Thee. Grant to me, O Lord, and to all here present, a strong personal love of Thee, a lively horror of sin, a higher esteem of grace, great zeal for Thy honour and glory, for the interest of Thy Sacred Heart for the salvation of souls, for our sanctification and that of all those confided to our care, and grant that in our intercourse with others we may lead many souls to Thee. Amen.

The Adoration of the Sacred Head of Christ as the Seat of Divine Wisdom, the crowning and perfection of all devotions

On April 27th 1880, Teresa Higginson wrote in a tone of triumph and in a trembling hand as though still half rapt in ecstasy:

“Our divine Lord says the time is at hand when the Wisdom of the Father shall be adored and the Love of God for man shall be revealed in the Light which shineth in darkness and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world. It is the Will of our dear Blessed Lord that His Sacred Head be adored as the Seat of Divine Wisdom: not the Sacred Head alone, (I mean as we worship His sacred Hands and Feet) no, but the Head as the shrine of the powers of the Soul and the faculties of the Mind and in these the Wisdom which guided every affection of the Sacred Heart and motions of the whole Being of Jesus our Lord and our God. It is not His divine Will that the attributes or abstracts of the soul or mind, or that divine Wisdom which guided, governed and directed all in Him (the God Man) should have a distinct worship, but that they should all be specially honoured and His sacred Head adored as their Temple. And our dear Blessed Lord has shown me too how the head is also the centre of all the senses of the body, and that this devotion is the completion, not only of the devotion of the Sacred Heart, but the crowning and perfection of all devotions; and He showed me how the adorable Trinity at His baptism revealed to the world this special devotion, for His Sacred Humanity is the tabernacle of the thrice holy Trinity; and that St. John had specially spoken of this devotion for the Most High revealed to him that he should be thus worshipped before the end of the world, and he spoke of it as a magnificent city, etc. seeing the multitudes of variety and beauty and splendour of this Seat of divine Wisdom. It is a world of infinite magnitude, a sea of fathomless depths, a never setting sun of light inaccessible and immeasurable heights of untold mysteries of perfection and beauty. Our dear Blessed Lord did not positively state the precise time that this should be made a public devotion but He gave me to understand that whoever should venerate His sacred Head in this manner should draw down on themselves the choicest gifts of Heaven; and those who shall try by words or means to hinder or reject it shall be as glass that is cast down, or as an egg that is thrown to the wall, that is that they shall be shattered and become as naught, and shall be dried up and wither as grass on the housetop.

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The Image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Green Cloth

The Green Scapular or Scapular of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is, like the Miraculous Medal, a gift of our Blessed Mother to the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
On November 27, 1839, Justine Bisqueyburu, destined by Providence to make known this devotion, enters the Seminary, or Novitiate of the Daughters of Charity, 140 rue du Bac, Paris. On January 28, 1840, during her first retreat, the young Sister was favored with a celestial vision. Our Lady appeared to her clothed in a long white robe over which hung a bright blue mantle. Her hair, which fell loosely over her shoulders, was not covered with a veil, and in her hands she held her Heart, from the top of which issued brilliant rays. To the dignity of her bearing was joined the dazzling brightness of celestial beauty. The young Sister, seized with admiration and fear, could scarcely repress an exlamation.
The same apparition was repeated four or five times during her Seminary on the principal feast of the Blessed Virgin. This favor seemed to have no other end than to increase in the Sister herself tender devotion to Mary Immaculate.
Clothed with the habit, Sister Bisqueyburu was sent to Blangy and shortly after her arrival, September 8, 1840, feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, she was favored during prayer with an apparition of the Mother of God, who held in her right hand her heart surrounded by flames, and in her left a sort of scapular, consisting of a single piece of green cloth suspended from a cord of the same color. On one side was a picture of the Blessed Virgin as she had shown herself in the apparitons; on the other, a Heart all inflamed with rays more brilliant than the sun, and clearer than crystal.
This Heart pierced with a sword was surrounded by an oval inscription, surmounted by a cross. The inscription read: "Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death." At the same time an interior voice revealed to the Sister the meaning of this vision. She understood that this new Scapular, through the medium of the Sisters of Charity, would contribute to the conversion of theose who have no faith, and above all, procure for them a happy death, and that it sould be distributed immediately with confidence.
For various reasons the execution was long delayed, in consequence of which the Blessed Virgin in serveral apparitions between 1840 and 1846 complained to the Sister. As obstacles were removed, the Scapular was distributed, producing wonderful conversions and some bodily cures.
Among favors obtained are the following: A sick man, a declared enemy of all religion, was thrown into frenzy by the mere sight of a priest. He accepted a Green Scapular on September 19, 1842. Eleven days later, arising from dinner, he withdrew into an adjoining room, fell on his knees and took out his Scapular which he called an intermediary agent. Kissing it and bathing it with tears, he promised Our Lady to go to Confession within a week. That delay seemed too long, for the next day he received the Sacraments.
In 1844, a child of fourteen with depaved morals received the Scapular and in a few days his conversion was affected.
At Constantinople a Greek schismatic was converted by the Scapular and also cured of a hideous leprosy. Many similar examples might be cited.

The manner of using the Scapular was indicated by the Blessed Virgin. Since it is not the badge of a confraternity but simply a double image attached to a single piece of cloth and suspended from a cord, the formalities of a Scapular are not required for the Benediction and Imposition. It suffices that it be blessed by a priest and worn by the one for whom it is intended. It may be placed in the clothing, on the bed, or simply in the room. The only prayer to be recited is the inscirption surrounding the Heart on the reverse of the Scapular: "Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death." This should be repeated daily, if not by the one wearing it, by the one giving it. The Scapular may be distributed everywhere. Although wonderful graces are attached to it, they are proportionate to the confidence with which it is given, as signified by the rays of different lengths which in the last apparitions, issued from the hands of the blessed Virgin.
The Green Scapular was twice approved by Pope Pius IX, in 1863, and again in 1870 when he said: "Write to these good Sisters that I authorize them to make and distribute it."

An exact account of any conversion or cure which may be attributed to the Green Scapular should be sent to Marian Center, Saint Joseph Central House, Emmitsburg, Maryland, with all circumstances of time, place and persons. Names should not be withheld under pretext of humility, for there is question of the glory of God and of His Holy Mother.

Nihil Obstat: E. A. Cerny, S.S., S.T.D., Censor Librorum
Imprimator: Francis P. Keough, D.D., Archbishop of Baltimore
Feast: Immaculate Heart of Mary, August 22, 1950

Among Mary's Gifts - The Green Scapular

By Robert A. Macdonald, C.Ss.R., written 1948

It is my conviction, that despite all the wars, the threats and the horror of Communism, we are living in the happiest of centuries. Never since the days that she taught the Infant Jesus to pray has the Mother of God been closer to the earth. We are living in the Age of Mary. Countless signs show us that she has come down from the Galilean hills of heaven to give us a new Bethlehem, a reborn Christ in the hearts of men. Germany, Italy, Portugal and France have been singularly blessed by her gentle presence. From all sides witnesses spring up to attest with wondrous proofs, her presence among us. She is walking on the earth!
However, there is a dark side to the picture today, the darkness of the beast. He prowls to trample and destroy. Never has he been so apparent. His time is growing short. No one knows better than he. He has never forgotten the prophecy in the garden: "I will put enmitites between thee and the woman... she shall crush thy head" (Gen. 3:15).
He realizes well what the coming of Mary means to him and his empire. God alone knows the furious activity of hell, the rage with which it strives to make this world a madhouse of hate. How he must hate the tender Virgin as she journeys from country to country. His power has been so great that he thought God had abandoned the world because of its unbelief. He was hopeful of finally conquering the world, of snatching souls from the nail-scarred Hands of Christ. Then came Lourdes, then Fatima and, today, the Mother of God sitting at the bedside of a sick world.
For years he has succeeded in hiding the beautiful devotion of her Immaculate Heart in the Green Scapular. I am sure that most of you have heard of this matchless devotion only lately. Yet the good Sister to whom it was revealed died over forty years ago. This is not surprising. See how well the evil spirit hid the marvels of Fatima although Our Lady's power flamed in the heavens before fifty thousand men and women.
Let me tell you the stroy of how I discovered the Green Scapular. This is my only way of trying to spread a true and tender love to her Immaculate Heart and of paying my debt to her. Seven years ago, before penicillin was in use, I was lying in a hospital very ill with pneumonia. I began to hemorrhage and the doctors decided to operate as a last resource. Then a little nun came into my room.
"Father, have you great faith in the Mother of God, especially in her Immaculate Heart? If so, you can be cured."
"How, Sister?"
"Through the Green Scapular."
"What is that?"
"Four years ago, Father, I was operated on for cancer. I was so filled with it, that they just closed me up and sent me away to die. Then I prayed to Our Lady of the Green Scapular; grew tired of waiting to die and came back to work. I am cured, Father. Do you want me to give you a Scapular?"
"Please, Sister."
With that she put one over my head. A feeling of tremendous confidence poured into me and the bleeding stopped. Two days later, in the X-ray rooom, they asked me when the hemorrhage had ceased. When I replied that it was a matter of a couple of days, they expressed great surpriese.
"Your have a wound that is six months healed and there is no other mark." Today even the scars are gone. No wonder I speak of an unpayable debt to her Immaculate Heart. Since then I have done everything possible to foster this devotion. To my great joy and amazement, those to whom I have spoken of the Green Scapular have become more zealous than I. Never have I seen the equal of the faith and confidence of these new apostles of Mary. The tremendous fervor of the crusades must have been like it.
During May I aksed the rector of St. Patrick's, Toronto, for permission to speak of it at the Wednesday devotions. I had a thousand Green Scapulars on hand, but no one thought that more than thirty would be asked for. The thousand were gone the first morning. The room where we distributed them was so jammed that I fearded someone would be injured. The rest of the day I was besieged on all sides for more. Foolishly, I showed the one I had for myself and it was quickly snatched from my hand.
The spirit in Toronto today is beyond belief. Ten thousand more have been too few. Over twenty-five priests have come to our monastery begging for scapulars. I have been stopped on the streets and accosted on trains by total strangers asking where these Scapulars could be obtained. Montreal has since shown a like fervor.
I am stunned at the response. I have no explanation for it. Certainly it was not due to the simple little sermon that I preached. I believe the explanation of it was given by a priest with all the simplicity of the priesthood: "She wants her heart loved."
Those who doubted in the beginning are today the most devoted to the Green Scapular. It has become something priceless. They love to say the beautiful prayer which we learned from Mary's lips:
"Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death."
Toronto today is feeling the warmth of that heart. A man, who had refused for years to see a priest, remained adamant on his deathbed. One of the family brought the Scapular into his room, said the prayer twice and, suddleny out of a clear sky, he begged for a priest.
I must insist that the peculier power of this Scapular is that of conversion. To bring her Son into the hearts of men. To give Him a new birth there. Although there are many cures like my own, I repeat, her greatest desire is to give her Son birth in the cradle of your soul.

The Green Scapular is the story of Sister Justine Bisqueyburu. An orphan in early life, she was adopted by a wealthy relative who left her his fortune. Her greatest day of joy was November 27, 1839, when she entered the novitiate of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent of Paul in Paris. Her Sisters in religion are stationed in Maryland. Address: Sisters of Charity, Central House, Emmitsburg, Maryland.
They can tell you much better than I the story of a Sister who inspired love and emulation in everyone who met her. One who was a confidante of Peope Pius IX in the dark days preceding his imprisonment in the Vatican; one who was the admiration of the Mohammedans of North Africa; the recipient of the flattering imitation of the famous Florence Nightingale on the battlefields of the Crimea. They can tell you the great efforts she made to keep her identity unknown; how her secret was revealed. How the Green Scapular found its way to the desk of Pope Pius XI. They will repeat the description of the Mother of God, standing in all her beauty before the young novice, and returning again und again until the Scapular was made and distributed. Telling the young Sister that the Scapular could be blessed by any priest, carried or worn on the person, even left in one's room, the only obligation being to say, once a day (and this can be said in favor of another): "Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death."

(The above article was published in the Madonna Magazine, August 1948, and was copied with permission by the Quarterly Bulletin of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Agony. March, 1949. It also appeared in Fatima Findings, September, 1949, published by the Reparation Society of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Baltimore, Maryland.)

Crucifix Venerated - Sister Marie-Marthe Chambon - The Chaplet of Mercy

We reproduce here the detail of a Crucifix of the XIIIth century which illuminated with its rays Saint Francis of Sales, when he was preaching before the Senate of Savoie, on the 24th of March 1606. It is now venerated at the chapel of the Visitation in Saint-Pierre d'Albigny.

"Jesus has loved me and has given himself up for me" (Gal. 2, 20)

CHAPLET OF MERCY

This chaplet begins with the following aspirations:

I - O Jesus, Divine Redeemer, be merciful to us and to the whole world.
II - Holy God, Strong God, Immortal God, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
III - Grace and mercy, o my Jesus, in the present dangers; cover us with your most precious Blood.
IV - O Eternal Father, be merciful to us through the Blood of your only Son, be merciful to us, we beseech You.

On the small beads of the rosary we say:
"My Jesus, pardon and mercy; - through the merits of your holy wounds".
On the larger beads of the rosary we say:
"Eternal Father, I offer you the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ; to heal those of our souls".

ORIGIN OF THESE INVOCATIONS

Sister Marie-Marthe Chambon, the humble lay sister of the Visitation of Chambéry who died in odour of sanctity, March 21, 1907, attests having received the two invocations together with magnificent promises from Our Lord Jesus Christ.

JESUS' PROMISES

I will grant all that is solicited from Me through the invocation of my holy Wounds. This devotion must be spread.
In truth, this devotion comes not from earth but from heaven. It can obtain everything.
My holy Wounds support the world... ask me to like them constantly, for they are the source of graces. One must invoke them often, attract others to them and instill this devotion in the souls.
When you suffer sorrows, promptly confide them to my Wounds and they will be alleviated.
The following aspirations must be repeated often to sick persons: "My Jesus, pardon and mercy..." etc. This prayer will soothe both body and soul.
And the sinner who will say: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ..." etc., will obtain converstion.
My Wounds shall heal yours.
There shall be no death for the souls who will pass out in my Wounds. They give the true life.
For each word of the Chaplet of Mercy that you will pronounce, I will allow a drop of my Blood to fall upon the soul of a sinner.
The soul who will have honoured my holy Wounds and will have offered them to the Eternal Father for the souls in Purgatory shall be accompanied by the Blessed Virgin and the Angels at the hour of their death and I, in my radiant glory, will receive them and crown them.
The holy Wounds are the treasure of treasures for the souls in Purgatory.
The Devotion to my Wounds is the remedy to these times of iniquity.
Fruits of sanctity pour out of my Wounds. By meditating upon them you shall acquire new food for love.
My child, if you dip your actions in my holy Wounds, they shall acquire value; your smallest actions covered with my Blood shall satisfy my Heart.
My holy Wounds must be offered to my Eternal Father. Through them the Church shall triumph, being helped by my Immaculate Mother.

Nihil obstat et imprimatur: Can. Zucceli.
The Companions of Jesus + 3505, Bagot Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1C 1C4. Telephone: (514) 376-8502

Preparation for Holy Communion

"I am needy and poor."

Dearest Jesus, all Thy creatures are more worthy of Thy grace,
Than the vile and wretched sinner who now kneels before Thy Face;
Yet one claim I have upon Thee which Thou never wilt deny,
In the bounds of Thy creation no one needs Thee more than I.

Other souls have been more faithful and have served Thee better far,
Many spotless hearts more fitting for Thy gracious presence are;
Many lips devout a greeting far more fervent can supply,
But, dear Master, well Thou knowest no one needs Thee more than I.

Many loving hands have carried richer offerings to Thy Shrine,
Many generous hearts have loved Thee with a purer love than mine;
These Thy chosen ones approach Thee as the doves to covert fly,
I am utterly unworthy, but none needs Thee more than I.

Sins unnumbered, unatoned for, have made havoc in my soul,
And against me stands as witness the recording angel's roll;
All untilled has been my vineyard and its soil is hard and dry.
O my God! my only Refuge, no one needs Thee more than I.

For without Thee I am helpless, fast in sin's strong fetters caught,
Blinded by my evil passions, swayed by impulses untaught;
I can do no good unaided, it were worse than vain to try,
Come Thyself to me, sweet Jesus, no one needs Thee more than I.

Thou didst leave Thy Father's bosom to reclaim and save the lost,
Thou didst take upon Thee freely our redemption's awful cost;
Thou Thyself has called me to Thee, Thou wilt hearken to my cry,
In the bounds of Thy Creation no one needs Thee more than I.

From: The Little Treasury of Leaflets, Vol. IV., Dublin, M. H. Gill & Son, Ltd., 1914

Devotions for the First Friday in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was born in France in the year 1647, and died in 1690. She was canonized in 1920, and her feast is celebrated on October 17.
Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary several times during her life as a nun in the Visitation Order. Sometimes Our Lord showed His Most Sacred Heart afire with love for men; while at other times His heart would appear torn and bleeding because of sin and indifference.
In 1675 the great revelation was made to St. Margaret Mary that she, in union with Father de la Colombière, S.J., was to be the chief instrument for instituting the Feast of the Sacred Heart and for spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart throughout the world.

The Great Promise of the First Friday

All who receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays have been blessed by Our Lord with the grace of a most wonderful promise. We should listen carefully. It is our Saviour, Himself, who speaks to us through St. Margaret Mary:

"I promise thee in the unfathomable mercy of My hear that My omnipotent love will procure the grace of final penitence for all those who communicate on nine successive First Fridays of the month; they will not die in My disfavour, or without having received their sacraments, since My divine heart will be their sure refuge in the last moments of their life."

Our Lord also told St. Margaret Mary of the following additional blessings:

1) I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2) I will establish peace in their families.
3) I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4) I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death.
5) I will bestow a special blessing upon all their undertakings.
6) Sinners shall find in My heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7) Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
8) Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9) I will bless every place where a picture of My heart shall be exposed and honoured.
10) I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11) Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My heart - never to be blotted out.

PRAYERS

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
R. Make my heart like unto Thine.
V. O sweetest heart of Jesus, we implore,
R. That we may love Thee ever more and more.

Let us pray. May Thy Holy Spirit, we beseech Thee, Lord, enkindle in our hearts that fire which our Lord Jesus Christ came to cast on earth, and desired so earnestly to see enkindled.
R. Amen.
V. Thy kingdom come.
R. Thy kingdom come.

Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast promised that wherever two or three shall be gathered together in Thy name, Thou wilt be there in the midst of them, look down with compassion and mercy and love upon us, who are now united before Thee, in the lowliness of our hearts, to honor Thy Sacred Heart, and in the desire to make it known and beloved by all. Come into the midst of us, my sweet Jesus, and fill our hearts with Thy blessing and inflame them with Thy love.
R. Amen.
V. Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.
R. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN THEIR AGONY

O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, we pray Thee, by the agony of Thy Most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thine immaculate mother, cleanse in Thy blood the sinners of the whole world, who are now in their agony, and are to die this day.
R. Amen.
V. Heart of Jesus, by Thy agony,
R. Have pity on the dying.

Morning Offering

O Jesus,

through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intensions of thy Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all our Associates, and in particular for the intentions of our Holy Father for this month. Amen.

Sweet Mother of the Lord most High

Sweet Mother of the Lord most High
To Thee we bow in humble prayer,
To Thee from evil powers we fly.
O shield and keep us in thy care.

Author unknown

The Mother's Hymn

Lord, who ordainest for mankind
Benignant toils and tender cares,
We thank Thee for the ties that bind
The mother to the child she bears.
We thank Thee for the hopes that rise.
Within her heart, as day by day
The dawning soul, from those young eyes
Looks with a clearer, steadier ray,
And grateful for the blessing given
With that dear infant on her knee,
She strains her eyes to look to heaven
The voice to lisp a prayer to Thee.
Such thanks the Blessed Mary gave
When from her lap the Holy Child,
Sent from on high to seek and save
The lost on earth, looked up and smiled.
All Gracious! grant to those that bear
A mother's charge, the strength and light
To guide the feet that own them care
In ways of love and truth and light.

William Cullen Bryant

Familiarity with Our Lord

We have a great difficulty in not looking at Our Lord as a high-and-mighty Personage. We should try hard to realise that Our Lord, in His Humanity, felt just as we feel. Tired, weary, hungry. When left alone, inclined to take a dismal view of life. Tempted to despondency. Our Lord likes us to show Him sympathy. He in His life on earth was just as appreciative of every particle of sympathy offered Him as we should be. Never the smallest kindness done to Him was unnoticed. He hungered for love and sympathy. In the house of Simon, how He appreciated St Mary Magdalene's ministrations. He said to Simon, who was pretending not to notice Mary Magdalene, "When I entered your house you gave Me no water for My feet. This woman with her tears has washed them, and with her hair has wiped them. You gave me no kiss; this woman has never ceased to kiss My feet." We do not realise how much Our Lord has had to bear for us. The one thing He desired when He came into the world was to do good to souls. If we have one great object in life, and that object is thwarted, what a crushing sorrow it is. And yet, Our Lord was thwarted at every turn. His preaching was misunderstood; His miracles and cures He got no thanks for. The one thing He looked for, to gain love, failed Him. Take Our Lord's day; it was one long string of dsappointments. And how we grumble over our trifling, futile, little disappointments. How ungenerous, how mean we are. When you think of your disappointments, compare them with Our Lord's. The way to be happy is to look at things from His point of view. His efforts invariably met with failure. When he had explained fully about His Body and Blood (John vi), we are told that "many of them ceased to walk with Him." What a sorrow for Him. Then it was that, feeling crushed an worn out, He said to St Peter: "Wilt thou also leave Me?" And St Peter anwered: "To whom, Lord, shall we go, for Thou hast the words of eternal life?" What a disappointment even the Apostles were. At the end even of the third year of His ministry how imperfect they were, how little credit they did Him. They had arrived at no greater understanding of Him than to think still that He was to be the Founder of an earthly kingdom, and at no greater virtue than to be wrangling as to who were to have the best places. If Our Lord were to say to anyone here: "I will, if you choose it, give you a life of perfect happiness; everyone shall try to please you, everything you touch succeed", I trust there is no one here who would not say: "No, Lord, what was good enough for You is good enough for me." These thoughts should throw a flood of light on our lives. If we wish to imitate Our Lord and Master, instead of crying our eyes out in moments of gloom and despondency, we should say: "What Thou dost is for the best, I will not wish it to be otherwise. When I am cowardly and inclined to cry out under suffering; if I ask for the pain to be removed - do not take me at my word, Lord, but give me greater strength and so draw me nearer to Thee."

From: Words of Encouragement - Notes of Instructions - delivered by Rev. Daniel Considine S.J., edited by F. C. Devas S.J. 1951

Be Born in Us, Incarnate Love

From: Carmel Oklahoma USA

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands

O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel,
Fruitful vine, spendor of Heaven,
Immaculate Mother of the Son of God,
Help me in my necessity.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands.

O holy Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin most merciful, I beseech thee -
I humbly pray thee from the depth of my heart -
Help me in my necessity.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands.

O Mystical Rose, O Flower of David,
None can withstand thy power;
Thy Son always hears thee.
Help me in my necessity.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands.

O Queen of heaven and earth, Star of the sea,
Show me herein thou art my mother.
Hear thy child who seeks thine aid.
Help me in my necessity.
Sweet Mother, I place this cuase in thy hands.

Your Cross

Picture: Painting by Br. Rudolf, O.M.Cap.: Saint Francis presents the crucified Saviour to the world.

The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost Heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His grace, perfumced it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God.

St. Francis de Sales

Heralders of Divine Love, Rego Park, N.Y.

Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?

"Every word of God is fire-tried, and He is a Buckler of Hope to those who hope in Him." (Proverbs.) This means that every word of God is absolutely true, and that He is a shield or protector to those who hope in Him. What is the hope most people have in Him? Withered, shrunk, ineffective. (I am not, of course, speaking on the theological virtue on which our salvation depends, but of hope in God's help in the everyday episodes of our life.) Religion should be a part of one's life. It consists in always thinking of God. The whole day long. Our Lord wants to be Master of your heart, and Master all the day long. Our Lord lives in your heart. He does not want you to tell Him in so many words that you love Him; He knows you cannot be praying all day. But He wants you always to be thinking of Him, to feel that He is with you. People are not intimate with Him because they think they can't be, so they don't try. Our Lord says: "My yoke is sweet and My burden is light." And again: "Come to Me, all ye who labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you." One condition He always asks: Trust. No matter how weak you are, how frail. He will help, if you will only go to Him. If anyone would really belive that God would make her a saint she would become one. We should have bigger hearts, more confidence. We don't trust Him one-tenth part as much as we should. Where do any good thoughts or aspirations we ever have come from? From Him: they are His gift. He says: "If you will only let Me, I will make a saint of you." It is by your want of confidence, hope, and trust, that you tie His hands.

From: Words of Encouragement - Notes of Instructions - delivered by Rev. Daniel Considine S.J., edited by F. C. Devas S.J. 1951

After Mary, St. Joseph is our Greatest Intercessor - St. Joseph, the Masterpiece of Mary's Intercession!

The Pious Union in Honor of St. Joseph, a crusade of prayers for the dying, was founded by Father Guanella (1842-1915) in the Church of St. Joseph's Death at Rome and raised by Pope Pius X to the dignity of an Arch-confraternity. It was canonically erected Jan. 18, 1930 at St. Peter's Church, Chicago, and affiliated with the Archconfraternity.

MEMBERSHIP: Registration of Christian and family names and prayers for the dying sinners. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the best way to aid the dying. We have centered around HOLY MASS, five degrees of membership: to attend a monthly Mass, a weekly Mass, a daily Mass, to have Masses offered and to consecrate one's entire life to this apostolate.

"Oh! shame of the human heart! A beast of burden falls, and there are found pitiful arms to raise it up. A soul, yea millions of souls, fall into sin and into hell every day and no one devotes even a thought to them." - St. Bernard

The greatest act of charity for the neighbor is to pray and offer sacrifice for the salvation of the dying!

Every Wednesday is dedicated in a special manner to St. Joseph.

MAKE THE NINE FIRST WEDNESDAYS (similar to the nine First Fridays) in HONOR OF ST. JOSEPH FOR A HAPPY DEATH FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR DEAR ONES!

Attend Holy Mass, receive Holy Communion and offer prayers to St. Joseph.

The most excellent means to obtain this special grace of a happy death is CHARITY. Therefore, in your devotions on the First Wednesdays, direct them in a special manner for the salvation of dying sinners in honor of St. Joseph.

Litany of St. Joseph

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.
St. Joseph, pray of us.
Illustrious Son of David, ...
Light of the Patriarchs, ...
Spouse of the Mother of God, ...
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, ...
Foster-Father of the Son of God, ...
Watchful Defender of Christ, ...
Head of the Holy Family, ...
Joseph most just, ...
Joseph most chaste, ...
Joseph most prudent, ...
Joseph most valiant, ...
Joseph most obedient, ...
Joseph most faithful, ...
Mirror of patience, ...
Lover of poverty, ...
Model of workmen, ...
Glory of domestic life, ...
Guardian of virgins, ...
Pillar of families, ...
Solace of the afflicted, ...
Hope of the sick, ...
Patron of the dying, ...
Terror of demons, ...
Protector of Holy Church, ...
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. - He made him the Lord of His house.
R. - And the ruler of all his possessions.

Let us pray

O God, who in Your unspeakable providence did choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most Holy Mother, grant that as we venerate him as our protector on earth, we may deserve to have him as our intercessor in heaven, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, O most pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my protector, St. Joseph: that no one ever had recourse to your protection, or implored your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you. Despise not my petitions, Foster-father of my Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

O Joseph, Foster-father of the Child Jesus and true Spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us and FOR THE DYING OF THIS DAY (OF THIS NIGHT). Amen.

O most merciful Jesus, Lover of souls, I pray You by the agony of Your most Sacred heart and by the sorrows of Your Immaculate Mother, cleanse in Your blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their agony and are to die this day. Amen.
O Agonizing Heart of Jesus, have mercy on the dying!

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

In honor of the Seven Joys and the Seven Sorrows of St. Joseph, recite seven Our Fathers, seven hail Marys and seven Glorys, for the dying.

Brother André of Mt. Royal recommended the Stations of the Cross as a powerful means to aid the dying and the Souls in purgatory.

Also keep the dying sinners in your Rosary.

Nihil Obstat: Rev. Luke Dittami, O.F.M. Censor Librorum - Imprimi Potest: Very Rev. Pius Barth, O.F.M. Ph.D., Provincial - Imprimatur: + Samuel Cardinal Stritch, D.D., Archbishop of Chicago, November 21, 1955
Pious Union of St. Joseph, 110 W. Madison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602

O Spirit of Love descend within me

Mariazell - Magna Mater Austriae

Mariazell, situated in the Austrian federal province of Styria, is the most famous sanctuary of the Virgin Mary in Central Europe and the spiritual and religious centre of the Catholic peoples in the Danube area. The shining of burning candles and never ceasing prayers have been filling Mariazell for more than 800 years since the monk Magnus had brought here a statue of the Virgin carved in linden wood from the Benedictine convent of St. Lambrecht. A small cell over the image was the beginning and gave Mariazell its name. The reputation of miraculous hearings of prayers soon attracted pilgrims from many countries, and about the year 1200 margrave Henry Vladislav of Moravia built the first church for the "Mater Gentium Slavorum" in gratitude for his healing from a serious disease. King Louis the Great of Hungary founded around the year 1370, after his glorious victory over the religious enemies from the east, a pilgrims' chapel that is still preserved today. Thus, Mariazell and the "Magna Hungarorum Domina" became the major place of pilgrimage for the Hungarians too.
Unlike any other place of pilgrimage Mariazell has been bound to this date with the Catholic peoples of Central and Eastern Europe, and the history of pilgrimage to Mariazell is part of the history of the Christian Occident. Emperors, kings and princes from all European nations have visited Mariazell during the centuries and found inner peace and consolation before the imperial sanctuary.
The chruch, standing in the midst of a beatiful mountainous landscape, is in its actual form the work of the famous Italien architect Domenico Sciassia of the 17th century. The high altar, a present of gratitude by Emperor Charles VI, was erected according to plans by Johann B. Fischer von Erlach; the altar of grace, for which the great Empress Maria Theresa endowed the splendid silver trellis, was designed by his son Emanuel. Beyond that, the greatest artists of the period created the magnificent interior decoration and made the durch, raised to the rank of basilica in 1907, one of the most beautiful baroque buildings of the Christian art.
Innumerable votive pictures in the galleries of the church and two treasure vaults with valuable and simple oblations from seven centuries impressively show how great a confidence was placed by millions of pilgrims in the miraculous place of Mariazell.
Even though the roots of Mariazell's attraction go back to the past of a formerly larger empire the "Magna Mater Austriae", Austria's great mother of God, has today become more than ever before a symbol of living Christian belief. The door of the basilica, the world-renowned "Door of Peace", is open to the faithful from all over the world.

During the period of pilgrimage (Easter to All Saints' Day) there are daily services at every full hour from 6.00 to 12.00 a.m., and at 6.30 p.m. There is a light procession every Saturday. Confession opportunity throughout the day in all European languages. The Superir's Office A-8630 Mariazell, accepts bookings for pilgrimages at any time and will be glad to give any additional information required.

My Day... A Mass ! ...

I bear the world in my heart, and with Christ and through Him, I offer all to the Father...

May our life be a host

My Daily Offering:

• I offer all...
• Heavenly Father, I place myself upon the paten, with my whole being, my soul, my body, with my intellect and my will, for I offer You all that I am and have.
• I place upon this paten, all my joys, my sorrows of today, my work with its fatigue, my crosses with their bitterness.

Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary

• I unite all this to the offering of Jesus as a holocaust of love for the salvation and sanctification of priestly and religious souls and for my own sanctification.

The drop of water - it is our life

• United to Christ
• By this drop of water which represents me, O my God, permit me to cast into the Chalice, with Jesus Christ, every moment of my life so that all may be sanctified, supernaturalized in the Blood of Christ and may pass through Him to the Adorable Trinity.
• I cast also into the Chalice and I offer Thee the life and sufferings of those who do not offer them, that their lives and sufferings be united to those of Christ who suffered as they do and who dies for them.
• In all the Masses
• O my Jesus, I unite myself to all the Masses which will be celebrated this day throughout the world, in union with the intentions of your Sacred Heart. O my Jesus, I beg of you to retain for me, from each of these Masses, a drop of Thy Precious Blood, in expiation for my sins.
• O Divine Heart of Jesus, give to the world many and holy priests to continue the work of your Redemption. Amen.

With Ecclesiastical Approval

A Treasure to exploit...

The death of our Saviour Jesus Christ upon the Cross - That is the great Treasure! The Holy Sacrifice of that Mass is the key which unlocks this treasure from which we can derive an abundance of graces.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the centre, the heart of our religion, a heart which, without ceasing, sends a stream of grace into the veins of Christianity, so that it may vivify each and every member of the great Mystical Body of Christ - which is our Holy Mother the Church. (Mgr. Mader).

Let us use this Treasure...

• By assisting often devoutly at Holy Mass,
• By having Masses said,
• By uniting with all the Masses which will be celebrated in the world, at every hour of the day and night.

More than 400,000 Masses are celebrated each day - that means 5 Elevations every second. He who unites himself with them, shares in them. Let uns therefore gain for ourselves a Treasure in eternity...

Offering of the Holy Hour for Priests

O my God, poor, weak and miserable as I am, I have come to spend this hour alone with YOU, in reparation for the priests who have forgotten that they are Your chosen souls. Especially, dear God, do I offer this holy hour for the priest who at this moment needs it most. In praying for consecrated souls, help me to remember my own utter weakness, misery and nothingness. Were it not for your grace, I would be far worse than those for whom I pray.
O my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support. And for those poor unforunate souls who have fallen, lift them up in the great ocean of Your Mercy, that being engulfed therein, they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart. Amen.

Nihil obstat: M. J. Grupa, censor librorum, Feb. 23, 1951 - Detroit
Imprimatur: + Edward Cardinal Mooney, Feb. 23, 1951 - Detroit
The Franciscan Marytown Press, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Daily Prayer for Priests

Paul Wante pinxit - Maria-Mediatrix Genval

O almighty eternal God, look upon the face of Thy Christ, and for love of Him who is the eternal High-priest, have pity on Thy priests. Remember, O most compassionate God, that they are but weak und frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation which is in them by the imposition of the Bishop's hands. Keep them close to Thee, lest the enemy prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation.
O Jesus, I pray Thee for Thy faithful and fervent priests; for Thy unfaithful and tepid priests; for Thy priests laboring at home or abroad in distant misssion fields; for Thy tempted priests; for Thy lonely and desolate priests; for Thy young priests; for Thy aged priests; for Thy sick priests; for Thy dying priests; for the souls of Thy priests in purgatory.
But above all I commend to Thee the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Thy Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me or helped me and encouraged me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way, particularly... O Jesus, keep them all close to Thy heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us; obtain for us many and holy priests. (300 days. ind.)

Cum approbatione ecclesiastica
Claretian Center, Claretian Missionary Fathers, 3523 West 12th Street, Los Angeles, California 90019

The Fifteen Promises of Mary to Christians Who Recite the Rosary

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.
3. The rosary shall be a powerful armour against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.
10. The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.
12. All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.

(Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan)

Imprimatur: + Patrick J. Hayes, D.D., Archbishop of New York

The Holy Face of Jesus

(After the Holy Shroud of Turin)

By offering My Face to My Eternal Father nothing will be refused, and the conversion of many sinners will be obtained. (Our Lord to Sr. Marie of St. Peter)

It is requested that all undertake to widely spread and make known this devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.

Promises of Our Lord Jesus Christ

to Sr. Marie of Saint Peter, Discalced Carmelite Nun of Tours, France in favor of those who honor His Holy Face.

1. "By My Holy Face you shall work miracles."
2. "By My Face you will obtain the conversion of many sinners."
3. "Nothing that you ask in making this offering will be refused to you."
4. "If you knew how pleasing the sight of My Face is to My Father."
5. "As in a kingdom you can procure all you wish for with a coin marked with the King's effigy, so in the Kingdom of Heaven you will obtain all you desire with the precious coin of My Holy Face."
6. "Our Lord has promised me that He will imprint His divine likeness on the souls of those who honor His most holy Countenance."
7. "All those who honor My Holy Face in a spirit of reparation, will by so doing perform the office of the pious Veronica."
8. "According to the care you take in making reparation to My Face disfigured by blasphemies, so will I take care of yours which has been disfigured by sin. I will reprint therein My Image and render it as beautiful as it was on leaving the Baptismal font."
9. "Our Lord has promised me, that all those who defend His cause in this work of repartion, by words, by prayers, or in writing, He will defend them before His Father; at their death He will purify their souls by effacing all the blots of sin and will restore to them their primitive beauty."

An Act of Praise and Reparation
(Dictated by Our Lord to Sr. Marie of St. Peter)

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God be forever 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. Amen.

Prayer

O Lord Jesus Christ, in presenting ourselves before Thy adorable Face, to ask of Thee the graces of which we stand most in need, we beseech Thee above all, to give us that interior disposition of never refusing at any time to do what Thou requirest of us by Thy holy commandments and divine inspirations. Amen.
O good Jesus, who hadst said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you", give us, O Lord, that faith which obtains all, or supply in us what may be deficient; grant us, by the pure effect of Thy charity, and for Thy eternal glory, the graces which we need and which we look for from Thy infinite mercy. Amen.

Be merciful to us, O my God, and reject not our prayers, when amid our afflictions we call on Thy Holy Name and seek with love and confidence Thy adorable Face. Amen.

O Almighty and Eternal God, look upon the Face of Thy Son Jesus. We present It to Thee with confidence, to implore Thy pardon. The All-Merciful Advocate opens His mouth to plead our cause; hearken to His cries, behold His tears, O God, and through His infinite merits hearken to Him when He intercedes for us poor miserable sinners. Amen.

Adorable Face of my Jesus, my only love, my light, and my life, grant that I may serve, know and love Thee alone, that I may live with Thee, of Thee, by Thee and for Thee. Amen.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the adorable Face of Thy Beloved Son for the honor and glory of Thy Name, for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of the dying.

O Divine Jesus, through Thy Face and Name save us. Our hope is in the virtue of Thy Holy Name!

Sept. 12, 1975 (With ecclesiastical approval)
Crusaders of Our Lady of Fatima, P. O. Box 751, Lancaster, California 93534
"All for the love and Glory of God"

A Pledge of Divine Mercy

My friend, are you not seeking happiness? Take this picture and meditate upon it...
Look at our world enveloped in darkness, a darkness brought about by our sins, by your sins. The world is corrupt, unhappy and a prey of evil.
Look at all our miseries, your miseries. Do you understand now why the Hearts of Jesus and Mary are united in the same sufferings and are pierced by the same sword?
Yes, God ist moved to compassion at the sight of all your troubles, because He ist "LOVE". Having created you in His image and likeness, He has also given you a heart, so that united to Him, you may be happy.
God is moved to compassion at the sight of your miseries, because He loved you, even unto death on the cross. He even gave us His Mother as she stood at the Cross, that Cross which you see surrounded by the fire of His Infinite Love.
Behold this fire, all this love that unites the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The love that the Mother of Jesus, our Mother, bears for us is boundless. Her love is like a golden bridge that binds our fallen nature to the divinity of her son. Mary is truly our spiritual mother. She is the way. She is the sure and easy way that leads us rapidly to the knowledge and love of Jesus.
Finally, look at the two rays of light that shine forth and flow from the principal wound of the heart of Jesus; the ray on the right is white, the one on the left is red. The white and red rays represent the water und blood that sprang from the heart of Jesus, when it was opend by the thrust of a lance on the cross. White symbolizes Water that washes the soul (that is, Baptism, Grace, our Blassed Mother Mary); the red symbolizes that Blood which is the Life of the soul (that is the Eucharist, the living Person of Jesus).
Now, my freind, if you whish, this picture could become for you "a pledge of divine mercy". In other words you could again become a happy man. To accomplish this, turn the picture over, read the prayer on the back, then volontarily renew your baptismal promises, renouncing Satan und consecrate yourself to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, united in the splendor of the Holy Spirit.
This may well be for you the beginning of a new life, a life of real happiness, as you discover that the Eucharist is your strength, that the two arms of Love are prayer (especially the rosary) and penance (the fulfillment of the duties of your state in life).
"Yes, Lord, yes, Father, you alone are the Holy One, You alone are able to give us true happiness. May your Kingdom of Love enter the hearts of all our brothers, by and trough the reign of Jesus and Mary. AMEN.

O Jesus, I give myself to you through the sorrowful and immaculate Heart of Mary to be forever a source of consolation to your Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart of Jesus, may Your kingdom come through the sorrowful and immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.

Approbatur et Imprimatur, March 25, 1973
+ Marius Paré, Ordinary of Chicoutimi
Diffusions Mariales Enr., P.O.Box 728, Janquiere, P.Q., Canada - G7X 7W6

Novena to Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

Novena to obtain favors through the intercession of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

Almighty and Eternal Father, Giver of all Gifts, show us Your mercy, and grant, we beseech You, through the merits of Your faithful Servant, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, that all who invoke her intercession may obtain what they desire according to the good pleasure of Your Holy Will ... (here name your request).
O Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, mindful of Your bountiful goodness and love, deign, we implore You, through the tender devotion of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini for Your Sacred Heart, to hear our prayers and grant our petitions.
O God, the Holy Spirit, Comforter of the afflicted, Fountain of Light and Truth, through the ardent zeal of Your humble handmaid, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, grant us Your all-powerful aid in our necessities, sanctify our souls and fill our minds with Divine Light that we may see the Holy Will of God in all things.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, beloved spouse of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, intercede for us that the favor we now ask may be granted.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc. (Three Times)

With Ecclesiastical Approval

(Those who receive special favors through the intercession of Saint Frances Savier Cabrini, are requested to notify the Mother Cabrini League, 467 W. Deming Place, Chicago, Ill. 60614.)

Hymn of Saint Thomas Aquinas to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament

O Godhead hid, devoutly I adore Thee,
Who truly art within the forms before me;
To Thee my heart I bow with bended knee,
As failing quite in comprehending Thee.
Jesu, Eternal Shepherd, hear our cry;
Increase the faith of all whose souls on Thee rely.

Sight, touch, and taste in Thee are each deceived,
The ear alone most safely is believed;
I believe all the Son of God hath spoken,
Than Truth's own word there is no surer token.

God only on the Cross lay hid from view,
But here lies hid at once His manhood too;
And I, in both professing my belief,
The same prayer make as the repentant thief.

Thy Wounds, as Thomas saw, I do not see,
Yet Thee confess my God and Lord to be;
Make me believe Thee ever more and more,
In Thee my hope, in Thee my love to store.

O thou memorial of Our Lord's own dying,
O Living Bread, to mortals life supplying,
Make Thou my soul henceforth on Thee to live,
Ever a taste of heavenly sweetness to give.

O Loving Jesus! O Christ my God!
Unclean I am, cleanse me in Thy Blood,
Of which a single drop for sinners spilt
Could ransom all the world from all its guilt.

Jesu, Whom for the present veil'd I see,
What I so thirst for, O vouchsafe to me,
That I may see Thy Countenance unfolding,
And may be blest Thy Glory in beholding.
Amen.

The Little Treasury of Leaflets

Hymn of Saint Alphonsus, in Honour of the Blessed Eucharist

O Bread of Heaven, beneath this veil
Thou dost my very God conceal;
My Jesus, dearest Treasure, hail!
I love Thee and adoring kneel:
The loving soul by Thee is fed
With Thine Own Self in form of bread.

O Food of Life, Thou Who dost give
The pledge of immortality;
I live - no, 'tis not I that live;
God gives me life, God lives in me:
He feeds my soul, He guides my ways,
And every grief with joy repays.

O Bond of Love, that dost unite
The servant of his living Lord,
Could I dare live and not requite
Such love, then death were meet reward;
I cannot live, unless to prove
Some love for such unmeasured love.

O mighty Fire, Thou that dost burn
To kindle every mind and heart,
To Thee my frozen soul doth yearn;
Come, Lord of Love, Thy warmth impart.
If thus to speak too bold appear,
'Tis love like Thine heath banished fear.

My dearest God, Who dost so bind
My heart with countless chains to Thee;
O sweetest Love, my soul shall find
In Thy dear bonds true liberty;
Thyself Thou hast bestowed on me,
Thine, Thine for ever I will be.

The Little Treasury of Leaflets

A Prayer to St. Patrick

O Glorious St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland! I praise, bless, and glorify God for thy sanctity, thy zeal, thy charity, thy labours and the success of thy labours. I thank thee, O great St. Patrick, for watching over and preserving the faith of the Irish people. O dearest St. Patrick! heed not the unworthiness of thy children, but continue, in the future as in the past, to pray for them. O glorious Apostle, St. Patrick, guard and preserve, to the Day of Judgment, the purity of the faith and morals of thy people in every land and in every clime. O beloved St. Patrick! obtain from God that Erin, our dear country, may become again what she formerly was, "the Island of Saints and Scholars". Amen.

O Glorious St. Brigid, Patroness of Ireland, Mother of the Churches, protect the Irish Church and preserve the True Faith in every Irish heart at home and abroad. Obtain for us all the grace to walk faithfully in the path of Christian perfection during life, so to secure a happy death, with life everlasting in thy blessed company. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

My Crucifix

Hail, Sweet Cross of Christ! Hail, all hail, my beloved Crucifix! Hail, thou instrument of my salvation! Hail, sign of my redemption! Hail, my glory, my consolation and my hope! Hail, all hail, sweet Son of God, kind Friend of man! Hail, all hail, the strength of my will, the light of my mind, the love and joy of my heart! May I never forget Thy holy inspirations, Thy burning love; never forget the hope Thou givest me, Thy strength und beauty. May my days and nights be spent in Thy love; my last hour find me Thy faithful friend; my last breath be breathed for Thee, the last pulse of my heart be Thine, O loving God of my Crucifix.

From: The Little Treasury of Leaflets, Vol. IV., with prayers at Mass and numerous devotional exercises, M. H. Gill & Sons, Ltd., Dublin
Nihil obstat: Joannes Waters, Censor Theol. Deput.
Imprimi potest: ! Gulielmus, Archiep. Dublinen. Hiberniae Primas, Dublin, die 30 Junii, 1914

Prayers to the Blessed Sacrament

by St. Alphonsus Liguori

O most lovely, most sweet, and dearest Jesus! life, hope, treasure, and only love of my soul! Oh, how much has it not cost Thee to remain with us in this sacrament. It was necessary for Thee to die in order to remain afterwards upon our altars; and how many injuries hast Thou not been made to suffer, in consequence of this presence among us! But Thy love, and Thy desire to be loved by us, have surmounted all. Come then, Lord, come and occupy my heart, and afterwards close the gate to it for ever, so that no creature may ever enter again to take away a part of this love which belongs entirely to Thee, and which I am unwilling to give to any other. Do Thou alone, my dear Redeemer, reign over me! Do Thou alone possess me entirely, and if at any time I should not obey Thee perfectly, punish me severely, that for the future I may be more careful to please Thee, according to Thy desire. Let me no more desire nor seek for any other pleasure than to please Thee, to visit Thee often at Thine altar, to converse with Thee, and to receive Thee in holy Communion. Let them look for other goods who will! For me, I love only, I desire only the treasure of Thy love. The only favor I ask at the foot of this altar is that I may forget myself altogether, to remember only Thy goodness. Blessed seraphs, I do not envy you your glory! but by the love which you bear to your God and mine, oh, teach me what I must do to love Him and please Him like you!
O my Lord and King, hidden in this sacrament, since Thou dost invite me to converse with Thee, I will open my heart with confidence, and speak. O my Jesus, ardent lover of souls, I know too well the injustice and ingratitude of men towards Thee. Thou lovest them, and they do not love Thee; Thou dost confer benefits on them, and they return Thee insults; Thou wouldst have them hear Thy voice, and they will not listen; Thou dost offer them graces, and they refuse them. Ah! my Jesus, I, too, was once among the number of these ungrateful souls. O my God, it is only too true. But I desire to amend, and I wish to compensate for the injuries I have done Thee, by doing all I can to please Thee for the remainder of my life. Tell me, O Lord, what Thou dost require of me. I will do it without the least reserve. Make known to me Thy will by the way of holy obedience, and I hope to accomplish it. My God, I firmly promise never to leave undone any act wich I know to be agreeable to Thee, although the performance of it should cost me the loss of all things - of relations, friends, character, health, and even life itself. Let me lose all, if only I may do Thy will! Happy loss, when all is sacrificed to content Thy heart. O God of my soul! I love Thee, O Sovereign Good, above all goods worthy of my love, and in loving Thee I unite my feeble heart with the hearts of all the seraphim. I unite it with the heart of Mary and with the heart of Jesus. I love Thee with my whole soul; I wish to love Thee alone, now and for ever.

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!

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.

Ever 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 where 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 exclaimed: "My God! My God! why hast Thou forsaken 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 consummated." I ask it through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His sacred 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 appearence 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 wento 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 lawul 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 likewise 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 recive 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.

From: The New Marian Missal for Daily Mass by Sylvester P. Juergens, S.M., Doctor of Sacred Theology. Publishers Regina Press, New York. Imprimatur C. Eykens, vic. gen. Antverpiae, 24 Februarii 1963

The Power of the Holy Name of JESUS

The Name of JESUS is the shortest, the easiest, and the most powerful of prayers. Everyone can say it, even in the midst of daily work. Our Lord Himself has solemnly promised that whatever we ask the Father in His Name we shall receive (provided, of course, that it be for His glory and the good of our soul).
Each time we pronounce the holy Name of JESUS with reverence and love, and with proper intention, we give great glory to God and obtain for ourselves priceless graces.

(With ecclesiastical approval 14-9-1948)

Each time we say JESUS, we may, in desire: --
Make an act of perfect love, offering to God all the infinite love of His Divine Son as if it were our own.
Offer the Passion and Death of Our Lord to the Eternal Father for His greater glory and our own intentions.
Offer to God all the infinite merits and perfections of Jesus.
Offer all the Holy Masses said each day throughout the world, for the glory of God and the good of our own and others' souls.
Each time we say JESUS, we increase in our souls the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Our faith becomes more lively, our confidence in God greater, and our love more intense.
The holy Name of JESUS saves us from innumerable evils and dangers, helps us to overcome temptations, and delivers us from the power of the devil, who is constantly seeking to do us harm.
The holy Name of JESUS fills our souls with peace and joy, and gives us strength to bear our trials and sufferings with patience and resignation.Each time we say JESUS, we can gain an indulgence of 300 days, which we may apply to the souls in purgatory, thus relieving and liberating many of them from their awful pains, and gaining for ourselves friends who will pray for us with incredible fervor.
We ought, therefore, to try to acquire the habit of saying JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, very often every day, with fervent love and devotion -- when dressing, when working -- no matter what we are doing, in moments of sadness and in moments of joy, at home, in company, on the street, when walking, riding, or waiting. We can say it countless times every day, and thus gain untold graces and blessings for ouselves and for the whole world. Nothing is easier, if only we do it with all our heart.
The frequent repetition of the Name of JESUS far from tiring us gives us a joy, a peace, a happiness we never had before. We can say it for exemple:
When working -- no matter what we may be doing -- we can go on saying JESUS, at home, in the streets, walking or driving in cars, in trains, everywhere.
When ladies go shopping, when men go and return from their work, when servants are toiling all the day long, they can easily get into the habit of repeating JESUS. No effert is required, all we have to do is to let this blessed Name flow from our hearts and lips.
The one thing that we have to do is to form the habit of constantly saying JESUS. In the beginning we must give it care and attention in order to acquire the custom of saying it. Then we shall have an immense treasure in our hands for the rest of our lives.

Heralders of Divine Love, 47-46 Xenia Street, Rego Park, New York 11368

The Sacred Face of Jesus Christ

Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? - responde mihi.

The Lord show His Face to thee, and have mercy on thee.
The Lord turn His Face to thee, and give thee peace. (Blessing of Aaron.)
Behold, O God, our protector; and look on the Face of Thy Christ. (Ps. 83.)

The adorable Face of Our Redeemer, God and Man, disfigured by the most cruel treatment and reflecting the inexpressible sufferings of His loving heart, is an object most worthy of our veneration. Who can represent to himself this Face stamped with heavenly beauty, brilliant in its divine majesty, and transfigured by infinite love, and not have his heart penetrated with the most tender compassion for the painful sufferings which it endured for us? And so the devotion to the most Sacred Face of Jesus has been, at all times, practised in the Catholic Church. Our Lord himself laid the foundation of this devotion by leaving on the veil of St. Veronica the impression of His Face covered with blood. This miraculous impression is preserved as a most precious treasure in St. Peter's church, at Rome, and is exposed for the veneration of the faithful several times during the year.
A great many saints have had a special devotion to the most Holy Face: amongst them St. Bernard, St. Gertrude and St. Mechtildis. But it was reserved to our times to see the great widespread of this beautiful devotion. Our Lord made use for that purpose of a saintly maid, Sister mary of St. Peter, a carmelite at Tours (+ 1848), to whom He made numerous and consoling promises for those who venerate His Sacred Face, and thus make reparation for the crual treatment He suffered in it. A pious layman, Mr. Dupont, was especially zealous in propagating this devotion and he rightly deserves to be called the Apostle of the devotion to the adorable Face. Since that time the Confraternity of reparation of the most Holy Face, instituted in 1876 by the Right Revd. Mgr. Collet, Bishop of Tours, has hundred of thousands of members.
The object of this devotion is to offer to the adorable Face of Our Lord, disfigured by sufferings, the homage of our love and veneration, and to make reparation, not only for the insults which it endured during the dolorous week of the Passion, but also for the blasphemies and profanations of the Sunday in our times, which renew the outrages it then suffered; and lastly, to obtain from God the conversion of blasphemers and Sunday-profaners.

PROMISES

made by Our Lord Jesus Christ to the venerable Sister Mary of St. Peter in favour of those who worship His Sacred Face.

1. Our Lord, says Sister Mary of St. Peter, has promised me to impress on the hearts of those who honour His most Sacred Face, the features of His divine likeness. (January 21st 1844.)
2. Through my Sacred Face you will work wonders. (October 27th 1845.)
3. You will obtain through my Sacred Face the salvation of many sinners. In return for that offering nothing shall be refused to you. If you knew how agreeable the sight of my Face is to my Father! (November 22nd 1846.)
4. As in a kingdom you obtain everything you wish for with the money bearing the image of the Prince, thus with the precious money of my humanity, which is my adorable Face, you will obtain in heaven whatever you ask for. (October 29th 1845.)
5. All those who endeavour to honour my Sacred Face in a spitit of reparation, will in this manner do what pious Veronica has done. (October 29th 1845).
6. The more you take care in repairing my Face, disfigured through blasphemies, the more I will take care of yours, disfigured through sin. I will again impress on it my image, and make it as beautiful as it was when leaving the Baptismal Font. (November 3rd 1845.)
7. Our Lord has promised me, says Sister Mary of St. Peter, that He would defend before His Father those who by words, prayers or writings, have defended Him in this work of reparation. At their death He would cleanse their soul from all stain of sin, and give it back its primitive beauty (March 18th 1846.)

PRAYER OF POPE PIUS IX.

O my Jesus! cast a look of mercy upon us; turn toward each of us Thy Sacred Face, as Thou didst to St. Veronica, not that we may see it with the eyes of our body, for this we do not deserve; but turn it towards our hearts, that, remembering Thee, we may draw from this source of strength the help necessary for the combats we have to endure.

(Audience granted to three parishes in Rome, March 10th 1872. Several bishops have enriched this prayer with indulgences.)

OTHER PRAYERS

Hail, o adorable Face of Jesus, noble seal of Divinity; I adore thee and I love Thee! I address myself to Thee with all the strength of my soul, humbly imploring Thee to impress on our hearts all features of Thy divine image. Amen.

Almighty God, heavenly Father! look down upon the Face of Thy divine Son! We offer it to Thee with confidence, to obtain pardon for our sins. Jesus, the Mediator between heaven and earth, opens His mouth to pray for us. O hear His words, behold His tears, and for the sake of His infinite merits, graciously hear Him when interceding for us poor sinners. Amen.

Have merccy on us, O my God, and reject not our prayers, when in the midst of our calamities we invoke Thy Holy Name, and with love and confidence fly to Thy adorable Face. Amen.

ASPIRATIONS

Father in heaven, we offer to Thee the adorable Face of Thy beloved Son for the glory of Thy Holy Name and the safety of our country. (Sister Mary of St. Peter.)

May I die consumed by the burning longing to contemplate the desirable Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Prayer of St. Edme, which Mr. Dupont used to repeat in the last years of his life.)

With the approval of the Right Revd William Clifford, Bishop of Clifton.