As we continue our monthly devotion to the Immaculate Conception, here is another prayer which can be used either by itself or as a novena of nine days of prayer for a specific intention.
NOVENA IN HONOR OF THE SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION V. In your conception, O Virgin Mary, you were immaculate. R. Pray for us to the Father, whose Son Jesus, after He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, you brought forth into the world. V. To you, O Virgin Mary, who were never touched by any spot of original sin or actual sin. R. I commend and entrust the purity of my heart. V. O Mary, you entered the world without stain. R. Obtain from God that I may leave it without sin. V. O Mary, conceived without sin. R. Pray for us who have recourse to you. Let us pray. O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin made ready a fitting dwelling for your Son, we beseech you, who kept her unspotted from all stain, by the foreseen precious death of your same Son, grant to us in like manner to be made clean through her intercession and so attain union with you. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Blessed be the Holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Novena Prayers for the Immaculate Conception Immaculate Virgin Mary, you were pleasing in the sight of God from the first moment of your conception in the womb of your mother, Saint Anne. You were chosen to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I believe the teaching of Holy Mother the Church, that in the first instant of your conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ. Savior of the human race and your beloved Son. you were preserved from all stain of original sin. I thank God for this wonderful privilege and grace He bestowed upon you as I honor your Immaculate Conception. Look graciously upon me as I implore this special favor: (Mention your request). Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from your throne in heaven turn your eyes of pity upon me. Filled with confidence in your goodness and power, I beg you to help me in this journey of life, which is so full of dangers for my soul. I entrust myself entirely to you, that I may never be the slave of the devil through sin, but may always live a humble and pure life. I consecrate myself to you forever, for my only desire is to love your Divine Son, Jesus. Mary , since none of your devout servants has ever perished, may I, too, be saved. Amen. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). In last weekend’s bulletin we discussed the significance of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This weekend we will include suitable prayers to offer in keeping with this monthly devotion. The first is a novena prayer which should be prayed for nine straight days for a particular intention: NOVENA PRAYERS FOR THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my holiness and salvation. I pray that your prayers will bring me to imitate your holiness and submission to Jesus and the Divine Will. Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Now, Queen of Heaven, I beg you to beg my Savior to grant me these requests… (Mention your intentions) My holy Mother, I know that you were obedient to the will of God. In making this petition, I know that God’s will is more perfect than mine. So, grant that I may receive God’s grace with humility like you. As my final request, I ask that you pray for me to increase in faith in our risen Lord; I ask that you pray for me to increase in hope in our risen Lord; I ask that you pray for me to increase in love for the risen Jesus! Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. PRAYER OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, didst prepare a worthy dwelling place for thy Son, we beseech thee that, as by the foreseen death of this, thy Son, thou didst preserve her from all stain, so too thou wouldst permit us, purified through her intercession, to come unto thee. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION O most Holy Virgin, immaculate in body and spirit, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, receive my prayers as I present them to God. (State your intention here) O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, you intercede for us with your Son. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). During the month of December, the Church once again turns her attention to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, in particular, her Immaculate Conception. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
To become the mother of the Savior, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace.” In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace. Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin. The “splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary is “enriched from the first instant of her conception” comes wholly from Christ: she is “redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son.” The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose her “in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and “blameless before him in love.” The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God “the All-Holy” (Panagia), and celebrate her as “free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature.” By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long. (CCC #490-493) This understanding of the Church points out a few important points. The first is that Mary was prepared for her role as the Mother of the Savior in a particular way. We know that God not only calls people to certain tasks, but also calls them and then supplies those things necessary for the completion of that task. In the case of the Blessed Mother, she is given a place in salvation history like none other – to be the Mother of God. In His mercy, then, God prepares her for such a role by preserving her from the sin of Adam and Eve, original sin, so that she may be the Immaculate Mother of God, free of all sin and the defilement which comes from sin. This preservation from original and actual sin takes place at the very moment of her conception – hence, the title “the Immaculate Conception.” Secondly, the definition of the Catechism points out, in the words of Pope Pius IX, that this is “a singular grace and privilege” and flows from the merits of Christ Himself, in other words, Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception and the specific prevenient grace that is involved is a grace which flows from Christ and His own merits. Finally, we see that “the Father blessed Mary more than any other created person…” There is no one like the Blessed Mother and no one who ever will be like her – she is unique and exalted above all other creatures. The Collect of the Mass for the Immaculate Conception beautifully sums up both the dogma of the Immaculate Conception as well as how such a dogma applies to us: O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son, grant, we pray, that, as you preserved her from every stain by virtue of the Death of you Son, which you foresaw, so, through her intercession, we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to your presence. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. For reading, perhaps the best place to start is with the Apostolic Constitution in which Blessed Pope Pius IX infallibly defines the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Ineffabilis Deus. As has been mentioned before, the book “The Glories of Mary” by St. Alphonsus Liguori can be a helpful book with much to consider. You may also want to consider “The Song of Bernadette” which relays the story of St. Bernadette of Lourdes, to whom the Blessed Mother appears and says that she is the Immaculate Conception. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). We are now entering one of my favorite times of year – the stretch of the year that runs through Thanksgiving and the end of the liturgical year with the celebration of this weekend’s great feast, Christ the King and the beginning of a new Church year next weekend with the 1st Sunday in Advent, leading to our celebration of Christmas and its Octave and on through the end of the Christmas Season. It is a brilliant and wonderful time of year.
As we move into Advent I wanted to draw your attention to a couple of things as we prepare for Christmas. The first is the Sacrament of Penance. If Advent is a season of preparing to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord, as well as a time to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory, then a significant and important part of that preparation is ask for forgiveness for our own failures in living up to the faith that we profess and the sinfulness which too often can mar our hearts. God, in His wisdom, knows that we are weak human beings, but God, in His mercy, gives us a sacrament to restore that which is lost by sin. If you have not been to confession in a while or perhaps even a bit intimidated in thinking about it, I can assure you that there are few things more consoling in life than walking out of a confessional with our sins forgiven and a chance to begin again – there are numerous resources and guides on the internet to help people make a good confession and most Catholic prayer books will have some aid to help people go to confession. Be sure, in the midst of the busyness of this season, to make time to be fully reconciled to God through the Sacrament of Penance. St. Mary’s offers numerous times for confessions – confessions are heard on Saturday mornings at 8:30 after the morning Mass, on Friday afternoons from 2:00 – 5:00 and we will have two Penance Services with Individual Confessions, one at St. Dominic’s at 7:00 PM on Monday, December 11th and one here at St. Mary’s at 9:00 AM on Saturday, December 16th (please note this replaces the normal 8:30 confession time that day). I also will be adding two more opportunities for people to go to confession before Christmas – on Tuesday, December 19th at Noon and Thursday, December 21st, at 7:00 AM (following the 6:30 Mass) and later that same day at Noon. Secondly, as we look forward to the coming Advent and Christmas Seasons I just wanted to take a moment to share with you some information regarding the 4th Sunday of Advent and the Christmas Mass schedules here at St. Mary’s. As you may have already noticed, December 24th this year is both the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve – this happens rarely and the last time it happened was over a decade ago, in 2006. Because of the convergence of these two days, St. Mary’s, in conjunction with its neighboring parishes, will be adjusting both its 4th Sunday of Advent Mass times, as well as its Christmas Mass times. On December 23rd, we will celebrate the 5:00 Mass as usual for the 4th Sunday of Advent, but on December 24th we will be adjusting our morning Mass times and there will be two Masses, one at 8:30 AM and the other at 10:00 AM, both for the 4th Sunday of Advent. Christmas Eve Masses will be celebrated that afternoon at their usual 4:00 PM and 10:30 PM times (with the regular Christmas Concert at 10:00 PM). On December 25th, we will not have a 7:30 AM Mass, but instead two Masses, the 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM Masses for Christmas. 4th Sunday of Advent Saturday, December 23rd - 5:00pm Sunday, December 24th - 8:30am and 10:00am Christmas Sunday, December 24th - 4:00pm and 10:30pm Monday, December 25th - 9:00am and 11:00am Thank you for understanding the need to change our schedule in light of so many Masses in such a limited amount of time. In last weekend’s bulletin we offered some prayers to be prayed by one who wants to fulfill the Church’s recommendation to pray for the dead, particularly during this month of November. In this weekend’s bulletin are prayers for the dead which are appropriate for each day of the week, each days prayer ends with an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and the praying of the De Profundis which can be found in last weekend’s bulletin:
A PRAYER FOR THE POOR SOULS FOR EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK SUNDAY O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the garden, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that Soul amongst them all which is most destitute of spiritual aid; and vouchsafe to bring it to Thy glory, there to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. De Profundis. MONDAY O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and that Soul especially amongst them all which is nearest to its entrance into Thy glory; that so it may forthwith begin to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen. TUESDAY O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and in particular that one amongst them all which would be the last to depart out of those pains, that it may not tarry so long a time before it comes to praise Thee in Thy glory and bless Thee forever. Amen. WEDNESDAY O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the streets of Jerusalem, when He carried the Cross upon His sacred shoulders, deliver the Souls in Purgatory and especially that Soul which is richest in merits before Thee that so, in that throne of glory which awaits it, it may magnify Thee and bless Thee forever. Amen. THURSDAY O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Body and Blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus, which He gave with His Own hands upon the eve of His Passion to His beloved Apostles to be their meat and drink, and which He left to His whole Church to be a perpetual sacrifice and the life-giving food of His Own faithful people, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that one which was most devoted to this mystery of infinite love, that it may with the same Thy Divine Son, and with Thy Holy Spirit, ever praise Thee for Thy love therein in eternal glory. Amen. FRIDAY O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son shed on this day upon the wood of the Cross, especially from His most sacred hands and feet, deliver the Souls in Purgatory and in particular that Soul for which I am most bound to pray; that no neglect of mine may hinder it from praising Thee in Thy glory and blessing Thee forever. Amen. SATURDAY O Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee. by the Precious Blood which gushed forth from the side of Thy Divine Son Jesus in the sight of, and to the extreme pain of His Most Holy Mother, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that one amongst them all which was the most devout to her; that it may soon attain unto Thy glory, there to praise Thee in her, and her in Thee, world without end. Amen. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). As was discussed in our last article, the devotion for November that the Church recommends is praying for those who have died and are undergoing purification in Purgatory. Here is one of the common prayers for the dead, as well as a prayer we can pray for ourselves so that we are prepared for the moment of death. The psalm most associated with praying for the dead is the psalm known as De Profundis, Psalm 130. Here it is:
Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord hear my voice. Let Thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities; Lord, who shall stand it? For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning-watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plentiful redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. V. Eternal rest give unto them. O Lord. R. And let perpetual light shine upon them. V. From the gate of Hell. R. Deliver their souls, O Lord. V. May they rest in peace. R. Amen. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry come unto Thee. Let us pray: O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, we beseech Thee to grant to the Souls of Thy servants the remission of their sins, so that by our prayers they may obtain pardon for which they long. O Lord, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. May they rest in peace. Amen. PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH FOR A HAPPY DEATH O Blessed Joseph, you gave your last breath in the loving embrace of Jesus and Mary. When the seal of death shall close my life, come with Jesus and Mary to aid me. Obtain for me this solace for that hour - to die with their holy arms around me. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my soul, living and dying, into your sacred arms. Amen. PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH O God, great and omnipotent judge of the living and the dead, we are to appear before you after this short life to render an account of our works. Give us the grace to prepare for our last hour by a devout and holy life, and protect us against a sudden and unprovided death. Let us remember our frailty and mortality, that we may always live in the ways of your commandments. Teach us to "watch and pray" (Lk 21:36), that when your summons comes for our departure from this world, we may go forth to meet you, experience a merciful judgment, and rejoice in everlasting happiness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. PRAYER FOR FINAL PERSERVERANCE O God, Who, while condemning all men once to die, hast yet concealed from them the moment and the hour of their death, grant that, spending all the days of my life in justice and in holiness, I may be made worthy to depart out of this world in Thy holy love. Through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the Unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). The Church’s calendar for November begins with two major feast days, the Feast of All Saints on November 1st, followed by the Commemoration of All Souls on November 2nd. These two feasts which begin this month direct our minds and hearts to our ultimate end – life with God and help us to consider our eternal destination and the reality of death and of what have traditionally been considered the last four things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. In the midst of our consideration of those things the Church recommends that we also turn our minds towards the reality of Purgatory and to pray, in a particular way, for those who have died and are being purified in preparation for seeing God in the Beatific Vision. In our reflection on the monthly devotions of the Church, November is set aside in a particular way for prayers for the dead. In this first article of November, we will take a look at the Church’s understanding of Purgatory and then, secondly, how our prayers and sacrifices can affect those who are in Purgatory. The following two articles will present prayers that we can pray for the dead, as well as prayers to pray for ourselves that we may be spiritually prepared for the moment of our own death.
We begin with turning towards the Church’s doctrine on Purgatory. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire…” (CCC #1030-1031). We see here then that there are two important elements to keep in mind as we consider the Church’s doctrine on Purgatory. The first element is the reality of the effects of sin. Sin has its effects even once the sin itself is forgiven – there is still a debt that must be repaid even if the sin itself is forgiven. This notion is what underlies our understanding of the need to do penance for sin – even sin which has been forgiven. Over the course of our earthly lives, through prayer, sacrifices, acts of charity, etc., some of that debt is repaid. If, upon death, there is still some of that debt to be paid, it is paid for in purgatory. Perhaps we can liken it to a scar that one bears from surgery. The surgery deals with the illness or sickness, but the scar remains afterwards. If we use this analogy we can see that God’s mercy forgives the illness and sickness of sin, but a scar still remains, a scar which is then healed in Purgatory. The second element underlying the Church’s doctrine on Purgatory is the reality that we must be prepared and finally purified in order to see the face of the living God. In this sense then we can see Purgatory as the foyer of heaven, where the soul that has died prepares to encounter God Himself – anything of sin is removed so that one can enter into God’s sight in purity. Following from this, then, is our understanding that the prayers of those on earth can assist those souls going through this process of purification, we can, in effect, help make up for some of the debt that they owe from their own past sins – to repay a debt which is not ours in that sense. The Church goes on to state in the Catechism, “This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: ‘Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin’ (2 Maccabees 12:46). From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them” (CCC #1032). The greatest prayer that can be offered for someone who has died is the Mass. This is why we have Mass Intentions – the Mass Intention is the person for whom the Mass is being offered, when they are someone who is deceased it is to aid them in Purgatory. It is a noble and beautiful thing to have a Mass celebrated for one who has died. There is usually a monetary offering that is given to the Church when a Mass is requested. If you would like to request that one of your own loved ones be an intention at Mass, please contact the Parish Rectory where those are scheduled. Praying for the dead is one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy and is one that we particularly focus in on during the month of November. In the next few bulletins you will find prayers that can be offered for those who have died as well as a few prayers that we can pray for ourselves, so that, when that moment comes, we are ready. Books that may be helpful are Treatise on Purgatory by St. Catherine of Genoa; Life Everlasting by Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Legrance, OP; and Purgatory: Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints by Fr. F.X. Shouppe, SJ. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). Just a few weeks ago, another one of our parish sons, John LoCoco was ordained to the transitional diaconate in Rome. He joins his classmate and another one of our parish sons, Deacon Will Arnold (ordained in April) in beginning their final months of preparation and formation for ordination to the priesthood in May of next year. It has been many decades since two young men from the same parish were ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on the same day. This will be a great moment of celebration in their own lives and for their families as well as for the entire parish. We have been very blessed to have had, along with Patrick Magnor also in formation, three parish sons studying for the priesthood over these past few years. In order to mark this occasion St. Mary’s will be giving both Deacon LoCoco and Deacon Arnold an ordination gift. A number of people have asked me if they can contribute to cover the cost of that gift and the answer is – yes! If you would like to give a donation for ordination gifts for them, please simply make your donation out to St. Mary’s Visitation Parish and mark on the memo line: Ordination Gifts. They can be mailed directly to me, dropped off at the Rectory or placed in a separate envelope with “Ordination Gifts” marked on the outside and placed into the collection basket at Sunday Mass.
Speaking of vocations, if you or someone you know is considering a vocation to the priesthood, the diaconate or the religious life, please feel free to contact me, I would be happy to assist anyone who is thinking and discerning their calls. Of course, one can always look at the vocations office website, www.thinkpriest.org for more information and resources. I think that any of our parish seminarians would point out how important prayer has been to the discernment of their call. If we think of the Eucharist as food for the soul, then prayer is the soul’s breath. This past October 7th we celebrated the 32nd Anniversary of our Perpetual Adoration Chapel. When we step back to consider such an amazing history we can only begin to imagine the many vocations that have been discerned there, burdens lifted, strength offered, problems solved and thanks uttered in that chapel. Be sure to make a regular visit to the Chapel part of your own prayer life and, if you are so inclined, to consider committing one hour a week as a regular adorer or to sign up as a substitute for when needed. Information on our Chapel is provided in every weekend bulletin. Also this past October 7th, the parish launched a new initiative which you have probably seen in the bulletin – The Memorare Society. The Memorare Society is a group designed for parishioners who make a planned gift to the parish, whether while still alive, or as part of their estate. No matter how large or how small that gift, remembering the parish in that way is a great gift to the entire parish community. If you would like more information on The Memorare Society or have already made a planned gift or have made allowances for the parish as part of your estate or would like information on how to do so, please contact Cheryl Peters, our Director of Finance. She will be happy to assist you and the entire parish will thank you. As I wrote at the very beginning of this column we are privileged to have three sons of this parish in formation for the priesthood – did you know that it is the Catholic Stewardship Appeal that provides a large funding source for priestly formation? Along with this the Catholic Stewardship Appeal helps the Archdiocese to function, forms future priests and deacons, and assists the poor and the disadvantaged. It relies on the generosity of each one of us to make this all possible. I would like to ask you to consider making a donation to the annual Catholic Stewardship Appeal. If you would like more information on how to donate, please go to their website: https://www.archmil.org/2017-catholic-appeal/home.htm. Finally, be sure to remember that this coming Wednesday is the Feast of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses will be celebrated at 6:30 AM, 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM. During this month of October, the Church turns her attention in a particular way to Our Lady of the Rosary. In last weekend’s bulletin we laid out the Rosary and how to pray it, in this weekend’s bulletin we are including the Litany of Loreto, one of the litanies which mediates on the various titles given to the Blessed Mother and which can be added to one’s praying of the rosary either before the rosary is prayed or after. It is also fitting to pray this Litany whenever we have the opportunity as a way of asking Our Lady for help and assistance.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. 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 Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us. Holy Mother of God, (pray for us…) Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church, Mother of divine grace, Mother most pure, Mother most chaste, Mother inviolate, Mother undefiled, Mother most amiable, Mother admirable, Mother of good counsel, Mother of our Creator, Mother of our Saviour, Mother of mercy, Virgin most prudent, Virgin most venerable, Virgin most renowned, Virgin most powerful, Virgin most merciful, Virgin most faithful, Mirror of justice, Seat of wisdom, Cause of our joy, Spiritual vessel, Vessel of honour, Singular vessel of devotion, Mystical rose, Tower of David, Tower if ivory, House of gold, Ark of the covenant, Gate of heaven, Morning star, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comfort of the afflicted, Help of Christians, Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Virgins, Queen of all Saints, Queen conceived without original sin, Queen assumed into heaven, Queen of the most holy Rosary, Queen of families, Queen of peace. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord God, that we, your servants, may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body; and by the intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sorrow, and obtain eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). During this month of October, the Church turns her attention in a particular way to Our Lady of the Rosary. In last weekend’s bulletin we discussed this title of the Blessed Virgin Mary and both this weekend and next weekend you will find devotions which can be used in your own prayer life as we honor Our Lady of the Rosary. The most obvious devotion for the month of Our Lady of the Rosary is the Rosary itself! Here is how one prays the Rosary:
On the crucifix, make the sign of the cross and then pray the Apostles’ Creed. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. On the next large bead, say the Our Father. Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen. On the following three small beads, pray three Hail Marys. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. On the chain, pray the Glory Be. Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Many now add the prayer of Our Lady of Fatima also on the chain. O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen. Pray the first of the mysteries that you are meditating on (Joyful Mysteries: The Annunciation; The Visitation; The Nativity; The Presentation; The Finding of the Boy Jesus in the Temple; Sorrowful Mysteries: The Agony in the Garden, The Scouraging at the Pillar, The Crowning with Thorns, The Carrying of the Cross, The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord; The Glorious Mysteries: The Ressurection, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Assumption, the Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen; The Luminous Mysteries: The Baptism of the Lord, The Wedding at Cana, The Proclamation of the Kingdom, The Transfigurationon, the Institution of the Eucharist) and pray the Our Father followed by ten Hail Mary’s on the small beeds. The a Glory be, etc. until all five decades have been prayed. At the end of your Rosary, say the Hail Holy Queen. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). |
Fr. PeterArchives
June 2023
Categories |