The devotions that follow accompanied The Glories of Mary in its classic English edition. They are not part of St. Alphonsus’s own work, but are offered here, as they were to earlier generations of readers, as a practical companion to his teaching — that what he has taught may pass into prayer. The indulgences mentioned in these pages are recorded as they were granted in their day.
A Novena in Honor of Mary
These meditations are upon the Litany of Loreto, and may be used for all the novenas that precede the principal feasts of the Mother of God.
The First Day
1. Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis—“Holy Mary, pray for us.” Since in the Litanies of our Lady the Church bids us repeat so often the petition that she will pray for us, Ora pro nobis, it is well, before meditating on the titles by which the holy Virgin is invoked, to consider how great is the value of Mary’s prayers in the sight of God. Blessed is the one for whom Mary prays! Jesus is pleased when his most beloved Mother prays to him, and he grants all that she asks. One day St. Bridget heard Jesus speaking with Mary and saying to her: “My Mother, ask what you will of me, for your petition cannot be in vain.” And then he added: “You denied me nothing on earth; I will deny you nothing in heaven.” St. Bernard says that to be heard by this Son is to be heard graciously. It is enough that Mary speaks, and her Son grants whatever she asks. Therefore let us always pray to this divine Mother if we wish to obtain eternal salvation, and let us say with St. Andrew of Crete: We then implore you, O most holy Virgin, to grant us the help of your prayers with God — prayers more precious than all the treasures of the earth; prayers that obtain for us a great abundance of graces; prayers that confound our enemies and triumph over their power.
2. Sancta Maria—“Holy Mary.” The name of Mary is a name of salvation. This name came not from earth but from heaven; and therefore St. Epiphanius says that it was not given to Mary by her parents, but was bestowed upon her by the express will of God. Hence it is that, after the name of Jesus, the name of Mary is above every name; for God has filled it with grace and sweetness, so that through it every blessing may be obtained by the one who names it. St. Bernard said: O Mary, your name cannot be pronounced without inflaming with love for you the heart of the one who utters it. And Blessed Henry Suso exclaimed: O Mary, what must you yourself be, if your very name is so lovely and gracious! A name full of blessings. St. Bonaventure said that the name of Mary cannot be invoked without profit to the one who invokes it. But above all, this name has power to overcome the temptations of hell. Ah, my Lady, if I had always invoked you in my temptations, I should never have fallen. For the future I shall never cease to invoke you, saying: “Mary, help me; Mary, succor me.” And obtain for me the grace always to call upon you in the perils of my soul.
3. Sancta Dei Genitrix—“Holy Mother of God.” If the prayers of the saints avail much with God, how much more will the prayers of Mary avail! The former are the prayers of servants, but the latter are the prayers of a Mother. St. Antoninus says that the prayer of Mary has the force of a command with Jesus Christ; and hence he adds that it is impossible for this Mother to ask a favor of the Son that the Son will not grant her. Therefore St. Bernard exhorts us to seek every grace we desire from God through Mary; for she is the Mother, and is always graciously heard. O great Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me. Look upon the miseries of my soul and have pity on me. Pray, and never cease to pray for me, until you see me safe in paradise. O Mary, you are my hope; do not abandon me. Sancta Dei Genitrix, ora pro nobis.
The Second Day
1. Mater divinae gratiae—“Mother of divine grace.” Mary is called by St. Anselm the Mother of all graces, and by the Idiot the Treasurer of divine grace. Hence St. Bernardine of Siena writes: All the graces we receive from God are dispensed by the hand of Mary, and are dispensed to whom she will, when she will, and as she will. This she herself says: “With me are riches and glory… that I may enrich them that love me” (Prov. 8:18, 21). The Lord has placed in my hand all the riches of his graces, that I may enrich those who love me. Then, O my Queen, if I love you, I shall be no longer poor as I am now. After my God, I love you above all things; obtain for me a greater tenderness and love for your goodness. St. Bonaventure tells me that everyone will be saved whom you wish to be saved. And therefore I will say to you with the same saint: O salvation of those who invoke you, save me. Save me from hell, and first of all save me from sin, which alone can bring me to hell.
2. Mater purissima—“Mother most pure.” This fair and pure Virgin Mother makes all her servants chaste and pure. St. Ambrose writes that even while Mary was on earth, by her very presence she inspired with the love of purity all who looked upon her. She was called the lily among thorns: “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (Cant. 2:2). All other virgins, says St. Denis the Carthusian, are thorns either to themselves or to others; but the Blessed Virgin was a thorn neither to herself nor to others, for she inspired with pure and holy affection all who beheld her. Moreover, Frigerio, the author of the life of St. Thomas Aquinas, writes that this saint said that even the image of this chaste turtle-dove extinguishes the sensual emotions of the one who looks upon it with devotion. And the venerable John of Avila relates that many persons who were suffering from temptations against purity were preserved pure through devotion to our Lady. Oh, how powerful, above all, is the name of Mary in conquering every temptation to this vice! O Mary most pure, free me from this vice; make me always have recourse to you in temptation, and to call upon you as long as the temptation lasts.
3. Mater inviolata—“Mother inviolate.” Mary was that immaculate woman who appeared in the eyes of God all pure and spotless: “Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee” (Cant. 4:7). Therefore she was called the reconciler of sinners, as St. Ephrem salutes her: “Hail, reconciler of the world.” And as she herself says in the Canticles: “Since I am become in his presence as one finding peace” (Cant. 8:10). St. Gregory says that if a rebel should appear before an offended king to appease him, it would only provoke the king the more to anger. But Mary, being destined to treat of peace between God and men, it was not fitting that she should appear as a partaker in the sin of Adam; and therefore the Lord preserved Mary from every stain of sin. Ah, my immaculate Queen, O spotless dove so dear to God, do not disdain to look upon the many stains and wounds of my soul; look on me and help me. That God who loves you so much denies you nothing, nor do you know how to deny yourself to the one who invokes you. O Mary, to you I have recourse; have pity on me. Mater inviolata, ora pro nobis.
The Third Day
1. Mater amabilis—“Mother most lovable.” Richard of St. Laurence says that the Blessed Virgin was lovable in the eyes of God himself. Mary was so beautiful in the eyes of God that he was enamored of her beauty: “How beautiful art thou, my love, how beautiful art thou!” (Cant. 4:1). Hence he called her his only dove, his only perfect one: “One is my dove, my perfect one is but one” (Cant. 6:8). It is certain, as Father Suarez says, that God loves Mary more than all the other saints together; and justly, for she alone loves God more than all men and all the angels. O Mary most pure, O Mary most lovely, you gained the heart of God; take possession of my poor heart also, and make me holy. I love you, and I trust in you. Mater amabilis, ora pro nobis.
2. Mater Salvatoris—“Mother of the Savior.” St. Bonaventure calls Mary the mediatrix of our salvation, and St. John Damascene the deliverer of the world. For two reasons Mary may be called the deliverer of the world and our mediatrix — that is, mediatrix of grace, as Jesus Christ is the mediator of justice. First, by the consent she gave to the Incarnation of the Word; for by that consent, says St. Bernard, she obtained salvation for us. Secondly, by the consent which Mary gave to the death of her Son, being willing that for our salvation he should be sacrificed on the cross. I will say to you, then, O Mother of my Savior — you who once offered to God the life of your Son — save me now by your intercession.
3. Virgo veneranda—“Virgin most venerable.” St. Anselm declares that when we say of Mary that she is the Mother of God, we say that she surpasses in greatness, after God, everything that can be conceived or expressed; whence he says to her: O Lady, nothing is equal to you, for everything is either above you, and that is God, or beneath you, and that is everything that is not God. In a word, St. Bernardine says that God alone can know the greatness of Mary; and Blessed Albert the Great affirms that Mary could not have been more closely united to God except by becoming God. Truly worthy, then, of our veneration is this great Mother of God; for God himself could not make her greater than he has done, by making her his Mother. O Mother of God and my Mother, Mary, I honor you, and would wish you to be honored by all hearts as the exalted Lady you are. Have mercy on a poor sinner, who loves you and trusts in you. Virgo veneranda, ora pro nobis.
The Fourth Day
1. Virgo praedicanda—“Virgin to be praised.” Holy Church sings that this divine Mother is worthy of all praise; for, according to St. Ildephonsus, all praise given to the Blessed Virgin is an honor paid to her Son. With reason, then, did St. George of Nicomedia declare that the praises given to Mary God accepts as if offered to himself. The holy Virgin promises paradise to the one who endeavors to make her known and loved: “They that explain me shall have life everlasting.” Richard of St. Laurence says that Mary will honor in eternity those who honor her in this life. St. Anselm says that, as Mary by being Mother of God was the means of saving sinners, so sinners receive salvation by proclaiming the praises of Mary. Not all can be preachers; but all can praise her, and tell others — in familiar conversation with relatives and friends — of the merits of Mary, of her power and her mercy, and so lead them to become servants of this divine Mother. O Queen of heaven, from this day I wish to do all that I can to make you honored and loved by all. Accept this my desire, and help me to fulfill it; and meanwhile admit me among the number of your servants, and no longer permit me to be a slave of Lucifer.
2. Virgo potens—“Virgin most powerful.” And who among the saints is so powerful with God as his most holy Mother? She obtains whatever she wishes, as St. Bernard has said: It is enough that you wish, and all things are done. St. Peter Damian even says that when Mary asks graces of God she does not so much pray as command. Thus the Son honors this Mother whom he loves so much, granting her whatever she asks, even favors for sinners. Hence St. Germanus says: You are the Mother of God, all-powerful to save sinners, and you have no need of any other recommendation with God, for you are the Mother of true life. O Mary, you can make me holy; in you I trust.
3. Virgo clemens—“Virgin most clement.” As Mary is powerful with God, so is she clement and merciful toward those who have recourse to her intercession. Neither the power nor the will is wanting to her, as St. Bernard says. The power to save us cannot be wanting to Mary, for she is the Mother of God; nor can the will be wanting to aid us, for she is our Mother. And who has ever had recourse to Mary and been abandoned? Let him cease to praise your mercy, says St. Bernard again, who remembers having ever invoked you without being heard. St. Bonaventure asserts that Mary’s desire to be invoked by us, that she may dispense her favors more abundantly, is so great that she considers herself offended not only by those who injure her, but also by those who do not ask favors of her. Thus there is no need to pray long to this Mother of mercy in order to obtain her aid; it is enough to ask it of her with confidence. Her clemency comes to our aid before we invoke it, as Richard of St. Victor says; and he gives the reason: she cannot see our miseries without being moved by them. Behold, then, O Mary, behold my miseries, and succor me. Virgo clemens, ora pro nobis.
The Fifth Day
1. Virgo fidelis—“Virgin most faithful.” Blessed is the one who with his prayers watches at the gates of Mary, as the poor wait at the gates of the rich to obtain relief! “Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates” (Prov. 8:34), as she herself says. Oh, that we were as faithful in serving this divine Mother as she is faithful in succoring us when we pray to her! Mary promises to those who serve and honor her that they shall be free from sin and shall obtain eternal salvation: “They that work by me shall not sin… They that explain me shall have life everlasting” (Ecclus. 24:30–31). She invites all to come to her, and promises them every grace they hope for: “In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue… Come over to me, all” (Ecclus. 24:25–26). St. Laurence Justinian applies to Mary that other text of Ecclesiasticus: “Her bands are a healthful binding” (Ecclus. 6:31); and he adds: Why bands, unless to bind her servants, that they may not stray into unlawful fields? Mary binds her servants that they may not take too much liberty and so bring about their ruin. O Mother of God, in you I place all my hopes: you must save me from falling again into sin. O my Lady, do not abandon me; obtain for me the grace to die rather than to lose the grace of God.
2. Causa nostrae laetitiae—“Cause of our joy.” As after the darkness and gloom of night the dawn is the cause of joy, so after the darkness of sin — which for four thousand years before the coming of Jesus Christ had prevailed on earth — the birth of Mary, our Dawn, brought joy to the world. When Mary was born, the morning rose, says a holy Father. The dawn is the precursor of the sun, and Mary was the precursor of the incarnate Word, the Sun of Justice and our Redeemer, who by his death freed us from eternal death. With reason does the Church sing of the Nativity of Mary: “Thy birth, O holy Mother of God, announced joy to the whole world.” And as Mary was the beginning of our joy, so she is also its completion; for St. Bernard says that Jesus Christ has placed the whole treasure of his merits in the hands of his Mother, so that every good we receive we may receive through Mary. O Mother of God, you are my joy and my hope, for you refuse your favor to none, and you obtain from God whatever you wish.
3. Vas insigne devotionis—“Vessel of singular devotion.” Devotion, as St. Thomas teaches, consists in the readiness of our will to conform to the will of God. This readiness was the chief virtue that made his most holy Mother so dear to God. And this we are given to understand by our Lord’s answer to the woman who called blessed the womb that bore him: “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). By this, according to Bede, the Lord meant that Mary was more blessed in the union of her will with that of God than in being his Mother. That flower which always turns toward the sun is a true type of Mary. The divine will alone was the only aim and satisfaction of Mary’s heart, as she herself sang: “My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:47). Oh, blessed are you, my Lady, who were always and entirely united to the divine will! Obtain for me the grace to live for the remainder of my life always in conformity with the will of God.
The Sixth Day
1. Rosa mystica—“Mystical rose.” It is said of Mary in the holy Canticles that she was the enclosed garden of God: “My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed” (Cant. 4:12). And St. Bernard, explaining this passage, says that the Lord planted in this garden all the flowers that adorn the Church, and among them the violet of humility, the lily of purity, and the rose of charity. The rose is red; and therefore Mary is called the rose, according to the Idiot, on account of the ardent charity with which her heart was always inflamed toward God and toward us. And where can we find an advocate more concerned for our salvation, who loves us more than Mary? We acknowledge that one alone in heaven is solicitous for us, as St. Augustine says of her. O my dear Mother, if I could love you as you love me! Yet I will not fail to do what I can to honor and love you; my sweet Lady, obtain for me the grace to be faithful to you.
2. Turris Davidica—“Tower of David.” Mary is called in the holy Canticles the Tower of David: “Thy neck is as the tower of David… a thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the armor of valiant men” (Cant. 4:4). St. Bernardine says that the tower of David stood on high, that is, on Sion; and therefore Mary is called the Tower of David, to denote the elevation of this great creature: as Sion was a most lofty place, so the Blessed Virgin was most exalted. Hence it is said of Mary in the psalms that her sanctity in the beginning was more exalted than the mountains: “The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains” (Ps. 86:1). St. Gregory explains it by saying that the divine Mother was more holy in the first moments of her life than the saints have been at the moment of their death. O my Queen and Mother, I rejoice in your greatness, and am ready to give my life that your glory should not be diminished in the least degree, were it possible that it could be diminished. Oh, that I might give all my blood to cause all the nations of the earth to honor and love you as the Lady you are!
3. Turris eburnea—“Tower of ivory.” So Mary is also called: “Thy neck is as a tower of ivory” (Cant. 7:4). Mary is called the neck, for she is the mystic neck through whom, from the Head, Jesus Christ, are transmitted to us the faithful — who are the members of the mystic body of the Church — the vital spirits, that is, the divine help that preserves in us the life of grace. In the words of St. Bernardine: Through the Virgin the life-giving graces flow from Christ, the Head, into his mystic body. The saint adds that from the time when Mary conceived in her womb the incarnate Word, she received from God such honor that no one could receive any grace except through her hands. Ivory, in a word, is smooth and strong; hence Rupert the Abbot writes of Mary: As a tower of ivory, beautiful in the eye of God, terrible to the devil. You, then, O my Lady, because you are so beloved by God, can obtain for us every blessing; and because you are terrible to the demons, you can free us from all their snares. Have pity on us, for we glory in living under your protection.
The Seventh Day
1. Domus aurea—“House of gold.” Gold is the symbol of love. Hence Blessed Albert the Great calls Mary the golden temple of charity. And with reason; for St. Thomas says that, as everything in the temple was covered with gold, so the beautiful soul of Mary was filled with sanctity. Mary was that house of gold which the Eternal Wisdom, the divine Word, chose for his dwelling on this earth: “Wisdom hath built herself a house” (Prov. 9:1). Now this house of God, says Richard of St. Laurence, is so rich that it can relieve all our miseries. O Mary, you love God so much that you desire to see him loved by all. This is the grace that above all others I ask of you, and hope for from you: obtain for me a great love of God.
2. Foederis arca—“Ark of the covenant.” Hesychius calls Mary an ark more spacious than that of Noe; for into that ark only two animals of each kind were received, but under the mantle of Mary all find room, both the just and sinners. This was one day revealed to St. Gertrude, who saw a multitude of wild beasts — lions, leopards, and the rest — that took refuge under the mantle of Mary; and she did not drive them away, but with kind hand caressed them, that they might not flee. The beasts that entered the ark remained beasts; but sinners who take shelter under the mantle of Mary do not remain sinners. She will surely change their hearts and make them dear to God. The Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “However a man may have sinned, if with a true purpose of amendment he returns to me, I am ready at once to receive him; nor do I look upon the sins with which he is laden, but only whether he comes with good dispositions; and then I do not disdain to bind up and heal his wounds, for I am called, and truly am, the Mother of mercy.” O Mother of mercy, I will then say to you with St. Augustine: Remember that it has never been known that a sinner who had recourse to you for help was rejected by you; I, a miserable sinner, invoke and trust in you.
3. Janua caeli—“Gate of heaven.” Mary is called the gate of heaven, because no one can enter heaven, as St. Bonaventure declares, except through Mary. “In Jerusalem is my power,” says our Queen; and Richard of St. Laurence adds: Commanding what I will, and introducing whom I will. I can obtain whatever I wish for my servants, and bring whom I will into paradise. Therefore St. Bonaventure says: Those who enjoy the favor of Mary are recognized as citizens of paradise; and those who are like her — that is, who have the grace to be her servants — are written in the book of life. For this reason St. Bernardine de Bustis calls Mary the book of life, and says that whoever, through devotion to her, finds himself written in this book will surely be saved. Ah, my Mother, in you I place the hope of my eternal salvation. I love you; save me, and do not permit a servant of yours who loves you to go and blaspheme you in hell.
The Eighth Day
1. Stella matutina—“Morning star.” Mary is called by St. John Damascene the star that precedes the sun. As the morning star precedes the sun, so devotion to the holy Virgin precedes the sun of divine grace; and St. Germanus says that devotion toward Mary in a soul is a sign that it is, or soon will be, in the state of grace. By the Church our Lady is also called the Star of the Sea; for, as St. Thomas explains, as in time of tempest mariners are guided into port by the star, so by Mary we are guided over the sea of this world to paradise. Therefore St. Bernard gives us this counsel: If you do not wish to be overwhelmed by the tempest of temptations, do not turn your eyes from this star of salvation. And then he adds: Following Mary, you cannot go astray; if Mary protects you, you cannot fear being lost; if Mary favors you, you will arrive at paradise.
2. Salus infirmorum—“Health of the sick.” Mary is called by St. Simon Stock the medicine of sinners, and by St. Ephrem not only medicine but health itself — firm health for those who have recourse to her. For whoever has recourse to Mary finds not only medicine but health, as she herself promises to the one who seeks her: “He that shall find me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord” (Prov. 8:35). Nor should we fear that, because of the loathsomeness of our wounds, she will refuse to take care of us. She is our Mother; and as a mother does not shrink from caring for a child covered with wounds, so this heavenly physician does not refuse to cure her servants who have recourse to her. Therefore St. Bernard says: O Mother of God, you have no horror of a sinner, however loathsome he may be; if he sighs for you, you will rescue him with your own hand from despair.
3. Refugium peccatorum—“Refuge of sinners.” So Mary is called by St. Germanus: the ever-ready refuge of all sinners; for the Idiot says that she cannot reject any sinner, but as soon as he has recourse to her, Mary receives him. Hence St. John Damascene calls Mary the refuge not only of the innocent, but also of the wicked who implore her protection. And St. Anselm says: You embrace with maternal love the sinner despised by the whole world, nor do you leave the wretched until you have reconciled them to their God. By this he gives us to understand that the sinner, being hated by God, is rendered odious and abominable in the eyes of all creatures; but if he has recourse to the refuge of sinners, Mary not only does not despise him, but affectionately embraces him, and does not abandon him until he is pardoned by her Son and our Judge, Jesus Christ. Then, O my Lady, if you are the refuge of all sinners, you are also my refuge. You who do not despise anyone who has recourse to you, do not despise me, for to you I commend myself. Refugium peccatorum, ora pro nobis. O Mary, pray for us and save us.
The Ninth Day
1. Consolatrix afflictorum—“Comforter of the afflicted.” St. Germanus writes: O Mary, who has so great a care of our welfare as you have? Is there anyone who relieves us in our afflictions as you do? No, replies St. Antoninus: there is none among the saints who has compassion on our miseries as does this most loving Lady. And because the miseries that most afflict us are the maladies of the soul, Blessed Henry Suso calls Mary the most faithful consoler of sinners. We need only show Mary the wounds of our souls, and at once she comes to our aid with her prayers and consoles us. Even, as Richard of St. Victor teaches, her tenderness anticipates us and relieves us before we invoke her. Let us say to her, then, with St. Bonaventure: O Mary, always console us, but especially at the hour of our death. Come then, and take our souls, and present them to your Son, who is to be our Judge.
2. Auxilium Christianorum—“Help of Christians.” St. John Damascene calls her the aid prepared and ready to free us from all dangers. The help of Mary is, as St. Cosmas of Jerusalem declares, all-powerful to save us from sin and from hell. St. Bernard addressed her in these words: You are invincible in the defense of your servants, doing battle with the demons who assail them. And for this reason Mary is called in the sacred Canticles “Terrible as an army set in array” (Cant. 6:3). Ah, my Queen, if I had always had recourse to you, I should never have been conquered by my enemies. From now on you must be my strength; in my temptations I will always invoke you, and from you I hope for victory.
3. Regina martyrum—“Queen of martyrs.” Mary is justly called Queen of martyrs; for her martyrdom, at the death of her Son on the cross, exceeded the sufferings of all the martyrs. “There stood by the cross of Jesus his Mother” (John 19:25). Mothers flee from their children when they see them dying before their eyes and cannot help them; but Mary does not flee — she remains with Jesus until she sees him expire. And while Jesus is in his agony, she is offering to the eternal Father the life of her Son for our salvation; yet in offering it she also endures the agony of death, and suffers a pain greater than that of any death. O my afflicted Mother, by the merits of the sufferings you endured at the foot of the cross, obtain for me a true sorrow for my sins and love for Jesus my Redeemer. And by that sword which pierced your heart when you saw him bow his head and expire, I pray you to assist me at the moment of my death, and to obtain for me then eternal salvation, that I may come to love you forever, together with your Son Jesus.
Meditations for the Feasts of Mary
The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus
1. When the time had come for Mary to go, according to the law, to be purified in the temple and to present Jesus to the divine Father, she set out with Joseph. Joseph took the two turtledoves that were to be offered, and Mary takes her dear infant — she takes the divine Lamb to offer him to God as a sign of that great sacrifice which this Son was one day to accomplish upon the cross. O my God, I too unite my offering to that of Mary; I offer you your Son made man, and by his merits I pray you to give me your grace. I do not merit it; but Jesus, to obtain it for me, has sacrificed himself to you. For love of Jesus, then, have pity on me.
2. Behold, Mary enters the temple and makes the offering of her Son in the name of the whole human race. But on this day Jesus especially offers himself to his eternal Father: Behold me, he says, O my Father; to you I consecrate my whole life. You sent me into the world to save it; behold my blood and my life — I offer all to you for the salvation of the world. Unhappy should I be, my dear Redeemer, if you had not satisfied the divine justice for me. I thank you for it with my whole soul, and I love you with my whole heart. And whom should I love, if I do not love a God who has sacrificed his life for me?
3. This sacrifice was more dear to God than if all men and all the angels had offered him their lives. Yes; because in this one offering of Jesus the eternal Father received an infinite honor and an infinite satisfaction. Jesus Christ once said to Blessed Angela of Foligno: “I have offered myself for you, that you may offer yourself to me.” Yes, my Jesus, as you offered your life to the Father for me, so I offer to you my life and my whole self. Until now I have slighted you with such great ingratitude; but you have promised to forget the offenses of a sinner who repents of having offended you. My Jesus, I grieve for it, and I wish to die of grief. I was dead in sin; from you I hope for life, and my life shall be to love you, O Infinite Good. Grant that I may love you, and I will ask nothing more of you. Give the goods of this earth to those who desire them; I desire nothing but the treasure of your love. My Jesus, you alone are enough for me. O my Queen and Mother Mary, through you I hope for every good.
The Annunciation to Mary
1. When God willed to send his Son to make himself man, that he might redeem fallen man, he chose for him a Virgin Mother, among all virgins the most pure, the most holy, and the most humble. And behold, while Mary was in her poor dwelling praying to God for the coming of the Redeemer, an angel appears and salutes her, saying: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). And what does the humble Virgin do when she hears such words in her honor? She is not elated, but is silent and troubled, esteeming herself too unworthy of these praises. “She was troubled at his saying” (Luke 1:29). O Mary, you so humble and I so proud, obtain for me holy humility.
2. Did not these praises, at least, lead Mary to suspect that she was the destined Mother of the Redeemer? No; they only caused her to conceive a great fear of herself. Therefore it was necessary that the angel encourage her not to be afraid: “Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God” (Luke 1:30). And then he announced to her that she was chosen to be the Mother of the Savior of the world: “Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Blessed are you, O Mary! How dear you were and are to your God! Have pity on me.
3. Take courage, says St. Bernard, addressing her; why do you delay, holy Virgin, to give your consent? The eternal Word awaits it, that he may clothe himself with flesh and become your Son. We, who are all condemned to eternal death, wait for it in our misery; if you accept and consent to be his Mother, we shall all be delivered. Quickly, O Lady, answer; do not delay to give the world that salvation which depends on your consent. But rejoice, for Mary already answers the angel: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). She is, she says, the servant of the Lord, bound to do whatever her Lord commands; and if he chooses a servant for his Mother, the servant is not to be praised, but only the goodness of God, who wishes thus to honor her. O most humble Mary, by your humility you so enamored your God that you constrained him to make himself your Son and our Redeemer. I know that your Son denies you nothing you ask; ask him to give me his holy love; ask him to pardon me all the offenses I have committed against him; ask him to give me perseverance until death. In a word, commend my soul to him, for your requests are never refused by a Son who loves you so much. O Mary, you must save me; you are my hope.
The Visitation of Mary
1. Mary set out from Nazareth to go to the city of Hebron — distant, according to Brocardus, some seventy miles, that is, at least seven days’ journey over rough mountains, and with no other companion than her spouse Joseph. The holy Virgin hastens, as St. Luke tells us: “She went into the hill country with haste” (Luke 1:39). Tell us, O holy Lady, why you undertook this long and difficult journey, and why you hastened so on your way. I am going, she answers, to fulfill my office of charity; I am going to console a family. If, then, O great Mother of God, your office is to console and dispense graces to souls, ah, come to console and visit my soul. Your visit then sanctified the house of Elizabeth; come, O Mary, and sanctify me also.
2. And now the holy Virgin has arrived at the house of Elizabeth. She had been made Mother of God, yet she is the first to greet her kinswoman. She entered and saluted Elizabeth. Elizabeth, enlightened by the Lord, already knows that the divine Word has become man and the Son of Mary; hence she calls her blessed among women, and blesses that divine fruit that was in her womb: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42). And, filled at once with awe and joy, she exclaims: “Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43). But what does the humble Mary answer to these words? She answers: “My soul doth magnify the Lord” (Luke 1:46). As if she would say: Ah, Elizabeth, you praise me; but I praise my God, that he has chosen to exalt me, his poor servant, to be his Mother: “He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid” (Luke 1:48). O most holy Mary, since you dispense so many graces to those who ask them of you, I pray you to give me your humility. You esteem yourself as nothing before God; but I am worse than nothing, for I am at once nothing and a sinner. You can make me humble. Make me so, for love of that God who made you his Mother.
3. But at the first words of Mary, when she greets Elizabeth, what happens? The child, John, leaps for joy at the divine grace given him before his birth; Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit; and Zachary, the father of the Baptist, not long after is consoled by the recovery of his speech. So it is indeed true, O my Queen and Mother, that through you the divine graces are dispensed and souls are sanctified. Do not forget, then, O my most dear Lady, your poor servant, who loves you and has placed in you all his hope. Your prayers are all graciously heard by that God who loves you so much. Pray, then, for me, O my Mother, and make me holy.
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
1. Mary dies; but how does she die? She dies entirely detached from any affection for created things, and dies consumed with that divine love with which her most holy heart was always and entirely inflamed. O holy Mother, you have already left the earth; do not forget us, miserable pilgrims, who remain in this valley of tears, struggling against so many enemies who desire to see us lost in hell. Ah, by the merits of your precious death, obtain for us detachment from earthly things, pardon of our sins, love of God, and holy perseverance; and when the hour of our death shall come, assist us from heaven with your prayers, and obtain for us to come and kiss your feet in paradise.
2. Mary dies, and her most pure body is carried by the holy apostles and laid in the sepulcher, where it is guarded by angels for three days, after which it is borne to paradise; but her beautiful soul entered the kingdom of the blessed as soon as she expired, accompanied by countless angels and by her Son himself. Having entered heaven, she humbly presents herself to God, adores him, and with unbounded love thanks him for all the graces she has received from him. God embraces her, blesses her, and constitutes her Queen of the universe, exalting her above all the angels and saints. Now, if the human mind, as the Apostle says, cannot comprehend the great glory that God is preparing in heaven for his servants who have loved him on this earth, what must be the glory he gave to this his most holy Mother, who on earth loved him more than all the saints and angels, and loved him with all her power! So that Mary alone, when she entered heaven, could say to God: O my Lord, if I have not loved you on earth as you deserve, at least I have loved you as much as I could.
3. Let us rejoice with Mary in the glory with which her God has enriched her; and let us also rejoice for ourselves, for at the same time Mary was made Queen of the world and appointed our advocate. So merciful is she as advocate that she consents to defend all sinners who commend themselves to her; and so powerful is she with our Judge that she wins all the causes she defends. O our Queen and advocate, in your hand is our salvation; if you pray for us, we shall be saved. Say to your Son that you wish us with you in paradise. He denies you nothing you ask. O our life, our sweetness, and our hope! Mary, pray to Jesus for us.
The Nativity of Mary
1. Before the birth of Mary the world was lost in the darkness of sin. Mary was born, and the morning arose, says a holy Father. Already it had been said of Mary: “Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising?” (Cant. 6:9). As the earth rejoices when the day dawns, for the dawn is the precursor of the sun, so Mary at her birth gave joy to the whole world, for she was the precursor of the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ, who, being made her Son, came to save us by his death. Therefore the Church sings: “Thy nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, announced joy to the whole world; for from thee arose the Sun of Justice, who has given us life eternal.” Thus, when Mary was born, we received our remedy, our consolation, and our salvation; for through Mary we received the Savior.
2. This child being destined to be the Mother of the eternal Word, God bestowed on her so much grace that even from her immaculate conception her sanctity surpassed the sanctity of all the saints and angels united; for she received a grace of a higher order, corresponding to the dignity of Mother of God. O holy infant, O full of grace, I, a miserable sinner, salute you and honor you. You are the beloved, the delight of God; have pity on me, who through my sins have been hateful and abominable in the eyes of God. You, O most pure Virgin, knew so well, even from your infancy, how to gain the heart of God, that he denies you nothing, and grants all that you ask of him. In you, then, I place my hope. Commend me to your Son, and I shall be saved.
3. At the same time that Mary was destined to be the Mother of our Redeemer, she was also destined to be the mediatrix between God and us sinners. Hence the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas, says that Mary received grace sufficient to save all men; and therefore St. Bernard calls Mary a channel so full that we can all partake of its fullness. O my Queen, O mediatrix of sinners, fulfill your office and intercede for me! Let not my sins prevent me from confiding in you, O great Mother of God; no, I trust in you — and I trust in you so much that, if my salvation were in my own hands, I would still place it all in yours. O Mary, receive me under your protection, and this is enough for me.
The Presentation of Mary
1. The holy child Mary, having scarcely reached the age of three years, entreated her parents to place her in the temple, according to the promise they had made. When the appointed day had come, the immaculate young Virgin leaves Nazareth with St. Joachim and St. Anne, attended by a host of angels who accompany this holy child destined to be the Mother of their Creator. Go, says St. Germanus, go, O blessed Virgin, to the house of the Lord, to await the Holy Spirit, who is to come and make you the Mother of the eternal Word.
2. When the holy company had arrived at the temple in Jerusalem, the holy child turns to her parents, and kneeling, kisses their hands, asks their blessing, and then, without looking back, ascends the steps of the temple. There, renouncing entirely the world and all that the world could give her, she offers and consecrates herself wholly to God. From that time the life of Mary in the temple was but one continual exercise of love, and the offering of her whole self to her Lord. She increased from hour to hour, indeed from moment to moment, in holy virtues — sustained by divine grace, yet always striving with all her powers to correspond with grace. Mary herself revealed this to St. Elizabeth the virgin, saying: “Do you think that I obtained graces and virtues without effort? Know that I received from God no grace without great effort, continual prayer, ardent desire, and many tears and penances.”
3. Thus Mary, a young virgin in the temple, did nothing but pray. And seeing the human race lost and hateful to God, she prayed especially for the coming of the Messiah, desiring then to be the servant of that happy Virgin who was to be the Mother of God. Oh, who would have said to her then: O holy Lady, know that already, through your prayers, the Son of God hastens to come and redeem the world; and know that you are the blessed one chosen to be the Mother of your Creator. O beloved of God, most holy child, you pray for all; pray also for me. You consecrated yourself wholly, even from infancy, to the love of your God; ah, obtain for me at least that, during the remaining years of my life, I may live for God alone. Today, together with you, I renounce all creatures, and consecrate myself to the love of my Lord. I also offer myself to you, O my Queen, to serve you forever. Accept me for your special servant, and obtain for me the grace to be faithful to you and to your Son, that I may come one day to praise you and love you eternally in paradise.
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
1. It was indeed fitting that the three divine Persons should preserve Mary from original sin. It was fitting for the Father, for Mary was his firstborn daughter. As Jesus was the firstborn of God — “the firstborn of every creature” (Col. 1:15) — so Mary, being destined to become the Mother of Jesus, was always regarded by God as his adopted firstborn daughter, and therefore he always possessed her by his grace: “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways” (Prov. 8:22). It was, then, fitting for the honor of the Son that the Father should preserve the Mother from every stain of sin. It was fitting also because he destined this his daughter to crush the head of the infernal serpent that had seduced man: “She shall crush thy head” (Gen. 3:15). How then could he permit that she should first be its slave? Moreover, Mary was also destined to be the advocate of sinners; and for this reason too it was fitting that God should preserve her from sin, that she might not appear guilty of the very sin of those for whom she was to intercede.
2. It was fitting for the Son that his Mother should be immaculate. He himself chose her for his Mother, and it cannot be believed that a Son who has it in his power to choose a queen for his Mother would choose a slave. How then could we believe that the eternal Word would wish his Mother once defiled by sin, and once an enemy of God, when it was in his power to have an immaculate Mother, always the friend of God? Moreover, St. Augustine says: The flesh of Christ is the flesh of Mary. The Son of God would have shrunk from taking flesh from St. Agnes, St. Gertrude, or St. Teresa, because those holy virgins, before baptism, were stained by sin, and the devil could have reproached him with being clothed in a flesh that had once been subject to him. But he shrank not from becoming man in the womb of Mary, since Mary was always pure and immaculate. Besides, St. Thomas says that Mary was preserved from every actual sin, even venial, for otherwise she would not have been a fitting Mother of God; but how much less fitting would she have been had she been defiled by original sin, which renders the soul odious to God!
3. It was fitting for the Holy Spirit that this his most beloved spouse should be immaculate. The redemption of men who had already fallen into sin being decreed, he willed that this his spouse should be redeemed in the most noble manner — namely, by being preserved from falling into sin. And if God preserved the body of Mary after her death, how much more must we believe that he would preserve her soul from the corruption of guilt? For this reason the divine Spouse called her an enclosed garden and a sealed fountain, for the enemies never entered the blessed soul of Mary. Therefore he praised her, calling her all fair, ever beloved, and spotless. Ah, my most lovely Lady, it is my delight to see you so dear to your God through your purity and beauty. I thank God for having preserved you from every sin. Ah, my Queen, since you are so loved by the most Holy Trinity, do not disdain to cast your eyes upon my soul, so defiled by sin, that you may obtain for me from God pardon and eternal salvation. Look upon me and change me. You, by your sweetness, have drawn so many hearts to love you; draw also my heart, that henceforth I may love none other than God and you. You know that in you I have placed all my hope; my dear Mother, do not abandon me. Assist me always by your intercession, in life and especially in death; make me then to die invoking you and loving you, that I may come to love you forever in paradise.
Prayers to the Divine Mother for Every Day of the Week
Sunday
Prayer to the Most Holy Mary, to Obtain the Pardon of Sin
Behold, O Mother of God, at your feet a miserable sinner, a slave of hell, who has recourse to you and trusts in you. I do not even deserve that you should look upon me; but I know that, having seen your Son die to save sinners, you have the greatest desire to help them. O Mother of mercy, look upon my miseries and have pity on me. I hear you called by all the refuge of sinners, the hope of the despairing, the help of the abandoned. Then you are my refuge, my hope, my help. You must save me by your intercession. Aid me, for the love of Jesus Christ; give your hand to a poor fallen sinner who commends himself to you. I know that you find consolation in helping the sinner whenever you can; help me, then, for you can help me. By my sins I have lost the grace of God and my own soul. Now I place myself in your hands; tell me what I must do to return to the favor of my Lord, for I will do it without delay. He sends me to you, that you may aid me, and he wishes me to have recourse to your mercy, so that not only the merits of your Son, but your prayers also, may help in my salvation. To you, then, I have recourse: you who pray for so many others, pray also to Jesus for me. Ask him to pardon me, and he will pardon me; tell him that you desire my salvation, and he will save me. Make known the good that you can do for those who confide in you. Amen: thus I hope, thus may it be.
Monday
Prayer to the Most Holy Mary, to Obtain Holy Perseverance
O Queen of heaven, I who once was a miserable slave of Lucifer now dedicate myself to you as your servant forever, and offer myself to honor and serve you for my whole life. Accept me; do not refuse me, as I deserve. O my Mother, in you I have placed all my hopes; from you I hope for every blessing. I thank and bless God, who in his mercy has given me this confidence in you, which I count the great pledge of my salvation. Ah, how I have fallen in my past life, miserable sinner that I am, because I did not have recourse to you! Now I hope to be pardoned through the merits of Jesus Christ and through your prayers. But I may yet again lose the divine grace; the danger is not over; my enemies do not sleep. How many new temptations remain for me to conquer! Ah, my most sweet Lady, protect me, and do not permit me to become their slave again; help me always. I know that you will help me, and with your help I shall conquer, if I commend myself to you. But this I fear: that in the occasions of falling into sin I may neglect to call on you, and so be lost. This grace I ask of you: obtain for me that in the assaults of hell I may always have recourse to you, saying, “Mary, help me.” My good Mother, do not permit me to lose my God.
Tuesday
Prayer to the Most Holy Mary, to Obtain a Good Death
O Mary, what will my death be? I tremble and am confounded when I now consider my sins and think of that great, decisive moment of my salvation or my eternal damnation, when I shall die and be judged. O my most sweet Mother, my hopes are in the blood of Jesus Christ and in your intercession. O consoler of the afflicted, do not abandon me then; do not cease to console me in that great affliction. If now I am tormented with remorse for my past sins, with the uncertainty of pardon, the danger of relapse, and the rigor of divine justice, what will become of me then? If you do not aid me, I am lost. Ah, my Lady, before my death arrives, obtain for me a deep sorrow for my sins, a true amendment, and fidelity to God for whatever life remains to me. And when the last moment of my life comes, O Mary, my hope, aid me then in my great distress, and strengthen me, that I may not despair at the sight of my sins, which the demon will set before me. Obtain for me the grace to invoke you then more constantly, that I may breathe my last with your sweet name, and that of your most holy Son, upon my lips. And now, O Lady, pardon my boldness: before I die, come yourself to console me by your presence. This grace you have granted to so many of your servants; I also wish and hope for it. I am indeed a sinner, and do not deserve it; but I am your servant, who loves you and has great confidence in you. O Mary, I wait for you; do not leave me without consolation. At least, if I am not worthy of so great a favor, assist me from heaven, that I may die in the love of God and of you, and come to love God and you eternally in paradise.
Wednesday
Prayer to the Most Holy Mary, to Obtain Deliverance from Hell
O my dearest Lady, I thank you that you have so often rescued me from hell, as often as I deserved it by my sins. Miserable sinner that I am! I was already condemned to that prison, and the sentence would perhaps have been carried out upon me after my first sin, had you not in your mercy helped me. You were not even invoked by me; yet by your mercy alone you restrained the divine justice, and then, subduing my hard-heartedness, drew me to take confidence in you. And oh, into how many sins I should have fallen in the dangers to which I have been exposed, had you, my most loving Mother, not preserved me by the graces you obtained for me! Ah, my Queen, still preserve me from hell. But of what avail will your mercy be, and the favors you have bestowed on me, if I should be condemned? If once I did not love you, now, after God, I love you above everything. Ah, do not permit me to turn my back upon you and upon God, who through you has dispensed to me so many mercies. My most kind Lady, do not permit me to hate and curse you in hell. Will you suffer a servant of yours who loves you to be lost? O Mary, what do you say to me? I shall be lost if I leave you. But who could have the heart to leave you? How could I forget the love you have borne me? My Mother, since you have done so much to save me, complete the work; continue to aid me. Do you wish to help me? But what do I say? If you showed me so much favor when I lived forgetful of you, how much more ought I now to hope, when I love you and commend myself to you! No: he who has recourse to you is never lost—only he who does not commend himself to you. Ah, my Mother, do not leave me in my own hands, for then I shall be lost; make me always have recourse to you. Save me, my hope, save me from hell; but first from sin, which alone can condemn me to hell.
Thursday
Prayer to the Most Holy Mary, to Obtain Paradise
O Queen of paradise, who are seated above the choirs of angels, nearest to God, from this vale of misery I, a miserable sinner, salute you, and pray you to turn toward me those kind eyes of yours, which dispense graces to all on whom they look. See, O Mary, in how much danger I now find myself, and must find myself, while I live on this earth, of losing my soul, paradise, and God. In you, O Lady, I have placed all my hopes. I love you, and long to come to you, to see you and praise you in paradise. Ah, Mary, when will the day come that I shall see myself safe at your feet, and behold the Mother of my Lord and my own Mother, who has been so occupied with my salvation? When shall I kiss that hand which has so many times delivered me from hell and bestowed on me so many graces, when by my sins I deserved to be hated and abandoned by all? O Lady, I have been very ungrateful to you in my life; but if I come to paradise I will be ungrateful no more. There I will love you as much as I can, every moment, through all eternity, and I will make amends for my ingratitude by blessing you and thanking you forever. Above all, I thank God, who gives me such confidence in the blood of Jesus Christ and in you: namely, that you will save me, that you will free me from my sins, and obtain for me light and strength to do the divine will, and at last bring me to the harbor of paradise. All this your servants have hoped, and none have been deceived. Neither shall I be deceived. Mary, I wish for nothing else; you must save me. Pray to your Son Jesus—as I also pray to him, through the merits of his passion—to preserve in me, and ever more increase, this confidence; and I shall be saved.
Friday
Prayer to the Most Holy Mary, to Obtain Love toward Her and Jesus Christ
O Mary, I know that you are the most noble of creatures, the most sublime, the most pure, the most beautiful, the most merciful, the most holy—in a word, the most lovely of all creatures. Oh, if all knew you, O my Lady, and loved you as you deserve! But I console myself that so many happy souls in heaven and on earth live enamored of your goodness and beauty. Above all, I rejoice that God himself loves you alone more than all men and angels together. My most kind Queen, I too, a miserable sinner, love you; but I love you too little. I desire a greater and more tender love toward you; and this you must obtain for me, for to love you is a great sign of predestination, and a grace that God does not grant except to those whom he wishes to save.
I see myself, then, O my Mother, greatly indebted to your Son. I see that he deserves an infinite love. You, who desire nothing but to see him loved, this is the grace that above all others you must obtain for me: obtain for me a great love for Jesus Christ. You obtain from God whatever you wish; ah, obtain for me this grace, to be so united with the divine will that I may never again be separated from it. I do not ask of you the goods of earth, neither honors nor riches; I ask of you what your heart most desires: I wish to love my God. Is it possible that you will not aid me in this my desire, which pleases you so much? No; for even now you help me, even now you are praying for me. Pray, pray, and never cease to pray until you see me in paradise, beyond the danger of ever losing my Lord, and certain of loving him forever, together with you, my dearest Mother.
Saturday
Prayer to the Most Holy Mary, to Obtain Her Patronage
O my most holy Mother, I know what graces you have obtained for me, and I see the ingratitude of which I have been guilty toward you. The ungrateful are no longer worthy of favors; but I will not on this account distrust your mercy, which is greater than my ingratitude. O my great advocate, have pity on me. You are the dispenser of all the graces which God grants to us miserable sinners, and for this end he has made you so powerful, so rich, and so merciful, that you might aid us in our miseries. Ah, Mother of mercy, do not leave me in my poverty. You are the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners who have recourse to you; defend me also, who commend myself to you. Do not tell me that it is difficult to gain my cause, for the most desperate causes are all won when they are defended by you. Into your hands, then, I place my eternal salvation, and to you I commit my soul. It was lost; you, by your intercession, must save it. I wish to be enrolled among your most devoted servants; do not cast me out. You go in search of the wretched to relieve them; do not abandon a miserable sinner who has recourse to you. Speak for me; your Son does whatever you ask of him. Take me under your protection, and this will be enough. Yes, for if you protect me I fear nothing: nothing from my sins, for you will obtain for me the remedy for the injury I have inflicted upon myself; nor from the demons, for you are more powerful than all hell united; nor from Jesus my Judge himself, for by one prayer of yours he is appeased. I fear only that through my negligence I may cease to invoke you, and so be lost. My Mother, obtain for me the pardon of all my sins, love for Jesus, holy perseverance, a good death, and at last paradise; above all, obtain for me the grace always to commend myself to you. It is true that these graces are too great for me, who do not deserve them; but they are not too great for you, who are so beloved of God that he grants you whatever you ask of him. It is enough that you begin to speak, and he denies you nothing. Pray, then, to Jesus for me; tell him that you protect me, and he will not fail to have pity on me. My Mother, I trust in you; in this hope I rest and live, and in this I wish to die. Amen.
Live always, Jesus our love, and Mary our hope.
The Little Rosary of the Seven Dolors of Mary
Incline unto mine aid, O God, etc.
My Mother, enable my heart to share your sorrow for the death of your Son.
First Dolor. I pity you, O my afflicted Mother, on account of the first sword of sorrow that pierced you, when in the temple, by the prophecy of St. Simeon, all the cruel sufferings that men would inflict on your beloved Jesus were set before you—sufferings you had already learned from the holy Scriptures—even to his death before your eyes upon the shameful wood of the cross, drained of blood and abandoned by all, while you stood powerless to defend or relieve him. By that bitter memory, then, which for so many years afflicted your heart, I pray you, O my Queen, to obtain for me the grace that always, in life and in death, I may keep impressed upon my heart the passion of Jesus and your sorrows.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, etc.; My Mother, etc., as above. (This verse is to be repeated at the end of each dolor.)
Second Dolor. I pity you, O my afflicted Mother, on account of the second sword that pierced you when you beheld your innocent Son, so soon after his birth, threatened with death by those very men for whom he had come into the world, so that you were obliged to flee with him by night, in secret, into Egypt. By the many hardships, then, that you, a delicate young virgin, in company with your exiled infant, endured in that long and wearisome journey through rough and desert countries, and in your sojourn in Egypt, where, unknown and a stranger, you lived all those years poor and despised, I pray you, O my beloved Lady, to obtain for me the grace to suffer with patience, in your company until death, the trials of this miserable life, that in the next I may be preserved from the eternal sufferings of hell that I have deserved. Our Father, etc.
Third Dolor. I pity you, O my afflicted Mother, on account of the third sword that pierced your heart at the loss of your dear Son, Jesus, who remained absent from you in Jerusalem for three days; for, not seeing your beloved one at your side, and not knowing the cause of his absence, I can conceive, my loving Queen, how in those nights you did not rest, and did nothing but sigh for him who was your only good. By the sighs, then, of those three days, so long and bitter for you, I pray you to obtain for me the grace never to lose my God, that I may always live closely united to him, and, thus united, depart from this world. Our Father, etc.
Fourth Dolor. I pity you, O my afflicted Mother, on account of the fourth sword that pierced your heart in seeing your Jesus condemned to death, bound with ropes and chains, covered with blood and wounds, crowned with thorns, and falling under the weight of the heavy cross which he bore on his bleeding back as he went, like an innocent lamb, to die for love of us. Your eye then met his eye, and your glances were so many cruel arrows with which each wounded the loving heart of the other. By this great grief, then, I pray you to obtain for me the grace to live wholly resigned to the will of my God, joyfully bearing my cross with Jesus to the last moment of my life. Our Father, etc.
Fifth Dolor. I pity you, O my afflicted Mother, on account of the fifth sword that pierced your heart, when on Mount Calvary you beheld your beloved Son, Jesus, dying slowly before your eyes, amid so many insults and in anguish, on that hard bed of the cross, without being able to give him even the least of those comforts which the worst criminals receive at the hour of death. And I pray you, by the anguish which you, O my most loving Mother, suffered together with your dying Son, and by the tenderness you felt when, for the last time, he spoke to you from the cross, and, taking his leave of you, gave all of us to you in the person of St. John, as your children—and you, still constant, beheld him bow his head and expire—I pray you to obtain for me the grace, by your crucified love, to live and die crucified to everything in this world, in order to live only for God through my whole life, and so to enter one day into paradise, to enjoy him face to face. Our Father, etc.
Sixth Dolor. I pity you, O my afflicted Mother, on account of the sixth sword that pierced your heart, when you saw the kind heart of your Son pierced through and through after his death—a death endured for those ungrateful men who, even after his death, were not satisfied with the tortures they had inflicted upon him. By this cruel sorrow, then, which was wholly yours, I pray you to obtain for me the grace to abide in the heart of Jesus, which was wounded and opened for me—in that heart, I say, which is the beautiful dwelling of love, where all the souls who love God repose—and that, living there, I may never love or think of anything but God. Most holy Virgin, you can do it; from you I hope for it. Our Father, etc.
Seventh Dolor. I pity you, O my afflicted Mother, on account of the seventh sword that pierced your heart, on seeing in your arms your Son who had just expired—no longer fair and beautiful, as when you first received him in the stable of Bethlehem, but covered with blood, livid, and torn by wounds that laid bare his very bones. “My Son,” you said, “my Son, to what has love brought you?” And when he was borne to the sepulcher, you wished to accompany him yourself, and to help to lay him in the tomb with your own hands; and, bidding him a last farewell, you left your loving heart buried with your Son. By all the anguish of your pure soul, obtain for me, O Mother of fair love, pardon for the offenses I have committed against my God, whom I love, and of which I repent with my whole heart. Will you defend me in temptations? Assist me at the hour of my death, that, being saved by the merits of Jesus and your own, I may come one day, with your aid, after this miserable exile, to sing in paradise the praises of Jesus and you through all eternity. Amen. Our Father, etc.
Pray for us, O most sorrowful Virgin. That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. O God, at whose passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, the sword of sorrow pierced through the most sweet soul of the glorious Virgin and Mother, Mary, grant that we, who commemorate and reverence her dolors, may experience the blessed effect of your passion, who live and reign world without end. Amen.
Benedict XIII granted two hundred days’ indulgence for every Our Father and every Hail Mary to those who recite this little crown in the churches of the Servites of Mary, and the same favor to those who recite it in any place whatever on Fridays, or on any day during Lent; and on other days, one hundred days for every Our Father and Hail Mary. To those who recite it entire, seven years. To those who recite it for a year, a plenary indulgence, applicable to the souls in purgatory. Let it be observed, moreover, that Clement XII granted seven hundred years of indulgence for the dead to those who say, kneeling, the De Profundis at the ringing of the bell.
A Little Rosary of the Immaculate Mary
(Recited in some churches.)
Incline unto mine aid, O God, etc. Glory be, etc. After this, an Our Father is recited in honor of the Eternal Father, in thanksgiving for all the graces bestowed on Mary, with four Hail Marys. The same is repeated in honor of the Son, and again in honor of the Holy Spirit. After each Hail Mary the following verse is recited:
As, amid the thorns, the lily fair Are you, O Virgin immaculate, From sin preserved by him whose care Did you his Mother blest create.
At the end:
V. Pray for us, O immaculate Virgin (Ora pro nobis, Virgo immaculata); R. That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ (Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi).
Let us pray. Grant to your servants, we pray you, O Lord, the gift of divine grace, that to us, for whom the motherhood of the Blessed Virgin was the beginning of salvation, the votive commemoration of her conception may bring an increase of peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dedication of Oneself to Mary
O most holy Virgin Mother of God, Mary, I, N., though most unworthy to be your servant, yet moved by your wonderful mercy and by the desire to serve you, choose you today, in the presence of my guardian angel and of the whole heavenly court, for my special Lady, Advocate, and Mother; and I firmly resolve that I will always love and serve you for the future, and do whatever I can to lead others also to love and serve you. I pray you, Mother of God and my most kind and loving Mother, by the blood of your divine Son which was shed for me, to receive me into the number of your servants, for your child and servant forever. Assist me in all my thoughts, words, and actions, at every moment of my life, that every step and every breath may be directed to the greater glory of my God; and by your most powerful intercession obtain for me that I may never again offend my beloved Jesus, that I may glorify and love him in this life, and that I may love you also, my most beloved and dear Mother, that I may love you and enjoy you through eternity in holy paradise. Amen.
My Mother Mary, I commend to you my soul, especially at the hour of my death.
Dedication of a Family to Mary
O blessed and immaculate Virgin, our Queen and Mother, refuge and consolation of all who are in misery, I, prostrate before your throne with all my family, choose you for my Lady, Mother, and Advocate with God. I, with all who belong to me, dedicate myself forever to your service, and pray you, O Mother of God, to receive us into the number of your servants, taking us all under your protection, aiding us in life, and still more at the hour of our death. O Mother of mercy, I choose you Lady and ruler of my whole house, of my relatives, my interests, and all my affairs. Do not disdain to take care of them; dispose of them all as it pleases you. Bless me, then, and all my family, and do not permit that any of us should offend your Son. Defend us in temptations, deliver us from dangers, provide for us in our necessities, counsel us in our doubts, console us in afflictions, be with us in sickness, and especially in the agonies of death. Do not permit the devil to glory in holding in his chains any of us who are now consecrated to you; but grant that we may come to you in heaven to thank you, and together with you to praise and love our Redeemer Jesus for all eternity. Amen: thus may it be.
Prayers of the Saints to Mary
Prayer of St. Ephrem to Mary (Abbreviated)
O immaculate and wholly pure Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Queen of the world, hope of the despairing: you are the joy of the saints, you are the reconciler of sinners to God, you are the advocate of the abandoned, the secure haven of the shipwrecked. You are the consolation of the world, the ransom of captives, the comforter of the afflicted, the salvation of the world. O great Queen, we take refuge in your protection. We confide in none but you, O most pure Virgin (Non nobis est alia quam in te fiducia, O Virgo sincerissima). O Lady, after God we have no other hope but in you. We bear the name of your servants; do not permit the enemy to carry us away to hell. Hail, best mediatrix of God and men (Ave, Dei et hominum mediatrix optima). I salute you, O great mediatrix of peace between man and God, O Mother of Jesus our Lord, the love of all men and of God. To you be honor and blessing, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
O most blessed and sweet Virgin Mary, full of compassion, I commend to your mercy my soul and my body, my thoughts, my works, my life, and my death. O my Lady, help me, and make me strong against the snares of the devil; obtain for me a true and perfect love, with which I may love with all my heart your most beloved Son and my Lord, Jesus Christ, and, after him, may I love you above all things. O my Queen and Mother, by your most powerful intercession make this love remain with me until death, after which may I be led by you to the country of the blessed.
Prayer of St. Blosius to the Blessed Virgin
Hail, Mary, hope of the despairing, help of the destitute, to whom your Son pays so great an honor that whatever you ask you at once obtain, and whatever you wish is at once done. To you are committed the treasures of the heavenly kingdom. Grant, O Lady, that amid the storms of this life I may always turn my eyes to you. To your mercy I commend my soul and my body. Direct and protect me at every hour and every moment, O my sweet protectress.
Another Prayer
Hail, most compassionate Mother of mercy; hail, consolation and pardon, Mary most desired. Who shall not love you? You, our light in doubt, our consolation in sorrow, our relief in distress, our refuge in perils and temptations: you, after your only-begotten Son, are our sure salvation. Blessed are those who love you, O Lady. Incline, I pray you, your ear of mercy to the prayers of this your servant, this miserable sinner, and scatter the darkness of my vices by the rays of your sanctity, that I may please you.
Short Prayers to the Most Holy Mary
Mother of God, remember me. — St. Francis Xavier
Virgin and Mother, make me always remember you. — St. Philip Neri
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me. — The same saint
O Lady, obtain that Jesus may not cast me from him. — St. Ephrem
O Mary, may my heart never cease to love you, nor my tongue to praise you. — St. Bonaventure
O Lady, by the love which you bear to Jesus, help me to love him. — St. Bridget
O Mary, deign to make me your servant. — Blessed Jane of France
O Mary, I give myself wholly to you; accept and preserve me. — St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi
O Lady, do not abandon me until death. — Father Spinelli
Hail, Mary, my Mother. — Father Francis Brancaccio
Holy Mary, my advocate, pray for me. — Father Sertorio Caputi
How sweet, O my Mother, is your name of Mary! It gives me peace and so much pleasure That I wish always to repeat it.
The most holy Mary revealed to a soul devoted to her that it pleased her much to be honored by her servants with the following devotions:
I thank you, O eternal Father, for the power given to Mary your daughter. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
I thank you, O eternal Son, for the wisdom given to Mary your Mother. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
I thank you, O eternal Spirit, for the love given to Mary your spouse. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
To you we cry, O Queen of mercy: turn toward us, and let us behold you dispensing favors, bestowing remedies, giving strength. Show us your compassionate countenance, and we shall be safe.
O Lady of all things, saint of saints, our strength and refuge, who are, as it were, a god of the world, glory of heaven: accept those who love you; hear us, for your Son honors you and denies you nothing.
Come, hasten, O Lady, and aid with your mercy your most sinful servant who invokes you, and deliver him from the hands of the enemy.
Who will not sigh to you? With love and grief we sigh. How, then, shall we not sigh to you, O solace of the miserable, refuge of outcasts, deliverer of captives? We are sure that, if you see our miseries, your compassion will not be slow to relieve us.
O our Lady and our advocate, commend us to your Son. Obtain, O blessed one, by the grace you have merited, that he who deigned, through your mediation, to become a sharer in our weakness and misery may also, by your intercession, make us sharers in his blessedness and glory.
In you I have placed the hope of my whole heart. — St. John Damascene
It is not possible, O Lady, that you should abandon him who places his hope in you. — St. Bernard
If you only wish for our salvation, it will be impossible that we should not be saved. — St. Anselm
Hail, daughter of God the Father; hail, Mother of God the Son; hail, spouse of God the Holy Spirit; hail, temple of the Holy Trinity. — Simon Garcia
O Virgin, how beautiful you are! Mother of my God, my heart is enamored of your goodness.
Thanks be to God and to Mary.
May all things be to the eternal glory of the most holy Trinity, and of the immaculate Mary.
Live always, Jesus our love and Mary our hope, with Joseph and Teresa our advocates.
Acclamations in Praise of Mary
O most holy Virgin Mary! O Queen of angels! How complete and perfect heaven has created you! Oh, that I might appear in the eyes of God as you appear to me! You are so beautiful and lovely that with your beauty you steal hearts. When you appear, everything else appears deformed; every beauty is eclipsed, every grace disappears, just as the stars vanish at the rising of the sun.
Your great servant, St. John Damascene, contemplated you; and when he saw you so lovely, it seemed to him you had taken the flower and the best of every creature, and so he called you the comeliness of nature (Naturae venustatem), the grace and beauty of all creatures. St. Augustine, the brightest light of the Doctors, gazed on you, and you appeared to him so beautiful and lovely that he called you the form and countenance of God, and it did not seem to him mere flattery: You are worthy to be called the form of God (Si formam Dei te appellem, digna existis). Your devout servant, Albert the Great, contemplated you, and it seemed to him that all the graces and gifts found in the most celebrated women of the ancient dispensation were surpassed in you: the golden mouth of Sara, when with your smile you make heaven and earth joyful; the tender and sweet glance of the fruitful Lia, with which you soften the heart of God, inexorable to sinners; the splendor of the countenance of the beautiful Rachel, as you obscure the sun by your radiant beauty; the grace and the comeliness of the discreet Abigail, with which you appease the wrath of an angry God; the fire and strength of the brave Judith, when you powerfully and graciously subdue the proudest hearts.
In a word, sovereign princess, from the vast ocean of your beauty there flowed forth, like streams, the beauty and grace of all creatures. The sea learned to curl its waves and ripple its crystal from the golden locks of your head, which, curling gracefully, floated upon your shoulders and ivory neck. The crystal fountains and their clear depths learned their quiet and steady flow from the serenity of your beautiful brow and your placid countenance. The graceful rainbow, when it is most beautiful, has carefully learned from your eyebrow to arch itself gracefully, that it may better dart forth its rays of light. The morning star and the gentle evening star are flashes from your radiant eyes. The white lily and the ruddy rose have stolen their colors from your cheeks. The envious purple and coral sigh for the ruby of your lips. The purest milk and the sweetest honey are distillations from the sweet honeycomb of your mouth. The fragrant jasmine and the rose of Damascus have stolen their perfumes from your breath. The loftiest cedar and the finest and most erect cypress count themselves happy when they see that they are an image of your straight and lofty neck, and the palm tree, in envy and emulation, imitates your stately stature. And thus, O Lady, every created beauty is the shadow and copy of your beauty.
Therefore I do not wonder, O sovereign princess, that heaven and earth are placed beneath your feet; for they are so small and you so great, that when your feet only rest upon them they are enriched, and they count themselves happy and blessed when they can kiss them: so it was with the moon, when St. John the Evangelist saw it at your feet. And the splendor of the sun was increased when you clothed yourself with its rays. The Evangelist, blinded by the greatness of your light, was lost in wonder, and beside himself at the sight of so stupendous a miracle of beauty, in which the beauty of heaven and earth was contained; and he said: “And a great sign appeared in heaven” (Signum magnum apparuit in caelo). There appeared a great wonder in heaven that amazed the angels and terrified the earth; and that miracle was a woman clothed from head to foot with light and splendor, whom the resplendent sun chose for his Mother, placing himself in her womb; to whom the fair moon serves as a robe encircled with silver, and innumerable stars crown her temples and, eager to encircle her locks, adorn her head with a wreath of precious gems: “And on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Et in capite ejus corona duodecim stellarum).
And so the saints, O most sacred Virgin, marveling at so great a splendor, which surpasses the brightness of the sun and the graceful loveliness of the moon—though these be the perfect flower and ideal of all beauty—and considering the acclamations that burst forth from the heavens, never ceased to admire your beauty, and did nothing but exclaim and extol you, with acclamations of wonder and amazement. St. Peter Damian, paying you his homage, says: “O holy, and most holy of all the saints, and the richest treasure of all sanctity!” And St. Bernard: “O admirable Virgin! O woman, the glory of all other women! The best and greatest the world has ever possessed!” St. Epiphanius: “O heaven more vast and extended than the empyrean! Virgin truly full of grace!” And the Catholic Church, in the name of all, sings: “O most clement, most merciful, O ever sweet Virgin Mary!”
And I also, O heavenly princess, with your leave—though I am the least of your servants—I too wish to make my acclamations of wonder and amazement. O gracious and beautiful heaven, more vast than the empyrean! For in this the immensity of God was not contained, yet he was concealed in your womb. O richest treasure, in which was laid up the most precious jewel of our redemption! O Mother of sinners, beneath your mantle we are protected! O consolation of the world, in whom all the afflicted, the sick, and the disconsolate find comfort! O beautiful eyes, that steal hearts! O coral lips, that take souls captive! O beneficent hands, full of hyacinths, that are always dispensing graces! O pure creature, who appear so like God, and whom I should have esteemed God, had not faith taught me that you are not God, although you have a splendor and I know not what of the supreme Deity! O great Lady, empress of heaven, enjoy for a thousand eternities the grandeur of your state, the immensity of your graces, and the felicity of your glory. Only this I beg of you, O compassionate Mother: that you will not forget us, who beg to be your servants and children. And because you are the keeper of all graces, and the best and most privileged of all created things, obtain for us your servants, O Lady, that we may be favored far more than any others in the world. And may all the world know that the dear children of Mary are the best in heaven and on earth: the beloved children who are tenderly cared for, and who enjoy the best that such a Mother has to give; the well-beloved, who are caressed in the bosom of the Queen of heaven, and are doubly favored and doubly caressed by your majesty.
Thus I hope, O most beautiful Rachel! And thus I trust you will do, O sovereign princess! In the name of all that you are, do it; for all heaven, prostrate at your feet, is beseeching and praying you for this. Consent; utter but one loving fiat: fiat, fiat; be it done, be it done. O man, what are you doing? How can you love the creatures of the earth, deceitful and lying creatures, who betray you and make you lose your soul and body, paradise and God? And why not love Mary, the most loving, the most lovable, and the most faithful, who, after enriching you with consolations and graces in this life, will obtain for you from her divine Son the eternal glory of paradise? O Mary, Mary, beautiful above all creatures! lovely, next to Jesus, above all loves! dearer than all created things! more graceful than all graces! have pity on my miserable heart—miserable, because it ought to love you and does not love you. You can kindle it with your holy love. Turn, O Mary, your loving eyes upon me; look upon me; draw me to yourself; and obtain that, next to God, I may love none but you, O most gracious, most lovable Mary, Mother of Jesus, and my Mother.
The Appellations of Mary
Among the titles by which St. Alphonsus honors the divine Mother throughout this work are these:
- Queen of mercy
- Compassionate Mother
- Loving Mother
- Our life
- Breath of Christians
- Terror of hell
- Our hope
- Magnet of hearts
- Debtor to sinners
- Throne of divine mercy
- Ladder and vehicle to heaven
- Throne of grace
- Celestial vessel
- Enclosed garden
- Channel of mercies
- Treasurer of graces
- Dispensatrix of graces
- Finder of grace
Live always, Jesus our love and Mary our hope.