From The Treasury of Prayer
Fr. Lawrence Lovasik, SVD
ROMAN CATHOLIC BOOKS
Mary Assumed
into Heaven
Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of all men! We believe with all the fervor of our faith in thy triumphal Assumption, both in body and soul, into Heaven, where thou art acclaimed as Queen by all the choirs of Angels and all the legions of Saints. We unite with them to praise and thank the Lord Who has exalted thee above all other pure creatures, and we offer thee the tribute of our devotion and our love.
We know that thy gaze which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, is filled in Heaven with the vision of that Humanity glorified and with the vision of Uncreated Wisdom; and that the joy of thy soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable Trinity causes thy heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness.
And we, poor sinners, whose body weighs down the flight of the soul, beg thee to purify our hearts, so that, while we remain here below, we may learn to see God, and God alone, in the beauties of His creatures.
We trust that thy merciful eyes may deign to glance down upon our miseries and our sorrows, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that thy countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that thou mayest hear the voice of Jesus saying to thee of each one of us, as He once said to thee of His beloved disciple: Behold thy Son.
We call upon thee as our Mother and, like John, take thee as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life.
We are inspired by the
certainty that thy eyes which wept upon this earth, watered by the
Blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world, held in the clutch of
wars, persecutions, and oppression of the just and the weak.
From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek, in thine Heavenly assistance and tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts and help in the trials of the Church and of our country.
We believe, finally, that in the glory where thou reignest, clothed with the sun and crowned with the stars, thou art, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the Angels and of all the Saints.
And from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to thee, our life, our sweetness and our hope. Draw us onward with the sweetness of thy voice, so that one day, after our exile, thou mayest show us Jesus, the blessed Fruit of thy womb; O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Hail, O Queen of Heaven enthroned!
Hail, by Angels Mistress owned!
Root of Jesse, Gate of morn,
When the world's true Light was born:
Glorious Virgin, joy to thee,
Loveliest whom in Heaven they see:
Fairest thou where all are fair,
Plead with Christ our sins to spare.
Mary, crowned with stars, with the moon for thy footstool, thou sittest enthroned above all the choirs of Angels. Turn thine eyes toward this vale of tears, and hear the voice of one who puts all his hope and confidence in thee.
Now thou rejoicest in the endless bliss of Heaven; but since once thou didst endure the miseries of this our exile, thou knowest how bitter are the days of him who eats the bread of sorrow.
On Calvary thou didst hear a
familiar voice which said: "Woman, behold thy Son," that is to say,
"Behold a son in My stead." By these words thou wert appointed the
mother of all believers.
Without thee what life should we have, who are the unhappy children of Adam? Each of us has a sorrow that tries him, a grief that oppresses, a wound that causes pain. All men run to thy protection as to the haven of safety and the fountain of healing. When the waves rise high in the tempest, it is to thee the sailor turns and prays for calm. The orphan runs to thee, for he sees himself like a plant in a desert, defenseless before all the whirlwinds of life. To thee the poor offer their prayers when they are in want of daily bread. Not even one is left without thy help and consolation.
Mary, dear Mother, enlighten our minds and warm our hearts. Let that pure love which streams forth from thine eyes, spread itself abroad and bring forth those wondrous fruits which thy Son has purchased for us by the shedding of His Blood, whilst thou didst suffer most bitter torments at the foot of His Cross.
Majestic Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the Angels, thou didst receive from God the power and command to crush the head of Satan. Therefore, we humbly beg of thee, send forth the legions of Heaven, that under thy command they may seek out all evil spirits, engage them everywhere in battle, curb their pride, and hurl them back into the pit of Hell. "Who is like unto God?"
Good and tender Mother, thou shalt ever be our hope and the object of our love.
Mother of God, send forth the holy Angels to defend me and drive far from me the cruel foe.Holy Angels and Archangels, defend us and keep us.
