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PRAYER TO MARY, REFUGE
OF SINNERS 1 According to St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. John Damascene affirmed that Mary is not only the refuge of the innocent, but also the wicked, who implore her protection: "I am a city of refuge of all who fly to me." Alphonsus also attested that St. Bonaventure said of her: "Thou embracest with maternal affection a sinner who is even despised by the whole world, nor dost thou cease thine embrace until thou hast reconciled him with his Judge." Thus, if a sinner has recourse to Mary, the refuge of sinners, not only does she not despise him, but embraces him with affection and does not leave him until her Son Jesus Christ, Who is our Judge, has forgiven him: Since, then, O my Lady, thou art the Refuge of all sinners, thou art my refuge. Thou, who despisest no one who has recourse to thee, despise me not, who recommends myself to thee: "Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
PRAYER TO MARY, REFUGE OF
SINNERS 2: O Queen of Heaven, I, who was once a miserable slave of Lucifer, now dedicate myself to thee, to be thy servant forever. I offer myself to honor thee during my whole life; do thou accept me, and refuse me not, as I should deserve. O my Mother, in thee have I placed all my hopes, from thee do I expect every grace. I bless and thank God, Who in His mercy has given me this confidence in thee, which I consider a pledge of my salvation. Alas, miserable wretch that I am, I have hitherto fallen, because I have not had recourse to thee. I now hope that, through the merits of Jesus Christ and thy prayers, I have obtained pardon. But I may again lose Divine grace; the danger is not past. My enemies do not sleep, How many new temptations have I still to conquer! Ah, my most sweet Lady, protect me, and permit not again to become their slave; help me at all times. I know that thou wilt help me, and that with thy help I shall conquer, if I recommend myself to thee; but this is what I fear-----I fear that in time of danger I may neglect to call upon thee, and thus be lost. I ask thee, then, for this grace: obtain that, in the assaults of Hell, I may always have recourse to thee, saying, Mary, help me. My Mother, permit me not to lose my God. My most beloved Lady, I thank thee for having delivered me from Hell as many times as I have deserved it by my sins. Miserable creature that I was, I was once condemned to that prison, and perhaps already, after the first sin, the sentence would have been put into execution, if thou, in thy compassion hadst not helped me. Thou, without even being asked by me, and only in thy goodness, didst restrain Divine Justice; and then, conquering my obduracy, thou didst draw me to have confidence in thee. O, into how many other sins should I have afterwards fallen, in the dangers in which I have been, hadst not thou, my loving Mother, preserved me by the graces which thou didst obtain for me! Ah, my Queen, continue to guard me from Hell; for what will thy mercy, and the favors which thou hast shown me, avail me if I am lost? If I did not always thee, now at least-----after God-----I love thee above all things. Never allow me to turn my back on thee and on God, Who, by thy means, has granted me so many graces. My most amiable Lady, never allow me to have the misfortune to hate thee and curse thee for all eternity in Hell. Wilt thou endure to see a servant of thine, who loves thee, lost? O Mary, what sayest thou? I shall be lost if I abandon thee. But who can ever more have the heart to leave thee? How can I ever forget the love thou hast borne me? My Lady, since thou hast done so much to save me, complete the work, continue the aid. Wilt thou help me? But what do I say? If at a time when I lived forgetful of thee thou didst favor me so much, how much more may i not hope for now that I love thee and recommend myself to thee! No, he can never be lost who recommends himself to thee; he alone is lost who has not recourse to thee. Ah, my Mother, leave me not in my own hands, for I should then be lost; grant that I may always have recourse to thee. Save me, my hope, save me from hell; but in the first place, save me from sin, which alone can condemn me to it. MOST holy, immaculate Virgin and my Mother Mary! To thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the Advocate, the Hope, and the Refuge of sinners, I have recourse today, I who am the most miserable of all. I render thee, my most humble homage, O great Queen, and I thank thee for all the graces you have conferred on me until now, especially for having delivered me from Hell, which I have so often deserved. I love thee, O most amiable Lady; and for the love which I bear thee, I promise to serve thee always and to do all in my power to make others love thee also. I place in thee all my hopes; I confide my salvation to thy care. Accept me for thine servant and receive me under thine mantle, O Mother of Mercy. And since Thou art so powerful with god, deliver me from all temptations; or rather, obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. Of thee I ask a perfect love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a good death. O my Mother, by the love which thou bears to God, I beseech thee to help me at all times, but especially at the last moment of my life. Leave me not, I beseech thee, until thou sees me safe in Heaven, blessing thee and singing thy mercies for all eternity. Amen.
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