Prayer to the Blessed Virgin
Composed by Pope Pius XII
O Virgin,
fair as the moon, in whom the
Heavens rejoice, upon whose face the blessed gaze, and
whom the Angels acknowledge as their model;
make us, thy children, like unto thee by shedding upon our souls a ray
of thy beauty such as will not grow dim with passing time, but will
shine
for all eternity.
O Mary, thou mystic sun, reawaken life wherever there is death, and cast thy light on souls where shadows fall. Let thy image be mirrored in the faces of thy children, and grant us to reflect thy light and thy ardor.
O Mary, powerful as an army, grant victory to our ranks. We are so weak, and our proud enemy unceasingly rages against us. But under thy standard we have the sure hope of conquering him, for he knows the power of thy heel and trembles at the majesty of thy countenance.
Save us, O Mary, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, powerful as an army set in array, whose strength lies not in hate but in the most glowing love. Amen.
January 17, 1956
Prayer to
Mary Most Holy,
Mother of Orphans
Composed by Pope Pius XII
Hail, O
Virgin most pure and Queen most
powerful, whom the human family addresses with the
sweetest name of Mother, we cannot call
upon an earthly mother either because we have never known one or
because
we have been deprived very early of the support of a mother's sweet
care.
Therefore we have recourse to thee, confident that thou wilt show
thyself
a Mother to us in particular. If our sad plight moves men's hearts with
sentiments of pity, compassion and love towards us, will not thy most
tender
heart be moved still more seeing as thou art the most loving, the most
affectionate and the most merciful of all pure creatures.
O true Mother of all orphans, we take refuge in thy Immaculate Heart, certain to find therein all comfort and consolation for our lonely hearts. We place full confidence in thee trusting that thy maternal hand will guide and sustain us in the difficult journey through this life.
Bless all who assist us and protect us in Thy name; reward our benefactors and those noble souls who sacrifice their lives for us. But above all, be thou ever a Mother unto us, by molding our hearts, by enlightening our minds, by regulating our will, by adorning our souls with all virtue and by driving away those hostile to our welfare who would prefer to destroy us forever.
Finally, most loving Mother, our joy and our hope, lead us to Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb, so that if we lack the sweet tenderness of an earthly mother, we may become so much more worthy of thee in this life and in the eternal hereafter may rejoice in thy maternal affection and in thy company together with that of thy Divine Son Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
August 28, 1956VIEW THE MAIN IMAGE LARGER, PLAIN, WITHOUT THE PAGE CURLS
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