PRAYERS AND COUNSELS, PAGE 2: THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Prayer to Our Lady
My most beloved, most lovely, and most loving Queen, I always thank my Lord and thee, who hast not only drawn me, out of the world, but also called me to live this vocation, where its is most necessary and efficacious to practice devotion to thee. Accept of me then, my mother, to serve thee. Among so many of thy beloved sons, do not scorn to let me serve thee also, miserable though I am. Thou after God shalt always be my hope and my love. In all my wants, in all my tribulations and temptations, I will always have recourse to thee; thou shalt be my refuge, my consolation. I am unwilling that anyone except God and thee should comfort me in my combats, in the sadness and the tediousness of this life. For thy service I renounce all the kingdoms of the whole world. My kingdom on this earth shall be to serve, bless, and love thee. O my most lovely mistress! "Whom to serve is to reign," as St. Anselm says. Thou art the mother of perseverance; obtain for me to be faithful to thee until death. By so doing I hope, and firmly hope, one day to come where thou reignest, to praise and bless thee forever, to depart no more from thy holy feet. Jesus and Mary, I protest, my most sweet loves, let me suffer for Thee, let me die for Thee, let me be all Thine.
Adapted from a prayer by St. Alphonsus written for his congregation, taken from the book, PRAYER, THE GREAT MEANS OF SALVATION AND OF PERFECTION.
CONSIDERATION
How Much Priests Ought to Confide in the Patronage of Mary
If it is true, and most true it is, that, according to the saying of St. Peter Damian, the Divine mother, the most holy Mary, loves all men with such an affection that after God there is not, nor can there be, anyone who surpasses or equals her in her love,----"She loves us with an invincible love,"----how much must we think this great Queen loves religious, who have consecrated their liberty, their life, and their all to the love of Jesus Christ? She sees well enough that the life of such as these is more conformable to her own life, and to that of her Divine Son; she sees them often occupied in praising her, and continually attentive to honor her by their novenas, visits, rosaries, fasts, etc. She beholds them often at her feet, intent on invoking her aid, asking graces of her, and graces all conformed to her holy desires; that is, the grace of perseverance in the Divine service, of strength in their temptations, of detachment from this world, and of love towards God. Ah, how can we doubt that she employs all her power and her mercy for the benefit of religious, and especially of those who belong to this holy Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in which, as it is well known, we make special profession of honoring the Virgin Mother by visits, by fasting on Saturdays, by special mortifications during her novenas, etc., and by everywhere promoting devotion to her by sermons and novenas in her honor! She, the great mistress, is grateful. "I love those who love Me." Yes, she is so grateful that, as St. Andrew of Crete says, "To him who does her the least service she is accustomed to return great favors." She promises liberally those who love her, and who promote her honor among others, to deliver them from sin: "Those that work by me shall not sin." She also promises to them Paradise: "Those that explain me shall have life everlasting." For which reason we especially ought to thank God for having called us to this Congregation, where by the usages of the Community and the example of our companions, we are often reminded, and in some way constrained, to have recourse to Mary, and continually to honor this our most loving mother, who is called, and is the joy, the hope, the life, and the salvation of those who invoice and honor her.
Consecration to the Blessed Virgin
Most holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, I, N. N., although most unworthy of being thy servant, nevertheless, moved by the wonderful compassion and by a desire to serve thee, choose thee this day, in presence of my Angel guardian, and of all the heavenly court, for my special lady, advocate, and mother; and I firmly resolve to serve thee always, and to do everything in my power to make others serve thee also. I beseech thee, then, most merciful Mother, by the blood of thy Son, which was shed for me, to take me into the number of thy clients as thy servant forever. Protect me in my actions, and obtain for me grace so to measure my thoughts, words, and works, that I may never offend thy most pure eyes, nor those of thy Divine Son, Jesus. Remember me, and abandon me not at the hour of my death.
Taken from the book, PRAYER, THE GREAT MEANS OF SALVATION AND OF PERFECTION by St. Alphonsus Liguori.
DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
He should endeavor to conceive a great confidence and a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin. All the Saints are always fond of nourishing in their hearts a filial piety towards this Divine Mother. He should take care to make every day a spiritual reading out of a book that treats of the great confidence that we should have in her powerful protection. He should never fail as well as he is able to fast on Saturdays in her honor; and in all her novenas he should at least practice some abstinence and some other mortification. He should never omit to pay her a visit once or several times a day before some devout image. He should speak to others as much as he can of the confidence that we should have in the protection of Mary, and should endeavor on Saturdays to address in the church a little instruction to the faithful, so as to excite their devotion towards this charitable Queen; at least he should speak of her in a special manner in everyone of his sermons, and recommend the same devotion to all his penitents and to all persons. The more one loves Mary, the more one loves God: for Mary draws to God all that love her. St. Bonaventure says: "Because she was inflamed with love, she also inflames all those who love her, and makes them like herself."
The Web Master adds: for those priests who are not permitted to say public Masses or hear Confessions because the bishop is disgruntled about their fidelity to Tradition and the de fide teachings of Holy Mother Church, and thus have little if any opportunity to preach and teach on Mary, bring your heartbreak to her, the Mother of Sorrows and the Mother of the great High-Priest, her Divine Son. She will counsel and comfort you as you say her Rosary. God sees all, knows all, and your being "silenced", if borne in patience and humility, will gain souls for Mary's army in ways unimaginable. Mary cannot be silenced, for she is the Mediatrix of all graces and her Son's ambassador here on earth. Priests are next to Mary in dignity as constituted in the Divine arrangement. Only she is above them, as Queen and Mother. Not even the august Angels have the dignity that belongs to the priest. Mary loves priests with a love that cannot be adequately measured by the frail human heart. She stood beneath the Cross with just one priest, St. John, she stands beside your cross, too. And know that there are those of us who always remember to pray for priests, especially those who are persecuted, and that we join our Rosaries with yours.
Taken from THE DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST by St. Alphonsus Liguori.
O Mary, my tender Mother! thou whose whole life was a continual prayer, since even sleep did not hinder thee from keeping thyself united with God, deign to remember us. Thou didst do to St. Rose the charity to awaken her when it was time for prayer: in the same way, when thou seest us fallen asleep in negligence, in lukewarmness, have the kindness to come to awaken us, and to recall us to the duty of attending to prayer, which should inflame us with love for God and for thee, so that afterwards we may be able to go to love thee for all eternity in Paradise.
Live Jesus and Mary: with Joseph and Teresa!
Taken from THE DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST by St. Alphonsus Liguori.
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