[Salvation]

May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary     Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Toward the end of the eighteenth century a zealous Jesuit priest, Father Lalomia, started among the students of the Roman college of his Society the practice of dedicating May to Our Lady. The devotion, which others had promoted in a small way, soon spread to other Jesuit Colleges and to the entire Latin church and since that time it has been a regular feature of Catholic life.

INVOCATIONS

Thou who wast a virgin before thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
Thou who wast a virgin in thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
Thou who wast a virgin after thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.

My Mother, deliver me from mortal sin.
Hail Mary (three times).

Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.

Remember, O Virgin Mother of God, when thou shalt stand before the face of the Lord, that thou speak favorable things in our behalf and that He may turn away His indignation from us.
Roman Missal

Thou art my Mother, O Virgin Mary: keep me safe lest I ever offend thy dear Son, and obtain for me the grace to please Him always and in all things.

FOR THE HELP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

May we be assisted, we beseech Thee, 0 Lord, by the worshipful intercession of Thy glorious Mother, the ever-Virgin Mary; that we, who have been enriched by her perpetual blessings, may be delivered from all dangers, and through her loving kindness made to be of one heart and mind: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal

THE SALVE REGINA

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus! O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Roman Breviary

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

O blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay thee thy just dues of praise and thanksgiving, thou who by the wondrous assent of thy will didst rescue a fallen world? What songs of praise can our weak human nature recite in thy honor, since it is by thy intervention alone that it has found
the way to restoration? Accept, then, such poor thanks as we have here to offer, though they be unequal to thy merits; and, receiving our vows, obtain by thy prayers the remission of our offenses. Carry thou our prayers within the sanctuary of the heavenly audience, and bring forth from it the antidote of our reconciliation. May the sins we bring before Almighty God through thee, become pardonable through thee; may what we ask for with sure confidence, through thee be granted. Take our offering, grant us our requests, obtain pardon for what we fear, for thou art the sole hope of sinners. Through thee we hope for the remission of our sins, and in thee, 0 blessed Lady, is our hope of reward. Holy Mary, succour the miserable, help the fainthearted, comfort the sorrowful, pray for thy people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God; may all who keep thy holy commemoration feel now thy help and protection. Be thou ever ready to assist us when we pray, and bring back to us the answers to our prayers. Make it thy continual care to pray for the people of God, thou who, blessed by God, didst merit to bear the Redeemer of the world, who liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.
Saint Augustine

PETITION TO MARY

Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the queen of the universe, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate thee, great queen, and I thank thee for the many graces thou hast bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often deserved by my sins. I love thee, most dear Lady; and for the love I bear thee, I promise to serve thee willingly for ever and to do what I can to make thee loved by others also. I place in thee all my hopes for salvation; accept me as thy servant and shelter me under thy mantle, thou who art the Mother of mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From thee I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by the love thou bearest to Almighty God, I pray thee to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until thou shalt see me safe in heaven, there to bless thee and sing of thy mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori

Magnificat Prayer My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior, For he has looked upon his servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call me blessed. God who is mighty has done great things for me, holy is his name; His mercy is from age to age on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm; he has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts. He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry he has given every good thing, while the rich he has sent empty away. He has upheld Israel his servant, ever mindful of his mercy; Even as he promised our fathers, promised Abraham and his descendants forever. (Lk 1:46-55)

Seen above is the Blessed Virgin Mary, portrayed as Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
It was she who was chosen by God, to provide His Son with His Sacred Humanity.
She did so in humble and total cooperation with the Holy Spirit and the Divine will of the Holy Trinity; providing God's Son with the Blood He shed for us on the Cross.

TO MARY, REFUGE OF SINNERS
Hail, most gracious Mother of mercy, hail, Mary, for whom we fondly yearn, through whom we obtain forgiveness! Who would not love thee? Thou art our light in uncertainty, our comfort in sorrow, our solace in the time of trial, our refuge from every peril and temptation. Thou art our sure hope of salvation, second only to thy only-begotten Son; blessed are they who love thee, our Lady! Incline, I beseech thee, thy ears of pity to the entreaties of this thy servant, a miserable sinner; dissipate the darkness of my sins by the bright beams of thy holiness, in order that I may be acceptable in thy sight.

FOR THE GRACE OF LOVE
O Mary, my dear Mother, how much I love thee! And yet in reality how little! Thou dost teach me what I ought to know, for thou teachest me what Jesus is to me and what I ought to be for Jesus. Dearly beloved Mother, how close to God thou art, and how utterly filled with Him! In the measure that we know God, we remind ourselves of thee. Mother of God, obtain for me the grace of loving my Jesus; obtain for me the grace of loving thee!
Cardinal Merry del Val

TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY FOR MAY

O most august and blessed Virgin Mary! Holy Mother of God! glorious Queen of heaven and earth! powerful protectress of those who love thee, and unfailing advocate of all who invoke thee! look down, I beseech thee, from thy throne of glory on thy devoted child; accept the solemn offering I present thee of this month, specially dedicated to thee, and receive my ardent, humble desire, that by my love and fervor I could worthily honor thee, who, next to God, art deserving of all honor. Receive me, 0 Mother of Mercy, among thy best beloved children; extend to me thy maternal tenderness and solicitude; obtain for me a place in the Heart of Jesus, and a special share in the gifts of His grace. 0 deign, I beseech thee, to recognize my claims on thy protection, to watch over my spiritual and temporal interests, as well as those of all who are dear to me; to infuse into my soul the spirit of Christ, and to teach me thyself to become meek, humble, charitable, patient, and submissive to the will of God.

May my heart bum with the love of thy Divine Son, and of thee, His blessed Mother, not for a month alone, but for time and eternity; may I thirst for the promotion of His honor and thine, and contribute, as far as I can, to its extension. Receive me, 0 Mary, the refuge of sinners! Grant me a Mother's blessing and a Mother's care, now, and at the hour of my death. Amen.

TO OUR LADY

Saint John Vianney, better known as the Cure of Ars, when asked how long he had loved Mary, said: "I loved her almost before I could know her." In this prayer he expresses that love.
O thou most holy virgin Mary, who dost evermore stand before the most holy Trinity, and to whom it is granted at all times to pray for us to thy most beloved Son; pray for me in all my necessities; help me, combat for me, and obtain for me the pardon of all my sins. Help me especially at my last hour; and when I can no longer give any sign of the use of reason, then do thou encourage me, make the sign of the cross for me, and fight for me against the enemy. Make in my name a profession of faith; favor me with a testimony of my salvation, and never let me despair of the mercy of God. Help me to overthrow the wicked enemy. When I can no longer say: "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I place my soul in your hands," do thou say it for me; when I can no longer hear human words of consolation, do thou comfort me. Leave me not before I have been judged; and if I have to expiate my sins in purgatory, oh! pray for me earnestly; and admonish my friends to procure for me a speedy enjoyment of the blessed sight of God. Lessen my sufferings, deliver me speedily, and lead my soul into heaven with thee: that, united with all the elect, I may there bless and praise my God and thee for all eternity. Amen.
Saint John Vianney

ACT OF REPARATION

O blessed Virgin, Mother of God, look down in mercy from heaven, where thou art enthroned as Queen, upon me, a miserable sinner, thine unworthy servant. Although I know full well my own unworthiness, yet in order to atone for the offenses that are done to thee by impious and blasphemous
tongues, from the depths of my heart I praise and extol thee as the purest, the fairest, the holiest creature of all God's handiwork. I bless thy holy name, I praise thine exalted privilege of being truly Mother of God, ever virgin, conceived without stain of sin, co-redemptrix of the human race. I bless the Eternal Father who chose thee in an especial way for His daughter; I bless the Word Incarnate who took upon Himself our nature in thy bosom and so made thee His Mother; I bless the Holy Spirit who took thee as His bride. All honor, praise and thanksgiving to the ever-blessed Trinity, who predestined thee and loved thee so exceedingly from all eternity as to exalt thee above all creatures to the most sublime heights. 0 Virgin, holy and merciful, obtain for all who offend thee the grace of repentance, and graciously accept this poor act of homage from me thy servant, obtaining likewise for me from thy divine Son the pardon and remission of all my sins. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

 

Memorare of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Remember O Most Gracious Virgin Mary!

That never was it known
That anyone who fled to thy protection,
Implored thy help or sought thy intercession
Was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto Thee!
O Virgin of virgins, My Mother!

To Thee I come before Thee I stand,
Sinful and Sorrowful,
Oh Mother of the Word Incarnate,
Despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy,
Hear and answer me.

Amen

May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary

[Salvation]

From: Acts 14:21-27

The Return Journey to Antioch

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[21] When they had preached the Gospel to that city and had made many
disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, [22]
strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in
the faith and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the
Kingdom of God. [23] And when had appointed elders for them in every
church, with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in
whom they believed.

[24] Then they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. [25] And
when they had spoken the Word in Perga, they went down to Attalia;
[26] and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been
commended to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.
[27] And when they arrived, they gathered the Church together and
declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door
of faith to the Gentiles.

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Commentary:

20-22. “If you accept difficulties with a faint heart you lose joy and
your peace, and you run the risk of not deriving spiritual profit from
the trial” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 696).

St. Paul is not cowed by persecution and physical suffering. He knows
that this crisis is the prelude to abundant spiritual fruit, and in
fact many people in this region do embrace the Gospel.

Even though St. Luke records the progress and success of the Word of
God, he also shows that its preachers certainly encounter the cross
(cf. 13:14, 50). The Gospel meets with acceptance everywhere—and also
with opposition. “Where there are many laurels”, St. Ambrose says,
“there is fierce combat. It is good for you to have persecutors: that
way you attain more rapid success in your enterprises” (”Expositio in
Ps 118”, 20, 43).

The Apostles have no difficulty in pointing to events to show the
disciples that suffering and difficulties form part of Christian
living.

“Cross, toil, anguish: such will be your lot as long as you live. That
was the way Christ went, and the disciple is not above his master”
([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 699). “Each of us has at some time or
other experienced that serving Christ our Lord involves suffering and
hardship; to deny this would imply that we had not yet found God [...].
Far from discouraging us, the difficulties we meet have to spur us on
to mature as Christians. This fight sanctifies us and gives
effectiveness to our apostolic endeavors” ([St] J. Escriva, “Friends of
God”, 28 and 216).

23. The appointment of elders in each church means that Christians were
invested with a ministry of government and religious worship, by a
liturgical rite of ordination. These have a share in the hierarchical
and priestly ministry of the Apostles, from whom their own ministry
derives.

“The ministry of priests [...]”, Vatican II teaches, “shares in the
authority by which Christ Himself builds up and sanctifies
and rules His Body” (”Presbyterorum Ordinis”, 2). The ministerial office of
priests is essential to the life of every Christian community, which
draws its strength from the Word of God and the Sacraments. Their
priesthood, derived from our Lord, is essentially different from what
is called the “priesthood common to all the faithful”.

A man becomes a priest of the New Testament through a special calling
from God. “Our vocation,” (Pope) John Paul II told a huge gathering of
priests in Philadelphia, “is a gift from the Lord Jesus Himself. It is
a personal, individual calling: we have been called by our name, just
as Jeremiah was” (”Homily at the Civic Center”, 4 October 1979).

The priestly life is a sublime vocation which cannot be delegated or
transferred to anyone else. It is a lifelong vocation and means that
one has to give himself entirely to God—and this he can do, with the
help of grace, because “we do not claim back our gift once given. It
cannot be that God, who gave us the impulse to Yes, should now desire
to hear us say No....

“It should not surprise the world that God’s calling through the Church
should continue, offering us a celibate ministry of love and service
according to our Lord Jesus Christ’s example. This calling from God
touched the very depths of our being. And after centuries of
experience the Church knows how appropriate it is that priests should
respond in this specific way in their lives, to demonstrate the
totality of the Yes they have said to our Lord” (”Ibid.”).

“Since He wishes that no one be saved who has not first believed (cf.
Mark 16:16), priests, like the co-workers of the bishops that they are,
have as their first duty to proclaim to all men the Gospel of God”
(Vatican II, “Presbyterorum Ordinis”, 4). To carry out this mission
well, a priest needs to be in contact with our Lord all the time—”a
personal, living encounter—with eyes wide open and a heart beating
fast—with the risen Christ” ([Pope] John Paul II, “Homily in Santo
Domingo Catedral”, 26 January 1979).

Reminding priests of their special duty to be witnesses to God in the
modern world, [Pope] John Paul II invites them not only to bear in mind
the Christian people, from whom they come and whom they must serve, but
also people at large; they should not hide the fact that they are
priests: “Do not help the trends towards ‘taking God off the streets’
by yourselves adopting secular modes of dress and behavior” (”Address
at Maynooth University”, 1 October 1979).

24-26. Paul and Barnabas return to Syrian Antioch, taking in the cities
they have visited—in reverse order: Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian
Antioch and Perga. At the port of Attalia they take ship for Syria and
arrive shortly afterwards in Antioch. Their journey, which began
around the year 45, has taken four years.

Despite the animosity and persecution they experienced in these cities,
the two missionaries do not avoid returning. They want to complete
arrangements for the government of the new churches and to consolidate the
faith of the disciples. The possible risks involved do not cause them any
concern.

“Whosoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life
for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35). “These are
mysterious and paradoxical words,” (Pope) John Paul II writes. “But
they cease to be mysterious if we strive to put them into practice.
Then the paradox disappears and we can plainly see the deep simplicity
of their meaning. To all of us this grace is granted in our priestly
life and in our zealous service” (”Letter to All Priests”, 8 April
1979, 5).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.