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From: 1 Peter 1:18-25

The Blood of Christ Is Our Ransom

[18] You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fa-
thers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, [19] but with the precious
blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. [20] He was destined
before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times
for your sake. [21] Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from
the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Brotherly Love

[22] Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of
the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart. [23] You have been born
anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding
word of God; [24] for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls, [25] but the word of the Lord abides forever.”
That word is the good news which was preached to you.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

17-21. The Christian has attained the honor of being a son or daughter of God.
The sacred writer summarizes God’s plan for man’s salvation, which comes a-
bout in Christ: from all eternity, it was God’s design to save men through Christ;
this design was made manifest “at the end of the times”, when our Lord offered
himself as an expiation for the sins of men, and then rose from the dead and was
glorified. This is a further reason why Christians should grow in their desire for
holiness.

“You were ransomed” (v. 18): the image of ransoming used here to explain Re-
demption is probably taken from sacred manumission (common at the time in
Asia Minor and Greece) whereby slaves were set free through a sum of money
being deposited in the temple. When exhorting Christians not to return to their
former sins, St Paul also stresses the great size of the ransom (cf. 1 Cor 6:20
and note). The amount of the ransom, St Ambrose points out, “was not rec-
koned in terms of money but in terms of blood, for Christ died for us; he has
set us free with his precious blood, as St Peter also reminds us in his letter
[...]; precious because it is the blood of a spotless Lamb, the blood of the Son
of God, who has ransomed us not only from the curse of the Law, but also from
that never-ending death which impiety implies” (”Expositio Evangelii sec. Lu-
cam”, 7, 117).

“The blood of Christs like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (v. 19): in the
sacrifice of Jesus was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah about the Messiah’s expia-
tory suffering; and it also finally completed the liberation of the Israelite first-born
in Egypt through the blood of the paschal lamb (Ex 12; cf. Introduction to this let-
ter). So, when in the New Testament the figure of the Lamb is applied to Christ,
this is a way of referring to the atoning sacrifice of the Cross and, also, the spot-
less innocence of the Redeemer (cf. note on Jn 1:29).

21. The resurrection of Jesus is the basis of Christian faith and hope and is the
main proof of Jesus’ divinity and his divine mission (cf., e.g., 1 Cor 15 and notes
on same). The Apostles were, first and foremost, witnesses of our Lord’s resur-
rection (cf. Acts 1:22; 2:32; etc.), and the proclamation of the Resurrection was
the core of apostolic catechesis (cf. the discourses of St Peter and St Paul in
the Acts of the Apostles).

Jesus Christ rose from the dead by his own power, the power of his divine person
(cf. “Creed of the People of God”, 12); the “St Pius V Catechism” points out that
“we sometimes, it is true, read in Scripture that he was raised by the Father; but
this refers to him as man, just as those passages, on the other hand, which say
that he rose by his own power relate to him as God” (I, 6, 8).

22-25. Fraternal love is one of the main signs of holiness. Jesus said that this
love would be the distinguishing mark of Christians, and the Apostles often repeat
this teaching in the instruction they impart (cf., e.g., 1 Cor 13; Jas 2:8; 1 Jn). The
new people of God, Vatican II says, “are reborn, not from a corruptible seed, but
from an incorruptible one through the word of the living God (cf. 1 Pet 1:23); the
law of this people is the new commandment to love as Christ loved us (cf. Jn
13:34)” (”Lumen Gentium”, 9).

*********************************************************************************************
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.

From: Mark 10:32-45

Third Prophecy of the Passion

[32] And they (the disciples) were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus
was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were
afraid. And taking the Twelve again, He began to tell them what was to happen to
Him, [33] saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will
be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to
death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles; [34] and they will mock Him, and spit up-
on Him, and scourge Him, and kill Him; and after three days He will rise.”

The Sons of Zebedee Make Their Request

[35] And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Him, and said
to Him, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” [36] And
He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” [37] And they said to
Him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
[38] But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you
able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which
I am baptized?” [39] And they said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to
them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am
baptized, you will be baptized; [40] but to sit at My right hand or at My left is not
Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” [41] And when
the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. [42] And Jesus
called them to Him and said to them, “You know that those who are supposed
to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority
over them. [43] But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great
among you must be your servant, [44] and whoever would be first among you
must be slave of all. [45] For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to
serve, and to give His life as a ransom of many.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

32. Jesus was making His way to Jerusalem with a burning desire to see fulfilled
everything that He had foretold about His passion and death. He had already told
His disciples that He would suffer there, which is why they cannot understand
His eagerness. By His own example He is teaching us to carry the cross gladly,
not to try to avoid it.

35-44. We can admire the Apostles’ humility: they do not disguise their earlier
weakness and shortcomings from the first Christians. God also has wanted the
Holy Gospel to record the earlier weaknesses of those who will become the un-
shakeable pillars of the Church. The grace of God works wonders in people’s
souls: so we should never be pessimistic in the face of our own wretchedness:
“I can do all things in Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

38. When we ask for anything in prayer, we should be ready, always, to accept
God’s will, even if it does not coincide with our own: “His Majesty knows best
what is suitable for us; it is not for us to advise Him what to give us, for He can
rightly reply that we know not what we ask” (St. Teresa, “Mansions”, II, 8).

43-45. Our Lord’s word and example encourage in us a genuine spirit of Christian
service. Only the Son of God who came down from Heaven and freely submitted
to humiliation (at Bethlehem, Nazareth, Calvary, and in the Sacred Host) can ask
a person to make himself last, if he wishes to be first.

The Church, right through history, continues Christ’s mission of service to man-
kind: “Experienced in human affairs, the Church, without attempting to interfere
in any way in the politics of States, ‘seeks but a solitary goal: to carry forward
the work of Christ Himself under the lead of the befriending Spirit. And Christ en-
tered this world to give witness to the truth, to rescue and not to sit in judgment,
to serve and not to be served’ (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 3). Sharing the no-
blest aspirations of men and suffering when she sees them not satisfied, she wi-
shes to help them attain their full flowering, and that is why she offers men what
she possesses as her characteristic attribute: a global vision of man and of the
human race” (Paul VI, “Populorum Progressio”, 13).

Our attitude should be that of our Lord: we should seek to serve God and men
with a truly supernatural outlook, not expecting any return; we should serve even
those who do not appreciate the service we do them. This undoubtedly does not
make sense, judged by human standards. However, the Christian identified with
Christ takes “pride” precisely in serving others; by so doing he shares in Christ’s
mission and thereby attains his true dignity: “This dignity is expressed in readi-
ness to serve, in keeping with the example of Christ, who ‘came not to be served
but to serve.’ If, in the light of this attitude of Christ’s, ‘being a king’ is truly possi-
ble only by ‘being a servant’, then ‘being a servant’ also demands so much spiri-
tual maturity that it must really be described as ‘being a king.’ In order to be able
to serve others worthily and effectively we must be able to master ourselves, pos-
sess the virtues that make this mastery possible” (Bl. John Paul II, “Redemptor
Hominis”, 21). Cf. note on Matthew 20:27-28.

*********************************************************************************************
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.

Today’s saints:

Optional Memorial: St Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor

Optional Memorial: St Gregory VII, Pope

Optional Memorial: St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, Virgin

There wasn’t enough room to put all the info in the title line.

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading	1 Peter 1:18-25 ©

Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ; who, though known since before the world was made, has been revealed only in our time, the end of the ages, for your sake. Through him you now have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory for that very reason – so that you would have faith and hope in God.

You have been obedient to the truth and purified your souls until you can love like brothers, in sincerity; let your love for each other be real and from the heart – your new birth was not from any mortal seed but from the everlasting word of the living and eternal God. All flesh is grass and its glory like the wild flower’s. The grass withers, the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains for ever. What is this word? It is the Good News that has been brought to you.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 147:12-15,19-20 ©

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

or

Alleluia!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

Zion, praise your God!

He has strengthened the bars of your gates

he has blessed the children within you.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

or

Alleluia!

He established peace on your borders,

he feeds you with finest wheat.

He sends out his word to the earth

and swiftly runs his command.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

or

Alleluia!

He makes his word known to Jacob,

to Israel his laws and decrees.

He has not dealt thus with other nations;

he has not taught them his decrees.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

or

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation	1Jn2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Alleluia!

Or	Mk10:45

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Son of Man came to serve,

and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Mark 10:32-45 ©

The disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem; Jesus was walking on ahead of them; they were in a daze, and those who followed were apprehensive. Once more taking the Twelve aside he began to tell them what was going to happen to him: ‘Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the pagans, who will mock him and spit at him and scourge him and put him to death; and after three days he will rise again.’

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him. ‘Master,’ they said to him ‘we want you to do us a favour.’ He said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup that I must drink, or be baptised with the baptism with which I must be baptised?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I must drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I must be baptised you shall be baptised, but as for seats at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted.’

When the other ten heard this they began to feel indignant with James and John, so Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that among the pagans their so-called rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Please pray for Pope Francis.

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Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Sharing God's Mercy with Our Children
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If You Don't Know the Bad News, the Good News is No News -- A Meditation on the Coming Year of Mercy
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis According to which an Indulgence is Granted...[Catholic Caucus]
POPE FRANCIS FOR YEAR OF MERCY GRANTS THAT SSPX PRIESTS CAN VALIDLY ABSOLVE!
MISERICORDIAE VULTUS: BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY
Pope: Church Must Be 'Oasis of Mercy,' Not Severe Fortress

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, 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! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

St. Michael the Archangel

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

PLEASE JOIN US - Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.

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)

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

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