_The Prayer 'Memorare.'_
St. Francis of Sales had received, in his youth, a miraculous proof of
the protection of Mary. Being assaulted by a violent temptation to
believe himself reprobated by God, he experienced such anguish that he
compared it to the sorrows of death and the torments of hell. After a
month passed in these desolating trials, earnestly desiring to be
delivered from them, he humbly prostrated himself before a statue of
the Blessed Virgin, and with great confidence recited the _Memorare_,
beseeching Our Lady to obtain from her Divine Son that, if he should
ever have the misfortune of being eternally separated from his God, he
might at least love Him during the present lifetime with all his
powers.
The Most Holy Virgin could not be deaf to such a petition, and Francis
quickly recovered the peace of heart he had lost. From that time he
had the greatest confidence in this prayer, and recited it in every
difficult undertaking, and recommended it warmly to all whom he
directed.
'I remember,' says the Bishop of Belley, 'to have learnt this prayer
from him, and in order to impress it more deeply in my heart, and to
make use of it in all my afflictions, I wrote it down at the beginning
of my breviary. I know, moreover, that he commended it much to the
Nuns of the Visitation. He wished it to be repeated above all in times
of great temptations, because the Mother of God is as terrible to the
enemy as an army in battle array; the blessed fruit of her womb having
crushed the head of the infernal serpent.'
It is generally believed that St. Bernard was the author of this
prayer.
_Prayer to ask for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost._--August Spouse
of the Holy Ghost, Most Holy Virgin Mary, the inexhaustible source of
grace, deign to obtain for me from your Divine Spouse the gift of
Wisdom, which may detach me from the goods of the world, and make me
love those of heaven; the gift of Understanding, which may teach me my
duties; the gift of Counsel, which may enlighten me in the way of
salvation; the gift of Fortitude, which may sustain my weakness; the
gift of Knowledge, which may teach me the eternal truths; the gift of
Piety, which may render the service of God sweet to me; and the gift
of Fear, which may inspire me with a holy respect and tender love
towards the God of infinite mercy. Ah! my continued resistance to the
inspirations of the Holy Spirit have rendered me unworthy of such a
benefit, but, aided by your prayers, I confidently hope to obtain from
the author of _every perfect gift_ the graces that are necessary to
live holily in this life, and thus one day attain to the eternal
beatitude of heaven. Amen.
_Ejaculation._--Pray for me, O Spouse of the Holy Ghost.
_Practice._--Accustom yourself in every difficulty to say at once: _O
Mother of Good Counsel, inspire me!_