We are now on the eve of the beautiful month of Mary—this blessed month so
ardently looked for by every true Christian. On its approach we see the
altars of our blessed Mother in churches, chapels, and oratories
decorated, and everywhere during this lovely month exercises in honor of
the beloved Mother of Our Redeemer are performed with more or less pomp
and ceremony. Mary is our heavenly Mother, and we are her children. What
well‐trained child but is anxious to express his love and gratitude
towards his mother, in order to make her happy? What mother so worthy of
love as Mary? Do you wish to please her? This month gives you an
opportunity of so doing. Dedicate it to her, practise daily some little
act of devotion in her honor, and be faithful in making these meditations.
Then only will you deserve to be called a child of Mary. O immaculate
Mary, Mother of our Jesus, and our Mother! also obtain that we may give
thee most fervent homage during this month, and by our words and example
draw all hearts to thee and thy divine Son.
Considerations and Prayers for Every Day.
First Day. Mary’s Immaculate Conception.
“Thou art all fair, O My love, and there is not a spot in thee.”—Cant. iv.
7. These words are found in the Canticles of Solomon, and are applied to
the Blessed Virgin. From all eternity she had been predestined to be the
Mother of God, to give to the almighty God that body, that flesh and
blood, which He was to assume for our redemption, and the creature that He
selected for His Mother must have been all pure, all holy, and free from
the slightest taint of sin. A few saints, such as John the Baptist and the
prophet Jeremias, were sanctified in their mother’s womb. And if these
men, because of their predestination, were born without sin, surely it
cannot be supposed that God did not bestow on Mary a greater
privilege—that He exempted her from the necessity of being even for one
instant the slave of sin. O Mother mine, O Mother of the Church of God, I
hail thee! Have pity on us, O Mary conceived without sin, and obtain for
us the grace to struggle against our passions.
Prayer.
O holiest and purest of virgins, well dost thou merit this title! Thou who
wast a virgin although a mother, pray for us. Take pity on us, thy
children; intercede for us with Jesus, that He may have mercy on us, and
grant us the grace to walk worthy of our vocation, that we may be His
through time and eternity. Amen.
Second Day. Mary’s Nativity.
The whole earth was filled with gladness at the birth of Mary, because of
her was to be born Jesus Christ, Our Saviour and Redeemer, Who was to
deliver us from the slavery of the devil. How heaven must have rejoiced at
the birth of such a mother! A nation’s joy at the birth of an heir to the
throne may give you some faint idea of the joy the angels experienced at
Mary’s nativity. This is a day of jubilation for the entire world, for the
just and the sinner, for time and eternity. Hell alone is afraid, for this
is the woman destined to crush the serpent’s head. Her appearance was the
blessed dawn, announcing the rising of the Sun of righteousness. Made holy
at her conception, the object of God’s love at her birth, every step in
Mary’s life was marked by new progress in virtue; no shadow of sin ever
tarnished the beauty of her soul. Let us then praise our Mother and Queen,
and implore her to take pity on us, whose lives are passed in a constant
struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Let us beg her to
aid us in these combats, and to bring us to our eternal home.
Prayer.
What relief do I feel in my miseries, and what consolation in my sorrow!
what strength do I not find in the midst of temptations, when I remember
thee, and call thee to my aid! O my most sweet and holy Mother Mary, my
own Mother, do thou console me! I see myself loaded with sins and
surrounded with enemies, without virtue, and cold in my love towards God.
Comfort me, and let me begin a new life, a life which will be pleasing to
thy divine Son and to thee. Amen.
Third Day. Mary’s Presentation.
Who is she that advances as the sun, beautiful as Jerusalem? It is Mary,
the well‐beloved daughter of the Father, who repairs to the Temple of
Jerusalem to consecrate herself to the service of God. Happy he who gives
himself to God in his youth, who offers Him a heart which has not been
wounded by the thorns on life’s weary way, a heart which has not known the
state of sin. He has not to struggle against the memories of the past,
which strive to draw him from the service of God. How beautiful, how
filled with sweetest instruction for us, is every passage in the life of
our beloved Mother! Let us look at the picture now presented to us of the
infant Queen of saints, on the day of her early entrance into the Temple
of God. Let us follow her, and learn our first lesson from our little
Queen, so full of grace. See her as she passes up the long flight of
stairs, the little arms folded above the pure young heart, the upturned
face glowing with heavenly joy—a face where lies reflected the light of a
soul which never for a moment was shrouded in the gloomy shadow of sin.
Prayer.
O Lord, Thou wilt not reject a contrite and humble heart! I come then to
Thee, O my Father. At the sight of my bruised and bleeding heart Thou wilt
have compassion on Thy child, and receive my offering. Blooming rose,
Mother of God all beautiful, Virgin most sweet, pray for us, that we may
be worthy to find eternal happiness in eternal light. Grant that by thy
intercession our sins may be effaced. Amen.
Fourth Day. The Annunciation.
God sent His archangel, St. Gabriel, one of the great ones of His kingdom,
to impart to the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady, His eternal counsel, and to ask
her consent. The archangel went to Nazareth, and before the rising of the
sun entered the oratory where the Blessed Virgin was, and beholding in her
his Queen, he saluted her with such reverence that she was overcome with
fear, not knowing what to think. We know how the heavenly messenger bowed
before his Queen and said, “Fear not, Mary; the Lord is with thee, for
thou hast found grace before God. Behold thou shalt conceive and bring
forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name, Jesus.” And we know when that
young maiden, bowing her head in her heavenly humility, consented, saying,
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to Thy
word,” that the Holy Ghost overshadowed her, and “the Word was made
flesh.” Truly she is blessed among all women, blessed among all mothers.
By her blessedness all women are raised and ennobled. She is their honor,
their glory, their model. Blessed Virgin and Mother, ever immaculate on
earth as now in heaven, where she leads the army of virgins who follow the
Lamb whithersoever He goeth. Think of Mary raised above all women, and see
her wonderful humility. God loved her for it. The one thought of her life,
the one end of her actions, was truly to be the handmaid of God. This is a
lesson we all must learn, namely: to yield ourselves up to the will of Him
Whose we are already by so many titles, wondering how He can forget the
sins we have committed against Him, and how He can desire to pour His
celestial grace into so unworthy a vessel.
Prayer.
May Thy will, O God, be done in us, through us, and by us, this day and
always, here and everywhere! Hail, glorious Mother of God; hail, Queen of
heaven; hail, my patroness! To thy tender maternal love I commend myself,
in order that all my actions may have for their end three things, namely,
the glory of thy Son, my own salvation, and my neighbor’s good. In every
tribulation and sorrow come to my aid and the aid of my friends. Amen.
Fifth Day. The Visitation.
No sooner had Mary heard the words of the angel, announcing that she had
been chosen to be the Mother of the long expected Messias, and that her
kinswoman Elizabeth was also with child, than she rose up and went with
haste into the hill country, and entering into the house of Zachary,
saluted Elizabeth. Her heart was full of unselfish love for God and man,
and the very love of God which made her heart burn with joy at the coming
of Jesus, made it also beat quickly with gladness at the great blessing
granted to Elizabeth. The angel had told Zachary that his son John was to
be the immediate precursor of the Messias, and Elizabeth had been
constantly thinking of all this, longing to know when and whence the
Messias should come. Lost in these thoughts she sat on the day of Mary’s
arrival, and the instant that sweet voice struck on her ear, it was made
known to her in a wonderful manner that this was the Mother of the
Messias. Rising, she knelt before her, crying, “Blessed art thou among
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me,
that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” For a moment Mary stood in
astonishment—then she realized the greatness of her title of Mother of
God, and while the light of ecstasy transfigured her holy face, she
exclaimed, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in
God my Saviour. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid: for
behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He
that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is His name. And His
mercy is from generation unto generations to them that fear Him. He hath
shewed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of
their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted
the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich He
hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful
of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed
forever.” The visit which occasioned this beautiful canticle preaches in
every line the great virtue of charity which marked Our Lady’s life so
clearly. The Holy Scripture tells us that Mary remained with Elizabeth for
three months, when she returned to her own home.
Prayer.
O Virgin most fair, worthy of all praise and honor! Sanctuary consecrated
to God, Virgin Mother, hidden treasure of innocence, splendor of
virginity! Thy prayers are favorably received on high. Address them for us
to Him, Whom in thy virginity thou didst conceive, Who is true Lord and
God, the Author of all creatures. Amen.
Sixth Day. The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
And when the fulness of time was come, “God so loved the world as to give
His only‐begotten Son,” Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down
from heaven, was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was
made man. The Emperor Augustus ordered that a great census should be taken
in all the provinces of his empire, each family being enrolled in the city
of its respective tribe. Thus, in obedience to the order, Mary came to the
city of David, and in all its length and breadth there was not room for
her to lay her weary head. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him
not.” Gold would doubtless have procured admission to an appropriate
shelter, but Joseph had no gold. The evening wind fell cold and piercing
on the young virgin, who breathed not a word of complaint though she was
scarcely able to support herself. The lonely travellers, seeing themselves
rejected by all the world, quitted Bethlehem, and in a poor ruined stable
Mary brought forth her first‐born Son, the promised Messias, and laid Him
in a manger. Great artists have striven to paint the rapture of Mary as
she laid her Jesus, her Son, her God, in the manger. Who can understand
what it was to see Him, to adore Him as her God, to caress Him as her
Child, to forget all her fatigue in her wonderful joy? We can adore Him
and watch the movements of our beloved Mother, a model and example of
resignation on this night of poverty and humiliation. Glory and praise to
thee, O holy Mother, in this thy poverty in Bethlehem! Many a poor mother
in sorrow and want will look to thee and find consolation, knowing thy
tender heart will sympathize with her. For what are we that we should be
better treated than the Mother of Our God?
Prayer.
Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, receive my prayer. Help me in all my
necessities, intercede for me, O glorious one, with my Redeemer, even with
Him, thy divine Son, Whom thou didst bear without spot of sin. Deliver me
from every snare of the enemy, and from all carnal delights, that by thy
intercession I may obtain the pardon of all my sins, steadfast resistance
to all my enemies visible and invisible, and the amendment of my life.
Amen.
Seventh Day. The Purification.
It was ordered by the Law of Moses that all women should, at a stated time
after childbirth, repair to the Temple and present themselves to the
priest, in order that they might be purified. Could she who had been
immaculately conceived, an immaculate Virgin and Mother, be made more
pure? No, certainly not; but obedience required that she should comply
with the conditions of the Law, and obedience was one of Mary’s greatest
virtues. Should not her example fill us with confusion—we who are apt to
murmur against any command that is in the slightest manner distasteful to
our feelings? The Law also commanded that every first‐born son should be
offered to God in the Temple, and then ransomed by some gift, according to
the condition of the parents. Mary and Joseph were poor, so they took
their humble offering of two doves and set out for Jerusalem, to present
the Son of God in the Temple. As Mary walked on, with her precious Child
clasped in her arms, how little the passers‐by suspected Who this first‐
born Son was! If they could have only known what He was to do for His
people, how they would have bowed before Him and adored Him, poor weak
Infant as He was! But no, “He came unto His own, and His own knew Him
not.” “And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man
was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy
Ghost was in him. And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that
he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. And he
came by the Spirit into the Temple. And when His parents brought in the
Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law: he took Him
into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now Thou dost dismiss Thy
servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace: Because my eyes have seen
Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples. A
light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people,
Israel.” As Simeon stands thus with the Babe in his arms, the Holy Ghost
shows him the sad, sad future of the Child and Mother. Turning to Mary, he
said: “Behold this Child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of
many in Israel.... And thy own soul a sword shall pierce.” Oh, the awful
sorrow that fell on her young heart! For a moment she bowed down under the
crushing burden of her coming pain, but only for a moment; then she
stretches out her arms to receive her Child, and murmurs, “Thy will, not
mine, be done; be it done unto me according to Thy word.” What a lesson
for us to learn, we who are restless and impatient under every little
trial! What a contrast to our disobedience and pride when God wishes to
take some loved object from us! Oh, let the example of this most perfect
of women sink deeply into our hearts, and may we learn from her the great
virtues of charity, obedience, humility, and purity.
Prayer.
O Mother of mercy, forsake us not in our hour of trial and temptation!
Never allow us to lose courage, but cheer us with thy aid, make us patient
under suffering, and render our wills conformable to the will of thy
divine Son. Conduct us through the dawn of penance to the fulness of thy
light. Amen.
Eighth Day. Simeon’s Prophecy.
The holy Simeon had foretold that Jesus should be a stumbling block to
many. By these words Mary understood that Jesus would suffer much
persecution from the Jews, and her immaculate heart was deluged with
sorrow. She saw Anna come into the Temple and heard her acknowledge Jesus
as her God. She obeyed everything which the Law ordained, and then with
Joseph and her Child returned to the city of Nazareth, with the sharp
sword of sorrow within her heart. Oh, the constant grief that followed
each ray of joy that lighted her soul! How she suffered at every insult
offered to her divine Son—she who loved Him as no other mother ever loved
a child! Every look at Jesus, every movement that He made, every word He
spoke, brought to her mind the prophecy of Simeon and filled her heart
with bitterness. The memory of those words were always before her, and as
time passed on she saw Gethsemani and Calvary hourly drawing nearer and
nearer. The words of the prophet Isaias came whispering to her heart, “He
shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb
before His shearer, and He shall not open His mouth.” Yet ever and anon
she murmured, “Thy will, not mine, be done.” Oh, what an example of loving
resignation to the will of God! It is astonishing how shallow all human
consolation is. Let Our Lady teach us how to suffer without seeking
consolation. She suffered in silence; we can make our sorrows in a measure
like hers by constantly uniting them to the sorrows of our dearest Lord.
With confidence then we may seek the Mother of sorrows, and ask her to be
the Mother of our sorrow, to help us bear our burdens to the very end—to
be like her, loving and patient with those who cause us pain. It is a
consolation to those who mourn to know that our blessed Lady was a
lifelong mourner. So let us take up our sorrow bravely, and following in
the footsteps of our dear Mother, walk cheerfully on.
Prayer.
O Mary, Mother of sorrows, my refuge, neglect not to pray for me in all my
tribulations! First of all in the blood of Jesus Christ, then in thy
prayers, do I trust for my eternal salvation. In thee, O Lady, have I
hoped; I will say to thee with St. Bonaventure, “I shall not be confounded
forever.” Obtain for me the grace to love my God in this life and in
eternity, and I ask for nothing more. Amen.
Ninth Day. The Flight into Egypt.
Filled with joy and praising God, the Magi left the stable with the
intention of going to Herod, so that he might share in the happiness. But
an angel appeared to them, warning them not to return to Herod, for he
sought to destroy the Christ, the new‐born Messias, so they turned their
camels’ heads and went another way into their own country. Herod did not
intend, however, to be deprived of his Victim, and lest he should miss
taking the life of the new‐born King, he gave orders that all the children
of two years and under in and around Bethlehem should be killed. While
Herod is thus plotting the Infant’s death, an angel appears to Joseph in a
dream, to warn him, saying, “Rise, take the Child and His Mother and fly
into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass
that Herod will seek the Child that he may destroy Him.” Joseph and Mary
immediately obeyed the command, for poverty has but few preparations to
make. Not a murmur or complaint escaped their lips, though our hearts can
imagine how difficult it must have been for Mary to leave home again, and
to face the hardships of the wilderness. Trembling with apprehension from
the dread of Herod’s followers, and suffering from heat and cold in their
severest forms, they travelled on for many a weary day. But God had so
ordained it, and they were ready to do His holy will. What a lesson of
perfect obedience! They knew that they were carrying Jesus, yet they did
not look for miracles to lighten their burden. We may reverently follow
them on their journey in our meditations. Tradition tells us of trees that
bowed down their leafy heads to shade with their fan‐like plumes the
Mother and her Child. It also tells us that the images of the heathen gods
fell from their pedestals when the true God went by. And there, amid the
Egyptian idolaters, Mary, the frail, girlish Mother, and Joseph, so
patient and uncomplaining, with the holy Babe dwelt for seven years.
Joseph pursued his trade of carpenter, and Mary no doubt contributed her
share to the support of the modest household, while Jesus grew in beauty
day after day. When Herod died an angel came to Joseph, saying, “Arise,
and return into Judea, for they who sought the life of the Child are
dead.” This was glad news to Mary and Joseph, and joyfully they returned
to commence anew their life in Nazareth of Galilee.
Prayer.
Hail, Mother of mercy, Queen of heaven, thou art our life, our sweetness,
and our hope! Obtain for me the grace of the Holy Ghost, that He may
dispose of me in all things according to His will, that He may direct my
body, elevate my soul, guide my life, rule my conduct, inspire my actions,
maintain within me holy thoughts, pardon my sins of the past, correct
those of the present, and preserve me from sin in the future. Amen.
Tenth Day. The Three Days’ Loss.
From the time of the return from Egypt, history is silent as to the life
of the Holy Family, until the time when they went to keep the Easter
festival at Jerusalem. According to the Law, the Jews were obliged to go
up to Jerusalem to worship God three times a year, unless they were
legitimately hindered. The first time was at the Pasch, instituted in
remembrance of the exodus from Egypt, and corresponding to our Easter; the
second time was the feast of weeks, which was Pentecost or Whitsuntide;
the third was the feast of tabernacles. St. Luke, in his gospel, gives us
this account of the occurrence: “When Jesus was twelve years old, they
went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.” Unknown and
unnoticed, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph passed into the holy city. Mary’s heart
was filled with joy at the thought that she was leading to the Temple
God’s only Son made man. As she looked at the surging crowd around her
both within and without the Temple, she thought to herself, “Ah, if you
could but know that this Boy, Whom you think is only the son of a
carpenter, is the Son of the most high God! He is your King.” But the week
of unleavened bread came to a close. Thousands as usual had thronged the
holy city to worship God. After the festival was over, the custom was that
all the women should depart by one gate of the city, the men by another,
in order to reunite at the halting‐place of the first night. The children
might go either with the father or with the mother. Thus it was that Mary
and Joseph travelled on contentedly, Mary thinking that Jesus was with
Joseph, while Joseph on his side supposed the Child to be with His Mother.
The night had fallen before the two bands of men and women met; imagine
the consternation of the holy parents when they discovered the absence of
their precious charge. They asked among their kinsfolk and acquaintances
if He were with them, but Mary knew it would be all in vain. She knew if
He were in the company He would long since have joined her; so in all
haste, alone and silent, Mary and Joseph retraced their steps to the holy
city. For three days they searched in sorrow for their loved Child; they
made inquiries everywhere, but all to no purpose. On the third day they
heard of a wonderful Child Who sat daily in the Temple disputing with the
doctors. With eager steps Mary and Joseph went to the Temple; as they came
along Mary’s ear has caught the sound of a voice which it is impossible
for her to mistake—it is the voice of Jesus. What a sight greets their
eyes as they enter—the great doctors of the Law sitting around, and her
Boy in the midst of them answering questions! “My Son, my Son,” Mary
cries, “Why hast Thou done so to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought
Thee sorrowing.” The Son of God lifted His eyes and looked at her, saying,
“Why have ye sought Me? Did ye not know that I must be about My Father’s
business?” Nevertheless, He went down to Nazareth and was subject to them.
And His Mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in
age and grace with God and man. When we sin we too lose Jesus, Our Father
and Friend; but do we, like Mary, search for Him until we find Him? We
must not wait for Him to come back to us; we must go and find out where He
is. Sometimes Jesus permits us to suffer pain and anguish. When this is
so, think of Mary, and how sweetly and patiently she suffered during those
three days when she was separated from Jesus. Let us also dwell on the
obedience of Jesus; the Son of God, Our Creator, was subject to His
creature. Oh, my God, give us grace to understand this great mystery and
strength to follow it!
Prayer.
What relief do I feel in my miseries, and what consolation in my
tribulation; what strength do I not find in the midst of temptations, when
I remember and call thee, O my Mother, to my aid? O my most sweet and most
holy Mother Mary, my own Mother, do thou console me! I see myself loaded
with sins and surrounded by enemies, without virtue, and cold in my love
towards God. Comfort me, and let me begin a new life, a life which will be
pleasing to thy Son and to thee. Amen.
Eleventh Day. Meeting Jesus with the Cross.
We have now come to the morning of Good Friday—to Mary’s meeting Jesus
with the cross, which is one of her seven dolors. It is twenty‐one years
since the three days’ loss, and the heart of Mary has traversed a world of
mysteries since then—always in joy, yet always with her lifelong sorrow
before her. It would be impossible to make any calculations of the sum of
love which these years produced in Mary’s heart. But now the time has come
when Mary must give Jesus up, to be scourged and to be put to death. The
Passion may be said to begin on the Thursday in Holy Week. The first Mass
took place that night, Our Lord’s first unbloody sacrifice, to be followed
on the morrow by the dreadful one of blood. By a miraculous grace Mary is
enabled to go through all the dreadful tortures of that long night of
pain. She hears the sound of the scourging, and sees the cruel soldiers
crown Him with thorns, bandage His eyes, and dare to bend the knee in
mockery before Him Who has one day to be their Judge. She has heard Pilate
say, “Behold the man,” and the cry of the people, “Crucify Him, crucify
Him!” and when Pilate said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just man;
look you to it,” she heard the dreadful imprecation that was shouted by
the demons around her, “His blood be upon us, and upon our children!
Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Then they lead Him away to pronounce the final
sentence. The streets are filled with a great concourse of people, all
going in one direction towards Calvary. What a journey for Mary, yet she
never shrinks. Oh, how can we, when we look at our sinless Mother
suffering so patiently, how can we murmur at the petty trials that God
sends us? Mary, with St. John and Magdalen, stands at the corner. She does
not even tremble. Hark, that hoarse shouting, that trampling and hurrying
of feet! The procession comes in sight; the centurion leads the way, the
soldiers dragging Jesus and His heavy cross—then the maddened crowd surge
around, about and behind her. She approaches to embrace Him, but the
soldiers thrust her rudely back. He staggers, and falls with a dull, heavy
sound upon the street. O God of heaven! He falls, and His sweet Mother
must stand and look on. Well may she say, “Look and see if there be sorrow
like unto my sorrow.” Men crowd around Him, and with curses and blows drag
Him up, and sweep on again on the way to Calvary, to finish their impious
designs. O my Mother, I too was one of the agents in that cruel work!
Surely, when I see all that my most sorrowful Mother had to undergo, it
will cost me no great effort to have a loving devotion to her. Can we look
on this sinless, uncomplaining Mother, standing in the streets of
Jerusalem, gazing on her Son and her God torn and bruised, crowned with
cruel thorns, bending under the heavy cross which we gave Him, and refuse
to bear the little crosses which He gives us? Oh, no! Let us look at our
Mother, and like her see all the beauty of our Jesus in the blood‐stained
countenance of the God made man, and carry most gladly all trials that our
loving Lord may send us.
Prayer.
O most holy Mary, in the great battle in which I am now engaged with hell,
do thou always help me! And when thou seest me wavering, and likely to
fall, O my Lady, do thou extend thy hand and sustain me. Mary, my hope, my
refuge, my strength, do thou protect me, and never allow me to lose the
grace of God. And on my part, I resolve always and instantly to have
recourse to thee in all temptations, saying, “Help me, Mary, help me.”
Amen.
Twelfth Day. The Crucifixion.
The way of the cross is ended, and they have come to Calvary. They have
stripped Jesus of His garments, and have laid Him on the hard bed of the
cross. Now commences the dreadful work of nailing His blessed hands and
feet to the cross. The right hand is nailed to the cross first, but
through some mistake the left hand will not reach; then a fearful scene
takes place. The brutal soldiers pull with all their force, until,
dislocating the arm, they succeed in stretching the hand to its place.
Picture Mary looking in mute agony on that dreadful scene! His legs are
stretched out, one foot crossed upon the other, and through them the nail
is driven. Now the cross is raised on high, and Jesus hangs upon it. In
the past few moments Mary has suffered a world of woe. The sacrifice of
the Mother was inseparable from that of the Son; it would have cost her
much less to have given her own life, and for this reason she is justly
styled the Queen of martyrs. The first hour of the three long hours of
agony has passed; still Jesus is silent. The second hour begins. There are
fewer persons around the cross; all is silent, and then His lips move.
Mary listens with all her heart: “Father, forgive them; they know not what
they do.” Beautiful, beautiful prayer—true of all sins and of all
sinners—“they know not what they do.” Beautiful prayer also because it
discloses the heart of a God. For God alone could teach such charity as
this, and Mary, joining her Son in His prayer, looks up to heaven and
repeats, “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.” The third
hour begins, and His first word in this last hour goes through her very
soul: “I thirst.” Well might He thirst. Since the night before nothing has
crossed His lips, and Mary, His Mother, is unable to give Him a drink to
cool them, parched and swollen as they are; she cannot even reach to wipe
away the blood that has congealed there. Thus for three long hours she
watches Him in His death‐agony, unable to afford Him the slightest
alleviation; until at last He cries out with a loud voice, “Father, into
Thy hands I commend My spirit.” And bowing His head, Jesus dies. Such were
the sufferings endured by the Mother of that divine Son. Jesus dies for
love of us, and we live to torture and crucify Him afresh. What sublime
lessons Mary here gives us, and how perfectly is she the model of those
souls whom God permits to be sorely tried in affliction! Their trials are
great, but are they to be compared with hers? Ah, do not complain, but to
enable you to endure your sufferings cast your eyes on this sorrowful
Mother, and ask her to obtain for you grace to imitate her firmness, her
constancy, and her generosity. After Jesus on the cross, the most
beautiful book one can study is Mary at the foot of the cross.
Prayer.
O most tender Mother, it was I that covered thy divine Son with wounds,
and put Him to death! It was I that pierced thy heart with the most bitter
sword of grief! Oh, by those wounds and by that blood, by thy sorrows and
by thy tears, I conjure thee, O Mary, to be my protectress and my
advocate. Pray for me, and for all sinners like me, that so many precious
sufferings may not become useless to us. Amen.
Thirteenth Day. The Taking Down from the Cross.
The sorrowful day is over. All have gradually dispersed, and now only Mary
and the other holy women, with the disciples, remain at the cross. The
bruised and mangled body is lifted down, and laid on the Mother’s knee.
When Our Lord dies we are tempted to think that Our Lady’s dolors ought to
have ended there; but no, there is still more to be endured. Mary embraces
the lifeless body, washes the gaping wounds, smoothes the tangled hair,
and bathes away the clotted blood that dims its glory. She wraps Him
tenderly in a white linen cloth, and gives Him into the reverential arms
of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Both of these were disciples of our
blessed Lord. Joseph was a good and just man, and Nicodemus was a man
learned in the Scriptures, who had come to Jesus by night, for fear of the
Jews, and had learned the doctrine of regeneration. Joseph had gone to
Pilate and had begged the body of Jesus, which had been granted to him.
Now he takes Him in his arms, and with the help of Nicodemus places Him in
his own tomb. Well has our blessed Lord said, “The foxes have holes, and
the birds of the air nests: but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His
head.” Mary found nothing strange even in the tremendous sorrows that
almost crushed the life out of her. She looks only to God’s will. No
matter how uncommon, how exacting, or how apparently unreasonable, she was
always found prepared, always found with these words on her lips, “O God,
Thy will be done.” Let us look at our lives, and see if we, like Mary, are
ever ready to do God’s will; ever looking at Our Lord crucified, and
willing to bear all the disappointments, trials, and sorrows that He may
send us. Let us look at our immaculate Mother, standing patient and
resigned at the foot of the cross, looking on the sufferings of her dearly
beloved Son, and we will never murmur—no matter how heavy the cross which
our good God in His divine providence may place upon our shoulders.
Prayer.
O Mary most sorrowful! words fail to express the gratitude we owe thee,
for the readiness wherewith thou didst consent to come to the rescue of
our lost world. But do thou deign to receive our thanks, faint and
inadequate though they may be. May the enjoyment of thy present bliss move
thee to intercede with God in behalf of us, thy weeping, weary children.
Be propitious to those who flee to thee for aid, and do thou ever
intercede for those whom thy divine Son redeemed. Amen.
Fourteenth Day. The Burial of Jesus.
It is now the evening of Good Friday, and Mary is sitting at the foot of
the cross with her dead Son upon her lap. It is here that mourners for
future generations will come to find rest and peace. Here the widow, the
orphan, and the lonely will find how good a thing it is to have their
hearts crushed with sorrow, because here they will find the loving arms of
their new Mother Mary around them, and through their grief they will see
God. But now the time has come when Mary must give up her treasure. So
giving the signal to Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, they lift the body
of the dead Creator and move towards the garden tomb. Mary arranges
everything; she adjusts the winding‐sheet, and then takes her last look on
the lifeless body of Jesus. “Oh, look and see if there be any sorrow like
unto my sorrow!” Then her adopted son, John, comes to her, drawing her
away, for she is half‐dead with the grief and anguish of the past night
and day. Through the same gate by which she had left the city of Jerusalem
in the morning, she re‐entered it that night. Poor Jerusalem, that city of
God, how often had Our Lord yearned and wept over it, longing to gather
those chosen ones to Himself! But no, they had rejected Him, and now their
cup of iniquity is filled. They have crucified their King; their pavements
are stained with His blood. Mary knows all this, still there is no room in
her heart for bitterness. Oh, what a contrast to our spirit of revenge,
sometimes for even a fancied wrong. We learn from this dolor of Mary that
there is no darkness like the darkness of a world without Jesus, and if
His absence is caused by our own fault, our own sin, then it is the
greatest of sorrows. O Mary, my Mother, keep us ever by thy side at the
foot of the cross! so that remembering all that thou hast suffered, we
will gladly accept all the sorrows that may come. Amen.
Prayer.
O Virgin Mother most sorrowful, I detest my sins because they have
offended God, and caused thee so much pain! I am sorry for them, and will
be sorry for them as long as I live, and according to the best of my power
will do penance for them. Forgive me, dear Lord, for Thy mercy’s sake;
pardon me all that is past, and be Thou my keeper for the time to come,
that I may nevermore offend Thee. Amen.
Fifteenth Day. Help of Christians.
“She hath opened her hand to the needy and stretched out her hand to the
poor.”—Prov. xxxi. 20. The whole life of our blessed Mother shows how ever
dear to her has been the alleviation of the miseries that surround us.
Everything in her proves to us how justly the Church gives to her the
title of Help of Christians. Mary’s desire to console us in our miseries
is so immense, so vehement, that scarcely have we resolved to address
ourselves to her mercy than she immediately flies to our relief. If Mary
is already inclined and prompt to aid us, even when we do not pray to her,
what may we not expect from her when we lay our miseries before her, to
beseech her to deliver us from them? The Church urges us to apply
unceasingly to her, to observe faithfully the pious practices which are
authorized to be observed in her honor. With this view the Church has
established a great number of feasts in the course of the year, to show
her children that they cannot pay too much honor to the Mother of God.
Happy is he whose love for Mary is ever growing; he is enjoying in time
one of the choicest blessings of eternity. Let us then follow in the
spirit of our holy Church, and have frequent recourse to the bounties of
the divine Mother. If we would only remember how anxious our dear Mother
is to assist and help us, how eagerly we would turn to her in all our
sorrows and joys. O holy Virgin, Help of Christians, come to our aid in
the midst of the miseries by which we are surrounded! We entreat thee,
then, O Mother of goodness, to supply our insufficiency and to bless our
labor. Imprint thy love in all hearts, so that having loved and honored
thy Son upon earth, we may go to praise Him eternally in heaven.
Prayer.
Most loving Mother, no suppliant ever had recourse to thee in vain!
Whatever our needs, thy ear is ever open to our cry. Thou art the Help of
Christians! O good and powerful Mother, come to our aid, and deliver us
from all our troubles. Show thyself our Mother, intercede for each one of
us that we may lead a Christian life, and hereafter reign with Christ
throughout eternity. Amen.
Sixteenth Day. Our Lady of Mercy.
Everything in Mary recalls the august character of mercy. It is her
essence, so to speak; so that whoever names Mary names mercy, as Mary
cannot be without mercy. What could we not say to prove that Mary is all
mercy, and that everything she does tends to clemency? But it may be that
the greatness or the sanctity of this powerful Queen alarms us, and makes
us fear to present ourselves before her, we who are so guilty in the sight
of God. Let us take courage, for the more holy and elevated Mary is, the
more gentle and affable she shows herself to the sinner. Mary welcomes all
mankind without exception; no one leaves her presence with a disconsolate
or sorrowful heart. Let our confidence in Mary have no bounds, since we
know that her power equals the extent of her mercy. That good Mother
herself gave St. Bridget to understand as much when she told her, “I am
the Queen of heaven, and the Mother of mercy. There is none on earth to
whom I refuse my pity; not one who has not obtained some grace through my
intercession.” Who can doubt that it is true to say that many who are now
saved would have been lost except for Mary? If it is true to say that he
is happy who loves Mary, so it is also true to say that there will be woe
for all eternity to him who in this life is able to secure her mercy, but
does not do so, and thus loses himself by his own fault. Flee then to
Mary, O my soul; beseech her to take pity on thee, and secure thy
salvation, which cost her Son so dear, and which is so priceless to her
maternal heart. Be assured that all will be well with thee if thou art not
lacking in true devotion and love to Mary.
Prayer.
O blessed Mother, thou art the Mother of God, the Mother of sinners, the
Mother of the banished ones! Grant, O gracious Virgin, that I, thy sinful
child, may not be condemned by thy divine Son; but do thou intercede for
me, that He, the divine Judge, may at last welcome me, a poor exile, into
His eternal home. Amen.
Seventeenth Day. Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
It is impossible to study the history of Jesus and Mary without perceiving
a uniform law of Providence uniting them in the great events of their
lives. Unless Mary had consented to become His Mother, Jesus would not
have been born. Divine grace, no doubt, disposed her to give assent, but
the act was not the less one of her own free will. As certain as man has
been redeemed by the incarnation and Passion of Jesus, so surely did God
make the whole depend in the first instance on the co‐operation of Mary.
If, therefore, you believe that Jesus Christ came to us through Mary,
believe also that the graces which He merited for us must come to us
through His Mother. If you believe that without her you were not redeemed,
believe also that without her you will not be saved. God wished that Mary
should be looked upon and honored as the perpetual help of sinners, to
obtain their conversion. O Mother of perpetual help! thou art the
dispenser of all those gifts which God granted to us wretched sinners. He
has made thee so powerful, so rich, and so beautiful, in order that thou
mayest succor us in our misery. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation,
and to thee I consign my soul. I wish to be remembered among thy devoted
servants.
Prayer.
O Mother of perpetual help, take me under thy protection and I shall be
secure! I shall not fear Jesus Christ, my eternal Judge, for by one prayer
of thine He will be appeased. What I fear is that in the hour of
temptation, I may neglect to have recourse to thee, and thus be lost.
Obtain for me, therefore, the pardon of my sins, final perseverance, and
the priceless gift to love Jesus Christ and to have recourse to thee, O
Mother of perpetual help. Amen.
Eighteenth Day. Confidence in Mary.
Let our veneration for Mary be full of confidence. Our first parents had
drawn upon us the greatest of miseries, but through the divine mercy a new
Adam and Eve have more than repaired our misfortunes. God could have
performed the work of redemption by other means; but He preferred the very
way by which man had lost his innocence. That is to say, that as Satan
first deceived the woman, and through her means deceived all men, so by a
woman Satan in his turn should be confounded, and men be saved. Of course
Our Lord is the true mediator between God and man, yet it is also true
that after having sinned, we dare not appear before God. His presence
fills us with fear, so we have need of a mediatrix—and this we have in
Mary. If you desire an intercessor with God, have recourse to Mary, all
pure, all powerful, and full of mercy. Oh, then, all you who are exposed
to the temptations of the world, raise your eyes to this Star of the sea.
Call on Mary, and you will soon experience the powerful effects of her
intercession. Conducted by her, you will securely reach the port of a
blessed eternity.
Prayer.
Sweet and kind Virgin, full of dignity and bounty, Virgin sanctified in
the womb, Virgin powerful as thou art pure, most glorious Mother of God,
Mother most chaste, and Lady most reverently honored, I pray thee of thy
goodness to preserve my body and my soul from all sin, and take them both
into thy holy keeping. Amen.
Nineteenth Day. The Love of Mary.
O Mary most amiable, who can name thee and not be inflamed with love? What
Mother so worthy of love, so kind and generous to us as Mary? To her
heaven is indebted for the countless number of the elect redeemed by the
blood of her dear Son. As Mother of Our Redeemer, Mary regards us as her
own possession. She knows how costly was the ransom paid for us, therefore
she never ceases to intercede that none may be lost. How then could we
help loving this Daughter of the King, who interests herself so much in
our behalf? If we love God we must love His holy Mother. It is our daily
task to love Jesus more and more, and experience tells us that we never
advance more rapidly in love of God than when we are accompanied by His
Mother. There is no time lost in seeking Jesus if we go at once to Mary.
She is the short road to Him, and speedy and full are the answers to the
petitions which her hand presents. O Mary most admirable, obtain that we
may love thee with all the powers of our soul, with all the tenderness of
our heart, and with all our strength.
Prayer.
O Mother most amiable and admirable! O wondrous Mother, thou art all
lovely and glorious! Thou art the most blessed and most perfect of all!
Kind and gracious Mother, pray for us, win us grace to love thee with a
most tender love, that we may thereby grow in love for Jesus, thy Son.
Amen.
Twentieth Day. Imitation of Mary.
All true love consists in the imitation of what we honor. If we love the
immaculate Mary, if we desire to please her, endeavor to imitate her
virtues, we must first imitate her in her life of prayer. To lead a life
of prayer it is not necessary to spend hours on our knees in the church,
for every‐day duties would not admit of that. We find that Our Lady always
left her prayer to spend an allotted time at work. We should let the
thought of God be the first object of our waking love, and the love of God
be the absorbing feeling of our heart. During the day we should every now
and then cast a loving glance towards heaven, and make acts of love and
gratitude. “If you imitate and follow Mary,” says St. Bernard, “you cannot
wander from the road. Our Blessed Lady will fill you with great confidence
in God and in herself, because you will not be approaching to Jesus by
yourself, but always by that good Mother.” O Mary, Mother of the divine
Saviour, Who from the height of His cross, seeing each one of us in the
person of the beloved disciple, pronounced the memorable words, “Behold
thy son!” “Behold thy Mother,” obtain that we may love and imitate thee
with all the tenderness and strength of our will.
Prayer.
Glory and honor be to thee, O Mary! Thy throne is in the highest heavens!
Be thou our loving Mother; from the throne of thy glory cast a glance on
us, who are encircled with so many dangers and trials. Pray to thy Son
Jesus for us, that we may emulate the purity of the angels, so that we too
may one day enjoy the “beatific vision,” and praise Our Creator throughout
eternity. Amen.
Twenty‐first Day. The Blessed Virgin the Model of Faith.
The Blessed Virgin has left us examples of faith which are full of
instruction and consolation. She believed the mystery of the Trinity, that
she should conceive and bring forth a child; the words of the angel
announced this mystery to her. She believed that the Son of God the Father
was to take the form of man, thereby making Himself like unto us. She
believed herself to be the Virgin chosen by God in whom this mystery was
to be accomplished. The apostles had faith in Jesus Christ and
acknowledged Him to be the Son of God, but in the hour of Our Lord’s
Passion they abandoned their divine Master. It was not so with our blessed
Mother; she followed Him even to Calvary. O Mary, may we understand well
the excellence of this fundamental virtue, without which it is impossible
to please God. It is by faith that Jesus Christ comes into our hearts. By
faith we resist the devil, and put him to flight. Let us then love and
value more and more the precious gift of faith, and endeavor, after the
example of Mary, our Mother, to be animated by its spirit. But the faith
of the Blessed Virgin teaches us another lesson: namely, that after her
example we should make an open profession of our faith, even though by it
we should lose goods, fortune, honor, even life itself.
Prayer.
O Mary, thou art the Queen of heaven and Mistress of all created things!
Obtain for us the lively faith that animated thee, so that we may grow in
love, persevere to the end, and hereafter, in company with patriarchs,
prophets, and all the elect of God, glorify thee, together with the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost through all eternity. Amen.
Twenty‐second Day. The Blessed Virgin the Model of Piety.
According to universal opinion, the Blessed Virgin dwelt in the Temple
till she was about twelve years of age. During those tender years of her
life she passed the greater portion of the night in the contemplation of
heavenly things, giving but a very short time to repose. Chosen by the
Lord, adorned and enriched with His most signal favors, the immaculate
Virgin corresponded thereto with constant and generous fidelity. The
devotion of Mary is worthy of imitation, especially in this, that she gave
herself up to it from her early youth. Alas! how many souls have perished
because they have not followed this example? On the other side how happy
those who have imitated the early devotion of the Blessed Virgin! Oh, how
strong and mighty we are with Jesus Christ, when we are armed with the
worthy merits and intercession of the Mother of God! O Mary, vessel of
singular devotion, obtain for us that, after thy example, we may be
entirely devoted to God!
Prayer.
Most loving Mother, no suppliant ever had recourse to thee in vain!
Whatever our needs, thy ear is ever open to our cry. Thou art the
comforter of the afflicted, O good and powerful Mother. Come to our aid
and deliver us from all our troubles; intercede for each one of us that we
may lead a Christian life, and hereafter reign with Christ throughout
eternity. Amen.
Twenty‐third Day. The Blessed Virgin the Model of Hope.
The salvation of the just (as well of the body as of the soul) is from the
Lord. He is their help in time of tribulation, He will uphold them lest
they fall, He will bring them out of danger, deliver them from the hands
of sinners, and will save them in the end. And why will God bestow such
honors on the just? Because, replies the Psalmist, they have hoped in Him,
and put all their confidence in Him. At the marriage of Cana, Mary saw the
sudden failing of the wine, and her tender charity caused her to have
recourse to the omnipotent power of her Son. Our Lord up to that period
had not worked any miracles, but knowing His tender Heart Mary hesitated
not to have recourse to Him, and her hope was not unfounded. Let us then,
like Mary, expose our wants to Jesus, and we shall obtain strength and
courage to aid us in the accomplishment of our duties. Let us labor by
every possible means to obtain this great gift of confidence by frequent
prayer, almsdeeds, and penitential works, as well as by great purity of
life. “Whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, I will grant it to
you.”
Prayer.
Mother most amiable! By thy beauty and unsullied purity thou wast ever
attractive in the divine sight. Entreat Jesus that He would grant us grace
to love Him more and more fervently, and that by our purity and innocence
of life we may spread abroad the sweet odor of Jesus Christ, and daily
become more acceptable in His sight. Amen.
Twenty‐fourth Day. The Blessed Virgin the Model of Humility.
The Blessed Virgin possessed the spirit of humility in a perfect degree.
Not that she failed to know the gifts which God had bestowed upon her; on
the contrary she ever remembered that God had drawn her out of nothing,
and she returned Him incessant thanks for the favors which He had given
her. This virtue is most essential, since without it there is no grace for
us, no recompense in heaven; while with it there is pardon, every
blessing, and eternal salvation. Let us often meditate on these words of
our blessed Mother when she went to visit St. Elizabeth: “The Lord hath
regarded the humility of His handmaid.” The archangel Gabriel had saluted
her full of grace and blessed among women, but the holy Virgin only
humbles herself more and more, confessing aloud that she is but the
handmaid of the Lord. What a contrast to our pride and self‐sufficiency!
If, on account of some appearance of good, we are charged with some duty
of importance, do we not immediately begin to consider ourselves
something? while in reality we are but nothingness, misery, and sin. St.
Basil says there are three things which will establish humility in the
heart. First, a perfect conviction of our own nothingness. Second, the
constant consideration of the conduct of the good, who are better than
ourselves. Third, persevering obedience to those to whom we owe
submission.
Prayer.
O tender Mother! despise not our petitions, receive our homage,
veneration, and love. Be thou our Queen; in thee do we place our whole
trust, for thou art our gracious Mother. To thee do we commit ourselves,
body, soul, and spirit, with all we have and are. Show thyself our Mother
both in life and death, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.
Twenty‐fifth Day. The Blessed Virgin the Model of Charity.
It is truly Mary, who, after her divine Son, has given us the most
touching example of charity. Everywhere she appears full of grace, of
meekness, consideration, goodness, mildness, and tenderness. Her charity
was as boundless as her love of God. But now that she enjoys the clear
vision of her Beloved, how great must be the increase of her love towards
Him, and consequently of her charity towards mankind. All her person, her
looks, her actions, her movements, her whole life breathe nothing but
charity. In going to visit her cousin Elizabeth, the charity of Mary was
manifested. This charity caused her to leave her home to undertake a long
and painful journey under circumstances that unfitted her for fatigue. The
same virtue shone forth at the marriage of Cana, when she saved the bride
and bridegroom the mortification of telling their guests that the wine had
given out. Her heart was one with her divine Son, Who loved His enemies so
much that He gave Himself up for their salvation. Alas, how we shrink from
forgiving the slightest offence that is offered to us! O my Mother, why am
I not inflamed by at least a spark of the love of God! Then I would not
find it so hard to forgive all who have offended me.
Prayer.
With deep humility do we exclaim, Pray for us, O holy Mother of God! Thou
art the Mother of Him Who is Our Redeemer and Our God, but thou art also
the Mother of sinners, for whom thy divine Son shed His blood. Intercede
for us with Jesus, and beg for grace that we may love Him with all our
heart and all our strength. Amen.
Twenty‐sixth Day. The Virgin Mary the Model of Advancement in Virtue.
Our spiritual advancement consists, as we have often heard, in being well
persuaded that we are far from the height to which we aspire, and on that
account we should make constant efforts to become better—because not to
advance is to go back. Persons who are aiming ever so little at perfection
are the choice portion of God’s creation, and are dear to Him as the apple
of His eye. Oh, that we could imitate Mary, who, full of grace from the
first moment of her conception, corresponded thereto with such fidelity
that the angels exclaimed, “Who is she that cometh forth as the morning,
rising fair as the moon, bright as the sun?” The most exact observance,
not only of precepts but of the lightest counsels, was the fruit of the
love that burned in the heart of Mary, so that she was never guilty of the
least imperfection. Ah, would that I too could speed more rapidly onwards
in the heavenly road! How many graces would God then lavish upon me! O
Mary, my tender Mother, aid me to imitate thee in thy advancement in
virtue. O Mother most sweet, draw us more and more by the sweet odor of
thy virtues to be a perfect disciple, imitator, and slave of the Incarnate
Wisdom, Jesus Christ, thy Son.
Prayer.
O Mary, by thy example thou didst animate confessors and virgins,
sustaining them in the dangerous struggle with the world, the flesh and
the devil. Aid us, too, O mighty Queen, so that we may live as becomes the
faithful disciples of thyself and thy divine Son. Amen.
Twenty‐seventh Day. The Blessed Virgin the Model of Patience.
Of the virtue of perfect patience, the Blessed Virgin has left us many
bright examples. We have meditated on her dolors and we have seen with
what wonderful patience she endured them. How patient and firm she stood
at the foot of the cross, on which her Son was fastened, covered with
wounds and loaded with ignominy! Mary maintained an entire resignation to
the divine will, which she loved more than her own, but this perfect
conformity did not render her less sensible to her martyrdom. She loved to
suffer because it was God’s will that she should do so. We are encouraged,
by the example left us of the invincible patience of Mary, to imitate it
to the best of our power and according to our degree of grace. We shall
follow, though distantly, in the footsteps of this perfect model, if we
bear with patience the trials that overtake us, whether they be loss of
fortune, health, or reputation. If we feel that we are getting angry let
us overcome ourselves by silence; for then it is that we have the most
need to be silent, because even the most prudent man when roused to anger
can with difficulty restrain himself from angry words, which later he will
regret heartily. O my Mother, obtain for us from Jesus the gift of
patience, by means of which we shall acquire all other virtues and be
enabled to persevere in holiness to the end of our lives. Amen.
Prayer.
O blessed Mother! Look graciously on thy children; behold how we, by our
sins, have forfeited all claim to grace. Compassionate our misery, aid us
from the abundance of thy fulness, and entreat thy Son Jesus that He would
grant us grace to be pleasing in His sight and thine, and to remain
faithful unto death. Amen.
Twenty‐eighth Day. The Blessed Virgin the Model of Poverty.
True and perfect poverty, says Albert the Great, consists in voluntary
renouncing all temporal things for God’s sake, in having but what is
absolutely necessary, and in sometimes retrenching even in that for God;
for where there is full provision against necessity, there is no poverty.
Throughout her entire life Mary’s perfect love of poverty is manifest. It
was evident in the obscure city of Nazareth where this young virgin
espoused to a poor carpenter dwelt, and afterwards when she set forth with
Joseph for Bethlehem in obedience to the edict of Augustus. On her arrival
where does she find shelter? There is no place at the inns for one so
poor, so they are obliged to take refuge in a deserted stable, and there,
exposed to all the inclemencies of the weather, the Queen of angels brings
forth the Son of the Most High. Let every one, according to his state in
life, imitate the poverty of the Blessed Virgin. Those who possess
temporal goods should imitate her by despising them, and by not loving
them too much, by estimating them at their true value, since they pass
away so quickly. Those who are poor from necessity should imitate the
example of the Blessed Virgin, and freely embrace and be contented with
the state in which God has placed them.
Prayer.
My most sweet, most compassionate, most amiable Queen! Oh, how great is
the confidence with which St. Bernard inspires me when I have recourse to
thee! I am a poor sinner, deserving of a thousand hells; I wish to change
my life; I wish to love my God, Whom I have so greatly offended. My Lady,
dost thou understand me? Yes, I trust that thou hast understood me, and
graciously heard my prayer. Amen.
Twenty‐ninth Day. The Blessed Virgin the Model of Obedience.
Our Lord became obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross, in
order that we might, after His example, labor to acquire and practise the
virtue of obedience. The perfection to which Mary carried the obedience
due to her Creator has been implied in treating of the love of God with
which her heart was inflamed; it was the source of her perfect conformity
to the divine will. What an example of obedience does she not give us in
the presentation of Jesus in the Temple! Mary was exempted from the
obligation common to all women to go to the Temple to be purified.
Nevertheless, as her divine Son was pleased to submit to circumcision, so
she would submit to the law of purification. The person who obeys merits
very much while doing little, because obedience springs from the spirit of
perfect self‐abnegation, which is the most agreeable holocaust to God.
Thomas à Kempis says, “Whoever willingly obeys his superiors for God’s
sake, performs an heroic action as a valiant soldier of Jesus Christ, for
he will receive with the martyrs the palm of a glorious immortality.”
Prayer.
My most sweet Lady and Mother, I am a vile rebel to thy great Son; but I
come repentant to thy mercy that thou mayest obtain pardon for me. From
thee I hope for every good, forgiveness, perseverance, and heaven. I hope
to be one of those, who, in the kingdom of the blessed will most praise
thy mercies, O Mary, for having saved us by thy intercession. Amen.
Thirtieth Day. The Blessed Virgin the Model of Modesty.
The Blessed Virgin was a perfect pattern of modesty; her exterior senses
were in all things under the control of reason, and subjected to the will
of God; gravity and composure marked her every movement. Oh, you who have
the happiness of having chosen her for your Mother, if you love her as
true children, endeavor with all possible ardor to imitate her modesty. We
should particularly try to acquire that moderation of the tongue for which
the Blessed Virgin was so conspicuous, and for this reason we should avoid
all useless conversations. The Holy Ghost Himself has told us that in much
speaking we cannot escape from sin. Thus walking in the footsteps of our
blessed Mother in the faithful practice of this virtue, it will not only
preserve us from many falls, many temptations and dangers, but it will
also be a most powerful means of advantage in the way of sanctity and of
edifying and drawing souls to God. Then will all our exterior conduct,
regulated by interior motives, tend to the glory of God, the edification
of our neighbor, and our own advantage.
Prayer.
Most holy, immaculate Virgin, and my Mother Mary, to thee, who art the
Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the advocate, the hope, and the
refuge of sinners, I have recourse—I who am the most miserable of all. I
thank thee for all the graces which thou hast hitherto granted me, and
especially I thank thee for having delivered me from hell, which I have so
often deserved. I promise always to serve thee, and to do all that I can
that thou mayest also be loved by others. Amen.
Thirty‐first Day. The Assumption.
Tradition says that after Mary’s sacred remains had been most reverently
entombed by the apostles, songs were heard proceeding from her sepulchre
during the space of three days, and on the third day St. Thomas came,
imploring to have the slab removed from the tomb that he might gaze for
the last time on the beloved features of Mary. The slab was raised, but as
he bent forward to look upon her, he started back in amazement; naught was
to be seen save the grave‐clothes in which the sacred body had been
enveloped. The body itself was nowhere to be found. Then they knew that
God had taken her, body and soul, to heaven. St. John describes the
coronation in these terms: A great sign appeared in the heavens; a woman
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown
of twelve stars; and the Queen thus crowned took her place near her Son on
a throne prepared from all eternity. O you who fear the justice of God! O
you who dare not cast yourself at the feet of Jesus! remember you have
with Him a powerful advocate, who is Mary. O Mary, thou blessed, loving
Mother, compassionate thy orphan children; pray for us, and place us one
day near thee in the heavenly Jerusalem.
Prayer.
O holy virgin Mary, who, in order to inspire us with boundless confidence,
hast been pleased to assume the sweet name of Mother of perpetual succor,
we implore thee to come to our aid always and everywhere; in our
temptations, after our falls, in our difficulties, in all the miseries of
life, and above all in the sad hour of our death. Amen.
Mass in Union with Mary Immaculate.
Prayer Before Mass.
O Mary immaculate! I come to place myself body and soul under thy special
care and protection. Take me by the hand, that thy purity may hide the
deformity of my soul, thy praises and thy love may supply my deficiencies.
I also place in thy hands all my hopes, all my sorrows, all my cares—my
life and the end thereof. As thou didst stand by the cross of thy Son,
joining thy prayers to His for man’s redemption, so wilt thou come to help
me now. Kindle my devotion, aid me with thy mighty intercession, so that I
may worthily love and praise my God, and participate in the merits of
Jesus, thy divine Son. Amen.
Confiteor.
“O Father,” will I cry with the prodigal, “I have sinned against heaven
and before Thee. I am not worthy to be called Thy child.” I have
grievously offended Thee through my whole life, and therefore am unworthy
to lift my eyes to heaven. O Mary, my Mother! beg of God grace for me, and
He will hear thee. Obtain that I may know all my faults and devoutly make
a sincere avowal of them, followed by a true repentance, so that I may
obtain pardon for them through the loving mercy of my God. Amen.
Introit.
Behold me, O my God, at Thy feet; dispose of me as Thou pleasest. I devote
myself entirely to Thee, and since my sins alone can render me displeasing
to Thee, therefore I cry aloud to Thee for mercy and pardon. Amen.
Kyrie.
Lord be merciful to me a sinner! O Father of infinite mercy, have pity on
Thy child! O Mary, powerful advocate, help of sinners, aid us by thy
supplicating voice, and the just One by excellence will descend as a long‐
expected rain! O Fountain of love, grant this mercy to me and to all poor
sinners! Amen.
Gloria.
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good‐will! I praise
Thee, I bless Thee, I adore Thee! Blessed angels, messengers of Our Lord,
who came before our King to prepare a place in which He should descend, I
beseech thee in the name of thy love for Our God, teach me to love Him.
Amen.
Collect.
Glorious Virgin Mary, thou who art the true mediatrix between thy sweet
Son and poor repentant sinners, pray for me, obtain for me the favorable
attention of Our God and Saviour. And do Thou, O Jesus, enrich my soul
with Thy gifts, to the full extent of Thy tender compassion. Amen.
Epistle.
O most pure Mary, who knowest so well how to penetrate and comprehend
Jesus, open my soul, dilate it, so that it may be replenished with that
abundance of gifts which it will receive from heaven through thy
intercession. Amen.
Gospel.
Ah, to whom shall we go, O Jesus, if not to Thee, since Thou hast the
words of eternal life? Thou, O Jesus, my Lord and my God, art the true
light, for Whose dawn the saints of the Old Law watched with longing eyes,
looking to Thee for grace and salvation. O Mary immaculate, Virgin always
faithful! lead us to Jesus, help us to find Jesus, and attach us to Him
forever by the bonds of perfect charity, which, uniting us to His
sacrifice during time, will associate us to His glory in eternity. Amen.
Credo.
O my God, I firmly believe in one God in three divine Persons, the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost! I believe in Jesus Christ, the true and only
Son of God, Who was born of the Virgin Mary, and died on the cross for our
salvation. I also believe all the sacred truths the Catholic Church
believes and teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither
deceive nor be deceived. O sweet Jesus, give me knowledge and
understanding that I may live and die in this faith! Amen.
Offertory.
Accept, O eternal Father, this offering which is here made to Thee by Thy
minister, in the name of all here present and of Thy whole Church. It is
yet only bread and wine, but by a miracle of Thy power and grace it will
shortly become the body and blood of Thy divine Son. Now the august
sacrifice begins, everything recalls the sorrows of our dear Jesus; His
bitter agony, accompanied by a most heroic act of perfect submission when
He consents to expiate every crime. O Jesus, Jesus! It is I who have bound
Thee! it is I who have had the misfortune to lead Thee out to death! From
this instant, O Jesus, I give myself to Thee! O Mary, my powerful
protectress, purify us in the ardors of thy pure love, and do thou thyself
place us on the paten with the bread, and in the chalice with the wine.
Amen.
Lavabo.
Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me! Oh,
wash me, dear Lord, from all the stains of sin, in the blood of the Lamb,
that I may be worthy to be present at these heavenly mysteries. O Mary
immaculate, may thy sorrows heal the wounds of my soul. Amen.
Preface.
Let us lift ourselves up to heaven, O my soul, and render thanks to the
Lord Our God. O Mary most pure, aid us to break all the ties that still
bind us to earth. Oh, may I, great God, unite my heart and voice with all
the heavenly court, and cry with them: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of
hosts! Blessed is He Who cometh in the name of the Lord! Heaven and earth
are full of Thy glory! Hosanna in the highest; blessed is He that cometh
in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest!
Canon.
We conjure Thee, O Lord, to listen favorably to our humble prayers, to
receive the vows and supplications we offer. We desire to adore, praise,
and glorify Thee, and to give Thee thanks for Thy great glory, joining our
hearts and voices with all the blessed in heaven, and with Thy whole
Church upon earth. O Mary, Mother of mercy! Ask Jesus to give us the
ineffable grace of appreciating, imitating, and loving Him until
death—that Jesus sacrificed by love, and immolated perpetually for us upon
our altars. Amen.
Consecration.
The priest has said: “This is My body; this is My blood;” and Jesus has
descended into his hands. The God of heaven and earth obeys a weak
creature. O mystery of love! O prodigy of annihilation! O my soul,
gratitude and love ought to be thy language. Eternal Truth, in Thee I
believe, strengthen Thou my faith, that I may love Thee ever more and
more, and hereafter behold Thee face to face in Thy celestial kingdom—my
Jesus and my all! Amen.
Elevation Of The Host.
Hail, Victim of salvation, eternal King, Incarnate Word! Sacrificed for me
and for all mankind, O Jesus host, Jesus love, Jesus Saviour! Holy Father,
turn Thy eyes upon me, or rather look upon Thy beloved Son. Give me all
that I ask in His name, and in the name of my immaculate Mother. Amen.
Elevation Of The Chalice.
Holy, holy blood, flowing from my Saviour’s Heart, do thou cleanse me from
all sin. It is Thyself, again Thyself, sweet and blessed Jesus Christ, Who
art also entire within this chalice. Again and again, I adore Thee, and
beseech Thee to be my salvation. Amen.
Memento Of The Living And The Dead.
And now, O my God, I wish to pray for all Thy holy Catholic Church, and
for all Christians, religious and secular; to all give perseverance, O my
God! Remember, O Jesus, those souls purchased by Thy precious blood, who
have died in Thy peace, but nevertheless are deprived of Thy presence.
Stretch forth unto them Thy strong right hand, and bring them into a place
of refreshment, light, and peace. Amen.
Nobis Quoque.
I most humbly implore Thy mercy, O Lord, for myself also. I beg pardon for
all my sins; I desire to detest them, and to renounce them forever. Then,
O my God, Thou wilt accept my gifts, and we will render to Jesus all
honor, praise, and glory. Amen.
Pater Noster.
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 them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Agnus Dei.
O Lamb of God, sacrificed for my sake, have mercy on me! O adorable Victim
of my salvation, look down on me and save me! Divine Mediator, obtain
pardon of Thy Father for me a sinner, and mercifully grant me the sweets
of Thy peace! O Mary, conceived without sin, obtain for me purity of
heart, soul, and body. Amen.
Communion.
In the presence of the true body and the true blood of Our Lord Jesus
Christ, O my God, I place myself most humbly and devoutly at the feet of
Thy loving mercy. Make me avoid sin in the present, pardon that which I
have committed in the past, and guard me against it in the future. O Mary,
conceived without sin, place me in the sanctuary of thy maternal heart, so
that, like thee, I may preserve in peace, silence, and love, Him Whose
possession makes all my happiness, all my delight, all my hope. Amen.
Benediction.
O Jesus, Saviour of my soul, pour down on me by the hand of Thy minister
Thy most abundant blessing. Illuminate my heart with Thy clear light, and
grant that nothing may ever separate me from Thee. Amen.
Last Gospel.
O Word made flesh Who didst annihilate Thyself to give Thyself to me! Thou
Who art the life and light of the world, enlighten me. How ought I not to
be affected with the exceeding privilege I have enjoyed. O my God! I unite
myself to Thee by the ties of love and gratitude; thus alone can I
correspond with Thy mercies. Amen.
Prayer After Mass.
And now once more I commend myself to Thee, O my God! I commend myself
throughout the hours of this day to Thy keeping, to the keeping of Thy
holy Mother and of Thy holy angels, and bring before Thee, for the same
loving care, my kindred, my brothers and sisters, my friends, my
benefactors, and all Christian people. Amen.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin.
(An indulgence of three hundred days each time)
Lord, have mercy on us.
_Christ, have mercy on us._
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
_Christ, graciously hear us._
God, the Father of heaven, _Have mercy on us._
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, _Have mercy on us._
God, the Holy Ghost, _Have mercy on us._
Holy Trinity, one God, _Have mercy on us._
Holy Mary, _Pray for us._
Holy Mother of God, _Pray for us._
Holy Virgin of virgins, _Pray for us._
Mother of Christ, _Pray for us._
Mother of divine grace, _Pray for us._
Mother most pure, _Pray for us._
Mother most chaste, _Pray for us._
Mother inviolate, _Pray for us._
Mother undefiled, _Pray for us._
Mother most amiable, _Pray for us._
Mother most admirable, _Pray for us._
Mother of our Creator, _Pray for us._
Mother of our Saviour, _Pray for us._
Virgin most prudent, _Pray for us._
Virgin most venerable, _Pray for us._
Virgin most renowned, _Pray for us._
Virgin most powerful, _Pray for us._
Virgin most merciful, _Pray for us._
Virgin most faithful, _Pray for us._
Mirror of justice, _Pray for us._
Seat of wisdom, _Pray for us._
Cause of our joy, _Pray for us._
Spiritual vessel, _Pray for us._
Vessel of honor, _Pray for us._
Vessel of singular devotion, _Pray for us._
Mystical rose, _Pray for us._
Tower of David, _Pray for us._
Tower of ivory, _Pray for us._
House of gold, _Pray for us._
Ark of the covenant, _Pray for us._
Gate of heaven, _Pray for us._
Morning star, _Pray for us._
Health of the sick, _Pray for us._
Refuge of sinners, _Pray for us._
Comforter of the afflicted, _Pray for us._
Help of Christians, _Pray for us._
Queen of angels, _Pray for us._
Queen of patriarchs, _Pray for us._
Queen of prophets, _Pray for us._
Queen of apostles, _Pray for us._
Queen of martyrs, _Pray for us._
Queen of confessors, _Pray for us._
Queen of virgins, _Pray for us._
Queen of all saints, _Pray for us._
Queen conceived without original sin, _Pray for us._
Queen of the most holy Rosary, _Pray for us._
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Spare us, O Lord_!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Graciously hear us, O
Lord_!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Have mercy on us, O
Lord_!
_Anthem._ We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not our
petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever
glorious and Blessed Virgin.
_V._ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
_R._ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
_Let Us Pray._
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we,
to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message
of an angel, may, by His Passion and cross, be brought to the glory of His
resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
_V._ May the divine assistance remain always with us.
_R._ Amen.
_V._ And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God
rest in peace.
_R._ Amen.