Prayers
PLEASE PRAY FOR HIS HOLINESS’ POPE FRANCIS, POPE BENEDICT XVI EMERITUS AND ALL BISHOPS AND PRIESTS!
Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. St. Thomas Aquinas
Jesus, believe in me as I believe in You. (petition)
So I can continue to walk on reaching out to others. Amen.
DAILY CONSECRATION PRAYER
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the holy Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart and the Immaculate heart of your holy Mother: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin and the reunion of all Christians, conversion of all unbelieving hearts back to God,the souls in Purgatory, increase in vocations, end to abortion, war, bloodshed and violence. I offer them for the intentions of our Holy Father, bishops, priests, all Apostles of Prayer, Fr. Joseph Whalen and family, my family, the St. Raphael Healing Ministry , all those connected to this ministry past, present, and future, all those who have asked for or need my prayers and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.
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GUARDIAN ANGEL PRAYER
Angel of God, My Guardian Dear
to whom God’s love commits me here.
Ever this day be at my side
to light and guard and rule and guide.
Amen.
Our Lady, Queen of Angels
August Queen of Heaven! Sovereign Mistress of the angels! Thou who from the beginning hast received from God the power and mission to crush the head of Satan, we humbly beseech thee to send thy Holy Legions, that, under thy command and by thy power, they may pursue the evil spirits, encounter them on every side, resist their bold attacks and drive them hence into the abyss of eternal woe. O Good and Tender Mother,thou wilst always be our love and hope, send the Holy Angels to defend us and repel the cruel enemy far from us.
Holy Angels and Archangels, defend us, protect us! Amen.
Prayer to St. Joseph over 1900 years old
O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most Loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen
Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail if in accordance with God’s will.
This prayer was found in the fiftieth year of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In 1500′s, it was sent by the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle.
Whoever reads this prayer or hears it or carries it, will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them. They will not fall into the hands of the enemy nor be burned in any fire, nor will they be defeated in battle.
Make this prayer known everywhere.
Imprimatur
Most Rev. George W. Ahr
Bishop of Trenton
Prayer to St. Michael
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense 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 throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
“O’ St. Michael, give us your strength to defeat our fears and to rise up to any challenge.”
“Our Love is like a flower
It rains on every hour
So don’t you see the power
Of that special flower!”
Prayer to the
Archangel St. Gabriel
O God,
who from among all your angels
chose the Archangel Gabriel
to announce the mystery of the Incarnation,
mercifully grant that we
who solemnly remember him on earth
may feel the benefit of his patronage in heaven,
WITH JESUS who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
PRAYER TO ST. RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners.I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the “medicine of God” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favor (here mention your special intention), and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O Raphael, lead us towards those we are waiting for, those who are
waiting for us! Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings, lead us by the hand
towards those we are looking for! May all our movements, all their
movements, be guided by your Light and transfigured by your joy.
Angel guide of Tobias, lay the request we now address to you at the feet
of Him on whose unveiled Face you are privileged to gaze. Lonely and
tired, crushed by the separations and sorrows of earth, we feel the need
of calling to you and of pleading for the protection of your wings, so
that we may not be as strangers in the Province of Joy, all ignorant of
the concerns of our country.
Remember the weak, you who are strong–you whose home lies beyond the
region of thunder, in a land that is always peaceful, always serene, and
bright with the resplendent glory of God.
Amen.
Litany of Saint Raphael
- 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 Spirit,
- Have mercy on us.
- Holy Trinity, One God,
- Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, filled with the mercy of God,
Saint Raphael, perfect adorer of the Divine Word,
Saint Raphael, terror of demons,
Saint Raphael, exterminator of vices,
Saint Raphael, health of the sick,
Saint Raphael, our refuge in all our trials,
Saint Raphael, guide of travelers,
Saint Raphael, consoler of prisoners,
Saint Raphael, joy of the sorrowful,
Saint Raphael, filled with zeal for the salvation of souls,
Saint Raphael, whose name means God heals,
Saint Raphael, lover of chastity,
Saint Raphael, scourge of demons,
Saint Raphael, in pestilence, famine and war,
Saint Raphael, angel of peace and prosperity,
Saint Raphael, endowed with the grace of healing,
Saint Raphael, sure guide in the paths of virtue and sanctification,
Saint Raphael, help of all those who implore your assistance,
Saint Raphael, who was the guide and consolation of Tobias on his journey,
Saint Raphael, whom the Scriptures praise: Raphael, the holy angel of the Lord, was sent to cure,
Saint Raphael, our advocate, - Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
- Spare us, O Lord.
- Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
- Graciously hear us, O Lord.
- Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
- Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Pray for us, Saint Raphael, to the Lord Our God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ
Lord, Jesus Christ, by the prayer of the Archangel Raphael, grant us the grace to avoid all sin and to persevere in every good work until we reach our heavenly destination, You Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.
O’ generous Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, you chose to reveal your love and caring through miraculous apparitions to St.Juan Diego on the Mountain of Tepeyac. With sincere confidence and hope we come to you Heavenly Mother, weighed down by the burdens and problems of this world especially…
(name your petition) please hear our special intentions O’ Glorious Mother of God that we have placed before you. Intercede for us with your Divine Son, JESUS CHRIST. Amen
Prayer in honor of the five Holy Wounds
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, I adore your five Holy Wounds and put my life in your service.
I want to pray and meditate on these five Our Fathers. Grant me , therefore, the strength to fulfill this promise in order to mitigate the Passion you suffered for the forgiveness of our sins.
now we pray 5X Our Father and 5X Glory be to the Father.
“Whosoever dies clothed in this
shall never suffer eternal fire.”
Mary’s promise to Saint Simon Stock
July 16, 1251″Wear it devoutly and perserveringly,” she says to each soul, “it is my garment. To be clothed in it means you are continually thinking of me, and I in turn, am always thinking of you and helping you to secure eternal life.”
The scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel, and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection, who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer.
THE SABBATINE PRIVELEGE
The blessed Virgin of Mt. Carmel has promised to save those who wear the scapular fromthe fires of Hell; She will also shorten their stay in Purgatory if they should passfrom this world still owing some temporal debt of punishment.
The Blessed Virgin appeared to him and speaking of those who wear the Brown Scapular said: “I, the Mother of grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting.”
Pope Benedict XV proceeded to grant an indulgence of 500 days for each time the cloth Scapular is kissed”. On July 16th, the Scapular feast, while addressing the seminarians of Rome, Benedict XV said: “Let all of you have a common language and a common armor: the language, the sentences of the Gospel; the common armor, the Scapular of the Virgin of Carmel, which you all ought to wear and which enjoys the singular privilege of protection even after death.”
Pope Benedict XV, addressing seminarians in Rome:“Let all of you have a common language and a common armor: The language, the sentences of the Gospel – the common armor, the Brown Scapular of the Virgin of Carmel which you ought to wear and which enjoys the singular privilege and protection after death.”The Brown Scapular | A Sacramental“One of the most remarkable effects of sacramentals is the virtue to drive away evil spirits whose mysterious and baleful operations affect sometimes the physical activity of man. To combat this occult power the Church has recourse to exorcism, and sacramentals” (The Catholic Encyclopedia., 1913, VXIII, p. 293).The Brown Scapular | A True StoryYou will understand why the Devil works against those who promote the brown scapular when you hear the true story of Venerable Francis Yepes. One day his Scapular fell off. As he replaced it, the Devil howled, “Take off that habit which snatches so many souls from us! All those clothed in it die piously and escape us!” Then and there Francis made the Devil admit that there are three things which the demons are most afraid of: the Holy Name of Jesus; the Holy Name of Mary and the Holy Scapular of Carmel.“Modern Heretics make a mockery of wearing the Scapular. They decry it as so much trifling nonsense.” – St. Alphonsus LigouriMary, Mother of God and Our Mother“When Mary became the Mother of Jesus, true God and true Man, She also became our Mother. In His great mercy, Jesus wished to call us His brothers and sisters, and by this name He constituted us adopted children of Mary.” – St. John BoscoOver the years there have also been many miracles associated with wearing the brown scapular. Some examples are below.
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In 1845 a young Irish boy named John McAuliffe was on an English ship named the “King of the Ocean” in the middle of a deadly hurricane. All on board were fearing for their lives. Seeing the urgency of the situation, John McAuliffe removed his Brown Scapular and making the sign of the cross with it over the raging waves, threw it into the ocean. At that moment the wind calmed and only one more wave came back onto the deck, bringing with it the Brown Scapular which came to rest at the boy’s feet!
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In 1957 a priest in Germany published a story about how a Brown Scapular saved a home from fire. An entire row of homes caught fire in Westboden, Germany. The inhabitants in one of the homes, seeing the fire, fastened one of their Brown Scapulars to the main door of the house. Within 5 hours, 22 homes on each side of this house were reduced to ashes. The house where the inhabitants tied their Brown Scapular to the door was completely unharmed!
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In November 1955, a plane carrying 27 people crashed. All died except one young lady. When this young lady saw the plane was going down she grabbed hold of the Brown Scapular she was wearing and called on Mary in heaven for help. After the deadly impact, her clothes were reduced to ashes and she suffered burns, though her life was saved and her Brown Scapular was untouched by the flames! |
*If you would like a brown scapular, please ask when ordering.
The Holy Rosary
The Rosary is a prayer taken directly from Holy Scripture, with the first part of the Hail Mary taken from the words of the Archangel Gabriel, who called Mary “Full of Grace,” and the second part from the lips of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, who exclaimed, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!” The Holy Rosary is the life and ministry of Jesus, given to us by the Virgin Mary herself for meditation and prayer.
For all of us in the world who have been called by Our Lady to pray the Rosary there is a method to follow as a prayer warrior:
The rosary is designed to give ourselves to Jesus and Mary, so when we pray each mystery, we make their life our life. When we start the rosary, invite Jesus and Mary to pray with and for us. At that point tell Jesus and Mary that we are aware the beads are actually their fingertips; when we touch the beads we touch them. The rosary needs to be said slowly and gently with reverence, devotion and love. We need to be considerate when we say the rosary then we will hear the words of the prayers in our hearts. This is one of the most pure forms of giving all our praise to Jesus through Mary. Padre Pio said the rosary is a powerful weapon against evil, but it is also our instrument to access the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
For Meditation: to Jesus thru Mary
4th sorrowful mystery in the Domincan rosary Mary meets Jesus carrying the cross.
4th sorrow on the Servite Rosary Mary meets Jesus carrying the cross.
4th Station of the Cross: Jesus meets Mary
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.”
How to Pray the Rosary
The repetition in the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each Mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts, where Christ’s spirit dwells. The Rosary can be said privately or with a group.
http://www.newadvent.org/images/rosary.pdf
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The Fifteen Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
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My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.
He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation.
He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, And has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
He comes to the help of his servant Israel for He has remembered His promise of mercy, the promise He made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
Most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray you by the agony of your most sacred heart, and by the sorrows of your Immaculate mother, to wash in your most Precious Blood the sinners of the world who are now in their agony, and who will die today.
Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have mercy on the dying.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Assist me in my last agony, and grant that I may breath forth my soul in peace with you. Amen.
THE ANIMA CHRISTI
Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ’s side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen
“O’ Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
She was awakened at 11:30 PM on the eve of the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, by a “shining child” who led her to the chapel where she saw Our Lady, who spoke to her for two hours about the difficult task that lay ahead. Four months later, on November 27 Catherine had the second vision wherein she saw a three-dimensional scene of the Blessed Virgin standing on a white globe with dazzling rays of light streaming from her fingers and she heard a voice say:
“These are the symbols of grace I shed upon those who ask for them.”
“At the same instant, the oval frame seemed to turn around. Then I saw on the back of it the letter ‘M’, surmounted by a cross, with a crossbar beneath it, and under the monogram of the name of Mary, the Holy Hearts of Jesus and of His Mother; the first surrounded by a crown of thorns and the second transpierced by a sword. I was anxious to know what words must be placed on the reverse side of the medal and after many prayers, one day in meditation I seemed to hear a voice which said to me: ‘ The ‘M’ with the Cross and the two Hearts tell enough.’ “
DIVINE MERCY
1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.
2. Then on the Our Father Beads say the following:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
3. On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
(Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).
4. Conclude with (three times):
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
In 1933, God gave Sister Faustina a striking vision of His Mercy;
Sister tells us:
(Diary 60)The following day an inner voice taught her to say this prayer on ordinary rosary beads:
“First of all you will say one ‘Our Father’, and ‘Hail Mary’, and the ‘I believe in God’. Then on the Our Father beads you will say the following words:
‘Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.’
On the Hail Mary beads you will say the following words:
‘For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.’
In conclusion three times you will recite these words:
‘Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world’. (Diary 476)
Jesus said later to Sister Faustina:“Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I desire that the whole world know My Infinite Mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy….” (Diary 687)“….When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person not as the just judge but as the Merciful Savior”.
The original Image of the Divine Mercy (also known as The First Painting) painted under Sister Faustina’s direction by Vilnius artist Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in 1934. Side altar in the Dominican Church of Holy Spirit, Vilnius, Lithuania In September 2005, the painting was moved to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy, Vilnius.
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The Miracle Prayer
Lord Jesus, I come before Thee, just as I am, I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me. In Thy Name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works. I give Thee my entire self, Lord Jesus, I accept Thee as my Lord, God and Savior. Heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul, and spirit.
Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Thy Precious Blood, and fill me with Thy Holy Spirit, I love Thee Lord Jesus, I praise Thee Lord Jesus, I thank Thee Jesus, I shall follow Thee every day of my life. Amen.
Mary, My Mother, Queen of Peace, and all the Holy Angels and Saints, please help me. Amen.
Say this prayer faithfully, no matter how you feel. When you come to the point where you sincerely mean each word with all your heart, Jesus will change your whole life in a very special way. You will see.
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 valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward 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. Amen.
Novena of the Miraculous Medal
Pray Daily for 9-Days
O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord Jesus and our Mother, penetrated with the most lively confidence in your all-powerful and never-failing intercession, manifested so often through the Miraculous Medal, we your loving and trustful children implore you to obtain for us the graces and favors we ask during this novena, if they be beneficial to our immortal souls, and the souls for whom we pray. (Here form your petition) You know, O Mary, how often our souls have been the sanctuaries of your Son who hates iniquity. Obtain for us then a deep hatred of sin and that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone so that our every thought, word and deed may tend to His greater glory. Obtain for us also a spirit of prayer and self-denial that we may recover by penance what we have lost by sin and at length attain to that blessed abode where you are the Queen of angels and of men. Amen.
“Holy Souls are eager for the prayers of the faithful which can gain indulgences for them. Their intercession is powerful. Pray unceasingly. We must empty Purgatory!” St. Padre Pio
PRAYER FOR MERCY ON THE SOULS IN PURGATORY
My Jesus, by the sorrows Thou didst suffer in Thine agony in the Garden, in Thy scourging and crowning with thorns, in the way to Calvary, in Thy crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; do Thou deliver them from the dire torments they endure; call them and admit them to Thy most sweet embrace in paradise.
St. Martin de Porres pray and intercede for us!
ST. CHARBEL PRAY FOR US!
“Try always to advance more in charity; enlarge your heart with confidence for the divine gifts which the Holy Spirit is anxious to pour into it.” “Pray, pray to the Lord with me, because the whole world needs prayer. And every day, when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray. Pray to the Lord, because even God needs our prayers.”
I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.
I will send a shower of roses.”
~ St. Thérèse
St. Ann de Beaupre “STATUE OF MIRACLES”
Prayer to SAINT ANN to obtain
A SPECIAL FAVOR
O Glorious Saint Ann, filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present affair which I recommend to you under your special protection
[here mention silently your intentions]
Please recommend it to your daughter the Blessed Virgin Mary and lay it before the Throne of Jesus so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Please continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace of one day beholding my God face to face and with you and Mary and all the Saints praising and blessing Him for all eternity. Amen.
O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Ann, St. Joseph help me now and at the hour of my death.
Three Times
Good Saint Ann, Mother of Her who is our life, our sweetness and our hope, pray to Her for us and obtain our requests.
One Hail Mary
Good Saint Ann+ Pray for us!
PRAYER TO IMPLORE FAVORS THROUGH
JOHN PAUL II, POPE
graced the Church with Blessed John Paul
II and for allowing the tenderness of Your
Fatherly care, the glory of the Cross of
Christ, and the splender of the Spirit of love,
to shine through him. Trusting fully in
Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession
of Mary, he has given us a living
image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and has
shown us that holiness is the necessary
measure of ordinary Christian life and is
the way of achieving eternal communion
with You. Grant us, by his intercession, and
according to Your will, the graces we implore,
hoping that he will soon be numbered
among Your saints. Amen.”
AGOSTINO CARD. VALLINI
Vicar General of His Holiness
for the Diocese of Rome
For graces received, contact:
Postulazione della Causa di Canonizzazione
del Beato Giovanni Paolo II
Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano, 6/a – 00184 Roma
SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY
This is a devotion instituted in the course of the thirteenth century, in honor of the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, endured by her in compassion for the suffering and death of her Divine Son.
1. Prophecy of Simeon – reflect on and sympathize in the sorrow of our Blessed Lady, when she presented her Divine Child in the Temple, and heard from the aged Simeon that a sword of grief should pierce her soul on His account.
2. Flight into Egypt – reflect on her sorrow when, to escape the cruelty of King Herod, she was forced to fly into Egypt with St. Joseph and her beloved Child.
3. Three-day Separation from Jesus in Jerusalem – reflect on her grief, when, in returning from Jerusalem she perceived that she had lost her dear Jesus, whom she sought sorrowing during three days.
4. Meeting Christ on the Road to Calvary – reflect on her meeting her Divine Son, all bruised and mangled, carrying His cross to Calvary, and seeing Him fall under His heavy weight.
5. Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ – reflect on her standing by when her Divine Son was lifted up on the cross, and the blood flowed in streams from His sacred wounds.
6. Our Lord is Taken Down from the Cross (Pieta) – reflect on her sorrow, when her Divine Son was taken down from the cross, and she received Him into her arms.
7. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is Buried in the Tomb - contemplate her following His sacred body, as it was borne by Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, to the sepulchre, enclosed there, and hidden from her sight.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE A SEVEN SORROWS CHAPLET PLEASE ASK, GREAT DEVOTION FOR LENT!
These are the SEVEN PROMISES that God grants to those who honor The Blessed Virgin Mother daily by saying seven Hail Mary’s while contemplating her tears and sorrows during her life. This devotion was passed on to us by St. Bridget.
1. “I will grant Peace to their families.
2. “They will be enlightened about the Divine Mysteries.”
3. “I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.”
4. “I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my Divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.”
5. “I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.”
6. “I will visibly help them at the moment of their death, they will see the face of their mother.”
7. “I have obtained (This Grace) from my Divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.”
“O’ Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
“Immaculate Conception keep us from deception and be our health and protection!”
Prayer to St. Philomena
O faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St. Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing, have pity on me.Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs. +
Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs. Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee …
(Here mention your petition.)
I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings and the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His saints. Amen.
The Seven Sorrows of Mary
The Seven Dolors are taken from Scripture events and the devotion has a long history, although it was not officially promulgated by the Church until the early nineteenth century. Before Pope Pius VII’s formal approval, the Servite Order had permission in 1668 to celebrate the Feast of the Seven Dolors because the Order was instrumental in popularizing the Seven Sorrows Devotion.
In the Middle Ages, Catholic theology concentrated mostly on Christ’s Passion; at the side of the Man of Sorrows, however, the faithful always contemplated the Queen of Martyrs. Devotion to the Crucified Christ and to Our Lady of sorrows grew side by side. Christ immolated His flesh, Mary, her heart, her own soul. On September 15, the day following the ancient feast of the Holy Cross, the Church commemorates the compassion of Mary; but it is fitting during the year, especially during Lent, to honor the Sorrows of Mary.
Devotion to the Sorrows of Mary has always been a favorite devotion among Catholics. It has been sanctioned by the Church and introduced into the Missal and Breviary. In order to keep before our minds the inexpressible sufferings endured for us by the Mother of God while she lived here on earth with her Divine Son, the Church observes two feasts in honor of the Seven Dolors of Mary; one on the Friday before Good Friday and the other on September 15. She has enriched with numerous indulgences the Rosary of the Seven Dolors, as well as a number of other devotions to the Mother of Sorrows.
The Gospel, John 19:25, says: “Near the Cross of Jesus stood His mother, his mother’s sister, Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.” At Christ’s bequest, Mary was proclaimed the universal Mother of mankind from the Cross.
Mary had three loves in her Immaculate Heart: God, her Son, and souls. She so loved the world that she gave her only Son. As St. Bernard said, “The sword would not have reached Jesus if it had not pierced Mary’s heart.” Mary loved souls and on Calvary, after suffering such cruel torments she merited being the mother of all mankind.
St. Ambrose said, “I read that she stood, but I do not read that she wept.” When Mary gave us her Son, she gave us everything. Therefore it can very well be said: “Behold this heart which has so greatly loved all people that it has spared nothing for them.”
The Seven Graces of this Devotion
1. I will grant peace to their families.
2.They will be enlightened about the Divine mysteries.
3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.
4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my Divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.
5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.
6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death, they will see the face of their Mother.
7. I have obtained this Grace from my Divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.
Benefits of the Devotion to the Mother of Sorrows
1. To realize the value of a soul, worth the supreme Sacrifice on Calvary.
2. To work for souls, by evangelization, duty to life’s duties, and
prayer for sinners.
3. To pray always, in a life of union with God; whoever has a heart similar to Jesus’ and Mary’s hearts, will work for the salvation of souls.
When we commit sin we bring sorrow to Our Lady, for she is, indeed
our very Mother, our spiritual Mother, and she watches over
us as she watched over her Baby, nearly two thousand years ago.
It is the desire of Jesus that we should think of His Passion, to offer Him
our devotion and to renew our sorrow for sin. It is also His desire,
as the Church makes clear to us, that we should think of the
compassion of Mary in His Passion.