Visit of the Weeping Madonna to Holy Family Parish

Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas

While browsing over the bookmarkers that accumulated in my breviary, I found a copy of the holy card for my priestly ordination. It has the prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas which is very dear to me:

Lord,
give me a heart so watchful that no vain thought can distract it from you,
a noble heart that no unworthy passion can seduce,
an upright heart that no evil intention may contaminate,
a sturdy heart that is not crushed by tribulation,
a free heart that does not let itself be overcome by troubled passion.

Grant me
an understanding that knows you,
a love that seeks you,
a wisdom that finds you,
conversation that pleases you, perseverance that waits for you with confidence,
and hope that will finally embrace you. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

Happy Feast day!

A Prayer to Mary, Help of Christians

Mary, Help of Christians, when thou dost arise
to protect the Church, her victory is sure!

VIRGIN MOST POWERFUL, loving helper of the Christian people, how great thanks do we owe thee for the assistance thou didst give our fathers, who, when they were threatened by the Turkish infidels, invoked thy maternal help by the devout recitation of the Rosary! From heaven thou didst see their deadly peril; thou didst hear their voices imploring thy compassion; and their humble prayers, enjoined by the great Pope, Saint Pius the fifth, were acceptable unto thee, and thou camest quickly to deliver them. Grant, dear Mother, that in like manner the prolonged sighs of the holy Bride of Christ in these our days may come to thy throne and engage thy pity; do thou, moved anew to compassion for her, rise once again to deliver her from the many foes who encompass her from every side.

Even now from the four quarters of the earth there arises to thy throne that loved prayer, to win thy mercy in these troubled times even as of old. Unhappily our sins hinder, or at least, retard its effect. Wherefore, dear Mother, obtain for us true sorrow for our sins and a firm resolution to face death itself rather than return to our former iniquities; we are sore distressed that, through our fault, thy help, of which we stand in such extreme need, should be denied or come too late.

Rise, then, O Mary, incline thyself to hear the prayers of the whole Catholic world, and beat flat to the ground the pride of those wretched men, who in their insolence blaspheme Almighty God and would destroy His Church, against which, according to the infallible words of Christ, the gates of hell shall never prevail. Let it be seen once more that when thou dost arise to protect the Church, her victory is sure.

Amen.

(from the Raccolta)

Prayer of St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier, Patron of the Missions

At the end of the Ramadan, I would like to invite you to pray this prayer by St. Francis Xavier, Patron of the Missions:

O God, the everlasting Creator of all things, remember that the souls of unbelievers we made by Thee and formed in Thine own image and likeness.

Remember that Jesus, Thy Son, endured a most bitter death for their salvation.

Permit not, I beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thy Son should be any longer despised by unbelievers, but do Thou graciously accept the prayers of holy men and of the Church, the Spouse of Thy most holy Son, and be mindful of Thy mercy.

Forget their idolatry and unbelief, and grant that they too may some day know Him whom Thou hast sent, even the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Salvation, our Life and Resurrection, by whom we have been saved and delivered, to whom be glory for endless ages. Amen.

Typhoon YOLANDA

Super typhoon Yolanda struck the Visayan region of the Philippines and has left unbelievable devatation. Bishop Socrates Villegas wrote this very touching prayer:

Lord we are in great need. Like infants we cry to you, do not abandon us in our distress. We kneel in disbelief! How could you, dear Lord, have allowed this to happen to us who call on your holy name? Have you abandoned us Lord? Are you punishing us for our sins against you?

We have been crying for days and our eyes have run dry but our grief is still very deep, our wounds keep bleeding and our hearts are confused and anxious. Our tears are not enough to wash away our sadness.

Tama na po! Hindi na po namin kaya!

Lord we believe in you and we trust in you in the midst of all these.

Today, we renew our faith and hope in you Lord. The super typhoon was strong but our faith in you in stronger. Houses have been blown away; lives have been swallowed by raging waters; winds have wrought us havoc leaving many orphans—but we will stand from the rubbles and change this nightmare into a new day of new hopes and new dreams and new visions.

You can command the winds and the rains to cease. Please, Lord, spare us from more typhoons and storms and earthquakes! We feel bruised from all sides, battered from top to bottom and beaten up inside and out! Please consider our sufferings more than we can face. Tama na po!

But if it is your will that we endure all these calamities so that we may be cleansed and strengthened as a nation, we bow down to accept you holy and mysterious will. The only grace we seek is for you to assure us—that you love the Philippines; that you will never leave us orphans. Your love is more than enough for us to face all storms. With you dear Lord, we will look at the face of death and remain steadfast and unafraid because love is stronger even than death. 

Amen. Amen. May your will be done. Stay with us. Amen.

Giving the Lord Our Full Attention

Praised be Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, we saw how the Lord Jesus is himself our neighbor because he is the one who treats us with mercy. It is this light of being our neighbor that the Lord is shown as accepting the hospitality of his friends. In the first reading, he accepts the hospitality of Abraham. In the Gospel, he accepts the hospitality of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. In fact there were other occasions when the Lord accepted the invitation for him to visit homes and eat at the table of friends: he entered into the homes of Simon the Pharisee, Levi the Tax collector, and also Zacchaeus, another tax collector. As the good neighbor, he allows himself to be invited…and even seeks to be invited by us: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” says the Lord, “if anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him and he with me.” He is the Divine Neighbor who accords us the honor of his visit into our homes.

Thus, he entered the home of Martha and Mary. Perhaps, Martha felt so honored with our Lord’s visit that she became engrossed with the details of hospitality. There was nothing wrong with what she did. Hospitality is good. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us: Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. [Hebrews thirteen verse two] When asked about Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet to listen to him, our Lord did not condemn Martha’s hospitality as evil. Instead, he praised Mary for choosing the better part. What Martha did was good, but what Mary chose was even better. Why is this so?

Martha’s anxiety and worry about many things kept her from giving the Lord her full attention – which was all that the Lord wanted from her. Of course, she served him and looked after his needs. But the Lord did not visit her to be fed. He visited the sisters to feed them with the Words of Everlasting life. Coming in and out of the kitchen, Martha was physically present, but her mind and heart were absent. Choosing to sit at the Lord’s feet to listen to him speak, Mary chose the better part. She gave the Lord her full attention. She was not just present physically. Her mind and her heart were present to the Lord as well. Giving the Lord her full attention, Mary allowed the Lord to transform her by his visit. As Abraham’s life was transformed by the Lord’s visit, so was Mary’s life transformed also by the Lord’s visit. The Lord wanted Martha to do the same – to give him her full attention because he wishes to impart with her the words of eternal life.

And the Lord will do the same for us today. He knocks at the door. He asks that he be received “under our roof.” He wishes to heal our souls and this he will do if only we allow him to enter into our bodies during holy Communion. But once we receive him in Communion, he asks that he be given our full attention. We might waste the potential of this Divine Encounter if, upon receiving him, we rush outside the Church into the parking lot because we are in a hurry to do the chores we intend to accomplish this week-end. Sayang kasi ang bakasyon. But by saying so, we miss the point of the Sunday rest. On this day, we abstain from servile work so that we can give the Lord our full attention. The Sunday rest accords us the opportunity to offer the Lord the time which we usually fail to give him. It is not good to be busy always. We must take time to smell the flowers or better yet, we must take time out to sit at the Lord’s feet to listen to him speak. Give him your full attention. Give him your time. He knocks at the door of your heart. Open it and let him in today and every Sunday. The Lord wants to dine with you today.

Jesus, I trust in you. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Novena To The Child Mary

This novena starts on August 30 and ends on September 7
To be recited everyday:
V. O God, come to my assistance
R. O Lord, make haste to help me
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
R. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

First Day:
Heavenly Child, lovable Mary, the Eternal Father delights in your birth, for He beholds in your coming into this world one of His creatures who is so perfect that she will become the worthy Mother of His divine Son. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining for me from the heavenly Father, the pardon of my sins, and an abiding sorrow for them.

Hail Mary...
Second Day: O Chosen One among the daughters of Adam, admirable Mary, the Son of God delights in your birth, for He beholds the one chosen to be His Mother, and oh! such a beloved Mother. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining from your divine Son the grace to be born again spiritually to a holy life, perfectly conformed to yours, so that I may merit to obtain eternal glory.

Hail Mary...

Third Day: O Chosen One among the daughters of Adam, lovable Mary, the Eternal Word takes delight in your birth, for He sees the source of His Immaculate Blood. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining for me from the Word made Flesh, the grace to find in this Divine Blood the eternal happiness of my soul.
Hail Mary...
Fourth Day: O Chosen One among the daughters of Adam, admirable Mary, the Redeemer, promised to mankind from the beginning of the world, takes delight in your birth, for He sees the one who is destined to become the Co-redemptress of souls by uniting her tears to the Blood shed on the Cross to save mankind.
Hail Mary...
Fifth Day: Resplendent Lily of Paradise, lovable Mary, the Holy Spirit takes delight in your birth for He sees in you the soul never stained by sin, which would forever be His worthy Temple. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining for me from the Holy Spirit His divine love and final perseverance.
Hail Mary...

Sixth Day: Most Beautiful Branch of the tree of David, most admirable Mary, whose birth was such a consolation to St. Joachim and St. Anne who were delighted to be the parents of so holy a child, may your birth be the consolation of my soul, by obtaining for me from God, victory over the world and detachment from all the things of this earth.
Hail Mary...

Seventh Day: Resplendent Morning Star, lovable Mary, your birth was the cause of great joy to the angels, for they beheld in you the Mother of the Redeemer of the world, who by His Death would repair the loss sustained by the fall of rebellions angels in paradise. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining for me from God, victory over the infernal enemy, deliverance from all his snares, and the grace to be associated in glory with the angels in heaven.
Hail Mary...

Eighth Day: Brilliant Aurora of Heaven, lovable Mary, your birth brought great consolation to the souls of the saints detained in limbo, for it announced the approach of the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ, who would enlighten their darkness and then conduct them to paradise. May your birth give joy to my soul also, and obtain for me from God, patience in all adversities, a perfect and constant conformity to His most holy will.
Hail Mary...
Ninth Day: Mediatrix between God and mankind, admirable Mary, by your birth you perfected the joy of all the children of Adam, who, through you, have received the Author of Grace, for He has made you the treasurer of all the graces which are imparted to us. May your birth be a special cause of joy to my soul by obtaining for me from God, eternal salvation and all the graces necessary to obtain it.
Hail Mary...


The prayer of each day is ended by the following:

Antiphon: Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, was the herald of joy to the whole world; since from you arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, who, destroying the curse, bestowed the blessing, and confounding death, rewarded us with life everlasting.
V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray.
Grant to us your servants, we beseech you, O Lord, the gift of Your heavenly grace, that as our salvation was begun in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin, so from this solemn festival of her Nativity may we obtain an increase of peace. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Nihil Obstat: Iacobus P. King, I.C.D. Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: Bryan Iosephus McEntegart, D.D., LL.D. Episcopus Bruklyniensis.

Novena To Mary

Prayer of Reparation In the Archdiocese of Manila

PRAYER OF REPARATION
(To be prayed kneeling)
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God,
out of love for us, your sinful creatures,
you became man and sacrificed your life on the cross.
You deserve nothing but gratitude, honor, and praise,
yet there are people, who by a misguided use of freedom,
ridicule your Divine Person and the person of your Mother
by desecrating your sacred images and call their work “art”.
We are profoundly shocked and ashamed, Lord Jesus,
and so we kneel before your Divine Majesty
to beg the pardon of your merciful and forgiving heart
for the mindless blasphemy committed against you.
We are filled with indignation against the perpetrators,
but you have taught us to forgive as you have forgiven us.
Whether they know or know not what they were doing,
we pray for them:
Lord Jesus, grant them the grace of true repentance
and open their minds to what is noble and beautiful,
to what is edifying and respectful of other people’s beliefs.
We also pray for ourselves:
Lord Jesus, grant us the grace to live like real Christians,
so that we may become your unblemished images
and living witnesses to your love and forgiveness.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
________________________________________




PANALANGIN NG PAGBABAYAD-PURI
(Dadasaling nakaluhod)
Panginoong Hesukristo, Anak ng Diyos na buhày,
dahil sa labis mong pag-ibig sa aming mga makasalanan,
nagkatawang-tao ka at nag-alay ng iyong buhay sa krus.
Nararapat kang pasalamatan, parangalan, at purihin,
ngunit may mga tao, na dahil sa maling paggamit ng kanilang kalayaan
ay nililibak ang inyong pagka-Diyos at ang karangalan ng iyong Ina
sa ng paglapastangan sa inyong banal na imahen at ituring itong sining.
Lubos kaming nababagabag at nahihiya, Panginoong Hesus,
kaya't kami'y buong pakumbabang lumuluhod
sa harap ng inyong dakilang kamahalan
upang humingi ng kapatawaran
mula sa iyong maawain at mapagpatawad na puso
sa walang pakundangang paglapastangan sa iyong karangalan.
Matindi ang aming pagkamuhi sa mga taong may kagagawan nito,
ngunit tinuruan mo kaming magpatawad tulad ng pagpapatawad mo sa amin.
Alam man nila ang kanilang ginagawa o hindi,
ipinapanalangin namin sila:
Panginoong Hesus, pagkalooban mo sila ng biyaya ng tunay na pagtitika
at imulat mo ang kanilang mga isip kung ano ang marangal at maganda,
kung ano ang nagbibigay ng mabuting halimbawa
at gumagalang sa paniniwala ng iba.
Ipinapanalangin din namin ang aming sarili:
Panginoong Hesus, pagkalooban mo kami ng biyaya
na mamuhay kami bilang mga tunay na Kristiyano
upang kami'y maging mga walang bahid mong kawangis
at mga buhày na saksi ng iyong pag-ibig at pagpapatawad.
Panginoon, kaawaan mo kami.
Kristo, kaawan mo kami.
Panginoon, kaawaan mo kami.

A Prayer to Maria Assumpta

Our Lady borne in the procession of reparation

O Mary, crowned with stars, who hast the moon for thy footstool and who sittest enthroned above all the choirs of Angels, incline thine eyes toward this vale of tears, and hear the voice of one who puts all his hope and trust in thee.

Now thou dost rejoice in the endless bliss of paradise; but once thous didst endure the miseries of this our exile and thou knowest how bitter are the days of him who eats the bread of sorrow.

On Calvary thou didst hear a voice, well-known to thee, which said: "Woman, behold thy son"; that is to say, "a son in my stead". By these words thou wast appointed the Mother of all believers.

And without thee what life should we have, who are the unhappy children of Adam? Each of us has a sorrow that tries him, a grief that oppresses, a wound that rankles. All men run to thy protection, as to the haven of safety and the fountain of healing. When the waves rise high in the tempest, it is to thee the mariner turns and prays for calm. The orphan flies to thee, for he sees himself as a plant in a thirsty land, defenseless before all the whirlwinds of life. To thee the poor offer their supplications when they are in the want of daily bread. And not even one is left without thy help and consolation.

O Mary, dear Mother, enlighten our minds and warm our hearts; let that pure love which streams forth from thine eyes, spread itself abroad and bring forth those wondrous fruits with thy Son hath purchased for us by the shedding of His Blood, the while thou didst suffer most bitter torments at the foot of His Cross.

The Raccolta, 344

Act of Reparation

Crucifixion by Joey Velasco

The Cultural Center of the Philippines closed the sacrilegious exhibit referred to in the former post. Now, we need to make reparation for the dishonor to which our Lord and his Blessed Mother were subjected!

An Act of Reparation

O Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer, Son of the living God. behold we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation; we would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy holy Name, for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, for all the irreverence shown towards Thine immaculate Virgin Mother, for all the calumnies and slanders spoken against Thy spouse, the holy Catholic and Roman Church. O Jesus, who hast said: "If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it to you", we pray and beseech Thee for all the brethren who are in danger of sin; shield them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith; save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss; t0 all of them give light and knowledge of the truth, courage and strength for the conflict with evil, perseverance in faith and active charity! For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus, in Thy Name, unto God the Father, with whom Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost world without end. Amen.

The Raccolta, 100.

Prayer for Priests

Prayer by the Laity to Obtain the Sanctification of Priests

O Jesus, eternal High Priest, Good Shepherd, Font of Life, who by a special favor of Thy most tender Heart hast given to us our priests in order to accomplish in us those holy ideals with which Thy grace inspires our hearts, let Thy mercy, we beseech Thee, come to the aid of our priests.

Grant them, O Jesus, lively faith in their works, unshakable hope in their trials and fervent charity in their intentions. May Thy word, radiant with eternal Wisdom, become through continual meditation, the never-failing nourishment of their interior life; may the examples of Thy life and Passion be renewed in their conduct and sufferings for our instruction and as a light and consolation in our sorrows.

Grant, O Lord, that our priests, free from all earthly attachments and solicitous for Thy glory alone, may persevere to their last breath in the fulfilment of duty and in purity of conscience. And when in death they deliver into your hands a task well done may they have in Thee, Lord Jesus, their Master on earth, the eternal reward of the crown of justice in the glory of the Saints. Amen.

Pope Pius XII

Pray for Holy Priests on the First Thursday of August, 2011, which is also the Feast of St. John Mary Vianney!

A Beautiful Prayer to the Blessed Sacrament

"O living Host, O hidden Jesus, You see the conditions of my soul. Of myself, I am unable to utter Your Holy Name. I cannot bring forth from my heart the fire of love but, kneeling at your feet, I cast upon the Tabernacle the gaze of my soul, a gaze of faithfulness. As for You, You are ever the same, while within my soul a change takes place. I trust that the time will come when You will unveil Your countenance, and Your child will again see Your sweet face. I am astonished, Jesus, that You can hide Yourself from me for so long and that You can restrain the enormous love You have for me. In the dwelling of my heart, I am listening and waiting for Your coming, O only Treasure of my heart.

St. Faustina, Diary, 1239

To the Honor of the Apostles

Thou art the Shepherd of the sheep, the Prince of the Apostles, unto thee were given the keys of the Kingdom of heaven.

V/ Thou art Peter;

R/ And upon this Rock I will build my Church

Let us pray.

Raise us up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, by the apostolic assistance of Blessed Peter, Thine Apostle; so that the weaker we are, the more mightily we may be helped by the power of his intercession: and that being perpetually defended by the same holy Apostle, we may neither yield to any iniquity, nor be overcome by any adversity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thou art the Vessel of election, Saint Paul the Apostle, the Preacher of truth in the whole world.

V/ Pray for us, Saint Paul the Apostle,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of Thy divine mercy, didst instruct Thy blessed Apostle Paul what he should do that he might be filled with the Holy Ghost; by his admonitions directing us and his merits interceding for us, grant that we may serve Thee in fear and trembling and so be filled with the comfort of Thy heavenly gifts. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

-from the Raccolta

St. Anthony of Padua, Hammer of Heretics

Dom Prosper Gueranger's

Prayer to St. Anthony of Padua

In return for your loving submission to God the Father in Heaven, the populace obeyed you and the fiercest tyrants trembled at your voice. Heresy alone dared once to defy you, dared to refuse to hearken to your word; thereupon, the very fishes of the sea took up your defense; for they came swimming in shoals before the eyes of the whole city to listen to your preaching which the heretics had scorned. Alas! error, having long ago recovered from the vigorous blows dealt by you, is yet more emboldened in these days, even claiming the sole right to speak.

The offspring of Manes, whom under the name of Albigenses you so successfully combatted, would now, under the new appellation of Freemasonry, have all France at its beck. Your native Portugal beholds the same monster stalking in broad daylight almost to the very altar itself, and the whole world is being intoxicated by its poison.

O St. Anthony of Padua, you who fly daily to the aid of your devotees in their private necessities, you whose power is the same in Heaven as heretofore upon earth, succour the Church, we implore you: Come to the aid of God's people, have pity upon society, now more universally and deeply menaced than ever. O you, Ark of the Covenant, return our generation, so terribly devoid of love and faith, to the serious study of the sacred letters, in which lies so energizing a power. O you, Hammer of Heretics, strike once more such blows as will make Hell tremble and the heavenly powers thrill with joy."

From Tradition in Action, Inc.

To St. Joseph, Patron of the Dying

Faithful Joseph, with the fulfillment of the Lord's promise, you peacefully leave this world in Jesus and Mary's hands. Your faith transforms death into the sowing of life; thus, God considers you to be a just man. Your heart overflows in the presence of the Lord. With your hands outstreched to God, your night is filled with prayers. Surrounded by the living, you embark upon the great march to the Promised Land.

Open our eyes that we may glimpse the road to Life that lies beyond death. May nothing, not denial, anger, nor depression, separate us from the love of God. Strengthen our faith in God who always finds ways of preserving us in His friendship. Be beside us to hold our hands when we take our first steps toward the Eternal Kingdom.

Amen.

Birth of Mary

O Most Holy Virgin Mary, there never was born among women

anyone like you,

Daughter and Handmaid of the Most High King and Heavenly Father;

Heavenly Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Spouse of the Holy Spirit.

Together with St. Michael and with all the powers of heaven

and wth all the saints,

pray for us to your Most Holy Son,

our Lord and Master.

Amen.

St. Francis of Assisi (+1226)

Prayer of Baldwin

Lord, take away my heart of stone, a heart so bitter and uncircumcised, and give me a new heart, a heart of flesh, a pure heart. You cleanse the heart and love the clean heart. Take possession of my heart and dwell in it, contain it, and fill it, You who are higher than the heights of my spirit and closer to me than my innermost self! You are the pattern of all beauty and the seal of all holiness. Set the seal of Your likeness upon my heart! In Your mercy set Your seal upon my heart, God of my heart and the God who is my portion for ever! Amen.

From a treatise by Baldwin, Bishop of Canterbury

Office of Readings, Thursday, 18th Week in Ordinary Time

A Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests

O Jesus, eternal Hight Priest, divine Sacrificer, Thou who in an unspeakable burst of love for men, Thy brethren, didst cause the Christian priesthood to spring forth from Thy Sacred Heart, vouchsafe to pour forth upon Thy priests continual living streams of infinite love.

Live in them, transform them into Thee; make them, by Thy grace, fit instruments of Thy mercy; do Thou act in them and through them, and grant, that they may become wholly one with Thee by their faitfhul imitation of Thy virtues; and, in Thy Name and by the strength of Thy spirit, may they do the works which Thou didst accomplish for the salvation of the world.

Divine Redeemer of souls, behold how great is the multitude of those who still sleep in the darkenss of error; reckon up the number of those unfaithful sheep who stray to the edge of the precipe; consider the throngs of the poor, the hungry, the ignorant, and the feeble who groan in their abandoned condition.

Return to us in the person of Thy priests; trul;y live again in them; act through them and pass once more through the world, teaching, forgiving, comforting, sacrificing and renewing the sacred bonds of love betwwen the Heart of God and the heart of man. Amen.

from the Roccolta, 659

Chaplet of Mary Queen of Apostles by Blessed James Alberione

1. Most loving Queen of heaven and of earth, I venerate and praise that privilege, unique in the world, whereby--pleasing God in your humility and faith, and preserving your spotless virginity--you became the great Mother of the divine Savior, source of all truth and first apostle of truth. You gave the world the Book to read: the Eternal Word. For the indescribable joy you felt and for that privilege so sublime, I bless the Holy Trinity. I ask you to obtain for me the grace of heavenly wisdom, to be a humble and fervent disciple of Jesus, a devoted child of the Church, the pillar of truth. Make the light of the Gospel shine to the farthest bounds of the earth, overcome errors, gather all people around the See of Peter. Enlighten theologians, preachers and writers, O Mother of Good Counsel, O Seat of Wisdom, O Queen of all saints.

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

2. O Mary, Queen of all the angels, full of grace, conceived without sin, blessed among creatures, living tabernacle of God, remember that painful and solemn moment in which the dying Jesus from the cross gave you John as your son, and in him all humanity and especially all the apostles. What tender love flooded your heart at that moment for those consecrated to the apostolate, to the following of the cross, to the love of Jesus! For your indescribable sufferings and those of your divine Son, for your motherly heart, O Mary, increase the number of apostles, missionaries, priests and virgins. May they be resplendent for sanctity of life, integrity of morals, solid piety, the deepest humility, the most firm faith, the most ardent charity. May they all be holy, purifying salt of the earth and light of the world.

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

3. O Virgin most pure, noble Queen of Martyrs, Morning Star, safe refuge of sinners, rejoice for the days in which you were teacher, comforter and Mother of the apostles in the cenacle, to invoke and receive the divine Paraclete, the Spirit with the seven gifts, Love of the Father and of the Son, transformer of the apostles. By your all-powerful intercession and by your humble and irresistible prayers, which always move God's heart, obtain for me the grace to realize the value of every human person, for whom Jesus Christ shed his most precious blood. May each one of us be enthusiastic about the beauty of the Christian apostolate. May the charity of Christ urge us on. May the spiritual misery of poor humanity move us. Grant that we may feel in our hearts the needs of childhood, of adolescence, of adulthood, of old age. Grant that vast Africa, immense Asia, promising Oceania, troubled Europe, the two Americas may exercise a powerful attraction on our souls. Grant that the apostolate of example and word, of prayer and the press, of films, radio and television, of the souls in purgatory, may conquer many generous persons, even to the point of the most heroic sacrifices. O Mother of the Church, O Queen of Apostles, our Advocate, to you we sigh, mourning in this valley of tears.

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

4. O our tender Mother Mary, gate of heaven, source of peace and happiness, help of Christians, trust of the dying and hope even of the desperate, I recall the blessed moment for you in which you left the earth to fly to the blessed embrace of Jesus. It was the omnipotent favor of God which assumed you into heaven, beautiful and immortal. I see you exalted above the angels and saints, confessors and virgins, apostles and martyrs, prophets and patriarchs, and even I, from the midst of my sins, dare to add the voice of an unworthy but repentant sinner to praise and bless you. O Mary, convert me once and for always. Give me a repentant life, that I may have a holy death and one day join my voice to that of the saints to praise you in heaven. I consecrate myself to you and through you to Jesus. With full awareness and here in the presence of all the heavenly court, I renew the promises made in holy Baptism. I renew the resolution, which I place in your heart, to fight my self-love and to combat unceasingly against my principal defect, which so often has cast me into sin. O Mary, gain for yourself the greatest glory: change a great sinner into a great saint, O refuge of sinners, O morning star, O comforter of the afflicted.

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

5. O Mary, Star of the Sea, my gentle sovereign, our life and Queen of Peace, how great and how wonderful the day on which the Holy Trinity crowned you Queen of heaven and earth, dispenser of all graces, our most lovable Mother--what a triumph for you! What happiness for the angels, for the saints, for the earth, for purgatory! I know, O Mary, that those who love you will be saved, and that those who love you greatly will be holy and will participate one day in your glory in heaven. I do not doubt your clemency nor your power; I fear my inconstancy in praying to you. Obtain for me perseverance. O Mary, be my salvation. I feel my passions, the devil, the world. O Mary, hold me close to you and to your Jesus! Do not permit me to fall; do not leave me even for an instant, O Mother. It is consoling to cast the first glance upon you in the morning, to walk under your mantle during the day, to fall asleep under your gaze at night. You have smiles for innocent children, strength for struggling youth, light for working men and women, comfort for old age awaiting heaven. O Mary, to you I consecrate my entire life; pray for me now and in the final battle at the hour of my death. Receive my soul when it breathes its last, and do not leave me until I kneel before your throne in heaven, to love you for all eternity. O Mary, my Queen, my advocate, my sweetness, obtain for me holy perseverance.

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Consecration of Priests to Mary

Consecration of Priests to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Mother, in this place of grace, called together by the love of your Son Jesus the Eternal High Priest, we, sons in the Son and his priests, consecrate ourselves to your maternal Heart, in order to carry out faithfully the Father's Will.

We are mindful that, without Jesus, we can do nothing good (cf. Jn 15:5) and that only through him, with him and in him,will we be instruments of salvationfor the world.

Bride of the Holy Spirit, obtain for us the inestimable gift of transformation in Christ.Through the same power of the Spirit that overshadowed you, making you the Mother of the Saviour, help us to bring Christ your Son to birth in ourselves too. May the Church be thus renewed by priests who are holy, priests transfigured by the grace of himwho makes all things new.

Mother of Mercy, it was your Son Jesus who called us to become like him: light of the world and salt of the earth(cf. Mt 5:13-14).

Help us, through your powerful intercession, never to fall short of this sublime vocation, nor to give way to our selfishness, to the allurements of the world and to the wiles of the Evil One.

Preserve us with your purity, guard us with your humility and enfold us with your maternal love that is reflected in so many souls consecrated to you, who have become for us true spiritual mothers.

Mother of the Church, we priests want to be pastors who do not feed themselves but rather give themselves to God for their brethren, finding their happiness in this. Not only with words, but with our lives, we want to repeat humbly, day after day, our "here I am".

Guided by you, we want to be Apostles of Divine Mercy, glad to celebrate every day the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar and to offer to those who request it the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Advocate and Mediatrix of grace, you who are fully immersed in the one universal mediation of Christ, invoke upon us, from God, a heart completely renewed that loves God with all its strength and serves mankind as you did.

Repeat to the Lord your efficacious word:"They have no wine" (Jn 2:3), so that the Father and the Son will send upon us a new outpouring ofthe Holy Spirit. Full of wonder and gratitude at your continuing presence in our midst, in the name of all priests I too want to cry out:"Why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Lk 1:43).

Our Mother for all time, do not tire of "visiting us", consoling us, sustaining us. Come to our aid and deliver us from every danger that threatens us. With this act of entrustment and consecration, we wish to welcome you more deeply, more radically, for ever and totally into our human and priestly lives.

Let your presence cause new blooms to burst forth in the desert of our loneliness, let it cause the sun to shine on our darkness, let it restore calm after the tempest, so that all mankind shall see the salvation of the Lord, who has the name and the face of Jesus, who is reflected in our hearts, for ever united to yours!

Amen!