Prayers

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

When I say "Hail Mary, the Heavens bow down, the angels rejoice, the earth jubilates, hell trembles, and the devils take flight ... St. Francis of Assisi
(Quotations courtesy of Shelley)

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary
R. And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hours of our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord
R. Be it done unto me according to thy Word.
Hail Mary...

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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. [Return to top]

(We join our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, in invoking the intercession of Mary, Advocate for the People of God, through what might be considered a type of modern Sub Tuum, (Totally Yours). We implore the Holy Spirit for a "renewed outpouring" of His Divine Mercy upon the faithful and the world today.

O' Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of the Church, open our hearts to the great anticipation for the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole of creation and the reign of the Kingdom of God. Your Mother's Heart is ever mindful of the many dangers and evils which threaten to overpower men and women in our time. O Mary, full of courage, may your spiritual strength and trust in God inspire us, so that we might know how to overcome the obstacles that we encounter. Teach us to treat the affairs of the world with a real sense of Christian responsibility and a joyful hope of the coming of God's Kingdom.

O' Mother of Our Divine Savior and Our Mother, who gathered with the Apostles in prayer at the Cenacle, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we implore you for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all the faithful, so that we, your children, might more generously respond to the Will of your Divine Son and mission of His Church. O Virgin Mother, guide and sustain us so that we might always live as true sons and daughters of the Church of your Son Jesus Christ. Enable us to do our part in helping to establish here on earth a civilization of truth and love, as God wills it, and for His Glory. Amen. [Top]

O' HOLY VIRGIN, in the midst of your days of glory, do not forget the sorrows of this earth. Cast a merciful glance upon those who are suffering, struggling against difficulties, with their lips constantly pressed against life's bitter cup.

Have pity of those who love each other and are separated. Have pity on our rebellious hearts. Have pity on our weak faith. Have pity on those we love. Have pity on those who weep, on those who pray, on those who fear.

MY GOD, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You, I ask forgiveness for those who do not believe, nor adore, nor hope nor love You.

MOST HOLY TRINITY, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended, and by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners. [Top]

Holy Angel, my counselor, inspire me; Holy Angel, my defender, protect me;
Holy Angel, my faithful friend; intercede for me;
Holy Angel, my consoler, fortify me; Holy Angel, my brother, defend me;
Holy Angel, my teacher, instruct me;
Holy Angel, witness of all my actions, purify me;
Holy Angel, my helper, support me;
Holy Angel, my intercessor, speak for me;
Holy Angel, my guide, direct me; Holy Angel, my light, enlighten me;
Holy Angel, whom God has assigned to lead me, govern me.

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.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, * pray for us,
Holy Mother of God,*
Queen of the Angels,*
St. Michael,*
St. Gabriel,*
St. Raphael,*
All holy Angels and Archangels,*
Holy Guardian Angels,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who unceasingly behold the Face of the Heavenly Father,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who never part from us,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who are devoted to us in heavenly friendship,*
Holy Guardian Angels, our faithful admonishers,*
Holy Guardian Angels, our wise counselors,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who preserve us from many evils of body and soul,*
Holy Guardian Angels, our mighty defenders against the attacks of the evil enemy,*
Holy Guardian Angels, our support in the time of temptations,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who help us when we stumble and fall,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who comforts us in troubles and sufferings,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who uphold our prayers and carry them before the Throne of God,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who through your inspirations and encouragement help us to progress
in the good,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who despite our faults never leave us,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who rejoice over our improvement and advancement in perfection,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who watch over us and pray for us even when we rest,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who do not abandon us in our agony of death,*
Holy Guardian Angels, whos console the souls in Purgatory,*
Holy Guardian Angels, who lead the righteous into Heaven,*
Holy Guardian Angels, with whom one day we hope to eternally praise and behold God,*
Noble Princes of Heaven,*

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, O Lord!

Christ, hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Bless the Lord, all His Angels,
you mighty ones who do His Will.
He has sent His Angels before you,
to guard you on all your ways.
My God, in the presence of the Angels I will bless You.
I want to adore You and praise Your holy Name.
Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto You.

Almighty, Eternal God, in Your ineffable goodness You have assigned a special Angel to all men, from the womb onwards, as a protection for body and soul. Graciously grant that I may follow my holy Angel so faithfully and love him so dearly, that through Your grace and under his protection I may one day reach the heavenly Father's House and may merit to behold Your Divine Countenance together with him and all the holy Angels. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

(Translated from "Die Heiligen Schutzengel" by Christian Pesch, SJ. Printed with Ecclesiastical Approbation). Missions office, Gethsemani Chapel of Adoration, 13770 Gratiot Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48205. [Return to top]

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,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Holy Mary,	pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
(Mother immaculate,)
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of angels,
Queen of patriarchs,
Queen of prophets,
Queen of apostles,
Queen of martyrs,
Queen of confessors,
Queen of virgins,
Queen of all saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of peace,
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.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.	That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. O God, whose only begotten Son, by his life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of everlasting life; grant, we beseech you, that we, who meditate upon these mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may both imitate what they contain, and attain to what they promise. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy Spirit, my Light, my Life, my Love, my Strength, be with me now, and always:
in all my doubts, anxieties and trials,
Come, Holy Spirit;

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF FATIMA

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for our dear country.
Our Lady of Fatima, sanctify our clergy.
Our Lady of Fatima, make our Catholics more fervent.
Our Lady of Fatima, guide and inspire those who govern us.
Our Lady of Fatima, cure the sick who confide in thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, console the sorrowful who trust in thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, help those who invoke your aid.
Our Lady of Fatima, deliver us from all dangers.
Our Lady of Fatima, help us to resist temptation.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain for us all that we lovingly ask of thee.
Our Lady of Fatima, help those who are dear to us.
Our Lady of Fatima, bring back to the right road our erring brothers.
Our Lady of Fatima, give us back our ancient fervor.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain for us pardon of our manifold sins and offenses.
Our Lady of Fatima, bring all men to the feet of thy Divine Child.
Our Lady of Fatima, obtain peace for the world.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Let Us Pray:
O God of infinite goodness and mercy, fill our hearts with a great confidence in Thy dear Mother, whom we invoke under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary and our Lady of Fatima, and grant us by her powerful intercession all the graces, spiritual and temporal, which we need. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

..."The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium.2 ... With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer." ...

"Worthy of special note in this regard is Pope Leo XIII who on 1 September 1883 promulgated the Encyclical Supremi Apostolatus Officio,³a document of great worth, the first of his many statements about this prayer, in which he proposed the Rosary as an effective spiritual weapon against the evils afflicting society" ...

"The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation. Developed in the West, it is a typically meditative prayer, corresponding in some way to the �prayer of the heart� or �Jesus prayer� which took root in the soil of the Christian East." ...

"As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family. At one time this prayer was particularly dear to Christian families, and it certainly brought them closer together. It is important not to lose this precious inheritance. We need to return to the practice of family prayer and prayer for families, continuing to use the Rosary ... The family that prays together stays together.

"It is also beautiful and fruitful to entrust to this prayer the growth and development of children." ...

"Many signs indicate that still today the Blessed Virgin desires to exercise through this same prayer that maternal concern to which the dying Redeemer entrusted, in the person of the beloved disciple, all the sons and daughters of the Church: �Woman, behold your son!� (Jn19:26). Well-known are the occasions in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries on which the Mother of Christ made her presence felt and her voice heard, in order to exhort the People of God to this form of contemplative prayer. I would mention in particular, on account of their great influence on the lives of Christians and the authoritative recognition they have received from the Church, the apparitions of Lourdes and of Fatima;¹¹these shrines continue to be visited by great numbers of pilgrims seeking comfort and hope ..."

Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of Fatima

..."The contemplation of Christ has an incomparable model in Mary. In a unique way the face of the Son belongs to Mary. It was in her womb that Christ was formed, receiving from her a human resemblance which points to an even greater spiritual closeness. No one has ever devoted himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary." ...

"Mary lived with her eyes fixed on Christ, treasuring his every word: �She kept all these things, pondering them in her heart� (Lk 2:19; cf. 2:51). The memories of Jesus, impressed upon her heart, were always with her, leading her to reflect on the various moments of her life at her Son's side. In a way those memories were to be the �rosary� which she recited uninterruptedly throughout her earthly life." ...

"Christ is the supreme Teacher, the revealer and the one revealed. It is not just a question of learning what he taught but of �learning him�. In this regard could we have any better teacher than Mary? ..."

Lord, I believe in Thee: increase my faith. I trust in Thee: strengthen my trust. I love Thee: let me love Thee more and more. I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship Thee as my first beginning, I long for Thee as my last end, I praise Thee as my constant helper, and call on Thee as my loving protector.

Guide me by Thy wisdom, correct me with Thy justice, comfort me with Thy mercy, protect me with Thy power.

I offer Thee, Lord, my thoughts; to be fixed on Thee; my words: to have Thee for their theme; my actions: to reflect my love for Thee; my sufferings: to be endured for Thy greater glory.

I want to do what Thou ask of me: in the way Thou ask, because Thou ask.

Lord, enlighten my understanding, strengthen my will, purify my heart, and make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins and to resist temptation in the future.

Help me to rise above my human weakness and to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love Thee, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am: a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and love all whose lives I touch, those in authority over me or those under my authority, my
friends and my enemies.

Help me to conquer anger with gentleness, greed by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and reach out toward others.

Make me prudent in planning, courageous in taking risks. Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.

Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer, temperate in food and drink, diligent in my work, firm in my good intentions.

Let my conscience be clear, my conduct without fault, my speech blameless, my life well-ordered.

Put me on guard against my human weaknesses. Let me cherish Thy love for me, keep Thy law, and come at last to Thy salvation.

Teach me to realize that this world is passing, that my true future is happiness of heaven, that life on earth is short, and the life to come eternal.

Help me to prepare for death with a proper fear of judgment, but a greater trust in Thy goodness. Lead me safely through death to the endless joy of
heaven.

Though Christ our Lord. Amen.

It is a custom amongst Franciscans throughout the world to recall the seven joys of the Holy Virgin Mary and her 72 years of life on earth by praying the Franciscan Crown Rosary every Saturday. Called the �Crown,� it originated within the Friars Minor, who, consequently, are its primary promoters and devotees. Furthermore, it is imbued with the charism of St. Francis himself: his devotion to the tender Virgin Mary, his life of constant prayer, his seraphic joy, his holy fascination with the Incarnation.

(This is a seven decade rosary in honor of the seven joys of Mary. Say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys and 1 Glory Be for each decade.)

1. V: The first Joy in the Crown of Mary, is the joy of our Lady at the Annunciation: "behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word."

R: May I become your humble servant, Lord.

2. V: The second Joy in the Crown of Mary, is the joy of our Lady at the Visitation: Rising up, Mary went into the hill country and saluted her cousin Elizabeth.

R: Grant us true love of neighbor, Lord.

3. V: The third Joy in the Crown of Mary, is the joy of our Lady at the Birth of Jesus and the Adoration of the Magi: She brought fourth her first born son...and layed him in a manger.

R: Give us true poverty of spirit, Lord.

4. V: The Fourth Joy in the Crown of Mary, is the joy of our Lady at the Presentation and Purification: They carried him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord...as it written in the Law of the Lord.

R: Help me obey all just laws.

5. V: The Fifth Joy in the Crown of Mary, is the joy of our Lady at the Finding of Jesus in the Temple: Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem seeking him.

R: May I never lose you through serious sin, Lord.

6. V: The Sixth Joy in the Crown of Mary, is the joy of our Lady at the Resurrection of Jesus: "The Lord is not here...He is risen."

R: May we share your glory, Lord.

7. V: The Seventh Joy in the Crown of Mary, is the joy of our Lady at her Assumption into heaven and her Coronation: a woman clothed with the Sun...upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

R: Mary, may we share your crown of eternal life.

(The Crown is concluded with two additional Hail Marys in honor of the tradition of the seventy-two years of Mary's life. This is followed by an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Gloria for the intention of the Holy Father.)