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Novena To The Heart of Mary + Consecrations Prayers Novena + Consecrations Prayers Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
REFLECTION:
Opening Prayer REFLECTION: The Immaculate Heart and Temptation In the Litany of the Immaculate Heart we read the invocation: Immaculate Heart of Mary, help me to resist temptation. Let us briefly review our catechism on temptation. Temptation in itself is never a sin. It was not a sin in ages past; it is not a sin today, and it will never be declared a sin in the future. It ever remains an allurement or an attraction until, like our first parents, we deliberately throw open the door of our soul to the commission of what the temptation suggests. Then, and then only it becomes a sin. After the death of St. Francis, four of his brethren held a spiritual conference on how best to overcome temptation, our present reflection. One Brother said that in the face of temptation he had the habit of picturing to himself the heinousness of sin, and it would awaken in him such disgust and loathing that in no time he got rid of temptation. A second Brother stated that his method consisted in calling upon God for help and in invoking the Blessed Mother's intercession. This vanished the temptation from him. A third Brother voiced his method in this graphic account: When I sense the approach of the devil, I slam shut at once the door of my soul. I then station the two sentinels of holy thoughts and desires at the entrance. When the devil knocks I say: “Be off with you. There is no room here. Occupied.” The fourth Brother stood in admiration as he listened to these three methods, all commendable and praiseworthy. To all of us God has given His own Immaculate Mother whose sinless soul was never marred by the slightest breath of contamination: “Our tainted nature's solitary boast” as the Protestant poet phrased it. On Good Friday she viewed in her Divine Son the ravages of temptation consented to as she saw her only-begotten One made the victim of all sin. To her pure soul we should all turn when temptation threatens to defile us. She is all powerful over the wiles of Satan, and will readily come to our assistance. As she said at Fatima: “most souls go to hell because of sins of impurity,” it behooves us to fly to her under fire of carnal sin and impure desires. What more beautiful ejaculation could we invoke than to call to her mind her own singular privilege of sinlessness: “O Mary conceived without stain of sin pray for us who have recourse to thee.” And so with temptation assailing us at every turn of road, with the devil and his satellites snipe-shooting us at every possible angle, send aloft to Mary's Immaculate Heart an S.O.S. imploring her speedy and efficacious help, and victory is assured. Think here of Napoleon's ruse when confronted with a formidable enemy, the Alps, in his onward sweep. His answer: “Away with the Alps,” and he drew up the plan for the famous pass of Simplon. We too want to reach our objectives: Heaven. But we meet up with the Alps en route to our home. What to do? “Away with the Alps' of sinful temptations, of forbidden pleasures, of disreputable living. Your by-pass, your Simplon, a hurried cry of help to Mary, the Victorious One, to Mary in whose Litany we read the invocation: Immaculate Heart of Mary, help me resist temptation. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Opening Prayer REFLECTION: The Immaculate Heart and the Rosary The Rosary is the biography of Christ written by His Mother. As every one of the six apparitions of Fatima the Immaculate Heart repeated with insistence: “You must say the Rosary.” The Rosary is simply a spiritual atomic bomb aimed at the destruction of the strongholds of Satan. Since its might is in the spiritual order, no scales or mathematical formula can be devised on earth to measure its effectiveness. It has had a phenomenal history since its donation to great St. Dominic and his followers. The Rosary lends itself to personal recitation, to family recitation or to what is called the “Block Rosary,” that is, its Recitation by a group living within a given area. As to the relaxation afforded by a personal recitation. Cardinal Faulhaber has this to say: “I declare before you all that when I am weary from my daily duties, from desk work, from handling heavy and serious responsibilities incumbent in my office as Head of a large diocese, from being engrossed with important visitors, believe me, I look eagerly forward with great joy to reciting the Rosary with my household in our house chapel. On reciting the “Hail Mary” not 10 times five times 10 times, and in contemplating the ever old and ever new Mysteries of our Redemption, then it is as if the hand of the Mother of God were laid on my tired forehead and as if all weariness were brushed away.” As to the Family Rosary, nothing is more calculated to knit a family together in spiritual closeness than the family Rosary. For instance to quote a deceased Bishop: “How many fathers and mothers would neglect their children if they recited the Rosary together with their children? How many children would roam the streets at night if the evening began with the recitation of the beads? “To save the world, we must first save the home. The Rosary can do this.” If the “Block Rosary” is said according to the expressed wishes of Our Lady of Fatima, namely for peace, for the conversion of Russian, and for the spread of devotion to her Immaculate Heart, then we thereby “fatimize” our home, our day, our individual lives. The “Block Rosary” affords splendid opportunity for a neighborly chat, a friendly get-together. It helps to alleviate family tension, and to further charity. Its value lies principally in the deepening of the Catholic sense of oneness as members of an earthly family, who glory in recognizing God as their Father and Mary as their Mother. The “Block Rosary” said devoutly serves mightily “to throw a block” at the onward rolling hellish Red army threatening today to overrun the land dedicated by our spiritual fathers to Mary Immaculate. As in times past, when such a danger threatened mankind, it was the Rosary that saved civilization, so may that same Heavenly remedy be applied again today by our alert Catholic laity. May all of us glory in making our own the lines of the poet-priest, Father Ryan: Ye (the beads) are the only chain I wear, A sign that I am but the slave In life, in death, beyond the grave, Of Jesus and His Mother fair. May we all account ourselves the privileged slaves of such a gentle Mistress, of such an Immaculate Mother! Count that day lost in the calendar of your life in which you omit your Rosary. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Opening Prayer REFLECTION: The Immaculate Heart and Fervor In the Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary we meet up with this invocation: Immaculate Heart of Mary, give us back our ancient fervor. It is, we know, a mother's privilege to communicate life. Spiritually speaking this means the imparting of the life of grace. This is precisely Mary's role for us. Suppose, by way of example, that a shepherdess could impart spiritual life to her favorite lamb. By so doing, she would do more for that little sheep than its own mother. Mary, by giving us Christ and with Christ the life of grace, does more for us spiritually than does our earthly mother, simply because the life of grace is far superior to earthly life. Mary by teaching us to believe, dowers us with the basic fervor on whose foundation we can build the edifice of a Christian life. Mary teaches us to pray. She herself sets the example of converse with God as we gathered from the words of the Gospel: “Mary conserved all these things in her heart.” She teaches us to receive Christ. As St. Bernard beautifully observed: “She first conceived Christ in her mind before she conceived Him physically in her body.” She restores our ancient fervor, further, by suggesting pure and wholesome thoughts to our mind by means of which we generate Christ mentally and spiritually. She brings us to contrition. She enkindles love for Christ in our hearts. She desires ardently that we receive her Divine Son worthily in Holy Communion. Surely all of us can afford to have our ancient fervor renewed in our hearts by the Immaculate One. She teaches us how to suffer. For other souls one great sorrow; for Mary seven daggers of suffering lanced her pure heart. She leads us aloft to Jesus. Hence the Christian slogan: Through Mary to Jesus. She is mentioned in the Litany of Loretto simply as: The Gate of Heaven. She blesses us universally. She blesses all walks and vocations: Childhood, teenagers, men and women alike. Her magic wand extends to the sick and miserable, the unfortunate, and ailing. She blesses the dying. It is noteworthly that her beloved client, St. Peter Canisius, ordered a picture of Mary to be set up at the foot of his bed. Shortly before his death he cried out suddenly as he beheld Mary smiling gently upon him from out of the picture. The heavenly Mother had come to take him home where his ancient fervor would he forever enkindled at her shrine throughout a blessed eternity. How important it is that our souls get back to their childhood ideals when Mary was once the center of our affections. Pray then for this particular intention is the spirit of the invocation in her Immaculate Heart litany: Immaculate Heart of Mary, give us back our ancient fervor. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Opening Prayer REFLECTION: The Immaculate Heart and Fervor In the Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary we meet up with this invocation: Immaculate Heart of Mary, give us back our ancient fervor. It is, we know, a mother's privilege to communicate life. Spiritually speaking this means the imparting of the life of grace. This is precisely Mary's role for us. Suppose, by way of example, that a shepherdess could impart spiritual life to her favorite lamb. By so doing, she would do more for that little sheep than its own mother. Mary, by giving us Christ and with Christ the life of grace, does more for us spiritually than does our earthly mother, simply because the life of grace is far superior to earthly life. Mary by teaching us to believe, dowers us with the basic fervor on whose foundation we can build the edifice of a Christian life. Mary teaches us to pray. She herself sets the example of converse with God as we gathered from the words of the Gospel: “Mary conserved all these things in her heart.” She teaches us to receive Christ. As St. Bernard beautifully observed: “She first conceived Christ in her mind before she conceived Him physically in her body.” She restores our ancient fervor, further, by suggesting pure and wholesome thoughts to our mind by means of which we generate Christ mentally and spiritually. She brings us to contrition. She enkindles love for Christ in our hearts. She desires ardently that we receive her Divine Son worthily in Holy Communion. Surely all of us can afford to have our ancient fervor renewed in our hearts by the Immaculate One. She teaches us how to suffer. For other souls one great sorrow; for Mary seven daggers of suffering lanced her pure heart. She leads us aloft to Jesus. Hence the Christian slogan: Through Mary to Jesus. She is mentioned in the Litany of Loretto simply as: The Gate of Heaven. She blesses us universally. She blesses all walks and vocations: Childhood, teenagers, men and women alike. Her magic wand extends to the sick and miserable, the unfortunate, and ailing. She blesses the dying. It is noteworthly that her beloved client, St. Peter Canisius, ordered a picture of Mary to be set up at the foot of his bed. Shortly before his death he cried out suddenly as he beheld Mary smiling gently upon him from out of the picture. The heavenly Mother had come to take him home where his ancient fervor would he forever enkindled at her shrine throughout a blessed eternity. How important it is that our souls get back to their childhood ideals when Mary was once the center of our affections. Pray then for this particular intention is the spirit of the invocation in her Immaculate Heart litany: Immaculate Heart of Mary, give us back our ancient fervor. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Opening Prayer REFLECTION: The Immaculate Heart and Marian Clients Back in the agelessness of eternity a test was proposed to the Angels by God Himself. In that probation they were free to accept or reject the future Redeemer and with Him to accept or reject the future Mother of God. Those who voluntarily accepted Him, along with His Holy Mother, are called the Good Angels, and they are now forever confirmed in the goodness of Almighty God. Those Angels, however, who were too proud to venerate the Mother of the future Redeemer of the world are the Bad Angels, and they are now forever confirmed in evil. Here we have, as it were, the law of veneration of Mary laid down by God Himself. Go along with God, and accept the teaching of the Catholic Church regarding Mary's position in the Redemption of man and God is pleased with you, or, reject Mary's role as Mother of the Redeemer and the Mediatrix of all graces and suffer the loss of eternal life with the Bad Angels. All the Saints of God were ardent promoters of Mary's glory and strove gallantly to further her veneration by their lives and by their writings. St. Alphonse is on record as saying that there need be no soul in hell today, if that soul had but persevered in its love of Mary. This is equivalent to saying that devotion to Mary will help us avoid hell, and will enable us to gain Heaven. God Himself has put this devotion to Mary in our hearts. It would seem to be included in the magnificent cluster of graces allotted us at Holy Baptism. Hence “What God has put together, let not man put asunder.” If one does so, it will be at his own peril. St. Bernard has expressed his conviction of Mary's all powerful intercession in his moving prayer called the Memorare. In it he says that never was it known that anyone ever fled to Mary for help and had to leave her presence with petition unanswered. May we make bold to add that though the identical request is not forthcoming, God and Mary give us something many times better for our soul and spiritual welfare. In a similar way, St. Bernard exhorts us “in doubts, in difficulties, in dangers have recourse to Mary, call upon Mary, the Star of the Sea. Never let her name depart from your lips nor from your heart.” Saint Clement Hofbauer when assigned to a sick call would always beg for sufficient time for the Recitation of the Rosary. It was his conviction that Mary would put upon his lips the salutary words to bring back to repentance even the most obdurate of sinners. On one occasion he was summarily rejected by an impenitent soul. St. Clement started for the door, hesitated, and refused to leave. The dying man asked the cause of his delay. Said the Saint: “I have seen many a holy soul die, now I wish to witness the death of a damned soul.” These words had the desired effect, for the man asked for the Sacraments and died a penitent death. Behold Our Lady speaking through her client. St. Francis Borgia always trembled for the security of a soul with little or no devotion to Mary. St. John Berchmans stated his ardor for Mary when be declared that he would never abate in his prayers till he had attained to a close union with her. St. John Eudes said that others might surpass him in learning, or in science, or in the arts, but that no one would be to emulate him in his great love of Mary. St. John Damascene was so enraptured with Mary that he once affirmed: “Virgin Mother, you have captured my mind, you have fascinated my tongue: I find myself thinking of you day and night.” May we breathe a prayer to Mary to be just such a holy distraction to each and every one of us. Saint Fulgentius affirms: “Devotion to Mary is a mysterious stairway by means of which God descends to earth, and man, in town, ascends to heaven.” According to St. Ephrem: “Devotion to Mary is the Key to Paradise.” Cardinal Newman once wrote: “What will bring me to peace and happiness but the cool breath of the Immaculate and the fragrance of the rose of Sharon.” And so, with Bishop Sheen let us say: “Though hammers beat and sickles cut and atoms burst and warfare blusters at Red Satan's and hell's command - lift up your hearts, for has not God promised through a Virgin's foot to crush these cobras of the night?” Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Opening Prayer REFLECTION: The Immaculate Heart and the Incarnation Let us recall that God beautifully prepared Mary for her exalted office and sublime role as Mother of God. From all eternity she was singularly selected by the Most Holy Trinity. For instance, God the Father chose her as His precious daughter, God the Son as His unique Mother, and God the Holy Spirit as His Immaculate Spouse. When, therefore, the Archangel Gabriel took his flight to the little town of Nazareth, with Mary as its most prominent citizen, surely a sweet aroma of springtime filled the air. It was highly symbolic of the spiritual fragrance in Mary's prepared soul. Upon the acceptance of the Archangel's message, the mystery of the Incarnation was on its way of fulfillment. This marvelous revelation made known to us at the time of the Incarnation is the sweetest of all the mysteries of God concerning man. This hour of the Incarnation is really the beginning of our grace-filled life. It is the moment during which God initiated us into the Divine life. How grateful we should be to the Immaculate Virgin for being the sublime bridge over which the Son of God passed in order to come to us. Mary on that occasion became the cloistered sanctuary of Christ. It is much like Christ's clothing day, because in the bosom of Mary He took on the vesture of our flesh. That was truly a day of matchless excellence for it manifested and emphasized the mission on earth of the “Word made flesh.” And, to whom other than to Mary Immaculate do we owe this singular event? It was truly through Mary that Christ chose to come to earth. Can there be a more excellent way then to go back to Heaven, than through this same Virgin and Mother? Hence: through Mary to Jesus. To be like Jesus we too are called upon to give all back to God just as the Word gave all to us at the Incarnation. Yes, just as He surrendered all when He was “made flesh” in the bosom of Mary. We give our all to Jesus, when we yield ourselves up to the whisperings of grace, and when the soul renders itself docile to the movements of the Holy Spirit who guided Jesus always. Then, like Mary, who pronounced her “Fiat” at the Incarnation, we too will echo her word to become ever more conformable to her Divine Son. All these happenings in our spiritual life will constitute for us the sweet perfume of the Incarnation of Jesus. Let us thanks Mary for her cooperation in the mystery of the Incarnation. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Opening Prayer REFLECTION: The Immaculate Heart and the Blessed Sacrament The title “Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament” was given to the Immaculate Virgin by Saint Peter Julian Eymard. Another Saint, Saint Pius X, calls this title “the most theological of all Mary's title after that of Mother of God.” The grounds for this title may be briefly reduced to three.
Yet other lessons flow from the doctrine of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament. For instance, every morning we have Bethlehem represented at Holy Mass. Every morning we may have the unspeaking joys of Mary repeated in our souls by Holy Communion. Every morning, if we love Mary, we may cradle her Child in our hearts by the reception of that admirable Sacrament of the Altar Love Mary, and you must love the Eucharistic Christ. Love the Eucharistic Christ, and you are not far away from Mary, Why? Because, as we have seen, Mary gave us Christ, and it is Christ who is in the Blessed Sacrament, and whom we receive in Holy Communion as the food and nourishment of our soul. Mary as the Mother of Our Redeemer, is most anxious that we should do the will of her Divine Son. She is deeply interested in our spiritual progress. She wants us all to head the gentle behest of her Child in the Blessed Sacrament, “to eat His Flesh and drink His Blood,” to the end “that we may have everlasting life abiding in us.” Our Lady thanked Christ fervently for the gracious gift of the Eucharist. She thanked Him in her hours of adoration for such a munificent gift. So should we; for by the Sacrament of the Altar we are preserved from the corruption of sin; new vigor is instilled into our fainting hearts and new courage given us to fight manfully against the threefold enemy of our soul: the world, the flesh, and the devil. O Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, in union with Mary and after her example, we wish to thank Thee for the marvelous Sacrament of the Altar. Mary, too, we may imagine centered her thoughts, and affections on the hidden life of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and practiced virtues of similar nature. Mary says to herself: I will imitate these virtues of my Son's hidden life and will live here in quiet retirement till He returns. So should we practice a life of quiet virtue, as far as our state of life permits. Our lives, too, should blossom forth in deeds of modesty, humility, kindness, loving sympathy, and active charity toward all. Our homes, like Mary's should be Eucharistic, that is, breathe an atmosphere of peace and contentment. Let father and mother love and respect and be courteous to each other, set a good example to their children in the fear and love of their Eucharistic God. Thus they will share and imitate, in their own way, the life of Mary at Nazareth living in quiet retirement and practicing so admirably the hidden life of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Closing Prayer
Litany of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Heart of Mary, seat of mercy. 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. V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray
Act of Reparation to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Act of Consecration to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
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