PART VII.
OF THE SAINTS.
INSTRUCTION ON THE MANNER IN WHICH THE SAINTS ARE TO BE HONOURED.
When St. Gertrude wished to honour any particular saint, she was accustomed to give God thanks for all the graces he had bestowed on that saint, by repeating several times the psalm: Laudate DoraiDura, omnes gentes. She found by experience that when we thus thank God on behalf of any saint, he increases grace in our souls through the merit of that saint. On one occasion she seemed to see many persons clothed and adorned with the merits of St. Bernard, and was much astonished, as those persons had not done works like his. What, then, said St. Bernard to her, is she less beautiful who is adorned with the ornaments of another, than she who is adorned with her own? Assuredly not; and thus it is in regard of the merits of the saints, obtained by those who praise God on their behalf; they are conferred on them with so great love that they will be to them matter of everlasting joy. Remember this, therefore, and if you say the Divine Office, bow your head at the Gloria Patri, with the intention of thanking God for the graces He has bestowed on the saint whose feast you are celebrating.
On another occasion St. Gertrude offered to the blessed Virgin15O Ave Maria's, which she had said in her honour; and it seemed to her as though every word thus presented were a piece of golden coin And she felt within herself that whenever we commit the end of our life to any saint by special prayers, those prayers are borne up before the throne of the Judge; and the saint to whom they were addressed is appointed by God the advocate of those who have offered them, to provide them all manner of good according to their need.
In like manner St. Mechtilde, having asked one of her sisters departed, who had appeared to her in radiant glory after her death: Tell me, my beloved Sister, of what avail to you are the prayers we offer for you? received this answer: I receive every word of them from your mouth as so many blooming roses, which I offer with joy to my Beloved. And having spoken thus, she showed her under her glorious mantle roses of exquisite bloom, having a leaf of gold in the midst. And being asked what was signified by that golden leaf, she answered: It signifies those prayers which are offered of devotion, without obligation. And she added, moreover: Whenever any one addresses his prayer to any saint, that saint receives all the words of his mouth as though they were fresh blooming roses of spring. And if you say an Our Father to all saints, with the intention, were it possible, of saying one for each of the saints, your intention is accepted by them as though you had really done so.
It is likewise most pleasing to the saints to salute them in and through the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and especially if you offer them that Divine Heart; because through it and from it they receive the most consummate and ecstatic delights.
TO ST. MICHAEL ARCHANGEL.
HAIL, most glorious prince, Michael the Archangel! Hail, most noble leader of the heavenly host! Hail, honour and glory of the hierarchies of heaven! O most august prince, under what obligation dost thou lie to thy Creator, who, without any merit of thine own, hath endowed thee with such excellent might and adorned thee with such peerless virtues? O thou renowned warrior, thou ornament of Paradise, thou lustrous gem of the court of heaven, thou art the seal of likeness to God, full of wisdom and consummate in beauty. Every precious stone is thine adornment, and all the working of thy finished comeliness is of gold, in the delights of the Paradise of our God. Thou hast been appointed prince and captain to receive the souls of the elect, and to lead them into the Paradise of rejoicing. I recall to thy mind now, O most blessed prince, these and all other graces wherewith the boundless liberality of God hath enriched thee above all orders of angels; beseeching thee, by that mutual love which binds thy heart to the Divine Heart of Jesus, that thou wouldst deign to receive my soul at the moment of my departure, and to render the Judge propitious to me through thy intercession. Amen.
TO OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL.
O Most holy angel of God, appointed by him to be my guardian, I give thee thanks for all the benefits which thou hast ever bestowed on me in body and in soul. I praise and glorify thee that thou dost condescend to assist me, miserable and worthless as I am, with such patient fidelity, and to defend me against all the assaults of my enemies. Blessed be the hour in which thou wast assigned me for my guardian, my defender, and my patron. Blessed be all thy love to me, and all thy care for me, wherewith thou dost unwearyingly further my salvation. In acknowledgment and return of all thy loving ministries to me from my youth I offer thee the infinitely precious and noble Heart of Jesus, full and overflowing with all blessedness: beseeching thee to forgive me for having so often striven against thy holy inspirations, and saddened thee my nearest, dearest friend; and firmly purposing to obey thee henceforward, and most faithfully to serve my God. Amen.
TO ST. JOHN EVANGELIST.
St. John was the special patron of St. Gertrude. Our Lord had, assigned her to him, instructing her to say every day a Pater noster in his honour, with the following prayer:
O BLESSED John the Evangelist, I recall to thy mind now that most sweet and most affectionate fidelity thou didst feel in thy heart when our Lord taught thee, together with the other Apostles, this his own availing prayer: beseeching thee to obtain for me the grace to cleave faithfully to him, and to persevere to the end of my life. Amen.
Our Father, &c.
TO ST. BENEDICT.
St. Benedict said to St. Gertrude: Whoever shall delight in recalling to my mind the grace which was vouchsafed me, of dying while I was standing and praying, I will assuredly be with him in the hour of his death, and will stand between him and his enemies, wherever their assault is most deadly and furious.
O Most glorious patriarch, holy father Benedict, I recall to thy mind now that great and glorious grace bestowed on thee by our Lord, of breathing out thy last breath as thou stoodst praying, on which account thy lips now exhale a fragrance which ravishes all the saints with delight; beseeching thee to be with me in the hour of my death with loving fidelity, and to place thyself between me and my enemies round about, wheresoever thou seest them rage most furiously against me; so that, protected by thy presence, I may escape all their snares, and reach the joys of heaven safe and blessed for ever. Amen.
TO ST. ANNE.
Pope Alexander VI. granted an indulgence of twenty years to all who should devoutly repeat this prayer three times before an image of St. Anne.
HAIL, thou full of grace, the Lord is with thee; let thy grace be with me! Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed be thy mother Anne, who brought thee forth, O Virgin Mary all immaculate; and of thee was born Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. Amen.
TO ST. MARY MAGDALEN.
St. Mary Magdalen said to St. Mechtilde: Whosoever shall give God thanks for all the tears I shed upon the feet of Jesus, &c., our most merciful God will grant him through my intercession remission of all his sins before his death, and a great increase of love to God.
O Most merciful Jesus, I give thee thanks for that work of piety which the blessed Mary Magdalen wrought on thee when she washed thy feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed them and anointed them with fragrant ointment; whereby she obtained from thee such signal grace that thou didst pour into her heart and soul so great love of thee that she could love nothing apart from thee: beseeching thee that by her merits and intercessions thou wouldst vouchsafe to me tears of true repentance, and pour into my heart thy divine love. Amen.
PRAYER TO JESUS
Through the merits of St. Gertrude.
Our Lord promised St. Gertrude that if any one should praise God for her, and give him thanks for the love wherewith he had chosen her from eternity, &c., he would assuredly grant him whatever He asked, provided that it tended to his salvation.
O Most compassionate Jesus, Giver of all good and all grace, may all within the round world and the depth of the sea and the compass of heaven give thanks to thee and praise thee with that infinite, everlasting, and unchanging praise which floweth forth from thee and floweth back unceasingly upon thee again, for the exceeding love wherewith thou didst shed into the heart and soul of thy beloved spouse Gertrude so great a flood of graces and of loving-kindnesses, and didst reveal to the world the mysteries of thy tender compassion through her, thine own chosen and peculiar instrument. Wherefore from my inmost heart I render thee utmost thanks; and I beseech thee, on behalf of all in heaven, on earth, or in purgatory; through that ineffable divine love wherewith thou didst from all eternity elect to special grace thy loving and most faithful servant, and didst in thine own appointed time draw her so sweetly to thee, and unite her so intimately to thyself, and dwell with such delight in her heart, and crown her life with an end so blessed; that thou wouldst condescend graciously to hear and to answer my petition. I recall to thy mind now, O most compassionate Jesus, the promise thou madest to thy beloved spouse in thy great and superabounding goodness, that thou wouldst most assuredly grant the prayers of all who come to thee through her merits and intercession, in all matters concerning their salvation; binding thyself, moreover, if thou didst not at once grant their petition, to bestow on them threefold in thine own good time, from the omnipotence, the wisdom, and the tender kindness of the adorable Trinity. Calling thus to thy mind this thy faithful promise, I beseech thee, leave me not desolate, but bestow on me the salutary effect of my petition. Amen.
AN EFFICACIOUS PRAYER TO ST. GERTRUDE.
I PRAISE and greet thee, O most blessed Virgin Gertrude, through the sweetest Heart of Jesus thy Spouse; and through that Heart I magnify the goodness and condescension of the ever-adorable Trinity for all the grace which has ever flowed forth, from that unfathomable abyss for thy salvation; beseeching thee, by that mutual love which united thy pure heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that thou wouldst look on me as commended to thy care in life and in death, and be my faithful advocate with God. Amen.
PRAYER TO ST. GERTRUDE IN TIME OF TEMPTATION.
One who was grievously tempted with evil thoughts and almost brought to consent to them, took by a holy inspiration a relic of St. Gertrude and applied it to her heart, saying with great confidence:
O Lord Jesus, I beseech thee by that love wherewith thou didst choose the heart of thy elect one, freed from every earthly affection, to be thine own exclusive abode, and didst fill it with spiritual gifts; vouchsafe to deliver me from this fierce temptation through her merits and intercession. Amen.
And as soon as she had thus prayed, the temptation left her. Imitate her example; and if you have not a relic of the saint, apply her image to your heart.
St. Francis directed a brother who was suffering temptation to say with devotion,: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. And when he had done so, the temptation vanished. And this has been often done with much fruit.
THANKSGIVING FOR THE GRACES BESTOWED ON ST. MECHTILDE.
Our Lord said to a devoid person: I will graciously incline myself towards those who love my beloved Mechtilde for my sake, and will draw them to me. And those who shall give me thanks for having exalted her so highly, I will make them partakers of her merits, and grant them divine consolation in the hour of death.
I GIVE thanks to thy goodness, O my God; I give thanks to thy condescension, that thou hast chosen thy beloved and blessed Mechtilde to so great grace, and hast adorned her with such immense gifts and virtues. I rejoice together with thee, O compassionate Jesus, and I give thee thanks for all the good thou hast wrought in her, and wilt work in her for evermore. I thank thee for that abounding joy and that tranquil peace thou didst find in her. I give thee thanks for that ravishing influx of grace wherewith thou didst incline thine heart towards her, and for all the holy operation of thy Spirit within her. And, lastly, I thank thee for that perfect and untroubled delight thou didst take in her; beseeching thee devoutly to make me a partaker of her merits, and to adorn me with the splendour of her virtues. Amen.
PRAYER TO A MARTYR.
I SALUTE thee and venerate thee, O most holy martyr of Christ, St. N. I bless and magnify the infinite goodness and condescension of the ever-adorable Trinity for all the grace which he hath deigned to bestow on thee of his exceeding and most bounteous love. I bless the boundless liberality of the divine compassion which so gently prevented thee with the blessings of sweetness, and hath gloriously adorned thy head with the triumphant crown of martyrdom in the heavens. O holy N., most blessed martyr of Christ, invincible soldier in that army whose garments are sprinkled with blood; thou art a foundation-stone of the faith, and a column of strength. Thou art a glorious hero of the Church, the honour and the glory of Paradise; blessed art thou amongst martyrs, and beautiful in thy form above the inhabitants of heaven. For the increase of thy glory and blessedness I offer thee the most worshipful Heart of Jesus Christ, so consummate and perfect in all good things through its union with his Divinity; devoutly beseeching thee, by all and every drop of thy precious blood which thou hast shed, by all the cruel wounds thou didst receive, and by the bitter anguish thou didst endure in heart and soul and body, that thou wouldst be with me in the hour of my death, which I commend to thee with sure trust; and wouldst offer to Jesus my Judge, in compensation for the merits which I lack, the virtues whereby thou knowest thyself to be more especially pleasing in his sight. Amen.
PRAYER TO A CONFESSOR.
HAIL, holy N., illustrious confessor of Christ, glory and adornment of his holy Church. Thou art the sweet budding rose of charity, the lily of purity, the beaming star of sanctity. Like the morning star in the midst of a cloud, and as the moon at the full, so didst thou shine forth in the splendour of thy virtues. O most blessed N., what thanks dost thou owe to God for all his gifts to thee, in that he chose thee from eternity in his unsearchable wisdom, justified thee freely, and made thee honourable and worthy of his grace; in that he hath delivered thee from all evil and misery in his strong and prevailing love, and hath made all the events of thy life, the evil as well as the good, work together unto thy good and thy salvation. Wherefore I give thanks to thy most loving Creator, and I magnify and extol with thee the omnipotence, the wisdom, and the goodness of the transcendently glorious Trinity, which has deigned to decree and give effect to thy predestination unto so great holiness, and to adorn thee together with himself with a crown of justice in the kingdom of his glory. O blessed N. O most holy friend of Jesus, remember me, a miserable sinner, who invoke thee with all the devotion of my heart. I commend to thee my life and my death, and especially my last parting breath; beseeching thee, by that love wherewith thou didst cleave so fast to God and serve him so devoutly, that thou wouldst deign to offer to God in satisfaction for my sins all the mortifications, the austerities, and the penance which thou didst so willingly undertake and so lovingly accomplish for the glory of his Name. Amen.
PRAYER TO A VIRGIN AND MARTYR.
HAIL, holy N., glorious virgin and martyr. Hail, sweetest spouse of Jesus, thou vessel of election of the Holy Ghost; like as the rose amongst thorns, and as a star in the midst of a cloud, so didst thou shine forth upon the darkness of the world. I salute and bless thee a thousandfold in that union wherewith thy loving soul is one spirit with God, and I rejoice and exult in the victory which thou hast gained in thy glorious strife. I congratulate thee on the two-fold crown, of virginity and of martyrdom, wherein thou shinest gloriously forth as a star in the firmament. For the increase of thy joy, thy glory, and thy blessedness, I offer thee the sweetest Heart of my Jesus, together with all his filial love to God the Father in his Divinity, and to Mary his Mother in his Humanity: and through that sacred-heart I commend myself to thy especial care and patronage, that by thy most holy sufferings and death, and by the merits of thy pure and virgin blood, I may obtain forgiveness of my sins, and the sure protection of divine grace in life and in death. Amen.
PRAYER TO A VIRGIN.
HAIL, holy N., graceful virgin, unspotted spouse of Jesus, thou art full of grace and of love, lustrous with honour, resplendent with charity. O blessed N., I recall to thy mind now that ineffable grace which our Lord bestowed upon thee, when he set thee apart even from thy mother's womb, and chose thee into the number of his especially beloved ones. Blessed be the perfection of thy snow white purity, and the gentle charm of thy most chaste love; for with one hair of thy neck and with one of thine eyes thou hast wounded the heart of thy Lord the King. Thou art a lily of virginity glistening in thy whiteness, an unfading flower of purity, who drawest all saints after the sweet odour of thy perfumes, and dost gladden and refresh them with the marvellous radiance of thy light. Thou art a spotless lamb, clothed upon with the snowy fleece of chastity, and thou followest the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, and with most ravishing melody dost sing thy virgin hymn. I beseech thee, O blessed N., by that love wherewith Christ doth bestow on thee the rewards of everlasting bliss, blot out all the stains of my manifold corruptions, and with thy undefiled virginity cover the foulness of my defilement, and obtain for me, through the favour thou hast found with God, that I may never henceforward, by thought or word or deed, sin against the sacredness of purity. Amen.
PRAYER TO A SAINT ON HIS FEAST-DAY.
O HOLY N., I praise thee, bless thee, and glorify thee, and congratulate thee with all my heart on all the glory and honour which are rendered to thee to-day, through the boundless liberality of the divine goodness. I recall to thy mind now the overflowing gladness with which thou didst rejoice when thou wast presented before the face of the glory of God by the ministry of holy angels, to receive from him thine everlasting reward. Remember, O most blessed saint, all thy honour and thy glad rejoicing when the hand of God placed the crown of the kingdom on thy head, and thy soul was set upon the throne of its glory. For these and all other benefits and graces which have ever been bestowed upon thee by the God of majesty, I adore, praise, and bless his unutterable goodness, that he hath poured out upon thee in such abundance the flood of his sweetest compassion; and as the bond of that perpetual love and faithfulness in which I desire to bind myself to thee, I offer thee the sweetest Heart of my Jesus, that treasure of all good things, together with all the love and the condescension he hath ever showed thee upon earth, and now showeth thee in the heavens. And, finally, with most assured trust I commend myself to thy most holy prayers; beseeching and imploring thee that in the dread hour of my death thou wouldst offer unto the Lord, in satisfaction for my manifold negligences, all that collected fervour with which thou didst stand before God perfect and complete on this the day of thine entrance into Paradise. Amen.
Invocation of all saints, which our Lord taught to St. Mechtilde, and commanded her to recite.
O YE holy Patriarchs and Prophets, I salute you in the sweetest Heart of Jesus; beseeching you to deign to offer unto God for me the ardent yearning desire you felt for the Incarnation of Jesus.
O ye holy Apostles, I salute you in the sweetest Heart of Jesus; beseeching you to deign to offer unto God for me that faithfulness and constancy wherewith you continued with Jesus in his temptations, and gathered unto him a faithful people by your preaching.
O ye holy Martyrs, I salute you in the sweetest Heart of Jesus; beseeching you to deign to offer unto God for me that patience with which you shed your blood for his love.
O ye holy Confessors, I salute you in the sweetest Heart of Jesus; beseeching you to deign to offer unto God for me that sanctity which shone forth in your words and your example.
O ye holy Virgins, I salute you in the sweetest Heart of your divine Spouse; beseeching you to deign to offer unto God for me that purity and chastity whereby you have merited to stand now so near to Jesus in heaven.
O all ye Saints of God, I salute and venerate you all in the sweetest Heart of Jesus your Lord, and through it I render thanks to God for all the good which has ever flowed forth from it for your salvation; beseeching you all in general, and each one of you in particular, to deign to offer unto God for me, a miserable sinner, all those virtues and perfections which render you most especially well-pleasing to God. Amen.
LITANY OF ALL SAINTS.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.
O God the Father, of heaven,
Have mercy on us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
O God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
All ye holy Angels and Archangels,
All ye holy Thrones and Dominations,
All ye holy Princedoms and Powers,
All ye holy Virtues of the heavens,
All ye holy Cherubim and Seraphim, Pray for us.
All ye holy Patriarchs and Prophets,
All ye holy Apostles and Evangelists,
All ye holy Martyrs and Confessors,
All ye holy Bishops and Doctors,
All ye holy Priests and Levites,
All ye holy Monks and Hermits,
All ye holy Penitents and Pilgrims,
All ye holy Virgins and Widows,
All ye who have served God in holy matrimony,
All ye holy Innocents,
All ye Saints of God,
Intercede for us.
Jesus, Crown of all thy saints,
By their virtues and merits,
By their patience and humility,
By their penance and mortification, Have mercy on us.
By their fasts and watchings,
By their weariness and toils,
By their poverty and want,
By their pilgrimages and prayers,
By their devotion and their love,
By their sighs and their longings,
By their charity and alms,
By their compassion and mercy,
By their persecutions and martyrdom, By their bonds and imprisonment,
By their pains and torments,
By their wounds and stripes,
By their cruel death,
By the shedding of their blood,
By all the adversities and the miseries which they endured for thy glory,
By the love wherewith thou hast loved them from eternity,
By the love wherewith thou didst draw them to thyself,
By the love wherewith thou didst dwell in their hearts,
By the love wherein thou didst confer on them such manifold graces,
By the love wherewith thou didst receive them into heaven,
By the love wherewith thou art ever bestowing on them their everlasting reward,
By the mutual love which unites them to thee,
Jesus Christ,
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.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.
V. Pray for us, all ye saints of God.
R. That by your merits we may attain to everlasting life.
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Crown of thy saints,do thou have mercy on thy people, who are called by thy Name, and by the merits of all thy saints be merciful to our iniquities. Remember all the faithfulness and the love which they kept always to thee even unto death. Behold, their innocent blood so ruthlessly shed crieth unto thee from the ground, beseeching thy mercy. Be thou appeased, O our Lord, by their merits which we now offer thee, and grant us to enjoy their society in heaven, on whose merits and patronage we rely on earth. Who livest, &c. Amen.