PART VI
ON THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.
OFFICE OF B.V.M.
St. Gertrude said to our Lord: Teach me, O my Lord, how I may show my devotion and love to thy blessed Mother, since I am unable to recite her office. Then our Lord taught her the following prayers; and when she recited them she seemed to see him offering his divine Heart in likeness of a vessel of gold, of which, when she had drunk, she appeared filled with gladness. Hence she learned that whenever these prayers are recited, our Lord thus presents his Heart to the lips of his blessed Mother, and that in the fulness of her maternal delight she graciously rewards those who recite them.
AT MATINS.
O Most compassionate Jesus, I praise thee with the tuneful praise which thine own sweetest Heart gives forth, for the innocence of that most spotless virginity whereby thy peerless and ever-blessed Mother was a Virgin in her conception of thee, a Virgin when she brought thee forth, and ever remained a Virgin most inviolate after thy sacred birth; imitating thus thine own innocence, when in the early dawn thou wast seized and bound for the redemption of our captive race, and buffeted and smitten, and cruelly and piteously assailed with contumely and manifold reproach.
The following prayer should be said at all the Hours:
O MOTHER of all blessedness, peerless sanctuary of the Holy Ghost, I praise and greet thee through the sweetest Heart of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and thy most loving Son; beseeching thee to succour us in all our needs and distresses, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
AT PRIME.
I PRAISE thee, O most compassionate Jesus, through thine own sweetest Heart, for that placid deep humility whereby the Virgin undented became day by day more fitted and more worthy to conceive thee; imitating thus thy humility, when thou, who wilt come to be the Judge of the living and the dead, didst at the first hour of the day condescend to be judged by a Gentile and an alien for the redemption of the human race.
O Mother of all blessedness, &c.
AT TIERCE.
I PRAISE thee, O most compassionate Jesus, through thine own sweetest Heart, for that most ardent yearning desire whereby the Virgin full of pity drew thee, the Son of God, from the bosom of the eternal Father into her most pure womb; imitating thus that most impetuous desire wherewith thou didst desire our salvation, when thou wast scourged with cruel thongs and crowned with thorns, and didst condescend at the third hour of the day to bear thy cross of ignominy on thy wearied bleeding shoulder with uncomplaining meekness and patience.
O Mother of all blessedness, &c.
AT SEXT.
I PRAISE thee, O most compassionate Jesus, through thine own sweetest Heart, for that steadfast and undismayed hope wherewith the heavenly Virgin strove unceasingly, with fixed will and holy intention, to praise thee; imitating thus that eager yearning wherewith, when hanging high on the tree of thy cross, and amid the exceeding bitterness of thy death, thou didst long with all thy whole soul for the redemption of the human race, and didst therefore cry: I thirst. For what didst thou thirst, O loving Jesus, but for the salvation of the souls of men, for which thou wouldst have joyfully endured yet more bitter and consuming anguish.
O Mother of all blessedness, &c.
AT NONE.
I PRAISE thee, O most compassionate Jesus, through thine own sweetest Heart, for that most ardent mutual love which united the divine Heart to that of the Virgin undefiled, and which most intimately and inseparably conjoined thy all-glorious Divinity with thy Humanity in her most pure womb; so that it was thus given her to imitate thee in the exceeding greatness of thy love, thou, the Life of all that live, didst at the ninth hour bow thy head in bitterest death upon the cross for our redemption.
O Mother of all blessedness, &c.
AT VESPERS.
I PRAISE thee, O most compassionate Jesus, through thine own sweetest Heart, for that most firm and rooted faith whereby the blessed Virgin stood alone, unshrinking, beneath the cross, when thine Apostles had forsaken thee and all had tied in dismay; imitating thus thy faithfulness in death, when thou didst go in quest of thine own even into Limbus, and drawing them thence, with the strong right hand of thy mercy, didst bear them up to the joys of thy Paradise.
O Mother of all blessedness, &c.
AT COMPLINE.
I PRAISE thee, O most compassion, ate Jesus, through thine own sweetest Heart, for the incomparable perseverance wherewith thy most blessed Mother persevered in virtue and in good works even to the end my imitating thus thine unresting, unwearying zeal in the work of our redemption, when, having obtained eternal redemption for us by thy most bitter death, thou didst not shrink from giving thine incorruptible Body to the grave, alter the manner of men; that thou mightest show us that there was no abyss of humiliation from which thou wouldst shrink, to effect our complete consolation.
O Mother of all blessedness, &c.
ACT OF REPARATION
Most pleasing to the blessed Virgin.
While St. Gertrude was bewailing her negligence in that she had never served the Mother of Jesus with due reverence, and was beseeching oar Lord to supply her lack of service, she seemed to see the King of Glory arise and present his deific Heart to his Mother, and therewith to make amends for all her negligence. To obtain a like grace, recite the following prayer.
O SWEETEST Jesus, by that love wherewith thou didst deign to take our flesh of the most pure Virgin and of her to be born, that thou mightest satisfy the desires of the poor and the wants of the needy, I beseech thee that thou wouldst vouchsafe to make amends to thy ever-virgin. Mother, with thine own sweetest Heart, for all the manifold defects which through my own negligence and ingratitude have tainted and marred my service and honour of so gentle and loving a Mother, whose gracious succour has never failed me in any danger or necessity. Do, then, O most tender Jesus, present to her thy sweetest Heart, overflowing with ineffable blessedness, in reparation of this my neglect. Let her see therein all the divine love whereby thou didst from all eternity freely elect her to be thy Mother; didst preserve her from all taint of original sin, and incomparably adorn her with all graces and all virtues. Let her see therein all the tenderness wherewith thou didst cling to her when she cherished thee, her Child, in her bosom; all the constant unfailing love with which, during the whole time of thy sojourn on earth, thou, who art the Ruler of heaven and earth, didst obey her as a son his mother; and especially in the hour of thy death, when, as though forgetting thine own intolerable anguish, and touched to the heart by her desolation, thou didst provide for her a guardian and a son. Let her see therein that love beyond thought with which thou didst show h er how precious she is in thy sight, when on the day of her most joyous Assumption thou didst exalt her high above all the choirs of angels, and crown her Lady and Queen of heaven and earth. And thus, O good Jesus, may she be still to me a loving and long-suffering Mother, and both in life and in death my compassionate advocate and patroness. Amen.
THANKSGIVING FOR THE GRACES BESTOWED ON THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
When St. Gertrude had recited this short prayershe saw in vision the Mother of divine grace arise and beseech the Blessed Trinity to grant her as large a measure of grace as the heart of man can receive in this life. Then the most glorious Trinity turned towards the saint, and filled her soul with unutterable grace and benediction.
BLESSED be the ineffable, ever-adorable omnipotence of God the Father; and blessed the wondrous and manifold wisdom of God the Son; and blessed the amazing and most tender goodness of the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete; for that the ever-glorious Trinity hath deigned to decree from eternity, to create in time, and to bestow on us as our most effectual help and succour, the Virgin so full of all grace, in order that he might communicate to her his own divine and super-abounding beatitude. Amen.
GOLDEN SALUTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
The Blessed Virgin revealed to St. Gertrude that she rejoiced to show to those who thus saluted her the inestimable treasures of her loving compassion. And at the hour of his departure, she added, I will appear to him domed with radiant beauty, and will pour into his soul heavenly sweetness and consolation.
HAIL, fair Lily of the effulgent and ever-peaceful Trinity. Hail, radiant Rose of heavenly fragrance, of whom the King of heaven willed to be born, and with thy milk to be fed; uphold and succour me, a miserable sinner, now and at the hour of my death. Amen.
HEAVENLY AVE MARIA
Which our Lord himself put in the mouth of St. Mechtilde.
HAIL, thou peerless offspring of the omnipotence of the Father, of the wisdom of the Son, and of the enrapturing goodness of the Holy Ghost, Mary, who fillest heaven and earth with thy gentle light. Thou that art full of grace, the Lord is with thee, even the only-begotten Son of the Father, and the one only Son of the love of thy virgin heart, thy sweetest Spouse and thy Beloved. Blessed art thou amongst women, for thou hast annulled the curse of Eve, and hast brought back an everlasting blessing. And blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus Christ, the Lord and Creator of all things, who doth evermore bless and sanctify, enrich and quicken all things. Amen.
GOLDEN AVE MARIA.
While St Mechtilde was ardently desiring to greet the Blessed Virgin with the most sublime salutation possible, she saw in vision our Lady % bearing on her heart the angelical salutation written in letters of gold, and saying to her: No salutation can surpass this, nor can any be so sweet in my ears as that with which God the everlasting Father greeted me, in the following manner:
HAIL, Mary, in union with that reverence wherewith God the Father greeted thee with Ave, and by his omnipotence delivered thee from every woe and Vae of sin. Hail, Mary, in union with that love wherewith the Son of God enlightened thee with his wisdom, and made thee a softly-shining star, lighting up heaven and earth. Hail, Mary, in union with that sweet unction of the Holy Ghost, wherewith he so pervaded thee and made thee so full of grace, that every one who through thee seeketh grace doth find it Call to mind now that unspeakable operation wherewith the whole most Blessed Trinity wrought in thee, when human flesh taken from thy substance was so united to the Divine Nature that God was made man and man became God, and thy whole soul was suffused with a sweetness and a gladness which the heart of man cannot conceive. And therefore very creature with rapturous admiration doth acknowledge and confess that thou art blessed and incomparably exalted above all creatures in heaven or on earth, and blessed the Fruit of thy womb, even Jesus,who quickens, sanctifies, and blesses all things for ever. Amen.
ACT OF JOY IN THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
To which Innocent VIII. attached an Indulgence at the request of the Queen of Spain,
HAIL, glorious Virgin, Morning star that dost outshine the sun, gracious Mother of my God, sweeter than the dropping honeycomb: thou art that fair one in comparison with whom all beauty is pale and dim; thou art redder than the rose and more dazzling white than the lily; all virtues adorn thee, thou purer than the seraphim; and every saint doth give thee honour, thou that hast thy higher throne in the heavens. Amen.
THREE EFFICACIOUS PETITIONS TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
When St. Gertrude recited these three petitions, which she had learned of the Blessed Virgin, it seemed to her as though she were so clothed and adorned with her surpassing merits, that the Lord of Majesty took ineffable delight in her.
O Most blessed Virgin Mary, I beseech thee by the most spotless purity wherewith thou didst prepare in thy womb a still and glad abode for the Son of God, that by thy intercessions, I may be cleansed from every stain.
O most blessed Virgin Mary, I beseech thee by that thy most gentle, deep humility whereby thou didst merit to be raised high above all angels and saints, that by thy intercessions all my negligences may be forgiven and satisfied for.
O most blessed Virgin Mary, I implore thee by that unutterable love which united thee inseparably to God, that by thy intercessions I may receive an abundance of all merit. Amen.
THE FIVE JOYS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
On one occasion while St. Mechtilde was reflecting in sadness that she had never been duly devout to the Blessed Virgin, and was beseeching our Lord to teach her how to supply her defect, it seemed to her that our Lord bade her apply her lips to the wound in his side, saying: Draw hence that which thou dost wish to offer to my Mother. And she felt the five following salutations, which she had never heard or conceived before, trickle down upon her lips as so many drops of water.
I SALUTE thee, O Virgin most resplendent in glory, in that sweetest stream which flowed forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, by reason of thy most blessed predestination from everlasting.
I salute thee, O Virgin most radiant in holiness, in that sweetest stream which went forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, by reason of thy most blessed conversation and life.
I salute thee, O Virgin most noble, in that sweetest stream which shed itself forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, through the teaching and preaching of thy Son.
I salute thee, O Virgin most full of love, in that sweetest stream which gushed forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, through the bitter Passion and Death of thy Son.
I salute thee, O Virgin most worshipful, in that sweetest stream which burst forth upon thee from the Heart of the most Holy Trinity, and filled thee with all the glory, all the dazzling magnificence, and the ecstatic joy in which thou dost now exult, as beseemeth thee, the elect above and over all creatures before the world was formed. Amen.
AT THE ECCE ANCILLA DOMINI.
Our blessed Lady said to St. Gertrude: Whoever shall devoutly recall to my mind the joy which I felt in uttering the words: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, I will most truly show him, that I am his Mother, and will unfailingly succour him.
O MOTHER of blessedness and most august Sanctuary of the Holy Ghost, I praise and greet thee, and with most devout intention of mind recall to thee that unspeakable joy which thou didst feel when with calmest trustfulness thou didst commend to the divine Will thy whole unreserved self, and all that was to be done to thee and in thee, saying: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: beseeching thee that thou wouldst show thyself my Mother, and evermore succour me with the saving help of thy compassionate heart. Amen.
OFFERING OF THE HEART OF JESUS TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
While St. Gertrude was once bemoaning her lack of service and devotion to our blessed Lady, she felt moved by the Holy Ghost to offer her the Heart of Jesus; which, she adds, our Lady received with exceeding joy, finding therein a delight greater far than, all our service and devotion, no that no prayer, however fervent and recollected, could so gladden her maternal heart. St. Mechtilde also received a similar revelation.
I PRAISE and greet thee, O Virgin surpassingly sweet, in that intimate union wherewith thou art united to God above all creatures. And in amends for all the negligences I have committed in thy service, I offer thee, O tender Mother, the most glorious and adorable Heart of Jesus Christ, with all that true and faithful filial love he showed thee in such perfection on earth, and will for ever show thee in heaven. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST. EDMUND.
Composed by him to be repeated every day Having omitted it one day, he saw in a vision of the night the holy evangelist St. John, who looked at him with a severe countenance, and said: Why have you omitted my prayer? And then, raising the sceptre he held in his hands with a threatening gesture, he commanded him never more to omit it.
O Undefiled and ever-blessed, only and incomparable Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Sanctuary of the Holy Ghost, Gate of the kingdom of heaven, through whom under God all the whole earth liveth; bow down thy compassionate ears to my unworthy supplications, O my Mother, and be to me, a miserable sinner, needful help and succour in all things. O most blessed John, thou beloved friend of Jesus, who wast chosen in thy purity by our Lord, and because of thy purity more tenderly beloved, and more deeply imbued with high and heavenly mysteries than thy brethren; thou most glorious apostle and evangelist, I invoke thee together with Mary the Mother of the same our Lord Jesus Christ, and beseech thee that thou wouldst, in union with her, bestow upon me thine aid. O ye two gems of heavenly brilliance, ye two lights shining with divine lustre in the presence of God, scatter with your bright beams the mists and clouds of my sins. For you are they unto whom, by reason of your spotless purity, our Lord confirmed his love of predilection when hanging on the cross, saying to the one: Woman, behold thy son; and to the other: Behold thy Mother. Wherefore, in the sweetness of that most holy love wherein you are joined by our Lord himself as mother and as son, I, a miserable sinner, now commend to both my body and my soul, beseeching you to deign to be my sure protectors, both inwardly and outwardly, at every moment of my life, and my compassionate intercessors with God. Demand for me, I beseech you, the salvation of my soul and of my body. Grant, I implore you, oh, grant that through your glorious prayer the good and gentle Spirit, bounteous Giver of all grace, may cleanse me from all the defilements of my sins, may enlighten and adorn me with all holy virtues, and enable me to stand steadfast and to persevere unto the end in the love of God and of my neighbour; and when I have finished my course, may the most gracious Paraclete lead me to the joys of his chosen. Who with the Father and the Son, &c.
ASPIRATIONS OF A SINNER TO MARY.
Remember, O most compassionate Mother, that from the beginning it has never been heard that any who have fled to thee for protection, or implored thy intercession, have been forsaken by thee. For to this end hath the Fountain of forgiveness been given to thee as thy Son, that thou mightest obtain grace for all who need, and that thine abundant charity might cover the multitude of our sins and our many defects. Wherefore, encouraged by this assurance, I have recourse to thee, and stand before thee in my misery and my defilement. Oh, despise me not for my innumerable and grievous sins, nor cast me away because of the exceeding loathsomeness and hardness of my heart. Thou knowest, O Mary, how deeply I am sunk in sins and vices, and how justly I have deserved all the most dreadful anger of thy Son. Cast me not away from thy favour, O most compassionate Mother, for thou art, after God, my surest confidence, and the chief, the only ground of my hope. For such is the trust I have in thee, that I shall never believe that I can perish, as long as I love thee and serve thee. O most holy Mother of God and of man, thou joy of all saints, thou solace of the wretched and refuge of the poor, I beseech thee, by that ineffable joy and sweetness thou didst feel when the incomprehensible Divinity took flesh of thee, and thus deigned to unite human nature to himself for ever in thy virginal womb, vouchsafe to undertake my cause, and to render me well-pleasing to the same thy well-beloved Son. Show him, O Mother, the breasts which he has sucked and the arms with which thou didst embrace him; set now before him all the toils and all the dolours thou didst suffer for his sake; show him that heart of thine, sweeter than the honeycomb, all glowing with the fire of his love; and so render him propitious unto me. O my most faithful advocate, turn on me, thy most unworthy servant, those pitying eyes of thine; and by the fragrance of that unimaginable delight thou didst feel as thou wentest up from this world to the royal court of heaven, leaning blissfully on thy Beloved, vouchsafe to be with me in the hour of my death; and in that dread hour offer for me to the most Holy Trinity the merits of that tranquil and consummate perfection which raised thee, on the day of thine Assumption, far above all human and angelic dignity, and made thee the object of his supreme and everlasting complacency. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE B.V.M.TO BE PRESENT AT OUR DEATH.
O Most holy Virgin Mary, in union with that most faithful love wherewith thy Son commended thee from his cross to the blessed John, I commend to thee my soul and my body,my thoughts, my words and my actions, my life and my death, and more especially that one last moment of my life on which eternity hangs. And as thou didst invite thy Son to thine own blessed departure, so I invite thee now to mine; beseeching thee, by that love wherewith thou didst stand beneath the cross on which thy Son was dying, and by the bitter tears thou didst shed when thou sawest him bow in death his sacred Head, that thou be not absent from me then, but be there to succour me with a mother's tenderness; for without thee I cannot die in peace. Refuse not, O most tender Mother, this my request, which I make to thee with all the earnestness and devotion of my heart; for if I die without thee, I most justly fear lest I perish everlastingly. For how shall I, fearful and frail as I am, stand then amidst the manifold and most grievous assaults of my enemies, unless thou be near to succour me? How shall I appear in the dread day of judgment, unless thou be my companion and my advocate? How give an account of my innumerable, my enormous, my most exceeding sins, unless thou plead my cause with thy Son, and obtain for me forgiveness of them all? Incline thine ear to my supplication, O my blessed Mother; and by the love of thy Son be with me in my last moments, that by thy availing succour I may be rescued from that appalling peril, and with thee attain to everlasting gladness. Amen.
THREE AVE MARIANS FOR A GOOD DEATH.
St. Mechtilde, having on one occasion asked the Blessed Virgin to assist her in the hour of her death, received this answer: You may feel assured of my presence and aid if you daily address to me this threefold salutation.
HAIL, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, as God the Father in the grandeur of his omnipotence hath exalted thee and given thee power above all creatures, be with me, I beseech thee, in the hour of my death, and drive far from me all the snares and craft of my enemies. Amen.
Hail, Mary, &c. Holy Mary, Mother of God, as God the Son in the excellence of his unsearchable wisdom hath endued thee with so great knowledge, and filled thee with so great light that thou knowest the most Holy Trinity more truly and intimately than all saints, do thou so enlighten my soul in the hour of my death with the knowledge of the faith, that no error or ignorance may lead it astray. Amen.
Hail, Mary, &c. Holy Mary, Mother of God, as the Holy Spirit hath poured into thee the sweetness of his love with such abundance, that thou art after God the sweetest and most benign of beings, do thou pour into my soul at the hour of my death the sweetness of divine love, that its every bitterness may be rendered sweet to me. Amen.
Our Lord himself taught St. Gertrude to invoke his blessed Mother daily with the words: O thou our Advocate, turn on us those pitying eyes of thine; assuring her that she would thus receive great consolation in her last hour.
THE SWORDS OF SORROW
Which pierced the heart of the Blessed Virgin in the Passion of her Son.
THE FIRST SWORD.
O Most sorrowful Virgin Mary, I recall to thy mind now that sword of sorrow which pierced thy soul, when thy Beloved, thine, only one, came to bid thee farewell, and to ask thy maternal blessing, ere he went forth to death. Remember, O Mother most afflicted, how thy heart was wrung when thy most tender and only Son, thy delight, so lovingly embraced thee for the last time, and with plaintive voice and tearful eyes bade thee farewell. Remember now your sighs and tears, when the hearts so joined together by the strongest ties of love were thus torn asunder, and pierced through with the keenest wound of sorrow. By that mournful going away of thy Son, and by all the bitter tears thou didst shed, I beseech thee, O Mary, be with me at the last, when all my friends turn away from my lifeless body, and protect me with thy maternal blessing from all the snares of the enemy. Amen.
THE SECOND SWORD.
O Most afflicted Virgin Mary, I recall to thy mind now that keen sword of sorrow which pierced thy soul, when the blessed John came to tell thee that thy Son had been betrayed by Judas, seized by the Jews, dragged before Annas and Caiphas, and there blasphemed and mocked, spit upon, buffeted, and overwhelmed with contumely and rude reproach. Remember, O thou most afflicted one, how these mournful tidings pierced thy heart. Oh, remember now the moans and wailing plaints with which thou didst fill the house, and how thou didst cry: O Jesus, my Son Jesus, who will grant me that I might die for thee, O Jesus, my Son, my Son! By that keenest sword of sorrow I beseech thee, O Mary, in my last hour, when my heart shall quake with anguish and the dread of death, do thou deign to cheer me with thy most holy presence, lest I sink in the abyss of despair. Amen.
THE THIRD SWORD.
O Most sad Virgin Mary, I recall to thy mind now that sword of sorrow which pierced thy heart, when thou didst behold thy Son led forth by Pilate, his sacred Body torn and bleeding, his Head crowned with thorns, defiled with spittings, so that there was no beauty in him, nor comeliness. Remember, O Mother most sad, how thy heart was torn when thou didst hear the Jews exclaim: Away with him, away with him! crucify him! Remember that keenest wound which was dealt upon thy heart when thou didst hear the sentence of an accursed death pronounced by Pilate. Remember all the compassion and the grief which wrung thy Mother's heart when thou didst see thy Son laden with his heavy cross, and led forth with direst ignominy to the hill of Calvary. Oh, who shall count thy sighs and tears, who shall tell the sorrows of thy most afflicted heart! I compassionate thee, O Mother most desolate, and I humbly beseech thee be with me in the dread hour of judgment, when I am overwhelmed with the accusations of the devil; and drive far from me then all mine enemies. Amen.
THE FOURTH SWORD.
O Most desolate Virgin Mary, I recall to thy mind now that sword of sorrow which pierced through thy heart, when thou didst behold thy Son raised high upon his cross, and fastened thereunto with three nails. O most sorrowful Mother, how was it that thy soul was not utterly crushed down and wrenched from thy body? How could it be that thine eyes did not fail for tears? Oh, remember now the sadness which filled thy heart when thou didst behold him blasphemed, mocked with vinegar and gall in his thirst, reputed viler and treated more ruthlessly than the very robbers. Remember thine ineffable anguish when thou didst see him fail and sink beneath his impetuous love and sorrow, his lips grow pale, his limbs quiver, his eyes glazed and dim; until at length his heart broke with a mighty pang, and with a loud cry he gave up the ghost. By these thy surpassing sorrows, O Mother most desolate, and by all thy groanings and tears, I beseech thee, be with me with the same love when I draw my last breath, when my heart shall break in the agony of death; and deign to receive my soul into thy hands as it goes forth from the body.
THE FIFTH SWORD.
O VIRGIN Mary, Mother of dolours, I recall to thy mind now that sword of sorrow which pierced thy heart, when thou didst receive into thy bosom thy Son, taken down from the cross, and didst bedew his sacred Body with thy tears. Oh, what didst thou feel as thou didst gaze upon that Head pierced all around with thorns, that Side riven with the lance, those Hands and Feet dug through with the cruel nails, that beauteous Face marred with blows and denied with spittings, and all that sacred Body torn with wounds, livid with stripes, and besmeared with blood. O most sorrowful Mother, how didst thou kiss that divine Face, and wash it with thy tears, and bewail the dishonour of thy Beloved. O Mother most forlorn, I pray thee, by all the sighs and groans wrung from thy heart, by all the sorrows and the wounds of thy soul, comfort mine in the hour when it goes forth from the body, wash it with thy tears, and receive it into thy maternal arms as thou didst receive the lifeless Body of thy Son, and lead it up to the joys of heaven. Amen.
A LITANY OF HOLY MARY.
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,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Daughter of the Eternal Father, Pray for us.
Mother of the Son of God,
Spouse of the Holy Ghost,
Virgin most glorious,
Virgin most amiable,
Virgin most meek,
Virgin most gentle,
Virgin most sweet,
Virgin most compassionate,
Virgin most gracious,
Virgin most faithful,
Virgin sweeter than the dropping honeycomb, Delight of the Holy Trinity,
Temple of the living God,
Shrine of the Holy Ghost,
Glory of the heavenly Jerusalem,
Never-failing Spring of graces,
Stream of everlasting life,
Garden of heavenly delights,
Refuge of the sorrowful in spirit,
By thy sweetest name,
By the pity of thy Mother's heart,
By the love with which thou didst conceive Jesus, and bear him in thy most pure womb,
By the love with which thou didst bring forth Jesus, and lay him in the lowly manger,
By the love with which thou didst give him to suck of thy breasts,
By the love with which thou didst share with Jesus his joys and his sorrows,
By the love with which thou didst shed so many tears in his Passion,
By the love with which thou didst stand by the cross of Jesus,
By the love with which thou didst look upon Jesus risen,
By the love with which thou didst gaze upon him ascending,
By the love with which thou didst receive the Holy Ghost,
By the love with which thou didst give thy spirit into his hands, By the love with which thou wast taken up into heaven,
By the love with which thou wast welcomed into heaven, and exalted high above all creatures,
By the mutual love which unites thee to God
By the love with which thou dost pity all sinners,
Holy Mary,
Intercede for us
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.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Ant. Through thee may we have access to thy Son, O thou blessed one who hast found grace, thou Mother of the Life and Mother of Salvation; that by thee we may receive him who hath been given to us by thee. O our Lady, our advocate, may thy undefiled purity plead with him in excuse of our corruption; may thy humility, so pleasing to God, obtain from him forgiveness of our vanity; may thine abounding charity cover the multitude of our sins, and thy glorious fruitfulness render us fruitful in merits. Amen.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who hast deigned to elect the blessed Mary ever Virgin above all creatures to be thy Mother, and in thy most lavish love hast watered and fertilised and blessed her with abundant streams of manifold graces; we most humbly entreat thy clemency, by that mighty love wherewith thy Sacred Heart glowed towards her, that thou wouldst vouchsafe to be merciful to our sins, and to make us well-pleasing in thy sight, for the sake of the merits of the same thy most glorious Mother: who livest and reignest, &c.