The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations/Reparation of Honor to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Reparation of Honour
TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.
MOTHER of God, most worthy! whose sanctity and sublime merit surpass the comprehension even of the angels themselves, how great is the maternal tenderness of thy heart towards mankind! how great thy favours! how unworthy our acknowledgment, our gratitude, our return. Our souls are penetrated with grief at the consideration of the many injuries thou receivest from infidels and wicked Christians, by the profanation of the altars dedicated to thy name, by execrable blasphemies vomited out against thy maternal virginity, sanctity, and integrity, but especially from the anguish with which those sinners load thee, who, heaping sin upon sin, against thy divine Son, draw down vengeance and damnation on their own souls; all which bring sorrow on thy tender love and compassion. Thus affected, and upon this consideration, we cast , ourselves at' thy sacred feet, and, though the greatest of sinners, most unworthy and least corresponding with the graces we have received, we here enter our protest against such ungrateful conduct, and beseech thee, O sacred Virgin, more than martyr, to accept the same as a reparation of honour. Pardon our past offences and indignities; pardon those of mankind. Prostrate in like manner before thee, make us, sinners as we are, sensible of the favours thou hast conferred upon us; and being truly contrite for the past, may we, by thy aid and assistance, break the chains of our former thraldom and slavery, live henceforward in thy favour, and in the happy liberty of the children of God. May this our act and deed, O Saviour of the world, as we can do nothing more agreeable to thee than to show our love and gratitude to thy blessed Mother, may it be approved and confirmed by thy blessing and authority. Amen.