February 28, 2008

• Our Beautiful and Blessed Mother

     

  I’ve been reading a book by St. Louis de Montfort called “Secrets of the Rosary.” It has completely changed how I look at and pray the rosary. There is so much even within a simple Hail Mary; it literally blows the mind. There is one little chapter where he explains the Hail Mary bit-by-bit, and I wanted to share his prose on the last part of the prayer which goes: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” I hope that you enjoy it.

   

  Holy Mary

  Holy in body and in soul

  Holy because of thy incomparable

  And eternal devotion

  To the service of God—

  Holy in thy great rank

  Of Mother of God

  Who has endowed thee

  With eminent holiness,

  A worthy attribute

  Of this great dignity.

  Mother of God—

  And our Mother—

  Our Advocate and Mediatrix

  Thou who art the Treasurer of God’s graces

  And who dost dispense them

  As thou seest fit—

  Oh, we beg of thee

  Obtain for us

  Soon

  The forgiveness of our sins—

  And grant that we may be reconciled

  With God’s infinite Majesty.

  Pray for us sinners—

  Thou who art always filled with compassion

  For those in need—

  Thou who wilt never despise sinners

  Or turn them away—

  For but for them

  Thou woulds’t never have been

  Mother of the Redeemer,

  Pray for us

  Now,

  During this short life

  So fraught with sorrow and uncertainty.

  Pray for us now,

  Now—because we can be sure of nothing

  Except the present moment.

  Pray for us now

  That we are being attacked night and day

  By powerful and ruthless enemies…

  Pray for us now

  And at the hour of our death,

  So terrible and full of danger,

  When our strength is waning

  And our spirits are sinking

  And our souls and bodies

  Are worn out with fear and pain

  Pray for us then

  At the hour of our death

  When the devil is working

  With might and main

  To ensnare us and cast us into perdition.

  Pray for us

  At the turning point

  When the die will be cast once and for all

  And our lot for ever and ever

  Will be heaven—

  Or hell.

  Come to the help of thy poor children,

  Gentle Mother of pity:

  And, oh, Advocate and Refuge of Sinners,

  Protect us

  At the hour of our death

  And drive far from us

  Our bitter enemies,

  The devils our accusers,

  Those with frightful presence

  Fills us with dread.

  Light our path

  Through the valley of the shadow of death.

  Please, Mother

  Lead us

  To thy Son’s Judgment Seat

  And do not forsake us there.

  Intercede for us

  And ask thy Son to forgive us

  And let us into the ranks of the blessed

  Thy elect

  In the realm of everlasting glory.

  Amen. So be it.

  

  • 9:14 pm
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