<![CDATA[The Catacombs - Prayers and Devotionals]]> https://thecatacombs.org/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:58:03 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Video: The Life of Christ thru the Mysteries of the Rosary]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=7010 Sat, 29 Mar 2025 10:28:25 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=7010 ]]> ]]> <![CDATA[The Rosary Crusade that Freed Austria from the Communists]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=6454 Thu, 12 Sep 2024 07:06:01 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=6454 The Rosary Crusade that Freed Austria from the Communists

TIA | September 11, 2024

“The war [World War I] is going to end. But if they do not stop offending God, another and worse one will begin in the reign of Pius XI. When you shall see a night illumined by an unknown light, you know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war, hunger and of persecution of the Church and the Holy Father...

“If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread its errors throughout the world...”

[Image: G061_OLF.jpg]

A warning in 1917: 'Russia will spread her errors throughout the world'

Our Lady of Fatima gave the three shepherd children this prophetic message shortly before the end of World War I. Her predictions sadly came to pass. People continued to offend God and turned the short period of peace into a pursuit of wicked and alluring pleasures in an era that is known as the Roaring Twenties. As is only just, God inflicted the punishment predicted by Our Lady: A worse war came that raged for four long years.

The devastating World War II leveled many European cities and claimed 40-50 million lives across Europe. When at last a peace treaty was negotiated, Germany and her allies were forced to accept harsh punitive terms.

The Soviet Union, one of the Allied powers siding with Britain, France and the United States, was given a large share in the victory spoils: it gained control over large swaths of Eastern Europe, including countries it had occupied like Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Eastern Germany. Communism took advantage of the situation to spread its propaganda and tighten its control of the countries. Unlike the other Allied countries, the communists soon showed that they had no intention of abandoning the prized territories allotted to them in the peace treaty.


Austria falls victim to the Soviets

Austria was one of the victims of the iron hand of the Soviets. During the War, Austria had been annexed by Nazi Germany, which gave it both the claim of victim and accomplice in the ensuing debate over Austria’s responsibility for the Nazi war crimes.

[Image: G061_Occ.jpg]

After the war, Austria was divided and given to the Four Powers; Russia received the wealthy Viennese region; below, Stalin's portrait being wheeled through central Vienna in 1952

[Image: G061_Sov.jpg]

[Image: G061_Len.jpg]

The Austrian flag alongside the hammer-and-sickle on a tram in Vienna in 1946

Lingering suspicions of Austria’s complicity with the Nazis led the Four Great Powers – United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union – to divide the country into four sections to be monitored by the victor countries. Austria was able to maintain her own government since she had not been fully compliant with the Nazi takeover; however, any new legislation could be vetoed by a unanimous vote from all four powers.

The communist forces occupied the wealthiest region of industry and agriculture that included the capital city of Vienna. Subjecting it to their rule, the Soviet Union demanded reparations from Austria. The regions’ oil and shipping companies, factories and railroads were seized by the communists under the pretext that they had been used by the Nazis. The only way the struggling Austrian business owners could have a share in the revenue was to purchase the industries back at an unreasonable price.

The “conquered people” were also forced to pay for the food and clothing of the Red Army, a considerable sum for the already depleted Austria treasury. The soviet soldiers also committed crimes of looting and rape, which were not sufficiently punished by the officers who often sympathized with their men.

Communists infiltrated Austrian society and attempted to stir up unrest. Although the Austrian Communist Party received very little support in the post-war election, the presence of the Red Army in Vienna emboldened them.

In September 1950, it seemed that the Communist Party was plotting a putsch to seize power. For 10 days, workers went on strike, angry at the post war policy of the Austrian government and roused by the communist spirit of class struggle. At last, the strikes were put down, ending the threat of a Communist Revolution.

The Soviet Union claimed no part in the putsch, led as it was mostly by Austrian communists, but the soviets could not deny their promotion of the communist doctrine that continuously posed a threat to the Austrian government.

As Our Lady of Fatima had predicted, Russia was spreading its errors throughout the world. But the Queen of Heaven had a plan to liberate Austria from the communist tyranny, using neither weapons nor words but rather one of the most powerful tools against evil that a Catholic can wield – the Holy Rosary.


Fr. Pavlicek & Our Lady of Fatima

Petrus Otto Pavlicek was born in Innsbruck in 1902. Although raised a devout Catholic, he left the Church in his youth and led a disorderly life. In 1935, he converted after a near death sickness. He determined to pursue the priesthood despite many obstacles, and was at last ordained as a Capuchin in 1941.

[Image: G061_Pav.jpg]

Fr. Petrus Pavlicekria spearheaded the Rosary Reparation Crusade; below, the medieval statue of Our Lady of Mariazell in the famous shrine in Austria

[Image: G061_Mar2.jpg]

One year later, Fr. Pavlicek was conscripted into the German Army as a paramedic. The Americans took him prisoner on the feast of the Assumption in 1944. From them he learned about Our Lady of Fatima, whose messages strengthened his commitment to the Holy Rosary, which he strove to promote after his release on July 16, 1945.

Inspired by the message of Fatima, Fr. Pavlicek came to see the Rosary as the answer to the liberation of Austria from communist control. To pray for guidance from above, he traveled to Mariazell, the most popular Austrian pilgrimage site that houses a miraculous wooden statue of Our Lady.

While praying before the statue on February 2, 1947, he heard these words from Our Lady: “Do as I tell you and there will be peace.” Convinced of the truth of her words, Fr. Pavlicek founded the Crusade of Reparation of the Holy Rosary.

Those who joined the Rosary Reparation Crusade prayed not only for the liberation of Austria, but also for the conversion of sinners and the true peace promised by Our Lady of Fatima. Public rosary rallies with growing crowds of people led by Fr. Pavlicek were held on the 13th of each month from 1947 to 1955.

Although lacking funds, Fr. Pavlicek managed to acquire a statue of Our Lady of Fatima from a Bishop of Portugal who was impressed by the Austrian priest’s fervor. This statue, which accompanied Fr. Pavlicek on his processions throughout Austria, was crafted by the same sculptor who made the original Pilgrim Statue of Fatima. As he traveled through the villages, he exhorted sinners and lapsed Catholics to repentance, hearing thousands of confessions along the way.

The monthly rosary processions grew so large that Fr. Pavlicek decided to introduce an annual procession, inviting all the parishes of Vienna to participate. The date he chose was September 12, the feast of the Holy Name of Mary; this was the date in the year 1683 that Vienna was delivered from the threat of the Ottomans through the power of the Rosary and the valor of the Polish King Jan Sobieski.

To achieve a similar victory for Vienna years later, notable state officials joined in the annual procession, including Foreign Minister Leopold Figl and Federal Chancellor Julius Raab. Minister Figl nobly proclaimed to Fr. Pavlicek: “Even if just the two of us be present, I will go. My country demands it!” As it turned out, thousands of Austrians gathered each year to ask for the intercession of Our Lady.

[Image: G061_Proc.jpg]

Foreign Minister Figl & Chancellor Raab lead the Rosary Procession through the streets of Vienna

Fr. Pavlicek wanted at least one-tenth of the Austrian population – about 700,000 people – to pray the Rosary every day. His goal was reached in 1955, when more than half a million Austrians had pledged to pray the Rosary; some estimates claim 700,000 Austrians made the pledge.

Coincidently, years earlier roughly the same number of Austrians had officially joined the Nazi Party. It was as though Our Lady was calling the same number of souls to make reparation for the sins of Austrians who chose National Socialism over the liberty of the Catholic Church.


Cold War tensions miraculously lift to free Austria

The early 1950s saw an increased tension between the Soviet Union and the other European Powers: The Cold War had emerged. Many countries, fearing a new war, began to prepare for a Soviet blockade. Communist dictator Joseph Stalin took an aggressive stance and raised high tension in the Allied Nations. Intent on spreading Communism throughout the world, Stalin used violent means to achieve his end.

Stalin’s death in 1953 saw a slight shift in Russian policy, with the communist leaders being more open to peace. However, they still kept a strong hold on all of their acquired territories, which they were unwilling to surrender. Continued negotiations and conferences did little to end the Cold War tensions.

On March 24, 1955 – the same year Fr. Pavlicek had received the Rosary pledge of half a million Austrians – the communists unexpectedly invited the Austrians to yet another peace conference: over 260 such meetings had been held since the end of the War with no progress towards Austrian independence.

Before departing, Chancellor Julius Raab sought out Fr. Pavlicek to implore intensified prayer: “Please pray, and ask your people to pray harder than ever.”

All the occupying powers – the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union – gathered for this conference. To the great astonishment of all, the communists agreed to grant Austria independence and to leave Austrian soil with the single condition that Austria remain a neutral country.

[Image: G061_Ros.jpg]

Thousands of Austrians join the Rosary Crusade procession to thank Our Lady for freeing the country from the communists in 1955

All four countries signed the Austrian State Treaty on May 15, 1955. This is the only time during the Cold War that the Soviet Union withdrew from a country and signed a treaty with the United States. By October 26, the last Russian soldier had departed Austria, a victory that no other occupied country would see until much later.

[Image: G061_Pro2.jpg]

Jubilant Austrians gathered in the streets of Vienna processing triumphantly with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Realizing that this success had little to do with himself, Chancellor Raab declared: “Today, we, whose hearts are full of faith, cry out to Heaven in joyful prayer: We are free. O Mary, we thank Thee!”

Hearkening to his words, thousands of Austrians have come to Vienna year after year on the feast of September 12 to thank Our Lady of Fatima for the liberation of their country and to pray for peace and the conversion of sinners.]]> The Rosary Crusade that Freed Austria from the Communists

TIA | September 11, 2024

“The war [World War I] is going to end. But if they do not stop offending God, another and worse one will begin in the reign of Pius XI. When you shall see a night illumined by an unknown light, you know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war, hunger and of persecution of the Church and the Holy Father...

“If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread its errors throughout the world...”

[Image: G061_OLF.jpg]

A warning in 1917: 'Russia will spread her errors throughout the world'

Our Lady of Fatima gave the three shepherd children this prophetic message shortly before the end of World War I. Her predictions sadly came to pass. People continued to offend God and turned the short period of peace into a pursuit of wicked and alluring pleasures in an era that is known as the Roaring Twenties. As is only just, God inflicted the punishment predicted by Our Lady: A worse war came that raged for four long years.

The devastating World War II leveled many European cities and claimed 40-50 million lives across Europe. When at last a peace treaty was negotiated, Germany and her allies were forced to accept harsh punitive terms.

The Soviet Union, one of the Allied powers siding with Britain, France and the United States, was given a large share in the victory spoils: it gained control over large swaths of Eastern Europe, including countries it had occupied like Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Eastern Germany. Communism took advantage of the situation to spread its propaganda and tighten its control of the countries. Unlike the other Allied countries, the communists soon showed that they had no intention of abandoning the prized territories allotted to them in the peace treaty.


Austria falls victim to the Soviets

Austria was one of the victims of the iron hand of the Soviets. During the War, Austria had been annexed by Nazi Germany, which gave it both the claim of victim and accomplice in the ensuing debate over Austria’s responsibility for the Nazi war crimes.

[Image: G061_Occ.jpg]

After the war, Austria was divided and given to the Four Powers; Russia received the wealthy Viennese region; below, Stalin's portrait being wheeled through central Vienna in 1952

[Image: G061_Sov.jpg]

[Image: G061_Len.jpg]

The Austrian flag alongside the hammer-and-sickle on a tram in Vienna in 1946

Lingering suspicions of Austria’s complicity with the Nazis led the Four Great Powers – United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union – to divide the country into four sections to be monitored by the victor countries. Austria was able to maintain her own government since she had not been fully compliant with the Nazi takeover; however, any new legislation could be vetoed by a unanimous vote from all four powers.

The communist forces occupied the wealthiest region of industry and agriculture that included the capital city of Vienna. Subjecting it to their rule, the Soviet Union demanded reparations from Austria. The regions’ oil and shipping companies, factories and railroads were seized by the communists under the pretext that they had been used by the Nazis. The only way the struggling Austrian business owners could have a share in the revenue was to purchase the industries back at an unreasonable price.

The “conquered people” were also forced to pay for the food and clothing of the Red Army, a considerable sum for the already depleted Austria treasury. The soviet soldiers also committed crimes of looting and rape, which were not sufficiently punished by the officers who often sympathized with their men.

Communists infiltrated Austrian society and attempted to stir up unrest. Although the Austrian Communist Party received very little support in the post-war election, the presence of the Red Army in Vienna emboldened them.

In September 1950, it seemed that the Communist Party was plotting a putsch to seize power. For 10 days, workers went on strike, angry at the post war policy of the Austrian government and roused by the communist spirit of class struggle. At last, the strikes were put down, ending the threat of a Communist Revolution.

The Soviet Union claimed no part in the putsch, led as it was mostly by Austrian communists, but the soviets could not deny their promotion of the communist doctrine that continuously posed a threat to the Austrian government.

As Our Lady of Fatima had predicted, Russia was spreading its errors throughout the world. But the Queen of Heaven had a plan to liberate Austria from the communist tyranny, using neither weapons nor words but rather one of the most powerful tools against evil that a Catholic can wield – the Holy Rosary.


Fr. Pavlicek & Our Lady of Fatima

Petrus Otto Pavlicek was born in Innsbruck in 1902. Although raised a devout Catholic, he left the Church in his youth and led a disorderly life. In 1935, he converted after a near death sickness. He determined to pursue the priesthood despite many obstacles, and was at last ordained as a Capuchin in 1941.

[Image: G061_Pav.jpg]

Fr. Petrus Pavlicekria spearheaded the Rosary Reparation Crusade; below, the medieval statue of Our Lady of Mariazell in the famous shrine in Austria

[Image: G061_Mar2.jpg]

One year later, Fr. Pavlicek was conscripted into the German Army as a paramedic. The Americans took him prisoner on the feast of the Assumption in 1944. From them he learned about Our Lady of Fatima, whose messages strengthened his commitment to the Holy Rosary, which he strove to promote after his release on July 16, 1945.

Inspired by the message of Fatima, Fr. Pavlicek came to see the Rosary as the answer to the liberation of Austria from communist control. To pray for guidance from above, he traveled to Mariazell, the most popular Austrian pilgrimage site that houses a miraculous wooden statue of Our Lady.

While praying before the statue on February 2, 1947, he heard these words from Our Lady: “Do as I tell you and there will be peace.” Convinced of the truth of her words, Fr. Pavlicek founded the Crusade of Reparation of the Holy Rosary.

Those who joined the Rosary Reparation Crusade prayed not only for the liberation of Austria, but also for the conversion of sinners and the true peace promised by Our Lady of Fatima. Public rosary rallies with growing crowds of people led by Fr. Pavlicek were held on the 13th of each month from 1947 to 1955.

Although lacking funds, Fr. Pavlicek managed to acquire a statue of Our Lady of Fatima from a Bishop of Portugal who was impressed by the Austrian priest’s fervor. This statue, which accompanied Fr. Pavlicek on his processions throughout Austria, was crafted by the same sculptor who made the original Pilgrim Statue of Fatima. As he traveled through the villages, he exhorted sinners and lapsed Catholics to repentance, hearing thousands of confessions along the way.

The monthly rosary processions grew so large that Fr. Pavlicek decided to introduce an annual procession, inviting all the parishes of Vienna to participate. The date he chose was September 12, the feast of the Holy Name of Mary; this was the date in the year 1683 that Vienna was delivered from the threat of the Ottomans through the power of the Rosary and the valor of the Polish King Jan Sobieski.

To achieve a similar victory for Vienna years later, notable state officials joined in the annual procession, including Foreign Minister Leopold Figl and Federal Chancellor Julius Raab. Minister Figl nobly proclaimed to Fr. Pavlicek: “Even if just the two of us be present, I will go. My country demands it!” As it turned out, thousands of Austrians gathered each year to ask for the intercession of Our Lady.

[Image: G061_Proc.jpg]

Foreign Minister Figl & Chancellor Raab lead the Rosary Procession through the streets of Vienna

Fr. Pavlicek wanted at least one-tenth of the Austrian population – about 700,000 people – to pray the Rosary every day. His goal was reached in 1955, when more than half a million Austrians had pledged to pray the Rosary; some estimates claim 700,000 Austrians made the pledge.

Coincidently, years earlier roughly the same number of Austrians had officially joined the Nazi Party. It was as though Our Lady was calling the same number of souls to make reparation for the sins of Austrians who chose National Socialism over the liberty of the Catholic Church.


Cold War tensions miraculously lift to free Austria

The early 1950s saw an increased tension between the Soviet Union and the other European Powers: The Cold War had emerged. Many countries, fearing a new war, began to prepare for a Soviet blockade. Communist dictator Joseph Stalin took an aggressive stance and raised high tension in the Allied Nations. Intent on spreading Communism throughout the world, Stalin used violent means to achieve his end.

Stalin’s death in 1953 saw a slight shift in Russian policy, with the communist leaders being more open to peace. However, they still kept a strong hold on all of their acquired territories, which they were unwilling to surrender. Continued negotiations and conferences did little to end the Cold War tensions.

On March 24, 1955 – the same year Fr. Pavlicek had received the Rosary pledge of half a million Austrians – the communists unexpectedly invited the Austrians to yet another peace conference: over 260 such meetings had been held since the end of the War with no progress towards Austrian independence.

Before departing, Chancellor Julius Raab sought out Fr. Pavlicek to implore intensified prayer: “Please pray, and ask your people to pray harder than ever.”

All the occupying powers – the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union – gathered for this conference. To the great astonishment of all, the communists agreed to grant Austria independence and to leave Austrian soil with the single condition that Austria remain a neutral country.

[Image: G061_Ros.jpg]

Thousands of Austrians join the Rosary Crusade procession to thank Our Lady for freeing the country from the communists in 1955

All four countries signed the Austrian State Treaty on May 15, 1955. This is the only time during the Cold War that the Soviet Union withdrew from a country and signed a treaty with the United States. By October 26, the last Russian soldier had departed Austria, a victory that no other occupied country would see until much later.

[Image: G061_Pro2.jpg]

Jubilant Austrians gathered in the streets of Vienna processing triumphantly with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Realizing that this success had little to do with himself, Chancellor Raab declared: “Today, we, whose hearts are full of faith, cry out to Heaven in joyful prayer: We are free. O Mary, we thank Thee!”

Hearkening to his words, thousands of Austrians have come to Vienna year after year on the feast of September 12 to thank Our Lady of Fatima for the liberation of their country and to pray for peace and the conversion of sinners.]]> <![CDATA[The Scriptural Rosary - short verse for each bead]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=6452 Tue, 10 Sep 2024 10:39:46 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=6452 The Old Testament Rosary - short verse for each bead
“Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in the way and opened to us the scriptures?”

[Image: https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.ama...0x675.jpeg]

Picture: Chora Church Anastasis, Wikimedia Commons

WM Review | Oct 08, 2021


“Search the scriptures,” said the Lord. “For you think in them to have life everlasting: And the same are they that give testimony of me, and you will not come to me that you may have life. […]

Think not that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you: Moses, in whom you trust. For if you did believe Moses, you would perhaps believe me also: for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:39-47)

Several times in the Gospels, Our Lord Jesus Christ himself asserts that the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets point towards him as the Saviour. He specifically claims that Moses wrote of him.

This aid takes short texts from the Old Testament for each Our Father and Hail Mary. It prioritises texts used by the Church, particularly in her Holy Liturgy.

The texts for each Our Father are taken from the Pentateuch (the first five books), also known as the Law of Moses. The redemption appears with great clarity even in these earliest Scriptures, showing Christ as the New Adam and fulfilling so many promises.

“All things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms, concerning me.”

Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. (Luke 24:44-46)

There are many such aids in circulation, but ours are briefer – adding nothing to the time taken to say the Rosary – and are therefore more suited to memorisation. The texts are prophecies and foreshadowings of the life of Christ, and they perhaps even give us a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of his Sacred Heart, in his joys, sorrows and glories.

“O foolish and slow of heart to believe in all things which the prophets have spoken,” said the Lord. “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so, to enter into his glory?”

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things that were concerning him. And they drew nigh to the town whither they were going: and he made as though he would go farther. But they constrained him, saying:

“Stay with us, because it is towards evening and the day is now far spent.”

And he went in with them. And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread and blessed and brake and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him. And he vanished out of their sight, and they said one to the other:

“Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in the way and opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:25-32)

Some of these texts must have featured in this explanation on the road to Emmaus. We hope that those who use this aid also find their hearts burning within them at the majesty of Our Lord Jesus Christ and his holy Mother, and the admirable precision with which his life makes sense of these 165 texts from the Old Testament.



The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation

I shall put enmities between thee and the woman. Our Father, etc. Gn 3.15.

  1. Behold a virgin shall be with child. Hail Mary, etc. Is 7.14

  2. And his name shall be called Emmanuel. Is 7.14

  3. He shall come down like rain on the fleece. Ps 71.6

  4. And a rod shall come forth from the root of Jesse. Is 11.1

  5. He shall sit on the throne of David. Is 9.7

  6. Drop down dew, ye heavens: let the clouds rain the Just. Is 45.8

  7. Let the earth bud forth a Saviour. Is 45.8

  8. Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee. Ps 2.7

  9. From the womb, before the daystar, I begot thee. Ps 109.3

  10. A body thou hast fitted to me: I come to do thy will. Ps 39.7


2. The Visitation

Shall an old woman bear a child? Is anything hard to God? Gn 18.14-15.

  1. Arise, O Lord, with the Ark that thou hast sanctified. Ps 131.8

  2. Before thou camest forth from the womb, I sanctified thee. Jr 1.5

  3. I made thee a prophet to the nations. Jr 1.5

  4. Behold, I send my angel before my face. Ml 3.1

  5. I send you Elias before the dreadful day. Ml 4.5

  6. The voice crying out in the wilderness: Is 40.3

  7. Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Is 40.3

  8. Valley shall be exalted. Is 40.4

  9. Mount made low. Is 40.4

  10. And the glory of the Lord revealed. Is 40.5


3. The Nativity of our Lord

A star shall rise out of Jacob. Nm 24.17.

  1. And thou, Bethlehem, art not the least in Juda. Mi 5.2

  2. From thee shall come the Captain to rule my people. Mi 5.2

  3. His going forth shall be from the days of eternity. Mi 5.2

  4. A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us. Is 9.6

  5. The Mighty God, the Prince of Peace. Is 9.6

  6. Before she was in labour, she brought forth a man. Is 66.7

  7. The ox knoweth his owner, the ass his master’s crib. Is 1.3

  8. But Israel hath not known me or understood. Is 1.3

  9. But the Kings of Tharsis shall offer presents. Ps 71.10

  10. And they from Saba bring gold and frankincense. Is 60.6


4. The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple

Thou shalt offer thy son for an holocaust. Gn 22.2.

  1. Every firstborn is mine, since I struck the firstborn of Egypt. Nm 3.13

  2. Sanctify to me the firstborn that opens the womb. Ex 13.12

  3. Then the woman shall enter the sanctuary after her purification. Lv 12.4

  4. And bringing a holocaust, shall she be cleansed. Lv 12.8

  5. But thou art all fair, my love, without a spot in thee. Cn 4.7

  6. The Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple. Ml 3.1

  7. The Desired of All Nations shall fill this house with glory. Ag 2.8

  8. Then a voice in Rama, Rachel bewailing her children. Jr 31.15

  9. So the Lord will ascend and enter into Egypt. Is 19.1

  10. ’Til out of Egypt have I called my son. Os 11.1


5. The Finding of our Lord in the Temple

Thrice a year shall thy males appear before me. Ex 23.17.

  1. My soul longs for the courts of the Lord. Ps 83.3

  2. For better is one day in thy courts than thousands elsewhere. Ps 83.11

  3. Zeal for thy house hath eaten me up. Ps 68.10

  4. I have understood more than my teachers. Ps 118.99

  5. For out of the mouths of infants thou hast perfected praise. Ps 8.3

  6. I will rise, and will go about the city. Cn 3.2

  7. In the streets I will seek my beloved. Cn 3.2

  8. I sought him, and I found him not. Cn 3.2

  9. And when I found him, whom my soul loveth: Cn 3.4

  10. I held him: and will not let him go. Cn 3.4


The Sorrowful Mysteries


1. The Agony of our Lord in the Garden

The Lord God put Adam in the Garden, to dress it and keep it. Gn 2.15.

  1. Save me O God: for the waters come into my soul. Ps 68.2

  2. My heart hath expected reproach and misery. Ps 68.21

  3. Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me. Ps 87.9

  4. I looked for one to grieve with me. Ps 68.21

  5. But I found none that would comfort me. Ps 68.21

  6. The cords of the wicked encompassed me. Ps 118.61

  7. They have hated me without cause. Ps 34.19

  8. They weighed for my price, thirty pieces of silver. Zc 11.12

  9. If an enemy had reviled me, I would have borne it. Ps 54.13

  10. But he who ate my bread hath lifted his heel against me. Ps 40.10


2. The Scourging at the Pillar

He shall wash his robe in wine, in the blood of the grape. Gn 49.11

  1. Unjust witnesses paid me evil for good. Ps 34.11

  2. But I have set my face as a most hard rock. Is 50.7

  3. I am ready for scourges: my sorrow is ever before me. Ps 37.18

  4. I have given my body to the strikers. Is 50.6

  5. The wicked have wrought on my back. Ps 128.3

  6. We thought him struck by God and afflicted. Is 53.4

  7. For the Lord bruised him in infirmity. Is 53.10

  8. But he was wounded for our iniquities. Is 53.10

  9. He was bruised for our sins. Is 53.5

  10. And by his stripes we are healed. Is 53.5


3. The Crowning of our Lord with Thorns

Thorns and thistles shall the earth bring forth to thee. Gn 3.18

  1. There is no beauty in him, nor comeliness. Is 53.2

  2. Despised, the most abject of men. Is 53.3

  3. A man of sorrows, acquainted with infirmity. Is 53.3

  4. His look was hidden and despised. Is 53.3

  5. Whereupon we esteemed him not. Is 53.3

  6. The wicked draw near against me. Ps 26.2

  7. I have given my cheeks to them that plucked them. Is 50.6

  8. I turned not my face from spitting. Is 50.6

  9. And all that saw me have laughed me to scorn. Ps 21.8

  10. O ye that pass by the way, is there sorrow like to mine? Lam 1.12


4. Our Lord’s Carrying of his Cross

He laid the wood for the holocaust on Isaac his son. Gn 22.6.

  1. He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter. Is 53.7

  2. Dumb as a lamb before his shearer. Is 53.7

  3. He hath borne our infirmities, carried our sorrows. Is 53.4

  4. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. Is 53.4

  5. For the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Is 53.6

  6. My soul hath cleaved to the pavement. Ps 118.25

  7. I am a worm and no man. Ps 21.7

  8. My strength is dried up like a potsherd.  Ps 21.16

  9. My tongue hath cleaved to my jaws. Ps 21.16

  10. Thou hast brought me down to the dust of death. Ps 21.16


5. The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord

God will provide himself a victim for an holocaust. Gn 22.8.

  1. O God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Ps 21.2

  2. They have pierced my hands and my feet. Ps 21.17

  3. They have numbered all my bones. Ps 21.17

  4. They divided my garments; casting lots for my vesture. Ps 21.19

  5. In my thirst they gave me vinegar. Ps 68.22

  6. Her sun is gone down, while it was yet day. Ez 37.26

  7. They shall not break a bone of him. Ex 12.46

  8. They shall look upon him whom they pierced. Zc 12.10

  9. He was reputed with the wicked. Is 53.12

  10. But his sepulchre shall be glorious, made with the rich man. Is 11.10, 53.9



The Glorious Mysteries


1. The Resurrection of our Lord from the Dead

The Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam. Gn 2.21.

  1. The Stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. Ps 117.22

  2. My heart hath been glad, and my flesh shall rest in hope. Ps 15.9

  3. For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell. Ps 15.10

  4. Nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. Ps 15.10

  5. O Death, I will be thy death: O Hell, I will be thy bite. Os 13.14

  6. I have risen, and am with thee still. Ps 138.18

  7. Thou hast lifted me up from the gates of death. Ps 9.15

  8. The Lord brought me out of the pit, and set my feet on a rock. Ps 39.3

  9. To him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him. Ps 21.31

  10. This is the day that the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein. Ps 117.24

2. The Ascension of our Lord into Heaven

Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered. Nm 10.35.

  1. Make a way for him who ascendeth upon the West. Ps 67.5

  2. He mounteth above the heavens to the East. Ps 67.34

  3. God is ascended with jubilee, the Lord with sound of trumpet. Ps 46.6

  4. Ascending on high, thou hast led captivity captive. Ps 67.19

  5. Sit at my right, ’til I make thy enemies thy footstool. Ps 109.1

  6. The Lord hath prepared his throne in Heaven. Ps 102.19

  7. His kingdom shall rule over all. Ps 102.19

  8. The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty. Ps 92.1

  9. Thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones. Ps 20.4

  10. All people, tribes and tongues shall serve him. Dn 7.14


3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost

The Lord thy God is a consuming fire. Dt 4.24.

  1. Send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be created: Ps 103.30

  2. And thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Ps 103.30

  3. Come, Spirit, from the four winds: Ez 37.9

  4. Blow on these slain, and let them live: Ez 37.9

  5. And the Spirit came into them, and they lived. Ez 37.10

  6. I will pour upon you clean water: Ez 36.25

  7. And you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness. Ez 36.25

  8. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: Jo 2.28

  9. And write my law in their hearts. Jr 31.33

  10. And those that call on the Lord shall be saved. Jo 2.32


4. The Assumption of our Lady into Heaven

It is not good for man to be alone. Gn 2.18.

  1. Hearken, O Daughter, for the King hath desired thy beauty: Ps 44.12

  2. Arise, my love, my dove, and come. Cn 2.13

  3. For winter is past, the rain is over and gone. Cn 2.11

  4. Forget thy people, and thy father’s house. Ps 44.11

  5. With thy comeliness and beauty, proceed and reign. Ps 44.5

  6. Who is she going up from the desert? Cn 3.6

  7. A pillar of smoke, of aromatical spices; Cn 3.6

  8. Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense; Cn 3.6

  9. Flowing with delights, and leaning upon her Beloved. Cn 8.5

  10. Come from Libanus, my spouse, come and be crowned. Cn 4.8


5. The Coronation of our Lady as Queen of Heaven

She shall crush thy head. Gn 3.15.

  1. My heart hath uttered a good word, I speak my words to the King. Ps 44.2

  2. By me, his handmaid, hath he fulfilled his mercy. Jt 13.18

  3. And he hath killed his people’s enemy by my hand. Jd 13.18

  4. I am the Mother of fair love, and of holy hope. Ecclus 24.24

  5. The Queen at thy right hand, in gold arrayed. Ps 44.10

  6. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, and the honour of our people. Jt 15.10

  7. All the rich shall entreat thy countenance. Ps 44.13

  8. Grace is poured out from thy lips. Ps 44.3

  9. Instead of thy fathers, princes are born to thee. Ps 44.17

  10. They shall remember thy name forever and ever. Ps 44.18
]]> The Old Testament Rosary - short verse for each bead
“Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in the way and opened to us the scriptures?”

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WM Review | Oct 08, 2021


“Search the scriptures,” said the Lord. “For you think in them to have life everlasting: And the same are they that give testimony of me, and you will not come to me that you may have life. […]

Think not that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you: Moses, in whom you trust. For if you did believe Moses, you would perhaps believe me also: for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:39-47)

Several times in the Gospels, Our Lord Jesus Christ himself asserts that the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets point towards him as the Saviour. He specifically claims that Moses wrote of him.

This aid takes short texts from the Old Testament for each Our Father and Hail Mary. It prioritises texts used by the Church, particularly in her Holy Liturgy.

The texts for each Our Father are taken from the Pentateuch (the first five books), also known as the Law of Moses. The redemption appears with great clarity even in these earliest Scriptures, showing Christ as the New Adam and fulfilling so many promises.

“All things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms, concerning me.”

Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. (Luke 24:44-46)

There are many such aids in circulation, but ours are briefer – adding nothing to the time taken to say the Rosary – and are therefore more suited to memorisation. The texts are prophecies and foreshadowings of the life of Christ, and they perhaps even give us a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of his Sacred Heart, in his joys, sorrows and glories.

“O foolish and slow of heart to believe in all things which the prophets have spoken,” said the Lord. “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so, to enter into his glory?”

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things that were concerning him. And they drew nigh to the town whither they were going: and he made as though he would go farther. But they constrained him, saying:

“Stay with us, because it is towards evening and the day is now far spent.”

And he went in with them. And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread and blessed and brake and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him. And he vanished out of their sight, and they said one to the other:

“Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in the way and opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:25-32)

Some of these texts must have featured in this explanation on the road to Emmaus. We hope that those who use this aid also find their hearts burning within them at the majesty of Our Lord Jesus Christ and his holy Mother, and the admirable precision with which his life makes sense of these 165 texts from the Old Testament.



The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation

I shall put enmities between thee and the woman. Our Father, etc. Gn 3.15.

  1. Behold a virgin shall be with child. Hail Mary, etc. Is 7.14

  2. And his name shall be called Emmanuel. Is 7.14

  3. He shall come down like rain on the fleece. Ps 71.6

  4. And a rod shall come forth from the root of Jesse. Is 11.1

  5. He shall sit on the throne of David. Is 9.7

  6. Drop down dew, ye heavens: let the clouds rain the Just. Is 45.8

  7. Let the earth bud forth a Saviour. Is 45.8

  8. Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee. Ps 2.7

  9. From the womb, before the daystar, I begot thee. Ps 109.3

  10. A body thou hast fitted to me: I come to do thy will. Ps 39.7


2. The Visitation

Shall an old woman bear a child? Is anything hard to God? Gn 18.14-15.

  1. Arise, O Lord, with the Ark that thou hast sanctified. Ps 131.8

  2. Before thou camest forth from the womb, I sanctified thee. Jr 1.5

  3. I made thee a prophet to the nations. Jr 1.5

  4. Behold, I send my angel before my face. Ml 3.1

  5. I send you Elias before the dreadful day. Ml 4.5

  6. The voice crying out in the wilderness: Is 40.3

  7. Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Is 40.3

  8. Valley shall be exalted. Is 40.4

  9. Mount made low. Is 40.4

  10. And the glory of the Lord revealed. Is 40.5


3. The Nativity of our Lord

A star shall rise out of Jacob. Nm 24.17.

  1. And thou, Bethlehem, art not the least in Juda. Mi 5.2

  2. From thee shall come the Captain to rule my people. Mi 5.2

  3. His going forth shall be from the days of eternity. Mi 5.2

  4. A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us. Is 9.6

  5. The Mighty God, the Prince of Peace. Is 9.6

  6. Before she was in labour, she brought forth a man. Is 66.7

  7. The ox knoweth his owner, the ass his master’s crib. Is 1.3

  8. But Israel hath not known me or understood. Is 1.3

  9. But the Kings of Tharsis shall offer presents. Ps 71.10

  10. And they from Saba bring gold and frankincense. Is 60.6


4. The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple

Thou shalt offer thy son for an holocaust. Gn 22.2.

  1. Every firstborn is mine, since I struck the firstborn of Egypt. Nm 3.13

  2. Sanctify to me the firstborn that opens the womb. Ex 13.12

  3. Then the woman shall enter the sanctuary after her purification. Lv 12.4

  4. And bringing a holocaust, shall she be cleansed. Lv 12.8

  5. But thou art all fair, my love, without a spot in thee. Cn 4.7

  6. The Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple. Ml 3.1

  7. The Desired of All Nations shall fill this house with glory. Ag 2.8

  8. Then a voice in Rama, Rachel bewailing her children. Jr 31.15

  9. So the Lord will ascend and enter into Egypt. Is 19.1

  10. ’Til out of Egypt have I called my son. Os 11.1


5. The Finding of our Lord in the Temple

Thrice a year shall thy males appear before me. Ex 23.17.

  1. My soul longs for the courts of the Lord. Ps 83.3

  2. For better is one day in thy courts than thousands elsewhere. Ps 83.11

  3. Zeal for thy house hath eaten me up. Ps 68.10

  4. I have understood more than my teachers. Ps 118.99

  5. For out of the mouths of infants thou hast perfected praise. Ps 8.3

  6. I will rise, and will go about the city. Cn 3.2

  7. In the streets I will seek my beloved. Cn 3.2

  8. I sought him, and I found him not. Cn 3.2

  9. And when I found him, whom my soul loveth: Cn 3.4

  10. I held him: and will not let him go. Cn 3.4


The Sorrowful Mysteries


1. The Agony of our Lord in the Garden

The Lord God put Adam in the Garden, to dress it and keep it. Gn 2.15.

  1. Save me O God: for the waters come into my soul. Ps 68.2

  2. My heart hath expected reproach and misery. Ps 68.21

  3. Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me. Ps 87.9

  4. I looked for one to grieve with me. Ps 68.21

  5. But I found none that would comfort me. Ps 68.21

  6. The cords of the wicked encompassed me. Ps 118.61

  7. They have hated me without cause. Ps 34.19

  8. They weighed for my price, thirty pieces of silver. Zc 11.12

  9. If an enemy had reviled me, I would have borne it. Ps 54.13

  10. But he who ate my bread hath lifted his heel against me. Ps 40.10


2. The Scourging at the Pillar

He shall wash his robe in wine, in the blood of the grape. Gn 49.11

  1. Unjust witnesses paid me evil for good. Ps 34.11

  2. But I have set my face as a most hard rock. Is 50.7

  3. I am ready for scourges: my sorrow is ever before me. Ps 37.18

  4. I have given my body to the strikers. Is 50.6

  5. The wicked have wrought on my back. Ps 128.3

  6. We thought him struck by God and afflicted. Is 53.4

  7. For the Lord bruised him in infirmity. Is 53.10

  8. But he was wounded for our iniquities. Is 53.10

  9. He was bruised for our sins. Is 53.5

  10. And by his stripes we are healed. Is 53.5


3. The Crowning of our Lord with Thorns

Thorns and thistles shall the earth bring forth to thee. Gn 3.18

  1. There is no beauty in him, nor comeliness. Is 53.2

  2. Despised, the most abject of men. Is 53.3

  3. A man of sorrows, acquainted with infirmity. Is 53.3

  4. His look was hidden and despised. Is 53.3

  5. Whereupon we esteemed him not. Is 53.3

  6. The wicked draw near against me. Ps 26.2

  7. I have given my cheeks to them that plucked them. Is 50.6

  8. I turned not my face from spitting. Is 50.6

  9. And all that saw me have laughed me to scorn. Ps 21.8

  10. O ye that pass by the way, is there sorrow like to mine? Lam 1.12


4. Our Lord’s Carrying of his Cross

He laid the wood for the holocaust on Isaac his son. Gn 22.6.

  1. He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter. Is 53.7

  2. Dumb as a lamb before his shearer. Is 53.7

  3. He hath borne our infirmities, carried our sorrows. Is 53.4

  4. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. Is 53.4

  5. For the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Is 53.6

  6. My soul hath cleaved to the pavement. Ps 118.25

  7. I am a worm and no man. Ps 21.7

  8. My strength is dried up like a potsherd.  Ps 21.16

  9. My tongue hath cleaved to my jaws. Ps 21.16

  10. Thou hast brought me down to the dust of death. Ps 21.16


5. The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord

God will provide himself a victim for an holocaust. Gn 22.8.

  1. O God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Ps 21.2

  2. They have pierced my hands and my feet. Ps 21.17

  3. They have numbered all my bones. Ps 21.17

  4. They divided my garments; casting lots for my vesture. Ps 21.19

  5. In my thirst they gave me vinegar. Ps 68.22

  6. Her sun is gone down, while it was yet day. Ez 37.26

  7. They shall not break a bone of him. Ex 12.46

  8. They shall look upon him whom they pierced. Zc 12.10

  9. He was reputed with the wicked. Is 53.12

  10. But his sepulchre shall be glorious, made with the rich man. Is 11.10, 53.9



The Glorious Mysteries


1. The Resurrection of our Lord from the Dead

The Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam. Gn 2.21.

  1. The Stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. Ps 117.22

  2. My heart hath been glad, and my flesh shall rest in hope. Ps 15.9

  3. For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell. Ps 15.10

  4. Nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. Ps 15.10

  5. O Death, I will be thy death: O Hell, I will be thy bite. Os 13.14

  6. I have risen, and am with thee still. Ps 138.18

  7. Thou hast lifted me up from the gates of death. Ps 9.15

  8. The Lord brought me out of the pit, and set my feet on a rock. Ps 39.3

  9. To him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him. Ps 21.31

  10. This is the day that the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein. Ps 117.24

2. The Ascension of our Lord into Heaven

Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered. Nm 10.35.

  1. Make a way for him who ascendeth upon the West. Ps 67.5

  2. He mounteth above the heavens to the East. Ps 67.34

  3. God is ascended with jubilee, the Lord with sound of trumpet. Ps 46.6

  4. Ascending on high, thou hast led captivity captive. Ps 67.19

  5. Sit at my right, ’til I make thy enemies thy footstool. Ps 109.1

  6. The Lord hath prepared his throne in Heaven. Ps 102.19

  7. His kingdom shall rule over all. Ps 102.19

  8. The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty. Ps 92.1

  9. Thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones. Ps 20.4

  10. All people, tribes and tongues shall serve him. Dn 7.14


3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost

The Lord thy God is a consuming fire. Dt 4.24.

  1. Send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be created: Ps 103.30

  2. And thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Ps 103.30

  3. Come, Spirit, from the four winds: Ez 37.9

  4. Blow on these slain, and let them live: Ez 37.9

  5. And the Spirit came into them, and they lived. Ez 37.10

  6. I will pour upon you clean water: Ez 36.25

  7. And you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness. Ez 36.25

  8. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: Jo 2.28

  9. And write my law in their hearts. Jr 31.33

  10. And those that call on the Lord shall be saved. Jo 2.32


4. The Assumption of our Lady into Heaven

It is not good for man to be alone. Gn 2.18.

  1. Hearken, O Daughter, for the King hath desired thy beauty: Ps 44.12

  2. Arise, my love, my dove, and come. Cn 2.13

  3. For winter is past, the rain is over and gone. Cn 2.11

  4. Forget thy people, and thy father’s house. Ps 44.11

  5. With thy comeliness and beauty, proceed and reign. Ps 44.5

  6. Who is she going up from the desert? Cn 3.6

  7. A pillar of smoke, of aromatical spices; Cn 3.6

  8. Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense; Cn 3.6

  9. Flowing with delights, and leaning upon her Beloved. Cn 8.5

  10. Come from Libanus, my spouse, come and be crowned. Cn 4.8


5. The Coronation of our Lady as Queen of Heaven

She shall crush thy head. Gn 3.15.

  1. My heart hath uttered a good word, I speak my words to the King. Ps 44.2

  2. By me, his handmaid, hath he fulfilled his mercy. Jt 13.18

  3. And he hath killed his people’s enemy by my hand. Jd 13.18

  4. I am the Mother of fair love, and of holy hope. Ecclus 24.24

  5. The Queen at thy right hand, in gold arrayed. Ps 44.10

  6. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, and the honour of our people. Jt 15.10

  7. All the rich shall entreat thy countenance. Ps 44.13

  8. Grace is poured out from thy lips. Ps 44.3

  9. Instead of thy fathers, princes are born to thee. Ps 44.17

  10. They shall remember thy name forever and ever. Ps 44.18
]]> <![CDATA[The Rosary: A School of Contemplation – Garrigou-Lagrange, 1941]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=6357 Fri, 02 Aug 2024 09:21:25 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=6357 The Rosary: A School of Contemplation – Garrigou-Lagrange, 1941
“The words are a kind of melody which soothes the ear and isolates us from the noise of the world.”

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WM Review | Oct 10, 2022


The Rosary: A School of Contemplation from The Mother of the Saviour and Our Interior Life
by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange OP

Some line breaks and headings added for clarity.

From among the many customary devotions to Our Lady, such as the Angelus, the Office of the Blessed Virgin, the Rosary, we shall speak especially of the last in so far as it prepares us for and leads us up to contemplation of the great mysteries of salvation. After Holy Mass it is one of the most beautiful and efficacious forms of prayer, on condition of understanding it and living it.

It sometimes happens that its recitation – reduced to that of five mysteries – becomes a matter of routine. The mind, not being really gripped by the things of God, finds itself a prey to distractions. Sometimes the prayer is said hurriedly and soullessly. Sometimes it is said for the purpose of obtaining temporal favours, desired out of all relation to spiritual gain. When a person says the Rosary in such a way, he may well ask himself in what way his prayer is like that of which Pope Leo XIII spoke in his encyclicals on the Rosary, and about which Pius XI wrote one of his last apostolic letters.

It is true that to pray well it is sufficient to think in a general way of God and of the graces for which one asks. But to make the most out of our five mysteries, we should remember that they constitute but a third of the whole Rosary, and that they should be accompanied by meditation – which can be very simple – on the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries, which recall the whole life of Jesus and Mary and their glory in Heaven.


The Three Great Mysteries of Salvation

The fifteen mysteries of the Rosary thus divided into three groups are but different aspects of the three great mysteries of our salvation: the Incarnation, the Redemption, Eternal Life.

The mystery of the Incarnation is recalled by the joys of the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of the Saviour, His Presentation in the Temple and His finding among the doctors.

The mystery of the Redemption is recalled by the different stages of the Passion: the Agony in the garden, the Scourging, the Crowning with thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, the Crucifixion.

The mystery of eternal life is recalled by the Resurrection, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Assumption of Our Lady and her crowning as Queen of Heaven.

Thus, the Rosary is a Credo: not an abstract one, but one concretised in the life of Jesus who came down to us from the Father and who ascended to bring us back with Himself to the Father. It is the whole of Christian dogma in all its splendour and elevation, brought to us that we may fill our minds with it, that we may relish it and nourish our souls with it.

This makes the Rosary a true school of contemplation. It raises us gradually above vocal prayer and even above reasoned out or discursive meditation. Early theologians have compared the movement of the soul in contemplation to the spiral in which certain birds – the swallow, for example – move when they wish to attain to a great height. The Joyful Mysteries lead to the Passion, and the Passion to the door of Heaven.

The Rosary well understood is, therefore, a very elevated form of prayer which makes the whole of dogma accessible to all.


Practical and Contemplative

The Rosary is also a very practical form of prayer for it recalls all Christian morality and spirituality by presenting them from the sublime point of view of their realisation in Jesus and Mary. The mysteries of the Rosary should be reproduced in our lives. Each of them is a lesson in some virtue – particularly in the virtues of humility, trust, patience and charity.

There are three stages in our progress towards God. The first is to have knowledge of the final end, whence comes the desire of salvation and the joy to which that desire gives rise. This stage is symbolised in the joyful mysteries which contain the good news of the Incarnation of the Son of God who opens to us the way of salvation. The next stage is to adopt the means – often painful to nature – to be delivered from sin and to merit Heaven. This is the stage of the sorrowful mysteries. The final stage is that of rest in the possession of eternal life. It is the stage of Heaven, of which the glorious mysteries allow us some anticipated glimpse.

The Rosary is therefore most practical. It takes us from the midst of our too human interests and joys and makes us think of those which centre on the coming of the Saviour. It takes us from our meaningless fears, from the sufferings we bear so badly, and reminds us of how much Jesus has suffered for love of us and teaches us to follow Him by bearing the cross which divine providence has sent us to purify us. It takes us finally from our earthly hopes and ambitions and makes us think of the true object of Christian hope – eternal life and the graces necessary to arrive there.

The Rosary is more than a prayer of petition. It is a prayer of adoration inspired by the thought of the Incarnate God, a prayer of reparation in memory of the Passion of Our Saviour, a prayer of thanksgiving that the glorious mysteries continue to reproduce themselves in the uninterrupted entry of the elect into glory.


The Rosary and Contemplative Prayer

A more simple and still more elevated way of reciting the Rosary is, while saying it, to keep the eyes of faith fixed on the living Jesus who is always making intercession for us and who is acting upon us in accordance with the mysteries of His childhood, or His Passion, or His glory. He comes to us to make us like Himself. Let us fix our gaze on Jesus who is looking at us. His look is more than kind and understanding: it is the look of God, a look which purifies, which sanctifies, which gives peace. It is the look of our Judge and still more the look of our Saviour, our Friend, the Spouse of our souls.

A Rosary said in this way, in solitude and silence, is a most fruitful intercourse with Jesus. It is a conversation with Mary too which leads to intimacy with her Son.

We sometimes read in the lives of the saints that Our Blessed Lord reproduced in them first His childhood, then His hidden life, then His apostolic life, and finally His Passion, before allowing them to share in His glory. He comes to us in a similar way in the Rosary and, well said, it is a prayer which gradually takes the form of an intimate conversation with Jesus and Mary. It is easy to see how saintly souls have found in it a school of contemplation.


Repetition and Contemplation

It has sometimes been objected that one cannot reflect on the words and the mysteries at the same time. An answer that is often given is that it is not necessary to reflect on the words if one is meditating on or looking spiritually at one of the mysteries. The words are a kind of melody which soothes the ear and isolates us from the noise of the world around us, the fingers being occupied meanwhile in allowing one bead after another to slip through. Thus, the imagination is kept tranquil and the mind and the will are set free to be united to God.

It has also been objected that the monotony of the many repetitions in the Rosary leads necessarily to routine. This objection is valid only if the Rosary is said badly. If well said, it familiarises us with the different mysteries of salvation and recalls what these mysteries should produce in our joys, our sorrows, and our hopes. Any prayer can become a matter of routine – even the Ordinary of the Mass.

The reason is not that the prayers are imperfect, but that we do not say them as we should – with faith, confidence and love.


The spirit of the Rosary as St Dominic conceived it

To understand the Rosary better it is well to recall how St Dominic conceived it under the inspiration of Our Lady at a time when southern France was ravaged by the Albigensian heresy – a heresy which denied the infinite goodness and omnipotence of God by admitting a principle of evil which was often victorious. Not only did Albigensianism attack Christian morality, but it was opposed to dogma as well – to the great mysteries of creation, the redemptive incarnation, the descent of the Holy Ghost,’ the eternal life to which we are called.

It was at that moment that Our Blessed Lady made known to St Dominic a kind of preaching till then unknown, which she said would be one of the most powerful weapons against future errors and in future difficulties. Under her inspiration, St Dominic went into the villages of the heretics, gathered the people, and preached to them the mysteries of salvation – the Incarnation, the Redemption, Eternal Life. As Mary had taught him to do, he distinguished the different kinds of mysteries, and after each short instruction he had ten Hail Marys recited – somewhat as might happen even today at a Holy Hour.

And what the word of the preacher was unable to do, the sweet prayer of the Hail Mary did for hearts. As Mary had promised, it proved to be a most fruitful form of preaching.

If we live by the prayer of which St Dominic’s preaching is the example our joys, our sorrows, and our hopes will be purified, elevated and spiritualised. We shall see that Jesus, Our Saviour and Our Model, wishes to make us like Himself, first communicating to us something of His infant and hidden life, then something of His sorrows, and finally making us partakers of His glorious life for all eternity.]]> The Rosary: A School of Contemplation – Garrigou-Lagrange, 1941
“The words are a kind of melody which soothes the ear and isolates us from the noise of the world.”

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WM Review | Oct 10, 2022


The Rosary: A School of Contemplation from The Mother of the Saviour and Our Interior Life
by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange OP

Some line breaks and headings added for clarity.

From among the many customary devotions to Our Lady, such as the Angelus, the Office of the Blessed Virgin, the Rosary, we shall speak especially of the last in so far as it prepares us for and leads us up to contemplation of the great mysteries of salvation. After Holy Mass it is one of the most beautiful and efficacious forms of prayer, on condition of understanding it and living it.

It sometimes happens that its recitation – reduced to that of five mysteries – becomes a matter of routine. The mind, not being really gripped by the things of God, finds itself a prey to distractions. Sometimes the prayer is said hurriedly and soullessly. Sometimes it is said for the purpose of obtaining temporal favours, desired out of all relation to spiritual gain. When a person says the Rosary in such a way, he may well ask himself in what way his prayer is like that of which Pope Leo XIII spoke in his encyclicals on the Rosary, and about which Pius XI wrote one of his last apostolic letters.

It is true that to pray well it is sufficient to think in a general way of God and of the graces for which one asks. But to make the most out of our five mysteries, we should remember that they constitute but a third of the whole Rosary, and that they should be accompanied by meditation – which can be very simple – on the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries, which recall the whole life of Jesus and Mary and their glory in Heaven.


The Three Great Mysteries of Salvation

The fifteen mysteries of the Rosary thus divided into three groups are but different aspects of the three great mysteries of our salvation: the Incarnation, the Redemption, Eternal Life.

The mystery of the Incarnation is recalled by the joys of the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of the Saviour, His Presentation in the Temple and His finding among the doctors.

The mystery of the Redemption is recalled by the different stages of the Passion: the Agony in the garden, the Scourging, the Crowning with thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, the Crucifixion.

The mystery of eternal life is recalled by the Resurrection, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Assumption of Our Lady and her crowning as Queen of Heaven.

Thus, the Rosary is a Credo: not an abstract one, but one concretised in the life of Jesus who came down to us from the Father and who ascended to bring us back with Himself to the Father. It is the whole of Christian dogma in all its splendour and elevation, brought to us that we may fill our minds with it, that we may relish it and nourish our souls with it.

This makes the Rosary a true school of contemplation. It raises us gradually above vocal prayer and even above reasoned out or discursive meditation. Early theologians have compared the movement of the soul in contemplation to the spiral in which certain birds – the swallow, for example – move when they wish to attain to a great height. The Joyful Mysteries lead to the Passion, and the Passion to the door of Heaven.

The Rosary well understood is, therefore, a very elevated form of prayer which makes the whole of dogma accessible to all.


Practical and Contemplative

The Rosary is also a very practical form of prayer for it recalls all Christian morality and spirituality by presenting them from the sublime point of view of their realisation in Jesus and Mary. The mysteries of the Rosary should be reproduced in our lives. Each of them is a lesson in some virtue – particularly in the virtues of humility, trust, patience and charity.

There are three stages in our progress towards God. The first is to have knowledge of the final end, whence comes the desire of salvation and the joy to which that desire gives rise. This stage is symbolised in the joyful mysteries which contain the good news of the Incarnation of the Son of God who opens to us the way of salvation. The next stage is to adopt the means – often painful to nature – to be delivered from sin and to merit Heaven. This is the stage of the sorrowful mysteries. The final stage is that of rest in the possession of eternal life. It is the stage of Heaven, of which the glorious mysteries allow us some anticipated glimpse.

The Rosary is therefore most practical. It takes us from the midst of our too human interests and joys and makes us think of those which centre on the coming of the Saviour. It takes us from our meaningless fears, from the sufferings we bear so badly, and reminds us of how much Jesus has suffered for love of us and teaches us to follow Him by bearing the cross which divine providence has sent us to purify us. It takes us finally from our earthly hopes and ambitions and makes us think of the true object of Christian hope – eternal life and the graces necessary to arrive there.

The Rosary is more than a prayer of petition. It is a prayer of adoration inspired by the thought of the Incarnate God, a prayer of reparation in memory of the Passion of Our Saviour, a prayer of thanksgiving that the glorious mysteries continue to reproduce themselves in the uninterrupted entry of the elect into glory.


The Rosary and Contemplative Prayer

A more simple and still more elevated way of reciting the Rosary is, while saying it, to keep the eyes of faith fixed on the living Jesus who is always making intercession for us and who is acting upon us in accordance with the mysteries of His childhood, or His Passion, or His glory. He comes to us to make us like Himself. Let us fix our gaze on Jesus who is looking at us. His look is more than kind and understanding: it is the look of God, a look which purifies, which sanctifies, which gives peace. It is the look of our Judge and still more the look of our Saviour, our Friend, the Spouse of our souls.

A Rosary said in this way, in solitude and silence, is a most fruitful intercourse with Jesus. It is a conversation with Mary too which leads to intimacy with her Son.

We sometimes read in the lives of the saints that Our Blessed Lord reproduced in them first His childhood, then His hidden life, then His apostolic life, and finally His Passion, before allowing them to share in His glory. He comes to us in a similar way in the Rosary and, well said, it is a prayer which gradually takes the form of an intimate conversation with Jesus and Mary. It is easy to see how saintly souls have found in it a school of contemplation.


Repetition and Contemplation

It has sometimes been objected that one cannot reflect on the words and the mysteries at the same time. An answer that is often given is that it is not necessary to reflect on the words if one is meditating on or looking spiritually at one of the mysteries. The words are a kind of melody which soothes the ear and isolates us from the noise of the world around us, the fingers being occupied meanwhile in allowing one bead after another to slip through. Thus, the imagination is kept tranquil and the mind and the will are set free to be united to God.

It has also been objected that the monotony of the many repetitions in the Rosary leads necessarily to routine. This objection is valid only if the Rosary is said badly. If well said, it familiarises us with the different mysteries of salvation and recalls what these mysteries should produce in our joys, our sorrows, and our hopes. Any prayer can become a matter of routine – even the Ordinary of the Mass.

The reason is not that the prayers are imperfect, but that we do not say them as we should – with faith, confidence and love.


The spirit of the Rosary as St Dominic conceived it

To understand the Rosary better it is well to recall how St Dominic conceived it under the inspiration of Our Lady at a time when southern France was ravaged by the Albigensian heresy – a heresy which denied the infinite goodness and omnipotence of God by admitting a principle of evil which was often victorious. Not only did Albigensianism attack Christian morality, but it was opposed to dogma as well – to the great mysteries of creation, the redemptive incarnation, the descent of the Holy Ghost,’ the eternal life to which we are called.

It was at that moment that Our Blessed Lady made known to St Dominic a kind of preaching till then unknown, which she said would be one of the most powerful weapons against future errors and in future difficulties. Under her inspiration, St Dominic went into the villages of the heretics, gathered the people, and preached to them the mysteries of salvation – the Incarnation, the Redemption, Eternal Life. As Mary had taught him to do, he distinguished the different kinds of mysteries, and after each short instruction he had ten Hail Marys recited – somewhat as might happen even today at a Holy Hour.

And what the word of the preacher was unable to do, the sweet prayer of the Hail Mary did for hearts. As Mary had promised, it proved to be a most fruitful form of preaching.

If we live by the prayer of which St Dominic’s preaching is the example our joys, our sorrows, and our hopes will be purified, elevated and spiritualised. We shall see that Jesus, Our Saviour and Our Model, wishes to make us like Himself, first communicating to us something of His infant and hidden life, then something of His sorrows, and finally making us partakers of His glorious life for all eternity.]]> <![CDATA[Devotions and Charity towards the Holy Souls.]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=5667 Fri, 10 Nov 2023 11:54:35 +0000 ThyWillBeDone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=5667 http://catholictradition.org/Mary/souls-purgatory.htm
To help the Holy Souls in Purgatory:  
1. Have Masses offered for them.
 2. Pray the Rosary and and the Chaplet for the Holy Souls.
 3. Pray the Stations of the Cross.
 4. Offer up little sacrifices and fast.
 5. Spread devotion to them.
 6. Attend Eucharistic Adoration and pray for them.
 7. Gain all the indulgences you can, and apply them to the Holy Souls.Visit to a Cemetery   (Coemeterii visitatio)   An indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed. The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial.

The Suffering of the Sick Man and Purgatory. . 
Saint Anthony tells the story of a sick person who suffered so atrociously that he considered it beyond human nature and thus continually prayed for death. 
One day, an angel appeared to him and said, "God sent me here to offer you a choice. 
You can spend one year of suffering on earth, or one day in Purgatory." 
Choosing the latter, he died and went to Purgatory. . When the angel went to console him, he was greeted with this groan of pain, "Deceitful angel! 
At least twenty years ago, you said that I would spend only one day in Purgatory . . . My God, how I suffer!" . 
To this the Angel responded, "Poor deluded soul, your body is not even buried yet."  
https://t.me/Dominenonsumdugnus]]> http://catholictradition.org/Mary/souls-purgatory.htm
To help the Holy Souls in Purgatory:  
1. Have Masses offered for them.
 2. Pray the Rosary and and the Chaplet for the Holy Souls.
 3. Pray the Stations of the Cross.
 4. Offer up little sacrifices and fast.
 5. Spread devotion to them.
 6. Attend Eucharistic Adoration and pray for them.
 7. Gain all the indulgences you can, and apply them to the Holy Souls.Visit to a Cemetery   (Coemeterii visitatio)   An indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed. The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial.

The Suffering of the Sick Man and Purgatory. . 
Saint Anthony tells the story of a sick person who suffered so atrociously that he considered it beyond human nature and thus continually prayed for death. 
One day, an angel appeared to him and said, "God sent me here to offer you a choice. 
You can spend one year of suffering on earth, or one day in Purgatory." 
Choosing the latter, he died and went to Purgatory. . When the angel went to console him, he was greeted with this groan of pain, "Deceitful angel! 
At least twenty years ago, you said that I would spend only one day in Purgatory . . . My God, how I suffer!" . 
To this the Angel responded, "Poor deluded soul, your body is not even buried yet."  
https://t.me/Dominenonsumdugnus]]> <![CDATA[In Honor of the Holy Family]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=4711 Sun, 08 Jan 2023 12:01:42 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=4711 Consecration to the Holy Family
Taken from here.

[Image: Holy%20Family%20Main%20Page.jpg]
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity. Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.




Hymn for Members of the Holy Family after Consecration

"As the Holy Family was united upon earth in a life of labour, of grace, and of love; thus do they now rejoice in heaven, both in soul and body, in glory and in love."--St. Bernardine of Sienna

Happy we, who thus united
Join in cheerful melody,
Praising Jesus, Mary, Joseph,
In the "Holy Family."

Chorus: Jesus, Mary Joseph, help us,
That we ever true may be
To the promises that bind us
To the "Holy Family."

Jesus whose Almighty bidding
All created things fulfill,
Lives on earth in meek subjection
To His earthly parent's will.

Chorus: Jesus, Mary Joseph, help us,
That we ever true may be
To the promises that bind us
To the "Holy Family."

Mary! thou alone wert chosen
To be Mother of thy Lord;
Thou didst guide the early footsteps
Of the Great Incarnate Word.

Chorus: Jesus, Mary Joseph, help us,
That we ever true may be
To the promises that bind us
To the "Holy Family."

Joseph! thou wert called the Father
Of thy Maker and thy Lord,
Thine it was to save thy Saviour
From the cruel Herod's sword.

Chorus: Jesus, Mary Joseph, help us,
That we ever true may be
To the promises that bind us
To the "Holy Family."




Prayer for the Family

O God of goodness and mercy, to Thy Fatherly protection we commend our family, our household and all that belongs to us. We commit all to Thy love and keeping; do Thou fill this house with Thy blessings even as Thou didst fill the holy House of Nazareth with Thy Presence.

Keep far from us, above all things else, the taint of sin, and do Thou alone reign in our midst by Thy law, by Thy most holy love and by the exercise of every Christian virtue. Let each one of us obey Thee, love Thee and set himself to imitate in his own life Thine example, that of Mary, Thy Mother and our Mother most loving, and that of Thy blameless Guardian, Saint Joseph.

Preserve us and our house from all evils and misfortunes, but grant that we may be ever resigned to Thy divine Will even in the sorrow which it shall please Thee to send us. Finally give us all the grace to live in perfect harmony and in the fulness of love towards our neighbor. Grant that every one of us may deserve by a holy life the comfort of Thy holy Sacraments at the hour of death. O Jesus, bless us and protect us.

O Mary, Mother of grace and of mercy, defend us against the wicked spirit, reconcile us with Thy Son, commit us to His keeping, that so we may be made worthy of His promises.

Saint Joseph, foster-father of our Saviour, guardian of His holy Mother, head of the Holy Family, intercede for us, bless us and defend our home at all times.

Saint Michael, defend us against all the wicked cunning of hell.

Saint Gabriel, make us to understand the holy Will of God.

Saint Raphael, keep us free from all sickness and from every danger to our lives.

Our holy Guardian Angels, keep our feet safely on the path of salvation both day and night.

Our holy Patrons, pray for us before the throne of God.

Yea, bless this house, O God the Father, Who hast created us; O God the Son, Who hast suffered for us upon the holy Cross, and Thou, O Holy Spirit, Who hast sanctified us in holy Baptism. May the one God in three divine Persons preserve our bodies, purify our minds, direct our hearts and bring us all to everlasting life.

Glory be to the Father, glory be to the Son, glory be to the Holy Ghost! Amen.

(An indulgence of 500 days)]]> Consecration to the Holy Family
Taken from here.

[Image: Holy%20Family%20Main%20Page.jpg]
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity. Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.




Hymn for Members of the Holy Family after Consecration

"As the Holy Family was united upon earth in a life of labour, of grace, and of love; thus do they now rejoice in heaven, both in soul and body, in glory and in love."--St. Bernardine of Sienna

Happy we, who thus united
Join in cheerful melody,
Praising Jesus, Mary, Joseph,
In the "Holy Family."

Chorus: Jesus, Mary Joseph, help us,
That we ever true may be
To the promises that bind us
To the "Holy Family."

Jesus whose Almighty bidding
All created things fulfill,
Lives on earth in meek subjection
To His earthly parent's will.

Chorus: Jesus, Mary Joseph, help us,
That we ever true may be
To the promises that bind us
To the "Holy Family."

Mary! thou alone wert chosen
To be Mother of thy Lord;
Thou didst guide the early footsteps
Of the Great Incarnate Word.

Chorus: Jesus, Mary Joseph, help us,
That we ever true may be
To the promises that bind us
To the "Holy Family."

Joseph! thou wert called the Father
Of thy Maker and thy Lord,
Thine it was to save thy Saviour
From the cruel Herod's sword.

Chorus: Jesus, Mary Joseph, help us,
That we ever true may be
To the promises that bind us
To the "Holy Family."




Prayer for the Family

O God of goodness and mercy, to Thy Fatherly protection we commend our family, our household and all that belongs to us. We commit all to Thy love and keeping; do Thou fill this house with Thy blessings even as Thou didst fill the holy House of Nazareth with Thy Presence.

Keep far from us, above all things else, the taint of sin, and do Thou alone reign in our midst by Thy law, by Thy most holy love and by the exercise of every Christian virtue. Let each one of us obey Thee, love Thee and set himself to imitate in his own life Thine example, that of Mary, Thy Mother and our Mother most loving, and that of Thy blameless Guardian, Saint Joseph.

Preserve us and our house from all evils and misfortunes, but grant that we may be ever resigned to Thy divine Will even in the sorrow which it shall please Thee to send us. Finally give us all the grace to live in perfect harmony and in the fulness of love towards our neighbor. Grant that every one of us may deserve by a holy life the comfort of Thy holy Sacraments at the hour of death. O Jesus, bless us and protect us.

O Mary, Mother of grace and of mercy, defend us against the wicked spirit, reconcile us with Thy Son, commit us to His keeping, that so we may be made worthy of His promises.

Saint Joseph, foster-father of our Saviour, guardian of His holy Mother, head of the Holy Family, intercede for us, bless us and defend our home at all times.

Saint Michael, defend us against all the wicked cunning of hell.

Saint Gabriel, make us to understand the holy Will of God.

Saint Raphael, keep us free from all sickness and from every danger to our lives.

Our holy Guardian Angels, keep our feet safely on the path of salvation both day and night.

Our holy Patrons, pray for us before the throne of God.

Yea, bless this house, O God the Father, Who hast created us; O God the Son, Who hast suffered for us upon the holy Cross, and Thou, O Holy Spirit, Who hast sanctified us in holy Baptism. May the one God in three divine Persons preserve our bodies, purify our minds, direct our hearts and bring us all to everlasting life.

Glory be to the Father, glory be to the Son, glory be to the Holy Ghost! Amen.

(An indulgence of 500 days)]]> <![CDATA[St. John Fisher's Prayer for Good and Holy Bishops]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=4666 Wed, 28 Dec 2022 15:59:48 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=4666 [Image: LmpwZw]
St. John Fisher was a Catholic bishop during the 16th century who was martyred by King Henry VIII.

In a sermon from 1508, St. John Fisher prayed for good and holy bishops, asking God to send the Church true shepherds.

Quote:Lord, according to Your promise that the Gospel should be preached throughout the whole world, raise up men fit for such work. The Apostles were but soft and yielding clay till they were baked hard by the fire of the Holy Ghost.

So, good Lord, do now in like manner again with Thy Church militant; change and make the soft and slippery earth into hard stone; set in Thy Church strong and mighty pillars that may suffer and endure great labors, watching, poverty, thirst, hunger, cold and heat; which also shall not fear the threatening of princes, persecution, neither death but always persuade and think with themselves to suffer with a good will, slanders, shame, and all kinds of torments, for the glory and laud of Thy Holy Name. By this manner, good Lord, the truth of Thy Gospel shall be preached throughout all the world.

Therefore, merciful Lord, exercise Thy mercy, show it indeed upon Thy Church.
]]> [Image: LmpwZw]
St. John Fisher was a Catholic bishop during the 16th century who was martyred by King Henry VIII.

In a sermon from 1508, St. John Fisher prayed for good and holy bishops, asking God to send the Church true shepherds.

Quote:Lord, according to Your promise that the Gospel should be preached throughout the whole world, raise up men fit for such work. The Apostles were but soft and yielding clay till they were baked hard by the fire of the Holy Ghost.

So, good Lord, do now in like manner again with Thy Church militant; change and make the soft and slippery earth into hard stone; set in Thy Church strong and mighty pillars that may suffer and endure great labors, watching, poverty, thirst, hunger, cold and heat; which also shall not fear the threatening of princes, persecution, neither death but always persuade and think with themselves to suffer with a good will, slanders, shame, and all kinds of torments, for the glory and laud of Thy Holy Name. By this manner, good Lord, the truth of Thy Gospel shall be preached throughout all the world.

Therefore, merciful Lord, exercise Thy mercy, show it indeed upon Thy Church.
]]> <![CDATA[Prayers of Saint Ambrose before Mass for each Day of the Week]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=4621 Tue, 20 Dec 2022 11:02:57 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=4621 Prayers of Saint Ambrose before Mass for each Day of the Week

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstmargaretclitherowroch...ipo=images]


This prayer is often ascribed to St. Ambrose (340 - 397), but scholars today ascribe the work to Jean de Fecamp (12th cent.). These prayers have been an important part of priestly private devotions since the Middle Ages and were included in the Missal by Pius V. The form of the prayers below have been modified for use by either the clergy or the laity. Those sections proper to the clergy are given in parentheses and alternates for the laity, if present, follow in brackets.


Sunday

O SUPREME High Priest and true Pontiff, Jesus Christ, who didst offer Thyself to God the Father as a pure and spotless Victim upon the Altar of the Cross for us miserable sinners, who didst give us Thy Flesh to eat and Thy Blood to drink, and who didst ordain that Mystery in the power of the Holy Spirit saying: "As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me"; I ask Thee by this same Blood of Thine, the great price of our salvation, and by that wonderful and unspeakable love with which Thou dost love us so much so as to wash us from our sins in Thy Blood, as miserable and unworthy though we are: (teach me, Thy unworthy servant, whom among Thy other gifts, Thou hast deigned to call to the priestly office, not for my own merit but only out of the worthiness of Thy mercy) I beseech Thee teach me through Thy Holy Spirit to handle so great a Mystery with such great reverence and honor, with such fear and devotion, as are due and fitting. Through Thy grace make me always to believe and to understand, to conceive and to firmly hold, and to think and speak of this wondrous Mystery in such a way as it pleases Thee and benefits my own soul. Let Thy good Spirit enter into my heart where He may silently resound and, without clamor of words, speak all truth. For Thy Mysteries are indeed exceedingly deep and covered with a sacred veil. On account of Thy great mercy grant me to (celebrate) [assist] at the Solemnity of the Mass with a clean heart and a pure mind. Free my heart from all unclean, unholy, vain and hurtful thoughts. Defend me with a loving and faithful guard, the mighty protection of Thy blessed Angels, so the enemies of all good may go away ashamed. Through the virtue of this great Mystery and by the hand of Thy holy angel, drive away from me and from all Thy servants the stubborn spirit of pride and vain-glory, of impurity and uncleanness, of doubting and mistrust. May those who persecute us be confounded; may they perish those who make haste to destroy us.


Monday

O KING of virgins and lover of chastity and innocence, extinguish in my body by the dew of Thy heavenly blessing whatever may kindle the burning of wanton desire, so purity of body and soul may abide in me. Mortify in my members the incitements of the flesh and all lustful emotions. Also give me true and persevering chastity with Thine other gifts which please Thee in truth, so that I may with chaste body and pure heart offer unto Thee a sacrifice of praise. For with how great a contrition of heart and flowing of tears or a chastity of body and purity of soul should that divine and heavenly Sacrifice be celebrated, wherein Thy Flesh is in truth eaten, wherein Thy Blood in truth is drunk, wherein things lowest and highest, earthly and divine, are united, where the Holy Angels are present, where Thou art in a marvelous and unspeakable manner both Priest and Sacrifice.


Tuesday

WHO can worthily (celebrate) [assist] at this Sacrifice unless Thou, Almighty God, makest one worthy? I know, O Lord, yea, truly do I know and this do I confess to Thy loving-kindness, that I am unworthy to approach so great a Mystery on account of my sins and numberless negligences; but I know, and truly with my whole heart do I believe and with my mouth confess that Thou canst make me worthy, who alone canst make clean one conceived of unclean seed and canst make sinners to be righteous and holy. By this Thine almighty power I beseech Thee, O my God, to grant that I, a sinner, may (celebrate) [assist] at this Sacrifice with fear and trembling, with purity of heart and streams of tears, with spiritual gladness and heavenly joy. May my mind feel the sweetness of Thy most blessed Presence and the guardianship of Thy holy Angels round about me.


Wednesday

O LORD, ever mindful of Thy venerable Passion, I, though a sinner, approach Thine Altar so I might offer Thee that Sacrifice which Thou hast instituted and commanded us to offer in remembrance of Thee for our salvation. Receive it, I beseech Thee, O God Most High, for Thy holy Church and for the people whom Thou hast purchased with Thy Blood. (And since Thou hast willed that I, a sinner, should be in the midst between Thee and Thy people, although Thou perceivest not in me the evidence of good works, at least refuse not the service of the ministry which Thou hast given me; let not the price of their salvation be wasted through my unworthiness, whose saving Victim and redemption Thou didst deign to be.) I also bring before Thee, O Lord, if Thou wilt deign to consider them, the tribulations of the people, the perils of the nations, the groans of prisoners, the misery of orphans, the necessities of strangers, the helplessness of the weak, the depression of the weary, the infirmities of the aged, the aspirations of the young, the vows of virgins, and the lamentations of widows.


Thursday

O LORD, Thou art merciful unto all and hatest nothing that Thou hast made. Remember what we are made of, for Thou art our Father, Thou art our God. Be not angry with us for ever, nor withhold the multitude of Thy mercies from us; for it is not in our righteousness, but in Thy great compassion that we humbly place our prayers before Thee. Take from us our iniquities and graciously enkindle the fire of Thy Holy Spirit within us. Take from us our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh, which may love Thee, prefer Thee, delight in Thee, follow Thee, and enjoy Thee. O Lord, out of Thy mercy we beg Thee to look favorably upon Thy family awaiting the service of Thy holy Name, May the prayers of none be ineffectual, nor the petitions of any be unfruitful. Do Thou put into our minds such prayers as Thou mayest delight graciously to hear and answer.


Friday

O LORD, Holy Father, we beseech Thee on behalf of the souls of the faithful departed that this great Sacrament of Thy love may be for them health, salvation, joy and refreshment. O Lord and my God, may it be a great and abundant feast of Thee, the living Bread, who camest down from heaven and givest life unto the world; a feast of Thy holy and blessed Flesh, of the Lamb without spot, who takest away the sins of the world; the Flesh which was conceived of the Holy Spirit and taken from the holy and glorious womb of the blessed Virgin Mary; the Flesh of Thy most sacred Side pierced by the soldier's spear from which the Fountain of mercy flowed forth; with which after being fed and satisfied, refreshed and comforted, they may rejoice in Thy praise and glory.

O LORD, upon Thy mercy I pray that the fullness of Thy blessing and the sanctification of Thy divinity may descend upon the bread to be offered unto Thee. May the invisible and incomprehensible majesty of Thy Holy Spirit also descend as it came down of old upon the sacrifices of the Fathers; which will both make our oblations Thy Body and Blood, and teach (me Thy unworthy priest) [us, Thy unworthy servants], to treat so great a Mystery with purity of heart and with tears of devotion, with the reverence and trembling, so that Thou mayest graciously and favorably receive this sacrifice (at my hands) for the wellbeing of all, both the living and the departed.


Saturday

I ENTREAT Thee, O Lord, by this most holy mystery of Thy Body and Blood with which we are daily fed and given to drink, are washed and sanctified in Thy Church, and are made worthy partakers of the one supreme Divinity, grant unto me Thy holy virtues, that filled by them I may draw near to Thine Altar with a good conscience. May these heavenly Sacraments be made unto me salvation and life, for as Thou hast said with Thy holy and blessed mouth, "The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever."

SWEETEST Bread, heal the palate of my heart that I may taste the pleasant savor of Thy love. Heal it of all infirmities that I may find sweetness in nothing other than Thee. O purest Bread, having all delight and all savor, which ever refreshest us and never failest, let my heart feed on Thee and may my inmost soul be fulfilled with the sweetness of Thy savor. The Angels feed upon Thee fully: let the wayfaring man feed on Thee according to his measure, that, refreshed with such a Viaticum, he may not fall by the way.

HOLY Bread, O living Bread, O pure Bread, who camest down from heaven and givest life unto the world, come into my heart, and cleanse me from all defilement of flesh and spirit. Enter into my soul: heal and cleanse me within and without; be the protection and continual health of my soul and body. Drive far from me all foes that lie in wait; let them flee at the presence of Thy power, so that being guarded without and within by Thee, I may come to Thy kingdom straight away: where, not as now in mysteries, but face to face, we shall behold Thee: when Thou shalt have delivered up the kingdom to God, the Father, and shalt be God, all in all. Then shalt Thou satisfy me with Thyself in wondrous fullness, so that I shall never hunger nor thirst any more. Who with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.

-Source [Link offers the Latin version as well.]]]> Prayers of Saint Ambrose before Mass for each Day of the Week

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This prayer is often ascribed to St. Ambrose (340 - 397), but scholars today ascribe the work to Jean de Fecamp (12th cent.). These prayers have been an important part of priestly private devotions since the Middle Ages and were included in the Missal by Pius V. The form of the prayers below have been modified for use by either the clergy or the laity. Those sections proper to the clergy are given in parentheses and alternates for the laity, if present, follow in brackets.


Sunday

O SUPREME High Priest and true Pontiff, Jesus Christ, who didst offer Thyself to God the Father as a pure and spotless Victim upon the Altar of the Cross for us miserable sinners, who didst give us Thy Flesh to eat and Thy Blood to drink, and who didst ordain that Mystery in the power of the Holy Spirit saying: "As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me"; I ask Thee by this same Blood of Thine, the great price of our salvation, and by that wonderful and unspeakable love with which Thou dost love us so much so as to wash us from our sins in Thy Blood, as miserable and unworthy though we are: (teach me, Thy unworthy servant, whom among Thy other gifts, Thou hast deigned to call to the priestly office, not for my own merit but only out of the worthiness of Thy mercy) I beseech Thee teach me through Thy Holy Spirit to handle so great a Mystery with such great reverence and honor, with such fear and devotion, as are due and fitting. Through Thy grace make me always to believe and to understand, to conceive and to firmly hold, and to think and speak of this wondrous Mystery in such a way as it pleases Thee and benefits my own soul. Let Thy good Spirit enter into my heart where He may silently resound and, without clamor of words, speak all truth. For Thy Mysteries are indeed exceedingly deep and covered with a sacred veil. On account of Thy great mercy grant me to (celebrate) [assist] at the Solemnity of the Mass with a clean heart and a pure mind. Free my heart from all unclean, unholy, vain and hurtful thoughts. Defend me with a loving and faithful guard, the mighty protection of Thy blessed Angels, so the enemies of all good may go away ashamed. Through the virtue of this great Mystery and by the hand of Thy holy angel, drive away from me and from all Thy servants the stubborn spirit of pride and vain-glory, of impurity and uncleanness, of doubting and mistrust. May those who persecute us be confounded; may they perish those who make haste to destroy us.


Monday

O KING of virgins and lover of chastity and innocence, extinguish in my body by the dew of Thy heavenly blessing whatever may kindle the burning of wanton desire, so purity of body and soul may abide in me. Mortify in my members the incitements of the flesh and all lustful emotions. Also give me true and persevering chastity with Thine other gifts which please Thee in truth, so that I may with chaste body and pure heart offer unto Thee a sacrifice of praise. For with how great a contrition of heart and flowing of tears or a chastity of body and purity of soul should that divine and heavenly Sacrifice be celebrated, wherein Thy Flesh is in truth eaten, wherein Thy Blood in truth is drunk, wherein things lowest and highest, earthly and divine, are united, where the Holy Angels are present, where Thou art in a marvelous and unspeakable manner both Priest and Sacrifice.


Tuesday

WHO can worthily (celebrate) [assist] at this Sacrifice unless Thou, Almighty God, makest one worthy? I know, O Lord, yea, truly do I know and this do I confess to Thy loving-kindness, that I am unworthy to approach so great a Mystery on account of my sins and numberless negligences; but I know, and truly with my whole heart do I believe and with my mouth confess that Thou canst make me worthy, who alone canst make clean one conceived of unclean seed and canst make sinners to be righteous and holy. By this Thine almighty power I beseech Thee, O my God, to grant that I, a sinner, may (celebrate) [assist] at this Sacrifice with fear and trembling, with purity of heart and streams of tears, with spiritual gladness and heavenly joy. May my mind feel the sweetness of Thy most blessed Presence and the guardianship of Thy holy Angels round about me.


Wednesday

O LORD, ever mindful of Thy venerable Passion, I, though a sinner, approach Thine Altar so I might offer Thee that Sacrifice which Thou hast instituted and commanded us to offer in remembrance of Thee for our salvation. Receive it, I beseech Thee, O God Most High, for Thy holy Church and for the people whom Thou hast purchased with Thy Blood. (And since Thou hast willed that I, a sinner, should be in the midst between Thee and Thy people, although Thou perceivest not in me the evidence of good works, at least refuse not the service of the ministry which Thou hast given me; let not the price of their salvation be wasted through my unworthiness, whose saving Victim and redemption Thou didst deign to be.) I also bring before Thee, O Lord, if Thou wilt deign to consider them, the tribulations of the people, the perils of the nations, the groans of prisoners, the misery of orphans, the necessities of strangers, the helplessness of the weak, the depression of the weary, the infirmities of the aged, the aspirations of the young, the vows of virgins, and the lamentations of widows.


Thursday

O LORD, Thou art merciful unto all and hatest nothing that Thou hast made. Remember what we are made of, for Thou art our Father, Thou art our God. Be not angry with us for ever, nor withhold the multitude of Thy mercies from us; for it is not in our righteousness, but in Thy great compassion that we humbly place our prayers before Thee. Take from us our iniquities and graciously enkindle the fire of Thy Holy Spirit within us. Take from us our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh, which may love Thee, prefer Thee, delight in Thee, follow Thee, and enjoy Thee. O Lord, out of Thy mercy we beg Thee to look favorably upon Thy family awaiting the service of Thy holy Name, May the prayers of none be ineffectual, nor the petitions of any be unfruitful. Do Thou put into our minds such prayers as Thou mayest delight graciously to hear and answer.


Friday

O LORD, Holy Father, we beseech Thee on behalf of the souls of the faithful departed that this great Sacrament of Thy love may be for them health, salvation, joy and refreshment. O Lord and my God, may it be a great and abundant feast of Thee, the living Bread, who camest down from heaven and givest life unto the world; a feast of Thy holy and blessed Flesh, of the Lamb without spot, who takest away the sins of the world; the Flesh which was conceived of the Holy Spirit and taken from the holy and glorious womb of the blessed Virgin Mary; the Flesh of Thy most sacred Side pierced by the soldier's spear from which the Fountain of mercy flowed forth; with which after being fed and satisfied, refreshed and comforted, they may rejoice in Thy praise and glory.

O LORD, upon Thy mercy I pray that the fullness of Thy blessing and the sanctification of Thy divinity may descend upon the bread to be offered unto Thee. May the invisible and incomprehensible majesty of Thy Holy Spirit also descend as it came down of old upon the sacrifices of the Fathers; which will both make our oblations Thy Body and Blood, and teach (me Thy unworthy priest) [us, Thy unworthy servants], to treat so great a Mystery with purity of heart and with tears of devotion, with the reverence and trembling, so that Thou mayest graciously and favorably receive this sacrifice (at my hands) for the wellbeing of all, both the living and the departed.


Saturday

I ENTREAT Thee, O Lord, by this most holy mystery of Thy Body and Blood with which we are daily fed and given to drink, are washed and sanctified in Thy Church, and are made worthy partakers of the one supreme Divinity, grant unto me Thy holy virtues, that filled by them I may draw near to Thine Altar with a good conscience. May these heavenly Sacraments be made unto me salvation and life, for as Thou hast said with Thy holy and blessed mouth, "The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever."

SWEETEST Bread, heal the palate of my heart that I may taste the pleasant savor of Thy love. Heal it of all infirmities that I may find sweetness in nothing other than Thee. O purest Bread, having all delight and all savor, which ever refreshest us and never failest, let my heart feed on Thee and may my inmost soul be fulfilled with the sweetness of Thy savor. The Angels feed upon Thee fully: let the wayfaring man feed on Thee according to his measure, that, refreshed with such a Viaticum, he may not fall by the way.

HOLY Bread, O living Bread, O pure Bread, who camest down from heaven and givest life unto the world, come into my heart, and cleanse me from all defilement of flesh and spirit. Enter into my soul: heal and cleanse me within and without; be the protection and continual health of my soul and body. Drive far from me all foes that lie in wait; let them flee at the presence of Thy power, so that being guarded without and within by Thee, I may come to Thy kingdom straight away: where, not as now in mysteries, but face to face, we shall behold Thee: when Thou shalt have delivered up the kingdom to God, the Father, and shalt be God, all in all. Then shalt Thou satisfy me with Thyself in wondrous fullness, so that I shall never hunger nor thirst any more. Who with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.

-Source [Link offers the Latin version as well.]]]> <![CDATA[Prayers to St. Bartholomew]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=4146 Thu, 25 Aug 2022 01:37:24 +0000 ThyWillBeDone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=4146
O Glorious St. Bartholomew, Jesus called you a person without guile and you saw in this word a sign that he was the Son of God and King of Israel. Obtain for me the grace to be ever guileless and innocent as a dove. At the same time, help me to have your gift of faith to see the Divine hand in the events of my daily life. May I discern the signs of the times that lead to Jesus on earth and will eventually unite me to him forever in heaven.

A Prayer to St. Bartholomew the Apostle, for Courage

O Jesus, Saint Bartholomew's greatest desire was to know the truth. When first informed about You, his initial reaction was, "How can anything good come from Nazareth?" But as soon as he met You, he wanted to become one of Your disciples. You said of him, "Here is a man in whom there is no deception." I ask him to pray against the deceptions that are influencing me and the people I know. Help us to experience Your affirmation when we are honest, give us courage to resist lying as a means of self-protection, and inspire our minds to recognize the truth when we hear it. Saint Bartholomew, pray for us. Amen.]]>
O Glorious St. Bartholomew, Jesus called you a person without guile and you saw in this word a sign that he was the Son of God and King of Israel. Obtain for me the grace to be ever guileless and innocent as a dove. At the same time, help me to have your gift of faith to see the Divine hand in the events of my daily life. May I discern the signs of the times that lead to Jesus on earth and will eventually unite me to him forever in heaven.

A Prayer to St. Bartholomew the Apostle, for Courage

O Jesus, Saint Bartholomew's greatest desire was to know the truth. When first informed about You, his initial reaction was, "How can anything good come from Nazareth?" But as soon as he met You, he wanted to become one of Your disciples. You said of him, "Here is a man in whom there is no deception." I ask him to pray against the deceptions that are influencing me and the people I know. Help us to experience Your affirmation when we are honest, give us courage to resist lying as a means of self-protection, and inspire our minds to recognize the truth when we hear it. Saint Bartholomew, pray for us. Amen.]]> <![CDATA[An Easy Method of Mental Prayer]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2975 Fri, 26 Nov 2021 11:18:00 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2975 An Easy Method of Mental Prayer
By Father Bertrand Wilberforce, O.P.

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I. What Mental Prayer Is

Prayer is, says St. Gregory Nazianzen. a conference or conversation with God , St. John Chrysostom calls it a discoursing with the Divine Majesty ; according to St. Augustine it is the raising up of the soul to God. St. Francis of Sales describes it as a conversation of the soul with God, by which we speak to God and He to us, by which we aspire to Him, and breathe in Him, and He in return inspires us and breathes on us.

All prayer then is the speaking of the soul to God. This may be done in three ways; for the prayer may be either in thought only, unexpressed in any external way, or on the other hand the secret thoughts and feelings of the soul may be clothed in words; and these words again may either be confined to a set form, or they may be words of our own, unfettered by any form and expressing the emotions of our soul at the moment. In the first case our prayer will be purely mental ; in the second, in which we employ a set form of words, it will be vocal prayer; in the third case, where the prayer is chiefly in thought, but these thoughts are allowed to break forth into words in any way that at the moment seem best to express the feelings of the soul, it is a mixture of mental and vocal prayer; but as the words are spontaneous and not in any prescribed form, it may justly be considered as mental prayer.

In an audience with the Pope, we might read a written address to His Holiness, or we might trust to the words that might occur at the moment to express what we desired to convey to his mind. But if God were to enable the Pope to read the thoughts of our mind, we might then simply stand silent in his presence, and he would see all that we wanted to express. The formal address would be vocal prayer, the silent standing before his throne would be purely mental prayer, the conversation with unprepared words would be a mixture of the two, and might be called mental prayer in a more general and extended sense. God knows our secret thoughts more clearly than we can express them, more certainly than we ourselves can know them; and words therefore are not necessary in our intercourse with Him, though often a considerable help to us.

A set form of words spoken or read cannot be called prayer at all unless the mind intends it as prayer and gives some kind spiritual attention, either to the actual sense of the words themselves or to God Himself while they are uttered. Shakespeare spoke as a theologian when, in Hamlet, he put into the mouth of the King, who asked for pardon without repentance:

My words go up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

God condemned the merely material homage of the Jews by declaring, ” This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” All prayer, therefore, of whatever kind. must be ” in spirit and in truth “ [St. John iv, 23]; but vocal prayer is confined to a prescribed form of words, whereas mental prayer is the spontaneous utterance of the soul either with or without words. When St. Francis of Assisi said an Our Father, or recited his office, he used vocal prayer ; when he knelt before God without a word, his prayer was purely mental ; when he spent the whole night in saying ” My God and my all”, his mental prayer was mingled with words which expressed the burning love of his seraphic soul.


II. The Importance and Necessity of Mental Prayer

Prayer of one kind or another is absolutely and indispensably necessary for salvation – in other words, no one who has come to the use of reason, so as to be capable of prayer, can, according to God’s ordinary providence, be saved without it. This necessity is proved in the first place from the distinct, emphatic and constantly repeated command to pray, and to pray continually. For instance . “He spoke a parable to them (to show) that we ought always to pray, and not to faint” [St Luke xviii, 1] ; ” Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation ” [St Matt. xxvi, 41] : “Ask, and it shall be given you ” [St. Matt. vii , 7] : ” Be instant (that is earnest) in prayer ” [Coloss. iv, 2], and ” Pray without ceasing ” .

Besides these positive commands it is evidently necessary ; because though God really wills the salvation of all, [1 Tim. li. 4|, He will not save us without our own co-operation. He will save no one by force : for heaven is not the land of slaves. into which men are driven by compulsion ; it is the home of the free children of God, of those who love God, of those who are free with the freedom with which Christ hath made us free. Therefore God gives to all the grace to pray ; and if they use this grace and continue to pray aright, He will continue to bestow on them a chain of graces that will end in salvation. But to those who will not pray, He has promised nothing : ” The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him ; to all that call upon Him in truth ” [Ps. cxliv, 18]. ” Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” [St. James iv, 8].

From this absolute and indispensable necessity of prayer in general, we can easily infer the importance and the moral necessity of the best and highest kind of prayer – namely mental prayer. If not absolutely it is certainly morally necessary in some form or another even for salvation; and there can be no manner of doubt that it is strictly necessary for any real advance of the soul in virtue and divine love. St. Alphonsus says: "He who neglects meditation (a part of mental prayer), and is distracted by the affairs of the world, will not know his spiritual wants, the dangers to which his salvation is exposed, the means he ought to take to conquer temptations ; and will forget the necessity of the prayer of petition for all men: thus he will not ask for what is necessary, and by not asking God’s grace, he will certainly lose his soul.”

In the same way St. Teresa asks: ” How can charity last, unless God gives perseverance ? How will l the Lord give us perseverance if we neglect to ask Him for it? And how shall we ask it without mental prayer ? Without mental prayer there is not the communication with God which is necessary for the preservation of virtue.” The holy Doctors agree that those who persevere in mental prayer will live in God’s grace. The following words are the deliberate sentence of the holy Doctor St. Alphonsus, the conclusion gathered from his vast learning and experience : "Many say the Rosary, the Office of Our Lady, and other acts of devotion, but they still continue in sin. But it is impossible for him who perseveres in mental prayer to continue in sin: he will either give up mental prayer or renounce sin. Mental prayer and sin cannot exist together. And this we see by experience ; they who make mental prayer rarely fall into mortal sin ; and should they have the misery of falling into sin, by persevering in mental prayer they see their misery and return to God. Let a soul, says St. Teresa, be ever so negligent ; if she persevere in mental prayer the Lord will bring her back to the haven of salvation.”

If this were merely the opinion of St. Alphonsus himself, it would be of immense weight, considering his resplendent sanctity, his vast spiritual learning, and the varied experience of his long and active life; but besides this the holy Doctor is here only summing up in one sentence the teaching and experience of all the doctors, saints, writers, preachers, and confessors of the whole Church since the beginning. What stronger argument could be used to prove the importance and necessity of mental prayer?


III. Is Mental Prayer Easy?

Anyone who has a real desire to be saved, and who believes that the opinion of St. Alphonsus and all other spiritual teachers – that mortal sin and mental prayer cannot live together, but are mutually destructive – is really true, but must feel a desire to adopt so certain a means of salvation. But many are fainthearted, and dread the little difficulty they feel in beginning a new exercise; and many more lack the courage and self-denial necessary to continue in it after the novelty has worn away, and the yoke of perseverance begins to gall. Blessed are they who courageously persevere, for their salvation is secure!

Those who find it difficult to begin, or are tempted to abandon this powerful means of salvation, must pluck up heart, and encourage themselves by remembering that mental prayer requires no learning, no special power of mind. no extraordinary grace, but only a resolute will and a desire to please God. In fact, the hard matter is to convince people how easy and simple a matter mental prayer really is, and that the difficulty is far more imaginary than real. This difficulty often rises from not having grasped the true idea of what is meant by mental prayer ; and the false idea of the exercise, once formed, is often never corrected, the consequence being that the practice is either abandoned in disgust, or persevered in with extreme repugnance and little fruit.

One common cause of misunderstanding, perhaps the most common of all, is the custom of calling the whole exercise by the name of one subordinate and not the most important part -that is meditation. From this the idea arises that it is a prolonged spiritual study, drawn out at length with many divisions and much complicated process ; and this notion frightens many good souls, and makes them fall back on vocal prayer alone. They imagine that the soul must preach a discourse to itself. and they feel no talent for preaching. Many, if they spoke their minds clearly, would say : “I cannot meditate. but if I might be allowed to pray during that time instead. I could do very well.” This is no imaginary case. as anyone who has had any experience will testify: and this miserable misunderstanding, that so often holds souls back for years. is partly brought about by defective teaching, but partly also by the name meditation being used instead of the more comprehensive one of mental prayer.

Mental prayer, properly understood, will be found to be easy and within the power of all who desire salvation. Of course there are many degrees of prayer, and to pray perfectly is no doubt a matter of great difficulty ; but to pray well, and in a way very pleasing to God and very profitable to the soul, is an easy and simple manner. If we remember how many thousands have excelled in mental prayer, though not even able to read, we shall see that this holy exercise cannot require any special power of mind or any degree of culture. St. Isidore, a farm labourer, is an example of a man utterly devoid of human learning, but rising, by God’s grace, to the sublimest prayer.

The following method of making mental prayer is drawn from the works of St. Alphonsus who may justly be called the Doctor of Prayer ; and it is so simple that no one who studies it with any attention can fail to understand it, and all who reduce it to practice will find that in great measure it takes away the difficulty they may feel in the exercise. Many who have found ” making a meditation ” to be a wearisome penance, have experienced that with this method the time is all too short: and that conversation with God is indeed the greatest joy of life ; ” Taste and see how sweet the Lord is.”


IV. Method of Mental Prayer

All methods of mental prayer are essentially the same. They are different ways of reaching the same end, the object of all being to teach the soul how she can converse lovingly with God. In the method recommended by St. Alphonsus, the whole exercise is divided into three parts – the Preparation, the Body of the Prayer, and the Conclusion.

i. Preparation

The real preparation for prayer is a good life, a spirit of recollection enabling a man to live in God’s presence, and the invaluable habit of regular spiritual reading. But this is not the place to enter into these matters, and so we must proceed to the immediate preparation, when the time of prayer has come. ” Before prayer prepare thy soul, and be not as a man that tempteth God ” [Eccles. xviii, 23]. From this admonition of the Holy Ghost, it is evident that we must not presume to throw ourselves down before God unprepared, our minds full of idle, distracting thoughts, and imagine that we can thus pray in a way pleasing to Him. How careful should we be to prepare both body and mind if admitted to a papal or a royal audience! At least then make in preparation for your conference with God, three short though fervent acts :

1. An act of faith in God’s presence, and of adoration, profound and humble, of His majesty.

2. An act of contrition for sin, sin forming the cloud thick and dark over our heads that hides the brightness of God’s face. ” Your sins have hid his face from you ” [Isaiah lix, 2].

3. A fervent petition for light to see God’s holy will , especially in some one matter either pressing upon us then or suggested by the subject we are going to consider, and for grace to do God’s will when we do see it.

Examples of these acts may help beginners, but it must be clearly understood that they are only examples and that they may be made in any form.

Quote:1. Adoration of God present in your soul: My God, I believe that Thou art present with me and within me, and I adore Thee with all the affection of any soul,”

Be watchful,” says St. Alphonsus, ” to make this act with a lively faith, for the remembrance of the presence of God is a great help to keep away distractions. Cardinal Carracciolo, Bishop of Aversa, used to say that distractions are a sign that the soul has not made a lively act of faith.”


2. Sorrow for sin, our sins preventing union with God in prayer: O Lord by my sins I deserve now to be in hell; I repent, 0 infinite Goodness, with my whole heart of having offended Thee. I am sorry for sin from the bottom of my heart; have mercy on me.


3. Ask for light: 0 Eternal Father, for the love of Jesus and Mary, give me light in this prayer, that I may profit by it.


Then add a Hail Mary, an ejaculation to St. Joseph, your Guardian Angel, and your holy patrons.

These acts should be short. In a mental prayer of half-an-hour, not more than three minutes should be devoted to them. But at the same time they should be fervent and earnest, the whole attention being given to them ; for upon the manner in which they are made will, in great measure, depend the fervour of the whole prayer.


ii. Body of the Prayer

In order to pray with fruit and without distraction, it is very useful, and in most cases necessary, to spend some time meditation or pious thought, on some definite subject; and from this fact, as before stated, the whole exercise is often called meditation. Instead of mental prayer. This often misleads people into imagining that meditation , that is, the use of the intellect in thinking on a holy subject, the main end to be aimed at, whereas in fact it is prayer, or conversation with God. Meditation furnishes us with the matter for conversation, but it is not itself prayer at all. When thinking and reflecting, the soul speaks to itself, reasons with itself; in prayer it speaks to God.

Meditation, in its wide sense, is any kind of attentive and repeated thought upon any subject and with any intention; but in the more restricted sense in which it is understood as a part of mental prayer, it is, as St. Francis of Sales puts it, "an attentive thought, voluntarily repeated or entertained in the mind, to excite the will to holy and salutary reflections and resolutions." It differs in its object from mere study: we study to improve our minds and to store up information; we meditate to move the will to pray and to embrace good. We study that we may know, we meditate that we may pray.

We must then use the mind in thus thinking of or pondering on a sacred subject for a few minutes; and in order to help the mind in this exercise, we must have some definite subject of thought, upon which it is well to read either a text of Holy Scripture, or a few lines out of some other holy book. St. Teresa tells us that she thus helped herself with a book for seventeen years. By this short reading, the mind is rendered attentive and is set on a train of thought. Further to help the mind, you can ask yourself some such questions as the following: What does this mean ? What lesson does it teach me? What have I done about this in the past? What shall I now do, and how?

Two remarks are here most important:

The first is, that care must be taken not to read too much. but to stop when any thought strikes the mind. If the reading is prolonged, if for example, in a short prayer of half-an-hour you were to read for ten minutes, the exercise would be changed into spiritual reading.

The second remark is, that you must not be distressed if you find the mind torpid, and if only one or two very simple thoughts present themselves. It is by no means necessary to have many thoughts, nor to indulge in deep and well arranged reflections. The object of mental prayer is not to preach a well-prepared and eloquent sermon to yourself, the object is to pray. If one simple thought makes you pray, why distress yourself because you have not other and more elaborate thoughts ? If you wanted to reach the top of a roof, you would not trouble yourself because your ladder was a short one, provided it was long enough to land you safely on the roof. The end is gained. If one simple reflection enables you to pray, you would, in reality, be merely distracting yourself from prayer, in order to occupy yourself with your own thoughts, if you were to go on developing a lengthy train of thought. This would be to mistake the means for the end, and it is a very common mistake, and the cause of great discouragement. This mistake will be evident if you remember that while you are following out a line of thought, for instance, when you are answering the questions suggested above you are conversing with yourself.

It is plain therefore that as your object is to converse with God, you should not remain too long in talking to yourself, and that therefore, if you feel a difficulty in doing this, you need not be distressed. ” The progress of a soul,” says the enlightened St. Teresa, ” does not consist in thinking much of God, but in loving Him ardently; and this love is gained by resolving to do a great deal for Him.”

I have said that misunderstanding this point is the most fruitful source of discouragement and one of the commonest reasons for abandoning mental prayer in disgust; and the reason is, because very few people are accustomed to prolonged or deep thought on any subject few indeed are capable of it. If therefore they imagine that prolonged if not deep thought, is necessary for mental prayer, they are in constant trouble and discouragement, which ends in their abandoning the whole exercise in despair. ” If I might only be allowed to pray,” they will sigh to themselves,” how much easier it would be! ”

Let such persons then clearly understand that many thoughts are not necessary, that their reflections need not be deep and ought not, especially in a prayer of half-an-hour to be long, lest prayer should be neglected and the exercise be changed into a study. “Meditation,” says St. Alphonsus. ” is the needle which only passes through so that it may draw after it the golden thread, which is composed of affections, petitions and resolutions.” The needle is only used in order to draw the thread after it. If then you were to meditate for an hour and think out a subject in all its details, but without constant acts and petitions, you would be working hard with an unthreaded needle.

Men’s minds differ as much as their features, and some men, especially those employed in very distracting duties, need more thought than others before they can pray; but many, especially women, will find that the effort, after prolonged reflections, will generally defeat itself, and end in distraction.

As soon, therefore, as you feel an impulse to pray, give way to it at once in the best way you can by acts and petitions, in other words, begin your conversation with God on the subject about which you have been thinking. Do not imagine, moreover, that it is necessary to wait for a great fire to burn up in your soul, but cherish the little spark that you have got. Above all, never give way to the mistaken notion that you must restrain yourself from prayer in order to go through all the thoughts suggested by your book, or because your prayer does not appear to have a close connection with the subject of your meditation. This would simply be to run from God to your own thoughts, or to those of some other man.

One useful suggestion may here be introduced. Those who are accustomed to make regular spiritual reading will often meet some idea, or passage of their author, which strikes their mind forcibly, or seems especially suited for their own practice. When this is the case, they could not do better than to take that idea, or that passage, as the subject of their next mental prayer. As they have read about it and thought about it in the time of spiritual reading, a very slight reflection will be enough to enable them to pray upon that subject with solid fruit, and to make practical resolutions concerning it.

We have spoken thus far of the needle: now we must proceed to consider the golden thread which is the matter of principal importance. and should occupy the chief part of the time devoted to prayer. The golden thread is composed of"

a) acts or affections of the will,
b) petitions and
c) resolutions: a triple cord of beauty and strength, which, when the soul uses earnestly, she can be said to have ” girded her loins with strength, and strengthened her arm.” [Prov. xxxi, 17].


a) acts or affections of the will

Acts, or affections of the will, are the movements of the soul towards God. The affections are called the feet of the soul, because by them she approaches to or recedes from God. To ”draw nigh to God ” does not mean any bodily motion, but the spiritual progression of love. When therefore in meditating on a subject you feel some holy sentiment arising in your heart, begin to make simple acts, with or without words, to God. Acts of this nature are very various, such as faith, hope, confidence, humility, thanksgiving, contrition, love. They should be simple, short, and often repeated. Think of our Lord’s prayer in the Garden, which is intended as a model to us. He prayed for three hours, and His whole prayer consisted in the constant repetition of one single act of resignation and petition. The word “ACTS ” will suggest the chief aspirations, that it is well constantly to repeat : A stands for Adoration ; C for Contrition ; T for Thanksgiving, to which is joined love; and S for Supplication, the prayer of petition.

These acts should be spontaneous, springing up from your own soul, but some examples may help beginners. If then you were to take as the subject of your prayer the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross, you would, after the preparatory acts, begin to think of the mystery. ” Who is that hanging on the Cross? “- you would say to yourself – “What is He suffering – in body, in soul? Why does He suffer? ”

Not many minutes’ thought would be necessary before you would feel moved to acts of Faith: ”O my Lord, hanging on the Cross, I believe in Thee. Thou art the Eternal God, made man for me. Thou art my Redeemer ; for my sins Thou art thus bleeding and dying on the Cross,” etc.

Humility: ”O my Jesus, I am not worthy to live. I have slain Thee, the Son of God. Who am I, dear Lord, that Thou, the everlasting God, hast thus suffered and died for me ! I am Thy creature, made by Thy Hands. I am Thy rebellious child. I deserve hell for my sins, I deserve to have been abandoned by Thee, and yet Thou hast thought of me and hast offered Thyself as a victim for me. How good Thou art, dear Lord, to be nailed to the Cross for so miserable and ungrateful a sinner ! I will not sin again,” etc.

Confidence: ”If I look at myself, dear Lord, l am filled with fear. I have sinned, O Lord, against Thee, my sins are more in number than the hairs of my head. How shall I dare ever to hope for pardon, after having so often and so basely offended Thee ! But Thy death is my hope. Thou hast made me, I am Thine, and Thou hast suffered for me, and died for me. I hope in Thee, in Thee do I put my trust, and I shall not be confounded for ever. Thou canst not reject me now that I repent, when Thou hast shed Thy Blood for me,” etc.

Thanksgiving : ”I thank Thee. 0 Lord, with all my heart for Thy great goodness in dying for me and shedding all Thy Blood for me. Blessed be Thy holy Name ! I thank Thee for not abandoning me when 1 committed that sin, for loving me in spite of all my many sins against Thee. Blessed be Jesus, who shed His precious Blood for me ! Most holy Mary, help me to thank thy Son for all He has done for me,” etc.

Contrition: ” I am heartily sorry for all my sins. I detest them all, and especially because they have displeased Thee, because they have nailed Thee to the Cross. Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner ! Father, forgive me, for I knew not what I did,” etc.

Love: ” I love Thee. my Jesus. I love Thee. but I do not love Thee as I ought ; make me love Thee more and more. I love Thee with my whole heart. I desire to see Thee loved by all. I will only what Thou willest. Thou hast died for love of me. I desire to die for love of Thee : I rejoice that Thou art eternally happy. Do with me and all that is mine according to Thy will “. “This last act of love and oblation of self,” says St. Alphonsus, “is especially pleasing to God. and St. Teresa used thus to offer herself to God at least fifty times in the day.”

Acts of love should be frequent whatever the subject of meditation may have been.

” The act of love”, continues the same Saint,” as also the act of contrition (which is sorrow founded on love) is the golden chain which binds the soul to God.” An act of perfect charity is sufficient for the remission of all our sins : “Charity covereth a multitude of sins ”

The Ven. Sister Mary of the Crucified once saw, in a vision, a globe of fire, in the flames of which straws were instantly burnt up. She was thus made to understand that when the soul makes acts of love to God, all her sins are consumed in the flames of charity and are forgiven. Besides, the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas, teaches that by every act of love, we gain a fresh degree of glory. ” Every act of charity merits eternal life.” How many we can make in the course of the day, if we have some little fervour, especially during the time of mental prayer !

St. Francis of Sales has the following consoling and most instructive words concerning acts of sorrow founded on love, or, as he styles them, acts of loving repentance. "Because this loving repentance is ordinarily practised by elevations and raisings of the heart to God, like to those of the ancient penitent: I am Thine, save me ! Have mercy on me, 0 God, have mercy on me , for my soul trusteth in Thee.’ Save me, 0 God; for the waters are come in even unto my soul.’ Make me as one of Thy hired servants.’ 0 God be merciful lo me a sinner.

It is not without reason that some have said, that prayer justifies ; for the repentant prayer or the suppliant repentance raising up the soul to God and reuniting it to His goodness, without doubt obtains pardon, in virtue of the holy love which gives it the sacred movement. And therefore we ought all to have very many such ejaculatory prayers, made in the sense of a loving repentance and of sighs which seek our reconciliation with God ; so that by these laying our tribulation before our Saviour, we may pour out our souls before and within His pitiful heart, which will receive them to mercy” (Treatise on the Love of God Book i i , chap. XX).

As already stated, these acts or affections should spring from the heart; we must not look for fine words nor make up grand sentences ; the mere movement of the will towards God, with love, gratitude, hope, sorrow for sin, etc, is sufficient even without words. Therefore does our Lord say: ” Do not speak much when you pray “- a simple movement of the heart is better than many words proceeding merely from the lips. Nor should we hurry from one affection to another. If you feel yourself moved to make acts of love, keep on making acts of love; if you are excited to sorrow, repeat acts of sorrow for a while, till the affections grow cold ; then pass on to another. Moreover, these affections should be made slowly, allowing the soul to dwell upon each act. It is well to make slight pauses between. God often speaks to us during these pauses, and when He does, when we perceive some good thought in our mind giving us some new light, a clearer insight into ourselves or a better knowledge of God, or showing us our duty or God’s will for us, then we should listen humbly while God speaks, prepared to obey His commands.


b) petitions

Besides the acts and affections of the soul, all of which are truly prayer, since the soul, in making them, converses with God, it is extremely useful to occupy ourselves during mental prayers in making many fervent petitions to God for His spiritual graces and favour.

This prayer of petition is a matter that St. Alphonsus, in all his ascetical works, is continually urging upon every soul in language the most emphatic. Indeed, our Lord Himself has given us the first lesson as to the necessity of constant petition, not only by His command, “Ask and it shall be given unto you,” but by the fact that the Our Father, the model of all prayers, consists half of affections and half of petitions for what we need. In English, we have not any one word that expresses this kind of prayer, and we are obliged to call it prayer of petition. The French word la prière expresses it, while oraison means mental prayer with its acts, affections, and resolutions. This distinction explains many passages in the works of St. Alphonsus – for instance, where he says, ” Without prayer (that is, petitions for graces) all the meditations we make, all our resolutions. all our promises will be useless. If we do not pray (that is, if we do not make petitions for graces) we shall always be unfaithful to the inspirations of God, and to the promises we make Him. Because in order actually to do good, to conquer temptations, to practise virtues, and to observe God’s law, it is not enough to receive light from God, and to meditate and to make resolutions. but we require moreover the actual assistance of God, and He does not give this assistance except to those who pray, and pray with perseverance” (Treatise on Prayer Part I).

Here is the distinction between meditation with resolutions, or mental prayer in general, and prayer of petition, or between l’oraison and la prière.

Without this distinction. which is not at first apparent in English translations, much that is said of prayer is confusing and unintelligible. For instance, in the above extract the Saint appears to say that mental prayer without prayer is of no avail. Again in his "Rule of Life for a Christian” in that most valuable volume called "The Christian Virtues”, the second rule is about mental prayer while the sixth is concerning prayer. When we understand that prayer means prayer of petition, the difficulty vanishes. In his constant exhortations to the practice of prayer of petition, the holy Doctor is fond of quoting the experience of that learned and enlightened writer Fr Paul Segneri. S.J., who thus speaks of himself: "When I began and before I had studied theology, I used to employ my time of mental prayer in reflections and affections ; but God opened my eyes afterwards. and from that time I endeavoured to occupy myself in petitions, and if there is any good in me I consider it to be due to this habit of recommending myself to God.”

Petitions, therefore, for all you need, are a very important part of mental prayer, and are most useful to the soul. But a caution is necessary here to prevent misunderstanding. The petitions in the time of mental prayer should be spiritual petitions – that is, for spiritual objects, such as forgiveness of sin, love of God, light to see, and grace to do God’s will.

For if the petitions were for temporal favours, such as health of body for yourself or others, success in business, rain or fine weather and the like, two inconveniences would follow:

— In the first place it is always doubtful whether such things are according to the will of God or not, and they must be asked for only if they should be the Divine Will, and the whole spiritual value of the petition will then be in that act of resignation.

— Secondly, the mind be much distracted from God in order to think of the matters upon which to form petitions, and especially if the subject of the petition should be some person in whose temporal welfare you are much interested, or some worldly business that gives you anxiety, to pray for these things would probably result in distraction. The mind would begin to reflect upon the things themselves and forget God.

By this, it is not meant that these temporal matters must never be made the subject of prayer, but only that it is not generally advisable to occupy the mind with them during mental prayer, for the reasons given. The truth is that all these things are suggestions from experience ; for in the matter of mental prayer, in which ” the Spirit bloweth where He listeth,” there are very few “musts,” few things of which you can say this must be done.

With this understanding as to the subject matter of petitions, the soul cannot be better occupied during mental prayer than in making frequent and earnest petitions, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the graces she feels to need.
Ask, then, for help in the time of temptation, beg grace always to persevere in prayer when tempted, but particularly remember always to pray for the three following graces, which, if you obtain, will render your salvation secure. These three all-important graces are:

* (a) The perfect forgiveness of past sin ;

* (b) The perfect love of God ;

* © The grace of a holy death.
Christ our Lord, Truth itself, has promised distinctly and emphatically, “Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and you shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” [St. Matt. v i i , 7]. ” All things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” [St. Matt. xxi, 22]. Ask then for these three graces, which, by their very nature, must be according to God’s will that you shall have ; ask for them with humility, confidence and perseverance, and they must be given to you. God’s promise cannot fail. Ask for the perfect forgiveness of all your sins, and, however many and grievous they may have been, forgiveness will be yours. Seek for the love of God by many earnest petitions, and you shall find it. Knock at Heaven’s gate by constant petition for a holy death, and the golden gate of that city o f love and peace will be opened to you, as your eyes close in death, and your soul departs into eternity. ” Pray,” exclaims St. Alphonsus,” pray, and never give up praying. If you pray, you will certainly be saved ; if you do not pray, you will certainly be lost.” We have so many spiritual wants, that half-an-hour’s prayer will be all too short to make our earnest petitions before the throne of mercy.


c) resolutions

In order to make mental prayer truly fruitful, you should be careful to make some definite and precise resolution, either to avoid some fault or to practise some virtue. Mere thought, it is evident, cannot make us holy. Acts and affections by themselves will not make us practise virtue. Even petitions by themselves are not enough. They obtain for us, it is true, the strength to conquer sin. and to do what is good ; but the most difficult matter remains – that is, to use this grace. and actually to do what we recognize to be God’s will.

We must, then, make a resolution to carry in practice what we see to be good. How frequently, from want of this steadfast resolution, men pray for a grace, but in their actions deny and contradict their prayers! The resolution should be often repeated, day after day, until we can easily keep faithful to it. Moreover, it should be definite, that is, not too general and vague. A determination for instance, to be better than we have hitherto been, to be humble, to love God, is of no practical advantage whatever. It means nothing, it will begin and end itself, and produce no effect on our daily life; we must therefore resolve to avoid some particular fault into which we are likely to fall that day, or to practise some one act of virtue that very day.

The resolution moreover must be of a practical nature, that is, it must be something that we can do if we please ; and above all. it must be sincere, by which is meant that we must truly intend in our hearts to carry it into practice when the opportunity occurs. It may be perfectly sincere at the time, even if we are weak enough afterwards to fail in its practice, but there is no excuse if we are insincere at the time of making it. That would surely be insulting to God, who sees the heart. We must never forget ‘he words of St. Teresa, already quoted ”The progress of a soul does not consist in thinking much of God, but in loving Him ardently, and this love is gained by resolving to do a great deal for him.” Make then one practical definite resolution that you can keep and mean to keep that very day.



iii. Conclusion of the prayer

Before rising from your knees, three short but fervent acts should be made, as the finishing stroke of your mental prayer.

1. An act of thanksgiving for the lights and graces that God has given you during your prayer. for instance: “I thank Thee, 0 my God, in the name of Jesus Christ, for all the help Thou hast given mc Blessed be Thy holy name. Glory be to the Father,” etc.

2. Renew earnestly the good resolution you have already made.

3. Ask for grace to keep it.

You can address this petition either to the Eternal Father, begging Him through the merits of Jesus and the intercession of Mary, to grant you this favour; or, you can address our Lord Himself, or you can beg the prayers of our Lady or your patrons.

Lastly, make an ejaculation for the conversion of sinners, and for the souls in purgatory.



V. Concluding Remarks

A few concluding remarks may be useful, in order to remove difficulties that often arise and discourage the souls who feel drawn to give themselves to the holy and delightful exercise of prayer.

1. “Is not mental prayer a very complicated manner? There seems so much to remember, so many things to do! “

When the method of prayer is drawn out step by step on paper this is quite true. It does look a complicated affair, and so would everything else if it were thus minutely described. Try to set down on paper all that we must remember in order to eat and drink in a polite manner, and see how formal and complicated it all seems; but do it, and it at once appears easy and natural. It is the same with mental prayer. Practise it for a short time, and all its difficulty will vanish.


2. “Are all these things to be done in the exact order prescribed?“

The preparation will always come first, with the three short fervent acts, and the conclusion will always naturally be at the end ; but in the body of the prayer no formal order is to be observed. That part should indeed always begin by a short meditation, some simple earnest thoughts, but the acts and petitions should come forth from the heart in any way that they arise. In describing them we must adopt some order that the matter may be intelligible ; but in practice they can be all intermingled in any way in which they spring from the soul. Remember the end and object of the whole exercise is to converse with God ; if you are doing this therefore you are doing well. I have said that there should always be some short meditation, because I am speaking to beginners of whom this is true ; but for those more advanced this become less necessary, and after a time might be only a distraction.

If the mind is all day long full of worldly and distracting thoughts and imaginations suggested by business, amusements, conversations, study, light reading, etc, it is evidently necessary to think of some holy subject in order to be able to pray with any fervour or recollection.

When, on the other hand, a person leads a quiet, secluded life, with few distractions, regular spiritual readings and frequent reflections on spiritual subjects, the soul is very easily moved to pray, and less meditation is necessary. After a time, with holy and contemplative souls, any train of thought would become a distraction ; they are at once, and without effort, absorbed in God. We may liken them to gunpowder ; the slightest thought of God acts like a spark and sets them at once in a blaze, whereas distracted souls are like damp wood that requires much artificial help to kindle it into a flame.


3. “How long ought mental prayer to last?"

No general rule can be laid down. The real answer is that if we only consider the matter in itself, the longer mental prayer can last the better for the soul; but taking into account the weakness of most souls, and the many occupations that cannot be neglected, half-an-hour in the day is a reasonable average time. If however half-an-hour appears too long, begin with fifteen minutes. One little quarter of an hour in each day is surely not too long to devote to the grandest of all occupations – conversation with God Himself. People who are less constantly occupied and more devout could easily spend two half hours: one in the morning, one in the evening, in this holy exercise. The appetite for this spiritual manna will increase by satisfying it. The more you allow yourself, the more you will want. This may be said in conclusion; that the longer time you spend in fervent and humble mental prayer the more rapid will be your progress in the way of virtue.


4. “When is the best time for mental prayer?"

Most certainly early in the morning. If it be faithfully performed in the early morning, this spiritual banquet is secured, but when once the duties of the day have begun, it is far more difficult to find time. Moreover, the early morning is the quietest time, and is far less liable to interruption. The brain, being then refreshed with sleep, is more able to attend to prayer. Besides all this, God seems more inclined to give His graces to those who mortify their sloth and arise early in order to praise Him; and all those who practice mental prayer will agree that the early morning is the best time to converse with God. This seems to be the lesson conveyed by the act of the manna being rained down in the desert early in the morning and melting with the first rays of the sun, ” that it might be known to all, that we ought to prevent the sun to bless Thee, and to adore Thee, at the dawning of the light.” [Wisdom xvi, 28]


5. ” I have no time for mental prayer."

It is difficult to answer this common objection with a grave face. What it means is, "I do not want to take the trouble to make mental prayer.” To say that would be at least honest. But to plead the want of time to spend 15 minutes out of the 24 hours in conversation with God is childish. What would the same persons say if they saw a way of gaining £5 or even 5 dollars employing one quarter of an hour in a particular pursuit well within their power? How quickly would time be found! Who is there that does not spend a quarter of an hour daily in useless conversation or idle reading or in doing nothing ? I should reply, make time by arising a quarter of an hour earlier. All that is required is a little more earnestness in the one all-important business of salvation.


6. "Where should mental prayer be made?"

God is everywhere, and there is no place in which we cannot find Him, but in order to speak to Him reverently and without distraction, a private place should be sought.” Thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret." St. Matt. vi. 6. Our Lord prescribed this secrecy to avoid ostentation and vain-glory, but another motive would be to shun distraction. But for those who have no suitable place at home, the church is always ready.


7. “What book shall I use ?”

For those who are able to think a little for themselves, a text of Holy Scripture is the best food for meditation, or a sentence from the Following of Christ1. But many need their thinking to be done for them by another, and this very thing often causes a difficulty. They come across a book which furnishes them with the thoughts and reflections of a man who probably was in a completely different state, both mental and spiritual, from their own. His thoughts most excellent and fruitful for himself, are not suited to them, to their difficulties, their temptations, their duties. The consequence is that they find these thoughts ” dry ” – that is, they do not come home to those using the book with any force or light, although so good in themselves. As a general rule the simpler a book is, the better for practical use, and each one should try to find an author, or to select some parts out of a book, suited to the needs of his own soul. If you come across one thought that strikes the mind, immediately delay upon it, as a bee on a honey flower, and strive to draw from that one thought your acts, petitions and resolutions. If the thought suggested by the book enables you thus to pray and to resolve, it has done its office ; and you need by no means distress yourself even if the acts elicited and the resolution formed do not seem to have any evident and immediate connection with the previous thought.

There is one snare, as has been said above, most carefully to be avoided – that is, to stop praying in order to refer to the book for more points of reflection; for this would be to give up intercourse with God in order to entertain new thoughts. On the other hand it is well to have some other thought in store, in case you can pray no longer, and need some fresh light from the understanding to give impetus to the will. If you persist in using some book that does not suit your needs and fall in with your spiritual state, you will run the risk of suffering from a kind of mental indigestion, from trying to assimilate thoughts of another mind not fitted to be the food of your soul. The result will very probably be that you will abandon mental prayer in disgust, saying, ”It’s no use, I cannot meditate!” This would be as unreasonable as to give up eating because one particular kind of food disagreed with you and you could not digest it. Find the food that will.

Simple thoughts on the four great truths of religion. on the Passion of Our Lord, or the mystery of the Blessed Sacrament, will suit the greater number of souls ; and half the difficulty vanishes when it is clearly understood that one simple thought is amply sufficient as long as it helps you to pray, which is the real object of the exercise. Nor is it by any means necessary always to vary the thought, for often the same reflection repeated morning after morning, will suffice to help you to pray, and if so why change it! We eat bread day after day, and if one thought nourishes the soul morning after morning why change it for another? If it begins to pall and to produce distraction, then seek for another. One holy soul found matter for prayer and union with God for months together from the two simple words ” Our Father.” If they were sufficient to form matter for prayer for years together, why change? Yet some people would have been inclined to pull St. Francis by the habit and to say – ” You have been saying “My God and my all” for an hour now : had not you better go to the second point? ”


8. ”I am distracted.”

Examine the causes of these distractions. If they arise from too great dissipation of mind during daily life, try to live more in God’s presence. If from not having prepared any definite thought to dwell upon, the remedy is to have one always prepared. If from mere weakness of mind, do not be disturbed, use no violent effort but quietly turn the mind back to God. One thing at least to utterly avoid is to abandon mental prayer because you are distracted. By this you will please no one except the devil. He does all he can to make you give up mental prayer, because he knows full well that if you persevere in it you will be saved. If by causing you troublesome distractions he can make you abandon mental prayer, he has succeeded in his object. St. Francis of Sales tells us that if in mental prayer we are able to do nothing but continually banish distractions and temptations, we shall derive great profit from the exercise and please God. What more could be desired ?

Lastly, to encourage souls to persevere in the sanctifying habit of mental prayer, it is well to remember that Benedict XIV granted an indulgence of seven years to those who make half-an-hour’s mental prayer during the day, and a plenary indulgence if it is made once a month, on the condition of confession and communion, with prayers for the Pope’s intention. Those who are members of the Holy Rosary Confraternity can also gain a hundred days’ indulgence every time they make a quarter of an hour’s mental prayer, and seven years with seven quarantines for every half-hour devoted to this holy exercise.

Some books recommended : The Love and Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Way of Salvation by St. Alphonsus. Besides Our Savior and His Love for us; Providence; and The Mother of the Savior and Our Interior Life by Garrigou-Lagrange. O.P. as well as Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary of Magdalen. O.C.D. and Philothea or Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis of Sales.]]> An Easy Method of Mental Prayer
By Father Bertrand Wilberforce, O.P.

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I. What Mental Prayer Is

Prayer is, says St. Gregory Nazianzen. a conference or conversation with God , St. John Chrysostom calls it a discoursing with the Divine Majesty ; according to St. Augustine it is the raising up of the soul to God. St. Francis of Sales describes it as a conversation of the soul with God, by which we speak to God and He to us, by which we aspire to Him, and breathe in Him, and He in return inspires us and breathes on us.

All prayer then is the speaking of the soul to God. This may be done in three ways; for the prayer may be either in thought only, unexpressed in any external way, or on the other hand the secret thoughts and feelings of the soul may be clothed in words; and these words again may either be confined to a set form, or they may be words of our own, unfettered by any form and expressing the emotions of our soul at the moment. In the first case our prayer will be purely mental ; in the second, in which we employ a set form of words, it will be vocal prayer; in the third case, where the prayer is chiefly in thought, but these thoughts are allowed to break forth into words in any way that at the moment seem best to express the feelings of the soul, it is a mixture of mental and vocal prayer; but as the words are spontaneous and not in any prescribed form, it may justly be considered as mental prayer.

In an audience with the Pope, we might read a written address to His Holiness, or we might trust to the words that might occur at the moment to express what we desired to convey to his mind. But if God were to enable the Pope to read the thoughts of our mind, we might then simply stand silent in his presence, and he would see all that we wanted to express. The formal address would be vocal prayer, the silent standing before his throne would be purely mental prayer, the conversation with unprepared words would be a mixture of the two, and might be called mental prayer in a more general and extended sense. God knows our secret thoughts more clearly than we can express them, more certainly than we ourselves can know them; and words therefore are not necessary in our intercourse with Him, though often a considerable help to us.

A set form of words spoken or read cannot be called prayer at all unless the mind intends it as prayer and gives some kind spiritual attention, either to the actual sense of the words themselves or to God Himself while they are uttered. Shakespeare spoke as a theologian when, in Hamlet, he put into the mouth of the King, who asked for pardon without repentance:

My words go up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

God condemned the merely material homage of the Jews by declaring, ” This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” All prayer, therefore, of whatever kind. must be ” in spirit and in truth “ [St. John iv, 23]; but vocal prayer is confined to a prescribed form of words, whereas mental prayer is the spontaneous utterance of the soul either with or without words. When St. Francis of Assisi said an Our Father, or recited his office, he used vocal prayer ; when he knelt before God without a word, his prayer was purely mental ; when he spent the whole night in saying ” My God and my all”, his mental prayer was mingled with words which expressed the burning love of his seraphic soul.


II. The Importance and Necessity of Mental Prayer

Prayer of one kind or another is absolutely and indispensably necessary for salvation – in other words, no one who has come to the use of reason, so as to be capable of prayer, can, according to God’s ordinary providence, be saved without it. This necessity is proved in the first place from the distinct, emphatic and constantly repeated command to pray, and to pray continually. For instance . “He spoke a parable to them (to show) that we ought always to pray, and not to faint” [St Luke xviii, 1] ; ” Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation ” [St Matt. xxvi, 41] : “Ask, and it shall be given you ” [St. Matt. vii , 7] : ” Be instant (that is earnest) in prayer ” [Coloss. iv, 2], and ” Pray without ceasing ” .

Besides these positive commands it is evidently necessary ; because though God really wills the salvation of all, [1 Tim. li. 4|, He will not save us without our own co-operation. He will save no one by force : for heaven is not the land of slaves. into which men are driven by compulsion ; it is the home of the free children of God, of those who love God, of those who are free with the freedom with which Christ hath made us free. Therefore God gives to all the grace to pray ; and if they use this grace and continue to pray aright, He will continue to bestow on them a chain of graces that will end in salvation. But to those who will not pray, He has promised nothing : ” The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him ; to all that call upon Him in truth ” [Ps. cxliv, 18]. ” Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” [St. James iv, 8].

From this absolute and indispensable necessity of prayer in general, we can easily infer the importance and the moral necessity of the best and highest kind of prayer – namely mental prayer. If not absolutely it is certainly morally necessary in some form or another even for salvation; and there can be no manner of doubt that it is strictly necessary for any real advance of the soul in virtue and divine love. St. Alphonsus says: "He who neglects meditation (a part of mental prayer), and is distracted by the affairs of the world, will not know his spiritual wants, the dangers to which his salvation is exposed, the means he ought to take to conquer temptations ; and will forget the necessity of the prayer of petition for all men: thus he will not ask for what is necessary, and by not asking God’s grace, he will certainly lose his soul.”

In the same way St. Teresa asks: ” How can charity last, unless God gives perseverance ? How will l the Lord give us perseverance if we neglect to ask Him for it? And how shall we ask it without mental prayer ? Without mental prayer there is not the communication with God which is necessary for the preservation of virtue.” The holy Doctors agree that those who persevere in mental prayer will live in God’s grace. The following words are the deliberate sentence of the holy Doctor St. Alphonsus, the conclusion gathered from his vast learning and experience : "Many say the Rosary, the Office of Our Lady, and other acts of devotion, but they still continue in sin. But it is impossible for him who perseveres in mental prayer to continue in sin: he will either give up mental prayer or renounce sin. Mental prayer and sin cannot exist together. And this we see by experience ; they who make mental prayer rarely fall into mortal sin ; and should they have the misery of falling into sin, by persevering in mental prayer they see their misery and return to God. Let a soul, says St. Teresa, be ever so negligent ; if she persevere in mental prayer the Lord will bring her back to the haven of salvation.”

If this were merely the opinion of St. Alphonsus himself, it would be of immense weight, considering his resplendent sanctity, his vast spiritual learning, and the varied experience of his long and active life; but besides this the holy Doctor is here only summing up in one sentence the teaching and experience of all the doctors, saints, writers, preachers, and confessors of the whole Church since the beginning. What stronger argument could be used to prove the importance and necessity of mental prayer?


III. Is Mental Prayer Easy?

Anyone who has a real desire to be saved, and who believes that the opinion of St. Alphonsus and all other spiritual teachers – that mortal sin and mental prayer cannot live together, but are mutually destructive – is really true, but must feel a desire to adopt so certain a means of salvation. But many are fainthearted, and dread the little difficulty they feel in beginning a new exercise; and many more lack the courage and self-denial necessary to continue in it after the novelty has worn away, and the yoke of perseverance begins to gall. Blessed are they who courageously persevere, for their salvation is secure!

Those who find it difficult to begin, or are tempted to abandon this powerful means of salvation, must pluck up heart, and encourage themselves by remembering that mental prayer requires no learning, no special power of mind. no extraordinary grace, but only a resolute will and a desire to please God. In fact, the hard matter is to convince people how easy and simple a matter mental prayer really is, and that the difficulty is far more imaginary than real. This difficulty often rises from not having grasped the true idea of what is meant by mental prayer ; and the false idea of the exercise, once formed, is often never corrected, the consequence being that the practice is either abandoned in disgust, or persevered in with extreme repugnance and little fruit.

One common cause of misunderstanding, perhaps the most common of all, is the custom of calling the whole exercise by the name of one subordinate and not the most important part -that is meditation. From this the idea arises that it is a prolonged spiritual study, drawn out at length with many divisions and much complicated process ; and this notion frightens many good souls, and makes them fall back on vocal prayer alone. They imagine that the soul must preach a discourse to itself. and they feel no talent for preaching. Many, if they spoke their minds clearly, would say : “I cannot meditate. but if I might be allowed to pray during that time instead. I could do very well.” This is no imaginary case. as anyone who has had any experience will testify: and this miserable misunderstanding, that so often holds souls back for years. is partly brought about by defective teaching, but partly also by the name meditation being used instead of the more comprehensive one of mental prayer.

Mental prayer, properly understood, will be found to be easy and within the power of all who desire salvation. Of course there are many degrees of prayer, and to pray perfectly is no doubt a matter of great difficulty ; but to pray well, and in a way very pleasing to God and very profitable to the soul, is an easy and simple manner. If we remember how many thousands have excelled in mental prayer, though not even able to read, we shall see that this holy exercise cannot require any special power of mind or any degree of culture. St. Isidore, a farm labourer, is an example of a man utterly devoid of human learning, but rising, by God’s grace, to the sublimest prayer.

The following method of making mental prayer is drawn from the works of St. Alphonsus who may justly be called the Doctor of Prayer ; and it is so simple that no one who studies it with any attention can fail to understand it, and all who reduce it to practice will find that in great measure it takes away the difficulty they may feel in the exercise. Many who have found ” making a meditation ” to be a wearisome penance, have experienced that with this method the time is all too short: and that conversation with God is indeed the greatest joy of life ; ” Taste and see how sweet the Lord is.”


IV. Method of Mental Prayer

All methods of mental prayer are essentially the same. They are different ways of reaching the same end, the object of all being to teach the soul how she can converse lovingly with God. In the method recommended by St. Alphonsus, the whole exercise is divided into three parts – the Preparation, the Body of the Prayer, and the Conclusion.

i. Preparation

The real preparation for prayer is a good life, a spirit of recollection enabling a man to live in God’s presence, and the invaluable habit of regular spiritual reading. But this is not the place to enter into these matters, and so we must proceed to the immediate preparation, when the time of prayer has come. ” Before prayer prepare thy soul, and be not as a man that tempteth God ” [Eccles. xviii, 23]. From this admonition of the Holy Ghost, it is evident that we must not presume to throw ourselves down before God unprepared, our minds full of idle, distracting thoughts, and imagine that we can thus pray in a way pleasing to Him. How careful should we be to prepare both body and mind if admitted to a papal or a royal audience! At least then make in preparation for your conference with God, three short though fervent acts :

1. An act of faith in God’s presence, and of adoration, profound and humble, of His majesty.

2. An act of contrition for sin, sin forming the cloud thick and dark over our heads that hides the brightness of God’s face. ” Your sins have hid his face from you ” [Isaiah lix, 2].

3. A fervent petition for light to see God’s holy will , especially in some one matter either pressing upon us then or suggested by the subject we are going to consider, and for grace to do God’s will when we do see it.

Examples of these acts may help beginners, but it must be clearly understood that they are only examples and that they may be made in any form.

Quote:1. Adoration of God present in your soul: My God, I believe that Thou art present with me and within me, and I adore Thee with all the affection of any soul,”

Be watchful,” says St. Alphonsus, ” to make this act with a lively faith, for the remembrance of the presence of God is a great help to keep away distractions. Cardinal Carracciolo, Bishop of Aversa, used to say that distractions are a sign that the soul has not made a lively act of faith.”


2. Sorrow for sin, our sins preventing union with God in prayer: O Lord by my sins I deserve now to be in hell; I repent, 0 infinite Goodness, with my whole heart of having offended Thee. I am sorry for sin from the bottom of my heart; have mercy on me.


3. Ask for light: 0 Eternal Father, for the love of Jesus and Mary, give me light in this prayer, that I may profit by it.


Then add a Hail Mary, an ejaculation to St. Joseph, your Guardian Angel, and your holy patrons.

These acts should be short. In a mental prayer of half-an-hour, not more than three minutes should be devoted to them. But at the same time they should be fervent and earnest, the whole attention being given to them ; for upon the manner in which they are made will, in great measure, depend the fervour of the whole prayer.


ii. Body of the Prayer

In order to pray with fruit and without distraction, it is very useful, and in most cases necessary, to spend some time meditation or pious thought, on some definite subject; and from this fact, as before stated, the whole exercise is often called meditation. Instead of mental prayer. This often misleads people into imagining that meditation , that is, the use of the intellect in thinking on a holy subject, the main end to be aimed at, whereas in fact it is prayer, or conversation with God. Meditation furnishes us with the matter for conversation, but it is not itself prayer at all. When thinking and reflecting, the soul speaks to itself, reasons with itself; in prayer it speaks to God.

Meditation, in its wide sense, is any kind of attentive and repeated thought upon any subject and with any intention; but in the more restricted sense in which it is understood as a part of mental prayer, it is, as St. Francis of Sales puts it, "an attentive thought, voluntarily repeated or entertained in the mind, to excite the will to holy and salutary reflections and resolutions." It differs in its object from mere study: we study to improve our minds and to store up information; we meditate to move the will to pray and to embrace good. We study that we may know, we meditate that we may pray.

We must then use the mind in thus thinking of or pondering on a sacred subject for a few minutes; and in order to help the mind in this exercise, we must have some definite subject of thought, upon which it is well to read either a text of Holy Scripture, or a few lines out of some other holy book. St. Teresa tells us that she thus helped herself with a book for seventeen years. By this short reading, the mind is rendered attentive and is set on a train of thought. Further to help the mind, you can ask yourself some such questions as the following: What does this mean ? What lesson does it teach me? What have I done about this in the past? What shall I now do, and how?

Two remarks are here most important:

The first is, that care must be taken not to read too much. but to stop when any thought strikes the mind. If the reading is prolonged, if for example, in a short prayer of half-an-hour you were to read for ten minutes, the exercise would be changed into spiritual reading.

The second remark is, that you must not be distressed if you find the mind torpid, and if only one or two very simple thoughts present themselves. It is by no means necessary to have many thoughts, nor to indulge in deep and well arranged reflections. The object of mental prayer is not to preach a well-prepared and eloquent sermon to yourself, the object is to pray. If one simple thought makes you pray, why distress yourself because you have not other and more elaborate thoughts ? If you wanted to reach the top of a roof, you would not trouble yourself because your ladder was a short one, provided it was long enough to land you safely on the roof. The end is gained. If one simple reflection enables you to pray, you would, in reality, be merely distracting yourself from prayer, in order to occupy yourself with your own thoughts, if you were to go on developing a lengthy train of thought. This would be to mistake the means for the end, and it is a very common mistake, and the cause of great discouragement. This mistake will be evident if you remember that while you are following out a line of thought, for instance, when you are answering the questions suggested above you are conversing with yourself.

It is plain therefore that as your object is to converse with God, you should not remain too long in talking to yourself, and that therefore, if you feel a difficulty in doing this, you need not be distressed. ” The progress of a soul,” says the enlightened St. Teresa, ” does not consist in thinking much of God, but in loving Him ardently; and this love is gained by resolving to do a great deal for Him.”

I have said that misunderstanding this point is the most fruitful source of discouragement and one of the commonest reasons for abandoning mental prayer in disgust; and the reason is, because very few people are accustomed to prolonged or deep thought on any subject few indeed are capable of it. If therefore they imagine that prolonged if not deep thought, is necessary for mental prayer, they are in constant trouble and discouragement, which ends in their abandoning the whole exercise in despair. ” If I might only be allowed to pray,” they will sigh to themselves,” how much easier it would be! ”

Let such persons then clearly understand that many thoughts are not necessary, that their reflections need not be deep and ought not, especially in a prayer of half-an-hour to be long, lest prayer should be neglected and the exercise be changed into a study. “Meditation,” says St. Alphonsus. ” is the needle which only passes through so that it may draw after it the golden thread, which is composed of affections, petitions and resolutions.” The needle is only used in order to draw the thread after it. If then you were to meditate for an hour and think out a subject in all its details, but without constant acts and petitions, you would be working hard with an unthreaded needle.

Men’s minds differ as much as their features, and some men, especially those employed in very distracting duties, need more thought than others before they can pray; but many, especially women, will find that the effort, after prolonged reflections, will generally defeat itself, and end in distraction.

As soon, therefore, as you feel an impulse to pray, give way to it at once in the best way you can by acts and petitions, in other words, begin your conversation with God on the subject about which you have been thinking. Do not imagine, moreover, that it is necessary to wait for a great fire to burn up in your soul, but cherish the little spark that you have got. Above all, never give way to the mistaken notion that you must restrain yourself from prayer in order to go through all the thoughts suggested by your book, or because your prayer does not appear to have a close connection with the subject of your meditation. This would simply be to run from God to your own thoughts, or to those of some other man.

One useful suggestion may here be introduced. Those who are accustomed to make regular spiritual reading will often meet some idea, or passage of their author, which strikes their mind forcibly, or seems especially suited for their own practice. When this is the case, they could not do better than to take that idea, or that passage, as the subject of their next mental prayer. As they have read about it and thought about it in the time of spiritual reading, a very slight reflection will be enough to enable them to pray upon that subject with solid fruit, and to make practical resolutions concerning it.

We have spoken thus far of the needle: now we must proceed to consider the golden thread which is the matter of principal importance. and should occupy the chief part of the time devoted to prayer. The golden thread is composed of"

a) acts or affections of the will,
b) petitions and
c) resolutions: a triple cord of beauty and strength, which, when the soul uses earnestly, she can be said to have ” girded her loins with strength, and strengthened her arm.” [Prov. xxxi, 17].


a) acts or affections of the will

Acts, or affections of the will, are the movements of the soul towards God. The affections are called the feet of the soul, because by them she approaches to or recedes from God. To ”draw nigh to God ” does not mean any bodily motion, but the spiritual progression of love. When therefore in meditating on a subject you feel some holy sentiment arising in your heart, begin to make simple acts, with or without words, to God. Acts of this nature are very various, such as faith, hope, confidence, humility, thanksgiving, contrition, love. They should be simple, short, and often repeated. Think of our Lord’s prayer in the Garden, which is intended as a model to us. He prayed for three hours, and His whole prayer consisted in the constant repetition of one single act of resignation and petition. The word “ACTS ” will suggest the chief aspirations, that it is well constantly to repeat : A stands for Adoration ; C for Contrition ; T for Thanksgiving, to which is joined love; and S for Supplication, the prayer of petition.

These acts should be spontaneous, springing up from your own soul, but some examples may help beginners. If then you were to take as the subject of your prayer the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross, you would, after the preparatory acts, begin to think of the mystery. ” Who is that hanging on the Cross? “- you would say to yourself – “What is He suffering – in body, in soul? Why does He suffer? ”

Not many minutes’ thought would be necessary before you would feel moved to acts of Faith: ”O my Lord, hanging on the Cross, I believe in Thee. Thou art the Eternal God, made man for me. Thou art my Redeemer ; for my sins Thou art thus bleeding and dying on the Cross,” etc.

Humility: ”O my Jesus, I am not worthy to live. I have slain Thee, the Son of God. Who am I, dear Lord, that Thou, the everlasting God, hast thus suffered and died for me ! I am Thy creature, made by Thy Hands. I am Thy rebellious child. I deserve hell for my sins, I deserve to have been abandoned by Thee, and yet Thou hast thought of me and hast offered Thyself as a victim for me. How good Thou art, dear Lord, to be nailed to the Cross for so miserable and ungrateful a sinner ! I will not sin again,” etc.

Confidence: ”If I look at myself, dear Lord, l am filled with fear. I have sinned, O Lord, against Thee, my sins are more in number than the hairs of my head. How shall I dare ever to hope for pardon, after having so often and so basely offended Thee ! But Thy death is my hope. Thou hast made me, I am Thine, and Thou hast suffered for me, and died for me. I hope in Thee, in Thee do I put my trust, and I shall not be confounded for ever. Thou canst not reject me now that I repent, when Thou hast shed Thy Blood for me,” etc.

Thanksgiving : ”I thank Thee. 0 Lord, with all my heart for Thy great goodness in dying for me and shedding all Thy Blood for me. Blessed be Thy holy Name ! I thank Thee for not abandoning me when 1 committed that sin, for loving me in spite of all my many sins against Thee. Blessed be Jesus, who shed His precious Blood for me ! Most holy Mary, help me to thank thy Son for all He has done for me,” etc.

Contrition: ” I am heartily sorry for all my sins. I detest them all, and especially because they have displeased Thee, because they have nailed Thee to the Cross. Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner ! Father, forgive me, for I knew not what I did,” etc.

Love: ” I love Thee. my Jesus. I love Thee. but I do not love Thee as I ought ; make me love Thee more and more. I love Thee with my whole heart. I desire to see Thee loved by all. I will only what Thou willest. Thou hast died for love of me. I desire to die for love of Thee : I rejoice that Thou art eternally happy. Do with me and all that is mine according to Thy will “. “This last act of love and oblation of self,” says St. Alphonsus, “is especially pleasing to God. and St. Teresa used thus to offer herself to God at least fifty times in the day.”

Acts of love should be frequent whatever the subject of meditation may have been.

” The act of love”, continues the same Saint,” as also the act of contrition (which is sorrow founded on love) is the golden chain which binds the soul to God.” An act of perfect charity is sufficient for the remission of all our sins : “Charity covereth a multitude of sins ”

The Ven. Sister Mary of the Crucified once saw, in a vision, a globe of fire, in the flames of which straws were instantly burnt up. She was thus made to understand that when the soul makes acts of love to God, all her sins are consumed in the flames of charity and are forgiven. Besides, the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas, teaches that by every act of love, we gain a fresh degree of glory. ” Every act of charity merits eternal life.” How many we can make in the course of the day, if we have some little fervour, especially during the time of mental prayer !

St. Francis of Sales has the following consoling and most instructive words concerning acts of sorrow founded on love, or, as he styles them, acts of loving repentance. "Because this loving repentance is ordinarily practised by elevations and raisings of the heart to God, like to those of the ancient penitent: I am Thine, save me ! Have mercy on me, 0 God, have mercy on me , for my soul trusteth in Thee.’ Save me, 0 God; for the waters are come in even unto my soul.’ Make me as one of Thy hired servants.’ 0 God be merciful lo me a sinner.

It is not without reason that some have said, that prayer justifies ; for the repentant prayer or the suppliant repentance raising up the soul to God and reuniting it to His goodness, without doubt obtains pardon, in virtue of the holy love which gives it the sacred movement. And therefore we ought all to have very many such ejaculatory prayers, made in the sense of a loving repentance and of sighs which seek our reconciliation with God ; so that by these laying our tribulation before our Saviour, we may pour out our souls before and within His pitiful heart, which will receive them to mercy” (Treatise on the Love of God Book i i , chap. XX).

As already stated, these acts or affections should spring from the heart; we must not look for fine words nor make up grand sentences ; the mere movement of the will towards God, with love, gratitude, hope, sorrow for sin, etc, is sufficient even without words. Therefore does our Lord say: ” Do not speak much when you pray “- a simple movement of the heart is better than many words proceeding merely from the lips. Nor should we hurry from one affection to another. If you feel yourself moved to make acts of love, keep on making acts of love; if you are excited to sorrow, repeat acts of sorrow for a while, till the affections grow cold ; then pass on to another. Moreover, these affections should be made slowly, allowing the soul to dwell upon each act. It is well to make slight pauses between. God often speaks to us during these pauses, and when He does, when we perceive some good thought in our mind giving us some new light, a clearer insight into ourselves or a better knowledge of God, or showing us our duty or God’s will for us, then we should listen humbly while God speaks, prepared to obey His commands.


b) petitions

Besides the acts and affections of the soul, all of which are truly prayer, since the soul, in making them, converses with God, it is extremely useful to occupy ourselves during mental prayers in making many fervent petitions to God for His spiritual graces and favour.

This prayer of petition is a matter that St. Alphonsus, in all his ascetical works, is continually urging upon every soul in language the most emphatic. Indeed, our Lord Himself has given us the first lesson as to the necessity of constant petition, not only by His command, “Ask and it shall be given unto you,” but by the fact that the Our Father, the model of all prayers, consists half of affections and half of petitions for what we need. In English, we have not any one word that expresses this kind of prayer, and we are obliged to call it prayer of petition. The French word la prière expresses it, while oraison means mental prayer with its acts, affections, and resolutions. This distinction explains many passages in the works of St. Alphonsus – for instance, where he says, ” Without prayer (that is, petitions for graces) all the meditations we make, all our resolutions. all our promises will be useless. If we do not pray (that is, if we do not make petitions for graces) we shall always be unfaithful to the inspirations of God, and to the promises we make Him. Because in order actually to do good, to conquer temptations, to practise virtues, and to observe God’s law, it is not enough to receive light from God, and to meditate and to make resolutions. but we require moreover the actual assistance of God, and He does not give this assistance except to those who pray, and pray with perseverance” (Treatise on Prayer Part I).

Here is the distinction between meditation with resolutions, or mental prayer in general, and prayer of petition, or between l’oraison and la prière.

Without this distinction. which is not at first apparent in English translations, much that is said of prayer is confusing and unintelligible. For instance, in the above extract the Saint appears to say that mental prayer without prayer is of no avail. Again in his "Rule of Life for a Christian” in that most valuable volume called "The Christian Virtues”, the second rule is about mental prayer while the sixth is concerning prayer. When we understand that prayer means prayer of petition, the difficulty vanishes. In his constant exhortations to the practice of prayer of petition, the holy Doctor is fond of quoting the experience of that learned and enlightened writer Fr Paul Segneri. S.J., who thus speaks of himself: "When I began and before I had studied theology, I used to employ my time of mental prayer in reflections and affections ; but God opened my eyes afterwards. and from that time I endeavoured to occupy myself in petitions, and if there is any good in me I consider it to be due to this habit of recommending myself to God.”

Petitions, therefore, for all you need, are a very important part of mental prayer, and are most useful to the soul. But a caution is necessary here to prevent misunderstanding. The petitions in the time of mental prayer should be spiritual petitions – that is, for spiritual objects, such as forgiveness of sin, love of God, light to see, and grace to do God’s will.

For if the petitions were for temporal favours, such as health of body for yourself or others, success in business, rain or fine weather and the like, two inconveniences would follow:

— In the first place it is always doubtful whether such things are according to the will of God or not, and they must be asked for only if they should be the Divine Will, and the whole spiritual value of the petition will then be in that act of resignation.

— Secondly, the mind be much distracted from God in order to think of the matters upon which to form petitions, and especially if the subject of the petition should be some person in whose temporal welfare you are much interested, or some worldly business that gives you anxiety, to pray for these things would probably result in distraction. The mind would begin to reflect upon the things themselves and forget God.

By this, it is not meant that these temporal matters must never be made the subject of prayer, but only that it is not generally advisable to occupy the mind with them during mental prayer, for the reasons given. The truth is that all these things are suggestions from experience ; for in the matter of mental prayer, in which ” the Spirit bloweth where He listeth,” there are very few “musts,” few things of which you can say this must be done.

With this understanding as to the subject matter of petitions, the soul cannot be better occupied during mental prayer than in making frequent and earnest petitions, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the graces she feels to need.
Ask, then, for help in the time of temptation, beg grace always to persevere in prayer when tempted, but particularly remember always to pray for the three following graces, which, if you obtain, will render your salvation secure. These three all-important graces are:

* (a) The perfect forgiveness of past sin ;

* (b) The perfect love of God ;

* © The grace of a holy death.
Christ our Lord, Truth itself, has promised distinctly and emphatically, “Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and you shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” [St. Matt. v i i , 7]. ” All things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” [St. Matt. xxi, 22]. Ask then for these three graces, which, by their very nature, must be according to God’s will that you shall have ; ask for them with humility, confidence and perseverance, and they must be given to you. God’s promise cannot fail. Ask for the perfect forgiveness of all your sins, and, however many and grievous they may have been, forgiveness will be yours. Seek for the love of God by many earnest petitions, and you shall find it. Knock at Heaven’s gate by constant petition for a holy death, and the golden gate of that city o f love and peace will be opened to you, as your eyes close in death, and your soul departs into eternity. ” Pray,” exclaims St. Alphonsus,” pray, and never give up praying. If you pray, you will certainly be saved ; if you do not pray, you will certainly be lost.” We have so many spiritual wants, that half-an-hour’s prayer will be all too short to make our earnest petitions before the throne of mercy.


c) resolutions

In order to make mental prayer truly fruitful, you should be careful to make some definite and precise resolution, either to avoid some fault or to practise some virtue. Mere thought, it is evident, cannot make us holy. Acts and affections by themselves will not make us practise virtue. Even petitions by themselves are not enough. They obtain for us, it is true, the strength to conquer sin. and to do what is good ; but the most difficult matter remains – that is, to use this grace. and actually to do what we recognize to be God’s will.

We must, then, make a resolution to carry in practice what we see to be good. How frequently, from want of this steadfast resolution, men pray for a grace, but in their actions deny and contradict their prayers! The resolution should be often repeated, day after day, until we can easily keep faithful to it. Moreover, it should be definite, that is, not too general and vague. A determination for instance, to be better than we have hitherto been, to be humble, to love God, is of no practical advantage whatever. It means nothing, it will begin and end itself, and produce no effect on our daily life; we must therefore resolve to avoid some particular fault into which we are likely to fall that day, or to practise some one act of virtue that very day.

The resolution moreover must be of a practical nature, that is, it must be something that we can do if we please ; and above all. it must be sincere, by which is meant that we must truly intend in our hearts to carry it into practice when the opportunity occurs. It may be perfectly sincere at the time, even if we are weak enough afterwards to fail in its practice, but there is no excuse if we are insincere at the time of making it. That would surely be insulting to God, who sees the heart. We must never forget ‘he words of St. Teresa, already quoted ”The progress of a soul does not consist in thinking much of God, but in loving Him ardently, and this love is gained by resolving to do a great deal for him.” Make then one practical definite resolution that you can keep and mean to keep that very day.



iii. Conclusion of the prayer

Before rising from your knees, three short but fervent acts should be made, as the finishing stroke of your mental prayer.

1. An act of thanksgiving for the lights and graces that God has given you during your prayer. for instance: “I thank Thee, 0 my God, in the name of Jesus Christ, for all the help Thou hast given mc Blessed be Thy holy name. Glory be to the Father,” etc.

2. Renew earnestly the good resolution you have already made.

3. Ask for grace to keep it.

You can address this petition either to the Eternal Father, begging Him through the merits of Jesus and the intercession of Mary, to grant you this favour; or, you can address our Lord Himself, or you can beg the prayers of our Lady or your patrons.

Lastly, make an ejaculation for the conversion of sinners, and for the souls in purgatory.



V. Concluding Remarks

A few concluding remarks may be useful, in order to remove difficulties that often arise and discourage the souls who feel drawn to give themselves to the holy and delightful exercise of prayer.

1. “Is not mental prayer a very complicated manner? There seems so much to remember, so many things to do! “

When the method of prayer is drawn out step by step on paper this is quite true. It does look a complicated affair, and so would everything else if it were thus minutely described. Try to set down on paper all that we must remember in order to eat and drink in a polite manner, and see how formal and complicated it all seems; but do it, and it at once appears easy and natural. It is the same with mental prayer. Practise it for a short time, and all its difficulty will vanish.


2. “Are all these things to be done in the exact order prescribed?“

The preparation will always come first, with the three short fervent acts, and the conclusion will always naturally be at the end ; but in the body of the prayer no formal order is to be observed. That part should indeed always begin by a short meditation, some simple earnest thoughts, but the acts and petitions should come forth from the heart in any way that they arise. In describing them we must adopt some order that the matter may be intelligible ; but in practice they can be all intermingled in any way in which they spring from the soul. Remember the end and object of the whole exercise is to converse with God ; if you are doing this therefore you are doing well. I have said that there should always be some short meditation, because I am speaking to beginners of whom this is true ; but for those more advanced this become less necessary, and after a time might be only a distraction.

If the mind is all day long full of worldly and distracting thoughts and imaginations suggested by business, amusements, conversations, study, light reading, etc, it is evidently necessary to think of some holy subject in order to be able to pray with any fervour or recollection.

When, on the other hand, a person leads a quiet, secluded life, with few distractions, regular spiritual readings and frequent reflections on spiritual subjects, the soul is very easily moved to pray, and less meditation is necessary. After a time, with holy and contemplative souls, any train of thought would become a distraction ; they are at once, and without effort, absorbed in God. We may liken them to gunpowder ; the slightest thought of God acts like a spark and sets them at once in a blaze, whereas distracted souls are like damp wood that requires much artificial help to kindle it into a flame.


3. “How long ought mental prayer to last?"

No general rule can be laid down. The real answer is that if we only consider the matter in itself, the longer mental prayer can last the better for the soul; but taking into account the weakness of most souls, and the many occupations that cannot be neglected, half-an-hour in the day is a reasonable average time. If however half-an-hour appears too long, begin with fifteen minutes. One little quarter of an hour in each day is surely not too long to devote to the grandest of all occupations – conversation with God Himself. People who are less constantly occupied and more devout could easily spend two half hours: one in the morning, one in the evening, in this holy exercise. The appetite for this spiritual manna will increase by satisfying it. The more you allow yourself, the more you will want. This may be said in conclusion; that the longer time you spend in fervent and humble mental prayer the more rapid will be your progress in the way of virtue.


4. “When is the best time for mental prayer?"

Most certainly early in the morning. If it be faithfully performed in the early morning, this spiritual banquet is secured, but when once the duties of the day have begun, it is far more difficult to find time. Moreover, the early morning is the quietest time, and is far less liable to interruption. The brain, being then refreshed with sleep, is more able to attend to prayer. Besides all this, God seems more inclined to give His graces to those who mortify their sloth and arise early in order to praise Him; and all those who practice mental prayer will agree that the early morning is the best time to converse with God. This seems to be the lesson conveyed by the act of the manna being rained down in the desert early in the morning and melting with the first rays of the sun, ” that it might be known to all, that we ought to prevent the sun to bless Thee, and to adore Thee, at the dawning of the light.” [Wisdom xvi, 28]


5. ” I have no time for mental prayer."

It is difficult to answer this common objection with a grave face. What it means is, "I do not want to take the trouble to make mental prayer.” To say that would be at least honest. But to plead the want of time to spend 15 minutes out of the 24 hours in conversation with God is childish. What would the same persons say if they saw a way of gaining £5 or even 5 dollars employing one quarter of an hour in a particular pursuit well within their power? How quickly would time be found! Who is there that does not spend a quarter of an hour daily in useless conversation or idle reading or in doing nothing ? I should reply, make time by arising a quarter of an hour earlier. All that is required is a little more earnestness in the one all-important business of salvation.


6. "Where should mental prayer be made?"

God is everywhere, and there is no place in which we cannot find Him, but in order to speak to Him reverently and without distraction, a private place should be sought.” Thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret." St. Matt. vi. 6. Our Lord prescribed this secrecy to avoid ostentation and vain-glory, but another motive would be to shun distraction. But for those who have no suitable place at home, the church is always ready.


7. “What book shall I use ?”

For those who are able to think a little for themselves, a text of Holy Scripture is the best food for meditation, or a sentence from the Following of Christ1. But many need their thinking to be done for them by another, and this very thing often causes a difficulty. They come across a book which furnishes them with the thoughts and reflections of a man who probably was in a completely different state, both mental and spiritual, from their own. His thoughts most excellent and fruitful for himself, are not suited to them, to their difficulties, their temptations, their duties. The consequence is that they find these thoughts ” dry ” – that is, they do not come home to those using the book with any force or light, although so good in themselves. As a general rule the simpler a book is, the better for practical use, and each one should try to find an author, or to select some parts out of a book, suited to the needs of his own soul. If you come across one thought that strikes the mind, immediately delay upon it, as a bee on a honey flower, and strive to draw from that one thought your acts, petitions and resolutions. If the thought suggested by the book enables you thus to pray and to resolve, it has done its office ; and you need by no means distress yourself even if the acts elicited and the resolution formed do not seem to have any evident and immediate connection with the previous thought.

There is one snare, as has been said above, most carefully to be avoided – that is, to stop praying in order to refer to the book for more points of reflection; for this would be to give up intercourse with God in order to entertain new thoughts. On the other hand it is well to have some other thought in store, in case you can pray no longer, and need some fresh light from the understanding to give impetus to the will. If you persist in using some book that does not suit your needs and fall in with your spiritual state, you will run the risk of suffering from a kind of mental indigestion, from trying to assimilate thoughts of another mind not fitted to be the food of your soul. The result will very probably be that you will abandon mental prayer in disgust, saying, ”It’s no use, I cannot meditate!” This would be as unreasonable as to give up eating because one particular kind of food disagreed with you and you could not digest it. Find the food that will.

Simple thoughts on the four great truths of religion. on the Passion of Our Lord, or the mystery of the Blessed Sacrament, will suit the greater number of souls ; and half the difficulty vanishes when it is clearly understood that one simple thought is amply sufficient as long as it helps you to pray, which is the real object of the exercise. Nor is it by any means necessary always to vary the thought, for often the same reflection repeated morning after morning, will suffice to help you to pray, and if so why change it! We eat bread day after day, and if one thought nourishes the soul morning after morning why change it for another? If it begins to pall and to produce distraction, then seek for another. One holy soul found matter for prayer and union with God for months together from the two simple words ” Our Father.” If they were sufficient to form matter for prayer for years together, why change? Yet some people would have been inclined to pull St. Francis by the habit and to say – ” You have been saying “My God and my all” for an hour now : had not you better go to the second point? ”


8. ”I am distracted.”

Examine the causes of these distractions. If they arise from too great dissipation of mind during daily life, try to live more in God’s presence. If from not having prepared any definite thought to dwell upon, the remedy is to have one always prepared. If from mere weakness of mind, do not be disturbed, use no violent effort but quietly turn the mind back to God. One thing at least to utterly avoid is to abandon mental prayer because you are distracted. By this you will please no one except the devil. He does all he can to make you give up mental prayer, because he knows full well that if you persevere in it you will be saved. If by causing you troublesome distractions he can make you abandon mental prayer, he has succeeded in his object. St. Francis of Sales tells us that if in mental prayer we are able to do nothing but continually banish distractions and temptations, we shall derive great profit from the exercise and please God. What more could be desired ?

Lastly, to encourage souls to persevere in the sanctifying habit of mental prayer, it is well to remember that Benedict XIV granted an indulgence of seven years to those who make half-an-hour’s mental prayer during the day, and a plenary indulgence if it is made once a month, on the condition of confession and communion, with prayers for the Pope’s intention. Those who are members of the Holy Rosary Confraternity can also gain a hundred days’ indulgence every time they make a quarter of an hour’s mental prayer, and seven years with seven quarantines for every half-hour devoted to this holy exercise.

Some books recommended : The Love and Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Way of Salvation by St. Alphonsus. Besides Our Savior and His Love for us; Providence; and The Mother of the Savior and Our Interior Life by Garrigou-Lagrange. O.P. as well as Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary of Magdalen. O.C.D. and Philothea or Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis of Sales.]]> <![CDATA[Ten Aids to Mental Prayer by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (1858-1935)]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2972 Thu, 25 Nov 2021 11:27:09 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2972 Ten Aids to Mental Prayer
by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (1858-1935)
Abbot of the French Cistercian Monastery of Sept-Fons

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3...%3DApi&f=1]


This text is an appendix of the book “The Soul of the Apostolate”, which was a favorite book of Pope Saint Pius X. The good Pope said he left this spiritual masterpiece by his night stand, so he could read it in his bed.

Mental prayer is the furnace in which we go to renew the custody of the heart. By our fidelity to our mental prayer all the other exercises of piety will be rekindled. The soul will gradually acquire vigilance and the spirit of prayer, that is, the habit of having recourse to God more and more frequently.

Union with God in mental prayer will produce an intimate union with Him, even amongst the most absorbing occupations.

The soul, living thus in union with our Lord, by its vigilance, will attract more and more the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the infused virtues, and perhaps God will call it to a higher degree of mental prayer.

That excellent volume, “The Ways of Mental Prayer” by Dom Vital Lehodey (Lecoffre, Paris), gives an exact account of what is required for the ascension of the soul by the different degrees of mental prayer, and gives rules for discerning, whether higher mental prayer is truly a gift of God or the result of illusion.

Before discussing affective mental prayer (the first degree of the higher classes to which God as a rule calls only the souls that have reached the state of vigilance by meditation), Fr. Rigoleuc, S.J., gives in his fine book (Œuvres Spirituelles, Avignon, 1843, page 1 ff.) ten ways of discoursing with God – when after a serious effort, one finds it a moral impossibility to meditate on a subject prepared the night before.

I sum up the pious author:

1st Way – Take a spiritual book (New Testament or “Imitation of Christ”) – read a few lines at intervals – meditate a little on what has been read, try to fix the sense and impress it on your mind. Draw from it some holy thought, love, penance etc., resolve to practice this virtue when opportunity offers.

Avoid reading or meditating too much. Stop at each pause as long as the mind find agreeable and useful converse.


2nd Way – Take some text of Scripture or some vocal prayer – Pater, Ave, Credo, for instance – repeat it, stopping after each word, drawing from it various sentiments of piety on which you dwell as long as it pleases you.

At the end, ask God for some grace or virtue, according to the subject meditated upon.

You are not to stop on any word if it wearies or tires you, but if you find nothing more to think on, pass on quietly to another. When you are touched by some good thought, dwell on it as long as it lasts without troubling to go any further. Nor is it necessary to make fresh acts always, it is sometimes enough to keep in God’s presence, reflecting in silence on the words already meditated or in enjoying the feelings they have already produced in your heart.


3rd Way – When the prepared subject matter does not give you enough scope, or room for free action, make acts of faith, adoration, thanksgiving, hope, love, and so on, letting them range as wide and free as you please, pausing at each one to let it sink in.


4th Way – When meditation is impossible, and you are too helpless and dried-up to produce a single affection, tell Our Lord that it is your intention to make an act, for example, of contrition, every time you draw breath, or pass a bead of the rosary between your fingers, or say, vocally, some short prayer.

Renew this assurance of your intention from time to time, and then if God suggests some other good thought, receive it with humility, and dwell upon it.


5th Way – In time of trial or dryness, if you are completely barren and powerless to make any acts or to have any thoughts, abandon yourself generously to suffering, without anxiety, and without making any effort to avoid it, making no other acts except this self-abandonment into the hands of God to suffer this trial and all it may please Him to send.

Or else you may unite your prayer with Our Lord’s Agony in the garden of desolation upon the cross. See yourself attached to the Cross with the Saviour and stir yourself up to follow His example, and remain there suffering without flinching, until death.


6th Way – A survey of your own conscience. – Admit your defects, passions, weaknesses, infirmities, helplessness, misery, nothingness. – Adore God’s judgments with regard to the state in which you find yourself. – Submit to His holy will. – Bless Him both for His punishments and for the favors of His mercy. – Humble yourself before His sovereign Majesty. – Sincerely confess your sins and infidelities to Him and ask Him to forgive you. – Take back all your false judgments and errors. – Detest all the wrong you have done, and resolve to correct yourself in the future.

This kind of prayer is very free and unhampered, and admits of all kinds of affections. It can be practiced at all times, especially in some unexpected trial, to submit to the punishments of God’s justice, or as a means of regaining recollection after a lot of activity and distracting affairs.


7th Way – Conjure up a vivid picture of the Last Things. Visualize yourself in agony, between time and eternity – between your past life and the judgment of God. – What would you wish to have done? How would you want to have lived? – Think of the pain you will feel then. – Call to mind your sins, your negligence, your abuse of grace. – How would you like to have acted in this or that situation? – Make up your mind to adopt a real, practical means of remedying those defects which give you reason for anxiety.

Visualize yourself dead, buried, rotting, forgotten by all. See yourself before the Judgment-seat of Christ: in purgatory—in hell.

The more vivid the picture, the better will be your meditation.

We all need this mystical death, to get the flesh off of our soul, and to rise again, that is, to get free from corruption and sin. We need to get through this purgatory, in order to arrive at the enjoyment of God in this life.


8th Way — Apply your mind to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Address yourself to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. With all the respect that His Real Presence demands, unite yourself to Him and to all His operations in the Eucharist, where He is ceaselessly adoring, praising, and loving His Father, in the name of all men, and in the condition of a victim.

Realize His recollection, His hidden life, His utter privation of everything, obedience, humility, and so on. – Stir yourself up to imitate this, and resolve to do so according as the occasions arise.

Offer up Jesus to the Father, as the only Victim worthy of Him, and by whom we offer homage to Him. Thank Him for His gifts, satisfy His justice, and oblige His mercy to help us.

Offer yourself to sacrifice your being, your life, your work. Offer up to Him some act of virtue you propose to perform, some mortification upon which you have resolved, with a view to self-conquest, and offer this for the same ends for which Our Lord immolates Himself in the Holy Sacraments. – Make this offering with an ardent desire to add as much as possible to the glory He gives to His Father in this august mystery.

End with a spiritual Communion.

This is an excellent form of prayer, especially for your visit to the Blessed Sacrament. Get to know it well, because our happiness in this life depends on our union with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.


9th Way — This prayer is to be made in the name of Jesus Christ. It will arouse our confidence in God, and help us to enter into the spirit and the sentiments of Our Lord.

Its foundation is the fact that we are united to the Son of God, and are His brothers, members of His Mystical Body; that He has made over to us all His merits, and left us the legacy of all the rewards owed Him by His Father for His labors and death. And this is what makes us capable of honoring God with a worship worthy of Him, and gives us the right to treat with God, and, as it were, to exact His graces of Him as though by justice. – As creatures, we have not this right, still less as sinners, for there is an infinite disproportion between God and creatures, and infinite opposition between God and sinners. But because we are united to the Incarnate Word, and are His brothers, and His members, we are enabled to appear before God with confidence, and speak familiarly with Him and oblige Him to give us a favorable hearing, to grant our requests, and to grant us His graces, because of the alliance and union between us and His Son.

Hence, we are to appear before God either to adore, to praise, or to love Him, by Jesus Christ working in us as the Head in His members, lifting us up, by His spirit, to an entirely divine state, or else to ask some favor in virtue of the merits of His Son. And for that purpose we should remind Him of all that His well beloved Son has done for Him, His life and death, and His sufferings, the reward for which belongs to us because of the deed of gift by which He has made it over to us.

And this is the spirit in which we should recite the Divine Office.


10th Way – Simple attention to the presence of God, and meditation.

Before starting out to meditate on the prepared topic, put yourself in the presence of God without making any other distinct thought, or stirring up in yourself any other sentiment except the respect and love for God which His presence inspires. – Be content to remain thus before God, in silence, in simple repose of the spirit as long as it satisfies you. After that, go on with your meditation in the usual way.

It is a good thing to begin all your prayer in this way, and worth while to return to it after every point. – Relax in this simple awareness of God’s presence. – It is a way to gain real interior recollection. – You will develop the habit of centering your mind upon God and thus gradually pave the way for contemplation. – But do not remain this way out of pure laziness or just to avoid the trouble of making a meditation.]]> Ten Aids to Mental Prayer
by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (1858-1935)
Abbot of the French Cistercian Monastery of Sept-Fons

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3...%3DApi&f=1]


This text is an appendix of the book “The Soul of the Apostolate”, which was a favorite book of Pope Saint Pius X. The good Pope said he left this spiritual masterpiece by his night stand, so he could read it in his bed.

Mental prayer is the furnace in which we go to renew the custody of the heart. By our fidelity to our mental prayer all the other exercises of piety will be rekindled. The soul will gradually acquire vigilance and the spirit of prayer, that is, the habit of having recourse to God more and more frequently.

Union with God in mental prayer will produce an intimate union with Him, even amongst the most absorbing occupations.

The soul, living thus in union with our Lord, by its vigilance, will attract more and more the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the infused virtues, and perhaps God will call it to a higher degree of mental prayer.

That excellent volume, “The Ways of Mental Prayer” by Dom Vital Lehodey (Lecoffre, Paris), gives an exact account of what is required for the ascension of the soul by the different degrees of mental prayer, and gives rules for discerning, whether higher mental prayer is truly a gift of God or the result of illusion.

Before discussing affective mental prayer (the first degree of the higher classes to which God as a rule calls only the souls that have reached the state of vigilance by meditation), Fr. Rigoleuc, S.J., gives in his fine book (Œuvres Spirituelles, Avignon, 1843, page 1 ff.) ten ways of discoursing with God – when after a serious effort, one finds it a moral impossibility to meditate on a subject prepared the night before.

I sum up the pious author:

1st Way – Take a spiritual book (New Testament or “Imitation of Christ”) – read a few lines at intervals – meditate a little on what has been read, try to fix the sense and impress it on your mind. Draw from it some holy thought, love, penance etc., resolve to practice this virtue when opportunity offers.

Avoid reading or meditating too much. Stop at each pause as long as the mind find agreeable and useful converse.


2nd Way – Take some text of Scripture or some vocal prayer – Pater, Ave, Credo, for instance – repeat it, stopping after each word, drawing from it various sentiments of piety on which you dwell as long as it pleases you.

At the end, ask God for some grace or virtue, according to the subject meditated upon.

You are not to stop on any word if it wearies or tires you, but if you find nothing more to think on, pass on quietly to another. When you are touched by some good thought, dwell on it as long as it lasts without troubling to go any further. Nor is it necessary to make fresh acts always, it is sometimes enough to keep in God’s presence, reflecting in silence on the words already meditated or in enjoying the feelings they have already produced in your heart.


3rd Way – When the prepared subject matter does not give you enough scope, or room for free action, make acts of faith, adoration, thanksgiving, hope, love, and so on, letting them range as wide and free as you please, pausing at each one to let it sink in.


4th Way – When meditation is impossible, and you are too helpless and dried-up to produce a single affection, tell Our Lord that it is your intention to make an act, for example, of contrition, every time you draw breath, or pass a bead of the rosary between your fingers, or say, vocally, some short prayer.

Renew this assurance of your intention from time to time, and then if God suggests some other good thought, receive it with humility, and dwell upon it.


5th Way – In time of trial or dryness, if you are completely barren and powerless to make any acts or to have any thoughts, abandon yourself generously to suffering, without anxiety, and without making any effort to avoid it, making no other acts except this self-abandonment into the hands of God to suffer this trial and all it may please Him to send.

Or else you may unite your prayer with Our Lord’s Agony in the garden of desolation upon the cross. See yourself attached to the Cross with the Saviour and stir yourself up to follow His example, and remain there suffering without flinching, until death.


6th Way – A survey of your own conscience. – Admit your defects, passions, weaknesses, infirmities, helplessness, misery, nothingness. – Adore God’s judgments with regard to the state in which you find yourself. – Submit to His holy will. – Bless Him both for His punishments and for the favors of His mercy. – Humble yourself before His sovereign Majesty. – Sincerely confess your sins and infidelities to Him and ask Him to forgive you. – Take back all your false judgments and errors. – Detest all the wrong you have done, and resolve to correct yourself in the future.

This kind of prayer is very free and unhampered, and admits of all kinds of affections. It can be practiced at all times, especially in some unexpected trial, to submit to the punishments of God’s justice, or as a means of regaining recollection after a lot of activity and distracting affairs.


7th Way – Conjure up a vivid picture of the Last Things. Visualize yourself in agony, between time and eternity – between your past life and the judgment of God. – What would you wish to have done? How would you want to have lived? – Think of the pain you will feel then. – Call to mind your sins, your negligence, your abuse of grace. – How would you like to have acted in this or that situation? – Make up your mind to adopt a real, practical means of remedying those defects which give you reason for anxiety.

Visualize yourself dead, buried, rotting, forgotten by all. See yourself before the Judgment-seat of Christ: in purgatory—in hell.

The more vivid the picture, the better will be your meditation.

We all need this mystical death, to get the flesh off of our soul, and to rise again, that is, to get free from corruption and sin. We need to get through this purgatory, in order to arrive at the enjoyment of God in this life.


8th Way — Apply your mind to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Address yourself to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. With all the respect that His Real Presence demands, unite yourself to Him and to all His operations in the Eucharist, where He is ceaselessly adoring, praising, and loving His Father, in the name of all men, and in the condition of a victim.

Realize His recollection, His hidden life, His utter privation of everything, obedience, humility, and so on. – Stir yourself up to imitate this, and resolve to do so according as the occasions arise.

Offer up Jesus to the Father, as the only Victim worthy of Him, and by whom we offer homage to Him. Thank Him for His gifts, satisfy His justice, and oblige His mercy to help us.

Offer yourself to sacrifice your being, your life, your work. Offer up to Him some act of virtue you propose to perform, some mortification upon which you have resolved, with a view to self-conquest, and offer this for the same ends for which Our Lord immolates Himself in the Holy Sacraments. – Make this offering with an ardent desire to add as much as possible to the glory He gives to His Father in this august mystery.

End with a spiritual Communion.

This is an excellent form of prayer, especially for your visit to the Blessed Sacrament. Get to know it well, because our happiness in this life depends on our union with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.


9th Way — This prayer is to be made in the name of Jesus Christ. It will arouse our confidence in God, and help us to enter into the spirit and the sentiments of Our Lord.

Its foundation is the fact that we are united to the Son of God, and are His brothers, members of His Mystical Body; that He has made over to us all His merits, and left us the legacy of all the rewards owed Him by His Father for His labors and death. And this is what makes us capable of honoring God with a worship worthy of Him, and gives us the right to treat with God, and, as it were, to exact His graces of Him as though by justice. – As creatures, we have not this right, still less as sinners, for there is an infinite disproportion between God and creatures, and infinite opposition between God and sinners. But because we are united to the Incarnate Word, and are His brothers, and His members, we are enabled to appear before God with confidence, and speak familiarly with Him and oblige Him to give us a favorable hearing, to grant our requests, and to grant us His graces, because of the alliance and union between us and His Son.

Hence, we are to appear before God either to adore, to praise, or to love Him, by Jesus Christ working in us as the Head in His members, lifting us up, by His spirit, to an entirely divine state, or else to ask some favor in virtue of the merits of His Son. And for that purpose we should remind Him of all that His well beloved Son has done for Him, His life and death, and His sufferings, the reward for which belongs to us because of the deed of gift by which He has made it over to us.

And this is the spirit in which we should recite the Divine Office.


10th Way – Simple attention to the presence of God, and meditation.

Before starting out to meditate on the prepared topic, put yourself in the presence of God without making any other distinct thought, or stirring up in yourself any other sentiment except the respect and love for God which His presence inspires. – Be content to remain thus before God, in silence, in simple repose of the spirit as long as it satisfies you. After that, go on with your meditation in the usual way.

It is a good thing to begin all your prayer in this way, and worth while to return to it after every point. – Relax in this simple awareness of God’s presence. – It is a way to gain real interior recollection. – You will develop the habit of centering your mind upon God and thus gradually pave the way for contemplation. – But do not remain this way out of pure laziness or just to avoid the trouble of making a meditation.]]> <![CDATA[The Fiery Prayer for the Apostles of the Latter Times by St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2887 Sun, 07 Nov 2021 10:48:51 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2887 The Fiery Prayer for the Apostles of the Latter Times
by St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3...%3DApi&f=1]

St. Louis composed this prayer asking for apostles of the latter times. These fiery words are certainly applicable to our days, when the need for these apostles is so urgent in face of the universal and profound affliction of Holy Mother Church. The division into days and subtitles has been added to make it easier to pray.

First Day: To Raise Up Men of Thy Right Hand

Remember, O Lord, remember Thy congregation which Thou did possess from the beginning and think of from all eternity. It was held in Thy Almighty hand when, by a word, Thou didst create the world out of nothing. It was hidden in Thy heart when Thy Divine Son, dying on the Cross, consecrated it by His death and confided it, as a precious treasure, to the care of His most dear Mother: Remember Thy congregation, which Thou hast possessed from the beginning (Ps. 73:2).

Accomplish, O Lord, Thy merciful designs; raise up the men of Thy right hand, such men as Thou hast shown in prophetic vision to some of Thy greatest servants - to St. Francis of Paola, to St. Vincent Ferrer, to St. Catherine of Siena, and to many other noble souls during the last two centuries.

Remember, O Lord: O Almighty God, remember this Company, applying to it all the might of Thy arm, which has no limits, to create, to produce and to bring it to perfection.

Great God, Thou Who out of the very stones can raise up children to Abraham, in the might of Thy Godhead say but one word to provide good laborers for Thy harvest and missionaries for Thy Church.

Remember, O Lord: God of infinite goodness, remember Thy mercies of old and, through this mercy, remember this congregation. Remember Thy repeated promises that Thou has made to us by Thy Prophets and by Thine Own Son to grant us all our lawful requests. Remember the prayers that have been offered To Thee by Thy servants for this end for so many centuries. Let their wishes, their sighs, their tears, and the blood that they have shed for Thee come into Thy presence and earnestly implore Thy mercy. But, above all, remember Thy Dear Son: Look on the face of Thy Christ (Ps. 83:10). Contemplate His agony, His shame and confusion, His loving complaint in the Gar- den of Olives, when He said: What profit is there in My Blood? (Ps. 29:10).

His cruel death, His Blood that poured forth cries out for mercy so that, by means of this congregation, His Kingdom may be established upon the ruins of that of His enemies.

Remember, O Lord: Remember, O Lord, this community in the effects of Thy justice. It is time, O Lord, to do: they have dissipated Thy law (Ps. 118:126). It is time to do what Thou has promised: Thy Divine Law is transgressed. Thy Gospel is ignored, Thy religion abandoned. Torrents of iniquity overwhelm the world, carrying away even Thy servants; the whole earth has become desolate; impiety is enthroned; Thy sanctuary is profaned, and abomination has reached even into the holy place.

Will Thou suffer this any longer, just Lord, God of vengeance? Will the end of all be like that of Sodom and Gomorrah? Will Thou be forever silent? Must not Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven? Must not Thy Kingdom come? Hast Thou not given to some of Thy friends a prophetic glimpse of the future renovation of Thy Church? Are not the Jews to be converted to the Truth? Is not this what Thy Church is awaiting? Do not all the Saints in heaven cry out to Thee: Avenge Thyself? Do not all the just on earth say to Thee: Amen. Come, O Lord, for the time is at hand (Apoc. 22:20). Do not all creatures, even the most insensible, moan under the weight of the numberless sins of Babylon and call for Thy coming to reestablish all things? For we know that every creature groaneth (Rom. 8:22).


Second Day: Detachment from all Earthly Things

Lord Jesus, Remember Thy congregation. Remember to give to Thy Mother a new company who, through Her, will renew all things and thus, through Mary, complete the years of grace just as, through Her, Thou did begin them.

Give me children, otherwise I shall die (Gen. 30:1): Give to Thy Mother children, servants, or let me die. Give Thy Mother children. It is for Thy Mother’s sake that I pray to Thee. Remember that Thou did dwell within her womb, were nourished at Her breasts, and reject me not. Remember whose Son Thou art and hear me. Remember what She is to Thee and what Thou art to Her, and grant my request. What is it I am asking from Thee? Nothing for myself, all for Thy glory. What am I asking of Thee? What Thou can, and even, I dare say, what Thou should grant me, being as Thou art the true God to Whom all power has been given in heaven and on earth and the best of all children, for Thou loved Thy Mother with an infinite love.

What am I asking of Thee?

Children: Priests, free with Thy freedom, detached from all things, without father or mother, or brothers or sisters, without relations according to the world, without means, without worry, without cares, and even without any will of their own.

Children: Slaves of Thy love and of Thy will: men according to Thy heart, who, without self-will to stain and hold them back, accomplish all Thy designs and crush all Thy enemies; other Davids, with the staff of the Cross and the sling of the holy Rosary in their hands.

Children: souls raised above this earth like heavenly dew who, without impediment, fly hither and thither in accordance with the breath of the Holy Spirit. It was they, in part, Thy Prophets spoke of when they asked: Who are these that fly as clouds? (Is. 60:8). Wither the impulse of the Spirit was to go, there they went (Ez. 1:12).

Children: Men ever at Thy hand, ever ready to obey Thee, like Samuel, at the voice of their Superiors: Presto sum: I am ready, every ready to run and suffer everything with Thee and for Thee, like the Apostles: Let us also go ,that we may die with Him (John 11:16).

Children: True Children of Mary, Thy Holy Mother, who are begotten and concealed by Her charity, carried in Her bosom, fastened to Her breasts, nourished with Her milk, reared under Her care, upheld by Her arms, and enriched with Her graces.

Children: True servants of the Blessed Virgin, who, like other Saint Dominics, would go everywhere carrying the bright and burning torch of the Holy Gospel in their mouths and the holy Rosary in their hands; barking, like faithful watchdogs, at the wolves who would fain tear to pieces the flock of Jesus Christ; burning like fires and lighting up the darkness of the World like other suns. Men who would, by means of a true devotion to Mary, that is to say, interior, not hypocritical; exterior, not critical; prudent, not ignorant; tender, not indifferent; constant, not unsteady; and holy, without presumption, crush wherever they go the head of the old serpent, in order that the curse Thou placed on him might be entirely fulfilled: I will put enmities between thee and the Woman and thy seed and Her seed: She shall crush thy head (Gen. 3:15).


Third Day: In Combat with the Devil

It is true, great God, that as Thou has predicted, the world will lay mighty snares to entrap the heel of this mysterious woman, that is to say, the little company of her children who will emerge toward the end of the world, and that there will be a mighty enmity between this blessed posterity of Mary and the cursed race of Satan. But it is a divine enmity, and the only one of which Thou art the author: I will put enmities. But these combats and persecutions that the children of the race of Belial will inflict on Thy Blessed Mother’s race will only serve to show to greater advantage the power of Thy grace and the courage of their virtue and the authority of Thy Mother, since Thou hast given to Her, from the beginning of the world, the commission to curse this proud spirit by the humility of Her Heart: She shall crush thy head.

If not this, then I shall die: Is it not better that I should die rather than see my God cruelly offended every day and myself in constant danger of being carried away by the unopposed and ever-increasing torrents of iniquity? Ah, death would be to me a thousand times preferable. Either send me help from heaven or take away my soul. Yes, if I did not hope that sooner or later Thou would, in the interest of Thy glory, hear his poor sinner as Thou has already heard so many others: This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him (Ps. 33:7), then I would pray to Thee just as the Prophet did: Take away my soul! (Kings 19:4)

But the confidence that I have in Thy mercy makes me say with another Prophet: I shall not die, but live; and shall declare the works of the Lord (Ps. 117:17) until I can say with Simeon: Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, in peace, because my eyes have seen Thy salvation (Luke 2:29).


Fourth Day: Formed by the Holy Spirit in Mary

Remember, O Lord, O Holy Spirit, remember to produce and to form children of God with Thy divine and faithful Spouse, Mary. Thou did form Jesus Christ, the Chief of the predestined, with Her and in Her. It is with Her and in Her that Thou should form all His members; Thou did beget no divine person in the Divinity; but it is Thou alone Who forms all holy persons out of the Divinity; and all the saints that have been or shall be until the end of the world are so many works of Thy love united with Mary. The special reign of God the Father lasted until the Deluge, and was concluded by a deluge of water. The reign of Jesus Christ was concluded by a deluge of Blood. But Thy reign, Spirit of the Father and of the Son, continues at the present time and will be concluded by deluge of fire, of love, of justice.

When shall it come, this deluge of fire and pure love, which Thou art to enkindle in all the earth with so much strength and sweetness that all nations, Turks, idolaters, even the Jews, will burn with it and be converted? And there is no one who can hide himself from his heat (Ps. 18:7).

May it be enkindled: May this divine fire, which Jesus Christ came to bring the world be enkindled before that of Thy anger, which will reduce everything to ashes. Send forth Thy spirit and they shall be created; and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth (Ps. 103:30). Send forth the spirit of fire upon the earth to create priests all aflame, by whose ministry the face of the earth may be renewed and the Church reformed.

Remember Thy congregation, O Lord: It is a congregation, an assembly, a choice selection of predestined souls, which Thou must make in the world and of the world: I have chosen you out of the world (John 15:19). It is a flock of peaceful sheep which Thou must collect from among the wolves; a company of chaste doves and royal eagles from among so many ravens; a swarm of honey bees from among so many wasps; a herd of fleet deer from among so many tortoises; a battalion of courageous lions from among so many timid hares. Ah! Lord: Gather us from among the nations (Ps. 105:47). Call us together, unite us, that we may render all glory to Thy holy and powerful name.


Fifth Day: Complete trust in Providence

Thou did predict this illustrious company to Thy Prophets who spoke of it in inspired, although in very obscure and very secret, terms:
Thou shall set aside for Thy inheritance a free rain, O God; and it was weakened, but Thou hast made it perfect. In it shall Thy animals dwell: in Thy sweetness, O God, Thou hast provided for the poor. The Lord shall give the word to them that preach good tidings with great power. The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved; and the beauty of the house shall divide spoils. If you sleep among the midst of lots, you shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and the hinder parts of her back with the paleness of gold. When He that is in heaven appointed kings over her, they shall be white with snow in Selmon. The mountain of God is a fat mountain. A curdled mountain, a fat mountain. Why suspect, ye curdled mountains? A mountain in which God is well pleased to swell: for there the Lord shall dwell unto the end (Ps. 67: 10-17).

What is this voluntary rain which Thou has separated and chosen for Thy weakened heritage if not these missionaries, these children of Mary, Thy Spouse, whom Thou art to assemble and to separate from the world for the good of Thy Church so afflicted and so weakened by the crimes of her children?

What are these animals and these poor who will dwell in Thy heritage, to be there nourished with the heavenly sweetness that Thou has prepared for them, if not these poor missionaries trusting in Providence, who will be satiated with Thy divine joys; if not those mysterious animals of Ezekiel, having the humanity of man by their disinterest and beneficent charity toward their neighbor; the courage of the lion by their holy anger and their ardent, prudent zeal against the demons and the children of Babylon; and the strength of the ox by their apostolic labors and their mortification of the flesh, and finally, the swiftness of the eagle by their contemplation in God?

These are the missionaries whom Thou wish to send to Thy Church. They shall have the eye of a man for their neighbor, the eye of a lion for Thy enemies, the eye of an ox for themselves, and the eye of an eagle for Thee. These imitators of the Apostles shall preach with a strength and a virtue so great and so striking that they will stir up all minds and all hearts, wheresover they will preach. It is to them that Thou wilt give Thy word: even Thy mouth and Thy wisdom: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist or gainsay (Luke 21: 15), which none of Thy enemies will be able to resist.

It is among these well-beloved that Thou, Holy Spirit, as King of the virtues of Jesus Christ, the Well-Beloved, will take Thy delight. For in all their missions, they shall have no other end in view than that of giving to Thee all the glory of the spoils taken from Thy enemies: The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved, and the beauty of the house shall divide the spoils.

By their trust in Providence and their devotion to Mary, they shall have the silvery wings of the dove: that is to say, a perfect charity toward their neighbors to bear with their defects, and a great love for Jesus Christ to carry His Cross.

Thou alone, as King of heaven and King of kings, shall set apart from the world these missionaries like so many kings, in order to make them whiter than the snow on the top of Mount Selmon, the mountain of God, the strong and fertile mountain in which God takes wonderful delight and in which He dwells and shall dwell until the end.

Lord God of Truth, Who is this mysterious mountain of which Thou speakest such wonderful things if not Mary, Thy dear Spouse, whose foundation Thou has placed upon the tops of the highest mountains? The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains ... the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of mountains (Ps. 86:1; Mich. 4:1).

Happy, a thousand times happy, are the priests whom Thou has chosen and predestined to dwell with Thee upon this abundant and divine mountain, there to become the kings of eternity by their contempt of the world and their elevation in God; there to be made whiter than snow by their union with Mary, Thy spouse, all beautiful, all pure, all immaculate; there to be enriched with the dew of heaven and the riches of the land, with all the temporal and eternal blessings with which Mary is filled.

It is from the top of this mountain that, like other Moses’, they shall direct the arrows of their ardent prayers against their enemies to crush or to convert them. It is upon this mountain that they shall learn, even from the lips of Jesus Christ, Who always dwells there, the meaning of His Eight Beatitudes. It is upon this mountain of God that they shall be transfigured with Him as upon Tabor, die with Him as upon Calvary, and ascend to heaven with Him as upon Mount Olivet.


Sixth Day: That they may extinguish the fire in the House of God

Remember, O Lord, Thy congregation: It is Thy Grace alone that must form this company. If man touches it first, nothing will be done. If he interferes with Thy work, he will spoil all, overturn all. Thy congregation: It is Thy work, great God. Do Thy work: do Thy all-divine work; collect, call, gather together Thy elect from all places over which Thou has domination and make of them a strong army to defend Thy heritage against Thy enemies.

Soldiers pay homage to God

Seest Thou, Lord, God of battles, seest Thou the captains who are forming full battalions, the potentates who are assembling whole fleets, the merchants gathering in large numbers at the markets and the fairs? Crowds of robbers, drunkards, libertines, impious men are uniting against Thee every day - and so easily and promptly. The sound of a whistle, the beat of a drum, the sight of a blunt sword-tip, the promise of a withered laurel wreath, the offer of a bit of gold or silver; in a word, a breath of fame and earthly interest, a vile pleasure for which they long can, in a moment, unite robbers as one, call forward soldiers, assemble battalions, bring together merchants, fill houses and market places and cover the earth and the sea with an innumerable multitude of the reprobate, who, although divided among themselves by the places whence they come, by the differences in their dispositions or by their personal interests, are nevertheless united as one man, until death, to fight against Thee under the banner and the leadership of the demon.

And we, great God! Although there is so much glory and profit, so much sweetness and so many advantages to be gained by serving Thee, shall there be so few to take up Thy cause? Hardly any soldiers under Thy banner! Nary a St. Michael to proclaim among Thy brethren in zeal for Thy glory: Who is like unto God?

Ah, let me cry out everywhere: Fire! Fire! Fire! Help! Help! Help! Fire even within the sanctuary! Help for our brother who is being murdered! Help for our children whose throats are being cut! Help for our Father Who is being stabbed! If any man be on the Lord’s side, let him join with me (Ex. 32:26).

Let all good priests who are spread over the Christianworld, and those who are actually on the battlefield and those who have withdrawn from the combat to bury themselves in deserts and solitude, let them all come forward and unite with us — in unity there is strength — so that we may form, under the banner of the Cross, a well-regulated army in battle array, and together attack the enemies of God who have already sounded the alarm. They have shouted; they have raged; they have swelled their ranks. Let us break their bonds asunder; let us cast away their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them (Ps. 2:3-4). Let the Lord arise, and let His enemies be dispersed.

Arise, O Lord, why sleepest Thou? Arise: Arise, O Lord, why feignest Thou to sleep? Arise in Thy might, Thy mercy, and Thy justice, to form Thyself a chosen bodyguard to keep Thy house, to defend Thy glory, and to save the souls bought at the price of Thy Precious Blood, so that there may be but one fold and one shepherd, and that all may glorify Thee in Thy holy temple: And in His temple all shall proclaim His glory. Amen.




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]]> The Fiery Prayer for the Apostles of the Latter Times
by St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort

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St. Louis composed this prayer asking for apostles of the latter times. These fiery words are certainly applicable to our days, when the need for these apostles is so urgent in face of the universal and profound affliction of Holy Mother Church. The division into days and subtitles has been added to make it easier to pray.

First Day: To Raise Up Men of Thy Right Hand

Remember, O Lord, remember Thy congregation which Thou did possess from the beginning and think of from all eternity. It was held in Thy Almighty hand when, by a word, Thou didst create the world out of nothing. It was hidden in Thy heart when Thy Divine Son, dying on the Cross, consecrated it by His death and confided it, as a precious treasure, to the care of His most dear Mother: Remember Thy congregation, which Thou hast possessed from the beginning (Ps. 73:2).

Accomplish, O Lord, Thy merciful designs; raise up the men of Thy right hand, such men as Thou hast shown in prophetic vision to some of Thy greatest servants - to St. Francis of Paola, to St. Vincent Ferrer, to St. Catherine of Siena, and to many other noble souls during the last two centuries.

Remember, O Lord: O Almighty God, remember this Company, applying to it all the might of Thy arm, which has no limits, to create, to produce and to bring it to perfection.

Great God, Thou Who out of the very stones can raise up children to Abraham, in the might of Thy Godhead say but one word to provide good laborers for Thy harvest and missionaries for Thy Church.

Remember, O Lord: God of infinite goodness, remember Thy mercies of old and, through this mercy, remember this congregation. Remember Thy repeated promises that Thou has made to us by Thy Prophets and by Thine Own Son to grant us all our lawful requests. Remember the prayers that have been offered To Thee by Thy servants for this end for so many centuries. Let their wishes, their sighs, their tears, and the blood that they have shed for Thee come into Thy presence and earnestly implore Thy mercy. But, above all, remember Thy Dear Son: Look on the face of Thy Christ (Ps. 83:10). Contemplate His agony, His shame and confusion, His loving complaint in the Gar- den of Olives, when He said: What profit is there in My Blood? (Ps. 29:10).

His cruel death, His Blood that poured forth cries out for mercy so that, by means of this congregation, His Kingdom may be established upon the ruins of that of His enemies.

Remember, O Lord: Remember, O Lord, this community in the effects of Thy justice. It is time, O Lord, to do: they have dissipated Thy law (Ps. 118:126). It is time to do what Thou has promised: Thy Divine Law is transgressed. Thy Gospel is ignored, Thy religion abandoned. Torrents of iniquity overwhelm the world, carrying away even Thy servants; the whole earth has become desolate; impiety is enthroned; Thy sanctuary is profaned, and abomination has reached even into the holy place.

Will Thou suffer this any longer, just Lord, God of vengeance? Will the end of all be like that of Sodom and Gomorrah? Will Thou be forever silent? Must not Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven? Must not Thy Kingdom come? Hast Thou not given to some of Thy friends a prophetic glimpse of the future renovation of Thy Church? Are not the Jews to be converted to the Truth? Is not this what Thy Church is awaiting? Do not all the Saints in heaven cry out to Thee: Avenge Thyself? Do not all the just on earth say to Thee: Amen. Come, O Lord, for the time is at hand (Apoc. 22:20). Do not all creatures, even the most insensible, moan under the weight of the numberless sins of Babylon and call for Thy coming to reestablish all things? For we know that every creature groaneth (Rom. 8:22).


Second Day: Detachment from all Earthly Things

Lord Jesus, Remember Thy congregation. Remember to give to Thy Mother a new company who, through Her, will renew all things and thus, through Mary, complete the years of grace just as, through Her, Thou did begin them.

Give me children, otherwise I shall die (Gen. 30:1): Give to Thy Mother children, servants, or let me die. Give Thy Mother children. It is for Thy Mother’s sake that I pray to Thee. Remember that Thou did dwell within her womb, were nourished at Her breasts, and reject me not. Remember whose Son Thou art and hear me. Remember what She is to Thee and what Thou art to Her, and grant my request. What is it I am asking from Thee? Nothing for myself, all for Thy glory. What am I asking of Thee? What Thou can, and even, I dare say, what Thou should grant me, being as Thou art the true God to Whom all power has been given in heaven and on earth and the best of all children, for Thou loved Thy Mother with an infinite love.

What am I asking of Thee?

Children: Priests, free with Thy freedom, detached from all things, without father or mother, or brothers or sisters, without relations according to the world, without means, without worry, without cares, and even without any will of their own.

Children: Slaves of Thy love and of Thy will: men according to Thy heart, who, without self-will to stain and hold them back, accomplish all Thy designs and crush all Thy enemies; other Davids, with the staff of the Cross and the sling of the holy Rosary in their hands.

Children: souls raised above this earth like heavenly dew who, without impediment, fly hither and thither in accordance with the breath of the Holy Spirit. It was they, in part, Thy Prophets spoke of when they asked: Who are these that fly as clouds? (Is. 60:8). Wither the impulse of the Spirit was to go, there they went (Ez. 1:12).

Children: Men ever at Thy hand, ever ready to obey Thee, like Samuel, at the voice of their Superiors: Presto sum: I am ready, every ready to run and suffer everything with Thee and for Thee, like the Apostles: Let us also go ,that we may die with Him (John 11:16).

Children: True Children of Mary, Thy Holy Mother, who are begotten and concealed by Her charity, carried in Her bosom, fastened to Her breasts, nourished with Her milk, reared under Her care, upheld by Her arms, and enriched with Her graces.

Children: True servants of the Blessed Virgin, who, like other Saint Dominics, would go everywhere carrying the bright and burning torch of the Holy Gospel in their mouths and the holy Rosary in their hands; barking, like faithful watchdogs, at the wolves who would fain tear to pieces the flock of Jesus Christ; burning like fires and lighting up the darkness of the World like other suns. Men who would, by means of a true devotion to Mary, that is to say, interior, not hypocritical; exterior, not critical; prudent, not ignorant; tender, not indifferent; constant, not unsteady; and holy, without presumption, crush wherever they go the head of the old serpent, in order that the curse Thou placed on him might be entirely fulfilled: I will put enmities between thee and the Woman and thy seed and Her seed: She shall crush thy head (Gen. 3:15).


Third Day: In Combat with the Devil

It is true, great God, that as Thou has predicted, the world will lay mighty snares to entrap the heel of this mysterious woman, that is to say, the little company of her children who will emerge toward the end of the world, and that there will be a mighty enmity between this blessed posterity of Mary and the cursed race of Satan. But it is a divine enmity, and the only one of which Thou art the author: I will put enmities. But these combats and persecutions that the children of the race of Belial will inflict on Thy Blessed Mother’s race will only serve to show to greater advantage the power of Thy grace and the courage of their virtue and the authority of Thy Mother, since Thou hast given to Her, from the beginning of the world, the commission to curse this proud spirit by the humility of Her Heart: She shall crush thy head.

If not this, then I shall die: Is it not better that I should die rather than see my God cruelly offended every day and myself in constant danger of being carried away by the unopposed and ever-increasing torrents of iniquity? Ah, death would be to me a thousand times preferable. Either send me help from heaven or take away my soul. Yes, if I did not hope that sooner or later Thou would, in the interest of Thy glory, hear his poor sinner as Thou has already heard so many others: This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him (Ps. 33:7), then I would pray to Thee just as the Prophet did: Take away my soul! (Kings 19:4)

But the confidence that I have in Thy mercy makes me say with another Prophet: I shall not die, but live; and shall declare the works of the Lord (Ps. 117:17) until I can say with Simeon: Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, in peace, because my eyes have seen Thy salvation (Luke 2:29).


Fourth Day: Formed by the Holy Spirit in Mary

Remember, O Lord, O Holy Spirit, remember to produce and to form children of God with Thy divine and faithful Spouse, Mary. Thou did form Jesus Christ, the Chief of the predestined, with Her and in Her. It is with Her and in Her that Thou should form all His members; Thou did beget no divine person in the Divinity; but it is Thou alone Who forms all holy persons out of the Divinity; and all the saints that have been or shall be until the end of the world are so many works of Thy love united with Mary. The special reign of God the Father lasted until the Deluge, and was concluded by a deluge of water. The reign of Jesus Christ was concluded by a deluge of Blood. But Thy reign, Spirit of the Father and of the Son, continues at the present time and will be concluded by deluge of fire, of love, of justice.

When shall it come, this deluge of fire and pure love, which Thou art to enkindle in all the earth with so much strength and sweetness that all nations, Turks, idolaters, even the Jews, will burn with it and be converted? And there is no one who can hide himself from his heat (Ps. 18:7).

May it be enkindled: May this divine fire, which Jesus Christ came to bring the world be enkindled before that of Thy anger, which will reduce everything to ashes. Send forth Thy spirit and they shall be created; and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth (Ps. 103:30). Send forth the spirit of fire upon the earth to create priests all aflame, by whose ministry the face of the earth may be renewed and the Church reformed.

Remember Thy congregation, O Lord: It is a congregation, an assembly, a choice selection of predestined souls, which Thou must make in the world and of the world: I have chosen you out of the world (John 15:19). It is a flock of peaceful sheep which Thou must collect from among the wolves; a company of chaste doves and royal eagles from among so many ravens; a swarm of honey bees from among so many wasps; a herd of fleet deer from among so many tortoises; a battalion of courageous lions from among so many timid hares. Ah! Lord: Gather us from among the nations (Ps. 105:47). Call us together, unite us, that we may render all glory to Thy holy and powerful name.


Fifth Day: Complete trust in Providence

Thou did predict this illustrious company to Thy Prophets who spoke of it in inspired, although in very obscure and very secret, terms:
Thou shall set aside for Thy inheritance a free rain, O God; and it was weakened, but Thou hast made it perfect. In it shall Thy animals dwell: in Thy sweetness, O God, Thou hast provided for the poor. The Lord shall give the word to them that preach good tidings with great power. The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved; and the beauty of the house shall divide spoils. If you sleep among the midst of lots, you shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and the hinder parts of her back with the paleness of gold. When He that is in heaven appointed kings over her, they shall be white with snow in Selmon. The mountain of God is a fat mountain. A curdled mountain, a fat mountain. Why suspect, ye curdled mountains? A mountain in which God is well pleased to swell: for there the Lord shall dwell unto the end (Ps. 67: 10-17).

What is this voluntary rain which Thou has separated and chosen for Thy weakened heritage if not these missionaries, these children of Mary, Thy Spouse, whom Thou art to assemble and to separate from the world for the good of Thy Church so afflicted and so weakened by the crimes of her children?

What are these animals and these poor who will dwell in Thy heritage, to be there nourished with the heavenly sweetness that Thou has prepared for them, if not these poor missionaries trusting in Providence, who will be satiated with Thy divine joys; if not those mysterious animals of Ezekiel, having the humanity of man by their disinterest and beneficent charity toward their neighbor; the courage of the lion by their holy anger and their ardent, prudent zeal against the demons and the children of Babylon; and the strength of the ox by their apostolic labors and their mortification of the flesh, and finally, the swiftness of the eagle by their contemplation in God?

These are the missionaries whom Thou wish to send to Thy Church. They shall have the eye of a man for their neighbor, the eye of a lion for Thy enemies, the eye of an ox for themselves, and the eye of an eagle for Thee. These imitators of the Apostles shall preach with a strength and a virtue so great and so striking that they will stir up all minds and all hearts, wheresover they will preach. It is to them that Thou wilt give Thy word: even Thy mouth and Thy wisdom: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist or gainsay (Luke 21: 15), which none of Thy enemies will be able to resist.

It is among these well-beloved that Thou, Holy Spirit, as King of the virtues of Jesus Christ, the Well-Beloved, will take Thy delight. For in all their missions, they shall have no other end in view than that of giving to Thee all the glory of the spoils taken from Thy enemies: The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved, and the beauty of the house shall divide the spoils.

By their trust in Providence and their devotion to Mary, they shall have the silvery wings of the dove: that is to say, a perfect charity toward their neighbors to bear with their defects, and a great love for Jesus Christ to carry His Cross.

Thou alone, as King of heaven and King of kings, shall set apart from the world these missionaries like so many kings, in order to make them whiter than the snow on the top of Mount Selmon, the mountain of God, the strong and fertile mountain in which God takes wonderful delight and in which He dwells and shall dwell until the end.

Lord God of Truth, Who is this mysterious mountain of which Thou speakest such wonderful things if not Mary, Thy dear Spouse, whose foundation Thou has placed upon the tops of the highest mountains? The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains ... the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of mountains (Ps. 86:1; Mich. 4:1).

Happy, a thousand times happy, are the priests whom Thou has chosen and predestined to dwell with Thee upon this abundant and divine mountain, there to become the kings of eternity by their contempt of the world and their elevation in God; there to be made whiter than snow by their union with Mary, Thy spouse, all beautiful, all pure, all immaculate; there to be enriched with the dew of heaven and the riches of the land, with all the temporal and eternal blessings with which Mary is filled.

It is from the top of this mountain that, like other Moses’, they shall direct the arrows of their ardent prayers against their enemies to crush or to convert them. It is upon this mountain that they shall learn, even from the lips of Jesus Christ, Who always dwells there, the meaning of His Eight Beatitudes. It is upon this mountain of God that they shall be transfigured with Him as upon Tabor, die with Him as upon Calvary, and ascend to heaven with Him as upon Mount Olivet.


Sixth Day: That they may extinguish the fire in the House of God

Remember, O Lord, Thy congregation: It is Thy Grace alone that must form this company. If man touches it first, nothing will be done. If he interferes with Thy work, he will spoil all, overturn all. Thy congregation: It is Thy work, great God. Do Thy work: do Thy all-divine work; collect, call, gather together Thy elect from all places over which Thou has domination and make of them a strong army to defend Thy heritage against Thy enemies.

Soldiers pay homage to God

Seest Thou, Lord, God of battles, seest Thou the captains who are forming full battalions, the potentates who are assembling whole fleets, the merchants gathering in large numbers at the markets and the fairs? Crowds of robbers, drunkards, libertines, impious men are uniting against Thee every day - and so easily and promptly. The sound of a whistle, the beat of a drum, the sight of a blunt sword-tip, the promise of a withered laurel wreath, the offer of a bit of gold or silver; in a word, a breath of fame and earthly interest, a vile pleasure for which they long can, in a moment, unite robbers as one, call forward soldiers, assemble battalions, bring together merchants, fill houses and market places and cover the earth and the sea with an innumerable multitude of the reprobate, who, although divided among themselves by the places whence they come, by the differences in their dispositions or by their personal interests, are nevertheless united as one man, until death, to fight against Thee under the banner and the leadership of the demon.

And we, great God! Although there is so much glory and profit, so much sweetness and so many advantages to be gained by serving Thee, shall there be so few to take up Thy cause? Hardly any soldiers under Thy banner! Nary a St. Michael to proclaim among Thy brethren in zeal for Thy glory: Who is like unto God?

Ah, let me cry out everywhere: Fire! Fire! Fire! Help! Help! Help! Fire even within the sanctuary! Help for our brother who is being murdered! Help for our children whose throats are being cut! Help for our Father Who is being stabbed! If any man be on the Lord’s side, let him join with me (Ex. 32:26).

Let all good priests who are spread over the Christianworld, and those who are actually on the battlefield and those who have withdrawn from the combat to bury themselves in deserts and solitude, let them all come forward and unite with us — in unity there is strength — so that we may form, under the banner of the Cross, a well-regulated army in battle array, and together attack the enemies of God who have already sounded the alarm. They have shouted; they have raged; they have swelled their ranks. Let us break their bonds asunder; let us cast away their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them (Ps. 2:3-4). Let the Lord arise, and let His enemies be dispersed.

Arise, O Lord, why sleepest Thou? Arise: Arise, O Lord, why feignest Thou to sleep? Arise in Thy might, Thy mercy, and Thy justice, to form Thyself a chosen bodyguard to keep Thy house, to defend Thy glory, and to save the souls bought at the price of Thy Precious Blood, so that there may be but one fold and one shepherd, and that all may glorify Thee in Thy holy temple: And in His temple all shall proclaim His glory. Amen.




[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bibleblender.com%2F...f=1&nofb=1]
]]> <![CDATA[Prayers in Honor of the Saints]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2847 Mon, 01 Nov 2021 11:56:33 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2847 Prayers to the All Saints

[Image: ?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgardenofmary.com%2Fwp-co...f=1&nofb=1]
"So I say to you there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance" (Luke xv. 10).

"For in the resurrection they [the saints] shall be as the angels of God in heaven" (Matt. xxii. 30).


The saints are friends of God. They are like the angels in heaven. We honor them, not as we honor God, but on account of the relation they bear to God. They are creatures of God, the work of His hands. When we honor them, we honor God; as when we praise a beautiful painting, we praise the artist.

We do not believe that the saints can help us of themselves, but we ask them to "pray for us." We believe that everything comes to us "through Our Lord Jesus Christ." With these words all our prayers end. It is useful, salutary, and reasonable to pray to the saints and ask them to pray for us. No doubt all will admit the reasonableness of this practice if the saints can hear and help us.

That they hear and help us is evident from many passages of Scripture. The patriarch Jacob would not have prayed to the angel to bless his grandchildren Manasses and Ephraim (as we learn he did from Gen. xlviii.), unless he knew the angel could do so. We are informed (Luke xv.) that the angels rejoice when one sinner does penance. We are also informed (Matt. xxii.) that the saints are like the angels--i.e., have the same happiness and knowledge. Hence the saints, as well as the angels, can hear us, can help us, and are acquainted with our actions, words, and thoughts.

It is generally conceded that it is reasonable to ask pious persons on earth to pray for us. St. Paul, in his epistles, frequently asks the Christians to pray for him. "Brethren," he says, "pray for us." It is well known that God was pleased to answer the prayer of Abraham in favor of Abimelech. "More things are wrought by prayer than this world knows of." Now, if we poor sinners here on earth do not pray in vain for one another, will the saints in heaven, the friends of God, who rejoice when a sinner does penance, pray in vain for us? No. We have hosts of friends in heaven to speak a good word for us. And as a child who has disobeyed his parents wisely asks a better brother or sister to intercede with his parents for mercy, so, too, having disobeyed our heavenly Father by sin, we have recourse to others better than ourselves, to our better brothers and sisters, the Blessed Virgin and saints, to intercede with God for us. Is not this a reasonable practice?

If your mother or sister crosses the sea she will continue to pray for you. And if she crosses the sea of death will she forget you? No. The love she bore you here will continue in heaven. She will pray for you, and the "Lord will hear the prayers of the just." Ask the saints to pray to your God and their God for you. Honor God by honoring His friends and asking their intercession. And all your friends in heaven will unite in praying to the Father of us all that one day all who love God and His friends, the saints, may be admitted with them into the company of the Saint of saints, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.



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Giver of life, eternal Lord,
Thy own redeemed defend;
Mother of grace, thy children save,
And help them to the end.

Ye thousand thousand Angel hosts,
Assist us in our need;
Ye Patriarchs, with the Prophet choir,
For our forgiveness plead.

Forerunner blest, and thou who still
Dost heaven's dread keys retain;
Ye glorious Apostles all,
Unloose our guilty chain.

Army of Martyrs, holy Priests,
In beautiful array;
Ye happy troops of Virgins chaste
Wash all our stains away.

All ye who high above the stars
In heavenly glory reign,
May we through your prevailing prayers
Unto your joys attain.

Praise, honor, to the Father be,
Praise to His only Son;
Praise, Holy Paraclete, to Thee,
While endless ages run.
Amen

(Roman Breviary)



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A Prayer to your Patron Saints


O Blessed Saint N--, glorious citizen of heaven, as I render most humble thanks to God for all the good He has done thee so I beseech thee, to remember me in thy prayers, and to obtain for me the entire pardon of my sins, the amendment of my life, and the imitation of thy good spirit and holy graces, that I may be reconciled to my Saviour and always please Him. But especially I recommend to thee the hour of my death that by thy holy intercession, my soul may depart from this world in the grace of God, and may immediately come to everlasting life. Amen



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Petition for the Prayers of the Saints


Oh all ye saints and angels, who see Him face to face, Whom I here receive under these humble veils, and thou, most especially, ever blessed Virgin Mary, in whose sacred womb He was conceived and borne for nine months--I most humbly beg the assistance of your prayers and intercession, that I may in such a manner receive Him here in this place of banishment, as to be brought, one day, to behold Him with you in our true country, and there to praise and bless Him for ever and ever. Amen.



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Prayer for Greater Love of Jesus


O my Jesus, Thou knowest well that I love Thee; but I do not love Thee enough; O grant that I may love Thee more. O love that burnest ever and never failest, my God, Thou Who art charity itself, enkindle in my heart that divine fire which consumes the saints and transforms them into Thee. Amen

(An indulgence of 50 days, twice a day.--Leo XIII, Feb. 6, 1893.)



"The saints shall rejoice in glory: the high praises of God shall be in their mouths" Ps. cxlix. 5).

"The souls of the just are in the hands of God, they are in peace" (Wis iii i ).



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Te Deum, Ambrosian Hymn


TE DEUM laudamus: te Dominum confitemur.
O GOD, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.
Everlasting Father, all the earth doth worship Thee.

Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi Caeli et universae Potestates;
To Thee all the Angels, the Heavens and all the Powers,

Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, unceasingly proclaim:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!

Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
The glorious choir of the Apostles,

Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
The wonderful company of Prophets,

Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
The white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.

Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee:

Patrem immensae maiestatis:
The Father of infinite Majesty;

Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;

Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
And the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!

Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Thou, having taken it upon Thyself to deliver man, didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.

Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Thou overcame the sting of death and hast opened to believers the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

Iudex crederis esse venturus.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.

Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
We beseech Thee, therefore, to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.

Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.

V. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance!

R. Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
R. Govern them, and raise them up forever.

V. Per singulos dies benedicimus te.
V. Every day we thank Thee.

R. Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.
R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yea, forever and ever.

V. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.

R. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.
R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.
V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.

R. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.
R. O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame.

(Indulgence: 5 years)



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Trent, Sess. XXV, De Invocatione, veneratione et reliquiis Sanctorum et sacris imaginibus


"The Holy Synod bids all Bishops and others whose duty it is to teach, diligently to instruct the faithful in accordance with the practice dating from the earliest ages of the Christian faith, and in harmony with the con-sentient teaching of the Holy Fathers and the Decrees of Councils, concerning the intercession and invocation of the Saints, the honor due to relics and the legitimate us of images. They are to teach that the Saints reigning with Christ offer to God prayers for us men; that it is a good and profitable thing humbly to invoke them and, in order to obtain benefits from God through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, our only Redeemer and Saviour, to appeal to them for their prayers, help and assistance. . . . . Also that the bodies of the Holy Martyrs Martyrs and others now living with Christ, bodies which were members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit and which are one day to be raised up by Him and glorified in eternal life, are to be venerated by the faithful, and that through them a many benefits are bestowed by God upon men."



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Prayer of St. Gertrude to the Saints in Heaven

I salute you through the Heart of Jesus, O all ye holy angels and saints of God; I rejoice in your glory and I give thanks to our Lord for all the benefits which He has showered upon you; I praise Him, and glorify Him, and offer you for an increase of your joy and honor, the most gentle heart of Jesus. Deign therefore, to pray for me that I may become according to the heart of God. Amen.




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Prayer to My Heavenly Patron

O heavenly patron, in whose name I glory, pray ever to God for me: strengthen me in my faith; establish me in virtue; guard me in the conflict, that I may vanquish the foe and attain to glory everlasting. Amen.

(Indulgence of 300 days)



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Quotes of the Saints


"We should honor God in His saints, and beseech Him to make us partakers of the graces He poured so abundantly upon them."--St. Vincent de Paul

"Let us read the lives of the saints; let us consider the penances which they performed, and blush to be so effeminate and so fearful of mortifying our flesh."--St. Alphonsus.

"There is more security in self-denial, mortification, and other like virtues, than in an abundance of tears."--St. Teresa

"Death is welcome to one who has always feared God and faithfully served Him.--St. Teresa

"The errors of others should serve to keep us from adding any of our own to them."--St. Ignatius

"In doing penance it is necessary to deprive oneself of as many lawful pleasures as we had the misfortune to indulge in unlawful ones.--St. Gregory the Great.

"Afflictions are the most certain proofs that God can give us of His love for us."--St. Vincent de Paul]]> Prayers to the All Saints

[Image: ?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgardenofmary.com%2Fwp-co...f=1&nofb=1]
"So I say to you there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance" (Luke xv. 10).

"For in the resurrection they [the saints] shall be as the angels of God in heaven" (Matt. xxii. 30).


The saints are friends of God. They are like the angels in heaven. We honor them, not as we honor God, but on account of the relation they bear to God. They are creatures of God, the work of His hands. When we honor them, we honor God; as when we praise a beautiful painting, we praise the artist.

We do not believe that the saints can help us of themselves, but we ask them to "pray for us." We believe that everything comes to us "through Our Lord Jesus Christ." With these words all our prayers end. It is useful, salutary, and reasonable to pray to the saints and ask them to pray for us. No doubt all will admit the reasonableness of this practice if the saints can hear and help us.

That they hear and help us is evident from many passages of Scripture. The patriarch Jacob would not have prayed to the angel to bless his grandchildren Manasses and Ephraim (as we learn he did from Gen. xlviii.), unless he knew the angel could do so. We are informed (Luke xv.) that the angels rejoice when one sinner does penance. We are also informed (Matt. xxii.) that the saints are like the angels--i.e., have the same happiness and knowledge. Hence the saints, as well as the angels, can hear us, can help us, and are acquainted with our actions, words, and thoughts.

It is generally conceded that it is reasonable to ask pious persons on earth to pray for us. St. Paul, in his epistles, frequently asks the Christians to pray for him. "Brethren," he says, "pray for us." It is well known that God was pleased to answer the prayer of Abraham in favor of Abimelech. "More things are wrought by prayer than this world knows of." Now, if we poor sinners here on earth do not pray in vain for one another, will the saints in heaven, the friends of God, who rejoice when a sinner does penance, pray in vain for us? No. We have hosts of friends in heaven to speak a good word for us. And as a child who has disobeyed his parents wisely asks a better brother or sister to intercede with his parents for mercy, so, too, having disobeyed our heavenly Father by sin, we have recourse to others better than ourselves, to our better brothers and sisters, the Blessed Virgin and saints, to intercede with God for us. Is not this a reasonable practice?

If your mother or sister crosses the sea she will continue to pray for you. And if she crosses the sea of death will she forget you? No. The love she bore you here will continue in heaven. She will pray for you, and the "Lord will hear the prayers of the just." Ask the saints to pray to your God and their God for you. Honor God by honoring His friends and asking their intercession. And all your friends in heaven will unite in praying to the Father of us all that one day all who love God and His friends, the saints, may be admitted with them into the company of the Saint of saints, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.



✠ ✠ ✠



Giver of life, eternal Lord,
Thy own redeemed defend;
Mother of grace, thy children save,
And help them to the end.

Ye thousand thousand Angel hosts,
Assist us in our need;
Ye Patriarchs, with the Prophet choir,
For our forgiveness plead.

Forerunner blest, and thou who still
Dost heaven's dread keys retain;
Ye glorious Apostles all,
Unloose our guilty chain.

Army of Martyrs, holy Priests,
In beautiful array;
Ye happy troops of Virgins chaste
Wash all our stains away.

All ye who high above the stars
In heavenly glory reign,
May we through your prevailing prayers
Unto your joys attain.

Praise, honor, to the Father be,
Praise to His only Son;
Praise, Holy Paraclete, to Thee,
While endless ages run.
Amen

(Roman Breviary)



✠ ✠ ✠



A Prayer to your Patron Saints


O Blessed Saint N--, glorious citizen of heaven, as I render most humble thanks to God for all the good He has done thee so I beseech thee, to remember me in thy prayers, and to obtain for me the entire pardon of my sins, the amendment of my life, and the imitation of thy good spirit and holy graces, that I may be reconciled to my Saviour and always please Him. But especially I recommend to thee the hour of my death that by thy holy intercession, my soul may depart from this world in the grace of God, and may immediately come to everlasting life. Amen



✠ ✠ ✠



Petition for the Prayers of the Saints


Oh all ye saints and angels, who see Him face to face, Whom I here receive under these humble veils, and thou, most especially, ever blessed Virgin Mary, in whose sacred womb He was conceived and borne for nine months--I most humbly beg the assistance of your prayers and intercession, that I may in such a manner receive Him here in this place of banishment, as to be brought, one day, to behold Him with you in our true country, and there to praise and bless Him for ever and ever. Amen.



✠ ✠ ✠



Prayer for Greater Love of Jesus


O my Jesus, Thou knowest well that I love Thee; but I do not love Thee enough; O grant that I may love Thee more. O love that burnest ever and never failest, my God, Thou Who art charity itself, enkindle in my heart that divine fire which consumes the saints and transforms them into Thee. Amen

(An indulgence of 50 days, twice a day.--Leo XIII, Feb. 6, 1893.)



"The saints shall rejoice in glory: the high praises of God shall be in their mouths" Ps. cxlix. 5).

"The souls of the just are in the hands of God, they are in peace" (Wis iii i ).



✠ ✠ ✠



Te Deum, Ambrosian Hymn


TE DEUM laudamus: te Dominum confitemur.
O GOD, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.
Everlasting Father, all the earth doth worship Thee.

Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi Caeli et universae Potestates;
To Thee all the Angels, the Heavens and all the Powers,

Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, unceasingly proclaim:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!

Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
The glorious choir of the Apostles,

Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
The wonderful company of Prophets,

Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
The white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.

Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee:

Patrem immensae maiestatis:
The Father of infinite Majesty;

Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;

Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
And the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!

Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Thou, having taken it upon Thyself to deliver man, didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.

Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Thou overcame the sting of death and hast opened to believers the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

Iudex crederis esse venturus.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.

Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
We beseech Thee, therefore, to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.

Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.

V. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance!

R. Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
R. Govern them, and raise them up forever.

V. Per singulos dies benedicimus te.
V. Every day we thank Thee.

R. Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.
R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yea, forever and ever.

V. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.

R. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.
R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.
V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.

R. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.
R. O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame.

(Indulgence: 5 years)



✠ ✠ ✠



Trent, Sess. XXV, De Invocatione, veneratione et reliquiis Sanctorum et sacris imaginibus


"The Holy Synod bids all Bishops and others whose duty it is to teach, diligently to instruct the faithful in accordance with the practice dating from the earliest ages of the Christian faith, and in harmony with the con-sentient teaching of the Holy Fathers and the Decrees of Councils, concerning the intercession and invocation of the Saints, the honor due to relics and the legitimate us of images. They are to teach that the Saints reigning with Christ offer to God prayers for us men; that it is a good and profitable thing humbly to invoke them and, in order to obtain benefits from God through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, our only Redeemer and Saviour, to appeal to them for their prayers, help and assistance. . . . . Also that the bodies of the Holy Martyrs Martyrs and others now living with Christ, bodies which were members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit and which are one day to be raised up by Him and glorified in eternal life, are to be venerated by the faithful, and that through them a many benefits are bestowed by God upon men."



✠ ✠ ✠



Prayer of St. Gertrude to the Saints in Heaven

I salute you through the Heart of Jesus, O all ye holy angels and saints of God; I rejoice in your glory and I give thanks to our Lord for all the benefits which He has showered upon you; I praise Him, and glorify Him, and offer you for an increase of your joy and honor, the most gentle heart of Jesus. Deign therefore, to pray for me that I may become according to the heart of God. Amen.




✠ ✠ ✠



Prayer to My Heavenly Patron

O heavenly patron, in whose name I glory, pray ever to God for me: strengthen me in my faith; establish me in virtue; guard me in the conflict, that I may vanquish the foe and attain to glory everlasting. Amen.

(Indulgence of 300 days)



✠ ✠ ✠



Quotes of the Saints


"We should honor God in His saints, and beseech Him to make us partakers of the graces He poured so abundantly upon them."--St. Vincent de Paul

"Let us read the lives of the saints; let us consider the penances which they performed, and blush to be so effeminate and so fearful of mortifying our flesh."--St. Alphonsus.

"There is more security in self-denial, mortification, and other like virtues, than in an abundance of tears."--St. Teresa

"Death is welcome to one who has always feared God and faithfully served Him.--St. Teresa

"The errors of others should serve to keep us from adding any of our own to them."--St. Ignatius

"In doing penance it is necessary to deprive oneself of as many lawful pleasures as we had the misfortune to indulge in unlawful ones.--St. Gregory the Great.

"Afflictions are the most certain proofs that God can give us of His love for us."--St. Vincent de Paul]]> <![CDATA[Prayers Honoring St. Raphael]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2782 Sun, 24 Oct 2021 11:33:03 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2782 Prayers to St. Raphael the Archangel

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginal...f=1&nofb=1]

O God, Who gave Blessed Raphael the Archangel to Tobias as his traveling companion, grant to us thy servants that we also may be guarded by his care and receive the protection of his assistance. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

- Roman Breviary



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Glorious Archangel, St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, illustrious by thy gifts of wisdom and grace, guide of travelers by land and sea, consoler of the unfortunate and refuge of sinners, I entreat thee to help me in all my needs and in all the trials of this life, as thou didst once assist the young Tobias in his journeying. And since thou art the "physician of God," I humbly pray thee to heal my soul of its many infirmities and my body of the ills that afflict it, if this favor is for my greater good. I ask, especially, for angelic purity, that I may be made fit to be the living temple of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

- (Indulgence of 100 days.----Leo XIII., June 21, 1890)



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Hymn to St. Raphael
 
And Raphael! of the glorious seven who stand
Before the throne of Him Who lives and reigns;
Angel of health! the Lord hath filled thy hand
With balm from heaven to soothe or cure our pains,
Heal or console the victim of disease,
And guide our steps when doubtful of our ways.

Ant. O holy angles, our guardians, defend us in the combat, that we perish not in the dreadful judgment.

V. In the sight of Thy angels I will sing to thee, my God.
R. I will adore at Thy holy temple, and confess to Thy name.



✠ ✠ ✠



Hymn from the Liturgical Year, 1903

O Raphael, divinely sent guide, graciously receive the hymn we suppliants address to thee with joyful voice.

Make straight for us the way of salvation, and forward our steps: lest at any time we wander astray, and turn from the path to heaven.

Look down upon us from on high; reflect into our souls the splendour shining from above, from the holy Father of lights.

Give perfect health to the sick, dispel the darkness of the blind: and while driving away diseases of the body, give spiritual strength to our souls.

Thou who standest before the Sovereign Judge, plead for the pardon of our crimes: and as a trusty advocate appease the avenging wrath of the Most High.

Renewer of the great battle, crush our proud enemy: against the rebel spirits give us strength, and increase our grace.

To God the Father be glory, and to his only Son, together with the Paraclete Spirit, now and for evermore. Amen.



✠ ✠ ✠



Meditations

St. Raphael, the third of the chieftains of the Heaven Host, receives from God a power to heal all sickness and infirmity, and repair the ravages that are wrought by sin. His very name indicates his office: The Healing of God. As God sometimes allows Satan to spread disease among men, as in the case of holy Job, so He employs St. Raphael to avert sickness and restore health. Hence he is our model in the privilege that God grants to all, of helping to alleviate misery, and bind up and cure the wounds of men. Do I heal the ills of those around me? Do I not too often aggravate them?

It was St. Raphael who was sent to keep the young Tobias safe from dangers of body and soul during his journey to seek for a wife among his kindred, and to furnish him with means to bring to nought the attempt of the devil to destroy him; to cure his aged father of his blindness, and to leave peace and happiness behind him. God often sends an Angel to keep us safe, though we too often scarce recognize our need of it, and make little account of our heavenly protector.

It is generally believed to have been St. Raphael who was sent to impart to the Pool of Bethsaida this power to heal him, who first bathed in it after the Angel's visit (St. John V. 4.) We little know how often God employs angelic agency in our behalf. Men often attribute to natural causes what is done by angelic hands. Remember their agency, and thank God for their aid.



✠ ✠ ✠



Additional Prayer to St. Raphael

O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety ; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.]]> Prayers to St. Raphael the Archangel

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginal...f=1&nofb=1]

O God, Who gave Blessed Raphael the Archangel to Tobias as his traveling companion, grant to us thy servants that we also may be guarded by his care and receive the protection of his assistance. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

- Roman Breviary



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Glorious Archangel, St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, illustrious by thy gifts of wisdom and grace, guide of travelers by land and sea, consoler of the unfortunate and refuge of sinners, I entreat thee to help me in all my needs and in all the trials of this life, as thou didst once assist the young Tobias in his journeying. And since thou art the "physician of God," I humbly pray thee to heal my soul of its many infirmities and my body of the ills that afflict it, if this favor is for my greater good. I ask, especially, for angelic purity, that I may be made fit to be the living temple of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

- (Indulgence of 100 days.----Leo XIII., June 21, 1890)



✠ ✠ ✠



Hymn to St. Raphael
 
And Raphael! of the glorious seven who stand
Before the throne of Him Who lives and reigns;
Angel of health! the Lord hath filled thy hand
With balm from heaven to soothe or cure our pains,
Heal or console the victim of disease,
And guide our steps when doubtful of our ways.

Ant. O holy angles, our guardians, defend us in the combat, that we perish not in the dreadful judgment.

V. In the sight of Thy angels I will sing to thee, my God.
R. I will adore at Thy holy temple, and confess to Thy name.



✠ ✠ ✠



Hymn from the Liturgical Year, 1903

O Raphael, divinely sent guide, graciously receive the hymn we suppliants address to thee with joyful voice.

Make straight for us the way of salvation, and forward our steps: lest at any time we wander astray, and turn from the path to heaven.

Look down upon us from on high; reflect into our souls the splendour shining from above, from the holy Father of lights.

Give perfect health to the sick, dispel the darkness of the blind: and while driving away diseases of the body, give spiritual strength to our souls.

Thou who standest before the Sovereign Judge, plead for the pardon of our crimes: and as a trusty advocate appease the avenging wrath of the Most High.

Renewer of the great battle, crush our proud enemy: against the rebel spirits give us strength, and increase our grace.

To God the Father be glory, and to his only Son, together with the Paraclete Spirit, now and for evermore. Amen.



✠ ✠ ✠



Meditations

St. Raphael, the third of the chieftains of the Heaven Host, receives from God a power to heal all sickness and infirmity, and repair the ravages that are wrought by sin. His very name indicates his office: The Healing of God. As God sometimes allows Satan to spread disease among men, as in the case of holy Job, so He employs St. Raphael to avert sickness and restore health. Hence he is our model in the privilege that God grants to all, of helping to alleviate misery, and bind up and cure the wounds of men. Do I heal the ills of those around me? Do I not too often aggravate them?

It was St. Raphael who was sent to keep the young Tobias safe from dangers of body and soul during his journey to seek for a wife among his kindred, and to furnish him with means to bring to nought the attempt of the devil to destroy him; to cure his aged father of his blindness, and to leave peace and happiness behind him. God often sends an Angel to keep us safe, though we too often scarce recognize our need of it, and make little account of our heavenly protector.

It is generally believed to have been St. Raphael who was sent to impart to the Pool of Bethsaida this power to heal him, who first bathed in it after the Angel's visit (St. John V. 4.) We little know how often God employs angelic agency in our behalf. Men often attribute to natural causes what is done by angelic hands. Remember their agency, and thank God for their aid.



✠ ✠ ✠



Additional Prayer to St. Raphael

O heavenly physician and faithful companion, St. Raphael, who didst restore sight to the elder Tobias, and guide the younger in his long journey and preserve him in safety ; be thou the physician of my soul and body, disperse the dark clouds of ignorance, defend me from the dangers of my earthly pilgrimage, and lead me to that heavenly country where, with thee, I may gaze for ever on the face of God. Amen.]]> <![CDATA[Prayers Honoring St. Michael the Archangel]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2622 Wed, 29 Sep 2021 12:48:07 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2622 Prayer to St. Michael, the Archangel
[Promulgated by Pope Leo XIII]

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fc1.staticflickr.com%2F3...f=1&nofb=1]
Short Version:

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. a Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.


For Holy Church: Longer Version

O glorious Prince of the Heavenly Host, St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the battle and in the fearful warfare that we are waging against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the evil spirits. Come thou, to the assistance of men, whom Almighty God created immortal, making them in His own image and likeness and redeeming them at a great price from the tyranny of Satan. Fight this day the battle of the Lord with thy legions of holy Angels, even as of old, thou didst fight against Lucifer, the leader of the proud spirits and all his rebel Angels, who were powerless to stand against thee.

Neither was their place found anymore in Heaven. And that apostle Angel, transformed into an Angel of darkness who still creeps about the earth to encompass our ruin, was cast headlong into the abyss together with his followers.

But, behold, that first enemy of mankind, and a murderer from the beginning, has regained his confidence. Changing himself into an Angel of light, he goes about with the whole multitude of the wicked spirits to invade the earth and blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to plunder, to slay, and to consign to eternal damnation the souls that have been destined for a crown of everlasting life. This wicked serpent, like an unclean torrent, pours into men of depraved minds and corrupt hearts the poison of his malice, the spirit of lying, impiety, and blasphemy, and the deadly breath of impurity and every form of vice and iniquity. These crafty enemies of mankind have filled to overflowing with gall and wormwood the Church, which is the Bride of the Lamb without spot. They have laid profane hands upon her most sacred treasures.

Make haste, therefore, O invincible Prince, to help the people of God against the inroads of the lost spirits and grant us the victory. Amen.]]> Prayer to St. Michael, the Archangel
[Promulgated by Pope Leo XIII]

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fc1.staticflickr.com%2F3...f=1&nofb=1]
Short Version:

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. a Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.


For Holy Church: Longer Version

O glorious Prince of the Heavenly Host, St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the battle and in the fearful warfare that we are waging against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the evil spirits. Come thou, to the assistance of men, whom Almighty God created immortal, making them in His own image and likeness and redeeming them at a great price from the tyranny of Satan. Fight this day the battle of the Lord with thy legions of holy Angels, even as of old, thou didst fight against Lucifer, the leader of the proud spirits and all his rebel Angels, who were powerless to stand against thee.

Neither was their place found anymore in Heaven. And that apostle Angel, transformed into an Angel of darkness who still creeps about the earth to encompass our ruin, was cast headlong into the abyss together with his followers.

But, behold, that first enemy of mankind, and a murderer from the beginning, has regained his confidence. Changing himself into an Angel of light, he goes about with the whole multitude of the wicked spirits to invade the earth and blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to plunder, to slay, and to consign to eternal damnation the souls that have been destined for a crown of everlasting life. This wicked serpent, like an unclean torrent, pours into men of depraved minds and corrupt hearts the poison of his malice, the spirit of lying, impiety, and blasphemy, and the deadly breath of impurity and every form of vice and iniquity. These crafty enemies of mankind have filled to overflowing with gall and wormwood the Church, which is the Bride of the Lamb without spot. They have laid profane hands upon her most sacred treasures.

Make haste, therefore, O invincible Prince, to help the people of God against the inroads of the lost spirits and grant us the victory. Amen.]]>