PRAYER

 

 

I ENTRUST EVERYTHING TO YOU

"O Mary, my Mother and my hope! Under your mantle I take refuge; do not cast me away, as I deserve. Look upon me and have compassion on my misery. Obtain for me the pardon of my sins, holy perseverance, the love of God, a good death, and heaven! From you I expect everything, since you are all-powerful before God. Make me holy, for it is in your power. O Mary! See that I entrust everything to you; in you I have placed all my hopes."

Saint Alphonsus Liguori, "The Way of Salvation."

TO ASK FOR A GOOD DEATH

O powerful patron of humankind, protector of sinners, safe haven of souls, effective help to the afflicted, comforting solace to the destitute, glorious Saint Joseph! The last moment of my life is bound to arrive.

My soul will perhaps agonize terribly, tormented by the memory of my sinful life and my many transgressions; the passage to eternity will be exceedingly difficult; the devil, my enemy, will attempt to fight me fiercely with all the power of hell, so that I may lose God eternally.

My strength in the natural realm will be nonexistent: I will have no one to help me in the human realm; from now until then, I invoke you, my father; I take refuge in your patronage; assist me in that moment so that I may not lack faith, hope, and charity.

When you died, your Son and my God, your wife and my Lady, drove away the demons so that they would not dare to attack your spirit. For these favors and for those bestowed upon you during your life, I ask you to drive away these enemies, so that I may end my life in peace, loving Jesus, Mary, and you, Saint Joseph. Amen.

Source: Poco y Católico

Prayer to the Virgin Mary

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, we turn to you on this day, for it was you who said "YES" to life. "You will conceive and give birth to a son," said the angel. Despite the surprise and uncertainty this would cause you, you said "YES." "Let it be done to me according to your word."

Holy Mary, we pray today for all mothers who are afraid to become mothers. We pray for all those who feel threatened and overwhelmed by their pregnancies. Intercede for them, that God may grant them the grace to say "yes" and the courage to carry their pregnancies to term. May they receive the grace to reject the false solution of abortion. May they be able to say, like you, "Let it be done to me according to your word." May they experience and feel the support of all Christians and know that peace comes from doing God's will.

Amen.

Happy Mother's Day (May 10th)!

Prayer to the Virgin Mary

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, we turn to you on this day, for it was you who said "YES" to life. "You will conceive and give birth to a son," said the angel. Despite the surprise and uncertainty this would cause you, you said "YES." "Let it be done to me according to your word."

Holy Mary, we pray today for all mothers who are afraid to become mothers. We pray for all those who feel threatened and overwhelmed by their pregnancies. Intercede for them, that God may grant them the grace to say "yes" and the courage to carry their pregnancies to term. May they receive the grace to reject the false solution of abortion. May they be able to say, like you, "Let it be done to me according to your word." May they experience and feel the support of all Christians and know that peace comes from doing God's will.

Amen.

Happy Mother's Day (May 10th)!

THE PRAYER REQUESTED BY THE ANGEL OF PEACE

"... As he approached, we began to make out his features: a young man of about 14 or 15 years old, whiter than snow, the sun made him transparent, as if he were made of crystal, and of great beauty. When he reached us, he said:

"Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me." And kneeling on the ground, he bowed his forehead to the earth and had us repeat these words three times:

"My God! I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You." Then, rising, he said:

"Pray like this. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications." His words were so deeply engraved in our minds that we never forgot them. And, from  Then we would spend long periods of time like that, prostrate, repeating them many times, until we fell asleep exhausted.

SISTER LUCIA, Memoirs. Second Memoir.

PRAYER TO BECOME LESS

 

PRAYER TO BECOME LESS

Lord, who sees my thirst to be well named,

deliver me from this vain lordly pride;

let not my heart, through all this passing day,

seek any honor but the one of loving You.

If another is exalted, let it not wound me;

if another shines, let me not be afraid;

for self-love is a shadow burned away,

and Your truth is silence giving life.

Make me small, yet not with somber grief;

humble, yet not cast down or made untrue;

for firmer is the bending ear of wheat

than the proud tree broken by its height.

Jesus, meek and humble, I turn to You.

Strip from me every vain presumption;

for greater honor crowns the humble soul

than a hundred crowns bestowed on error.

COME, MY MOTHER

I greet you, hope of Christians.  Receive the plea of ​​a sinner who loves you tenderly, who honors you with special worship, and who deposits in you the hope of his salvation.  For you I have life.  Thou restores me in the grace of Thy Son;  thou art the sure pledge of my salvation.  Wherefore I beseech Thee to deliver me from the weight of my sins, destroy the darknesses of my mind, pluck from my heart the earthly affections, rebuke the temptations of my enemies, and orders my whole life;  that I may attain through thee, and be guided by thee, the everlasting happiness of Paradise.  Amen.

St. John Damascus

THANKSGIVING FOR ANOTHER YEAR

Our Father who art in heaven, Lord of Truth, of time, and of eternity: Yours is today and tomorrow, the past and the future. As the year 2025 comes to a close, on behalf of myself and my family, we want to thank you for all that we have received from you.

Thank you for the family you gave us, for life and love, air and sun, for joy and sorrow, for all that was possible and for what could not be.

Thank you for welcoming us into your true Church. We offer you all that we have done this past year: the work we were able to accomplish, the things that passed through our hands, and the positive things we were able to build with them.

Also, Lord, today we want to ask for your forgiveness.

Forgiveness for our sins, for the harm we have caused, for the time wasted, for the money squandered, for our omissions, for our useless words, and for the love wasted.

Forgive us for empty deeds and for work poorly done. And forgive us for living without enthusiasm. Forgive us also for the prayer that, little by little, we postponed and that we only now offer to thank you for all that you have given us.

For all our forgetfulness, negligence, and silences. Again, we ask your forgiveness, Lord.

We begin a new year and pause our lives before the new, unused calendar. We present to you these future 365 days, which only you know who will live to the end. If we do not finish them... help us to die in you, in sanctifying grace, after having gone—sincerely contrite—to the tribunal of Confession.

Today we ask for each of us: peace and joy, strength and prudence, charity and wisdom, the commitment to be faithful to you and always live in your grace, for only in grace is the path safe.  Only a fool fails to understand this, so we ask you to remove any blindfold that prevents us from seeing our folly.

Lord, help us to be zealous for your glory and that of your Church, and to live only for you, in you, and through you.

We want to live each day with optimism and kindness, carrying everywhere a heart full of understanding and peace that always seeks the Truth of your Word. May nothing separate us from it, for your faith is our greatest treasure.

Close our ears to all slander, to false doctrines against your Word. And our lips to lying, selfish, biting, or hurtful words. Open, instead, our being to all that is good.

May our spirit be filled only with blessings, and may we pour them out wherever we go. Fill us with goodness and joy, so that all who live with us, or those who come near us, may find in our lives a little of you.

Thank you, Lord, for everything, and forgive our debts to you. Guide us all along the narrow path that will one day allow us to enter through the narrow gate and be in your eternal embrace to bless you forever and ever. If for this it is necessary that you use your right hand to shake us, we accept beforehand any sorrow and pain, however difficult they may be.

Grant us a happy 2026 and teach us to love you by always living in your grace and following you with complete fidelity. Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of the past year, as well as for those you will bestow in the coming year.

Most Holy Virgin Mary, I entrust my entire family to your Immaculate Heart.

Amen.

REFLECTION:

Perhaps you spent part of this year in mortal sin. If you had died during that time, where would you be now? God has given you time to do penance; make better use of it in the future—perhaps you have only this year of life!  Prepare yourself, then, to die; make a good confession, and if you wish to live holy lives throughout the coming year, reflect daily on death and eternity. God has hidden your last day from you so that you may prepare for it every day of your life.

SUBLIME PRAYER OF SAINT GERMANY OF CONSTANTINOPLE (635-733) IN PRAISE OF THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

“Hail, O you who, moved with compassion upon seeing the terrible nakedness to which we were reduced in the Garden of Eden by the pernicious fruit that brought death to our souls, covered us with a wondrous mantle; a mantle not woven by human hands, but given to us by God himself; you who, when we were mired in the mud of iniquity, were given to us as the remission of sins, O Holy Spouse of the Almighty!”

“Hail, O you who, moved with compassion upon seeing the terrible nakedness to which we were reduced in the Garden of Eden by the pernicious fruit that killed our souls, covered us with a wondrous mantle; a mantle not woven by human hands, but given to us by God himself; you who, when we were mired in the mud of iniquity, were given to us as the remission of our ...  Hail, O you who, with your resolute steps, trample underfoot that tyrant who dragged us into transgression to our harm, that treacherous counselor, that enemy of all good, that deceitful serpent called the Devil, and take, as if by the hand, our corruptible nature, ever ready to fall, to lead it, in your company, to the spiritual Sanctuary and the divine Tabernacle that never grows old.

Hail, O you who caused the radiance of a day of joy and gladness to spring forth upon the heads of those who were chained in the darkness of death, in the abyss of sickness, and upon whom you promised to dispel, by the Power of God, that baleful darkness, O Mary, more sublime than all miracles.

Hail, O you who pour down upon us the divine dew of understanding, O bright Cloud who raised on our horizon, shrouded in the shadows of death, the brightest of all suns!  O fountain that, having its source in heaven, forms those swift rivers of the knowledge of God, which sweep away in their course, through the clear and pure waters of orthodox faith, the mire of heresy!

Hail, O divine Paradise, O Abode of Wisdom, O Garden full of charms, planted by the Hand of the Almighty, where the Forest of Life flourishes to impart the science of truth and grant immortality to those who taste it!

Hail, O Sacred Building, O immaculate and spotless Palace of the great King, of God Himself, O you who have been clothed in His Majesty and have called all humankind to receive within you a holy hospitality, where they may rejoice in the mysteries of faith from their very beginning!

Hail, O New Zion, O Holy Jerusalem, O august City of the great King, in whose towers God is clearly known, and through whose midst He passes without shaking or harming it, while He moves nations and makes kings fall at Your feet to pay homage to Your Glory!

Hail, O fruitful and shaded Mountain, where the Lamb who blotted out our sins and healed our diseases was nourished, and from which, without the aid of human hands, the small stone was cast that toppled the altars of idols, and by a wondrous miracle, became the cornerstone!

Hail, O Holy Throne of God, O Sacred Treasure, O resplendent and glorious House, O Venerable Tabernacle, O Chosen Vessel that God reserved for His use, O Merciful Place of the whole universe, O Heaven that recounts the glory of the Most High, O miraculous East from which rises a star that knows no setting, whose point of origin is Heaven, and which offers its warmth to all, that is, the channel of Providence!

Hail Mary, full of grace, holier than the saints, higher than the Heavens, more glorious than the cherubim, more worthy of honor than the seraphim, more venerable than all creatures!

***************************

A marvelous prayer that is also a clear hymn to the Co-redemption and Mediation of Mary Most Holy. To be prayed daily in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

THE MYSTERIES OF PRAYER

 

A prayer should be uttered with profound awareness of each word. The reasons for this lie not only in the fact that otherwise it would be irreverent toward the One to whom it is addressed, but also in what follows. True prayer, the true message of prayer, consists not only in the words themselves, but primarily in the attitude of the heart, in that which, from the heart, draws us toward God.

If a prayer is uttered with deep awareness, lived deeply, you could consider it as if "receptors" were opened in the soul: channels that make the soul receptive to the power of God. The soul truly perceives the meaning hidden behind the words spoken. With this, a desire for fulfillment is born in the soul, a desire to bring the spoken words to life, and the soul reacts like a flower yearning for sunlight: it opens completely.

For this reason, the soul that prays deeply and consciously can begin to feel united with God.  In it, everything is a yearning for the heavenly, and divine light pours forth completely into that soul. This effect will never be experienced by a soul that prays quickly and without feeling, mechanically or automatically.

This phenomenon also explains why a soul called to it can experience states of true ecstasy during meditative and contemplative prayer: The soul's desires can become so identical with God's desires that the soul flows completely into Us, and thus begins to partake of the perfect peace of heart that is characteristic of the heart of God.

Peace of heart is fundamentally characterized by the flow of God's will into the soul. To attain this peace, the soul must, as a first step, desire unity with God (and with His Blessed Mother) and strive to let go of all worldly perceptions. For this reason, the soul must know how to empty itself in order to arrive at fruitful prayer.

This circumstance is also the reason why holy souls receive certain impressive answers to their prayers, whether directed to God or to the Blessed Virgin. They know how to synchronize themselves so completely with the heart of God and with the heart of the Mother that both can cause torrents of grace to flow into those souls without any impediment.

We might be tempted to buy food because it comes in a can with a particularly attractive label. However, we might ask ourselves: Does the contents of the can taste better (or is its nutritional value greater) because the label is more attractive?

Essentially, it is an offense to God when the soul speaks to Him with empty words. Empty words are those in which the heart is not truly involved. It is not the words of our lips, but the feelings of our heart that express our desire to come into contact with God.  If our hearts are empty of yearning love, our kind words will seem more like an attempt to deceive God regarding our love for Him.

However, we cannot muster the same fervor in prayer every day, but what truly matters is the desire and, in any case, the effort to genuinely penetrate the heart of God.

OFFERING OF LIFE

Say this prayer, offering your whole life, your sufferings and joys, to Jesus for:

-The salvation of all members of your family (including yourself).

-The souls of your relatives in Purgatory.

-The repentance of sinners.

-The covering of the remaining temporal punishment due to personal sins already confessed.

This prayer must be offered in a state of sanctifying grace (having not committed mortal sin after a good Confession or after a Perfect Act of Contrition—for the love of God—with the intention of going to confession as soon as possible).

PRAYER OF OFFERING OF LIFE (Dictated by Jesus and Mary Immaculate to Sister Maria Natalia Magdolna).

My loving Jesus, before the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity, before Our Mother in Heaven and all the Heavenly Court, I offer, according to the intentions of Your Eucharistic Heart and those of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Most Holy, my whole life, all my Holy Masses, Communions, good works, sacrifices, and sufferings, uniting them to the merits of Your Most Holy Blood and Your death on the Cross: to adore the Glorious Most Holy Trinity, to offer reparation for our offenses, for the unity of our Holy Mother Church, for our priests, for good priestly vocations, and for all souls until the end of the world.

Receive, my Jesus, my offering of my life and grant me the grace to persevere in it faithfully until the end of my life. Amen.

Prayers of Repentance:

My Jesus, I love You above all things!

For love of You, I repent of all my sins.

I am also grieved by the sins of the whole world.

O Merciful Love! In union with our Blessed Mother and her Immaculate Heart, I beg You to forgive my sins and all the sins of humankind, my brothers and sisters, until the end of the world!

My kind Jesus! In union with the merits of Your Sacred Wounds, I offer my life to the Eternal Father, according to the intentions of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows.

Virgin Mary, Queen of the Universe, Intercessor for Humanity and our hope, pray for us!

                                     -oOo-

This Act was requested of Sister Natalia Magdolna (1901-1992) of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd of Saint Mary Magdalene of Keeskemet. The Blessed Virgin favored her with abundant locutions and extraordinary visions for several years.  She was a Hungarian nun, born near Pozsony (in present-day Slovakia), and died in the odor of sanctity.

THE PACT WITH THE DEVIL

(A true story about the power of prayer and charity)

The new priest was standing in the atrium of his church one humid and stifling afternoon in mid-June.

A whiff of cheap perfume announced the arrival of a young woman who stood provocatively before the parish priest. Her curly hair framed a face that, despite its expression of precocious malice, was childlike and insignificant. Those cat-like eyes stared with insolent intensity. Her hands, clasped together with nervous insistence, made her bracelets jingle.

At that moment, a voice spoke, sounding both annoyed and nonchalant:

"Well, look at me! Cheer up, I haven't come here to do penance, or for anything religious."

"Then what brings you here?"

"Very simple."  I promised my mother I'd go to confession. She's waiting for me just a few steps from here. I'll go into the church and stay a little while so she'll think I'm confessing.

—My child...

—Call me Agatha—she corrected herself.

—I'm not asking your name—the priest replied—but you should know that Agatha comes from Greek and means "good."

—Really? What a disappointment it'll be if she thinks I'm good—the young woman remarked with as much liveliness as insolence.

—Here I am, I've just come out of the Reformatory, the re-for-ma-to-ry—she repeated, emphasizing each syllable, and began to vomit a torrent of obscene words.

The young priest understood that such language was nothing more than the projection of the inner contempt the rebellious creature felt for herself, and this indicated to him that there was still hope for her.

“My only wish was to be out of the reformatory,” she continued. “I went to the chapel to ask God to take me out of there, but, apparently, He was too busy to pay attention to a girl like me…”

“Perhaps I didn’t ask Him with faith,” the priest interjected.

“Believe what you will. The truth is, He didn’t listen to me. And so, instead of asking God, I asked the Devil.”

The priest paled. It was something unheard of: through a monstrous misguidedness, faith was leading her away from God and toward Satan…

“But the Devil doesn’t come for free…” he suggested, testing her.

“I know that.”  Neither the Devil nor anyone else, not even the priests... But I promised to take nine sacrilegious communions if he got me out of the reformatory. And I started taking them. I received the Host and cursed God and the entire heavenly court under my breath. After the eighth communion, they released me. What do you say to this, Father?

The priest remained silent for a moment and then said:

“I say that Satan has made a magnificent deal. In exchange for what you consider your freedom, you gave him your soul.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, man, it’s not that bad…”

“You’re right; Satan will be the one who gets mocked. Blessed be God. Your soul doesn’t yet belong to the Demon Agatha: you can still save it.”

“Where did you get that idea?” the young woman cried, almost weeping with rage.

“From what you yourself have said. Why did you come to this church?”  Wasn't it to please your mother? This proves that, despite everything, you love her very much. And a soul capable of pure affection is not irretrievably lost. Come; we will ask God to forgive you, and everything you've told me will vanish like a nightmare. Overwhelmed by violent and conflicting emotions, Agatha breathed heavily.

"I'm leaving," she finally said, her voice panting. "You can't fool me."

"Go into the church and pray, Agatha," the priest pleaded. And when she, without a word, turned her back on him, he added, "You will return, my child... You will return tonight."

The only response he heard was the sound of Agatha's heels clicking away into the street.

Perplexed and pondering this situation, he sat down in the confessional and decided to employ two weapons, the most effective in such cases: prayer and charity.  He heard confessions and listened to people's sorrows. And to everyone, after imposing penance, he said: “I am going to ask you to help me implore a special grace from Our Lord. Would you like to stay in the church for an hour praying for a soul in great need?”

No one refused. A man who had to leave on a trip postponed it. Others who had commitments postponed them. Soon there was a large group of people in the church praying for that unknown soul. The priest went forward to the sanctuary and there began to pray: “Our Father…”.

He prayed hour after hour. Night fell; the last peal of the bells descended from the tower; the sounds of the street faded away. The church remained alone, and in it, the priest, still kneeling... And the door open. It was past midnight when the nervous tapping of heels echoed on the pavement. When the newcomer knelt a few steps from him, he remained motionless, his eyes never leaving the altar for a single instant. But the sobs of the repentant woman reached his ears.

"If I hadn't waited for her," the parish priest later said, "she might never have returned, finding the church closed."

From then on, Agatha was an exemplary woman.

Thus ends the account of the priest who later became Monsignor Fulton Sheen, professor at the University of Washington.

Father Lauro López Beltrán

Taken from Mexican Integrity, Nov-Dec, 2001.

Most Holy Virgin, SAVE US!

 

THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS (October 2nd)

The Most High has commanded His angels to watch over you; they shall guard you in all your ways; they will bear you up in their hands, lest your foot dash against a stone. (Psalm 90[91]:11-12)

I. Admire the goodness of God, who has appointed a prince of His court to watch over your conduct. Your guardian angel remains at your side day and night; he defends you against the devil and temptations; he inspires holy thoughts; he turns you away from evil; he intercedes for you before God. Thank God for the kindness He shows you in giving you so faithful and charitable a guide, and see in this grace a proof of the esteem He has for your soul. Thank your guardian angel for the services he renders you; ask him to continue them until your death.

II. Show profound respect for your angel, and express it each day with some prayer. Do not mistreat or scandalize anyone; remember the word of the Lord forbidding you to scandalize the little ones, for their angels always behold the face of their Father. These angels will avenge the harm you do to those under their care. If you labor to convert some sinner, beg his guardian angel to assist you. Honor your guardian angel. Do not do in his presence what you would not do before a respectable person. (St. Bernard)

III. Consider your guardian angel as the best friend you have in this world. He is faithful; he will not abandon you in your needs. He is infinitely enlightened—consult him in your doubts: he will not deceive you. He is powerful to help you: he has more power, more intelligence, and more strength than the men in whom you place your trust. Listen to what he inspires in you. Ah! If you had but a little faith, you would fear nothing, knowing that your angel is with you.

PRAYER: O God, who in ineffable providence deign to send Your holy angels to guard us, grant to our humble supplications the grace of being sustained by their protection, and the joy of being in eternity the companions of their glory. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

THAT SEMINARIANS BE TRAINED ACCORDING TO THE INTEGRITY OF CATHOLIC TRADITION, WE PRAY YOU, LORD.

THAT SEMINARIANS BE TRAINED ACCORDING TO THE INTEGRITY OF CATHOLIC TRADITION, WE PRAY YOU, LORD.

Lord, to safeguard your honor and glory, give us holy priests.
Lord, to increase our faith, give us holy priests.
Lord, to sustain your Church, give us holy priests.
Lord, to preach your doctrine, give us...
Lord, to defend your cause, give us...
Lord, to counteract error, give us...
Lord, to annihilate sects, to uphold the truth, give us...
Lord, to direct our souls, give us...
Lord, to improve morals, give us...
Lord, to banish vices, give us...
Lord, to enlighten the world, give us...
Lord, to teach the riches of your Heart, give us...
Lord, to make us love the Holy Spirit, give us...
Lord, that all your ministers may be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, give us...

Prayer. — Heart of Jesus, holy Priest, we ask you with the greatest earnestness of soul that you increase day by day the number of aspirants to the priesthood and that you form them according to the designs of your loving Heart.  Only in this way will we obtain Holy Priests, and soon there will be only one flock and one Shepherd in the world. So be it. Amen.

(Indulgence of 7 years and one plenary session per month, with the ordinary conditions.)

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of the true God and Mother of the Church! You, who from this place manifest your clemency and compassion to all who seek your protection: hear the prayer we address to you with filial trust, and present it to your Son Jesus, our only Redeemer.

Mother of mercy, Teacher of hidden and silent sacrifice, to you, who come to meet us sinners, we consecrate on this day our whole being, all our love. We also consecrate to you our lives, our labors, our joys, our illnesses, and our sorrows.

Grant peace, justice, and prosperity to our people, for all that we have and are, we place under your care, our Lady and Mother.

We wish to be totally yours and walk with you the path of complete fidelity to Jesus Christ in his Church: do not let us go from your loving hand.

Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, we pray for all the Bishops, that they may lead the faithful along paths of intense Christian life, of love and humble service to God and souls.

Contemplate this immense harvest, and intercede that the Lord may inspire a hunger for holiness in all the faithful and pastors, and grant abundant vocations to priests and religious, strong in faith and zealous dispensers of the mysteries of God.

Grant our homes the grace to love and respect the life that is beginning, with the same love with which you conceived in your womb the life of the Son of God. Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of Beautiful Love, protect our families so that they may always be closely united, and bless the education of our children.

Our Hope, look upon us with compassion, teach us to continually go to Jesus, and if we fall, help us to rise again, to return to him, through the confession of our faults and sins in the sacrament of Penance, which brings peace to the soul. We beseech you to grant us a great love for all the holy sacraments, which are like the footprints your Son left for us on earth.

Thus, Most Holy Mother, with the peace of God in our consciences, with our hearts free from evil and hatred, we may bring to all the true joy and true peace that come from your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

EXCELLENT ADVICE: PRACTICE THE DEVOTION OF THE THREE HAIL MARYS DAILY

What does the devotion of the three Hail Marys consist of?

It involves praying the Hail Mary three times to the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God and our Lady, either to honor her or to obtain some favor through her mediation.

What is the purpose of this devotion?

To honor the three principal attributes of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which are:

1. The power that God the Father granted her for being his beloved Daughter.

2. The wisdom with which God the Son adorned her, choosing her as his Mother.

3. The mercy with which God the Holy Spirit filled her, choosing her as his Immaculate Spouse.

Hence, there are three Hail Marys to pray, and not a different number.

What is the way to pray the three Hail Marys?

"Mary, my Mother, deliver me from falling into mortal sin.

1. By the power the Eternal Father has given you

Hail, Mary; full of grace; the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

2. By the wisdom the Son has given you.

Hail, Mary; full of grace; the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

3. By the love the Holy Spirit has given you

Hail, Mary; full of grace; the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary,  Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen!

What is the origin of the devotion of the three Hail Marys?

Saint Matilda, a Benedictine nun, begged the Blessed Virgin to assist her at the hour of death.  The Virgin Mary told her the following: "Yes, I will; but I want you to pray three Hail Marys daily for me. The first, asking that just as God the Father raised me to a throne of unparalleled glory, making me the most powerful in heaven and on earth, so also I may assist you on earth to strengthen you and remove from you all hostile power. For the second Hail Mary, you will ask me that just as the Son of God filled me with wisdom, to such an extent that I have more knowledge of the Holy Trinity than all the Saints, so I may assist you in the trance of death to fill your soul with the lights of faith and true wisdom, so that it is not darkened by the darkness of error and ignorance. For the third, you will ask that just as the Holy Spirit has filled me with the sweetness of his love, and has made me so lovable that after God I am the sweetest and most merciful, so I may assist you in death by filling your soul with such  Gentleness of divine love, may all the pain and bitterness of death be changed for you into delights."

And this promise was extended to the benefit of all who put into practice this daily prayer of the three Hail Marys.

What are Our Lady's promises to those who prayed the three Hail Marys daily?

Our Lady promised Saint Matilda and other pious souls that whoever prayed three Hail Marys daily would have her help during life and her special assistance at the hour of death, appearing at that final hour with the radiance of such beauty that just seeing her would console them and transmit to them the joys of Heaven.

Mary renews her promise of protection:

When Sister Maria Villani, a Dominican nun (16th century), was praying the three Hail Marys one day, she heard these encouraging words from the Virgin Mary's lips:

"Not only will you obtain the graces you ask of me, but in life and in death I promise to be your special protector and that of all those like you who practice this devotion."

The Blessed Virgin also said: "The devotion of the three Hail Marys has always been very dear to me... Do not cease to pray them and to have them prayed as much as you can. Every day you will have proof of their effectiveness..."

It was the Blessed Virgin herself who told Saint Gertrude that "whoever venerates her in her relationship with the Most Holy Trinity will experience the power communicated to her by the Omnipotence of the Father as the Mother of God; she will admire the ingenious means inspired by the wisdom of the Son for the salvation of men, and she will contemplate the ardent charity kindled in her heart by the Holy Spirit."

Referring to all those who invoked her daily, commemorating the power, wisdom, and love bestowed upon them by the August Trinity, Mary told Saint Gertrude that, "At the hour of his death, I will reveal myself to him with the radiance of such great beauty that my sight will console him and communicate to him the joys of heaven."

What is the basis of this devotion?

The Catholic affirmation that the Blessed Virgin possessed, to the highest degree possible for a creature, the attributes of power, wisdom, and mercy.

This is what the Church teaches when it invokes Mary as the Powerful Virgin, Mother of Mercy, and Seat of Wisdom.

𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗗𝗼 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹

Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of all, I come before You in humble adoration. Your wisdom surpasses all understanding, and Your love knows no bounds.

I praise You for Your infinite wisdom and boundless love. Thank You for Your constant presence in my life.

Lord, I surrender myself completely to You. Take my thoughts, my words, my actions, and my desires. Purify them, sanctify them, and align them with Your divine plan. May every breath I take be for Your greater glory.

Grant me the courage to say “yes” to Your will, as Mary did at the Annunciation. Like her, may I be Your humble servant, ready to accept whatever You ask of me.

In times of challenge, be my support. When I am weak, be my strength. When I am doubtful, be my certainty. When I am fearful, be my courage. When I am prideful, teach me humility. Grant me patience in times of waiting. Perseverance in times of trial. And gratitude in times of blessing.

Guide me in my daily walk with You. Help me to see Your hand in all things, to trust in Your infinite wisdom and love. May I find joy in serving You and others, knowing that in doing so, I fulfill Your holy will.

Guide me in my vocation and daily duties. May I be a faithful steward of the gifts You’ve given me, using them to build Your Kingdom on earth.

Lord, in my human frailty, when I stray from Your path, gently call me back. Forgive me for the times I’ve placed my will before Yours, and grant me the grace to begin anew each day.

In moments of decision, big or small, may I always ask, “What would You have me do?” Give me the wisdom to choose rightly, and the strength to follow through.

I pray not only for myself but for all Your children. May Your love and peace reign in every heart.

I offer this prayer to You, O God, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

ANGEL OF GOD

 Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and to guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

O Jesus, eternal High Priest, good Shepherd, Source of life! By the singular magnificence of Your most sweet Heart, You gave us our Priests to fulfill in us those designs of sanctification that Your grace inspires in our hearts. We beseech You to assist them with Your merciful help.

May faith, O Jesus, vivify their works; may hope be indestructible in their trials; may charity be ardent in their resolutions. May Your word, ray of eternal Wisdom, be, through continual meditation, the perennial nourishment of their interior life; may the examples of Your Life and Passion be renewed in their conduct and in their sufferings for our instruction, for light and encouragement in our hearts.

O Lord, grant that our priests, detached from all human interest and zealous only for your glory, may remain faithful to their duty, with a pure conscience, until their last breath.

And when, through the death of their bodies, they place their well-fulfilled task in your hands, may they find in you, Lord Jesus, who were their Master on earth, the eternal reward of the crown of justice in the splendor of the saints. Amen.