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Seasonal Devotions Paschaltide Devotions begin on Easter Sunday
Mater Dolorosa, Queen of Martyrs Holy Mother Church honors Our Lady's Sorrows by two feasts, one observed on the Friday of Passion Week, and the other on the 15th of September. This first feast recalls especially her sufferings during the Passion of Our Lord, known as her Compassion; the second is dedicated more particularly to Her lifelong sorrows. The Blessed Virgin Mary's sorrow on Calvary was deeper than any sorrow ever felt on earth, for no mother in all the world had a heart as tender as the Heart of the Mother of God. She bore her sufferings for us, that we might enjoy the graces of Redemption. She suffered willingly in order to prove her great love for us, for true love is proven by sacrifice. Let us give ourselves over to her love completely, and bear our cross patiently, in union with our Mother of Sorrows. "When Jesus, therefore, saw His Mother and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He said to His Mother, 'Woman, behold thy son.' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold thy Mother.' And from that hour the disciple took Her into his home" (John 19:25-27). Sad and tearful, O Virgin Mary, didst Thou stand by the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Redeemer. Hail Mary... "Blessed be the Lord, Who made Heaven and earth, because He has so glorified thy name this day, that thy praise will never cease to be sung by mankind... For thou hast not spared thy life in order to relieve the distress and sorrow of thy people, and by thy prayers in the Presence of our God, thou hast prevented our ruin" (Judith 13:24). Hail Mary... Let us stand near the Cross with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, whose soul was pierced by the sword of sorrow! Hail Mary... Mary speaks: Hymn - Stabat Mater At the Cross her station keeping, Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, O how sad and sore distressed Woe-begone, with heart's prostration, Who on Christ's dear Mother gazing, Who on Christ's dear Mother thinking, For His people's sins rejected, Saw her Son from judgment taken, Fount of love and holy sorrow, Unto Christ, with pure emotion, Those five wounds on Jesus smitten, Thou, thy Savior's Cross who bearest, In the Passion of my Maker, Mine with thee be that sad station, Virgin, thou of virgins fairest, Thus Christ's dying may I carry, May His wounds both wound and heal me, May He, when the mountains quiver, Jesus, may Thy Cross defend me, When to dust my dust returnest, V. Pray for us, O Mother most
Sorrowful, Let us Pray O God, in Whose Passion, as Simeon had foretold, the most sweet soul of Mary, Thy glorious Virgin-Mother, was pierced through by a sword of sorrow, mercifully grant that we who reverently meditate upon her Transfixion and her Sufferings, may obtain the blessed fruits of Thy Passion, through the glorious merits and prayers of all the saints faithfully standing at the Cross interceding for us. Who livest and reignest forever, unto ages of ages. Amen. Mary, Queen of All Hearts O Mary, Queen of All Hearts, Advocate of the most hopeless cases; Mother most pure, most compassionate; Mother of Divine love, full of Divine light, we confide to thy care the favors which we ask of thee today. Consider our misery, our tears, our interior trials and sufferings! We know that thou canst help us through the merits of thy Divine Son, Jesus. We promise, if our prayers are heard, to spread thy glory, by making thee known under the title of Mary, Queen of All Hearts, Queen of the Universe. Grant, we beseech thee, hear our prayers at thine altar, where every day thou givest so many proofs of thy love and power to heal both body and soul. We hope against all hope. Ask Jesus to cure us, pardon us, and grant us final perseverance. O Mary, Queen of All Hearts, cure us, we have confidence thee. (3 times.) Our Lady of Good Counsel The devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel originated near Rome, where for centuries an Augustinian church, which contains a miraculous picture of Mary, has been a place of pilgrimage. Our earthly pilgrimage is beset with many dangers, and we are in need of advice in the grave problems of life. Let us remember that Jesus gave us a Counselor who will never fail us. Let us go to our Heavenly Mother with childlike confidence and abandonment. Let us entrust ourselves to her prudent guidance, for she is our Mother of Good Counsel. "I, Wisdom, dwell in counsel and am present in learned thoughts...Counsel is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine" (Prov. 8:12, 14). Let us Pray May the kind intercession of Mary, Thy glorious and ever Virgin-Mother, be our help, we pray Thee, O Lord, that it may make those whom it has blessed with continual favors, ever to know what should be done, and then strengthen them to carry it out faithfully. Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, One God, forever, unto ages of ages. Amen. O Mary, thou art favored more than all other women on earth, for in the presence of our God thou hast aided us in our weakness. Rule over us, thou and Thy Son, because thou hast freed us from the hands of our enemies! Hail Mary... Mary speaks: Let us Pray O God, Who didst give her who bore Thy beloved Son, to be our Mother, and didst deign to glorify her fair image by a wondrous apparition, grant we beseech Thee, that by always following her counsels we may be able to live after Thine own Heart and arrive happily in our heavenly fatherland. Through the Our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, One God, forever, unto ages of ages. Amen. Prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel Most glorious Virgin, chosen by the Eternal Counsel to be the Mother of the Eternal Word Made Flesh, thou who art the treasurer of Divine graces and the advocate of sinners, I who am thy most unworthy servant have recourse to thee; be thou pleased to be my Guide and Counselor in this vale of tears. Obtain for me through the Most Precious Blood of thy Divine Son, the forgiveness of my sins, the salvation of my soul, and the means necessary to obtain it. In like manner, obtain for holy Church victory over her enemies and the spread of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ upon the whole earth. Amen. (500 days indulgence)
Let us Pray Thou great God of love, Who art worthy of all love in Heaven and on earth, like a dry limb on a tree do I seem in comparison with the verdant foliage of St. Konrad's virtues. Let me not be a branch which is entirely cut off from Thee. May the trial that I am undergoing serve as a spark to inflame me with true love. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be... Litany
of St. Konrad Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of
the world, Spare us, O Lord. V. Pray for us, O Holy St. Konrad Let us Pray Thou hast given us, O God, in Holy Brother Konrad a splendid example of a virtuous life and a faithful intercessor in all difficulties and necessities. Mercifully grant that we, after his example, may learn to love the Holy Cross above all things and thereupon attain to all virtue. Deign also to us to have in Holy Brother Konrad a faithful intercessor before Thy Heavenly throne. Grant that we, thus honoring him here on earth, may one day be with him in the Heavenly Kingdom, praising and loving Thee eternally. Amen. Prayer to St. Konrad "Saint Brother Konrad", powerful friend at the throne of God! During thy life thou wert so kind and willing to help others. Many are they whom thou didst console and strengthen in their crosses and sufferings. By the kindly glance of thine eye, by a cheering word at the right time, thou didst pour soothing balsam on many a wounded heart. Behold, I come to thee now, as a suppliant in my need. I do not know the wise plans of God, nor why He has laid this heavy cross on my shoulders; still I may pray with Jesus: "Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me." But should it be God's will that I be tried and purified by this cross, then obtain for me, dear Brother, the grace to bear it patiently and with full resignation. Amen. SECOND DAY - April 15 Consideration Brother Konrad wrote to a devout soul: "I speak very confidingly with my beloved God, like a child with his father. I make known to Him my needs, my petitions, and the things that worry me most. Then I ask Him to grant me this or that grace, but with childlike trust... Yes, with great trust. If I have sinned, then I ask Him humbly for pardon; I promise to be a good child again and to love Him all the more. To those who love God, all things work together unto good. No matter how wrong things go, it is nevertheless, surely for the best. The good God will help. His mercy has no limits." His usual word of consolation was: "Only have trust in God, and everything will turn out all right." Trust is like the calyx of the flower that unfolds itself to God's dew and sunshine. It is our own fault if we wall up the windows of our soul. Application Good Brother Konrad, the reason thy prayers have always borne such wonderful fruit is that thou ha st gone to thy Heavenly Father like a trusting child and hoped for nothing from thyself but everything from Him. In my case, pride, selfishness and self-sufficiency have broken my wings. For this reason it is often so difficult for me to trust in the ever-present help and goodness of God and to fly to Him with full confidence. Let us Pray O God of power and wisdom, no sin can displease Thee more than mistrust and doubt, because these deny Thy Divinity and make Thee smaller than the world and its tribulation. Now I shall cast aside all fear, and with all my cares cast myself entirely upon Thee. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be... Litany of St. Konrad THIRD DAY - April 16
FOURTH DAY - April 17 Consideration In one of his letters, Brother Konrad wrote: "O my sister, God means well with us. He has loaded us with many graces, which He has shared with us out of pure mercy. O what ingratitude it would be on our part if we neglected or misused them. No, we shall never do that! We shall give ourselves entirely to Him, to our beloved Father in Heaven." To many, the life of Brother Konrad may seem insignificant, and they find it hard to understand how a wealthy young farmer could hide himself in the monastery. Yet, in this quiet seclusion he was unusually happy, whereas in the world he had always felt homesick, and as a stranger. Gratitude and content can make even a foot of earth more beautiful and richer than a kingdom. Application Good Brother Konrad, thou didst consider it a sin and unjust to throw away, as useless, a gift of God and not use it to the fullest extent. Therefore, even the crumbs of life were sufficient to make thee happy and a saint. I, on the contrary, wish always for the things I do not possess, murmur when others have more than I, and hence I am never satisfied. How can I concern myself with great things if I cannot learn to perform the small tasks that God gives me to perform? Let us Pray O God, Thou Creator of the little and the great, no more shall I forget that Thine eye hath rested on the small as well as the big things, before Thou givest them to me. If Thou wouldst fulfill but a small part of my request, I should be grateful for it and seek therein the pearl of love, which Thou hast concealed. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.... Litany of St. Konrad FIFTH DAY - April 18 Consideration During his life Brother Konrad wished to be the servant of all. Nothing suited him better than to be the unnoticed and unseen benefactor of everyone. Surely in Heaven that is now his greatest joy! The word of God is wonderfully fulfilled in him that the humble shall be exalted. Humility is a blue mantle that covers the beauty of the soul and keeps it intact and fresh. Application Good Brother Konrad, when thou didst pray, God listened, for there was no discord of self-love or presumption in thy voice. How thin and threadbare is the cloak of my heart when it appears before the all-penetrating eye of God, because I have woven it with the thread of my own vanity and self-indulgence. Let us Pray O Thou great and inscrutable God, how poor do I appear before Thee in my nakedness, and how empty I am, being so full of myself! But my present trial, before which I stand so helpless, will convince me how much I depend upon Thee for everything and how little I can do without Thee. Yet, for the sake of the humility of Thy servant Konrad, let Thy grace visit me again. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be... Litany of St. Konrad SIXTH DAY - April 19
SEVENTH DAY - April 20 Consideration Brother Konrad was goodness and kindness itself. During his lifetime he did good to hundreds of thousands, and no one ever saw him angry or vexed. There was always a smile on his face. He could not understand uncharitableness, and when anyone came to him with complaints about others, he cut them short with one remark: "O this useless talk." Application Good Brother Konrad, thou couldst go trustingly to God at all times with thy prayers, for there was no one to cry after thee because of any injury thou had st done them. In my prayers, however, I am afraid that there are to be found many tears and groans, which I have caused in the course of my life, and perhaps curses of unhappy beings who have to suffer in another world because of me. Let us Pray Thou God of justice and Protector of the oppressed, I come before Thee bowed down and in tears. I, who have so often increased the burdened of others. How much reason have I to be kind to others! In the future I propose to be merciful to all. Do Thou be merciful to me now. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be... Litany of St. Konrad EIGHTH DAY - April 21 Consideration Brother Konrad passed through the world and through the cloister into Heaven like an innocent child. Before the enticements of sin he fled to his angelic patron, St. John, and to his Virgin Mother; the spotless Bread of the Eucharist changed all earthly desires into heavenly longings. He who has a clean heart says no false prayers to God, because his pure eyes see clearly what is proper and becoming to ask. Application Good Brother Konrad, see how necessary thou art to me in my cares and worries. My heart is heavy with overmuch guilt and my eyes dim with tears of repentance, and I am unworthy to look upon the Face of God. But no matter how heavy my burden and how strange my case, do thou be my mediator and advocate before the all-knowing and eternal God. Let us Pray O God, King of pure and good souls, with fear and trembling I cast myself before Thy throne. What wilt Thou do with me, who have no claim to Thy mercy, and yet so earnestly desire deliverance from my sorrow? Through the intercession of Thy servant Konrad, look upon my affliction. If I could but touch the hem of Thy love, I should be made whole. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be... Litany of St. Konrad NINTH DAY & FEAST - April 22
Prayer of Thanksgiving After the Novena O good and blessed God, once more I come to Thee with childlike confidence; this time to express to Thee my inmost thanks. I know and feel that I have not prayed to Thee in vain. Thou deservest that I approach nearer and nearer to Thee, like my holy model, Thy blessed servant Konrad. Wherefore, I shall endeavor hereafter to appreciate and use better Thy manifold graces. Amen. Devotions to St. Fidelis of
Sigmaringen Responsory: Fidelis vir tu nomine Thy name, Fidelis, doth proclaim
Through thee the halt, the lame, the
blind,
Glory be to the Father,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and
ever shall be,
Antiphon. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. V. Pray for us, O blessed Fidelis, Let us Pray O God, Who has vouchsafed to glorify blessed Fidelis, inflamed with seraphic ardor of spirit, with the palm of martyrdom and the fame of miracles in the propagation of the Frue Faith: by his merits and intercession, we beseech Thee so to strengthen us by Thy grace in faith and charity, that we may deserve to be found faithful in Thy service unto death. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the Unity of the Holy Ghost, One God, forever, unto ages of ages. Amen. (300 days indulgence; plenary under usual conditions if recited daily with devotion for one month). Novena
to St. Louis Marie De Montfort
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Holy Mary, pray for us. Saint Louis Marie De Montfort, Faithful disciple of Jesus Christ the Incarnate Wisdom, Heart ever docile to the Holy Ghost, Fervent minister of the Holy Eucharist, Passionate lover of the Cross, Loving slave of Jesus in Mary, Devout client of St. Michael and the Holy Angels, Pattern of eminent sanctity, Marvel of poverty and abandonment to Divine Providence, Angel of innocence and purity, Model of perfect obedience, Man of solitude and prayer, Marvel of self-denial, Example of patience and charity, Valiant fighter for God's glory and the salvation of souls, Tireless preacher of the word of God, Proclaimer of Christian Doctrine, Restorer of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, Promoter of devotion to the Sacred Heart, Eminent preacher of the Cross and of the Holy Rosary, Apostle and prophet of the Reign of Jesus through Mary, Doctor of perfect devotion to the Blessed Virgin, Fearless defender of the Faith, Most devoted son of the Church and of the Vicar of Christ, Admirable harvester of souls, Director of Confraternities, Zealous promoter of Christian education, Father of the poor, Friend of the infirm and the sick, Helper of the souls in Purgatory, Guide of the true pilgrim, Restorer of the houses of God, Founder of Religious Congregations, Model of priests and missionaries, Soul consumed with love for God alone, Powerful advocate with Jesus and Mary, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of
the world, Spare us, O Lord. V. Pray for us, Saint Louis Marie de
Montfort. Let us Pray O God, Who didst raise up Saint Louis Marie, Thy Confessor, to be a glorious preacher of the Cross and of the most Holy Rosary, and through him, hast enriched the Church with a new family, grant that by his merits and through his intercession, we may obtain the reward of everlasting glory, by the Life, Death and Resurrection of Thine only Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, One God, forever, unto ages of ages. Amen.
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