Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians

Our Lady's help has been invoked since Apostolic times, and during the Middle Ages the title for Mary, Help of Christians was widely used. People implored Mary's help while honoring her with the recitation of the Holy Rosary. In the 1800s the feast day for Our Lady Help of Christians was established within the Church and placed on May 24. 

In modern times we would do well to remember these Catholic traditions and implement them in our own lives. In the midst of such a troubled world, may we implore Our Lady Help of Christians, asking for her aid to bring Christ to all people and peace throughout the world. Meanwhile may we once again, like Catholics of old, hold tight to our rosaries, honoring Our Lady with this great devotion. The following prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians is a beautiful prayer to recite, asking our Lady to help each of us, the Church, and the whole world. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!

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Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians 

Most holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, our tender Mother and mighty Help of Christians, we dedicate ourselves wholly to thy dear love and holy service. We dedicate to thee our minds and all our thoughts, our hearts and all our affections, our bodies and all our senses and all our strength; we promise to be ever willing to labor for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. Meanwhile, do thou, O incomparable Virgin, who hast ever been the helper of the Christian people, continue to show thyself to be so in these our days. Bring low the enemies of our holy religion and frustrate their wicked designs. Enlighten and strengthen our Bishops and our priests; keep them always in close union and obedience to the Pope, their infallible Teacher; preserve thoughtless youth from sin and irreligion; increase holy vocations and multiply the number of the sacred ministers, that by means of them the kingdom of Jesus Christ may be preserved amongst us and be extended even to the uttermost parts of the earth. 

We pray thee, moreover, dear Mother, to keep thine eyes of mercy ever turned upon young men and maidens, who are exposed to so many dangers, as well as upon poor sinners and those who are dying; be thou, O Mary, to them all a source of sweet hope, thou who art the Mother of mercy and the Gate of heaven. 

But also for ourselves do we pour forth our supplications, O mighty Mother of God. Teach us to show forth in our lives thy virtues, especially angelic purity, deep humility and burning love; so by our demeanor, our words and our example may we, according as it is given to us, be living images of thy blessed Son Jesus in the midst of the world, and make thee known and loved, in the sure hope that thus we may succeed in bringing many souls to salvation. Grant unto us, O Mary, thou Help of Christians, to be gathered under thy maternal protection. May the thought of the love thou bearest toward thy devoted clients be unto us so great a source of strength as to make us victors over the enemies of our salvation, both in life and in death, that so we may come to stand about thee in the beauty of paradise. Amen 

---from the Raccolta

God bless!

+JMJ+

Daily Prayer for the Church and Government

 "It is a characteristic of any decaying civilization that the great masses of the people are unaware of the tragedy. Humanity in a crisis is generally insensitive to the gravity of the times in which it lives. Men do not want to believe their own times are wicked, partly because they have no standard outside of themselves by which to measure their times. If there is no fixed concept of justice, how shall men know it is violated? Only those who live by faith really know what is happening in the world; the great masses without faith are unconscious of the destructive processes going on, because they have lost the vision of the heights from which they have fallen." 

 --Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Our Lady of Victory, pray for us! 

Prayer for the Church and the Civil Authorities 

 Archbishop John Carroll, A.D. 1800 

We pray Thee, O Almighty and Eternal God, who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy; that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue, with unchanging faith, in the confession of Thy name. We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life our chief bishop, Francis, the Vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ in the government of His Church; our own Bishop, (or Archbishop,) N., (if he is not consecrated, our Bishop-elect); all other Bishops, Prelates, and Pastors of the Church ; and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation. 

We pray Thee, O God of might, wisdom, and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgments decreed, assist, with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude, the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people, over whom he presides, by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. 

Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our role and government; so, that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge, and may perpetuate to us the blessings of equal liberty. 

We pray for his Excellency the Governor of this State, for the members of the Assembly, for all Judges, Magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare; that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability. We recommend likewise to Thy unbounded mercy all our brethren and fellow-citizens, throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge, and sanctified in the observance of most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and, after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. 

Finally, we pray Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith, and repose in the sleep of peace: the souls of our parents, relations, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation; and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship, and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

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“A nation always gets the kind of politicians it deserves. If a time ever comes when the religious Jews, Protestants and Catholics ever have to suffer under a totalitarian state, which would deny to them the right to worship God according to the light of their conscience, it will be because for years they thought it made no difference what kind of people represented them in Congress, and because they abandoned the spiritual in the realm of the temporal.”

--Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen 

God bless! 

+JMJ+

An Ancient Prayer to St. Joseph

Holy Mother Church honors St. Joseph during the month of March with a feast day on March 19 but also by devoting the entire month to him.  Many Saints throughout the history of the Church have spoken on the virtuous life of St. Joseph.  

St. Francis de Sales stated, "Truly, I doubt not that the angels, wondering and adoring, came thronging in countless multitudes to that poor workshop to admire the humility of him who guarded that dear and divine child, and labored at his carpenter’s trade to support the son and the mother who were committed to his care."

And following a similar thought, St. Madeleine Sophia Barat spoke of St. Joseph.  "Let us love Jesus above all, let us love Mary as our mother; but then, how could we keep from loving Joseph, who was so intimately united to both Jesus and Mary? And how can we honor him better than by imitating his virtues? Now, what else did he do in all his life but contemplate, study, and adore Jesus, even in the midst of his daily labors? Behold, therefore, our model."

During this month of March and throughout Lent, may we also look to St. Joseph for his example of virtue and love of our Lord and our Lady.  May we strive to imitate him in his service to God and beg his intercession to help us on our journey to heaven.

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An Ancient Prayer to Saint Joseph 

O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in thee all my interests and desires. 

O St. Joseph, assist me by thy powerful intercession and obtain for me all spiritual blessings through thy foster Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord, so that, having engaged here below thy heavenly power, I may offer thee my thanksgiving and homage. 

O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating thee and Jesus asleep in thine arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near thy heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Devotional to Our Lady of Sorrows

With Lent beginning this next week, I wanted to repost the free devotional I created to Our Lady of Sorrows for your use throughout this penitential season.

I hope this simple devotional helps you truly honor and love our Lady of Sorrows this year during your Lenten journey or whenever you choose to pray it. It is a useful devotional for adults, children, or families. This devotional is free for your use. I simply ask if you post about or share this devotional or one of my other ideas, that you please be kind enough to link back to my original post. My ideas are not to be used for profit, and are to be used for personal use by individuals, families, and teachers.

Image of the Front Cover

I do have it available for download at the following link: Seven Sorrows of Mary. If you have difficulty with the link or prefer to receive it by email, please leave me a message with your email address, and I can send you the document for free. I will NOT post your email online. If you would rather receive a printed copy in the mail, I would have to charge a small fee for printing cost (ink and paper) and postage. If you prefer that method, please message me again with your email, and I will email you back to set it up. I am looking for other reliable methods for downloads, but I have not decided on one yet. If you have any reliable suggestions, please let me know.

Praying you have a blessed Lent!

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayer to the Most Loving Infant Jesus

 Let us bear in mind, despite the chaotic motions of the world, that Holy Mother Church celebrates the Nativity of our Lord longer than just December 25.  The holy feast of Christmas is celebrated for twelve days, from December 25 through January 5, the vigil of Epiphany.  The season of  Christmastide extends through February 2, the Feasts of the Purification of Mary and Presentation of Jesus, also known as Candlemas.  An explanation can be found here by Fr. Rock, FSSP.

May we continue to keep our focus, then, on honoring the newborn Infant Jesus with extra prayers and acts of love throughout the remainder of Christmastide.  May the innocence and virtue of the Christ Child live in us throughout our lives.

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Prayer to the Most Loving Infant Jesus

O most loving and blessed Infant Jesus! Thou great God and Lord of heaven and earth, Who hast clothed and hidden Thy Divine Majesty under the lovable semblance of a child before Whom the powers of the heavens tremble, the mighty kings of the earth bow and the evil spirits under the earth must bend; Who through the Almighty God, for love of us hast become a little Child, so that we might love Thee more ardently and serve Thee more faithfully and humbly follow Thy example in childlike purity and love. I, a poor sinner, bow down humbly before the great God concealed in this lovable Child and adore Thee! I love Thee as the highest and most loving God; I entrust myself to Thy infinite Goodness. O teach me after Thy example to love humility and crush pride, to desire to grow in virtue and childlike trust; direct and rule me and make me virtuous, that I may please Thee and be little in this world and great in the next. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

For the Feast of St. Philomena

 Holy Mother Church celebrates St. Philomena with a historical feast day on August 11.  Martyred at the age of 13 by Emperor Diocletian, this young Saint endured intense suffering for the love of God.  At the age of 11, St. Philomena consecrated herself to God, and despite the offerings of marriage to the emperor, she remained faithful to her consecration and her Faith.  Angered, Diocletian imprisoned her for 40 days, forcing her to endure tortures of scourging, drowning, and being shot by arrows.  However, each time St. Philomena was either saved or healed from her persecution.  Furious, Diocletian had her beheaded on the 40th day.  She thus began her heavenly reward with her beloved Lord.  She became known as a wonderworker, miraculously answering the prayers of many on earth.  St. John Vianney held a great devotion to her, penning the following Litany of St. Philomena.  

May we pray to this young, but powerful Saint, asking her to help us remain faithful to our Lord and Catholic Faith amidst the pull of the world.  We would do well to ask St. Philomena to increase in us the virtues of purity, fortitude, and love of God. 

Litany to Saint Philomena  

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, have mercy on us. 

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. 

Holy Trinity one God, have mercy on us. 

Holy Mary, Queen of Virgins, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, pray for us. Saint Philomena, filled with the most abundant graces from the cradle, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, model of Virgins, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, temple of the most perfect humility, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, inflamed with zeal for the Glory of God, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, victim of the love of Jesus, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, example of strength and perseverance, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, invincible champion of chastity, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, mirror of the most heroic virtues, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, firm and intrepid in the face of torments, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, scourged like thy Divine Spouse, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, pierced by a shower of arrows, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, consoled by the Mother of God when in chains, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, cured miraculously in prison, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, comforted by Angels in thy torments, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who preferred torments and death to the splendors of a throne, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who converted the witnesses of thy Martyrdom, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who wore out the fury of thy executioners, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, protectress of the innocent, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, patron of youth, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, refuge of the unfortunate, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, health of the sick and the weak, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, new light of the Church Militant, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who confounds the impiety of the world, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who stimulates the faith and courage of the faithful, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, whose name is glorified in Heaven and feared in Hell, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, made illustrious by the most striking miracles, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, all powerful with God, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who reigns in glory, pray for us. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. 

V. Pray for us, Great Saint Philomena, R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray. We implore Thee, O Lord, by the intercession of Saint Philomena, Virgin and Martyr, who was ever most pleasing to Thine eyes by reason of her eminent purity and the practice of all the virtues, pardon us our sins and grant us all the graces we need [name any special grace you may require]. Amen.

                                                                                 --Composed by Saint John Vianney

God bless!

                                                                                                                +JMJ+

Prayer after Holy Communion by St. Bonaventure

 Holy Mother Church honors St. Bonaventure with a feast day on July 14. Born in Italy in 1221, as a young child Bonaventure was saved from death through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, to whom Bonaventure’s mother had prayed, vowing to give her son to the Saint’s Order if he was healed. Later Bonaventure did join the order of his intercessor, the Order of Friars Minor. In his studies St. Bonaventure quickly portrayed qualities of great intelligence, wisdom, and virtue. What St. Thomas Aquinas was for the Dominican Order, so, too, St. Bonaventure was for the Franciscan Order.

St. Bonaventure not only inspired through preaching; his written works were great sources of knowledge as well. Included in his writings were works about the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis of Assisi, and love of God. St. Bonaventure desired always to love God through each action and thought he had and to inflame the hearts of others with that same intense love of God he possessed. Later named the Seraphic Doctor, St. Bonaventure died at age 53 and was canonized by Pope Sixtus IV. The following prayer written by the Saint illustrates this love of God that St. Bonaventure strove to live each moment. 

 Prayer after Holy Communion

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee. Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste. 

May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God; may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+