Prayers of Saints

Prayers from Gregory the Wonderworker to Mother Teresa

Prayers	Author, dates and source of text
O Mary, may my heart never cease to love you, and my tongue never cease to praise you.	St. Bonaventure (1218-1274) *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations* edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 222
Have mercy on me, O Lady, for my enemies have trodden upon me every day: all their thoughts are turned to evil against me. Stir up fury, and be mindful of war, and pour out your anger upon them. Renew wonders and change marvelous things: let us feel the help of your arm. Distill upon us the drops of your sweetness: For you are the cupbearer of the sweetness of grace.	St. Bonaventure (1218-1274) *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations* edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 223
Abandonment to Mary Virgin full of goodness, Mother of Mercy, I entrust to you my body and soul, my thoughts, my actions, my life and my death. O my Queen, help me, and deliver me from all the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after him, O Mary, to love you with all my heart and above all things. Amen.	St. Bonaventure (1218-1274) *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 102.
For a Peaceful Parting Holy Virgin, I beg of you, when my soul shall depart from my body, be pleased to meet and receive it. Mary, do not refuse me then the grace of being sustained by your sweet presence. Be for me the ladder and the way to heaven, and finally assure me of pardon and eternal rest.	St. Bonaventure (1218-1274) Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, pp. 102-103.
Of Dedication to Mary Virgin full of goodness, Mother of mercy, I entrust to you my body and my soul, my thoughts and my actions, my life and my death. My Queen, come to my aid and deliver me from the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after Him, O Mary, of loving you with all my heart and above all things. Amen.	St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Dominican, Doctor of the Church, taught and preached at Paris, Orvieto, Rome, Viterbo, and Naples. *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 105.
Most chaste Virgin Mary, by the spotless purity with which you prepared for the Son of God a dwelling of delight in your virginal womb, I beg of you to intercede for me that I may be cleansed from every stain. Most humble Virgin Mary, by that most profound humility by which you deserved to be raised high above all the choirs of angels and saints, I beg of you to intercede for me that all my sins may be expiated. Most amiable Mary, by that indescribable love that united you so closely and inseparably to God, I beg of you to intercede for me that I may obtain an abundance of all merits. Amen.	St. Gertrude of Helfta, Saxony (1256-1301), Cistercian nun; also called St. Gertrude the Great. *The Essential Mary Handbook : A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers :* with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church [edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer]. Liguori, Mo. : Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999 , pp. 114. Also found in: *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 106.
O Lady, by the love which you bear Jesus, help me to love him.	St. Bridget (1303-1375) *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations* edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich, Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 222
O Mary, temple of the Trinity. O Mary, bearer of fire. O Mary, dispenser of mercy. O Mary, restorer of human generation, because the world was repurchased by means of the sustenance that your flesh found in the Word, Christ repurchased the world with his Passion and you with your suffering. O Mary, peaceful ocean. O Mary, giver of peace. O Mary, fruitful land. You, O Mary, are that new plant from which we have the fragrant flower of the Word, only-begotten Son of God, because this Word was sown in you, O fruitful land. You are the land and the plant. O Mary, vehicle of fire, you bore the fire hidden and veiled beneath the ash of your humanity. O Mary, vase of humility, in which there burns the light of true knowledge with which you lifted yourself above yourself and yet were pleasing to the eternal Father; hence he took and brought you to himself, loving you with a singular love. With this light and fire of your charity and with the oil of your humility, you drew and inclined His divinity to come into you–although He was first drawn to us by the most ardent fire of his inestimable charity. Today, O Mary, you have become a book in which our rule is written. In you, today, is written the wisdom of the eternal Father. In you, today, is manifested the strength and freedom of all humankind. I say that the dignity of humankind is manifested because when I look at you, O Mary, I see that the hand of the Holy Spirit has written the Trinity in you, forming in you the Incarnate Word, the only begotten Son of God. He has written for us the wisdom of the Father, that is, the Word. He has written for us His power, because He was powerful in effecting this great mystery. And He has written for us the clemency of that Holy Spirit, because only through grace and the divine clemency was so great a mystery ordained and accomplished. But today I ardently make my request, because it is the day of graces, and I know that nothing is refused to you, O Mary. Today, O Mary, your land has generated the Savior for us. O Mary, blessed are you among women throughout the ages. Amen.	St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380). Dominican tertiary, Doctor of the Church and Patroness of Italy. *The Essential Mary Handbook : A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers :* with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the *Catechism of the Catholic Church* by [edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer]. Liguori, Mo. Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999 , pp. Also found in: *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, pp. 107-108.
O Lady, since thou art the dispenser of all graces, and since the grace of salvation can only come through they hands, our salvation depends on thee.	St.Bernardine of Sienna (1381-1444) Mary : Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope : in three parts principally taken from authorized works by Bernard Widger. Dublin : J. Duffy & Co., 1904 BX2160 .W54 1904, p. 76
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to you, O virgins of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful an sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.	Monastery of Citeaux Fifteenth century attributed to St. Bernard (d. 1153) popularized by a priest named Claude Bernard (d. 1461). The Essential Mary Handbook : A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers : with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the *Catechism of the Catholic Church,* [edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer. Liguori, Mo. Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999 , pp. 105-6.
Mary, I love you. Mary, make me live in God, with God, and for God. Draw me after you, holy mother. O Mary, may your children persevere in loving you. Mary, Mother of God and mother of mercy, pray for me and for the departed. Mary, holy Mother of God, be our helper. In every difficulty and distress, come to our aid, O Mary. O Queen of Heaven, lead us to eternal life with God. Mother of God, remember me, and help me always to remember you. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.	St. Philip Neri (1515-1595), buried in Rome. *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations,* edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich, Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 220
For Holy Priests O Holy Mother of God, pray for the priests your Son has chosen to serve the church. Help them by your intercession, to be holy, zealous and chaste. Make them models of virtue in the service of God’s people. Help them to be prayerful in meditations, effective in preaching, and enthusiastic in the daily offering of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Help them to administer the sacraments with joy. Amen.	St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584), Cardinal Archbishop of Milan. *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 110.
A Trinitarian Prayer of Praise to Mary Let us offer praise and thanksgiving to the most Holy Trinity Who has shown us the Virgin Mary, clothed with the sun, the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a mystic crown of twelve stars. Let us praise and thank the divine Father who elected her for his daughter. Our Father ... Praised be the divine Father who predestined her to be the Mother of his divine Son. Hail Mary ... Praised be the divine Father who preserved her from all stain in her conception. Hail Mary ... Praised be the divine Father who adorned her at her birth with his most beautiful gifts. Hail Mary ... Praised be the divine Father who gave her St. Josph to be her companion and chaste spouse. Hail Mary ... Glory to ... Let us praise and thank the divine Son Who chose her for His Mother. Our Father ... Praised be the divine Son Who became incarnate in her bosom and there abode for nine months. Hail Mary ... Praised be the divine Son Who was born of her and was nourished by her. Hail Mary ... Praised be the divine Son Who in His childhood was taught by her. Hail Mary ... Praised be the divine Son Who revealed to her the mystery of the redemption of the world. Hail Mary ... Glory to ... Let us praise and thank the Holy Spirit Who took her for His spouse. Our Father ... Praised be the Holy Spirit Who revealed first to her His name of Holy Spirit. Hail Mary ... Praised be the Holy Spirit by Whose miracle she was the lving temple of the ever blessed Trinity. Hail Mary ... Praised be the Holy Spirit by Whom she was exalted in heaven above every living creature. Hail Mary ... Glory to...	St. Joseph Calasanctius (1557-1648), Spain and Rome, founder of the Piarist Fathers. *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, pp. 113-114.
Most Holy Mary Virgin Mother of God, I am unworthy to be your servant. Yet moved by your motherly care for me and longing to serve you, I choose you this day to be my Queen, my Advocate, and my Mother. I firmly resolve ever to be devoted to you and to do what I can to encourage others to be devoted to you. My loving Mother, through the Precious Blood of your Son shed for me, I beg you to receive me as your servant forever. Aid me in my actions and beg for me the grace never by thought, word, or deed to be displeasing in your sight and that of your most holy Son. Remember me, dearest Mother, and do not abandon me at the hour of death.	St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622). *The Essential Mary Handbook : A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers :* with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church [edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer]. Liguori, Mo. Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999 , pp. 112 Also found in: *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, pp. 115-116.
O Holy Mary, my mother, into your blessed trust and custody, and into the care of your mercy I this day, every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and my body. To you I commit all my anxieties and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that by your most holy intercession and by your merits all my actions may be directed and disposed according to your will and that of your Son. Amen. Also in Beyer as: O holy Mary, my Lady, into your blessed trust and safe keeping and into the depths of your mercy I commend my soul and body this day, every day of my life, and at the hour of my death. To you I entrust all my hopes and consolations, all my trials and miseries, my life and the end of my life. By your most holy intercession and by your merits, may all my actions be directed and disposed according to your will and the will of your divine Son. Amen.	St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), Society of Jesus, patron of young men. *The Essential Mary Handbook : A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers :* with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the *Catechism of the Catholic Church[edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer]. Liguori, Mo. Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999 , pp. 111 Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 117.
Litany of Salutations to Mary Hail Mary, daughter of God the Father. Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son. Hail Mary, Spouse, of God the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Blessed Trinity. Hail Mary, Pure Lily of the Trinity, One God. Hail Mary, Celestial Rose of the love of God. Hail Mary, Virgin pure and humble, of whom the King of Heaven willed to be born. Hail Mary, Virgin of virgins. Hail Mary, Queen of Martyrs, whose soul a sword transfixed. Hail Mary, my Queen and my Mother, my life, my sweetness and my hope. Hail Mary, Mother most amiable. Hail Mary, Mother most admirable. Hail Mary, Mother of Divine Love. Hail Mary, Immaculate, conceived without sin. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Blessed be your spouse, Saint Joseph, Blessed be your father, Saint Joachim. Blessed be your mother, Saint Anne. Blessed be your guardian, Saint John. Blessed be your holy Angel, Saint Gabriel. Glory be to God the Father, Who chose you. Glory be to God the Son, Who loved you. Glory be to God the Holy Spirit, Who espoused you. O Glorious Virgin Mary. May all people love and praise you. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and bless us, Now and at death, in the name of Jesus, your Divine Son. Amen.	St. John Eudes (1601-1680) *The Essential Mary Handbook : A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers :* with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church by [edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer]. Liguori, Mo. Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999 , pp. 145-6. Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, pp. 118-119.
At the New Year O Blessed Virgin, Mother of my God and Savior, I honor and revere you in the first moment of your life. I honor and revere the dispositions of your holy soul, and all that took place in you at that time. You began immediately, O holy Virgin, to love and glorify God most perfectly, and from that first moment to the last of your life, you did ever love and glorify Him more and more. As for me, in spite of all the years I have been in this world, I have not yet begun to love and serve Him as I should. O Mother of mercy, beg your divine Son to have mercy on me. Atone for my failings, offering Him on my behalf all the love and glory you ever gave Him, to satisfy for my neglect in loving and glorifying Him. Grant that I may share in your surpassing love for Him, and in the fidelity of that great eternal love. Pray for me, that He may give me the grace to begin, at least now, to love Him perfectly, and that all that shall take place during this year, and all my life, may be consecrated to His glory and your honor. O angels, and saints of Jesus Christ, pray for me, that our loving Savior may give me new grace and new love for Him, to devote this year and my whole life, purely and solely to the service of His glory and love.	St. John Eudes (1601-1680) Meditations on Various Subjects, Reverend Charles Lebrun, C.J.M., S.T.D., Tr. 1947, P.J. Kenedy & Sons, New York, NY.
For the Spirit of Mary My powerful Queen, you are all mine through your mercy, and I am all yours. Take away from me all that may displease God and cultivate in me all that is pleasing to him. May the light of your faith dispel the darkness of my mind, your deep humility take the place of my pride, your continual sight of God fill my memory with his presence. May the first of the love of your heart inflame the lukewarmness of my own heart. May your virtues take the place of my sins. May your merits be my enrichment and make up for all that is wanting in me before God. My beloved Mother, grant that I may have no other spirit but your spirit, to know Jesus Christ and His divine will and to praise and glorify the Lord, that I may love God with burning love like yours. Amen.	St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716), born in Brittany, founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary and the Daughters of Wisdom, wrote many prayers. *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 120.
In the Arms of Your Mercy O Mary, my Queen, I cast myself in the arms of your mercy. I place my soul and body in your blessed care and under your special protection from this world. I entrust to you all my hopes and consolations, all my anguish and misery, my life and the end of my life. Through your most holy intercession and through your merits, grant that all my works may be directed and carried out in accord with your will and the will of your divine Son. Amen.	St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716), born in Brittany, founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary and the Daughters of Wisdom, wrote many prayers. *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 121.
Shelter Me Under Your Mantle Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to you who are the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the Universe, the Advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate you, great Queen, and I thank you for the many graces you have bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often served by my sins. I love you, my dearest Lady; and because of that love, I promise to serve you willingly for ever and to do what I can to make you loved by others also. I place in you all my hopes for salvation; accept me as your servant and shelter me under your mantle, you who are the Mother of Mercy. And since you are so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From you I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through you I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by your love for Almighty God, I pray you to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until you shall see me safe in heaven, there to bless you and sing of your mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen.	St. Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787), born in Naples, Redemptorist, doctor of canon and civil law, bishop, and author. *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 122.
O, Mother of my God, and my Lady Mary; as a beggar, all wounded and sore, presents himself before a great Queen, so do I present myself before you, who are Queen of heaven and earth. From the lofty throne on which you sit, disdain not, I implore you, to cast your eyes on me, a poor sinner. God has made you so rich that you might assist the poor, and has made you Queen of Mercy in order that you might relieve the miserable. Behold me then, and pity me: behold me and abandon me not, until you see me changed from a sinner into a saint.	St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1789) *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations* edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 226
Immaculate Mother of God, Queen of Apostles We know that God's commandment of love and our vocation to follow Jesus Christ impels us to cooperate in the mission of the Church. Realizing our own weakness, we entrust the renewal of our personal lives and our apostolate to your intercession. We are confident that through God's mercy and the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, you, who are our Mother, will obtain the strength of the Holy Spirit as you obtained it for the community of the apostles gathered in the upper room. Therefore, relying on your maternal intercession, we are resolved from this moment on to devote our talents, learning, material resources, our health, sickness and trials, and every gift of nature and grace, for the greater glory of God and the salvation of all. We wish to carry on those activities which especially promote the catholic apostolate for the revival of faith and love of the people of God and so bring all men and women into the faith of Jesus Christ. And if a time should come when we have nothing more to offer serviceable to this end, we will never cease to pray that there will be one fold and one shepherd, Jesus Christ. In this way, we hope to enjoy the results of the apostolate of Jesus Christ for all eternity. Amen.	St. Vincent Pallotti (1696-1789) Daily Bread : A Treasury of Prayers from The Pallottines, Milwaukee, WI, p. 24. 24. 24. 24. 24. 24
O most holy Virgin Mary, always present before the most holy Trinity, to whom it is granted at all times to pray for us to your most blessed Son, pray for me in all my needs. Help me, defend me, give thanks for me, and obtain for me the pardon of all my sins and failings. Help me especially in my last hours. Then, when I can no longer give any sign of the use of reason, give me courage and protect me against all evil spirits. Make in my name a profession of faith. Assure me of my eternal salvation. Never let me despair of the mercy of God. Help me to overcome the evil spirits. When I can no longer say, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I place my soul in your hands,” say it for me. When I can no longer hear human words of consolation, bring me comfort. Stay with me when I stand in judgment before your Son. If I have to do penance for my sins in purgatory, pray for me after my death. Inspire my friends to pray for me, and thus help gain for me very soon the happiness of being in the presence of God. Lead my soul to heaven where, united with all the elect, I may bless and praise God and yourself for all eternity. Amen.	St. John Vianney (1786-1859), the Curé of Ars, France, patron of parish priests. *The Essential Mary Handbook :A Summary of Beliefs, Practices, and Prayers :* with a glossary of key terms and cross-referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church by [edited and compiled by Judith A. Bauer]. Liguori, Mo. Liguori Publications, c1999, BX2160.2 .E88 1999 , pp. 116. Also found in: Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 124.
What shall bring me forward in the narrow way, as I live in the world, but the thought and patronage of Mary? What shall seal my senses, shall tranquilize my heart, when sights and sounds of danger are around me but Mary? What shall give me patience and endurance, when I am wearied out with the length of the conflict with evil, with the unceasing necessity of precautions, with the irksomeness of observing them, with the tediousness of their reception, with the strain upon my mind, with my forlorn and cheerless condition, but a loving communion with you! You will comfort me in my discouragements, solace me in my fatigues, raise me after my falls, reward me for my successes. You will show me your Son, my God and my all. When my spirit within me is excited, or relaxed, or depressed, when it loses its balance, when it is restless and wayward, when it is sick of what it has, and hankers after what it has not, when my eye is solicited with evil and my mortal frame trembles under the shadow of the tempter, what will bring me to myself, to peace and health, but the cool breath of the Immaculate and the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon?	Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890) *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations* by edited by Pamela Moran, Ann Arbor, Mich. : Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 58
It is the time for your Visitation. Arise, Mary, and go forth in your strength into that north country, which once was your own, and take possession of a land which knows you not. Arise, Mother of God, and with your thrilling voice, speak to those who labor with child, and are in pain, till the babe of grace leaps within them!	Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890) *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations* by edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 218
O Mary, I give you my heart. Grant me to be always yours. Jesus and Mary, be ever my friends; and, for love of You, grant me to die a thousand deaths rather than to have the misfortune of committing a single mortal sin.	St. Dominic Savio (1842-1857), Patron of Youth and of the Falsely Accused. *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations* by edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 227
How happy my soul was, good Mother, when I had the good fortune to gaze upon you! How I love to recall the pleasant moments spent under your gaze, so full of kindness and mercy for us. Yes, tender Mother, you stooped down to earth to appear to a mere child.... You, the Queen of heaven and earth, deigned to make use of the most fragile thing in the world’s eyes.	St. Bernadette (1844-1879) *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations* edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 49
The Depths of the Love of Your Heart Virgin full of grace, I know that at Nazareth you lived modestly, without requesting anything more. Neither ecstasies, nor miracles, nor other extra ordinary deeds enhanced your life, O Queen of the elect. The number of the lowly, “the little ones,” is very great on earth. They can raise their eyes to your without any fear. You are the incomparable Mother who walks with them along the common way to guide them to heaven. Beloved Mother, in this harsh exile, I want to live always with you and follow you every day. I am enraptured by the contemplation of you and I discover the depths of the love of your heart. All my fears vanish under your motherly gaze, which teaches me to weep and to rejoice! Amen.	St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), France, Carmelite. *Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions* by Richard J. Beyer. Notre Dame, IN : Ave Maria Press, c1996, BX2160.2 B46 1996, p. 126-127.
Grant me, O Mary, that I may get to know the cross; not only Jesus’ cross, but whatever cross fits me best.	St. Gemma [? St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), Italy] A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations by edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 222
Jesus entrusted me to His Mother, and charged me to love her very much. You are then my heavenly Mother. You will be towards me like any mother towards her children. You see me weak? You will have mercy on my weakness. You see me poor in virtue? You will help me. O my Mother, do not forsake me! My dearest Mother, do not abandon me!	St. Gemma [ St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), Italy] A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations by edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 225
O Mary, we have exiled your Divine Son from our lives, our councils, our education, and our families! Come with the light of the sun as the symbol of His Power! Heal our wars, our dark unrest; cool the cannon’s lips so hot with war! Take our minds off the atom and our souls out of the muck of nature! Give us rebirth in your Divine Son, us, the poor children of the earth grown old with age!	Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979) *A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations* by edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 218
Give us a heart as beautiful, pure, and spotless as yours. A heart like yours, so full of love and humility. May we be able to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life, to love Him as you loved Him, to serve Him under the mistreated face of the poor. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen	Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) A Marian Prayer Book : A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations edited by Pamela Moran. Ann Arbor, Mich. Servant Publications, c1991, BX2160.2 .M37 1991, p. 215

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