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.
Exalted model of all mothers,
Pray for us.*
Mother who didst suffer so much,*
Mother poor and without shelter,*
Mother who didst bear along forgotten roads the fruit of thy womb,*
Who didst find no other shelter for thy Son and thy God than a wild cave, and no other cradle than a manger,*
Who didst declare: "I am the Immaculate Conception,*
Who didst appear to an humble peasant girl in order to teach us humility,*
Who wast clad in a white robe to remind us of purity,*
Who didst wear a girdle of blue to remind us of Heaven,*
Who didst tread on a rose bush to remind us of the sufferings we must endure in order to merit Heaven,*
Who didst carry the Rosary to induce us to pray,*
Who hadst thy hands joined and thy eyes raised to Heaven to draw us to penance,*
Who art the Star of Hope,*
Who dost pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for us,*
Who dost give strength to the clergy,*
Who dost heal the sick,*
Who art the health of the weak,*
Refuge of sinners,*
Comforter of the afflicted,*
Our Lady of Lourdes, conceived without sin:
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Spare its, 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.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us,
V. Pray for us, Our Lady of Lourdes, Holy Mother of God:
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst prepare a worthy habitation for Thy Son: we humbly beseech Thee, that we who celebrate the feast of the Apparition of the same holy Virgin, may obtain health both of soul and body. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
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.
Exalted model of all mothers,
Pray for us.*
Mother who didst suffer so much,*
Mother poor and without shelter,*
Mother who didst bear along forgotten roads the fruit of thy womb,*
Who didst find no other shelter for thy Son and thy God than a wild cave, and no other cradle than a manger,*
Who didst declare: "I am the Immaculate Conception,*
Who didst appear to an humble peasant girl in order to teach us humility,*
Who wast clad in a white robe to remind us of purity,*
Who didst wear a girdle of blue to remind us of Heaven,*
Who didst tread on a rose bush to remind us of the sufferings we must endure in order to merit Heaven,*
Who didst carry the Rosary to induce us to pray,*
Who hadst thy hands joined and thy eyes raised to Heaven to draw us to penance,*
Who art the Star of Hope,*
Who dost pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for us,*
Who dost give strength to the clergy,*
Who dost heal the sick,*
Who art the health of the weak,*
Refuge of sinners,*
Comforter of the afflicted,*
Our Lady of Lourdes, conceived without sin:
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Spare its, 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.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us,
V. Pray for us, Our Lady of Lourdes, Holy Mother of God:
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
O God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst prepare a worthy habitation for Thy Son: we humbly beseech Thee, that we who celebrate the feast of the Apparition of the same holy Virgin, may obtain health both of soul and body. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
________________________________
Our Lady of Lourdes
from the Liturgical Year, by Dom Gueranger
My bow shall appear in the clouds and I will remember My covenant with you --Gen. 9: 14-15.
The lessons at Matins on February 11, 1854 (Thursday in Sexagesima week) recalled these words, and the world soon learned that on this very day Mary had appeared, more fair than the sign of hope which typified her at the time of the deluge.
Portents, the realization of which we see in these days, were being multiplied. Mankind had grown old, and seemed about to perish in a deluge more dreadful than the former one. "I am the Immaculate Conception," said the Mother of divine grace to the humble child whom she chose at such a time to bear her message to the captain of the Ark of salvation. She pierced the gathering darkness with the light of that sublime privilege which the supreme pilot, to his eternal glory, had declared three years before to be dogma.
Indeed, if, as the beloved disciple says, it is our faith to which victory on earth is promised (i John v. 4), and if faith is nourished by light--what individual dogma is there which so presupposes and recalls all other dogmatic truths, and at the same time throws such light upon them? It is a royal crown on the brow of the victorious queen, resplendent like the rainbow, which breaks through the clouds with all the glories of heaven.
But perchance it was still necessary to open the eyes of the blind to these splendours, to inspire courage into hearts saddened by hell's denials, and to infuse strength to make an act of faith into so many understandings weakened by the education of these days. The Immaculate Virgin summoned the multitudes to the scene of her blessed visit, and both sweetly and strongly succoured the weakness of souls by healing bodies. She smiled upon publicity, welcomed investigation, and confirmed by the authority of miracles her own words and the definition of the Vicar of Christ . . .
The things that take place at Lourdes are as famous as any events of contemporary history. Let us listen to the short account, which the Church has enshrined in the Liturgy:
In the fourth year after the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the blessed Virgin vouchsafed to appear on several occasions to a poor but pious and innocent child named Bernadette, in a rocky cavern overlooking the grotto of Massabielle on the banks of the Gave near the town of Lourdes in the diocese of Tarbes in France. She showed herself as a young and gracious figure, robed in white, with a white veil and blue girdle, and golden roses on her bare feet. At the first apparition on February 11, 1858, she taught the child to make the sign of the cross correctly and devoutly, and, taking a chaplet from her own arm, encouraged her by example to say her rosary. This was repeated at subsequent apparitions. On the second day, Bernadette, who feared an illusion of the devil, in all simplicity cast holy water at the apparition, who smiled more graciously than before. At the third apparition Bernadette was invited to repeat her visits to the grotto for fifteen days, during which the blessed Virgin conversed with her, exhorted her to pray for sinners, kiss the ground and do penance, and finally commanded her to tell the priests that a chapel was to be built in the place and processions held. She was also bidden drink and wash in the water, and a spring, until then invisible, gushed out of the ground. On the feast of the Annunciation, the child earnestly begged the Lady who had so often visited her, to reveal her name, and the blessed Virgin, joining her hands and raising her eyes to heaven, said: "I am the Immaculate Conception"
Rumours of favours received at the holy grotto spread rapidly, and the crowds of devout visitors increased daily, so that the Bishop of Tarbes, who had been impressed by the candour of Bernadette, found it advisable to hold a judicial enquiry into the facts. In the course of the fourth year he gave sentence, recognizing the supernatural character of the apparition, and permitting devotions to our Lady under the title of the Immaculate Conception to be held in the grotto. A chapel was soon built, and since then every year has witnessed innumerable pilgrimages from France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and all parts of Europe and America. The name of Our Lady of Lourdes has become famous all over the world, and cures are obtained everywhere by use of the water. Lourdes has been enriched by a grateful world with splendidly decorated churches, where countless banners bear witness to the favours received and to the desire of peoples and cities to adorn the house of the blessed Virgin, who is honoured there as in her own palace. The days are filled with prayers, hymns and solemn ceremonies, and the nights are sanctified by the pious supplications of countless people who walk in procession carrying torches, and singing the praises of the blessed virgin Mary.
All men know how, in spite of the coldness of the world, these pilgrimages have revived faith, restored the observance of the Christian religion, and increased devotion to the Immaculate Virgin. The Faithful are led by their priests in this marvellous development of faith and devotion . . .
"O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!" Thou didst teach us this prayer in 1830 as a safeguard against the dangers of the future. In 1846 the two shepherds of La Salette reminded us of thy tears and exhortations: "Pray for poor sinners, pray for the world which is so disturbed." Today the little seer of the grotto of Massabielle brings us thy message: "Penitence! Penitence! Penitence!"
We desire to obey thee, O blessed Virgin, to combat in ourselves and all around us that enemy of mankind who is our only real enemy, and sin, that supreme evil which is the source of all others. Praise be to the Almighty, who saved thee from all stain of sin, and thus inaugurated in thee the full restoration of our fallen race. Praise be to thee, who, having no debts of thy own, didst pay our debts with the Blood of thy Son and the tears of His Mother, thus reconciling heaven and earth and crushing the head of the serpent.
Prayer, expiation--the Church from apostolic times has ever urged these thoughts upon us during the days which immediately precede Lent. Dear Mother in heaven, we bless thee for having thus united thy voice to that of our Mother on earth. The world no longer desired, no longer understood, the infallible but indispensable remedy offered by the justice and mercy of God to the misery of man. Men seemed to have forgotten the words: "Except you do penance, you shall all perish" (Lk. 13: 5). Thy pity wakes us from this fatal stupor, O Mary. Thou knowest our weakness, and hast mingled sweetness in the bitter draught. Thou lavishest temporal favours upon man in order that he may ask of thee eternal blessings. We will not be like those children who welcome their mother's caresses, but neglect her admonitions and the corrections, which her tenderness bought to make acceptable. We will pray and suffer in union with Jesus and thee. By thine assistance during this Lent we will be converted and do penance.
Portents, the realization of which we see in these days, were being multiplied. Mankind had grown old, and seemed about to perish in a deluge more dreadful than the former one. "I am the Immaculate Conception," said the Mother of divine grace to the humble child whom she chose at such a time to bear her message to the captain of the Ark of salvation. She pierced the gathering darkness with the light of that sublime privilege which the supreme pilot, to his eternal glory, had declared three years before to be dogma.
Indeed, if, as the beloved disciple says, it is our faith to which victory on earth is promised (i John v. 4), and if faith is nourished by light--what individual dogma is there which so presupposes and recalls all other dogmatic truths, and at the same time throws such light upon them? It is a royal crown on the brow of the victorious queen, resplendent like the rainbow, which breaks through the clouds with all the glories of heaven.
But perchance it was still necessary to open the eyes of the blind to these splendours, to inspire courage into hearts saddened by hell's denials, and to infuse strength to make an act of faith into so many understandings weakened by the education of these days. The Immaculate Virgin summoned the multitudes to the scene of her blessed visit, and both sweetly and strongly succoured the weakness of souls by healing bodies. She smiled upon publicity, welcomed investigation, and confirmed by the authority of miracles her own words and the definition of the Vicar of Christ . . .
The things that take place at Lourdes are as famous as any events of contemporary history. Let us listen to the short account, which the Church has enshrined in the Liturgy:
In the fourth year after the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the blessed Virgin vouchsafed to appear on several occasions to a poor but pious and innocent child named Bernadette, in a rocky cavern overlooking the grotto of Massabielle on the banks of the Gave near the town of Lourdes in the diocese of Tarbes in France. She showed herself as a young and gracious figure, robed in white, with a white veil and blue girdle, and golden roses on her bare feet. At the first apparition on February 11, 1858, she taught the child to make the sign of the cross correctly and devoutly, and, taking a chaplet from her own arm, encouraged her by example to say her rosary. This was repeated at subsequent apparitions. On the second day, Bernadette, who feared an illusion of the devil, in all simplicity cast holy water at the apparition, who smiled more graciously than before. At the third apparition Bernadette was invited to repeat her visits to the grotto for fifteen days, during which the blessed Virgin conversed with her, exhorted her to pray for sinners, kiss the ground and do penance, and finally commanded her to tell the priests that a chapel was to be built in the place and processions held. She was also bidden drink and wash in the water, and a spring, until then invisible, gushed out of the ground. On the feast of the Annunciation, the child earnestly begged the Lady who had so often visited her, to reveal her name, and the blessed Virgin, joining her hands and raising her eyes to heaven, said: "I am the Immaculate Conception"
Rumours of favours received at the holy grotto spread rapidly, and the crowds of devout visitors increased daily, so that the Bishop of Tarbes, who had been impressed by the candour of Bernadette, found it advisable to hold a judicial enquiry into the facts. In the course of the fourth year he gave sentence, recognizing the supernatural character of the apparition, and permitting devotions to our Lady under the title of the Immaculate Conception to be held in the grotto. A chapel was soon built, and since then every year has witnessed innumerable pilgrimages from France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and all parts of Europe and America. The name of Our Lady of Lourdes has become famous all over the world, and cures are obtained everywhere by use of the water. Lourdes has been enriched by a grateful world with splendidly decorated churches, where countless banners bear witness to the favours received and to the desire of peoples and cities to adorn the house of the blessed Virgin, who is honoured there as in her own palace. The days are filled with prayers, hymns and solemn ceremonies, and the nights are sanctified by the pious supplications of countless people who walk in procession carrying torches, and singing the praises of the blessed virgin Mary.
All men know how, in spite of the coldness of the world, these pilgrimages have revived faith, restored the observance of the Christian religion, and increased devotion to the Immaculate Virgin. The Faithful are led by their priests in this marvellous development of faith and devotion . . .
"O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!" Thou didst teach us this prayer in 1830 as a safeguard against the dangers of the future. In 1846 the two shepherds of La Salette reminded us of thy tears and exhortations: "Pray for poor sinners, pray for the world which is so disturbed." Today the little seer of the grotto of Massabielle brings us thy message: "Penitence! Penitence! Penitence!"
We desire to obey thee, O blessed Virgin, to combat in ourselves and all around us that enemy of mankind who is our only real enemy, and sin, that supreme evil which is the source of all others. Praise be to the Almighty, who saved thee from all stain of sin, and thus inaugurated in thee the full restoration of our fallen race. Praise be to thee, who, having no debts of thy own, didst pay our debts with the Blood of thy Son and the tears of His Mother, thus reconciling heaven and earth and crushing the head of the serpent.
Prayer, expiation--the Church from apostolic times has ever urged these thoughts upon us during the days which immediately precede Lent. Dear Mother in heaven, we bless thee for having thus united thy voice to that of our Mother on earth. The world no longer desired, no longer understood, the infallible but indispensable remedy offered by the justice and mercy of God to the misery of man. Men seemed to have forgotten the words: "Except you do penance, you shall all perish" (Lk. 13: 5). Thy pity wakes us from this fatal stupor, O Mary. Thou knowest our weakness, and hast mingled sweetness in the bitter draught. Thou lavishest temporal favours upon man in order that he may ask of thee eternal blessings. We will not be like those children who welcome their mother's caresses, but neglect her admonitions and the corrections, which her tenderness bought to make acceptable. We will pray and suffer in union with Jesus and thee. By thine assistance during this Lent we will be converted and do penance.
________________________________
Indulgenced Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, who to reanimate the faith of the world and draw men to thy divine Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, didst deign to appear at Lourdes; thou who, in order to render more manifest thy maternal tenderness, and to inspire our hearts with greater confidence, didst choose a simple little child as the confidant of thy mercy; thou who didst say: "I am the Immaculate Conception" to make us understand the priceless value of that innocence which is the pledge of the friendship of God; thou who by eighteen successive apparitions didst not cease by thy actions and words to urge men to prayer and penance, which alone can appease Heaven and ward off the blows of divine justice; thou who, by a moving appeal to the world, hast reunited before the miraculous grotto an innumerable multitude of thy children; behold us, Our Lady of Lourdes, prostrate at thy feet, and confident of obtaining blessings and graces from God by thy most powerful intercession. Those who love thee, O Mother of Jesus Christ, Mother of men, desire above everything to serve God faithfully in this world, so as to have the happiness of loving Him eternally in Heaven. Listen to the prayers which we this day address to thee; defend us against the enemies of our salvation, and against our own infirmities; together with the pardon of our sins, obtain for us perseverance in the determination never to fall away again. We implore thee also to take under thy protection our friends and benefactors, and of these in a very special manner those who have abandoned the practice of their christian duties. May they be converted and become thy faithful servants. Amen.
(Indulgence 300 day, Pope Leo XIII)
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Te dicimus praeconio
O Virgin Mother of our God,
While we thy matchless glories chant,
Do thou, in answer to our praise,
To us abundant graces grant.
We Adam's guilty children are,
A sin-infected progeny,
Thou art, O Virgin, we believe,
Alone from his infection free.
The envious dragon's cruel head
Thou with thy heel dost trample down,
And of a stainless origin
Thou only dost the glory own.
O Flower of the human race,
Who takest Eve's reproach away,
Protect us when we cry to thee,
Our tottering footsteps deign to stay.
From the old serpent's wiles and force,
Thy clients mightily defend,
That, through thy mercy, they may win
Those heavenly joys which never end.
Jesus, to Thee be glory given,
Whom erst the Virgin-Mother bore,
With Father and with Holy Ghost,
Through endless ages evermore.
While we thy matchless glories chant,
Do thou, in answer to our praise,
To us abundant graces grant.
We Adam's guilty children are,
A sin-infected progeny,
Thou art, O Virgin, we believe,
Alone from his infection free.
The envious dragon's cruel head
Thou with thy heel dost trample down,
And of a stainless origin
Thou only dost the glory own.
O Flower of the human race,
Who takest Eve's reproach away,
Protect us when we cry to thee,
Our tottering footsteps deign to stay.
From the old serpent's wiles and force,
Thy clients mightily defend,
That, through thy mercy, they may win
Those heavenly joys which never end.
Jesus, to Thee be glory given,
Whom erst the Virgin-Mother bore,
With Father and with Holy Ghost,
Through endless ages evermore.
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes for a Sick Person.
O Mary, conceived without sin, our Lady of Lourdes, who dost draw from all parts thy children to the Grotto of the apparitions; thou never ceasest to encourage, by innumerable benefits, the filial confidence of those who have responded to thy invitation. Suffering in body and soul, I come in the company of thousands and thousands of poor sick people to throw myself at thy feet and implore thee to heal me. O Mother of goodness, and all-powerful with our Lord, grant that I may be delivered from my infirmities, and that I may be able to consecrate my renewed strength to the service of God and of my brethren. How sweet it would be for me to proclaim that I owe to thy intercession the restoration of my health, which, while bearing witness to thy goodness to me, might be also a motive of conversion for many a soul.
But I desire, above everything, to abandon myself into thy maternal hands. If it be the will of Jesus Christ, my divine Savior, to which thy will is ever united, that the chalice of my sufferings should not at present depart from me, I desire the grace to say, with resignation and love, that I, too, will the same. Cause me, then, to be penetrated to the depths of my heart with a full and perfect acceptance of that consoling and heaven-sent doctrine: that the God of goodness loves us infinitely, always and under all circumstances, but especially without doubt when he associates us with the sufferings of Jesus Christ and fastens us to his Cross.
O Immaculate Virgin, our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of a God Who was a man of sorrows, thy divine Son wished thee to be at his side on Calvary, whilst He suffered and died for us. He loves thee as only God could love a mother, and yet He willed that thy soul should be pierced with a sword of grief, so that thy love for Him should be revealed, and expand by sharing in his inexpressible sufferings. Obtain for me this grace, our Lady of Lourdes, consoler of the afflicted, health of the sick, that I may love God more and more, in proportion as He prolongs and aggravates my trials. This would be a miracle greater than my sudden and complete restoration. To restore my health a single word would suffice, spoken by thee in the name and with the power of Him Who is thy Son, while He is also thy God; but that the grace of resignation in suffering should make me accept with joy my sickness and its many painful consequences, this I feel to be in an eminent degree the work of the Most High. I see that it is in some sort easier for God to heal my sufferings than to make me love them.
But, if thou desirest it, my weakness will have for support a supernatural force which will render it victorious, and so manifest the extent of thy power. Would that the pains of my malady, sanctified by submission to the divine will, could be united to the agony of my Divine Savior ; would that my tears, mixed with his tears and his blood, could effect the expiation of my past sins, and draw down the graces of resurrection on poor souls dying or dead in sin. May the abundance of thy gifts, O my God, be granted, I beseech Thee, in the name of thy Mother, especially to those who are united to me by ties of blood or friendship. Grant that my sufferings, until it shall please thee to put an end to them, may open for them a fountain of mercies. O Mother of Sorrows and Mother of merciful bounty, who stood erect at the foot of the Cross, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
But I desire, above everything, to abandon myself into thy maternal hands. If it be the will of Jesus Christ, my divine Savior, to which thy will is ever united, that the chalice of my sufferings should not at present depart from me, I desire the grace to say, with resignation and love, that I, too, will the same. Cause me, then, to be penetrated to the depths of my heart with a full and perfect acceptance of that consoling and heaven-sent doctrine: that the God of goodness loves us infinitely, always and under all circumstances, but especially without doubt when he associates us with the sufferings of Jesus Christ and fastens us to his Cross.
O Immaculate Virgin, our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of a God Who was a man of sorrows, thy divine Son wished thee to be at his side on Calvary, whilst He suffered and died for us. He loves thee as only God could love a mother, and yet He willed that thy soul should be pierced with a sword of grief, so that thy love for Him should be revealed, and expand by sharing in his inexpressible sufferings. Obtain for me this grace, our Lady of Lourdes, consoler of the afflicted, health of the sick, that I may love God more and more, in proportion as He prolongs and aggravates my trials. This would be a miracle greater than my sudden and complete restoration. To restore my health a single word would suffice, spoken by thee in the name and with the power of Him Who is thy Son, while He is also thy God; but that the grace of resignation in suffering should make me accept with joy my sickness and its many painful consequences, this I feel to be in an eminent degree the work of the Most High. I see that it is in some sort easier for God to heal my sufferings than to make me love them.
But, if thou desirest it, my weakness will have for support a supernatural force which will render it victorious, and so manifest the extent of thy power. Would that the pains of my malady, sanctified by submission to the divine will, could be united to the agony of my Divine Savior ; would that my tears, mixed with his tears and his blood, could effect the expiation of my past sins, and draw down the graces of resurrection on poor souls dying or dead in sin. May the abundance of thy gifts, O my God, be granted, I beseech Thee, in the name of thy Mother, especially to those who are united to me by ties of blood or friendship. Grant that my sufferings, until it shall please thee to put an end to them, may open for them a fountain of mercies. O Mother of Sorrows and Mother of merciful bounty, who stood erect at the foot of the Cross, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
(Indulgence 300 days Pope Pius X)
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Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, health of the sick, refuge of sinners, comfort of the afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings; deign to cast upon me a look of mercy. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors, and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence, to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests. I will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that I may one day share your glory, and bless you in eternity. Amen.
What is to be Inferred, by Faith,
from all these Wonders?
by Mgr. De Segur, 1869
Before this glorious collection of miracles, heaped,
so to say, one on another, and the evidence of which
is obvious to the most ignorant, let us rejoice that
we are children of the holy Catholic Church, which
God never ceases to visit, and to which He continues
to give the pre-eminently divine testimony of
miracles. In the beginning, miracles were the
great proof of the truth of faith; although they
be now no longer necessary, miracles are none
the less useful to our intelligence, and experience
shows how powerfully they revive and console our
faith.
But if faith is divine and absolutely certain, let us be consistent with ourselves; let us practice it faithfully, energetically, cost what it may, without calculating. We have the truth, we possess the true light and the true life; let us be Christians, let us be fervent.
In the second place, as we have said before, let us conclude from all these wonders, not only the legitimacy, but also the excellence, of devotion to the Blessed Virgin. We live in a time of half-rationalism, when many Christians themselves are full of prejudice in regard to piety; let us not be led away by this half-Protestantism, and, as true children; of the Catholic Church, let us love, serve, and honor, with all our strength, the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, and Queen of the elect. Provided that we do not adore her (for adoration, every one knows, is due to God alone) provided that we do not adore her, we are always below what we owe her. Tell me what Christian will love and honor the Blessed Virgin as much as her divine Son, our Lord, has loved and honored her?
In the third place, let us draw from the contemplation of the wonders of Lourdes a renewal of the spirit of faith and an ardent devotion to the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, This mystery is the precious pearl of our century, and the shield of the Church in the struggles of the latter times which are approaching.
What, in truth, is the grace of the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, if it be not the grace of the total triumph of the Blessed Virgin over Satan? She crushes his head, and, on that account, he can do nothing against her. From Mary this grace of innocence and of victory flows to the Church, in order that the Church may also totally triumph over the old serpent who, for six thousand years, has seduced the world. Armed with the grace of the Immaculate Conception, assisted by her Queen, the Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, the Church will crush the serpent's head and triumph over Antichrist. All of us faithful Catholics, children of Mary, living members of Jesus, let us arm our selves with this same grace, let us walk in this light, and, following the beloved steps of the Immaculate, of the Virgin without stain, let us lead a life pure and innocent, strong in faith, faithful to the Eucharist, fervent in prayer.
The great miracle of Lourdes, unique in its kind, is, as it were, the heavenly crowning of the dogmatic definition of December 8, 1854; it seems to be the echo, the divine reflection, thereof. The Immaculate Virgin and Pius IX., the mystery of the Immaculate Conception and that of the Papal infallibility, should not be separated either in our minds or in our hearts.
Consoling evidence of Catholic faith and of the excellence of the devotion to, and love of, the Blessed Virgin; fidelity to the sovereign grace of the mystery of tho Immaculate Conception such, in the eyes of faith, are the three first conclusions which shine, like rays of light, from the marvels which the mercy of God has made manifest in these last years at the grotto of Lourdes.
But if faith is divine and absolutely certain, let us be consistent with ourselves; let us practice it faithfully, energetically, cost what it may, without calculating. We have the truth, we possess the true light and the true life; let us be Christians, let us be fervent.
In the second place, as we have said before, let us conclude from all these wonders, not only the legitimacy, but also the excellence, of devotion to the Blessed Virgin. We live in a time of half-rationalism, when many Christians themselves are full of prejudice in regard to piety; let us not be led away by this half-Protestantism, and, as true children; of the Catholic Church, let us love, serve, and honor, with all our strength, the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, and Queen of the elect. Provided that we do not adore her (for adoration, every one knows, is due to God alone) provided that we do not adore her, we are always below what we owe her. Tell me what Christian will love and honor the Blessed Virgin as much as her divine Son, our Lord, has loved and honored her?
In the third place, let us draw from the contemplation of the wonders of Lourdes a renewal of the spirit of faith and an ardent devotion to the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, This mystery is the precious pearl of our century, and the shield of the Church in the struggles of the latter times which are approaching.
What, in truth, is the grace of the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, if it be not the grace of the total triumph of the Blessed Virgin over Satan? She crushes his head, and, on that account, he can do nothing against her. From Mary this grace of innocence and of victory flows to the Church, in order that the Church may also totally triumph over the old serpent who, for six thousand years, has seduced the world. Armed with the grace of the Immaculate Conception, assisted by her Queen, the Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, the Church will crush the serpent's head and triumph over Antichrist. All of us faithful Catholics, children of Mary, living members of Jesus, let us arm our selves with this same grace, let us walk in this light, and, following the beloved steps of the Immaculate, of the Virgin without stain, let us lead a life pure and innocent, strong in faith, faithful to the Eucharist, fervent in prayer.
The great miracle of Lourdes, unique in its kind, is, as it were, the heavenly crowning of the dogmatic definition of December 8, 1854; it seems to be the echo, the divine reflection, thereof. The Immaculate Virgin and Pius IX., the mystery of the Immaculate Conception and that of the Papal infallibility, should not be separated either in our minds or in our hearts.
Consoling evidence of Catholic faith and of the excellence of the devotion to, and love of, the Blessed Virgin; fidelity to the sovereign grace of the mystery of tho Immaculate Conception such, in the eyes of faith, are the three first conclusions which shine, like rays of light, from the marvels which the mercy of God has made manifest in these last years at the grotto of Lourdes.
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Invocations of Our Lady of Lourdes
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Our Mother, have pity on us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, heal us, for the love and honor of the holy Trinity.
Our Lady of Lourdes, heal us, for the conversion of sinners.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Succor of sufferers, pray for us.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray or us who have recourse to thee.
(The invocations given above are
those actually said at Lourdes)
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
(Indulgence of 300 days.)
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Our Mother, have pity on us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, heal us, for the love and honor of the holy Trinity.
Our Lady of Lourdes, heal us, for the conversion of sinners.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Succor of sufferers, pray for us.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray or us who have recourse to thee.
(The invocations given above are
those actually said at Lourdes)
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Little Chaplet in Honor of the
Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
I. Blessed be the Holy and Immaculate Conception of
the most Blessed Virgin Mary.
II. Blessed be the Holy and Immaculate Conception of
the most Blessed Virgin Mary.
III. Blessed be the Holy and Immaculate Conception of
the most Blessed Virgin Mary.
(An Indulgence of Three Hundred Days, every time they shall say the cnaplet, with at least contrite heart and devotion.-- Raccolta: 1903)
the most Blessed Virgin Mary.
Then say the Our Father once, the Hail Mary four times, and the Glory be to the Father once.
II. Blessed be the Holy and Immaculate Conception of
the most Blessed Virgin Mary.
Then say the Our Father once, the Hail Mary four times, and the Glory be to the Father once.
III. Blessed be the Holy and Immaculate Conception of
the most Blessed Virgin Mary.
Then say the Our Father once, the Hail Mary four times, and the Glory be to the Father once.
(An Indulgence of Three Hundred Days, every time they shall say the cnaplet, with at least contrite heart and devotion.-- Raccolta: 1903)
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Hymn: Omnis expertem
Lo! Mary is exempt from stain of sin,
Proclaims the Pontiff high;
And earth applauding celebrates with joy
Her triumph, far and high.
Unto a lowly timid maid she shows
Her form in beauty fair,
And the Immaculate Conception truth
Her sacred lips declare.
O honored cave, by Mary's smile adorned!
O hallowed rock, whence spring
The living waters of a gushing stream,
The gifts of life to bring.
And thither from the farmost bounds of earth
The pilgrims wend their way,
And suppliant around the Virgin's shrine
Her powerful help they pray.
The sufferers' cry the Mother fondly hears,
And grants the longed-for grace;
And health restored, the pilgrim throng returns
Unto its native place.
O Virgin! have compassion on our needs,
Refresh us laboring on;
Obtain for us the joys of heavenly life,
When sorrow all is gone.
All praise and honor to the Father be,
And to His only Son,
And to the Spirit, power of both, for aye,
In Godhead ever One. Amen.
Proclaims the Pontiff high;
And earth applauding celebrates with joy
Her triumph, far and high.
Unto a lowly timid maid she shows
Her form in beauty fair,
And the Immaculate Conception truth
Her sacred lips declare.
O honored cave, by Mary's smile adorned!
O hallowed rock, whence spring
The living waters of a gushing stream,
The gifts of life to bring.
And thither from the farmost bounds of earth
The pilgrims wend their way,
And suppliant around the Virgin's shrine
Her powerful help they pray.
The sufferers' cry the Mother fondly hears,
And grants the longed-for grace;
And health restored, the pilgrim throng returns
Unto its native place.
O Virgin! have compassion on our needs,
Refresh us laboring on;
Obtain for us the joys of heavenly life,
When sorrow all is gone.
All praise and honor to the Father be,
And to His only Son,
And to the Spirit, power of both, for aye,
In Godhead ever One. Amen.