Editor’s pick: St. Louis De Montfort’s Prayer to Mary (to increase devotions to Mary)

October 2, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

St. Louis De Montfort’s Prayer to Mary

(I am enclosing this beautiful prayer with the hope that those who love the Blessed Virgin Mary may enrich their devotion to her by the daily recitation of this prayer.  Some minor modifications have been made so that the language of the prayer may be more appropriate for our time. Deacon Antonio Sandoval)

Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father!  Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son!  Hail Mary, faithful spouse of the Holy Spirit!  Hail Mary, my dear Mother, to whom I pledge perfect and prompt obedience; Hail Mary my powerful sovereign!  Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul!  You are all mine by mercy, and I am all yours by justice.  But I am not yet sufficiently yours.  I now give myself entirely to you without keeping anything back for myself or others.  If you still see any one thing in me that doesn’t belong to you, I beseech you to take it, as I give to you all that is mine. Destroy in me anything that is displeasing to God, root it up and bring it to nought; place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to you.

May the light of your faith dispel the darkness of my mind; may your profound humility take the place of my pride; may your sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination; may your continuous sight of God fill my memory with his presence; may the burning love of your heart enkindle the tepidness of mine; may your virtues take the place of my sins; may your merits be my only adornment before God and make up for all that is wanting in me.  Finally, my dear Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but yours to know Jesus and His divine will; that I may have no other soul but yours to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but yours to love God with a love that is pure and ardent as yours.  I do not ask for visions, revelations, sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures.  It is your privilege to see God clearly; it is your privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is your privilege to triumph gloriously in heaven at the right hand of your Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons; it is your privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God as you will.

Such is, O heavenly Mary, the “best part” which the Lord has given to you and which shall never be taken away from you – and this thought fills my heart with joy.  As for my part  here below, I only wish for that which was yours; to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully without human consolation; to die continually to self without respite; to work zealously and unselfishly for you until death as the humblest of your servants.  The only grace I beg you to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say: Amen, so be it – to all that you did while on earth.  Amen so be it – to all that you are doing in heaven.  Amen, so be it – to all that you are doing in my soul, so that you alone may glorify Jesus in me for time and for eternity.  Amen.  (Taken from True Devotion to Mary,  page 186)

Read more by Deacon Antonio here.

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