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This Month's Prayer
The Memorare
Memorare, o piissima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a saeculo, quemquam ad tua recurrentem praesidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia esse derelictum. Ego tali animatus confidentia ad te, Virgo virginum, Mater, curro; ad te venio; corram te gemens peccator assisto. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba mea despicere, sed audi propitia et exaudi. Amen.
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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 by this confidence, I fly unto you,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To you I come, before you I stand,
Sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word incarnate,
despise not my petitions, but in your mercy
hear and answer me.
Amen. |
This most beautiful and ancient prayer is attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153). He was the great reformer of the monasteries who brought back the observance of the Benedictine Rule.
He had such a profound love of the Blessed Virgin Mary that there was nothing he liked better than speaking about her. He taught the people of his day to love her because she is the Mother of Mercy, who waits with open arms for repentant sinners in order to take them to her Son Jesus.
More than ever people of today are in need of God's mercy and St. Bernard teaches us , through this prayer, to have a limitless trust in Mary. She is the Mother of The Word, but she is also our Mother, who was given to us by Jesus when he was on the cross, in his last act of love (John 19, 25 - 27). And as a mother desires only good things for her own children and does not refuse what they ask if it is for their own good, so it is with the Virgin Mary, the most perfect amongst mothers. She will grant all that we ask of Her, provided that it is not against the salvation of our souls.
It is interesting to note how Mother Teresa of Calcutta was dedicated to this prayer so much so that she usually recited it for 9 consecutive days as a "rapid novena", each time that she needed to obtain graces from the Virgin Mary. For instance in 1955 when one of her nuns had a grave lung illness, Mother Teresa together with her congregation of sisters prayed 25,000 Memorare prayers in 9 consecutive days to secure the nun's recovery, and it happened.
Like St.Bernard, like Mother Teresa and like so many souls who have recited this prayer, we have unlimited trust in the Virgin Mary and in her assistance, as in the words of another of St. Bernard's prayers " if She has you in her hand, you cannot fall; if she defends you, you have nothing to fear; if She guides you, you will not tire; and with Her protection you will happily reach your destination".
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 2677):
Mary, because She gives us Jesus, her son, is Mother of God and our mother; we can entrust all our cares and petitions to her: She prays for us as She prayed for herself: " Let it be to me according to your word"…By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor and sinners and we address ourselves to the "Mother of Mercy" the All-Holy One.
From Holy Scripture
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple who he loved, he said to his mother " Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home (John 19,25- 27).
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