This page is designed to lift up the mind, heart and soul in honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Lord is with you,
Blessed are you amoung women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God
Pray for us, sinners,
now and at the hour of our death
(Jn 19:27)
Word entered her, and became silent within her; thunder entered her, and His
voice was still: the Shepherd of all entered her; He became a Lamb in her, and
came forth bleating. The Belly of Thy Mother changed the order of things, O Thou that
orderest all! The rich went in, He came out poor: the High One went in, He came out
lowly. Brightness went into her and clothed Himself, and came forth a despised form.
The Mighty went in, and clad Himself with fear from the Belly. He that giveth food to all
went in, and gat hunger. He that giveth all to drink went in, and gat thirst. Naked and bare
came forth from her the Clother of all. . . . Eve lifted up her eyes from Sheol and rejoiced
in that day, because the Son of her daughter as a medicine of life came down to raise up
the mother of His mother. Blessed Babe, that bruised the head of the Serpent that smote
her! " An Ancient Nativity Hymn
"That one woman is both mother and virgin, not in spirit only but even in body. In spirit
she is mother, not of our head, who is our Savior himself--of whom, even herself, all are
rightly called children of the bridegroom--but plainly she is the mother of us who are his
members, because by love she has cooperated so that the faithful, who are the members
of that head, might be born in the Church. In body, indeed, she is the mother of that very
head" (Holy Virginity 6:6 [A.D. 401]).Augustine
O Sweet Mother, Gentle spirit. At our Lord�s passion when the apostles fled, you
persevered. You watched the soldiers beat your Son to a pulp, marred beyond human
appearance. You felt the pangs of the whip as you Son was brutally scorged. Your heart
was peirced with a sword, as your son was peirced with nails. You carried the broken
body of your most beloved Son to the grave. You weep in pain when you Son is
mistreated today in the many sacreliges that occur in our world. It was our sins that
subjected him to such a cruel death. Help us to be holy, as our Father is holy - to follow
in your footsteps.
"Imitate her [Mary], holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son set forth so great
an example of material virtue; for neither have you sweeter children [than Jesus], nor did
the Virgin seek the consolation of being able to bear another son" (Letters 63:111 [A.D.
388]). Ambrose of Milan
"It was meet that the God of all purity should spring from the greatest purity, from the
most pure bosom." St. Irenaeus of Lyons (+ 202 A.D.):
the Son of God. O Worthy Chalice which bore the first Eucharist. Virgin clothed in the
purest white, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, carrying the Creator in you womb. Satan
screamed at the sight of you. Demons fear you. Eve rejoiced with you, seeing her
redemption at hand. You gave yourself to God, you became God�s mother while
remaining the purest virgin. Purest Lady pray for us that we may avoid temptation.
"She was neither deceived by the serpent, nor even tainted with his breath...the sinless
mother worthy of the sinless Holy God."Origen (+253 A.D.):
"It was not the visible sun, but its invisible Creator who consecrated this day for us, when
the Virgin Mother, fertile of womb and integral in her virginity, brought him forth, made
visible for us, by whom, when he was invisible, she too was created. A Virgin
conceiving, a Virgin bearing, a Virgin pregnant, a Virgin bringing forth, a Virgin
perpetual. Why do you wonder at this, O man?" (Sermons 186:1 [A.D. 411]). Augustine
"...for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all
generations will call me blessed" (St. Luke 1, 48);
"The only daughter of life, the tabernacle most holy, not made by hands of man,
preserved incorrupt, and blessed from the head to the feet." St. Dionysius of Alexandria
(+265 A.D.):
"For Eve, a Virgin and undefiled, conceived the word of the serpent, and bore
disobedience and death. But the Virgin Mary received faith and joy when the angel
Gabriel announced to her the glad tidings that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon
her and the power of the Most High God. And she replied: �Be it done unto me according
to thy word.�" St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho (155 A.D.):
(Luke 1, 28)
the angel�s request, you said: �Behold, I am the Lord�s handmaid, let in be done to me
according to your word.� By these words, you allowed salvation to come to all men. No
one could have been saved without your humble submission. Christ truly said �Blessed
are they who hear the word of God and obey it.� Blessed are you who obeyed God�s
word, and Blessed are we who follow in your footsteps. With complete simplicity you
lived your entire life, following the Lord�s command. If only we do the same, we could
do the same.
"Thus, the knot of Eve�s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. What the
virgin had bound in unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosed through faith." St. Irenaeus,
Against Heresies (C. 180 A.D.)
�Who else lulled a son in her bosom as Mary did? who ever dared to call her
son, Son of the Maker, Son of the Creator, Son of the Most High?
Who ever dared to speak to her son as in prayer? O Trust of Thy Mother as
God, her Beloved and her Son as Man, in fear and love it is meet for thy
Mother to stand before Thee!� An Ancient Nativity Hymn
The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled
to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercesion was left unaided. Inspired
with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother. To thee do I come,
before thee I kneel, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not
my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer them. Amen.
St. Bernard
under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Rev. 12, 1);
and Mother of men. Let them implore that she who aided the begginings of the Church
by her prayers may now, exalted as she is in heaven above all the saints and angels,
intercede with her Son in the fellowship of all the saints.� (Vatican II, Constitution on the
Church)
Blessed are you amoung women....... What woman has held God in her arms? What
mother has nursed the Son of God? What Queen could claim the heavens and the earth
as her kingdom? What Bride has concieved while remaining a virgin? Who has shared
in the redemtion of man so intimately as you? Who else has been the couselor of Pope�s?
Who else is the body guard of Christ�s church? Who has remained as pure as you are?
Yes, Blessed are you amoung women, Blessed are you amoung men, Blessed are you
amoung the angels. God has never poured his grace out so freely as he did in you. We
rejoice in your presense. �Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?�
Hail Mary
The court of heaven rejoices
And the earth
Is lost in wonderment
And I despise the world
And my heart is brim-full
Of the love of God
When I say
Hail Mary;
All my fears
Wilt and die
And my passions are quelled
If I say
Hail Mary;
Devotion grows
Within me
And sorrow for sin
awakens
When I say
Hail Mary.
Hope is made strong
In my breast
And the dew of consolation
falls on my soul
More and more-
Because I say
Hail Mary.
And my spirit
Rejoices
And sorrow fades away
When I say
Hail Mary...
Blessed Alan de la Roche
in doubts,
in difficulties,
think of Mary,
call upon Mary.
Let not her name depart from you lips,
never suffer it to leave you heart.
And that you may more surely obtain
the assistance of her prayer,
neglect not to walk in her footsteps.
With her for guide,
you shall never go astray;
while invoking her,
you shall never lose heart;
so long as she is in your mind,
you are safe from deception;
while she holds your hand,
you cannot fall;
under her protection
you have nothing to fear;
if she walks before you,
you shall not grow weary;
if she shows you favour,
you shall reach the goal.�
St Bernard
I am your Compassionate Mother,
yours, for you yourself,
for everybody here in the Land,
for each and all together,
for all others too,
for all Folk of every kind,
who do but cherish Me,
who do but raise their voices to Me,
who do but seek Me,
who do but raise their trust to Me.
Words of our Lady to Blessed Juan Deigo
soul into heaven. Your soul was not corrupted by sin, nor your body corrupted by death.
Pure and Spottless in all ways, you were crowned as Queen of the Saints, Queen of
Heaven and Earth, Queen of the Church. Sweet Mother Pray for your children, guide us
as you taught Christ, nourish us as you did the baby Jesus. We come to you, Bring us to
Christ. Just as you helped those at the wedding at Cana, help us to share in the wedding
feast of the Lamb. We want to follow your words: �Do whatever he tells you�
�With Mary live joyfuly,
with Mary bear all your trials,
with Mary labour,
with Mary pray,
with Mary take your recreation,
with Mary take your repose.
With Mary seek Jesus;
in your arms bear Jesus,
and with Jesus and Mary
fix your dwelling at Nazareth.
With Mary go to Jerusalem,
remain near the Cross of Jesus,
bury yourself with Jesus.
With Jesus and Mary rise again,
with Jesus and Mary mount to Heaven,
with Jesus and Mary live and die.�
Thomas A Kempis
Immaculate Heart of Mary
"O Virgin Mary, My Mother,
I give to Your Immaculate Heart
my body and my soul,
my thoughts and my actions.
I want to be just what You want me to be,
and do just what You want me to do.
I am not afraid because You are always with me.
Help me to love Your Son, Jesus,
with all my heart and above all things.
Take my hand in yours, so I can always be with You."
I, a faithless sinner - renew and ratify today in thy hands, O Immaculate Mother, the
vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself
entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him, all the days
of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before.
In the presence of all the heavenly court I choose thee this day, for my Mother and
Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both
interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future;
leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me,
without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in times
and in eternity. Amen
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he
shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel" (Gen. 3, 15).
�Salome also, [the daughter of Anna,] whom thou lovest, who stayed with her five
months at Jerusalem, and some other well-known persons, relate that she is full of all
graces and all virtues, after the manner of a virgin, fruitful in virtue and grace. And, as
they report, she is cheerful in persecutions and afflictions, free from murmuring in the
midst of penury and want, grateful to those that injure her, and rejoices when exposed to
troubles: she sympathizes with the wretched and the afflicted as sharing in their
afflictions, and is not slow to come to their assistance. Moreover, she shines forth
gloriously as contending in the fight of faith against the pernicious conflicts of vicious
principles or conduct. She is the lady of our new religion and repentance, and the
handmaid among the faithful of all works of piety. She is indeed devoted to the humble,
and she humbles herself more devotedly than the devoted, and is wonderfully magnified
by all, while at the same time she suffers detraction from the Scribes and Pharisees. . . we
are informed by those who are worthy of credit, there is in Mary the mother of Jesus an
angelic purity of nature allied with the nature of humanity. And such reports as these
have greatly excited our emotions, and urge us eagerly to desire a sight of this (if it be
lawful so to speak) heavenly prodigy and most sacred marvel.� Epistle of St. Ignatius of
Antioch to St. John the Apostle (This was written while Mary was still alive!)