1. To Ask for Jesus Christ’s Love
“Let no one presume to expect mercy from God, who offends His holy Mother.”
So that I may obtain from your mercy a genuine devotion to your blessed Mother and spread it throughout the whole world, help me to love you wholeheartedly, and for this intention accept the earnest prayer I offer with St. Augustine and all who truly love you.
You are Christ, my Holy Father, my Merciful God, my Great King, my Good Shepherd, my Only Master, my Best Helper, my Most Beautiful and my Beloved, my Living Bread, my Priest Forever, my Leader to my Country, my True Light, my Holy Sweetness, my Straight Way, my Excellent Wisdom, my Pure Simplicity, my Peaceful Harmony, my Entire Protection, my Good Portion, my Everlasting Salvation.
Christ Jesus, Sweet Lord, why have I ever loved, why in my whole life have I ever desired anything except You, Jesus my God? Where was I when I was not in spirit with You?
Now, from this time forth, do you, all my desires, grow hot, and flow out upon the Lord Jesus: run… you have been tardy until now; hasten where you are going; seek Whom you are seeking. O, Jesus may he who loves You not be an anathema; may he who loves You not be filled with bitterness.
O, Sweet Jesus, may every good feeling that is fitted for Your praise, love You, delight in You, adore You! God of my heart, and my Portion, Christ Jesus, may my heart faint away in spirit, and may You be my Life within me! May the live coal of Your Love grow hot within my spirit and break forth into a perfect fire; may it burn incessantly on the altar of my heart; may it glow in my innermost being; may it blaze in hidden recesses of my soul; and in the days of my consummation may I be found consummated with You! Amen.
2. Consecration of Ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, through the Hands of Mary
O Eternal and Incarnate Wisdom! O sweetest and most adorable Jesus! True God and True Man, only Son of the Eternal Father, and of Mary ever Virgin! I adore Thee profoundly in the bosom and glory of Thy Father during eternity; and I adore Thee also in the virginal bosom of Mary, Thy most worthy Mother, in the time of Thine Incarnation.
I give Thee thanks, that Thou hast annihilated Thyself taking the form of a slave, in order to rescue me from the cruel slavery of the devil. I praise and glorify Thee, that Thou hast been pleased to submit Thyself to Mary, Thy holy Mother, in all things, in order to make me Thy faithful slave through Her. But alas! Ungrateful and faithless as I have been, I have not kept the promises which I made so solemnly to Thee in my baptism; I have not fulfilled my obligations; I do not deserve to be called Thy child nor yet Thy slave; and as there is nothing in me which does not merit Thine anger and Thy repulse, I dare no more come by myself before Thy Most Holy and August Majesty. It is on this account that I have recourse to the Intercession of Thy most holy Mother, whom Thou hast given me for a Mediatrix with Thee. It is by Her means that I hope to obtain of Thee contrition, and the pardon of my sins, the acquisition and the preservation of wisdom.
I salute Thee, then, O Immaculate Mary living tabernacle of the Divinity, where the Eternal Wisdom willed to be hidden and to be adored by Angels and by men. I hail thee, O Queen of heaven and earth to whose empire everything is subject which is under God. I salute Thee, O sure refuge of sinners, whose mercy fails no one. Hear the desires which I have of the Divine Wisdom; and for that end receive the vows and offerings which my lowness presents to thee.
I, a faithless sinner, I renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomp 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 you the entire and full right of disposing of me, and of all that belongs to me, without exception, according to Thy good pleasure to the greatest glory of God, in time and in eternity.
Receive O gracious Virgin, this little offering of my slavery, in honor of, and in union with, that subjection which the Eternal Wisdom deigned to have thy Maternity, in homage to the power which both of you have over this little worm and miserable sinner, and in thanksgiving for the privileges with which the Holy Trinity hath favored thee. I protest, that I wish, henceforth, as thy true slave, to seek thy honor, and to obey thee in all things.
O admirable Mother, present me to thy Dear Son, as His eternal slave, so that as He hath redeemed me by thee, by thee He may receive me.
O Mother of mercy, grant me the grace to obtain the true Wisdom of God, and for that end place me in the number of those whom thou loves’, whom thou teaches, whom thou leads, and whom thou nourishes and protects, as thy children and thy slaves.
O Faithful Virgin, make me in all things so perfect a disciple, imitator and slave of the Incarnate Wisdom, Jesus Christ thy Son, that I may attain, by thy intercession and by thy example, to the fullness of His age on earth, and of His glory in heaven. Amen.
3. Prayer of Trust
See, my dear Mother, here is the good that I have done through the grace of your dear Son. I am not capable of keeping it, because of my weakness and inconstancy, and also because so many wicked enemies are assailing me day and night.
Alas, every day we see cedars of Lebanon fall into the mire, and eagles which had soared towards the sun become birds of darkness, a thousand of the just falling to the left and ten thousand to the right (Ps 91:7). But, most powerful Queen, hold me fast lest I fall. Keep a guard on all my possessions lest I be robbed of them. I entrust all I have to you, for I know well who you are, and that is why I confide myself entirely to you.
You are faithful to God and man, and you will not suffer anything I entrust to you to perish. You are powerful, and nothing can harm You or rob You of anything you hold. Amen.
4. Prayer to Jesus
O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for the grace Thou hast bestowed upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through the devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy majesty and my support in my extreme misery.
Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I should be certainly lost. Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things.
Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me! Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing!
Mary is in me. O, what a treasure! O, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely Hers? O, what ingratitude! My dear Savior, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken Her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to Her; but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this offering as Thou dost desire me to renew it. And if Thou sees in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august Princess, I pray Thee to take it and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of Thee. Amen.
5. To the Holy Spirit
O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance.
O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Thy faithful Spouse; give me great confidence in Her maternal Heart and an abiding refuge in Her mercy, so that by Her Thou meets truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age (Cfr. Eph 4:13). Amen.
6. To Mary
Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father! Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son! Hail Mary, faithful spouse of the Holy Ghost! Hail Mary, my dear Mother, my loving Mistress, my powerful sovereign! Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul! Thou art all mine by mercy, and I am all Thine by justice. But I am not yet sufficiently Thine. I now give myself wholly to Thee without keeping anything back for myself or others. If thou still seest in me anything which does not belong to thee, I beseech thee to take it and to make thyself the absolute Mistress of all that is mine. Destroy in me all that may be displeasing to God, root it up and bring it to naught; place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to Thee.
May the light of Thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind; may Thy profound humility take the place of my pride; may Thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination; may Thy continuous sight of God fill my memory with His presence; may the burning love of Thy Heart inflame the lukewarmness of mine; may Thy virtues take the place of my sins; may Thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of God and make up for all that is wanting in me.
Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but Thine to know Jesus and His divine will; that I may have no other soul but Thine to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but Thine to love God with a love as pure and ardent as Thine.
I do not ask thee for visions, revelations, sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privilege to see God clearly; it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumph gloriously in Heaven at the right hand of Thy Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons; it is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as thou willest.
Such is, O heavenly Mary, the “best part,” which the Lord has given thee and which shall never be taken away from Thee and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I wish for no other than that which was thine: to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully without human consolation; to die continually to myself without respite; and to work zealously and unselfishly for Thee until death as the humblest of Thy servants. The only grace I beg Thee to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say: Amen, So be it to all that Thou didst do while on earth; Amen, so be it to all that Thou art now doing in Heaven; Amen, so be it to all that Thou art doing in my soul, so that Thou alone meets fully to glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen.
7. Come, Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit Creator,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
O comforter, to Thee we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.
Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;
Thou, finger of God’s hand we own;
Thou, promise of the Father,
Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue.
Kindle our sense from above,
and make our hearts o’erflow with love;
with patience firm and virtue high
the weakness of our flesh supply.
Far from us drive the foe we dread,
and grant us Thy peace instead;
so shall we not, with Thee for guide,
turn from the path of life aside.
O, may Thy grace on us bestow
the Father and the Son to know;
and Thee, through endless times confessed,
of both the eternal Spirit blest.
Now to the Father and the Son,
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.
8. Ave Maris Stella
Hail bright star of ocean,
God’s own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest
Taking that sweet Ave
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva’s name.
Break the captives’ fetters,
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
Show thyself a Mother;
May the Word Divine,
Born for us Thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through Thine
Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus
Joy for evermore
Through the highest heaven
To the Almighty Three
Father, Son, and Spirit
One same glory be, Amen.
9. Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant. From this day all generations shall call me blessed. The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation.
He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of His servant Israel for He has remembered His promise of mercy, the promise He made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever. Amen.
10. The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin
V/. Virgin most holy, accept my praise.
R/. And give me strength to fight your foes.
1. Crown of Excellence
*Our Father.
*Hail Mary.
You are indeed blessed, Virgin Mary, in having brought forth the Creator of the
Universe.
You gave birth to the one who made you, while ever remaining a virgin.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
*Hail Mary.
Virgin holy and immaculate, no tongue can praise you worthily.
For you bore in your womb the God whom the very heavens cannot enclose.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
*Hail Mary.
You are all beautiful, O Mary.
And free from every stain of sin.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
*Hail Mary.
The gifts bestowed on you, Virgin Mary.
Outnumber the stars of heaven.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
Glory be to the Father…
2. Crown of Power
*Our Father.
*Hail Mary.
Queen of the whole world, we praise you.
Lead us to the joys of heaven.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
*Hail Mary.
Treasury of all God’s graces, we praise you.
Grant us a share in your heavenly gifts.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
*Hail Mary.
Mediatrix between God and man, we praise you.
Through your intercession may the Almighty be favorable to us.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
*Hail Mary.
Victor over heresies and all that is evil, we praise you.
Guide us lovingly in the way of truth.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
Glory be to the Father…
3.Crown of Goodness
*Our Father.
*Hail Mary.
Refuge of sinners, we praise you.
Reconcile us with Almighty God.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
*Hail Mary.
Mother of orphans, we praise you.
Make us beloved children of our Father.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
*Hail Mary.
Joy of those who serve the Lord, we praise you.
Lead us with you to the happiness of heaven.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
*Hail Mary.
Advocate ever near us in life and in death, we praise you.
Lead us with you to the kingdom of God.
V/. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
R/. Rejoice a thousand times!
Glory be to the Father…
Final Prayer
Hail, Mary, Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, temple of the Blessed Trinity. Hail, Mary, my mistress, my wealth, my joy; Queen of my heart, my Mother and my life; my consolation, my dearest hope, my very heart and soul. I belong to you entirely, and all that I possess is yours, Virgin blessed above all. May your soul be in me to glorify God; may your spirit be in me to rejoice in God. Virgin most faithful, set your seal upon my heart, so that in you and through you I may be found faithful to God. Grant, gracious Mother, that I may be numbered among those whom you love and instruct, whom you guide, cherish, and protect as your children. Oh Queen of heaven, I renounce from this moment anything in me that does not belong to you. Oh daughter of the King of kings, whose principal glory is within, do not allow me to be distracted by things that are visible and transitory; grant, rather, that through God’s abundant grace, I may always be intent on the life within me, where I may find in God my delight, my wealth, my honor, my glory and my rest. Thus, through the Holy Spirit, your faithful spouse, and through you, His faithful Spouse, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son may be perfectly formed in our hearts for the greater glory of God our Father, forever and ever. Amen.