The Psalms of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary
To read the commentary on today's Psalm, click on the following link: 👉 Psalm 148
Previous Psalms
☝ Taken from a book of hours, this is an image of King David, author of the Psalms, by Willem Vrelant (early 1460s), Bruges, Belgium.
Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The following prayers follow the model for consecration written by St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort and are recited in preparation for the renewal of our family's consecration to Lord Jesus, Christ our King, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the Feast of the Annunciation.
- Litany of the Holy Ghost
- Ave Maris Stella / Hail Star of Ocean
- Litaniæ Sanctissimi Nominis Iesu Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus
- Oraison à Jésus / Prayer To Jesus: see end of page
- Pray the Rosary
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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
I have for some time been closing my posts with a triple seal:
* the beautiful icon of the Holy Mother of God known to many as the Vladimirskaya Icon;
* the Sub tuum præsidium, said to be the oldest prayer to Our Lady; and
* a short prayer of consecration to the Immaculate heart of Mary.
Over the coming weeks, I shall include a short commentary on one or other of these prayers, (recalling that holy icons are traditionally said to be written like prayers rather than painted).
The Vladimirskaya Icon : Bride of Christ
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The icon portrays the Holy Mother of God with her divine Son. The intimacy of their embrace calls to mind those Patristic writers who presented a perspective of the Holy Mother as Spouse of her Son.
The following texts are my translation of excerpts taken from chapter 5 of The Crown of Power in La triple couronne de la bien-heureuse Vierge Mère de Dieu (The Triple Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God), by Fr F Poiré, This work was published in 1634 and is cited in True Devotion to Mary by St Louis-Marie de Montfort.
The first passage sings the praises of the Divine Spouse.
Among all the children of men, this divine Spouse wins the prize for beauty. If we consider His divinity, His perfections are infinite; if we contemplate His soul, the Cherubim have to shelter their gaze because it is adorned with such dazzling graces; if we look to His body, then the Sun and the Moon lose their brightness. The honeyed quality of the persuasive words flowing from His lips is such that those who have the joy of hearing them follow Him and give themselves over to Him, quite unable to gainsay the power of His words. Those whom He has deigned to call to His service are witnesses to this power. They have of a sudden been enabled to overcome all obstacles, such is the eternal blessing that God has bestowed upon Him, more abundantly than all other men together. Just as He is the most handsome, He is also the most courageous and there exists no power whatsoever that He is unable to cast down. He strikes down His invisible enemies and He cuts to pieces the swarms of carnal lusts by the power of His word, sharper and more biting than the most highly sharpened sword. Truth is bound inseparably to His promises; His gentleness, kind-heartedness and the ready access He grants to all who seek Him make Him someone who is uniquely beloved of His subjects and altogether dreaded by His enemies. These qualities make the might of His arm invincible and grant Him a happy outcome to all His endeavours. With a singular passion, He has always loved justice and hated iniquity; innocence and holiness of life have always attracted Him; He has a horror of sin which He holds in abomination, making all-out war against it. For this reason, His heavenly Father has anointed and consecrated Him with the oil of gladness, with an effusion of all the graces. These He enjoys in an abundance greater than all those who partake of this consecration through anointing. This includes all Priests, Kings or whosoever participate in His glory through the communication of His grace. From His human nature, which covers His Divinity like a garment, there comes forth a richness of divine fragrances, virtues, graces, teachings and miracles, such that everyone has cause to rejoice at the sight of a fruit so pleasing and precious coming forth from the womb of the ever glorious Virgin, more pure, virginal and immaculate than the whitest and most polished ivory.
Prayer
There now follows a tribute to the Divine Spouse by His Heavenly Bride:
My Beloved is white and ruddy, [1] in which hues His divinity and His humanity are shown forth. He is so handsome that the incomparable grace shining forth from His face is enough to make Him stand out from millions of the most gifted in all creation. His head is a sign for His divinity, glistering more than the finest gold of the Sun's rays. The curling locks of His raven hair suggest the unfathomable designs of the great depths of His wisdom; they take nothing away from the flowers that bud forth from the stems of palm trees. The innocence of His soul may be read in His eyes as in a mirror; like beautiful doves whiter than the whitest milk and snow, they sparkle upon the brooks of waters. To give you an idea of His kind-heartedness, His affability, and His welcoming manner to all who seek Him, the best comparison I can think of is to two plots in a beautiful garden, sown with every sort of flower and aromatic herb. The words that pour from His sacred mouth are so captivating that they are like droplets of choicest myrrh coming forth from the trunk. The works of His hands are reflected in the hands which are so artfully formed that you would you would say they were turned by hand; apart from this, they are so divine and precious that you would think His fingers were so many hyacinths set in gold. His sacred humanity may be seen in His torso, purer, brighter and more pleasing to the eye than the whitest ivory overlaid with sapphires: this by reason of His admirable works of virtue and His miracles which he wrought to the amazement of the universe. His legs are like two pillars of beautiful white marble set on a base of solid gold. They may be seen as representing His impregnable power and His invincible courage when faced with all manner difficulties, together with His holy perseverance. If you have ever seen Mt Lebanon covered with every kind of beautiful tree, each one surpassing the other, then you will have an idea of His height and an image of His chosen souls. But if among these trees you have noticed the cedar as being the King of trees, outstanding for its fine qualities, then this will give you an image of my Beloved. If the tree is the glory of Lebanon, then my Beloved is in a much sublimer manner the honour of the children of men. There are many more wonders to tell you about my Beloved, but these few I have mentioned will suffice to show you how far He stands over all others. Such is the Beloved of my heart, O daughters of Jerusalem. [Cf. Cant. v. 10 et seq.]
[1] Dilectus meus candidus et rubicundus. [Cf. Cant. v. 10 ] ruddy is the translation in the DouayRheims version.
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Oraison à Jésus (de Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort)
St. Louis De Montfort's Prayer to Jesus
Mon aimable Jésus, permettez-moi de m’adresser à vous pour vous témoigner la reconnaissance où je suis de la grâce que vous m’avez faite, en me donnant à votre sainte Mère par la dévotion de l’esclavage, pour être mon avocate auprès de votre Majesté, et mon supplément universel dans ma très grande misère.
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.
Hélas! Seigneur, je suis si misérable que, sans cette bonne Mère, je serais infailliblement perdu. Oui, Marie m’est nécessaire auprès de vous, partout:
⮚ nécessaire pour vous calmer dans votre juste colère, puisque je vous ai tant offensé tous les jours;
⮚ nécessaire pour arrêter les châtiments éternels de votre justice que je mérite;
⮚ nécessaire pour vous regarder, pour vous parler, vous prier, vous approcher et vous plaire;
⮚ nécessaire pour sauver mon âme et celle des autres;
⮚ nécessaire, en un mot, pour faire toujours votre sainte volonté et procurer en tout votre plus grande gloire.
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! que ne puis-je publier par tout l’univers cette miséricorde que vous avez eue envers moi! Que tout le monde ne connaît-il que, sans Marie, je serais déjà damné! Que ne puis-je rendre de dignes actions de grâces d’un si grand bienfait! Marie est en moi, haec facta es mihi. Oh! quel trésor! Oh! quelle consolation! Et je ne serais pas, après cela, tout à elle! Oh! quelle ingratitude, mon cher Sauveur! Envoyez-moi plutôt la mort que ce malheur m’arrive: car j’aime mieux mourir que de vivre sans être tout à Marie.
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. Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely hers'? Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Saviour, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary.
Je l’ai mille et mille fois prise pour tout mon bien avec saint Jean l’Evangéliste, au pied de la croix et je me suis autant de fois donné à elle; mais, si je ne l’ai pas encore bien fait selon vos désirs, mon cher Jésus, je le fais maintenant comme vous le voulez que je le fasse; et si vous voyez en mon âme et mon corps quelque chose qui n’appartienne pas à cette auguste Princesse, je vous prie de me l’arracher et de le jeter loin de moi, puisque, n’étant pas à Marie, il est indigne de vous.
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 seest 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.
Ô Saint-Esprit! Accordez-moi toutes ces grâces et plantez, arrosez et cultivez en mon âme l’aimable Marie, qui est l’Arbre de vie véritable, afin qu’il croisse, qu’il fleurisse et apporte du fruit de vie avec abondance.
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.
Ô Saint-Esprit! Donnez-moi une grande dévotion et un grand penchant vers votre divine Epouse, un grand appui sur son sein maternel et un recours continuel à sa miséricorde, afin qu’en elle vous formiez en moi Jésus-Christ au naturel, grand et puissant, jusqu’à la plénitude de son âge parfait. Ainsi soit-il.
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 mayest truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. Amen.
Ô Jésus vivant en Marie
O Jesus Living in Mary
Ô Jésus vivant en Marie,
venez et vivez en nous,
en votre esprit de sainteté,
en la plénitude de vos dons,
en la perfection de vos voies,
en la vérité de vos vertus,
en la communion de vos mystères.
Dominez en nous sur toutes les puissances ennemies,
le monde, le démon et la chair,
en la vertu de votre Esprit et pour la gloire de votre Père. Amen.
O Jesus living in Mary,
Come and live in Thy servants,
In the spirit of Thy holiness,
In the fullness of Thy might,
In the perfection of Thy ways,
In the truth of Thy virtues,
In the communion of Thy mysteries;
Subdue within us every hostile power,
The world, the Devil and the flesh,
In power of Thy spirit, for the glory of thy Father. Amen.
Ô Jésus vivant en Marie,
venez et vivez en nous,
en votre esprit de sainteté,
en la plénitude de vos dons,
en la perfection de vos voies,
en la vérité de vos vertus,
en la communion de vos mystères.
Dominez en nous sur toutes les puissances ennemies,
le monde, le démon et la chair,
en la vertu de votre Esprit et pour la gloire de votre Père. Amen.
O Jesus living in Mary,
Come and live in Thy servants,
In the spirit of Thy holiness,
In the fullness of Thy might,
In the perfection of Thy ways,
In the truth of Thy virtues,
In the communion of Thy mysteries;
Subdue within us every hostile power,
The world, the Devil and the flesh,
In power of Thy spirit, for the glory of thy Father. Amen.
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Je me donne tout à vous, Ô Marie… je vous prends pour tout mon bien.
I give all myself to you, O Mary... I take you for all that is good for me.
La seule grâce que je vous demande, par pure miséricorde, c’est que, tous les jours et moments de ma vie, je dise trois fois Amen / Ainsi soit-il:
The only grace I beg thee to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say:
⮚ Ainsi soit-il, à tout ce que vous avez fait sur la terre, lorsque vous y viviez;
⮚ Ainsi soit-il, à tout ce que vous faites à présent dans le ciel;
⮚ Ainsi soit-il, à tout ce que vous faites en mon âme, afin qu’il n’y ait que vous à glorifier pleinement Jésus en moi pendant le temps et l’éternité.
Ainsi soit-il.
Amen, to all that thou hast done while on earth; Amen, to all that thou art now doing in Heaven; Amen, to all that thou art doing in my soul, so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen.
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SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.
WE fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers always Glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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