THE HAIL MARY; A PRAYER EXPLAINED

THE HAIL MARY: A PRAYER EXPLAINED 

image: source unknown. With thanks to the creator

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL MARIAN PRAISE READERS

 

Happy Christmas and a Blessed New Year

to all Marian Praise readers.

May blessings be with you and your loved ones

at this time of peace, joy and goodwill.

THE LAMENT OF CLEOPAS

 

Christ's followers misread Him. Following the disaster of the crucifixion, the disciple Cleopas lamented, "We had been hoping He was the Man to liberate Israel."

Cleopas thought on a human level, as did his peers.  Jesus Christ transcended to the divine level, as does God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

As Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, God's Thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are our ways His Ways.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God's Ways higher than our ways, and His Thoughts higher than our thoughts.

                                                   - Luky Whittle, 2021

Image "Lament of Cleopas" courtesy of Freepik with CN Whittle

          

MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD

 

                             MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD

In John's gospel, Jesus tells Pilate that His Kingdom does not belong to this world. 

For His Kingdom is the preserve of the soul.

                                                  - Luky Whittle

Image courtesy of Freepik with CN Whittle

THE ANGELUS

Morning, and noon, and night, its music rings

      Across the countryside, the busy town;

      From the sun's rising to its going down,

The steady silver challenge ever sings.

There's faith and hope wherever it gently swings;

       Wherever it strikes, remembrance shall awake;

        How many men, in listening, shall forsake

For that sweet interval, a world that brings -

Only regret and emptiness. Its falling

Like some eternal song on the summer air,

May whisper to a wanderer:  "Come to prayer!"

Until his loneliness will heed its calling.

How many a time, that bell, its message throwing

Has pierced with bright-winged hope some winter's 

            snowing!

                                                           - Blanche Yvonne Mosler

                                                      From "God's Mother and Mine"

                                                     Mary Immaculate. 1946. Page 125

Image "The Angelus" courtesy of Freepik with CN Whittle

SALUTATION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ROSARY: I SALUTE THEE, MARY, DAUGHTER OF GOD THE FATHER . . .

 

                                                                               

WHEN PRAYING THE ROSARY, AN OLD CUSTOM IS TO PRAY THE FOLLOWING:

Kiss the crucifix, make the sign of the Cross with the crucifix of the rosary. Touch your forehead with the crucifix of the rosary, and pray, "In the Name of the Father," then touch the crucifix to the top of your chest, and pray, "and of the Son," then touch the crucifix to your left shoulder, and then your right shoulder, as you pray, "and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

Then pray the Our Father:

"Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name:

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as It is in Heaven.

Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen."

Then hold the first of the small three beads, and pray:

"I salute Thee, Mary, daughter of God the Father,

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,

Blessed art Thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus;

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, Amen."

Hold the second of the small three beads, and pray:

"I salute Thee, Mary, Mother of God the Son, 

Hail Mary . . . (pray the full Hail Mary prayer, as above)

Holy Mary . . .  (pray the full Holy Mary prayer, as above)."

Hold the third of the small three beads, and pray:

"I salute Thee, Mary, Bride of the Holy Spirit,

Hail Mary . . . (pray the full Hail Mary prayer, as above)

Holy Mary . . .  (pray the full Holy Mary prayer, as above)."

Hold the large bead at the centre of rosary, after the small three beads, and pray:

"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen."

The greeting to Mother Mary is the beginning of the Affectionate Salutation to Mary by Saint John Eudes.

Image courtesy of Freepik with CN Whittle

AVE MARIA

                                                                                  

Sweet Virgin Mary, when your word you gave

to be the mother of the Word made flesh

you showed the valour of a spirit brave

trading composure for a tangled mesh

No whimper of regret tarnished the birth

That night in Bethlehem when the angels quired

Calmly you bore and fed the Lord of earth

and heaven. Messiah long desired

Your tender heart was riven by a sword

that Friday when they nailed Him to a cross

Woman of silence, you sustained your Lord,

eyes lifted to His Eyes, no word of loss.

Then did He speak, that suffering Son so mild:

"Behold your son" and I became your child.

                                                Luky Whittle

Image courtesy of Freepik with CN Whittle