Fifth Sunday of Easter

Sunday, 18th May A.D. 2014

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

St. Venantius, Martyr

SAINT VENANTIUS

Martyr 

(+ 250)

        St. Venantius was born at Camerino in Italy, and at the age of fifteen was seized as a Christian and carried before a judge. As it was found impossible to shake his constancy either by threats or promises, he was condemned to be scourged, but was miraculously saved by an angel. He was then burnt with torches and hung over a low fire that he might be suffocated by the smoke. The judge's secretary, admiring the steadfastness of the Saint, and seeing an angel robed in white, who trampled out the fire and again set free the youthful martyr, proclaimed his faith in Christ, was baptized with his whole family, and shortly after won the martyr's crown himself.

        Venantius was then carried before the governor, who, unable to make him renounce his faith, cast him into prison with an apostate, who vainly strove to tempt him. The governor then ordered his teeth and jaws to be broken, and had him thrown into a furnace, from which the angel once more delivered him. The Saint was again led before the judge, who at sight of him fell headlong from his seat and expired, crying, "The God of Venantius is the true God; let us destroy our idols." This circumstance being told to the governor, he ordered Venantius to be thrown to the lions; but these brutes, forgetting their natural ferocity, crouched at the feet of the Saint. Then, by order of the tyrant, the young martyr was dragged through a heap of brambles and thorns, but again God manifested the glory of His servant; the soldiers suffering from thirst, the Saint knelt on a rock and signed it with a cross, when immediately a jet of clear, cool water spurted up from the spot.

        This miracle converted many of those who beheld it, whereupon the governor had Venantius and his converts beheaded together in the year 250. The bodies of these martyrs are kept in the church at Camerino which bears the Saint's name.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples: «Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.
Where (I) am going you know the way."
Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. 

Commentary by Saint John Paul II

"Master, show us the Father"

The Church... shares the uneasiness of so many of the people of our time. Moreover, one cannot fail to be worried by the decline of many fundamental values, which constitute an unquestionable good not only for Christian morality but simply for human morality, for moral culture... In connection with this picture of our generation, a picture which cannot fail to cause profound anxiety, there come to mind once more those words which, by reason of the Incarnation of the Son of God, resounded in Mary's Magnificat, and which sing of "mercy from generation to generation" (Lk 1,50)... The Church must bear witness to the mercy of God revealed in Christ, in the whole of His mission as Messiah...

Some theologians affirm that mercy is the greatest of the attributes and perfections of God, and the Bible, Tradition and the whole faith life of the People of God provide particular proofs of this. It is not a question here of the perfection of the inscrutable essence of God in the mystery of the divinity itself, but of the perfection and attribute whereby man, in the intimate truth of his existence, encounters the living God particularly closely and particularly often. In harmony with Christ's words to Philip, the "vision of the Father"-a vision of God through faith finds precisely in the encounter with His mercy a unique moment of interior simplicity and truth, similar to that which we discover in the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15,11).

"He who has seen me has seen the Father." The Church professes the mercy of God, the Church lives by it in her wide experience of faith and also in her teaching, constantly contemplating Christ, concentrating on Him, on His life and on His Gospel, on His cross and resurrection, on His whole mystery. Everything that forms the "vision" of Christ in the Church's living faith and teaching brings us nearer to the "vision of the Father" in the holiness of His mercy.

The Mass will be celebrated by bishop c. Raphael Zimer at 

12:00 PM SLT in Saint Francis Cathedral

TELEPORT 

Bishop nomination

16th May A.D. 2014

THE CURIA, Lionheart Kiara

Second Life

BISHOP ANNOUNCEMENT

Our Diocese has the honor to announce that on Tuesday, 20th May Anno Domini 2014, at 01:00 PM SLT, in Saint Francis Cathedral will be held Episcopal Consecration of Father Francisco Cucci, bishop-elect of Archdiocese of Mantova. The bishop-elect will also automatically receive the Cardinal nomination.We are welcome all interested  clergy and faithful. Second Life welcomes new Catholic Episcopal member. Let's welcome new Second Life bishop all together in common prayer, let's please for real strength in one, huge, beautiful sacrifice.

+ Raphael Cardinal Zimer

Bishop of Saint Francis Diocese

Bishop decree about the liturgy arrangement

15th May A.D. 2014

THE CURIA

Lionhear Kiara

Second Life

EPISCOPAL DECREE

                    Dear Beloved in Jesus Christ Brothers and Sisters!

         Since day 10th April A.D. 2014 in our Cathedral has been present Novus Ordo Mass in "Ad-Orientem". It means that celebrant has been face to the East (to the Tabernacle).
         According to your calls, dear Faithful, for improve our unity in Jesus Christ I decided to change the liturgy arragment for normal, Ordinary Form of Roman Rite, as standard rite of the liturgy in our Cathedral and Saint Francis of Assisi virtual Diocese. It means that Mass of Pope Paul VI, called "Novus Ordo" will be celebrated at altar which is faced to the people, not to the East. It means that celebrant will be faced to the gathered attendants. Language of the liturgy stays unchaned - all services in Ordinary Form of Roman Rite are celebrated in English language.
       Additionally, to remind all of the Faithful that real body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ are present in Real Life, and to improve our mission to teach how the liturgy looks, we decided to use liturgical tools as decorations on the altar during Masses. It means that all liturgical tools, which are present in real Mass, are also present on our virtual Mass with difference - our tools are only decorations.
      We hope this fresh wind of Holy Spirit will help us to grow up in Jesus Christ.

The decree is valid from the time of publication.

Your bishop

+ Raphael Cardinal Zimer

Saint Matthias, apostle - Feast

14th May A.D. 2014

SAINT MATTHIAS

Apostole, Feast

ST. MATTHIAS

Apostle

After our blessed Lord's Ascension his disciples met together, with Mary his mother and the eleven apostles, in an upper room at Jerusalem.

The little company numbered no more than one hundred and twenty souls. They were waiting for the promised coining of the Holy Spirit, and they persevered in prayer. Meanwhile there was a solemn act to be performed on the part of the Church, which could not be postponed. The place of the fallen Judas must be filled up, that the elect number of the apostles might be complete.

St. Peter, therefore, as Vicar of Christ, arose to announce the divine decree. That which the Holy Spirit had spoken by the mouth of David concerning Judas, he said, must be fulfilled. Of him it had been written, "His bishopric let another take." A choice, therefore, was to be made of one among those who had been their companions from the beginning, who could bear witness to the Resurrection of Jesus.

Two were named of equal merit, Joseph called Barsabas, and Matthias. Then, after praying to God, who knows the hearts of all men, to show which of these he had chosen, they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, who was forthwith numbered with the apostles.

It is recorded of the Saint, thus wonderfully elected to so high a vocation, that he was above all remarkable for his mortification of the flesh. It was thus that he made his election sure.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 15:9-17. 

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another. 

Commentary by His Holiness Pope Francis

"It was  I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain"

Personal encounter with the saving love of Jesus: The primary reason for evangelizing is the love of Jesus which we have received, the experience of salvation which urges us to ever greater love of him. What kind of love would not feel the need to speak of the beloved, to point him out, to make him known? If we do not feel an intense desire to share this love, we need to pray insistently that he will once more touch our hearts. We need to implore his grace daily, asking him to open our cold hearts and shake up our lukewarm and superficial existence. 

Standing before him with open hearts, letting him look at us, we see that gaze of love which Nathaniel glimpsed on the day when Jesus said to him: “I saw you under the fig tree” (Jn 1,48). How good it is to stand before a crucifix, or on our knees before the Blessed Sacrament, and simply to be in his presence! How much good it does us when he once more touches our lives and impels us to share his new life! What then happens is that “we speak of what we have seen and heard” (1 Jn 1,3). 

The best incentive for sharing the Gospel comes from contemplating it with love, lingering over its pages and reading it with the heart. If we approach it in this way, its beauty will amaze and constantly excite us. But if this is to come about, we need to recover a contemplative spirit which can help us to realize ever anew that we have been entrusted with a treasure which makes us more human and helps us to lead a new life. There is nothing more precious which we can give to others.

The Mass will be celebrated by bishop c. Raphael Zimer at 

02:00 PM SLT in Saint Francis Cathedral

TELEPORT 

Low Mass by Eminence Byers - pictures

His Eminence Stephen Cardinal Byers, Archbishop of Woraksan, celebrated Low Mass in the Chapel of Saint Anthony, Saint Francis Cathedral. Eminence Raphael Cardinal Zimer invited His Eminence to celebrate this Mass at 10th May A.D. 2014. We would like to thank you all for coming, chapel was full.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Sunday, 11th May A.D 2014

FORTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Good Shepherd Sunday

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 10:1-10. 

Jesus said: «Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."  Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them. So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came (before me) are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.  A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. 

The Mass will be celebrated by bishop c. Raphael Zimer at 

02:00 PM SLT in Saint Francis Cathedral

TELEPORT 

Third Sunday of Easter

Sunday, 04th May A.D. 2014

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

(Second Sunday of Easter in Calendar of Extraordinary Form of Roman Rite) 

The English Marytrs

        Today the Church celebrates English Men and Women martyred for the Catholic Faith 1535-1680 and beatified or canonised by the Holy See.

On this day in 1535 there died at Tyburn three Carthusian monks, the first of many martyrs, Catholic and Protestant, of the English reformation. Of these martyrs, forty two have been canonised and a further two hundred and forty two declared blessed, but the number of those who died on the scaffold, perished in prison, or suffered harsh persecution for their faith in the course of a century and a half cannot now be reckoned.

They came from every walk of life; there are among them rich and poor, married and single, women and men.

They are remembered for the example they gave of constancy in their faith, and courage in the face of persecution.

Liturgy Office England & Wales

"They set out at once and returned to Jerusalem"

Commentary of the day by Saint John Paul II

The two disciples of Emmaus, upon recognizing the Lord, “set out immediately” ( Lk 24,33), in order to report what they had seen and heard. Once we have truly met the Risen One by partaking of his body and blood, we cannot keep to ourselves the joy we have experienced. The encounter with Christ, constantly intensified and deepened in the Eucharist, issues in the Church and in every Christian an urgent summons to testimony and evangelization. I wish to emphasize this...  based on the words of Saint Paul: “As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes” (1 Cor 11,26). The Apostle closely relates meal and proclamation: entering into communion with Christ in the memorial of his Pasch also means sensing the duty to be a missionary of the event made present in that rite.(22) The dismissal at the end of each Mass is a charge given to Christians, inviting them to work for the spread of the Gospel and the imbuing of society with Christian values. 

The Eucharist not only provides the interior strength needed for this mission, but is also —in some sense—its plan. For the Eucharist is a mode of being, which passes from Jesus into each Christian, through whose testimony it is meant to spread throughout society and culture. For this to happen, each member of the faithful must assimilate, through personal and communal meditation, the values which the Eucharist expresses... One fundamental element is found in the very meaning of the word “Eucharist”: thanksgiving... This transcendent point of reference, which commits us constantly to give thanks for all that we have and are...,  it is also a project of solidarity for all of humanity... The Christian who takes part in the Eucharist learns to become a promotor of communion, peace and solidarity in every situation..., a practical commitment to building a more just and fraternal society..., practical sharing with the poor...:  by bending down to wash the feet of his disciples (Jn 13,1), Jesus explains the meaning of the Eucharist unequivocally.

The Mass will be celebrated in

Extraordinary Form of Roman Rite 

by bishop c. Raphael Zimer at 

12:00 PM SLT in Saint Francis Cathedral

TELEPORT 

(Every attendant will receive the prayer book with translation of the Mass)

Renewal in the Holy Spirit

03th May A.D 2014

RENEWAL IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Dear Parishioners.

Bishop Raphael C. Zimer decided to create the group of Renewal in the Holy Spirit in our diocese. You are all welcome to join the group in Christ.

Information about Renewal in the Holy Spirit:

Renewal in the Holy Spirit is one of the movement, which was almost parallel with the Second Vatican Council . Its members constantly turning to Jesus, opening up to the Holy Spirit - the third person of the Trinity, the Lord and giver of life, who breathes life into the church and is the source of its renewal. Accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit and serve them to their own communities and to the whole Church. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Christians evangelize, culture and social structures .

   The beginning of the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church recognizes a retreat held February 17-19, 1967 in Pittsburgh in the United States. Attended by academics and students wishing to deepen their relationship with God . Intuitively sensed that the spiritual gifts should ask the Holy Spirit that works from the beginning of creation, speaks through the prophets and in accordance with the promise of the Lord Jesus was sent to the Apostles and the Church, to lead to the fullness of truth.

   That's why a group of Pittsburgh found that the theme of the conference will be proclaimed the renewal of the sacrament of Confirmation. None of the participants did not think, however, that this meeting will launch a powerful movement in the Catholic Church, which was later defined as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Many believe that it is the answer to the prayer of Pope John XXIII, asking that the Second Vatican Council has resulted in not only a collection of more documents , but also a "new Pentecost ".

   A small group of participants in the retreat in Pittsburgh prayed for the " reactivation " of the Holy Spirit of grace received in the sacrament of Confirmation. Their prayer was answered in a surprising way for them. Experienced the love of the Father, which led them to a more personal relationship with Jesus. His experience described later as "baptism in the Holy Spirit ." This term drew from the Acts of the Apostles. Simultaneously with this extraordinary experience experienced many of the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, as described in the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (12-14) - spontaneously glorify God, to adore Him, filled their enthusiasm evangelization, willingness to share the good news with both baptized and believers.

   Although renewal often later was presented for extraordinary charisms - speaking in tongues, healing and prophecy - from the very beginning it was essentially a movement directed towards the conversion and dedication to God with all my heart: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The basic element of the formation of the Renewal is evangelization carried out during the Spiritual Exercises/Retreat - prayer meetings. Their basic message:

• God is love, which leads to the discovery that "I am loved"; 
• Sin separates me from the experience of God's love; 
• Only Christ is the Savior; 
• Jesus is Lord - everyone is invited to give Him your life; 
• The Holy Spirit - the Third Person of the Trinity - works in the Church today, giving new life and opens to the ministry of charisms; 
• All are invited to participate actively in the community of the Church.

You are all most welcome to join to the group in-world. Information about meetings will be given here, on website, and in the group notices.

Feast of Saint Philip and Saint James, apostles.

Saturday, 03th May A.D. 2014

+ FEAST +

SAINT PHILIP AND SAINT JAMES

APOSTLES

Philip was one of the first chosen Disciples of Christ. On the way from Judea to Galilee Our Lord found Philip, and said, "Follow me" Philip straightway obeyed; and then in his zeal and charity sought to win Nathaniel also, saying, "We have found him of whom Moses and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth;" and when Nathaniel in wonder asked, "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" Philip simply answered, "Come and see," and brought him to Jesus.

        Another characteristic saying of this apostle is preserved for us by St. John. Christ in his last discourse had spoken of his Father; and Philip exclaimed, in the fervor of his thirst for God, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough"

        St. James the Less, the author of an inspired epistle, was also one of the Twelve. St. Paul tells us that he was favored by a special apparition of Christ after the Resurrection. On the dispersion of the apostles among the nations, St. James was left as Bishop of Jerusalem; and even the Jews held in such high veneration his purity, mortification, and prayer, that they named him the Just.

        The earliest of Church historians has handed down many traditions of St. James's sanctity. He was always a virgin, says Hegesippus, and consecrated to God. He drank no wine, wore no sandals on his feet, and but a single garment on his body. He prostrated himself so much in prayer that the skin of his knees was hardened like a camel's hoof. The Jews, it is said, used out of respect to touch the hem of his garment. He was indeed a living proof of his own words, "The wisdom that is from above first indeed is chaste, then peaceable, modest, full of mercy and good fruits."

        He sat beside St. Peter and St. Paul at the Council of Jerusalem; and when St. Paul at a later time escaped the fury of the Jews by appealing to Cæsar, the people took vengeance on James, and crying, "The just one hath erred," stoned him to death.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

The Saturday Vigil Mass will be celebrated 

by auxiliary bishop Lareh Cardinal Portal

12:00 PM SLT in Saint Francis Cathedral

TELEPORT

Bishop Message 03/05/2014

03th May A.D. 2014

BISHOP MESSAGE

Dear beloved in Jesus Christ brothers and sisters!

On 1st May I have celebrated my Sixth Anniversary of Rezz Day. I received a lot of wishes from your hearts, and I am writing this message to thank you very much for all your wishes, for your words, for your presence in my humble life.
Time does not stop. We receive new experiences every day, new evidences of God's love to us. One time these experiences are good, one time bad, but we thank to our Lord for all of them. We should give to Him all what we have... Because it is given by Him. Every new day in our life is the gift given by Lord who is sitting on the throne in Heaven.
This is wonderful that Lord allows us to meet, to pray together in our virtual world. It is the gift.

+ Raphael Cardinal Zimer

Bishop of Saint Francis of Assisi Diocese

May - Month of Mary

01st May A.D. 2014

- MAY -

MONTH OF MARY

The month of May is the "month which the piety of the faithful has especially dedicated to Our Blessed Lady," and it is the occasion for a "moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world [pay] to the Queen of Heaven. During this month Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration. In this month, too, the benefits of God's mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance" (Paul VI: Encyclical on the Month of May, no. 1).

This Christian custom of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin arose at the end of the 13th century. In this way, the Church was able to Christianize the secular feasts which were wont to take place at that time. In the 16th century, books appeared and fostered this devotion.

The practice became especially popular among the members of the Jesuit Order — by 1700 it took hold among their students at the Roman College and a bit later it was publicly practiced in the Gesu Church in Rome. From there it spread to the whole Church.

The practice was granted a partial indulgence by Pius VII in 1815 and a plenary indulgence by Pius IX in 1859. With the complete revision of indulgences in 1966 and the decreased emphasis on specific indulgences, it no longer carries an indulgence; however it certainly falls within the category of the First General Grant of Indulgences. (A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in the performance of their duties and in bearing the trials of life, raise their mind with humble confidence to God, adding — even if only mentally — some pious invocation.

Excerpted from Enchiridion of Indulgences.

The Month of Mary and the Popes

The pious practice of honoring Mary during the month of May has been especially recommended by the Popes. Pius XII made frequent reference to it and in his great Encyclical on the Sacred Liturgy (Mediator Dei) characterized it as one of "other exercises of piety which although not strictly belonging to the Sacred Liturgy, are nevertheless of special import and dignity, and may be considered in a certain way to be an addition to the liturgical cult: they have been approved and praised over and over again by the Apostolic See and by the Bishops" (no. 182).

Paul VI wrote a short encyclical in 1965 using the Month of Mary devotion as a means of obtaining prayers for peace. He urged the faithful to make use of this practice which is "gladdening and consoling" and by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is honored and the Christian people are enriched with spiritual gifts" (no. 2).

In May of 2002 Pope John Paul II said, "Today we begin the month dedicated to Our Lady a favourite of popular devotion. In accord with a long-standing tradition of devotion, parishes and families continue to make the month of May a 'Marian' month, celebrating it with many devout liturgical, catechetical and pastoral initiatives!"

Devotion to Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church and therefore the example, as well as the guide and inspiration, of everyone who, in and through the Church, seeks to be the servant of God and man and the obedient agent of the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit, as Pope Leo XIII reminded us, is the soul of the Church: All the activity and service of the members of the Church, beginning with the supreme participation of the Blessed Mother in the work of the Church, is vivified by the Holy Spirit as the body, in all its activities, is vivified by its soul. The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, Advocate, and Comforter which Christ Himself sent to be our consolation in the sorrowful mysteries of life, our source of moderation in the joyful mysteries of life, our added principle of exaltation in the glorious mysteries of life.

So He was for the Blessed Mother; so also He is for the least of us; so also He is for the rest of the Church, even for those who are its unconscious but conscientious members.

Wherever there is faith there is the example of Mary, because she lived by faith as the Scriptures remind us....

If, then, piety is the virtue which binds us to the sources of all life, to God, to our parents, to the Church, to Christ, certainly Christian piety binds us, in grateful love, to Mary — or our acceptance of Christ and of the mystery of our kinship with Him is imperfect, partial, and unfulfilled. — Cardinal John Wright

Mary and Our Spiritual Life

In our observance of the Marian month we should take into account the season of the Liturgical Year which largely corresponds with the fifty days of Easter. Our pious exercises could emphasize Our Lady's participation in the Paschal mystery and in Pentecost with which the Church begins. The pious exercises connected with the month of May can easily highlight the earthly role played by the glorified Queen of Heaven, here and now, in the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.

The following practices which are recommended by the Magisterium are offered as suggestions for honoring Our Lady during Her month:

The Regina Coeli

The ecclesial community addresses this antiphon to Mary for the Resurrection of her Son. It adverts to, and depends on, the invitation to joy addressed by Gabriel to the Lord's humble servant who was called to become the Mother of the saving Messiah.

The Rosary

Also called the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Rosary is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God. Thus, "the Roman Pontiffs have repeatedly exhorted the faithful to the frequent recitation of this biblically inspired prayer which is centered on contemplation of the salvific events of Christ's life, and their close association with the Virgin Mother."

Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary

These consist of a long series of invocations to Our Lady, which follow in a uniform rhythm, thereby creating a stream of prayer characterized by insistent praise and supplication.

Consecration and Entrustment to Mary

The Roman Pontiffs have frequently expressed appreciation for the pious practice of "consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary" and the formulas publicly used by them are well known.

Louis Grignon de Montfort is one of the great masters of the spirituality underlying the act of "consecration to Mary". He "proposed to the faithful consecration to Jesus through Mary, as an effective way of living out their baptismal commitment."

The Brown Scapular and other Scapulars

The scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel, and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection, who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer.

Medals

These are witnesses of faith and a sign of veneration of the Holy Mother of God, as well as of trust in her maternal protection.

The Church blesses such objects of Marian devotion in the belief that "they help to remind the faithful of the love of God, and to increase trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary."

The "Akathistos" Hymn

In the Byzantine tradition, one of the oldest and most revered expressions of Marian devotion is the hymn of the "Akathistos" — meaning the hymn sung while standing. It is a literary and theological masterpiece, encapsulating in the form of a prayer, the universally held Marian belief of the primitive Church.

Excepted from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy

The Litany of Loretto

The Litany of the Blessed Virgin–also called the Litany of Loreto–is one of the many Marian litanies, or praises of Mary, composed during the Middle Ages. The place of honor it now holds, in the life of the Church, is due its faithful use at the shrine of the Holy House at Loreto, which, according to tradition, was the small cottage-like home where the Holy Family had lived and which was miraculously transported by angels, in 1291, from the Holy Land to its present location in Loreto. It was definitely recommended by Pope Clement VII and approved by Sixtus V in 1587, and all other Marian litanies were suppressed, at least for public use.

Its forty-nine titles (fifty, or fifty-one, or even more, in some versions: with "Mother of the Church" and "Mother of Mercy" and being the 'official' 'newcomers' in recent times and which are included on the Vatican website version) and invocations set before us Mary's exalted privileges, her holiness of life, her amiability and power, her motherly spirit and queenly majesty. Reflection on the titles of the litany, therefore, will unfold before us a magnificent picture of our heavenly Mother, even though we know little about her life.

In form, the Litany of Loreto is composed on a fixed plan common to several Marian litanies already in existence during the second half of the fifteenth century, which in turn are connected with a notable series of Marian litanies that began to appear in the twelfth century and became numerous in the thirteenth and fourteenth. The Loreto text had, however, the good fortune to be adopted in the famous shrine, and in this way to become known, more than any other, to the many pilgrims who flocked there during the sixteenth century. The text was brought home to the various countries of Christendom, and finally it received for all time the supreme ecclesiastical sanction.

Sixtus V, who had entertained a singular devotion for Loreto, by the Bull "Reddituri" of 11 July, 1587, gave formal approval to it, as to the litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, and recommended preachers everywhere to propagate its use among the faithful.

Excerpted from The History of the Litany of Our Lady.

Description:

This beautiful litany can be recited alone, or after praying the rosary, particularly during the month of May, dedicated to Mary. A partial indulgence is attached to those who pray this litany.

Prayer:

Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, have mercy. 

Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, hear us. 

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. 

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. 

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. 

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us. 

Holy Mother of God, pray for us. 

Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us. 

Mother of Christ, pray for us. 

Mother of divine grace, pray for us. 

Mother most pure, pray for us. 

Mother most chaste, pray for us. 

Mother inviolate, pray for us. 

Mother undefiled, pray for us. 

Mother most amiable, pray for us. 

Mother most admirable, pray for us. 

Mother of good counsel, pray for us. 

Mother of our Creator, pray for us. 

Mother of our Savior, pray for us. 

Virgin most prudent, pray for us. 

Virgin most venerable, pray for us. 

Virgin most renowned, pray for us. 

Virgin most powerful, pray for us. 

Virgin most merciful, pray for us. 

Virgin most faithful, pray for us. 

Mirror of justice, pray for us. 

Seat of wisdom, pray for us. 

Cause of our joy, pray for us. 

Spiritual vessel, pray for us. 

Vessel of honor, pray for us. 

Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us. 

Mystical rose, pray for us. 

Tower of David, pray for us. 

Tower of ivory, pray for us. 

House of gold, pray for us. 

Ark of the covenant, pray for us. 

Gate of heaven, pray for us. 

Morning star, pray for us. 

Health of the sick, pray for us. 

Refuge of sinners, pray for us. 

Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us. 

Help of Christians, pray for us. 

Queen of Angels, pray for us. 

Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us. 

Queen of Prophets, pray for us. 

Queen of Apostles, pray for us. 

Queen of Martyrs, pray for us. 

Queen of Confessors, pray for us. 

Queen of Virgins, pray for us. 

Queen of all Saints, pray for us. 

Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us. 

Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us. 

Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us. 

Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!. 

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord! 

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. 

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Grant, we beg you, O Lord God, that we your servants, may enjoy lasting health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enter into the joy of eternal happiness. Through Christ our Lord. 

R. Amen.

During Advent

Let us pray. O God, you willed that, at the message of an angel, your Word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary; grant to your suppliant people, that we, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with you. Through the same Christ our Lord. 

R. Amen.

From Christmas to the Purification

Let us pray. O God, by the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary, you bestowed upon the human race the rewards of eternal salvation; grant, we beg you, that we may feel the power of her intercession, through whom we have been made worthy to receive the Author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ your Son. Who lives and reigns with you forever and ever. 

R. Amen.

During Paschaltime

Let us pray. O God, who by the Resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world; grant, we beg you, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his Mother, we may attain the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. 

R. Amen.

Prayer Source: Enchiridion of Indulgences , June 29, 1968

Source: www.catholicculture.org