OLD IRISH LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 469 may always begin from thee, and by thee be happily ended. O Almighty and Eternal God, who hast dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all whom thou foreknowest shall be thine by faith and good works; we humbly beseech thee that they for whom we have determined to offer up our prayers, whether this world still detains them in the flesh, or the world to come has already received them out of their bodies, may, by the clemency of thy goodness, all thy saints interceding for them, obtain pardon and full remission of all their sins, through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth, etc. Amen. V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry come unto thee. V. May the Almighty and most merciful Lord graciously hear us. R. Amen. V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. R. Amen. Old Frish Litany of the Blessed Virgin. GREAT Mary, O Mary, the greatest of Marys, O Most exalted among women, Queen of the Angels, Empress of the Heavens, Woman replete and overflowing with the grace of the Holy Spirit, Blessed and thrice Blessed, Mother of eternal glory, Mother of the heavenly and earthly Church, Mother of love and mercy, Mother of the golden effulgence, Honour of the sky, Harbinger of peace, Couch of charity and indulgence, Shrine of the Divinity, Beauty of the Virgins, Lady-Chief of the tribes, Fountain of the gardens, Mother of the orphans, Graceful as the dove, Serene like the moon, Thou who dost cancel Eve's disgrace, O Renewer of life, Perfection of women, Head of the Virgins, Fountain ever-refreshing, Perpetual Virgin, Comely Virgin, Chaste Virgin, Temple of the Living God, Royal Throne of the Eternal King, Cypress of Mount Sion, Crimson rose of the land of Jacob, Blooming like the palm, Fruitful like the olive Glorious son-bearer, Light of Nazareth, Beauty of the world, Noblest born of the Christian fold, O Ladder of Heaven, Hear the petition of the poor; spurn not the wounds and the groans of the miserable. Let our devotion and our sighs be carried through thee to the presence of the Creator, for we are not ourselves worthy of being heard because of our evil deserts. O powerful Queen of heaven and earth, wipe out our trespasses and our sins. Cancel our wickedness and depravity. Raise the fallen, the miserable, and the fettered. Loose the condemned. Repair through thyself the faults of our unworthiness and our iniquity. Bestow upon us through, thyself the brightness and ornaments of good actions and virtues. Appease for us the Judge by thy prayers and thy supplications. Allow us not, for mercy sake, to be carried off from thee among the spoils of our enemies. Allow not our souls to be condemned, but take us to thyself for ever under thy protection. We, moreover, beseech and pray thee, O holy Mary, to obtain, through thy great power with thy only Son, that is, with Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, that He may guard us from all dangers and temptations. Obtain also for us from the God of all creatures, the forgiveness and remission of all our sins and trespasses; and may we receive from Him further, through thy intercession, the everlasting dwelling in the heavenly kingdom, through all eternity, in the presence of the saints and the saintly virgins of the world; which may we deserve, may we enjoy, in sæcula sæculorum. Amen. Devotions for every day in the Week. [THE practice of consecrating each day of the week to honour some particular mystery, or saint, is conformable to a holy and ancient usage of the faithful. It is a devotion particularly calculated for assisting young persons to spend each day fervently, because their attention is better fixed, by being confined to one object at a time; and fervour is kept alive by the variety which occurs during the week. You would do well to adopt this devotion.] EXERCISE FOR SUNDAY. Devotion to the Adorable Trinity. BLESSED Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost The source and fountain of all good! I most firmly believe in thee, I most humbly adore thee, and thank thee, with a grateful heart, for all the blessings and benefits I have received from thy infinite goodI most fervently consecrate and offer to thee an unreserved sacrifice of my whole being. O my God, who hast a right to every day, hour, and ness. moment of my existence, accept as the first fruits of this week the thoughts, words, and actions of this day, which I offer thee in testimony of my sincere desire to satisfy my obligation of keeping it holy; mercifully assist me to spend it in such a manner as may draw down thy blessing on the remainder of the week. Increase in my soul the heavenly virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity, which I received at Baptism, and teach me to make Faith the rule of my conduct, that thereby it may avail me to life everlasting. Eternal Father! take possession of my memory; efface from it all images of vanity, and engrave therein the recollection of thy adorable presence. Eternal Son! enlighten my understanding, and conduct me in the path of salvation by the light of Faith. Holy Spirit! sanctify my will by the most ardent love; render it submissive under the contradictions of this life, and never permit that by attachment to my own ideas or judgment, I should forfeit the blessings of peace offered to men of good-will and obedient minds. Holy, adorable, undivided Trinity, by whose power, mercy, and providence, I was created, redeemed, regenerated, and preserved to this moment, receive the oblation of my whole being, and take me out of the world rather than permit me to efface thy sacred image in my soul by mortal sin. I adore thee, O Holy Trinity, I worship thee, I most humbly give thee thanks for having revealed to man this glorious, this incomprehensible mystery, and for granting to those who persevere until death in the faithful profession of it, the reward of beholding and enjoying in heaven, what we now believe, and adore upon earth, one GOD in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. A men. |