Quotes on Mary

Scripture meditation: Now hope that is seen is not really hope. … But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait with patience. Romans 8:24-25

Reflection: The Rosary enlivens the hope for things above that endure forever. As we meditate on the glory of Jesus and His Mother, we see heaven opened and are heartened in our striving to gain the eternal home.

Pope Pius XI (1857-1939AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1922-1939) Italian; Supervised the signing of the Lateran Treaties with Mussolini's Fascist government. Established the feast of Christ the King. Called for greater participation by the laity, a movement he called Catholic Action.

Prayer: O Mary, as I recite my Rosary, foster the virtue of hope in me. Teach me to wait with patience for the fulfillment of God's promises.

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Scripture meditation: The life that I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. Galatians 2:20

Reflection: How could love not be made more fervent by the Rosary? We meditate on the Suffering and Death of our Redeemer and the Sorrows of His afflicted Mother. Will we not make a return for the love received?

Pope Pius XI (1857-1939AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1922-1939) Italian; Supervised the signing of the Lateran Treaties with Mussolini's Fascist government. Established the feast of Christ the King. Called for greater participation by the laity, a movement he called Catholic Action.

Prayer: O Mary, what return can I make to your Divine Son and to you for all that you have done for me? I offer you all that I am and all that I have -- wrapped up in my daily Rosary.

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Scripture meditation: No other woman from one end of the earth to the other is her equal in beauty and in wisdom of speech! Judith 11:21

Reflection: Look closely at the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is nothing of virtue, nothing of beauty, nothing of splendor or glory that does not shine in her.

St. Jerome (342-420AD)

Mini-Bio: Dalmatian; priest, hermit, abbot, biblical scholar and translator, Doctor of the Church.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Fountain of Beauty and Model of Virtue. Help me to imitate your humility, which crowns all your other virtues.

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Scripture meditation: Instruct me in the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your marvelous works. Psalms 119:27

Reflection: The Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the Mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of Mary. Thus, the unfathomable riches of these Mysteries are unfolded.

Pope Paul VI (1897-1978AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1963-1978) Italian; Reconvened Vatican II, and implemented many of its reforms. Became the first pope in over 150 years to leave Italy. He enlarged the college of cardinals. Reaffirmed the church's ban on contraception.

Prayer: O Mary, when I say the Rosary, I meditate on Christ's Mysteries in union with you. Help me to imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise.

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Scripture meditation: But thanks be to God who always leads us in victory in Christ Jesus and manifests through us the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Reflection: The Rosary represents a symbol of Mary's graces. Christians invoke her as "Queen of the Most Holy Rosary," which conjures up the brilliant conquests of faith over evil and over religious ignorance.

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1939-1958) Italian; He supported several reforms in the Papal States, which included central Italy, and several outlying areas, such as Assisi. Gained a reputation for being a patriotic, and reforming Pope.

Prayer: O Mary, you are Our Lady of tof the Rosary. Enable me to share in the spiritual victories over evil that you accomplish with Jesus' help through the Rosary

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Scripture meditation: Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be formed in the likeness of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn of many bothers. Romans 8:29

Reflection: The Rosary in particular is a sign of predestination. Our fidelity in reciting it is a sure sign of salvation.

Blessed Alan de la Roche (1428-1475AD)

Mini-Bio: French; Breton Dominican priest, preacher, theologian, re-established the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary.

Prayer: O Mary, your Rosary is a sign of salvation

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Scripture meditation: Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth cried out … "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Luke 1:41-42

Reflection: Jesus, Son of Mary, has no likeness among men, nor has Mary any likeness among women. He is the most beautiful of the living. She is a splendid dawn rising.

St. Bruno (970-1123AD)

Mini-Bio: one of three St. Brunos: Persian, Italian or German: martyr, Bishop of Segni, or writer/confessor/founder of the Carthusian Order.

Prayer: O Mary, you are blessed among women. May all women take you as a Model of Womanhood and thus obtain greater blessings for the world from your Divine Son.

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Scripture meditation: Reflect on what I am telling you, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things. 2 Timothy 2:7

Reflection: Happy are those who recite the Holy Rosary with understanding. They will learn all that is of faith, light, hope and love in it.

St. Clement Hofbauer (1751-1820AD)

Mini-Bio: Austrian; "Apostle of Vienna" Redemptorist, hermit, chaplain, preacher, establish the Redemptorist Congregation in northern Europe.

Prayer: O Mary, your Rosary is a School of the Faith. Let me recite it with understanding, so that I may grow in faith, light, hope, and love.

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Scripture meditation: I will make known your name, for you have been my protector and my support. You have rescued me from destruction. Sirach 51:1-2

Reflection: When we speak the Name of Mary, heaven becomes more beautiful and earth rejoices. The demons are terrified and vanish like dust in the wind..

St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; preacher, mystic, stigmatist, founder of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans)

Prayer: O Mary, your holy Name is a never-failing treasure. May it be always on my lips and in my heart -- in times of distress and in times of happiness.

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Scripture meditation: Esteem her, and she will honor you; she will bring you glory if you embrace her …; a noble crown will she present to you. Proverbs 4:8-9

Reflection: Experience has shown that to inculcate love for the Mother of God deeply in souls there is nothing more efficacious than the practice of the Rosary. We exhort all the faithful to practice this devotion.

Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1878-1903) Italian; pope, Jesuit. The United States at all times attracted the attention and admiration. Under Leo the religious orders developed wonderfully; new orders were founded, older ones increased.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Queen of the Holy Rosary. Let me say my Rosary faithfully and so grow in love for you and Jesus.

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Scripture meditation: The Ancient of Days took his seat. … Thousands upon thousands attended to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. Daniel 7:9-10

Reflection: This very honorable Virgin is an abyss of virtues. She precedes the Seraphim and is over the Cherubim!

St. John Damascene (of Damascus) (675-749AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; priest, monk, theologian, poet, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Queen of Angels. Grant me the grace to be truly devoted to the Angels, especially my Guardian Angel, and to follow all the inspirations they bring me from your Divine Son Jesus.

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Scripture meditation: Hear the sound of my prayer, when I cry to you, lifting up my hands toward your holy sanctuary. Psalms 28:2

Reflection: The Blessed Virgin never shall fail to protect me when I call upon her. When I am troubled, I quickly turn to her. And like the most tender of mothers she looks after me.

St. Theresa of Lisieux (1873-1897AD)

Mini-Bio: French; Carmelite mystic, Doctor of the Church.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Protector of your people. In times of affliction, let me always turn to you with the confident assurance that you will come to my aid.

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Scripture meditation: Come out from them and stay apart, says the Lord, … and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18

Reflection: If Jesus is the Father, Mary is the Mother of our souls. She gave us Jesus and supernatural life. She offered her Son on Calvary for our redemption and gave us birth in the life of grace.

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mother of my soul, take care of it. Help me to keep it continually united with _________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever welcomes anyone I send welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. John 13:20

Reflection: To go to Jesus through Mary is truly to honor Jesus Christ. It indicates that we do not esteem ourselves worthy of approaching His infinite holiness directly, that we need Mary to be our Mediatrix with Him, our Mediator.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you are our Mediatrix with Jesus and with the Father. Plead for us now, as once you shared with us the pains, fears, and sorrows of life on earth.

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Scripture meditation: Make disciples of every nation … teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you all days, even to the end of the world. Matthew 28:19-20

Reflection: Those who belong to Mary should do all they can to win the hearts of others to her. And Mary will enlighten those hearts, enkindle them with the love of her Maternal Heart, and inflame them with the fire of charity that burns in the Divine Heart of Jesus.

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941AD)

Mini-Bio: Polish; Franciscan priest, founder of Knights of Mary Immaculate, martyr.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Queen of the Missions

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Scripture meditation: Love is patient and kind. … It bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Reflection: Do not be surprised that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit. According to Paul, one of the greatest crimes of the Gentiles was lack of love. This was far from the Heart of Mary. Let it be far from her servants as well.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Mother of Fair Love. Fill my heart with Divine love, so that I may never lack for love and may learn to offer my life as a gift of love to Jesus.

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Scripture meditation: For so the Lord has commanded …, "I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you may be a means of salvation to all the world." Acts of the Apostles 13:47

Reflection: We find ourselves on earth as in a tempestuous sea, a desert, and a vale of tears. But Mary is the Star of the Sea, the Solace of our desert, and the Light that guides us to heaven.

St. John Bosco (1815-1888AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, educator, founder of the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians) and Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians

Prayer: O Mary, you are our unfailing Guide to heaven. Make me desire holiness, and lead me along the right paths, so that at journey's end I may deserve to be with you and Jesus.

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Scripture meditation: Then the king asked, "What is it, Queen Ester? What is your request? Even up to half my kingdom, it will be given you." Esther 5:3

Reflection: Imagine that all the stars were tongues and all the grains of sand were words. They would still fall short of recounting all the glories bestowed by God on Mary's soul.

St. Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555AD)

Mini-Bio: Spanish; archbishop, Augustinian provincial, university professor, reformer, chaplain to the emperor

Prayer: O Mary, you have received untold blessings from God. Help me to speak of your glories to others and bear witness to your intercessory power with your Divine Son.

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Scripture meditation: God sent the spirit of the Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba Father!" So you are no longer a servant but a son and if a son then also an heir, through God. Galatians 4:6-7

Reflection: Mary has conceived the Divine Word. She has thus become the heaven that enclosed the Divinity in her womb for the purpose of exalting mortals to the great dignity of kinship with God.

St. Ephrem of Syria (306-373AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; deacon, hymnist, poet

Prayer: O Mary, you were the Associate of Jesus in His work of making us children of God. Help me to prize this Divine adoption above all things and ever seek to live as a true child of God.

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Scripture meditation: This is the gate of the Lord, the just shall enter by it. I will give thanks to you, for you have heard my plea and have become my Savior. Psalms 118:20-21

Reflection: How can Mary be otherwise than full of grace? She has been made the Ladder to Paradise, the Gate of Heaven, and the most true Mediatrix between God and human beings.

St. Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; monk, priest, prior, superior general and first Patriarch of Venice.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Gate of Heaven. Help me to live as a true child of yours, so that upon my death I may deserve to enter heaven through you.

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Scripture meditation: She opens her mouth to wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of mercy. … Her children rise up and call her blessed. Proverbs 31:26-28

Reflection: When we who are devoted to Mary and call her Mother, we are not using empty words or just speaking at random. She is our Mother -- not by the flesh, of course but spiritually; the Mother of our souls, of our salvation.

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mary, I thank you for consenting to become the Mother of our souls. Grant me the grace to love you and your Divine Son as you deserve.

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Scripture meditation: The Father … will give you another Advocate to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. … He will dwell with you and be in you. John 14:16-17

Reflection: In the Church our souls are espoused to the Holy Spirit. It is Mary whose prayer wins strength, joy, and consolation for us. And it is Mary who gives joy to the Divine Bridegroom by inspiring our wills with love for Him.

Venerable Francis Libermann (1802-1852AD)

Mini-Bio: French; convert from Judaism and priest, founded society of priests who would work for the education of newly liberated slaves in the French colonies

Prayer: O Mary, help me to be united with the Holy Spirit. Teach me to follow the holy inspirations and loving guidance of this Divine Guest of my soul.

Scripture meditation: Of the Son [he says]: "Your throne, O God, will stand forever and ever; and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom." Hebrews 1:8

Reflection: I salute you, O Mother Mary! You are the throne of God as well as the honor, the glory, and the strength of our Church!

St. John Chrysostom (347-407AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; archbishop, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you were like a throne for your Divine Son. Teach me to enthrone Jesus in my heart and to render constant homage to Him by my words and my actionsOn this day when Catholics around the world celebrate the Triumph of the Cross, the Church invites us to look again at the meaning of Christian discipleship. She invites us to understand the sacrifices it involves and place all our hope in our Crucified and Risen Savior.

Scripture meditation: I brought up children and honored them, but they have disowned me! An ox knows its master, and an ass, its owner's manger; but … my people have not understood. Isaiah 1:2-3

Reflection: Women who seek involvement in community affairs should look to Mary. Taken into dialogue with God, Mary gives her active and responsible consent. … to the event of world importance known as the Incarnation of the Word.

Pope Paul VI (1897-1978AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1963-1978) Italian; Reconvened Vatican II, and implemented many of its reforms. Became the first pope in over 150 years to leave Italy. He enlarged the college of cardinals. Reaffirmed the church's ban on contraception.

Prayer: O Mary, your decision affected the world's salvation. Teach me how to take part in decisions that affect world, Church and community as well as my own salvation.

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Scripture meditation: My heart overflows with a noble theme; as I recite my poem to the king, my tongue is the pen of a swift scribe. Psalms 45:2

Reflection: The glorious Virgin was raised to the dignity of Mother of the King of kings. Accordingly, the Church honors her with the radiant title of Queen and asks us to do the same.

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Queen of the Universe. Grant that I may praise you as you deserve and reap the spiritual benefits of life-long dedication to your service.

Scripture meditation: Blessed is the soul that fears the Lord. … The eyes of the Lord watch over those who love him; he is their mighty shield and strong support. Sirach 34:15-16

Reflection: O Mary, Mother of Love, love your Jesus and mine for me. And make me share the love that you bear for Him!

St. John Eudes (1601-1680AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, founder of seminaries and of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)

Prayer: O Mary, your love for your Divine Son was greater than the combined love of all other humans. Increase my love for Jesus and let it be expressed in actions.

Scripture meditation: I go to prepare a place for you. … And I will come back and take you to be with me, so that where I am, there you will be. John 14:2-3

Reflection: O Mary, you who are the Mother of Life had to remain always with Life. For you, death could never be anything more than sleep and the Assumption anything more the an act of waking up.

St. Germanus (469-576AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, bishop of Paris

Prayer: O Mary, your glory of the Assumption is a pledge of our glory. Help me to live in such a way that when Jesus returns for me He will find me worthy to join you in heaven.

Scripture meditation: Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. They go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown. They come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. Psalms 126:5-6

Reflection: Mary sowed much in tears while on earth, and now she is reaping much in heavenly joy. The same will be true for us. The more spiritual victories we obtain while on earth, the more we will receive in heaven.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, grant me the grace to obtain daily spiritual victories over myself, the world, and the devil. Let me imitate your faithfulness and so share your glory.

Scripture meditation: So the people stood far off and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will hear. But do not let God speak to us, or we shall die." Exodus 20:18-19

Reflection: If you want to grow in perfection, you cannot advance by yourselves -- you need a guide. Hence, when you go to God, go through Mary and with Mary!

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941AD)

Mini-Bio: Polish; Franciscan priest, founder of Knights of Mary Immaculate, martyr

Prayer: O Mary, you are our Mediatrix with the God of all. Help me to grow in grace and holiness, so that I may one day reach your Divine Son in the bliss of heaven

Scripture meditation: Let the faithful rejoice in glory, let them sing for joy in their beds. Let the praises of God be in their mouths. Psalms 149:5-6

Reflection: O Mary, may all nations glorify your Immaculate Heart! May the whole earth invoke and bless your Immaculate Heart!

St. John Vianney (1786-1859AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, spiritual director, Patron saint of parish priests

Prayer: O Mary, our human speech is too feeble to honor you as we ought. Grant that I may never cease praising you and invoking your Immaculate Heart.

Scripture meditation: From ivory palaces the music of stringed instruments brings you joy …; the queen stands at your right hand in gold of Ophir. Psalms 45:9-10

Reflection: The heavenly host came forth rejoicing in festal array, to meet the Mother of God. Surrounded with effulgent light, Mary was led amid praise and canticles to the throne prepared for her from the world's beginning.

St. Jerome (342-420AD)

Mini-Bio: Dalmatian; priest, hermit, abbot, biblical scholar and translator, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, at the Assumption you were solemnly taken into the glory of heaven. Fix my eyes on that glory, so that I may put up with the adversities of this world.

Scripture meditation: Forgive the sins of this people according to your great mercy, as you have been merciful to them … until now. Numbers 14:19

Reflection: When we pray to the Mother of God, we are heard more quickly then when we call directly on Jesus -- for He is not only our Lord but also our Judge. However, Mary has no other office except to show compassion.

St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; archbishop, abbot, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, help me to imitate you and your Divine Son by showing kindness to others when they hurt me.

Scripture meditation: It is I who girded you … so that from the rising of the sun to the west where it sets, men may know that there is none besides me. Isaiah 45:5-6

Reflection: O Blessed Virgin, nothing resist your power. God the Father looks upon your glory as if it were His own. And God the Son takes delight in glorifying you and grants your every petition as if He were paying a debt.

St. Gregory of Nicomedia (1170-1240AD)

Mini-Bio: Orthodox; Ascetic

Prayer: O Mary, you have the ear of God. Beg Him to have mercy on us and to send peace to a tormented world.

Scripture meditation: You come forth to deliver your people. … You make a way in the sea with your horses and amid the churning of many waters. Habakkuk 3:13-15

Reflection: The Heart of Mary is a sun that spreads its rays and its warmth throughout the world. It is constantly working in every possible way for the salvation of souls.

St. John Eudes (1601-1680AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, founder of seminaries and of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)

Prayer: O Immaculate Heart of Mary, be my salvation! I put all my trust in you for time and for eternity.

Scripture meditation: When Jesus had brought about man's purgation from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3

Reflection: Mary sits at the right had of Jesus like a Queen. She is the most safe refuge for and the most fruitful helper of all who are in danger, so there is no reason to fear.

Pope St. Pius X (1835-1914AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1903-1914) Italian; pope, reformer. Created a special congregation of cardinals to look at formation of a new code of canon law.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Mediatrix of All Grace. Keep me under your guidance, your care, your benevolence, and your protection, so that I will have no reason to despair

Scripture meditation: Your renown spread forth among the nations for your beauty, which was perfect since I placed my splendor upon you. Ezekiel 16:14

Reflection: Mary consented to be the Mother of the Eternal Word. At that very moment, she merited to be made the Queen of the world and all creatures.

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mary, you are our Queen. Reign over all hearts by the queenly power of your love, so that the Kingdom of your Divine Son may come upon earth

Scripture meditation: The lowly may be pardoned through mercy, but the mighty will be tested with rigor. Wisdom 6:6

Reflection: When the Blessed Virgin conceived the Eternal Word in her womb and gave Him birth, she obtained half the Kingdom of God.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; Dominican philosopher, theologian, mystic, hymnist, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Queen and Exemplar of Mercy. In imitation of you, let me be humble and merciful toward others, so that I too may receive mercy and pardon.

Scripture meditation: This saying is true and worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the worst. 1 Timothy 1:15

Reflection: As the Queen of Mercy, Mary throws open the abyss of God's mercies to anyone she pleases, when she pleases, and as she pleases. Hence, there are no sinners who will be lost when she intercedes for them!

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you dispense the merits of Christ's Redemption to all sinners. Pour down on me the Divine Mercy, so that I may repent for my past sins and strive to avoid sin in the future.

Scripture meditation: Let your heart receive my words. Keep my commands, and you shall live! Get wisdom, get prudence. Proverbs 4:4-5

Reflection: Praise be to Mary! Let all hearts give themselves to Mary so that she may fill them with her Heart and the Heart of Jesus!

St. John Eudes (1601-1680AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, founder of seminaries and of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Queen of Hearts! Mold my heart after your own, so that it may possess the sentiments of true Christian living and reflect the Heart of your Divine Son.

Scripture meditation: Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we have come to believe and to know that you are the Christ, the Son of God." John 6:68-69

Reflection: O Mary, to whom else shall we go? You have the words of eternal life! These are the prayers by which you intervene on our behalf before God. Indeed, you never cease to work wonders for us.

St. Germanus (469-576AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, bishop of Paris

Prayer: O Mary, like the words of Jesus, your prayerful words on our behalf bring salvation. Never cease to pray for me "till in heaven eternally your love and bliss I share."

Scripture meditation: The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of the Gentles; all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Isaiah 52:10

Reflection: Through this Virgin, the whole earth is filled with the Glory of God. Through this Virgin, all have known the great God. All have seen the salvation of God.

St. Ildephonsus (607-667AD)

Mini-Bio: Spanish; monk, Abbot of Agli, Archbishop of Toledo, founded and endowed a monastery of nuns

Prayer: O Mary, through you, salvation came to the world. May those peoples who are still without the knowledge of your Divine Son come to know, love, and serve Him.

Scripture meditation: Do not labor for the food that perishes but for that which endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6:27

Reflection: Ask the Virgin Mary constantly to come to you with her glorious Son. Be bold. Ask her to give you her Son, Who in the Blessed Sacrament is truly the Food of your soul. She will give Him to you readily.

St. Cajetan (1480-1547AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, founder of the Oratory of Divine Love, assisted in the establishment of his Congregation of Clerks Regular

Prayer: O Mary, you are ever ready to give us the Food of our souls. Help me prepare through prayer and good works for the visit of the great King, Who is Christ your Son.

Scripture meditation: As the soldiers listened to what she had say, they gazed upon her face and marveled at her beauty. Judith 10:14

Reflection: The thought and the countenance of Mary inspire the purity of life that is the first dignity of human beings. They also constitute the salvation of those who struggle against evil and those who are called to greater perfection of life.

Pope Pius XI (1857-1939AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1922-1939) Italian; Supervised the signing of the Lateran Treaties with Mussolini's Fascist government. Established the feast of Christ the King. Called for greater participation by the laity, a movement he called Catholic Action.

Prayer: O Mary, the thought of you leads to salvation. Let me meditate on your spiritual beauty, so that I too may be saved.

Scripture meditation: I rejoice greatly in the Lord, and my soul is joyful in my God. For he has clothed me with a garment of salvation, and covered me with a robe of justice. Isaiah 61:10

Reflection: Mary is living the perfect joy promised to the Church. Her children on earth turn to her who is the Mother of Hope and Mother of Grace. They invoke her as the cause of our joy.

Pope Paul VI (1897-1978AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1963-1978) Italian; Reconvened Vatican II, and implemented many of its reforms. Became the first pope in over 150 years to leave Italy. He enlarged the college of cardinals. Reaffirmed the church's ban on contraception.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the "Cause of Our Joy." Keep my eyes fixed on the eternal joys promised by your Divine Son, so that I will be filled with Christian joy all the days of my life.

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Scripture meditation: I will give you what you have not asked for. … And you walk in my ways by obeying my statues and commandments … you will have a long life. 1 Kings 3:13-14

Reflection: Mary has a great desire to be invoked by us so that she may dispense her favors to us in greater abundance. So true is this that she is offended not only by those who speak ill of her but also by those who neglect to ask for her graces.

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Franciscan minister general, philosopher, theologian, Doctor of the Church.

Prayer: O Mary, you are ready to pour down grace on us if we but ask for it. Help me to come to you in every need, so that I may receive your aid.

Scripture meditation: Do not urge me to leave you and depart from you. For where you go I will go, where you dwell I will dwell. Ruth 1:16

Reflection: Ruth, whose name mean "seeing and hastening," was a figure of Mary. For Mary, seeing our miseries, mercifully hastens to help us!

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Franciscan minister general, philosopher, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, like Ruth you remain firmly attached to your people, those redeemed by your Divine Son. See my miseries and make haste to help me.

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Scripture meditation: But to those who did receive [the Revelation] he gave power to become children of God to those who believe in his name. John 1:12

Reflection: Since the Redeemer preexisted, there had to be someone to be saved so that He would not come in vain. As a consequence, we find Mary, the obedient Virgin, saying, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

St. Irenaeus of Lyons (125-203AD)

Mini-Bio: Asia Minor; bishop, missionary, theologian, defender of orthodoxy

Prayer: O Mary, you are the First among the Redeemed and you cooperated in the Redemption. Help me to cooperate in bringing the fruits of Jesus' Redemption to all people.

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Scripture meditation: Will God really dwell with men on earth? If the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you, how much less this temple that I have built! 1 Kings 8:27

Reflection: The Mother of God contained the infinite God under her Heart, the God Whom no space can contain. Through her, the Trinity is adored, demons are vanquished, Satan is cast out of heaven, and our fallen nature is assumed into heaven.

St. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444AD)

Mini-Bio: Egyptian; bishop, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, I honor you, who contained within you the God Whom no space can contain. Help me to be ever conscious of God's presence in me through the grace of Jesus

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Scripture meditation: If you search her out and follow her trial, she will make herself known; and once you have found her, do not let her go. Sirach 6:27

Reflection: Breathing is not only the sign but even the very cause of life. In like manner, the Name of Mary, continually on the lips of her clients, not only proves the presence of supernatural life but also causes and preserves it and gives them strength for everything.

St. Germanus (469-576AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, bishop of Paris

Prayer: O Mary, grant that your holy Name may be always on my lips and in my heart. May it keep me from sin and preserve the Divine life that comes to me from Jesus through you.

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Scripture meditation: Let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face beautiful. Song of Solomon 2:14

Reflection: Come, let us throw ourselves at the feet of this good Mother. Let us cling to them and not leave them, until she blesses us and takes us for her children.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the best of Mothers. I desire to be your child. Help me to remain ever close to you by following the teachings of your Divine Son, Jesus.

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Scripture meditation: And I heard the voices of many angels around the throne. … They numbered thousands upon thousands, and they sang out loudly. Revelation 5:11

Reflection: The nine choirs of Angels offer Mary millions of times each day the Angelic Salutation: Hail Mary! In doing so, they ask her to honor them with one of her commands.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Queen of Angels. Let me say the "Hail Mary" every day and help me to carry out your commands received through my Guardian Angel.

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Scripture meditation: Let us draw near with a sincere heart and in fullness of trust, with our hearts cleansed from an evil conscience … and our bodies cleansed in pure water. Hebrews 10:22

Reflection: We must have frequent recourse to the Mother of God for she is the Mother of the supernatural life and the Mother of grace. The Lord desires that we receive all graces through her, and this depends on our approaching her.

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941AD)

Mini-Bio: Polish; Franciscan priest, founder of Knights of Mary Immaculate, martyr

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Mother of Divine Grace. Help me to approach you daily with a clean heart to obtain the graces God wishes to give me through you each day.

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Scripture meditation: I exhort you, therefore, … by the mercy of God, to offer your bodies as a sacrifice, living, holy, and delightful, to God, your spiritual service. Romans 12:1

Reflection: O holy Mary into your safe keeping I entrust my soul and body, this day, every day, and on the day of my death.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; Jesuit teacher, health care worker

Prayer: O Mary, in accord with the example of St. Aloysius, I offer you this day all my hopes and consolations, all my trials and miseries, my life and the end of my life!

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Scripture meditation: Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "… Whoever sees me sees also the Father." John 14:8-9

Reflection: It is the nature of Jesus Christ to lead us surely to the Father. In the same way, it is the nature of the Blessed Virgin to lead us surely to Jesus.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you are our sure guide to Jesus. Let me learn to see you in Jesus and Jesus in you. For you are united with your Divine Son by the closest natural and supernatural bond.

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Scripture meditation: They cried out to you, and from heaven you heard them and rescued them according to your compassion time after time. Nehemiah 9:28

Reflection: Mary is not only 'called' the Mother of Mercy. She is the Mother of Mercy. And she proved that she is by the loving tenderness with which she helps us all.

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Mother of Mercy. Plead my cause day and night before your Divine Son. In your mercy, do not let me be lost forever

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Scripture meditation: Being rooted and grounded in love, may you come to comprehend … what is the breadth, length, height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses all understanding. Ephesians 3:17-19

Reflection: Do you wish to know the most intimate perfections of Jesus and the most hidden attractions of His love? Then seek them in the Heart of Mary!

St. Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868AD)

Mini-Bio: French; Marist priest and provincial; founder of Priests of the Blessed Sacrament and Servants of the Blessed Sacrament

Prayer: O Mary, keep ever before me the tried and trusted Christian motto: "To Jesus through Mary." And let me learn to seek your Divine Son in your Motherly Heart.

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Scripture meditation: Who do you think is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his household to give them food? … Blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing so when he arrives home. Luke 12:42-43

Reflection: We have only one thing that we must do -- that is, pray to the Blessed Virgin. Ask her for the grace to love our Lord as she loves Him and to remain faithful to Him in life and in death.

St. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879AD)

Mini-Bio: French; visionary of Marian apparitions at Lourdes

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Virgin Most Faithful. Grant me the grace to love God and remain faithful to Him in all things.

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Scripture meditation: May the Lord guide your hearts to the love of God and to the perseverance of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Reflection: The love of Christ so wounded and transfixed Mary's Heart that no part of it remained untouched. Thus, she fulfilled the First Commandment in all its extension and without the slightest imperfection.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, your love for God is greater than the love of all human beings together. Teach me to love God with all my heart, all my mind, and all my soul.

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Scripture meditation: Wisdom is sweet for your soul. If you find it, you will have hope, and your hope will not perish. Proverbs 24:14

Reflection: Mary is both the Mother of the Shepherd and the Mother of the Lamb. That is why she is all our confidence and all our hope!

St. Germanus (469-576AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, bishop of Paris

Prayer: O Mary, you are the world's best hope because you are the Mother of the Redeemer. I place all my hope in you -- for today, for tomorrow, and for ever.

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Scripture meditation: But now that you are free from sin and slaves to God, the fruit that you have leads to holiness and results in eternal life. Romans 6:22

Reflection: Blessed are those who cherish your Name, O Mary. Your favor will sustain them in the midst of trial, and they will bring forth fruits of salvation.

St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231AD)

Mini-Bio: Portuguese; Franciscan preacher and reformer, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, may your holy Name be ever on my lips and in my heart. Let it be the key to a holy life on earth and the password to a blessed eternity in heaven.

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Scripture meditation: Observe … the commandment … : love the Lord, your God; walk in all his ways; keep all his commandments; cling to him; and serve him with all your heart and soul. Joshua 22:5

Reflection: Love the Immaculata! Confide in her and consecrate yourself to her without reservation. Strive to do everything as she herself would do it in your place, especially by loving God as she loves Him.

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941AD)

Mini-Bio: Polish; Franciscan priest, founder of Knights of Mary Immaculate, martyr

Prayer: O Mary, I give myself completely to you. Help me to love you, to follow your example in all things, and to love God as you did all your life__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: The eyes of all hope in you …; you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Psalms 145:15-16

Reflection: The Motherly Heart of Mary has a great desire to give us grace. This desire is even greater than our desire to receive grace!

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mary, you are forever looking for ways to give us grace. Grant me the grace I need for this day, and let me remember to ask for the same thing each day.

______________________________________________________________________________________Scripture Scripture meditation: Associate with a devout person whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments. … In addition, trust your own judgment. Sirach 37:12-13

Reflection: Jesus has given us the Heart of His Blessed Mother. Therefore, you can and you must make use of that Heart to love God. For Mary's Heart is truly yours, and you must love God with all your heart!

St. John Eudes (1601-1680AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, founder of seminaries and of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)

Prayer: O Immaculate Heart of Mary, I entrust myself to you. Help me to follow your inspirations and make my heart like yours, which is in turn like the Heart of Jesus.

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Scripture meditation: Do not be anxious and say, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" … All these things shall be given you besides. Matthew 6:31-33

Reflection: Place yourself in Mary's hands; she will think of everything and provide for the needs of soul and body. Therefore, be at peace, be at complete peace, with unlimited confidence in her!

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941AD)

Mini-Bio: Polish; Franciscan priest, founder of Knights of Mary Immaculate, martyr

Prayer: O Mary, Mother of Hope, I entrust my life into your hands. Fill me with Christian optimism, so that I will be able to confront any situation with equanimity.

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Scripture meditation: Mercy and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall sprout from the earth, and justice shall look down from heavens. Psalms 85:11-12

Reflection: Mary is the Virgin most truthful, the soil from which, in the words of the Psalmist, Truth shall spring. May she grant us the grace to be truthful in heart, word, and deed in all things.

St. Joan of Valois (1464-1505AD)

Mini-Bio: French; foundress of the Order of the Annunciation. Although many thought she was ugly, she replied: The value of a person comes not from the beauty of the body, but from the beauty of the soul.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Mother of Truth Himself. Make me know the Truth, so that I may always love the truth, speak the truth, and live the truth.

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Scripture meditation: I became established in Zion. Thus, in the beloved city he gave me a resting place; in Jerusalem I exerted my power. Sirach 24:10-11

Reflection: The word "Jerusalem" in this text signifies the Church Triumphant in heaven as well as the Church Militant on earth. Indeed, the Mother of the Creator has power both in heaven and on earth.

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Franciscan minister general, philosopher, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the "Virgin Most Powerful." Make me a better person and make the world a safer place to live in from both a natural and a supernatural point of view.

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Scripture meditation: You shall watch for me, and you shall find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, and I will bring you back. Jeremiah 29:13-14

Reflection: We must pray to Mary and call upon her. She is admirable for herself and lovable for us. As in the Gospel, Mary now intervenes with her Son and obtains from Him miracles that the ordinary course of things would not allow.

Pope Paul VI (1897-1978AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1963-1978) Italian; Reconvened Vatican II, and implemented many of its reforms. Became the first pope in over 150 years to leave Italy. He enlarged the college of cardinals. Reaffirmed the church's ban on contraception.

Prayer: O Mary, you know our human needs and sorrows. Grant that I may have recourse to you in all my anxieties and always obtain God's gracious help.

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Scripture meditation: Store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, nor robbers break in and steal! For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. Matthew 6:20-21

Reflection: Mary is my great treasure. She is my All after Jesus. She is my honor, my tenderness, and the storehouse of my virtues! I do everything in and through her.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you are our greatest treasure after Jesus. Help me to prize you above everything, remain united with you, and reach your Son Jesus through you.

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Scripture meditation: Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her own home. Luke 1:56

Reflection: The heart of our good Mother Mary is all love and mercy. She desires nothing else but our happiness. We need only have recourse to her and we will be heard.

St. John Vianney (1786-1859AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, spiritual director, Patron saint of parish priests

Prayer: O Mary, you visited Elizabeth on a mission of mercy even while bearing Jesus. Teach me to be concerned for others and bring Jesus to them by my visits.

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Scripture meditation: Hear now, all you who fear God, and I will tell you the great things he has done for me. I cried to him for help, and praised him with my tongue. Psalms 66:16-17

Reflection: Every day at Evening Prayer, the Church sings the "Magnificant," Mary's hymn of praise. This habitual remembrance of the Lord's Incarnation enkindles the hearts of the faithful, and the frequent meditation of Mary's examples confirms them in virtue.

St. Bede the Venerable (673-735AD)

Mini-Bio: English; priest, monk, scholar, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, teach me to unite myself with the Church in the Liturgy of the Hours each day. Let me recite your magnificent hymn of praise often.

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Scripture meditation: Abide in me, and I in you. … Whoever abides in me and I in him will bear much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5

Reflection: It was the prerogative of Mary to conceive Christ in her womb. But it is the heritage of all the elect to bear Jesus in their hearts.

St. Peter Damian (1001-1072AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Benedictine prior, spiritual writer, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you bore Christ in your heart as well as your body. Help me to bear Him always within my heart by doing the things that are pleasing to Him.

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Scripture meditation: For you were slain and have redeemed us for God with your blood, those from every tribe and language, people and nation. Revelation 5:9

Reflection: God is the Father of the world's construction, and Mary is the Mother of its reconstruction. For God generated the One through Whom everything has been made. And Mary gave birth to the One through Whose work all things have been saved.

St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; archbishop, abbot, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Co-Redemptrix with your Divine Son. Help me to unite all my words and actions with your Heart and the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the salvation of the world

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Scripture meditation: But if anyone sins, we have an advocate with God the Father, Jesus Christ the just one. He is propitiation for our sins … and those of all the world. 1 John 2:1-2

Reflection: In heaven Mary remains always in the presence of her Divine Son. There she is continually praying on behalf of sinners.

St. Bede the Venerable (673-735AD)

Mini-Bio: English; priest, monk, scholar, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, in accord with the will of your Divine Son, you are the Refuge of Sinners. Beg Him to forgive my past sins and help me to avoid sin in the future

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Scripture meditation: She has set her table. She has sent out her maids to invite to the tower … :"Let whoever is a little one come to me." Proverbs 9:2-4

Reflection: Nowhere do we find Jesus nearer to us and more adapted to our weakness than in Mary, since it was for that reason that He came and dwelt in her. Everywhere else He is the Bread of the strong, the Bread of the Angels, but in Mary He is the Bread of children..

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you bring Jesus to us in a way we can understand. Let me come to know Jesus more deeply, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more closely.

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Scripture meditation: O Lord, … you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, so that it will always remain. It is you, O Lord, who blessed it, and it will be blessed forever. 1 Chronicles 17:26-27

Reflection: Without the consent of Mary, God would not become Man. The reasons for this were first that we might feel under great obligation to her and second that we might realize that the salvation of all is left to her care.

St. Peter Damian (1001-1072AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Benedictine prior, spiritual writer, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are entrusted with our salvation. Keep me safe from the snares of the devil. Help me to say often: "Immaculate Heart of Mary, be my salvation."

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Scripture meditation: She is found by those who search for her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her; those who rise early to seek her will not have to toil. Wisdom 6:12-14

Reflection: The Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix. These however are to be so understood that they take nothing away from nor add anything to the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator.

Vatican II: Lumen Gentium/The Church, 62 (1962-1965AD)

Mini-Bio: 21st Ecumenical council: Convened by John XXIII 1958-1963; Closed by Paul VI 1963-1978: Descisions: Issued pastoral documents on the renewal and reform of the Church, intending to make the Church more effective in dealing with the contemporary world.

Prayer: O Mary, you are our Advocate with God. Grant that I may call upon your intercessory power and so be able to bring forth the fruits that your Divine Son expects from me.

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Scripture meditation: A shoot shall spring up from the stump of Jesse, and out of his roots a flower shall blossom. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Isaiah 11:1-2

Reflection: The birth of the Mother of God is the prelude to the union of the Word with flesh. Today the Virgin is born, tended and formed, and prepared for her role as Mother of God, Who is the universal King of the ages.

St. Andrew of Crete (660-740AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; Archbishop, monk, hymnist

Prayer: O Mary, the birth of Jesus from you was the dawn of our salvation. May the celebration of your birthday bring the world closer to lasting peace and redound to my salvation.

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Scripture meditation: When the Lord has brought you into the … land that flows with milk and honey, you shall celebrate this sacred rite in this month. Exodus 13:5

Reflection: Mary is a land that, though it has never been sown, brings forth fruit that gives food to all creatures. She is a land on which rest the blessings of the Lord.

St. Theodore the Studite (759-826AD)

Mini-Bio: Asia Minor; abbot, major monastic reformer and theologian. An important writer, especially against the Iconoclasm heresy.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the "land that flows with milk and honey." Fill me with the blessings that flow from such a Divine land, so that I too may bring forth fruits worthy of salvation.

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Scripture meditation: The Lord does not delay in his promises, but is patient for your sake, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to turn to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Reflection: Mary does not know how to refuse compassion. She has never learned how to let the comfortless go away uncomforted. And so, she will persuade her Son to pardon me.

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Franciscan minister general, philosopher, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Mother of Compassion. Help me to show compassion to others, so that I may benefit from your compassion and that of your Divine Son.

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Scripture meditation: Wait yet a little and I will show you. I still have some things to say in God's behalf. Job 36:2

Reflection: Mary is the echo of God. If we say "Mary," she will answer "God." That is why union with her is always followed by union with God.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Echo of God. Let me imitate you in echoing the teaching of Jesus to others both in my words and in my deeds.

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Scripture meditation: Just as the living Father has sent me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will live because of me. John 6:57

Reflection: Every grace granted to human beings has three degrees in order: From God it is communicated to Christ; from Christ it passes to the Blessed Virgin; and from the Blessed Virgin it comes to us.

St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, Franciscan vicar general, preacher, reformer

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Channel of Divine Grace for us. Grant that I may be receptive to every grace earmarked for me and may cooperate with it to the full.

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Scripture meditation: Ephraim is my favored son; he is a tender child. … I still remember him. My heart stirs for him, and I will surely show him compassion. Jeremiah 31:20

Reflection: Mary far surpasses all other mothers in glory and holiness as well as in kindness and sweetness. Come before her with a contrite and humbled heart. You will find her more prompt and more tender in loving you than all other mothers.

Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-590AD)

Mini-Bio: Roman; pope, abbot, liturgist, reformer, statesman, Doctor of the Church. He helped the poor while spreading and strengthening the faith. He wrote extensively on moral and theological subjects.

Prayer: "O Mother of the Word Incarnate, to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. Despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me."

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Scripture meditation: The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a person finds it he hides it again; then, filled with joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Matthew 13:44

Reflection: Every good, every help, and every grace that human beings have received and will receive from God until the end of time came and will come to them by the intercession and through the hands of Mary. When we find Mary, we find all!

Blessed Raymond Jordano

Mini-Bio: I have no biographical information on this person, please e-mail me if you can provide some bio. information.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the "treasure hidden in a field." Let me be willing to give up all things so that I may never be separated from you and your Divine Son.

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Scripture meditation: Eye has not seen nor has ear heard, neither has it entered the human heart … what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

Reflection: Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and the human heart has not felt what God has prepared for those who love Him. Who, then, can dare speak about what God has prepared for His Mother!

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are now enjoying the ineffable reward prepared for you. Let me dwell often on the joys that await me if I remain faithful to God's will for me

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Scripture meditation: My just one is near, my savior has gone forth …; the coastlands look for me and wait patiently for my arm. Isaiah 51:5

Reflection: Because Jesus redeemed us, He is our Lord and our King. In the same way the Blessed Virgin is our Lady and our Queen on account of the unique manner in which she assisted in the Redemption, offering her Son to the Father for the salvation of the world.

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1939-1958) Italian; He supported several reforms in the Papal States, which included central Italy, and several outlying areas, such as Assisi. Gained a reputation for being a patriotic, and reforming Pope.

Prayer: O Mary, most noble Queen of the world, plead for peace and salvation in our behalf, for you have brought forth Christ the Lord, the Savior of us all.

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Scripture meditation: God made two great lights: a greater one to rule the day, and a lesser one to rule the night. Genesis 1:16

Reflection: The moon, standing between the sun and the earth, transmits to the earth whatever light it receives from the sun. In like manner, Mary stands between God and human beings and pours His grace upon us.

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Franciscan minister general, philosopher, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you flood us with Christ's supernatural brightness. Grant me the graces to flee the proximate occasions of sin and remain true to my Christian vocation.

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Scripture meditation: Strenuous labor is the lot of all human beings … from the day when they emerge from their mother's womb until the day when they return to the mother of us all. Sirach 40:1

Reflection: Mary is a Queen because she is a Mother, the Immaculate Mother of God, a completely Divine Mother. She is thus the Queen of heaven and earth, of Angels and human beings.

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941AD)

Mini-Bio: Polish; Franciscan priest, founder of Knights of Mary Immaculate, martyr

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Mother of all the living and Queen of all. Watch over me by your motherly care. And intercede with the King of kings on my behalf.

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Scripture meditation: Let us confidently draw near the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Reflection: The life-giving graces flow from Christ the Head, through the Blessed Virgin, into His Mystical Body. Mary received the great honor from God that no one should obtain any grace except through her hands.

St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, Franciscan vicar general, preacher, reformer

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Mediatrix of all graces. Let me ask you each day for the graces I need to lead a truly Christian life, and obtain them for me from your Divine Son.

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Scripture meditation: A woman from the crowd cried out … "Blessed is the womb that bore you. …." He, [Jesus] replied, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it." Luke 11:27-28

Reflection: Mary is blessed most of all because she heard the word of God and carried it out. She preserved the Truth in her mind even more than she preserved the Flesh in her womb.

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430AD)

Mini-Bio: North African; bishop, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the first among the believers in Christ. Increase my faith in your Divine Son. Make it so alive that it will shine out even in the littlest thing I do.

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Scripture meditation: Anything defiled shall not enter into it nor anyone who practices abomination and deceit, but only those who appear in the book of life of the Lamb. Revelation 21:27

Reflection: Those who enjoy the favor of Mary are recognized by the citizens of heaven. And those who bear her stamp, that is, those who have the grace to be her servants, are inscribed in the Book of Life.

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Franciscan minister general, philosopher, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Book of Life for your servants. Help me to be so devoted to you that I will remain free from serious sin and deserve to have my name written in that Book

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Scripture meditation: At that time, Mary arose and went into the hill country in haste to a town of Judah. She entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Luke 1:39-40

Reflection: In the interior life and in the apostolate, let us always work with Mary. For then everything becomes easier and more certain, quicker and more delightful.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you were forever working for the Christian apostolate. Teach me to work with you so that I may obtain the best fruits from this activity, which Jesus commanded us to do.

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Scripture meditation: Mary kept in mind all these things, pondering them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and lauding God for all they had heard and seen. Luke 2:19-20

Reflection: O faithful soul, imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary. Enter into the temple of your heart in order to be spiritually renewed and obtain forgiveness of your sins. Remember that God looks at the intentions behind our works rather than the works themselves.

St. Lawrence Justinian (1381-1456AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; monk, priest, prior, superior general and first Patriarch of Venice

Prayer: O Mary, you meditated continually on the things God sent into your life. Help me to meditate daily on the events that touch my life and to discern God's hand and will in them.

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Scripture meditation: And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord; and my spirit rejoices in God my savior." Luke 1:46-47

Reflection: May each one of us possess the soul of Mary to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. And may each one of us possess the spirit of Mary to rejoice in God.

St. Ambrose of Milan (340-397AD)

Mini-Bio: German; bishop, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you magnified the Lord by your life as well as your words. Obtain for me the grace to glorify the Lord and rejoice in Him by the purity of my life.

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Scripture meditation: Can a woman forget her infant, be without mercy for the child of her womb? And if she should forget, I shall never forget you. Isaiah 49:15

Reflection: The Blessed Virgin Mary is like a mother who has many children. She is always busy going from one to the other!

St. John Vianney (1786-1859AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, spiritual director, Patron saint of parish priests

Prayer: O Mary, you are more devoted to the salvation of your children than any earthly mother can be. I thank you for your loving concern for me, which will only rest when I am in heaven with you.

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Scripture meditation: I cry to you from the ends of the earth when my heart becomes weary. You will set me high on a rock giving me rest, for you are my refuge. Psalms 61:3-4

Reflection: If you wish to live supernaturally and holily, pray to the Mother of God. When you see yourself becoming lost in activity, make contact with our Immaculate Mother by frequent interior appeals.

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941AD)

Mini-Bio: Polish; Franciscan priest, founder of Knights of Mary Immaculate, martyr

Prayer: O Mary, you always listen to our prayers. Help me to remain united with you in prayer despite the many activities that cry for my attention at every moment of the day.

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Scripture meditation: Mary … shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus, because he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:20-21

Reflection: By becoming the Mother of God, Mary was the means of the salvation of sinners. In the same way, sinners are saved by proclaiming her praises.

St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; archbishop, abbot, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Refuge of Sinners. Help me to receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily, so that my sins will be forgiven and I will sing your praises forever.

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Scripture meditation: Beloved, we are the children of God now; what we shall be has not yet appeared. We do know that when he appears, we shall be like him. 1 John 3:2

Reflection: Mary is the living "mold of God." It was in her that God was made a true man. It is also in her that human beings can be truly fashioned into God, insofar as that is possible for human nature, by the grace of Christ.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you are the mold of Christ. Form us into the image of your Divine Son. Help me to be like Jesus, so that I may be forever a true child of God.

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Scripture meditation: Beloved, we are the children of God now; what we shall be has not yet appeared. We do know that when he appears, we shall be like him. 1 John 3:2

Reflection: Mary is the living "mold of God." It was in her that God was made a true man. It is also in her that human beings can be truly fashioned into God, insofar as that is possible for human nature, by the grace of Christ.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you are the mold of Christ. Form us into the image of your Divine Son. Help me to be like Jesus, so that I may be forever a true child of God.

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Scripture meditation: Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? The one with innocent hands and a pure heart. Psalms 24:3-4

Reflection: To whom shall we look except to you, O Mary? Your most pure glance is on this poor world, enveloping and bathing it in an atmosphere of purity.

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1939-1958) Italian; He supported several reforms in the Papal States, which included central Italy, and several outlying areas, such as Assisi. Gained a reputation for being a patriotic, and reforming Pope.

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Immaculate Conception, "our tainted nature's solitary boast." Help me to have clean hands and a pure heart so that I can ascend to the heavenly mountain of the Lord.

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Scripture meditation: The mother of the sons of Zebedee came to [Jesus] … and worshipping him, asked for a favor. He said to her, "What is your wish?" Matthew 20:20-21

Reflection: When Mary asks for graces from God, she does not ask but, so to speak, commands. For her Son honors her by refusing her nothing.

St. Peter Damian (1001-1072AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Benedictine prior, spiritual writer, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O most powerful Advocate, "help the helpless, strengthen the fearful, comfort the sorrowful, pray for the people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God, and assist all those devoted to you."

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Scripture meditation: All my words are just, in them is no evil or wickedness. They are right to those who understand. Proverbs 8:8-9

Reflection: What a wondrous book is the Heart of Mary! Blessed are those who read with intelligence what is written therein, for they will learn the science of salvation.

St. John Eudes (1601-1680AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, founder of seminaries and of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)

Prayer: O Mary, most wise, help me to contemplate the science of salvation found in your Immaculate Heart. Grant that I may imitate you in all things, for you were the perfect follower of Jesus.

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Scripture meditation: And whatever you do, in word or in acts, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Reflection: We must accomplish all our actions through Mary, with Mary and in Mary. In that way, we will also accomplish them all through Jesus, with Jesus, and in Jesus.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, through your Immaculate Heart I offer all my prayers, works, and sufferings to Jesus. I offer them for the intentions of His Sacred Heart and the salvation of the world.

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Scripture meditation: Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Reflection: During her earthly life Mary lived in continual prayer. Therefore, all who are devoted to her must pray -- and pray continually.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you know the secret of prayer. Let me be convinced that more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Whenever I slack off in my prayer life, gently lead me back to it.

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Scripture meditation: A path shall be there called the holy way, the unclean shall not pass over it. … And on it shall walk the delivered. Isaiah 35:8-9

Reflection: May the Blessed Virgin Mary help me to live a holy life and die a holy death. Then at the last instants of my life, may she come to my assistance and lead me to heaven.

St. Dominic Savio (1842-1857AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; child visionary, founder of the Company of the Immaculate Conception

Prayer: O Mary, you led St. Dominic along the "holy way" during his short life on earth. Lead me too along this way of holiness so that I may one day join him and you in the eternal holiness of heaven.

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Scripture meditation: Receive my instruction and not silver, and choose knowledge before gold. For wisdom is better than precious stones, and no object of desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:10-11

Reflection: Read attentively the book of purity that is Mary, written by the finger of God. Read the holiness, the love, the kindness, the humility -- in short, read the vast fullness of all the virtues.

St. Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555AD)

Mini-Bio: Spanish; archbishop, Augustinian provincial, university professor, reformer, chaplain to the emperor

Prayer: O Mary, help me to learn from you how to lead a Christian life. Let me strive to imitate the virtues you exhibited, for you were the closest follower of your Divine Son Jesus on earth.

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Scripture meditation: God is love, and whoever abides in love lives in God and God in him. In this way, love is brought to perfection among us. 1 John 4:16

Reflection: The Heart of Mary constituted a perfect empire for the Divine Love, which always reigned therein. And it caused to reign therein all the laws of God, all the maxims of heaven, and all the Christian virtues.

St. John Eudes (1601-1680AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, founder of seminaries and of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)

Prayer: O Mary, your Heart was a burning vessel of God's love. Fill my heart with love for God and let me thank Him every day for His great love in sending His only Son to obtain my salvation.

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Scripture meditation: Holocausts and sin offering did not please you. Then I said, "As is written of me in the head of the book, Behold, I come to do your will, O God." Hebrews 10:6-7

Reflection: Mary's sole object in this world was to keep her eyes constantly focused on God so as to discover His will. Then when she had found out what God wanted, she did it.

St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, Franciscan vicar general, preacher, reformer

Prayer: O Mary, you are the obedient Daughter of the Father who cooperated with Him in the salvation worked by Jesus. In every situation make known God's will to me and help me to carry it out willingly.

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Scripture meditation: I was with him forming all things and was delighted every day playing in his presence, playing in the world. Proverbs 8:30

Reflection: So pleasing to God was Mary's humility that He was constrained by His goodness to entrust to her the Word, His only Son. And it was that dearest Mother who gave Him to us.

St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; Dominican tertiary, mystical writer, visionary, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, Mother of humility, teach me the humility that draws your Divine Son to the soul. May I desire to offer whatever I have to Jesus and do everything for His glory.

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Scripture meditation: Before they cry out, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24

Reflection: Mary is more prompt than all the Saints in coming to our aid. She has a great desire to comfort us. The moment she is invoked, she welcomes our prayers and grants us her assistance.

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mary, you are ready to hear us at every moment. Let me remain united with you all my days and seek your powerful help in time of trial and temptation.

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Scripture meditation: Before they cry out, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24

Reflection: Mary is more prompt than all the Saints in coming to our aid. She has a great desire to comfort us. The moment she is invoked, she welcomes our prayers and grants us her assistance.

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mary, you are ready to hear us at every moment. Let me remain united with you all my days and seek your powerful help in time of trial and temptation.

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Scripture meditation: Now therefore, children, listen to me. Hear instruction and be wise and do not reject it. Proverbs 8:32-33

Reflection: No one, O most holy Mary, can know God but through you. No one can be saved or redeemed but through you, O Mother of God. No one obtains mercy but through you, O full of grace.

St. Germanus (469-576AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, bishop of Paris

Prayer: O Mary, reveal Jesus to me more and more. In getting to know the Son, may I also get to know the Father -- for Jesus said that this is eternal life.

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Scripture meditation: Be sober and alert. You enemy the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Resist him, and stand firm in the faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9

Reflection: The devil is always looking for someone to devour. In the same way, Mary is always looking for someone she can help in any way.

Pope St. Leo I (the Great) (400-461AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (440-461) Italian; pope, unifier, Doctor of the Church. He guided the destiny of the Church with prudence and wisdom during a time where people were disturbed over dogmatic controversies

Prayer: O Mary, you are especially vigilant in protecting those devoted to you. Defend me from the snares of the devil and keep me ever safe in your loving care.

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Scripture meditation: Abram believed God and it was credited to him as an act of righteousness. Genesis 15:6

Reflection: Mary is the heir and fulfillment of the faith of Abraham. Just as he is regarded as "our father," so Mary must with greater reason be regarded as "our Mother" in faith. Through Mary's faith and obedience, all the families of the earth are blessed, in accord with the promise made to Abraham (see Gen. 12:3)

Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1978 - 2005) Polish; The most traveled pope in history. During his papacy he has issued many letters clarifying and safeguarding the Churches teachings in moral areas. Has consecrated his papacy to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Prayer: O Mary, you are my Mother in faith. Let me model my faith after your own. Increase it from day to day, so that upon my death that faith may be changed into vision in heaven.

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Scripture meditation: For who is God but the Lord? What rock is there except our God? God who has girt me with strength and kept my way secure. Psalms 18:32-33

Reflection: We must look upon Mary as an accomplished model of every virtue and perfection that the Holy Spirit has fashioned in any simple creature. We will then be able to imitate her in the way suitable to each of us.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Model of every virtue. Help me to study your life and imitate your virtues in the way God intends for me.

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Scripture meditation: And suddenly the Lord whom you seek, and the Messenger of his covenant whom you desire, shall come to his temple, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:1

Reflection: The Presentation in the Temple … is the celebration of the Mystery of Salvation accomplished by Christ. The Blessed Virgin was intimately associated in this Mystery as the Mother of the Suffering Servant of Yahweh, as the one who performs a mission belonging to ancient Israel, and as the model of the new People of God.

Pope Paul VI (1897-1978AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1963-1978) Italian; Reconvened Vatican II, and implemented many of its reforms. Became the first pope in over 150 years to leave Italy. He enlarged the college of cardinals. Reaffirmed the church's ban on contraception.

Prayer: O Mary, you felt joy and sorrow during the Presentation. Teach me to accept both joy and sorrow with equanimity, since God works everything out for our good.

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Scripture meditation: O All you who pass by the way, look and see whether there is any sorrow like my sorrow. Lamentations 1:12

Reflection: Human beings will never comprehend sufficiently the anguish and immensity of Mary's sorrows. Very few Christians partake of those sufferings and even fewer offer any consolation to her.

St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373AD)

Mini-Bio: Swedish; wife and mother, mystical writer, visionary, reformer, founder of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity (Brigettines)

Prayer: O Mary, let me dwell constantly on your part in the Redemption, which entailed great sorrow for you. Teach me to compassionate with you in your sufferings and unite myself to them.

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Scripture meditation: My son, forget not my teaching, and let your heart keep my commands; for they will bring you length of days and years of peace. Proverbs 3:1-2

Reflection: When Mary became the Mother of Jesus, true God and true Man, she also became our Mother. In His great mercy, Jesus wished to call us His brothers and sisters, and by this name He constituted us adopted children of Mary.

St. John Bosco (1815-1888AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, educator, founder of the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians) and Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians

Prayer: O Mary, let me be devoted to you as my Mother and to Jesus as my Brother. Help me to follow your teaching, which is that of your Divine Son

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Scripture meditation: I love those who love me, and those who watch for me find me. Proverbs 8:17

Reflection: Blessed are those who abandon themselves into our Lady's hands. Their names are written in the Book of Life.

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Franciscan minister general, philosopher, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, I entrust myself into your hands. I give you my body and my soul, my thoughts and my actions, my life and my death. Help me to love Jesus above all things

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Scripture meditation: You have wounded my heart. … You have wounded with one glance of your eyes, with one link of your necklace. Song of Solomon 4:9

Reflection: In danger, anguish, or doubt, think of Mary and call upon her! Following her, you will never lose your way. Praying to her, you will never sink into despair. Contemplating her, you will never go wrong.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, let my mind and heart be ever focused on you. Watch over me as you lovingly watched over Jesus in His childhood during the Hidden Years at Nazareth.

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Scripture meditation: Thus do I look up to you … that I may behold your power and your glory. For your kindness is better than life; my lips shall proclaim your praises. Psalms 63:3-4

Reflection: In Mary's name, I say this to each one of you: She loves you, each and every one of you. She loves you very much. She loves you at every moment and without any exceptions.

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941AD)

Mini-Bio: Polish; Franciscan priest, founder of Knights of Mary Immaculate, martyr

Prayer: O Mary, I offer you deep thanks for your great love for all those redeemed by your Divine Son. Help me to respond to that love by loving my neighbor for the love of you and Jesus.

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Scripture meditation: Who is she that come forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as an army in battle array? Song of Solomon 6:10

Reflection: Mary is more exalted than the Patriarchs, greater than the Martyrs, more glorious than the Confessors, and purer than the Virgins. Therefore, she alone and without them, can do what they can accomplish only in union with her.

St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; archbishop, abbot, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, your Divine Son has placed His own mighty power into your hands. By that power, help me to flee all sin and practice my faith conscientiously day after day.

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Scripture meditation: All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you hear [God's] precepts. … And blessed shall you be coming in and going out. Deuteronomy 28:2-6

Reflection: Entrust to Mary any offering you wish to make to God. In this way, grace will return to its source the same way it came to us. Certainly, God could give us grace without going through Mary. But He chose not to do so.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, grant me the graces God intends for me this day. Then offer your Divine Son all the good works that I do as a result of these graces.

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Scripture meditation: I put bracelets on your hands, a chain about your neck, … earrings in your ears, and a shining crown upon your head. Ezekiel 16:11-12

Reflection: How beautiful you are in the soul and resplendent in the body, Mary, my Mother. In this world, the Blessed Virgin was poor and unknown, but in heaven she is glorious and beautiful, the Queen of Angels.

St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231AD)

Mini-Bio: Portuguese; Franciscan preacher and reformer, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are all beautiful in both soul and body. I praise you as the Queen of heaven and earth. Let me appreciate your beauty and spiritual might ever more each day.

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Scripture meditation: She is the reflection of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the active power of God, and the image of his goodness. Wisdom 7:26

Reflection: Before her birth, the Prophets proclaimed the glory of Mary. They compared her to the sun. Indeed, the appearances of the Blessed Virgin can be compared to a beautiful ray of sunshine on a cloudy afternoon.

St. John Vianney (1786-1859AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, spiritual director, Patron saint of parish priests

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Sunshine of our lives. Let your rays of grace shine into my heart and cast out the darkness of sin and despair. Let me hope always in you

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Scripture meditation: You have remitted the gift of your people; you have forgiven all their sins. You have held back all your wrath; you have not lashed out with anger. Psalms 85:3-4

Reflection: Mary, every Virgin, is a true Mother of Mercy, who disposes Jesus to clemency. As a consoler of the human race, she never ceases to pour out before Him her prayer for the salvation of the faithful crushed by the weight of their sins.

Pope St. Pius V (1504-1572AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1566-1572) Alexandrian; reformed the clergy with his friend St. Charles Borromeo. Made at least two meditations a day on bended knees in presence of the Blessed Sacrament. He instituted for the first Sunday of October the feast of the Rosary.

Prayer: O Mary, you continually plead for us before the throne of your Divine Son. Help me to show my gratitude for His mercy toward me by striving to avoid all sin in the future.

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Scripture meditation: But you are a God of mercy, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and full of love. Therefore, you did not forsake them. Nehemiah 9:17

Reflection: Have recourse to that dear Mary who is Mother of Mercy. She will take you into her Son's presence and use her Motherly intercession with Him on your behalf, so that He will be merciful toward you.

St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; Dominican tertiary, mystical writer, visionary, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, Mother of Mercy, never cease to intercede for me with your merciful Son. Let me remember that all human beings are fallible and I need God's mercy to reach my eternal goal.

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Scripture meditation: You are the glory of Jerusalem, the surpassing pride of Israel, the great honor of our people. You have done all this with your own hand. Judith 15:9-10

Reflection: Together with Jesus and through Jesus, she was the eternal enemy of the poisonous serpent, overcame him, and crushed his head with her virginal foot.

Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1846-1878) Italian; He proclaimed the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin as a dogma of the Church. His is the longest pontificate in the history of the papacy and was the last pope to hold temporal power.

Prayer: O Mary, in union with your Divine Son you have overcome the powers of evil. Come to my aid when evil threatens to overwhelm me, and deliver me from all danger.

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Scripture meditation: Shout and sing for joy, O City of Zion, for great is he in your midst, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 12:6

Reflection: When we say that Mary is the Mother of God, we speak of a dignity that is above every other dignity that can be named, or thought of, after that of God. Nothing equals Mary, for all is either above her, and this is God, or beneath her, and this is all that is not God.

St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; archbishop, abbot, theologian, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Virgin Most Venerable, for God alone can know your real greatness. Grant that I may venerate you as you deserve.

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Scripture meditation: I try to please everyone in all things, not seeking my own good but the good of the many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:13 - 11:1

Reflection: The Blessed Virgin Mary was the nearest possible to Christ, for it was from her that He received His human nature. Therefore, she must have obtained a greater plenitude of grace from Him than all others.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; Dominican philosopher, theologian, mystic, hymnist, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the most like Christ out of all human beings. Help me to imitate you in every way for in so doing I will also imitate your Divine Son as closely as possible.

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Scripture meditation: Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise in the city of our God. His holy mountain, most beautiful of all, is the joy of the whole earth. Psalms 48:2

Reflection: Our Lord had preserved the soul together with the body of the Blessed Virgin in that purity which became her who was to receive a God into her womb.

St. John Damascene (of Damascus) (675-749AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; priest, monk, theologian, poet, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you were given the grace of the highest holiness so as to be able to have God reposing in you. Help me to strive after the greatest holiness possible since your Divine Son dwells in me, too, by grace.

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Scripture meditation: All flesh was destroyed that moved upon the earth … from man even to beast. … Only Noah and those with him in the ark remained. Genesis 7:21-23

Reflection: Noah's ark was a type of Mary. As, by its means, human beings were preserved from the Flood, so are we all saved by Mary from the shipwreck of sin. There is this difference, however. In the ark few were saved, but through Mary the whole human race was rescued from death.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Ark of Salvation for all mankind. I entrust to you myself and my family as well as the whole world. Keep us all from eternal death.

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Scripture meditation: Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit life everlasting. Matthew 19:29

Reflection: To other human beings, grace has been given with measure. But to Mary, it has been poured out beyond measure!

St. Sophronius (634-639AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; patriarch of Jerusalem, monk, poet, ecclesiastical writer and central theologian for orthodox teaching

Prayer: O Mary, you are full of grace, possessing more than all the Angels and Saints combined. I bow down in awe at the breadth of your holiness, and I ask you to pray to the all-holy God for me.

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Scripture meditation: When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier opened his side with a lance, and immediately blood and water poured out. John 19:33-34

Reflection: It is your Heart, O Mary, that is pierced with the steel of the lance. Much more so than the Heart of your Son, Who has already breathed His last.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, let me grieve with you over the saving death of your beloved Son. "Holy Mother, pierce me through; in my heart each wound renew; of my Savior crucified."

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Scripture meditation: Through his torment, my servant shall justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities. … For he has borne the sins of many. Isaiah 53:11-12

Reflection: When Jesus said the words "Behold your Mother," he meant this: "My wounds are sources of graces that flow only through Mary."

St. Andrew of Crete (660-740AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; Archbishop, monk, hymnist

Prayer: O Mary, you are the channel of the graces that Jesus won for us by His suffering. Help me to show my gratitude to Jesus, and grant me the graces I need for my state in life.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Length of days is her right hand, and in her left are riches and glory. Her ways are wonderful ways, and all her paths are peaceful. Proverbs 3:16-17

Reflection: Live in Mary's heart, love what she loves, and desire what she desires. Then you are sure to have peace, joy, and holiness.

St. John Eudes (1601-1680AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, founder of seminaries and of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)

Prayer: O Mary, you desire complete union with your children. Help me to consecrate to you my very being and my whole life; all that I have, all that I love, and all that I am.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Before you I cry in the day and weep in the night. Let my prayer ascend to you; hear my cry of sorrow. Psalms 88:2-3

Reflection: Nothing assures our perseverance in faith except assiduous prayer to Mary. But can we pray all the time? I say yes, if we love Mary very much.

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mary, you are the ensurer of final perseverance. Teach me to pray to you with persistence. Let no day go by that I fail to pray for my earthly well-being and eternal bliss.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Let your eyes look straight forward and your gaze be directly ahead. Make level the path for your feet and let your ways be secure. Proverbs 4:25-26

Reflection: God has established Mary as a bridge that leads to salvation. By making use of this bridge, we pass safely over the stormy sea of this world and reach the happy harbor of heaven.

St. James of Nisibis (338-340AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; monk, bishop of Nisibis, founded the theological school of Nisibis, Doctor of the Syrian Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are our Bridge of Salvation. Let me look only to you to lead me unerringly to your Divine Son. Grant that I may never deviate from your saving guidance.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: The Lord loves his foundation on the holy mountains. … Glorious things are said of you, O City of God! Psalms 87:2-3

Reflection: Mary was foretold by the Prophets and foreshadowed in types and figures by the Patriarchs. She was described by the Evangelists and saluted most courteously by the Angels.

St. Sophronius (634-639AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; patriarch of Jerusalem, monk, poet, ecclesiastical writer and central theologian for orthodox teaching

Prayer: O Mary, the Scriptures speak volumes about you in types and figures, such as "Judith" and the "City of God." Teach me to learn more about you by searching the Scriptures with a Marian outlook.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: But flee the desires of youth and seek justice, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

Reflection: The purer are your words and your glances, the more pleasing you will be to the Blessed Virgin. And the greater will be the graces that she will obtain for you from her Divine Son.

St. John Bosco (1815-1888AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, educator, founder of the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians) and Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Virgin Most Pure. Obtain for me the grace to preserve purity of mind and heart. Let me avoid the proximate occasions of sin and call upon your help in any difficulty

____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: But flee the desires of youth and seek justice, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

Reflection: The purer are your words and your glances, the more pleasing you will be to the Blessed Virgin. And the greater will be the graces that she will obtain for you from her Divine Son.

St. John Bosco (1815-1888AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, educator, founder of the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians) and Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Virgin Most Pure. Obtain for me the grace to preserve purity of mind and heart. Let me avoid the proximate occasions of sin and call upon your help in any difficulty

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Amen, amen, I say to you …, I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. John 6:47-51

Reflection: It is through Mary that we are able to eat the Bread of Heaven every day. Through her intercession, God inspires us to receive this Bread and confers on us the grace to receive it worthily.

St. Peter Damian (1001-1072AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Benedictine prior, spiritual writer, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are our Lady of the Eucharist. Help me to participate fully in the Mass as often as possible and receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your Son Jesus, in Holy Communion.

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

Reflection: I am sure that Mary's actual life must have been a very simple one. Instead of thinking of her as unapproachable, we must realize how truly imitable she was, how outstanding were her virtues, and how she lived by faith as we do.

St. Theresa of Lisieux (1873-1897AD)

Mini-Bio: French; Carmelite mystic, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, your life and virtues are a beacon for us in the stormy night of this world. Help me to try to imitate one virtue of yours each day, starting with your blessed simplicity.

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Learn wisdom, my son, and make me joyful, and I will be able to answer him who taunts me. The prudent see evil and hide. Proverbs 27:11-12

Reflection: Those who fail to do the works of their Mother renounce their lineage. Mary is humble, but they are proud. Mary is pure, but they are wicked. Mary is full of love, but they are full of hate for others.

St. Peter Chrysologus (406-450AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you gave us an example of good works. Help me to follow your good example, not my evil inclinations. Let me root out all that is not Mary-like in me.

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: No one hates his own body but rather nourishes and protects it, ever as Christ does the Church, for we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:29-30

Reflection: All who are united to Christ have issued from the womb of Mary, and she is the Mother of us all. Who can doubt that she will work most diligently to procure that Christ may transfer His gifts to us, His members, above all the gifts of knowing Him and living through Him.

Pope St. Pius X (1835-1914AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1903-1914) Italian; pope, reformer. Created a special congregation of cardinals to look at formation of a new code of canon law.

Prayer: O Mary, you are continually working to lead us more perfectly to your Divine Son. Grant me the grace to know Jesus better and the re_solution to live through Him.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: I bear with everything for the sake of the chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with heavenly glory. 2 Timothy 2:10

Reflection: What an exchange! Mary receives John in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the Master. She receives the son of Zebedee in place of the Son of God, a mere man in place of the true God!

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you bore even the great loss of Jesus in order to obtain salvation for use. Help me to appreciate what a great thing eternal salvation is and work for it at all times.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Because of the Lord's mercy, we are not consumed, for his compassion never fails. It is renewed each morning. Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Reflection: Hence, we can truly say that she cooperated in the salvation of the human race along with Christ.

Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1914-1922) Italian; pope. He maintained the Vatican as politically neutral throughout the war. Supported widows, orphans, the wounded, prisoners, and refugees. Promulgated the new Code of Canon Law, Condemned modern secular philosophies.

Prayer: O Mary, in sorrow you still cooperated with the Lord, for you knew that God will never be outdone in generosity. Help me to show my gratitude in action for all that God has done for me.

____________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit life everlasting. Matthew 19:29

Reflection: To other human beings, grace has been given with measure. But to Mary, it has been poured out beyond measure!

St. Sophronius (634-639AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; patriarch of Jerusalem, monk, poet, ecclesiastical writer and central theologian for orthodox teaching

Prayer: O Mary, you are full of grace, possessing more than all the Angels and Saints combined. I bow down in awe at the breadth of your holiness, and I ask you to pray to the all-holy God for me.

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Scripture meditation: When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier opened his side with a lance, and immediately blood and water poured out. John 19:33-34

Reflection: It is your Heart, O Mary, that is pierced with the steel of the lance. Much more so than the Heart of your Son, Who has already breathed His last.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, let me grieve with you over the saving death of your beloved Son. "Holy Mother, pierce me through; in my heart each wound renew; of my Savior crucified."

___________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Through his torment, my servant shall justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities. … For he has borne the sins of many. Isaiah 53:11-12

Reflection: When Jesus said the words "Behold your Mother," he meant this: "My wounds are sources of graces that flow only through Mary."

St. Andrew of Crete (660-740AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; Archbishop, monk, hymnist

Prayer: O Mary, you are the channel of the graces that Jesus won for us by His suffering. Help me to show my gratitude to Jesus, and grant me the graces I need for my state in life.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Length of days is her right hand, and in her left are riches and glory. Her ways are wonderful ways, and all her paths are peaceful. Proverbs 3:16-17

Reflection: Live in Mary's heart, love what she loves, and desire what she desires. Then you are sure to have peace, joy, and holiness.

St. John Eudes (1601-1680AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, founder of seminaries and of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)

Prayer: O Mary, you desire complete union with your children. Help me to consecrate to you my very being and my whole life; all that I have, all that I love, and all that I am.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Before you I cry in the day and weep in the night. Let my prayer ascend to you; hear my cry of sorrow. Psalms 88:2-3

Reflection: Nothing assures our perseverance in faith except assiduous prayer to Mary. But can we pray all the time? I say yes, if we love Mary very much.

St. Alphonusus Liguori (1696-1787AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church, founder and first superior of the Redemptorists

Prayer: O Mary, you are the ensurer of final perseverance. Teach me to pray to you with persistence. Let no day go by that I fail to pray for my earthly well-being and eternal bliss.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Let your eyes look straight forward and your gaze be directly ahead. Make level the path for your feet and let your ways be secure. Proverbs 4:25-26

Reflection: God has established Mary as a bridge that leads to salvation. By making use of this bridge, we pass safely over the stormy sea of this world and reach the happy harbor of heaven.

St. James of Nisibis (338-340AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; monk, bishop of Nisibis, founded the theological school of Nisibis, Doctor of the Syrian Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are our Bridge of Salvation. Let me look only to you to lead me unerringly to your Divine Son. Grant that I may never deviate from your saving guidance.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: The Lord loves his foundation on the holy mountains. … Glorious things are said of you, O City of God! Psalms 87:2-3

Reflection: Mary was foretold by the Prophets and foreshadowed in types and figures by the Patriarchs. She was described by the Evangelists and saluted most courteously by the Angels.

St. Sophronius (634-639AD)

Mini-Bio: Syrian; patriarch of Jerusalem, monk, poet, ecclesiastical writer and central theologian for orthodox teaching

Prayer: O Mary, the Scriptures speak volumes about you in types and figures, such as "Judith" and the "City of God." Teach me to learn more about you by searching the Scriptures with a Marian outlook.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: But flee the desires of youth and seek justice, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

Reflection: The purer are your words and your glances, the more pleasing you will be to the Blessed Virgin. And the greater will be the graces that she will obtain for you from her Divine Son.

St. John Bosco (1815-1888AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, educator, founder of the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians) and Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Virgin Most Pure. Obtain for me the grace to preserve purity of mind and heart. Let me avoid the proximate occasions of sin and call upon your help in any difficulty

____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: But flee the desires of youth and seek justice, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

Reflection: The purer are your words and your glances, the more pleasing you will be to the Blessed Virgin. And the greater will be the graces that she will obtain for you from her Divine Son.

St. John Bosco (1815-1888AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; priest, educator, founder of the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians) and Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Virgin Most Pure. Obtain for me the grace to preserve purity of mind and heart. Let me avoid the proximate occasions of sin and call upon your help in any difficulty

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Amen, amen, I say to you …, I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. John 6:47-51

Reflection: It is through Mary that we are able to eat the Bread of Heaven every day. Through her intercession, God inspires us to receive this Bread and confers on us the grace to receive it worthily.

St. Peter Damian (1001-1072AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; cardinal-bishop, Benedictine prior, spiritual writer, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are our Lady of the Eucharist. Help me to participate fully in the Mass as often as possible and receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your Son Jesus, in Holy Communion.

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

Reflection: I am sure that Mary's actual life must have been a very simple one. Instead of thinking of her as unapproachable, we must realize how truly imitable she was, how outstanding were her virtues, and how she lived by faith as we do.

St. Theresa of Lisieux (1873-1897AD)

Mini-Bio: French; Carmelite mystic, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, your life and virtues are a beacon for us in the stormy night of this world. Help me to try to imitate one virtue of yours each day, starting with your blessed simplicity.

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Learn wisdom, my son, and make me joyful, and I will be able to answer him who taunts me. The prudent see evil and hide. Proverbs 27:11-12

Reflection: Those who fail to do the works of their Mother renounce their lineage. Mary is humble, but they are proud. Mary is pure, but they are wicked. Mary is full of love, but they are full of hate for others.

St. Peter Chrysologus (406-450AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; bishop, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you gave us an example of good works. Help me to follow your good example, not my evil inclinations. Let me root out all that is not Mary-like in me.

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: No one hates his own body but rather nourishes and protects it, ever as Christ does the Church, for we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:29-30

Reflection: All who are united to Christ have issued from the womb of Mary, and she is the Mother of us all. Who can doubt that she will work most diligently to procure that Christ may transfer His gifts to us, His members, above all the gifts of knowing Him and living through Him.

Pope St. Pius X (1835-1914AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1903-1914) Italian; pope, reformer. Created a special congregation of cardinals to look at formation of a new code of canon law.

Prayer: O Mary, you are continually working to lead us more perfectly to your Divine Son. Grant me the grace to know Jesus better and the re_solution to live through Him.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: I bear with everything for the sake of the chosen, so that they also may obtain

the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with heavenly glory. 2 Timothy 2:10

Reflection: What an exchange! Mary receives John in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the Master. She receives the son of Zebedee in place of the Son of God, a mere man in place of the true God!

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you bore even the great loss of Jesus in order to obtain salvation for use. Help me to appreciate what a great thing eternal salvation is and work for it at all times.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Because of the Lord's mercy, we are not consumed, for his compassion never fails. It is renewed each morning. Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Reflection: Hence, we can truly say that she cooperated in the salvation of the human race along with Christ.

Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1914-1922) Italian; pope. He maintained the Vatican as politically neutral throughout the war. Supported widows, orphans, the wounded, prisoners, and refugees. Promulgated the new Code of Canon Law, Condemned modern secular philosophies.

Prayer: O Mary, in sorrow you still cooperated with the Lord, for you knew that God will never be outdone in generosity. Help me to show my gratitude in action for all that God has done for me.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Because he clung to me, I will deliver him; I will defend him because he has known my name. Psalms 91:14

Reflection: Have devotion to the holy Name of Mary; ask God for it! Think of this blessed Name and invoke it often with all the respect and veneration it deserves.

St. John Baptist de la Salle (1651-1719AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, educator, founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools

Prayer: O Mary, grant me a loving devotion to your holy Name. Let me repeat often each day an invocation to it like: "May every age be mindful of your holy Name."

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Scripture meditation: I am wearied with groaning; night after night I flood my bed with weeping. I water my couch with tears; sorrow dims my eyes. Psalms 6:7-8

Reflection: The Blessed Virgin Mary never departed -- not even slightly -- from the precepts and examples of her Divine Son.

Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1939-1958) Italian; He supported several reforms in the Papal States, which included central Italy, and several outlying areas, such as Assisi. Gained a reputation for being a patriotic, and reforming Pope.

Prayer: O Mary, you remained united with God in spite of heartbreak and sorrow. Help me to follow your example and make use of sorrow to remain united to you and your Divine Son Jesus.

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: Observe the upright and consider the just, for posterity awaits the man of peace. Psalms 37:37

Reflection: The Blessed Virgin Mary comforts and refreshes those who are in their last agony. Then she also receives their souls at death.

St. Vicent Ferrer (1350-1419AD)

Mini-Bio: Spanish; Dominican priest, missionary

Prayer: O Mary, you are the Mother of a Happy Death. Take care of me in my last moments of life. Defend me from the wiles of the devil and receive me into paradise.

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Scripture meditation: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in the dark, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Reflection: The name "Mary" means light or star of the sea. For it was Mary who brought forth the Eternal Light, Jesus Christ!

St. Isidore of Seville (560-636AD)

Mini-Bio: Spanish; bishop, scholar, educator, liturgist, philosopher, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are our shining star pointing the way to your Divine Son. Amid the darkness and evil running rampant in today's world, let me always keep my eyes on Jesus!

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Scripture meditation: You shall also forget misery … and brightness like the noonday shall come to you at evening. And you shall have confidence and rest secure. Job 11:16-18

Reflection: On every occasion and in every way, Mary comes to the aid of our misery, calms our fears, and perks up our faith. She sustains our hope, dispels our misgivings, and remedies our laxity.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you are our consolation and our help. Come to my aid especially in time of trial when I am vulnerable. Make me remember all that Jesus did for me and keep me faithful to Him.

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Scripture meditation: Her riches I do not conceal. For she is an inexhaustible treasure for all; those who acquire her achieve friendship with God, commended to him by the gifts that derive from her instruction. Wisdom 7:13-14

Reflection: Mary adorns her clients with her merits, assists them with her power, enlightens them with her light, and kindles them with her love. She imparts her virtues to them and becomes their security, their intercessor, and their all with Jesus.

St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, spiritual writer founder of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionaries of the Company of Mary

Prayer: O Mary, you are a treasure to your clients. Keep my relationship with you strong and vital. Let me never weary of practicing my devotion to you and help me spread it to others..

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Scripture meditation: You have turned my mourning into dancing in place of sackcloth you have robed me in joy, that my soul may praise you forever. Psalms 30:12-13

Reflection: Mary is the arsenal of graces, and she rushes to the aid of her children. She sustains, strengthens, and renews them by means of the heavenly favors she heaps on them.

St. Paulinus of Nola (354-431AD)

Mini-Bio: Gallic; husband and father, bishop, poet

Prayer: O Mary, you are very generous with the graces entrusted to you. Grant that I may not take the graces I receive for granted but instead ever seek to cooperate with them.

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Scripture meditation: When he established the heavens I was there, when he enclosed the depths within their bounds. Proverbs 8:27

Reflection: O Mary, you possess the authority of a Mother toward God. Therefore, it is impossible for you not to be heard, for God always treats you like His true and immaculate Mother.

St. Germanus (469-576AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, bishop of Paris

Prayer: O Mary, you have the ear of God because you are the Mother of God. Place before Him the needs of the whole world and keep me close to you at every moment.

________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, my mercy is upon you. And I will build you up again. Jeremiah 31:3-4

Reflection: O Mother of Love, I am not surprised that the excess of your love for your poor children is so admirable. Indeed, such love forever sends into ecstasy the inhabitants of heaven.

St. John Eudes (1601-1680AD)

Mini-Bio: French; priest, missionary, founder of seminaries and of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)

Prayer: O Mary, your love for us knows no bounds and is beyond human comprehension. Help me always to reciprocate that love and come to you with childlike confidence and gratitude.

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: My dearest children … in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, I am your father. Therefore, imitate me as I imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 4:14-16

Reflection: Jesus entrusted me to His Mother and charged me to love her. O Mary, you are my heavenly Mother. You will act toward me like any Mother toward her children!

St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903AD)

Mini-Bio: Italian; visionary, stigmatist

Prayer: O Mary, you are my spiritual Mother and the Mother of my salvation. Let me glory in your care and be obedient to your loving promptings during each day.

__________________________________________________________________________

Scripture meditation: A woman has sorrow when about to give birth. … ; but when the child has been brought forth … , she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child is born into the world. John 16:21

Reflection: Mary paid the debt of gratitude that was due from womankind because of Eve. Not of man, but immaculately of her own self, she conceived of the Holy Spirit by the power of God.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315-386AD)

Mini-Bio: Palestinian; bishop, scholar, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, by your conception of Jesus you furthered the Divine Plan of Salvation and laid the basis for a theology of woman. Let me learn from you how sublime is the role of women in the world.

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Scripture meditation: Whom do I have in heaven but you? And when I am in your presence, the earth delights me not. … God is my heart's strength and my heritage for ever. Psalms 73:25-26

Reflection: Divine love so penetrated and filled the soul of Mary that no part of her was left untouched. She loved with her whole heart, with her whole soul, with her whole strength, and was full of grace.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you chose God as the one thing necessary. Teach me to set my heart on God and help me to carry out His saving plan for me on earth.

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Scripture meditation: Teach me to do your will, since you are my God. Your Spirit is good; may it lead me on level ground. Psalms 143:10

Reflection: This faithful handmaid never, in either thought or word or deed, contradicted the Most High. Entirely despoiled of her own will, Mary loved always and in all things obedient to the will of God.

St. Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555AD)

Mini-Bio: Spanish; archbishop, Augustinian provincial, university professor, reformer, chaplain to the emperor

Prayer: O Mary, you obeyed God in all things. Help me to obey the Divine will for me down to the least detail, no matter how difficult it may seem. For in doing God's will is my good.

Scripture meditation: Who singles you out? What do you have that you have not received? And if you have received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? 1 Corinthians 4:7

Reflection: How dear are humble souls to Mary! She recognizes and loves those who love her and is near to all who call upon her. This is especially true of those who she sees are like her in chastity and humility.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, you love humility because you know how little we are when set against God's greatness. Help me to be ever grateful to the Lord for His overwhelming goodness to me.

Scripture meditation: I have sanctified this temple that you have built to put my name upon it forever, and my eyes and my heart will always be there. 1 Kings 9:3

Reflection: In no other spot as much as Lourdes do we feel so impelled toward prayer, forgetfulness of self, and charity. The most fervent are attracted to a life more totally offered to God's service. The less fervent become aware of their tepidity and rediscover the way of prayer. Hardened sinners and unbelievers are often touched by grace.. Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958AD)

Mini-Bio: pope: (1939-1958) Italian; He supported several reforms in the Papal States, which included central Italy, and several outlying areas, such as Assisi. Gained a reputation for being a patriotic, and reforming Pope.

Prayer: O Mary, turn my heart into a miniature Lourdes where I can honor you each day and receive spiritual strength for my earthly journey.

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Scripture meditation: A great sign appeared in heaven, a woman robed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars upon her head. Revelation 12:1

Reflection: Mary is the glory of Virgins, the joy of Mothers, the bulwark of the Faithful, and the crown of the Church. She is the model of the true Faith, the seat of Piety, the robe of Virtue, and the dwelling place of the Holy Trinity. St. Proclus (409-485AD)

Mini-Bio: Lycian; philosopher, head of the Platonic school in Athens

Prayer: O Mary, you desire to bring forth true believers in your Divine Son. Help me to be a lifelong follower of Jesus and so deserve to enjoy eternal bliss with you in heaven.

Scripture meditation: The mother of Jesus said … "There is no more wine." And Jesus said, … "My hour has not yet come." His Mother said to the attendants, "Do whatever he tells you." John 2:3-5

Reflection: Let Mary never be far from your lips or heart. And to obtain the fruit of her prayers, do not forget the example of her life. With her support, you will never fall. Beneath her protection, you will never fear. Under her guidance, you will never tire. And with her help, you will reach your heavenly goal.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153AD)

Mini-Bio: French; abbot, mystical writer, theologian, reformer of the Cistercian Order, Doctor of the Church

Prayer: O Mary, enable me to heed your words as the servers did. Let me always do whatever Jesus tells me, so that He may effect in me the miracle of eternal bliss in heaven.