SACRED ART: "Disputation of the Sacrament" by Raphael
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PRAYER: Litany of the Holy Saints ***OPTIONAL***
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Saint Michael, pray for us.
Holy angels of God, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. Peter and St. Paul, pray for us.
St. Andrew, pray for us.
St. John, pray for us.
St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.
St. Stephen, pray for us.
St. Ignatius of Antioch, pray for us.
St. Lawrence, pray for us.
St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, pray for us.
St. Agnes, pray for us.
St. Gregory, pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
St. Athanasius, pray for us.
St. Basil, pray for us.
St. Martin, pray for us.
St. Benedict, pray for us.
St. Francis and St. Dominic, pray for us.
St. Francis Xavier, pray for us.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.
St. Catherine, pray for us.
St. Teresa of Jesus, pray for us.
All holy men and women, pray for us.
Lord, be merciful. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
From all evil. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
From every sin. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
From everlasting death. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
By your coming as man. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
By your death and rising to new life. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
By your gift of the Holy Spirit. Lord, deliver us, we pray.
Be merciful to us sinners. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Guide and protect your holy Church. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Keep the pope and all the clergy in faithful service to your Church. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Bring all peoples together in trust and peace. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Strengthen us in your service. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Jesus, Son of the living God. Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.
Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
Let us pray.
God of our ancestors who set their hearts on you,
Of those who fell asleep in peace,
And of those who won the martyrs violent crown:
We are surrounded by these witnesses
As by clouds of fragrant incense.
In this age we would be counted
In this communion of all the saints;
Keep us always in their good and blessed company.
In their midst we make every prayer
Through Christ who is our Lord forever and ever.
Amen.
SACRED ART: "Pentecost" by Jean Restout
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_II_Restout#/media/File:Jean_II_Restout_-_Pentecôte.jpg
PRAYER: Invocation of the Holy Spirit ***REQUIRED***
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful,
And enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Lord, send forth your Spirit,
And you will renew the face of the earth.
O God,
Who instructs the hearts of your faithful
With the light of your Holy Spirit,
Make us responsive to his inspirations
So that we may be truly wise and
Ever rejoice in his consolations,
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
SACRED ART: "Flagellation" by Lodovico Carracci
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Douai_chartreuse_carracci_flagellation.jpg
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SCRIPTURE: Luke 18: 9-14 ***REQUIRED***
He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
SACRED ART: "Founder Statue of St. Louis de Montfort" by Giacomo Parsini
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REFLECTION BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT: True Devotion to Mary (#36) ***REQUIRED***
In going to Jesus through Mary, we are really paying honor to our Lord, for we are showing that, because of our sins, we are unworthy to approach his infinite holiness directly on our own. We are showing that we need Mary, his holy Mother, to be our advocate and mediatrix with him who is our Mediator. We are going to Jesus as Mediator and Brother, and at the same time humbling ourselves before him who is our God and our Judge. In short we are practicing humility, something which always gladdens the heart of God.
QUESTION ***REQUIRED***
Why is genuine humility such an important virtue for the spiritual life?
RESOLUTION ***REQUIRED***
As you pray today, allow your recognition of your sinfulness and your weakness to lead you to seek out the intercession of Mary. Make it a point to approach the Lord in her company.
SACRED ART: "The Visitation" by Raphael and Giulio Romano or Giovanni Francesco Penni
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PRAYER: Jesus Living in Mary ***REQUIRED***
O Jesus living in Mary,
Come and live in your servant,
In the Spirit of your holiness,
In the fullness of your gifts,
In the perfection of your ways,
In the truth of your virtues,
In the communion of your mysteries.
Subdue within me
The power of flesh and demon
By your Holy Spirit,
For the glory of God the father.
Amen.
SACRED ART: "The Coronation of the Virgin" by Pedro de Calabria
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PRAYER: Memorare, O Piissima Virgo Maria ***REQUIRED***
Remember,
O most gracious Virgin Mary,
That never was it known
That anyone who fled to thy protection,
Implored thy help,
Or sought thine intercession
Was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins,
My mother;
To thee do I come,
Before thee I stand,
Sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
Despise not my petitions,
But in thy mercy
Hear and answer me.
Amen.