CHECKLIST PRAYER FOR A PLENARY INDULGENCE ON FIRST SATURDAYS /  by Joe Castorino

O Lord of Love,

Through your holy grace,

I have wholehearted contrition,

And I am free from all affection for sin

And all attachment to sin,

And so, with a sincere heart,

I offer you this Our Father,

And also this Hail Mary,

For the Holy Father’s intentions.

And along with these prayers,

Please accept the indulgenced work

I have done over these past five days,

In reconsecrating my life to Jésus

Through Our Lady, The Queen of All Hearts.

Please accept today’s confession.

Please accept today’s recitation of the Holy Rosary.

Please accept today’s reception of Holy Communion,

Offered with the intention of making reparation

To the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady of Fátima.

And if it pleases you, Lord,

May it also be offered for the benefit of _____,

Or offered for my own benefit,

Or offered for whomever else the

Merciful Mystical Rose most wishes,

In accordance with your holy will.

Please accept today’s 15-minute meditation

On the 20 mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

In short, I humbly request that 

Through the sweet hands of

La Madonnina d’Amore,

You accept today the gift

Of this plenary indulgence,

In accordance with your holy will.

Amen.

O LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL /  by Joe Castorino

As I gently finger the beads of the rosary,

  I touch your warm soft hands,

I gaze into your merciful, majestic eyes,

  And I contemplate your loveliness;

Together our precious prayers mingle,

  And rise up like sweet incense,

Its scent perfumes the halls of Heaven,

  And delights the Lord of Light.

THE NATIVITY OVERTURE /  by Joe Castorino

Christmas Gifts for Gesú Bambino

O Gesù Bambino,

I surrender to you!

I offer you the myrrh

of my bitter suffering

in the dark night.

I offer you the frankincense

of my sweet prayer

in the holy light.

I offer you the gold

of my sincere love,

as your devoted knight.

O Gesù Bambino,

I trust in you!

Amen.

ALPHA & OMEGA /  by Joe Castorino

It begins with

words,

And it ends with

actions;

It begins with

prayer,

And it ends with

love;

In the beginning was the incarnation of

The Word,

And in the end was the ultimate sacrifice of

Love;

Then, after the bitter

crucifixion,

came the beautiful and glorious

resurrection!

THE SYMPHONY OF PRAYER /  by Joe Castorino

A Prayer in Portuguese, Italian, English, & French

First Movement: Fátima

Ó meu Jesus,

Perdoai-nos e livrai-nos

Do fogo do inferno.

Second Movement: The Incarnation

O Gesù Bambino, mi abbandono a te!

O Gesù Bambino, ti offro la tutta la mia sofferenza!

O Gesù Bambino, confido in te!

Third Movement: Divine Mercy

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,

Have mercy on us, and on the whole world!

Fourth Movement: The Resurrection

Vive Jésus!

Vive Jésus!

Vive Jésus!

Amen.

THE CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH /  by Joe Castorino

Based on Luke 1: 76-79

We know of Zechariah’s prophecy about his son,

The great St. John the Baptist, and its message

Of hope for the world is nothing short of remarkable.

But in truth, those of us who are lectors,

Who proclaim the Sacred Scriptures during mass,

Should ourselves take his words to heart.

For we too, in a sense, are modern-day prophets,

Since we proclaim the Holy Word to a world

That is often shrouded in the deepest darkness.

We too prepare the way of the Lord,

For after our proclamation, the priest,

In Persona Christi, will teach from the Word.

Through our proclamation, we too give

God’s people knowledge of salvation,

Through the forgiveness of sins.

Through our proclamation, the Light of the Word

Shines forth to those who sit in darkness

And guides our feet into the path of peace.

As lectors, we may not even realize it,

But the truth is that, whether we like it or not,

We are in fact evangelists, much like The Baptist.

We know that Jesus taught with authority,

Not like their scribes -- so may Our Lord inspire us too

To proclaim the Word with the Holy Spirit’s power!

THE SPIRITUAL STOCK MARKET /  by Joe Castorino

Inspired by St. Teresa of Ávila & Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

The wound of Love

leads to a spiritual stock market crash,

and my stock hits record lows

as I stumble around, lost,

my life feeling like

a comedy of errors

in the dark night of the cross.

But the Good Shepherd

has the divine sense of humor,

and when I am lost,

it is then that I am found.

And so, Christ the Courageous

confidently takes me by the hand,

and the Mystical Rose

takes me by the other;

I allow them to lead me upwards,

and my stock suddenly soars to new highs,

following the flight of

the Dove of Divine Mercy,

and, lo, I once again discover

true joy -- which is none other than

Divine Mercy in the dark night.

THE FRUIT OF THANKSGIVING /  by Joe Castorino

Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of your

holy love, holy joy, and holy peace!

Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of your

heroic patience, heroic generosity, and heroic faithfulness!

Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of your

angelic kindness, angelic gentleness, and angelic self-control!

Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of your

divine wisdom, divine courage, and divine mercy!

Amen.

THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL OVERTURE /  by Joe Castorino

Christmas 2025: Our Lady of Solitude Monastery

O Madonnina d’Amore,

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal,

Please pray for us,

That by the power of the Holy Spirit,

The luminous grace of

Our Lord of Love

May shine through you

And warm us with His light,

Filling our hearts to overflowing,

With His wondrous gift of

Divine mercy in the dark night!

Amen.

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL /  by Joe Castorino

To be prayed on the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, after completing the novena

O Marie, conceived without sin,
Mother of God and Mother of all people, Disciple of Jesus Christ,
Blessed are you among women,
And all generations call you blessed.

Model of consecration to God
Whom Saint Catherine Labouré, Having just lost her mother,
Chose as her Mother,
I, in turn, chose you as my Mother
In order to consecrate myself To God our Father.

Standing by the foot of the Cross, Your Immaculate Heart was pierced With sorrow, as if by a sword,
And your heart is united To the Heart of your Son.


Since grace flows From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Onto all of us, Passing through your hands,
Accept my entire being, Make use of me, body and soul,
To follow Christ
And receive the light and strength Of the Holy Spirit.

As a sign of this consecration,
I will wear the holy Medal With confidence
So that the God of Love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Might reign in my heart As a baptized person And in all hearts.

Glory be to Him, Forever and ever. 

Amen.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL /  by Joe Castorino

Prayed from November 18 through November 27, The Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and our Mother,
With the utmost confidence In your powerful intercession,
Shown many times through your Medal,
We humbly ask you to obtain for us, The graces which we ask of you Through this novena.

(Ask for a personal grace…)

O Virgin of the Miraculous Medal,
You appeared to St. Catherine Labouré As mediator of the whole world
And each soul in particular.

We put our pleas into your hands And entrust them to your heart.

Deign to present them to your Divine Son
And to answer them if they conform to God’s Will
And are good for our souls.

And, after having raised Your imploring hands to God,
Bring them down on us And wrap us up in the rays of your graces, Light up our spirits and purify our hearts,
So that, guided by you,
We will one day reach blissful eternity.  Amen.

THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET /  by Joe Castorino

SUNDAY: INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS OF THE CHAPLET

SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg

(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)

The Our Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

Amen.

The Hail Mary

Hail Mary, Full of grace, The Lord is with thee, Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now, and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead.

On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

MONDAY — FIRST DECADE OF THE CHAPLET

SACRED ART: “Gethsemane” by Carl Bloch

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Gethsemane_Carl_Bloch.jpg

(For optimal viewing, click once on the painting)

SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg

(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)

Recite the following prayer once:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.

Recite the following prayer ten times:

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

TUESDAY — second decade OF THE CHAPLET

SACRED ART: “Flagellation” by Lodovico Carracci

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Douai_chartreuse_carracci_flagellation.jpg

(For optimal viewing, click once on the painting)

SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg

(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)

Recite the following prayer once:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.

Recite the following prayer ten times:

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

wednesDAY — third decade OF THE CHAPLET

SACRED ART: “Ecce Homo” by Antonio Ciseri

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Ecce_homo_by_Antonio_Ciseri_%281%29.jpg

SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg

(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)

Recite the following prayer once:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.

Recite the following prayer ten times:

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

ThursDAY — fourth decade OF THE CHAPLET

SACRED ART: “Christ Carrying the Cross” by El Greco

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Carrying_the_Cross_(El_Greco,_New_York)#/media/File:Cristo_abrazado_a_la_cruz_El_Greco.jpg

(For optimal viewing, click twice on the painting)

SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg

(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)

Recite the following prayer once:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.

Recite the following prayer ten times:

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

friDAY — fifth decade OF THE CHAPLET

SACRED ART: “Christ Crucified” by Diego Velazquez

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Crucified_(Vel%C3%A1zquez)#/media/File:Cristo_crucificado.jpg

(For optimal viewing, click twice on the painting)

SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg

(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)

Recite the following prayer once:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.

Recite the following prayer ten times:

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

saturDAY — concluding prayers OF THE CHAPLET

SACRED ART: "Divine Mercy" by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/divine-mercy-original.jpg

(Left-click once on the painting to get a closer view)

Recite the following prayer three times:

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on us, And on the whole world.

Recite the following prayer once:

Eternal God, In whom mercy is endless, And the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, Look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, That in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, But with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, Which is Love and Mercy itself.

THE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES & THE DIVINE MERCY /  by Joe Castorino

I love to love,

And I love to be loved,

By the Lord of Love,

Who generously pours out

His wondrous love upon us all.

But sometimes with His

Divine sense of humor,

He hides himself from me,

Like a playful lover,

And I cannot see Him,

So, as His beloved,

I must practice heroic patience,

And with a strong faith,

I must trust in Him,

Because I know that

Above the clouds

The sky is always blue,

And suddenly the Divine Mercy

Will magnificently shine forth

In the Dark Night of Unknowing,

And the Dark Night of the Cross.

Yet when faith is elusive,

I must hold my ground

And courageously hope in Him,

Because it always circles around

And leads us back to holy love.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES' PRAYER AFTER MEDITATION /  by Joe Castorino

Based on the guidelines of St. Francis de Sales

Dearest Heavenly Father,

Through the Holy Spirit

I humbly give you thanks for

The affections and resolutions

You have given me today

In my meditation,

As well as for your great

Goodness and divine mercy.

Eternal Father, I offer to you

The body and blood,

Soul and divinity,

Of your dearly beloved Son,

Our Lord Jesus Christ,

In atonement for our sins,

And those of the whole world.

I wholeheartedly implore you

To share with me the abundant

Graces and virtues

Of your most holy Son,

And to bless my affections and resolutions,

So that I may faithfully fulfill them.

In your Divine Providence,

And through the intercession of

Our Lady, the angels,

And the saints,

Please take care of

My body and my soul,

The Church and my pastor,

My relatives and my friends,

And everyone else in the world,

That the windows of our souls

Will be closed

Against the shadows of hell.

Amen.

(Follow this with an Our Father and a Hail Mary)

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES’ SPIRITUAL-RETREAT PRAYER /  by Joe Castorino

A Meditation on The Nativity, The Crucifixion, & The Ascension

Based on the guidelines of St. Francis de Sales

Dearest Jesus,

I place myself in your holy presence,

And I beseech you to inspire me

By the power of the Holy Spirit,

For the glory of God the Father.

O God, why do I not look always at you,

Just as you always look at me?

Why do you think so often of me, O my Lord,

And why do I think so seldom of you?

Where are we, O my soul?

God is our true place, and where are we?

O Lord, I am always with you;

I see the Lord always before me;

I have lifted up my eyes to you,

O my God, who dwell in Heaven;

My eyes are ever toward God.

Amen.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES' PRAYER BEFORE CHRIST CRUCIFIED /  by Joe Castorino

Based on the guidelines of St. Francis de Sales

Dearest God,

I prostrate myself before you in spirit,

And I place my soul

Before Jesus Christ crucified.

O most wondrous and gracious God,

By the power of the Holy Spirit,

I humbly ask you to rekindle in my heart

The fire of today’s meditation,

And so I renew my resolution to _____,

For the glory of God the Father.

Amen.