Then I saw the Blessed Virgin,
unspeakably beautiful.
She came down from the altar
to my kneeler,
held me close to herself
and said to me,…
Be courageous.
Do not fear
apparent obstacles,
but fix your gaze
on the Passion of my Son,
and in this way
you will be victorious.
Inspired by the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23)
O Madonnina d’Amore,
Lead me to the fruit of the Vine,
That I may drink freely
Of the Spirit’s sweet wine.
We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you:
Because by your courageous love,
You have changed the world.
We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you:
Because by your courageous joy,
You have changed the world.
We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you:
Because by your courageous peace,
You have changed the world.
We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you:
Because by your courageous patience,
You have changed the world.
We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you:
Because by your courageous kindness,
You have changed the world.
We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you:
Because by your courageous generosity,
You have changed the world.
We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you:
Because by your courageous faithfulness,
You have changed the world.
We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you:
Because by your courageous gentleness,
You have changed the world.
We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you:
Because by your courageous self-control,
You have changed the world.
O Madonnina d’Amore,
Lead me to the fruit of the Vine,
That I may drink fully
Of the Spirit’s sweet wine.
Amen.
A Selection from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
On one occasion,
I heard these words:
My daughter,
tell the whole world
about My inconceivable mercy.
I desire that the Feast of Mercy
be a refuge and shelter for souls,
especially for poor sinners.
On that day the very depths
of My tender mercy are open.
I pour out a whole ocean of graces
upon those souls who approach
the Fount of My Mercy.
The soul that will go to Confession
and receive Holy Communion
shall obtain complete forgiveness
of sins and punishment….
A Selection from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
In the evening,
the Lord said to me,
My daughter,
let nothing frighten
or disconcert you.
Remain deeply at peace.
Everything is in My hands….
The purpose
of petitionary prayer
is not to convince God
that we know what’s best
(because we’re so smart),
but, rather, to surrender
to His loving will,
with all of our heart.
The goal
of petitionary prayer
is not to persuade God
of where we want to go or
of what we want to do,
but to allow Divine Mercy
to make us into
a creation new.
Jesus is the Divine Artist,
and we are the paint;
only if we surrender to Him
can He make us a saint.
“…seek and you will find…” (Matthew 7: 7)
Holding the sweet hand of
Our Lady of Love,
I come before you,
O Divine Wisdom,
And I wish to discern
Your will in my life.
This is what I hope:
_____________;
Dearest Jesus,
If this is your will, too,
Then with great joy,
And heartfelt thanksgiving,
I glorify you!
But this is what I fear:
_____________;
Dearest Jesus,
If this is your will,
Then as a Knight of Christ
I will trust in you,
And I will courageously
Carry this cross and
Surrender to you, in love.
O Divine Wisdom,
I humbly kneel in spirit before you:
May your will, not mine, be done!
Through Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal,
Please shine your light upon me,
And wondrously inspire me,
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
To have great trust in your divine mercy!
Amen.
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, his sorrow sharing
All his bitter anguish bearing
Now at length the sword had passed.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole begotten One!
Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son.
Is there one who would not weep,
‘Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ’s dear Mother to behold?
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that mother’s pain untold?
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
For the sins of his own nation
Saw him hang in desolation
Till his spirit forth he sent.
O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.
O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
Let me share with you his pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
Let me mingle tears with you,
Mourning him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
By the cross with you to stay,
There with you to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of you to give.
Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.
Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of yours.
Wounded with his every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In his very Blood away.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In his awful judgment day.
Christ, when you shall call me hence,
Be your Mother my defense,
Be your cross my victory.
While my body here decays,
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally.
Amen.
To be prayed mentally in the morning while still resting in bed
Prologue: The Nativity
O Iesu Infante, te amo!
Ô Enfant Jésus, je vous adore!
Jezu ufam Tobie!
First Movement: The Fruit of the Spirit
O Sancta Maria, Domina Nostra Amoris, ora pro nobis!
O Sancte Iosephe Angelice, ora pro nobis!
Second Movement: The Holy Spirit
Ô Saint François de Sales, priez pour nous!
Ô Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort, priez pour nous!
Third Movement: The Divine Mercy
O Święta Faustyna Kowalska, módl się za nami!
O Święty Papież Jan Paweł Drugi, módl się za nami!
Fourth Movement: The Divine Sense of Humor
O Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us!
O San Giovanni Paolo II, prega per noi!
Fifth Movement: The Spiritual Battle
O Due Santi, San Pietro e San Paolo, pregate per noi!
O San Francesco di Assisi, prega per noi!
Epilogue: The Nativity
O Gesù Bambino, ti amo!
O Baby Jesus, I adore you!
Jezu ufam Tobie!
Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
An Introductory Prayer for a Lenten Retreat with St. Francis de Sales
Each day of Lent, after reciting this prayer together as a family, read one to two pages (silently or aloud) of St. Francis de Sales’ spiritual classic entitled “Introduction to the Devout Life”
Recommendation -- use the book edition by the Rev. John K. Ryan (a good translation makes all the difference)
Dearest Jesus,
King of Divine Mercy,
We place ourselves in your holy presence,
and we beseech you to inspire us
by the power of the Holy Spirit
for the glory of God the Father.
Through the sweet words of
St. Francis de Sales,
Help us to discover in a new way
The Good, The True, and The Beautiful!
Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
A Concluding Prayer for a Lenten Retreat with St. Francis de Sales
Recite this prayer as a family, each day of Lent, immediately after reading one to two pages of St. Francis de Sales’ “Introduction to the Devout Life”
Dearest Jesus,
King of Divine Mercy,
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
We resolve today to ________,
For the glory of God the Father.
O Mystical Rose,
Our Lady of Love,
Please remind us
Of the sweet scent
Of this spiritual bouquet,
And please pray for us,
That we may put this virtue
Into practice today.
Amen.
Little Prayers Inspired by St. Francis de Sales
O God of love, fill me with your love…
O God of joy, fill me with your joy…
O God of peace, fill me with your peace…
O God of patience, fill me with your patience…
O God of kindness, fill me with your kindness…
O God of generosity, fill me with your generosity…
O God of faithfulness, fill me with your faithfulness…
O God of gentleness, fill me with your gentleness…
O God of self-control, fill me with your self-control…
O Madonnina d’Amore, pray for us…
O Holy Guardian Angels, pray for us…
O Holy Saints and Angels, pray for us…
Amen.
Prayer from The Stations of the Cross
We adore you, O Christ,
And we bless you,
Because by your holy cross
You have redeemed the world.
Amen.
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Before Holy Mass today,
Please accept my confession,
And my recitation of the Holy Rosary.
During Holy Mass today,
Please accept my reception of Holy Communion,
Offered with the intention of making reparation
To the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady of Fátima.
After Holy Mass today,
Please accept my 15-minute meditation
On the 20 mysteries of the Holy Rosary.
Jezu, ufam Tobie!
Jezu, ufam Tobie!
Jezu, ufam Tobie!
Amen.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.