Month of Mary - Last Day

The Story:


Among the vast number of servants of Mary, St. Alphonsus Liguori was one of the most noteworthy. From his childhood he practiced virtue and devotion. Endowed with splendid mental faculties he became a counsellor-at-law; but fearing that he would become guilty of injustice, he resolved to serve only God and his church. He became a priest, afterward bishop and the founder of the congregation of the most holy Redeemer. He devoted himself to the mission, in which by his powerful sermons, devout prayer and touching example he converted many sinners. His love to Jesus is expressed in his book: Visits to the Most Blessed Sacrament: his love to Mary is revealed in the work entitled: The Glories of Mary. He served God in the work for the salvation of his fellow-men, he served Mary by many devotions, rosary and filial confidence perseveringly until his death in the year 1787.


The Prayer:

O holy Mother Mary! pray for me, thy unworthy child, that I may never act contrary to God's holy will, that I may practice only virtues and persevere unto my end, so that I may be glorified hereafter and obtain the crown of eternal life. Amen.

Pray Your Rosary 

Every Day

Month of Mary - 30th Day

The Story:

  In early youth St. Hyacinth revealed particular love to virtue. He walked constantly in the presence of God and in the least temptation would say to himself: "Do no offend the eye of God who sees all men." With charity to God he united true charity to his neighbor, for in him all needy found sympathy and compassion and, as far as possible, also help. Besides these virtues he cherished a filial love to Mary, the blessed Mother of God. When his labors since his entrance into a Dominican monastery would permit, he prayed almost day and night in a church of the blessed Lady; all his labors he recommended to the Mother of God and being blessed and assisted by her he wrought much good, yea, he even performed miracles; on all vigils of the feasts of Mary he fasted, taking but bread and water; but especially did he endeavor to follow Mary's example in virtues. Thus he lived to the age of seventy-four years, entertaining but one wish, namely to die on the feast of the Assumption of Mary, which was granted him in the year 1257.

The Prayer:

We daily beg of thee, O good Mother, to assist us in the hour of death. Grant that our words are not recited by lips only, but that we feel the importance thereof, when we say: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

Pray Your Rosary 

Every Day

Month of Mary - 29th Day

The Story:

If we seek the divine light of the Holy Ghost through Mary, we shall find it. The renowned Dominican, St. Albert the Great, was ardently attached to Mary. He was very pious, but almost despaired when studying, and intended to leave the monastery. Mary appeared to him in his sleep, asking him what he was about to do. He replied: "Ah, all my fellow students study easily; I alone am so troubled; all my efforts to study are useless; I am the object of laughter for all." The blessed Lady answered: "Be of good cheer; thou shalt excel in all sciences; but that you may not forget, that it is not owing to thy diligence and intellect, but to my intercession, know that shortly before thy death, all thy knowledge shall leave thee." And thus it happened three years before his holy death.

The Prayer:

Teach me, holy Mary, full of grace, to pray incessantly for this good spirit, that I may not be overpowered by the spirit of worldliness, and follow the ways leading to perdition. Grant, by thy intercession, that I may lead a life according to the dictates of my faith, and be thus enabled to praise the Triune God in heaven forever. Amen.

Pray Your Rosary 

Every Day

Month of Mary - 28th Day

The Story:

No human tongue is able to describe perfectly the virtues of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. He was born of noble parents and brought up by a very devout Mother. She, being a zealous servant of Mary, kept her son Aloysius in the same service. And how did he comply with the wish of his mother? Beginning in his childhood he practiced a special devotion to Mary. He recited the Rosary with zeal; also the Little Office. But especially did he endeavor to follow Mary's example in virtues; and so well did he succeed that he committed but two trifling faults in his life. His purity was so great that he was justly called the Angel in human flesh. He entered the Society of Jesus. There he became a model for all. When pestilence had broken out in Italy, he waited upon the sick, and he himself became infected. To his provincial who visited him, he said: "Father, I go hence." He asked: "Whither?" And Aloysius replied with joy: "Into my true home, into heaven." Thus he died.

The Prayer:

O holy Mother of my heavenly King, direct thou my thoughts to heaven. Obtain for me from thy royal Son the grace, that I tear my heart and should from everything terrestrial, and cleave to things eternal, that thus I may become worthy to enter the everlasting glories of heaven. Amen.

Pray Your Rosary 

Every Day

              

Month of Mary - 27th Day

The Story:

When the holy martyr, St. Margaret was brought before the tribunal, the enraged prefect called upon her: "How can greater nonsense be thought of, than to consider as God a man, who had been crucified?" The virgin asked: "Whence dost thou know that Christ was crucified?" He replied; "Your own writings teach it." - "Well, then," Margaret answered, "the same books speak not only of the Passion of Christ, but also of His resurrection and glorification; how little you pause to believe the one and to deny the other? Not for the reason, that He suffered, that He died, do we believe; no! But He is risen. He has thus proved to us the power of His Divinity, and therefore we believe Him and praise His name and give our lives for His doctrines." With this profession upon her lips she was put to death.

The Prayer:

How great will be our joy, O blessed mother of our glorious Redeemer, when we also shall see Him, face to face, after this earthly life in His heavenly glory? Obtain thou for us the grace that we may bear temporal sufferings, die a happy death and enter into life everlasting. Amen. 

Pray Your Rosary 

Every Day

              

Month of Mary - 26th Day

 



The Story:

St. John, Gaulbert, following the profession of arms at a very troubled period, became involved in a blood-feud with a near relative. On Good Friday he met his enemy at a place, where neither could avoid the other. John would have slain his enemy, who was unarmed; but he falling upon his knees implored John for the sake of our Lord's Passion to pardon Him. Grace triumphed in John who replied: "I cannot refuse what you ask in Christ's name. I grant you your life, and I give you my friendship. Pray that God may forgive me my sin. John retired to a monastery, led a penitential and holy life, and died a Saint.

The Prayer:

O My God, relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain the pardon of my sins, the assistance of Thy grace, and life everlasting; through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Pray Your Rosary 

Every Day

                                                   

Month of Mary - 25th Day

  The Story:

St. Helen was born and brought up by heathen parents. She became the wife of the Emperor Constantine, who rejected her after his throne ascension. Having respected the Christians at all time and being now rejected she sought consolation in the religion of the cross. She received holy baptism after her renowned son had gained, by the sign of the cross, a glorious victory. Though advanced in years she possessed a youthful, fiery zeal in the practice of devotion and good works. For a long time she entertained the desire of visiting the holy places; she sought and found the cross, upon which the blessed Saviour had died; she and her pious son had a beautiful church erected over the sepulchre of Christ; she had one built in memory of the Annunciation at Nazareth. For this love to Jesus and Mary and for her veneration of the holy cross and the holy places, she was rewarded by the queen of heaven with the greatest grace - a holy life and a holy death in the year 326.

The Prayer:

Obtain by thy intercession, O afflicted mother Mary, for me the grace of following Jesus by carrying my cross, which God is pleased to send me, to the end of my life in a patient and penitential manner, that following my Saviour now I may dwell with Him hereafter in heaven. Amen.

Pray Your Rosary 

Every Day