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Hail holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.  To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

O God, Who's Only Begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection has purchased for us eternal life.
Grant we beseech Thee, that by meditating on the mysteries of the most Holy Rosary we may imitate
what they contain and obtain to what they promise through the same Christ Our Lord.  Amen.
 
 

This devotion was practiced and promoted by St. Mechtilde, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Leonard of Port-Maurice. Our Lady appeared to St. Mechtilde and requested the daily recitation of 3 Hail Mary's in honor of the Holy Trinity. Our Lady said:

"The first Hail Mary will be in honor of God the Father, whose omnipotence raised my soul so high above every creature that after God, I have the greatest power in Heaven and on earth.  In the hour of your death I will use that power of God the Father to keep any hostile power far from you."

"The second Hail Mary will be in honor of God the Son, who communicated His inscrutable wisdom to me ... In the hour of your death I will fill your soul with the light of that wisdom so that all the darkness of ignorance and error will be dispelled."

"The third Hail Mary will be in honor of God the Holy Ghost, who filled my soul with the sweetness of His love and tenderness and mercy ... In your last hour I will then change the bitterness of death into divine sweetness and delight."

* The Daily Mass - (The greatest form of prayer and communion with God).
* The Stations - or Way of the Cross - (Very powerful for the relief of the holy souls in purgatory.)
* The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary - (Highly recommended reparation prayer to Our Lady - it will change your life!)
* Seven Glorias in honor of the Holy Spirit, and your Guardian Angel - to honor your most faithful friend in this life.

'Holy Water, Blessed Candles, Blessed Crucifixes - should be in every room of your house.

St. Jean Vianney said:
"Never let your home be without a crucifix upon its walls, to the end that all who enter it may know that you are a disciple of a Crucified Lord, and that you are not ashamed to own it."

*  Blessed Statues of Our Lord and Our Lady

* St. Jean Vianney also said:

"Have some pictures or statues of the saints in your home, and prize them with your crucifix, more than any of your possessions. Often it only needs a glance at a picture to bring to our minds the characteristics of the saints during their life on earth....We learn from them lessons of faith, courage, penitence, and the love of God."

*  Display a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary and various wonderful saints like saint Joseph.

* Blessed Salt - Find out more about the renewed interest in this ancient sacramental. > Click Here <

*  Obtain an 'Extreme Unction' or 'sick call' Crucifix at your local Catholic supply store and have it blessed.

*  Have your whole house blessed by a priest. Consecrate your house and your family to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary during his visit.  Have your children, spouse and pets (even your car) blessed with holy water! Always bless yourself and your children with holy water when entering and leaving church - God's Holy Temple!

*  A picture of The Holy Face of Jesus. Contact the Holy Face Society.
 
 

*  The Miraculous Medal. (I can personally attest to its namesake - having been hit by lightning while camping - and survived unhurt! I wear it always).  Tons and tons of testimonies abound with this special little medal - designed by Our Lady Herself!

*  Wear a Blessed Crucifix.  It is the visible testimony to our salvation and the basis for our faith!

*  Wear The Holy Face Medal. The powerful medal of Jesus' Holy Face, (contact the Holy Face Society located on our LInks page for a free medal & picture).  Who do you love?  Show him by wearing this wonderful medal.  Many miraculous things reported by those who wear it.

* St. Benedict Medal - So powerful it is used in excoricisms.  It's the most highly indulgenced medal in the Church.
 

  Wearing the powerful Brown Scapular (Our Lady of Mt. Caramel - Of the Discalced Carmelite Order), is a sign that you are a child of Mary, this is her livery.  To wear it means you are always thinking of her, and she in turn is always thinking of and praying for you! ( Our Lady's promise). (500 days indulgence each time it is kissed)

Green: >Click Here<  The Cloth of Conversion, Protection & Grace.  It has only one small square of cloth made of felt or wool and worn in front attached by a thin cord around the neck.  (For the grace of conversion and cures - even if not worn) One should say the following prayer daily for the one given the scapular - if they do not say it or refuse to wear it:

"Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death."

Red: (The Passion of Christ) - For the graces of Faith, Hope, and Love - especially when worn on Fridays. Made like the brown scapular with two small squares of cloth. Usually wool also.  May be worn or displayed in the home.  It has two prayers:

Violet: (Benediction & Protection )- For protection from many dangers especially during the Chastisement and for conversion. Worn or displayed in the home). Our Lord made this request of Marie Julie-Jahenny the Breton stigmatist:

Black: (Our Lady of the Seven Dolors) - The grace of a special yearning for Heaven & detachment from the world + other special graces).  Made like the Brown scapular with two black wool cloth panels worn in the front and back.

Blue: (Of the Immaculate Conception) - Especially for the graces of Virginity and Chastity).  carries with it (as well as the five fold, of which it is a part) 433 indulgences for EVERY RECITAL of 6 Paters, Aves and
Glorias - the only condition is that the person must be in the state of grace.  Great graces are also given to those who pray 5 Paters, Aves and Glorias towards the intention of the conversion of sinners.  One must address
each group (the six and the five) in honor of the most Holy Trinity and the Immaculate Conception.

It is one of the most profound sacramentals the Church has left to assist the souls in Purgatory and pay their ransom out of bondage there. The incorrupt Benedictine, Father Paul of Moll, was always promoting this scapular for that reason.  St. Alphonsus discusses it in "THE GLORIES OF MARY".

White: (The Holy Trinity) - For the redemption of christian captives - Are you a captive to sin? And good works).

The Fivefold Scapular:  A combination of five scapulars: Brown, Black, Blue, White and Red.

Set up a Family Altar in your house to honor God, around which to pray the family rosary and other prayers ~ like Novenas. (Everything on your family altar should be blessed or sprinkled with holy water) Have beautiful pictures and statues of Jesus, Mary, St. Joseph, and the saints and if your lucky enough to own one ~ relics and other blessed sacramentals.  Place fresh flowers around your alters ~ especially on Feast days. Pussy Willow branches make an impressive display and last forever. Have a large supply of blessed candles for your nightly prayers. Some people may use incense as well. (*see my sacramentals page ~ The Little Flowers Family Apostolate).

Be Creative:

No fresh flowers? Use silk ones. These days they're really not that expensive. I've found vases, candlestick holders, silk flowers, beautiful antique lace doilies and small tablecloths in abundance at consignment/antique shops, flea markets and yard sales for practically nothing.  The altar itself is an old dresser I bought for $5! I keep all my alter supplies there. I found my Holy Infant statue at a consignment shop for $10 - but in really poor shape. Took him home, gave him a new coat of paint, and a beautiful dark blue velvet robe. He's now better than new! Old statues and crucifixes are wonderful to makeover as you always add a little love in beautifying them. In doing this - especially with a crucifix - it also serves as a form of meditation as you think about Christ's sufferings in a special and loving way. You don't need to be an artist!

Where's the Best Place for The Family Altar?

In our case, I found the parents bedroom to be a good location to set up our family altar. It's private and generally off limits (which makes it a more attractive location to the little ones!) And you can keep them from playing with the delicate items on it by simply closing the door when your not using it in prayer.

Hints for Young Mothers:

* Children of all ages love the flowers, statues and candles!  Let them help pick and arrange the flowers for the altar, and after the prayers, let them blow out the candles - and light them (if old enough). Anyone gifted in sewing could make special robes for their statues and change them around from time to time.

Lots of Singing!

* I found the easiest way for children to learn their prayers, is through song. You've got to admit singing is alot more fun than reciting and makes the experience more enjoyable and interesting for both them ~ and you! And you've heard the saying; 'When you sing, you pray twice!'

To Each His Own Rosary

* Obtain for each child their own special rosary. Maybe have them pick it out themselves from a religious gift shop or mail order catalog. (See my sacramentals page). Or give them their rosary (and scapular) on their birthdays or special occasions.  If you don't mind having all the same kind, I will give you free blessed rosaries for your children ~ as many as children you have. >email me<  You can personalize the rosaries by attaching holy medals to them. (How about their patron saints' medal?) (I also have available blessed: Miraculous Medals, Holy Face Medals, and St. Benedict Medals ~ also free.)(Now you have no more excuses! : )

Arts & Crafts Project!

* Large or small colored beads on string (found in departments stores and craft supply stores etc.) would really make a great rosary for a child. You could pick up a little crucifix at a Catholic gift shop.  Let them count out the beads and string them.  (Don't forget to have them blessed!)  Helping the child make their own rosary would really be a fun project, as well as some good quality time spent with mom or dad!

Make it Special

* Keep all the family rosaries together or in special places, then when you're ready to pray as a family, distribute the rosaries each to his own. When finished, gather them back again. That way they won't lose them out in the sandbox, and it makes it a little more special since they only have their rosaries when they're praying at the family altar.  But I've also found that keeping a child's rosary under their pillow or hanging it on their bed post to work fine as well.

Teaching Moments...

Here around the family altar, is the perfect opportunity for the parents to impart their faith onto their youngsters. My six year old always has interesting and thought provoking questions that I can answer each time we say the rosary. At each of the Mysteries, I give a little explaination describing in my own words what each one is about. Even saying a simple phrase like "Poor Jesus", "Poor Mary" causes the little ones to compassionate the sufferings of Our Lord ~ to great spiritual benefit ~ even at the youngest ages! With compassion, are planted the seeds of love.

Let each child say (or sing) the second half of the rosary prayers.  Mix it up a little by together singing some of the Hail Marys and Our Fathers.  I have the little ones, (or the ones who won't say it) at least wear their rosary around their neck and insist they stay in the same room with us while praying.  Don't worry, even if the children refuse to take part or are too young to pray, it will be a blessing to them in ways you'd never guess.  It's enough that they see you doing it!  Eventually, they'll come around, and resist less and less each time.  What you are doing is creating a valuable family tradition ~ instilling in them the importance of prayer and honor shown to God.  And later in life they will have this strength to draw upon ~ learned in childhood!

      St. Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary, with St. Mechtilde and St. Bridget, wishing to know more about the terrible Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, offered to God special prayers, sacrifices and devotions. Our Lord rewarded them by appearing to them and spoke to them in this manner:

     "On the contrary, those people who shall carry a copy of this letter with them shall be free from death by drowning and from sudden death.  They shall be free from all contagious diseases and lightning; they shall not die without confession, and shall be free from their enemies and from the hand of wrongful authority, and from all their slanderers and false witnesses.

  "To all the faithful who shall recite for 3 years, each day 2 Paters, Glorias and Aves, in honor of the drops of blood I lost, I will concede the following 5 graces:

1.  The plenary indulgence and remittance of your sins.
2.  You will be free from the pains of Purgatory.
3.  If you should die before completing the said 3 years, for you it will be the same as if you had completed them.
4.  It will be upon your death the same as if you had shed all your blood for the Holy Faith.
5.  I will descend from Heaven to take your soul and that of your relatives, until the fourth generation."

   "Be it known that the number of armed soldiers were 150; those who trailed me while I was bound were 23.  The executioners of justice were 83; the blows received on my head were 150; those on my stomach, 108; kicks on my shoulders, 80.  I was led, bound with cords by the hair, 24 times; spits in the face were 180; I was beaten on the body 6666 times; beaten on the head, 110 times.  I was roughly pushed, and at 12 o' clock was lifted up by the hair; pricked with thorns and pulled by the beard 23 times; received 20 wounds on the head; thorns of marine junks, 72; pricks of thorns in the head, 110; mortal thorns in the forehead, 3.  I was afterwards flogged and dressed as a mocked king; wounds in the body, 1000.  The soldiers who led me to the Calvary were 608; those who watched me were 3, and those who mocked me were 1008; the drops of blood which I lost were 28,430."

     Holy Water is a powerful sacramental in the Church. Water itself has many special qualities and spiritual attributes as it is referred to many, many times in the Gospels and Old Testament.  Holy water represents a 'cleansing of impurity' and other spiritual significances. It remits venial sin because of the blessing of a Priest sanctified by the Holy Church that is attached to it. It is a Powerful weapon against hell - as is the Name of 'Jesus' and 'Mary' and the meditation of the Holy Rosary. Great importance is placed on it's frequent use by the Church - especially when danger threatens such as fire, storms, sickness and other calamities.  Every Catholic should cultivate the frequent use of holy water and no Catholic home should be without it!

The devil hates holy water because of its power over him. He cannot long abide in a place or near a
 person that is often sprinkled with this blessed water.

Reflections of St. Teresa of Avila:

  "From long experience I have learned that there is nothing like holy water to put devils to flight and prevent them from coming back again.  They also flee from the cross, but return; so holy water must have great value. For my own part, whenever I take it, my soul feels a particular and most notable consolation.

In fact, it is quite usual for me to be conscious of a refreshment which I cannot possibly describe,
 resembling an inward joy which comforts my whole soul. This is not fancy, or something which has
 happened to me only once it has happened again and again and I have observed it most attentively. It is let us say, as if someone very hot and thirsty were to drink from a jug of cold water: he would feel the refreshment throughout his body.

 I often reflect on the great importance of everything ordained by the Church and it makes me very happy to find that those words of the Church are so powerful that they impart their power to the water and make it so very different from water which has not been blessed."

 "One night, too, about this time, I thought the devils were stifling me; and when the nuns had sprinkled a great deal of holy water about I saw a huge crowd of them running away as quickly as though they were about to fling themselves down a steep place."

 "I will only describe something that happened to me one night of All Souls. I was in an oratory: I had said one nocturn and was repeating some very devotional prayers which follow it -- they are extremely devotional: we have them in our office-book -- when actually the devil himself alighted on the book, to
 prevent me from finishing the prayer. I made the sign of the Cross and he went away. I then began again and he came back.

 I think I began that prayer three times and not until I had sprinkled some holy water on him could I finish it. At the same moment I saw several souls coming out of purgatory: their time there must have been nearly up and I thought that perhaps the devil was trying to impede their deliverance."

 Keep your soul beautifully pure in God's sight by making the Sign of the Cross carefully while saying,
 "By this holy water and by Thy Precious Blood wash away all my sins, O Lord."
 

**
A DROP OF HOLY WATER

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