PRAYERS AND DEVOTIONS

Dear St. Ann, though I am but a prodigal child, I appeal to you and place myself under your great motherly care. Please listen to my prayers and grant my requests. See my contrite heart, and show me your unfailing goodness. Deign to be my advocate and recommend me to God’s infinite mercy. Obtain for me forgiveness of my sins and the strength to begin a new life that will last forever. Blessed St. Ann, I also beg of you the grace to love, to serve, and to honor your daughter, the most holy Virgin Mary. Please recommend me to her and pray to her for me. She refuses none your requests but welcomes with loving kindness all those for whom you intercede. Good Jesus, be merciful to the faithful servants of Your grandmother St. Ann.

-Pray the St. Ann Novena Prayer

Great St. Ann, engrave indelibly on my heart and in my mind the words that have re- claimed and sanctified so many sinners: "What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world if he lose his own soul?" May this be the principle fruit of these prayers by which I will strive to honor you during this novena. At your feet, renew my resolution to invoke you daily, not only for the success of my temporal affairs and to be preserved from sickness and suffering, but above all, that I may be preserved from all sin and that I may succeed in working out my eternal salvation and that I will receive the special grace of (request) O most powerful St. Ann, do not let me lose my soul, but obtain for me the grace of winning my way to Heaven, there with you, your blessed spouse, and your glorious daughter, to sing the praise of the most holy and adorable Trinity forever and ever. Amen.

From the depths of my heart, good St. Ann, I offer you my homage this day and ask you to shelter me under the mantle of your motherly care. You know, good mother, how much I love you, how gladly I serve you, how happy I am to praise you, how eager I am to call on you in time of distress. Good St. Ann, be pleased to extend your helping hand in all my wants. Listen to my prayers, for I place my trust in your gracious bounty. Make all my thoughts and desires worthy and righteous. Jesus, I thank You for all the graces which in Your infinite goodness You have lavished upon St. Ann; for having chosen her, among all women, to be Your grandmother on earth and exalted her in heaven with such great and miraculous powers. In the name of her merits, I humbly recommend myself to Your infinite mercy.

-Pray the St. Ann Novena Prayer

Glorious St. Ann, how can you be otherwise than overflowing with tenderness toward sinners like myself, since you are the grandmother of Him who shed His blood for them, and the mother of her whom the saints call advocate of sinners? To you, therefore, I address my prayers with confidence. Vouchsafe to commend me to Jesus and Mary so that, at your request, I may be granted remission of my sins, perseverance, the love of God, charity for all mankind, and the special grace of (request), which I stand in need at the present time. O most powerful protectress, let me not lose my soul, but obtain for me that through the merits of Jesus Christ and the intercession of Mary, I may have happiness of seeing them, of loving and praising them with you through all eternity. Amen.

Hail, good St. Ann, who first responded to the needs of Mary, Mother of our Savior and Queen of Angels. Hail to you and to your husband St. Joachim, who watched over her infancy, presented her to the Lord in the temple and, according to your promise, consecrated her to the service of God. Hail St. Ann, good mother! I rejoice in the marvels you continually perform, because they encourage all to seek your intercession. Good St. Ann, by the great power that God has given you, show yourself my mother, my consoler, my advocate. Reconcile me to the God I have so deeply offended. Console me in my trials; strengthen me in my struggles. Deliver me from danger in my time of need. Help me at the hour of death and open to me the gates of paradise.

-Pray the St. Ann Novena Prayer

Beloved of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, mother of the Queen of Heaven, take us and all who are dear to us under your special care. Obtain for us the virtues you instilled in the heart of her who was destined to become Mother of God, and the graces with which you were endowed. Sublime model of Christian womanhood, pray that we may imitate your example in our homes and families, listen to our petitions, and obtain our request (state request). Guardian of the infancy and childhood of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain the graces necessary for all who enter the marriage state, that imitating your virtues they may sanctify their homes and lead the souls entrusted to their care to eternal glory. Amen.

Good St. Ann, you offered your pure and holy daughter Mary in the temple with faith, piety and love. By the happiness which then filled your heart, I beg you to present me to your Grandson Jesus. Offered by you, I will be agreeable in His sight. Kind St. Ann, take me forever under your protection. Deliver me from the temptations which continually assail me. Above all, attend me in my last hour. As I lie on my deathbed, be present with your daughter to console and strengthen me. Holy Mary and good St. Ann, show yourselves to be mothers indeed by obtaining for me the grace of a good death. When my soul goes forth, lead it to God’s tribunal so that, by your powerful help and intercession, it may obtain a favorable judgment.

-Pray the St. Ann Novena Prayer

Glorious St. Ann, I kneel in confidence at your feet, for you also have tasted the bitterness and sorrow of life. My necessities, the cause of my tears, are (request). Good St. Ann, you who did suffer much during the twenty years that precede your glorious maternity, I beseech you, by all your sufferings and humiliations, to grant my prayer. I pray to you, through your love for your glorious spouse Saint Joachim, through your love for your immaculate child, through the joy you did feel at the moment of her happy birth, not to refuse me. Bless me, bless my family and all who are dear to me, so that some day we may all be with you in the glory of Heaven, for all eternity. Amen.

Hail, all-powerful Lady. By God’s special favor, grant consolation to those who invoke you. Procure for them the eternal riches of heaven, and like a good mother, success in their temporal affairs as well. Good St. Ann, obtain my deliverance from the punishment which my sins deserve. Obtain for me success in my temporal affairs; especially see to the salvation of my soul. St. Ann, by your influence with Mary’s son Jesus, you have won the gift of conversion for many sinners. Will you then abandon me, who have chosen you as my mother? No, St. Ann. Your name alone, which signifies grace, assures me of the help of your prayers, and these prayers will surely procure pardon and mercy from Jesus. You will pray for me now and at the hour of my death.

-Pray the St. Ann Novena Prayer

Great St. Ann, how far I am from resembling you. I so easily give way to impatience and discouragement; and so easily give up praying when God does not at once answer my request. Prayer is the key to all Heavenly treasures and I cannot pray, because my weak faith and lack of confidence cause me to fail at the slightest delay of divine mercy. O my powerful protectress, come to my aid, listen to my petition. (request) Make my confidence and fervor, supported by the promise of Jesus Christ, redouble in proportion as the trial to which God in His goodness subjects me is prolonged, that I may obtain, like you, more than I can venture to ask for. In the future, I will remember that I am made for Heaven and not for earth; for eternity and not for time; that consequently I must ask, above all, the salvation of my soul which is assured to all who pray properly and who persevere in prayer. Amen

Good St. Ann, do not allow my soul, a masterpiece of God’s creative power, to be lost forever. Free my heart of pride, vanity, self-love. May I know myself as I really am and learn meekness and simplicity of heart. God’s great love for me leaves me cold and unresponsive. I must reflect this love through works of mercy and charity toward my neighbor. In your boundless charity, good St. Ann, help me to gain the glorious crown which is given to those who have fought the good fight against the world, the devil and the flesh. Assist me to preserve purity of heart and body. With Mary and her divine Son, protect me always.

-Pray the St. Ann Novena Prayer

Glorious St. Ann, mother of the Mother of God, I beg you to obtain through your powerful intercession the pardon of my sins and the assistance I need in my troubles (request). What can I not hope for if you deign to take me under your protection? The Most High has been pleased to grant the prayers of sinners, whenever you have been charitable enough to be their advocate. Kneeling at your feet, I beg you to help me in all spiritual and temporal dangers. To guide me in the true path of Christian perfection, and finally to obtain for me the grace of ending my life with the death of the just, so that I may contemplate face to face your beloved Jesus and daughter Mary in your loving companionship throughout eternity. Amen

Once again, Good St. Ann, I choose you for my advocate before the throne of God. By the power and grace that God has placed in you, extend to me your helping hand. Renew my mind and my heart. Dear St. Ann, I have unbounded confidence in your prayers. To your blessed hands I entrust my soul, my body and all my hopes for this world and the next. Direct my actions according to your goodness and wisdom. I place myself under your motherly care. Receive me, good mother. Cover me with the mantle of your love. Look kindly on me. By your powerful intercession, may I obtain from God grace and mercy. Obtain for me remission for sin and release from the punishment my offenses have deserved. Pray that I may receive grace to lead a devout life on earth and that I may obtain the everlasting re-ward of heaven.

-Pray the St. Ann Novena Prayer

O Good St. Ann, so justly called the mother of the infirm. The cure for those who suffer from disease, look kindly upon the sick for whom I pray. Alleviate their sufferings; cause them to sanctify their sufferings by patience and complete submission to the divine will; finally deign to obtain health for them and with it the firm resolution to honor Jesus, Mary, and yourself by the faithful performance of duties. But, merciful St. Ann, I ask you above all for the salvation of my soul, rather than bodily health, for I am convinced that this fleeting life is given us solely to assure us a better one. No, we cannot obtain that better life without the help of God's graces. I earnestly beg them of you for the sick and for myself, especially the petition for which I am making in this novena (request). Through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of His Immaculate Mother, and through the efficacious and powerful mediation, O glorious St. Ann, Amen.

Hail, St. Ann! I rejoice at your exalted glory. You gave birth to Mary, whose divine Son brought salvation to our lost world by conquering death and restoring life and hope to sinners. Pray to Him who, for love of us, clothed Himself with human flesh in the chaste womb of your daughter. Glorious St. Ann, with your blessed daughter, deliver me from everything that is displeasing in the sight of God. Pray to your gentle and powerful Grandson that He may cleanse my soul in His precious blood, that He may send His Holy Spirit to enlighten and direct me in all that I do, always obedient to His holy inspirations. Good mother, keep a watchful eye on me. Help me bear all my crosses. Give me the fullness of your bounty and sustain me with courage.

-Pray the St. Ann Novena Prayer

Remember, O St. Ann, you whose name signifies grace and mercy, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, and sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you, good, and kind mother; I take refuge at your feet, burdened with the weight of my sins. O holy mother of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, despise not my petition (request). But hear me and grant my prayer. Amen.

Almighty and eternal God, Who has vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost, and has given us forgiveness of all our sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear of the Lord. Amen.

Consecration Prayer

 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be's

Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear of the Lord, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set You, my Lord and God, before my face forever; help me to shun all things that can offend You, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Your Divine Majesty in heaven, where You live and reign in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God, world without end. Amen.

Consecration Prayer

 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be's

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.

Consecration Prayer

 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be's

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in times of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from You, my God and greatest Good. Amen.

Consecration Prayer

 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be's

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Your glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to You, and Your eternal rewards. Amen.

Consecration Prayer

 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be's

Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Your light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of You and the Father and the Son. Amen.

Consecration Prayer

 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be's

Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Your holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Your commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.

Consecration Prayer

 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be's

Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all passing joys and satisfactions of the earth. Help me to attain them and possess them for ever. Amen.

Consecration Prayer

 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be's

Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Your heavenly fruits, Your charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Your inspiration, may merit to be united eternally with You in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.

Consecration Prayer

 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be's

Dearest Holy Mother, Most Holy Mary, you undo the knots that suffocate your children. Extend your merciful hands to me. I entrust to You today this knot [mention your request here] and all the negative consequences that it provokes in my life. I give you this knot that torments me and makes me unhappy and so impedes me from uniting myself to You and Your Son Jesus, my Savior. 
I run to You, Mary, Undoer of Knots, because I trust you and I know that you never despise a sinning child who comes to ask you for help. I believe that you can undo this knot because Jesus grants you everything. I believe that you want to undo this knot because you are my Mother. I believe that You will do this because you love me with eternal love. Thank you, Dear Mother.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

* See Closing Prayers below.

Mary, Beloved Mother, channel of all grace, I return to You today my heart, recognizing that I am a sinner in need of your help. Many times I lose the graces you grant me because of my sins of egoism, pride, rancor and my lack of generosity and humility. I turn to You today, Mary, Undoer of knots, for You to ask your Son Jesus to grant me a pure, divested, humble and trusting heart. I will live today practicing these virtues and offering you this as a sign of my love for You. I entrust into Your hands this knot [mention your request here] which keeps me from reflecting the glory of God.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

* See Closing Prayers below.

Meditating Mother, Queen of heaven, in whose hands the treasures of the King are found, turn your merciful eyes upon me today. I entrust into your holy hands this knot in my life [mention your request here] and all the rancor and resentment it has caused in me. I ask Your forgiveness, God the Father, for my sin. Help me now to forgive all the persons who consciously or unconsciously provoked this knot. Give me, also, the grace to forgive myself for having provoked this knot. Only in this way can You undo it. Before You, dearest Mother, and in the name of Your Son Jesus, my Savior, who has suffered so many offenses, having been granted forgiveness, I now forgive these persons [mention their names here] and myself, forever. Thank you, Mary, Undoer of Knots for undoing the knot of rancor in my heart and the knot which I now present to you. Amen.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

* See Closing Prayers below.

Dearest Holy Mother, you are generous with all who seek you, have mercy on me. I entrust into your hands this knot which robs the peace of my heart, paralyzes my soul and keeps me from going to my Lord and serving Him with my life. 
Undo this knot in my love [mention your request here], O Mother, and ask Jesus to heal my paralytic faith, which gets downhearted with the stones on the road. Along with you, dearest Mother, may I see these stones as friends. Not murmuring against them anymore but giving endless thanks for them, may I smile trustingly in your power.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

* See Closing Prayers below.

Mother, Undoer of Knots, generous and compassionate, I come to You today to once again entrust this knot [mention your request here] in my life to you and to ask the divine wisdom to undo, under the light of the Holy Spirit, this snarl of problems. No one ever saw you angry; to the contrary, your words were so charged with sweetness that the Holy Spirit was manifested on your lips. Take away from me the bitterness, anger, and hatred which this knot has caused me. Give me, O dearest Mother, some of the sweetness and wisdom that is all silently reflected in your heart. And just as you were present at Pentecost, ask Jesus to send me a new presence of the Holy Spirit at this moment in my life. Holy Spirit, come upon me!

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

* See Closing Prayers below.

Queen of Mercy, I entrust to you this knot in my life [mention your request here] and I ask you to give me a heart that is patient until you undo it. Teach me to persevere in the living word of Jesus, in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Confession; stay with me and prepare my heart to celebrate with the angels the grace that will be granted to me. Amen! Alleluia!

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

* See Closing Prayers below.

Mother Most Pure, I come to You today to beg you to undo this knot in my life [mention your request here] and free me from the snares of evil. God has granted you great power over all the demons. I renounce all of them today, every connection I have had with them, and I proclaim Jesus as my one and only Lord and Savior. Mary, Undoer of Knots, crush the evil one’s head and destroy the traps he has set for me by this knot. Thank you, dearest Mother. Most Precious Blood of Jesus, free me!

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

* See Closing Prayers below.

Virgin Mother of God, overflowing with mercy, have mercy on your child and undo this knot [mention your request here] in my life. I need your visit to my life, like you visited Elizabeth. Bring me Jesus, bring me the Holy Spirit. Teach me to practice the virtues of courage, joyfulness, humility, and faith, and, like Elizabeth, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Make me joyfully rest on your bosom, Mary. I consecrate you as my mother, queen, and friend. I give you my heart and everything I have—my home and family, my material and spiritual goods. I am yours forever. Put your heart in me so that I can do everything Jesus tells me.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

* See Closing Prayers below.

Most Holy Mary, our Advocate, Undoer of Knots, I come today to thank you for undoing this knot in my life.

[Mention your request here]

You know very well the suffering it has caused me. Thank you for coming, Mother, with your long fingers of mercy to dry the tears in my eyes; you receive me in your arms and make it possible for me to receive once again the divine grace. Mary, Undoer of Knots, dearest Mother, I thank you for undoing the knots in my life. Wrap me in your mantle of love, keep me under your protection, enlighten me with your peace! Amen.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

* See Closing Prayers below.

Prayer in honor of the First Sorrow of Mary

Most sorrowful Virgin, sorrow filled your heart when, on offering your divine Son in the temple, holy Simeon told you that a sword would pierce yur soul, and you knew then that you would be asked to suffer with Jesus. I wish to join with you in this sorrow, and I ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me the grace that I may always remember my death, which will help to keep me form all sin.

Hail Mary…

Prayer in honour of the Second Sorrow of Mary

Most holy and sorrowful Virgin, sorrow filled your motherly heart when you saw your divine Son hated by Herod and you had to flee with him to Egypt, to save him. I wish to join with you in this sorrow and ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me the grace to avoid all the temptations of my enemies on the difficult road to heaven.

Hail Mary…

Prayer in honour of the Third Sorrow of Mary

Most sorrowful Virgin, sorrow filled your heart when you were separated from your divine Son, who remained lost for three days in Jerusalem while you looked everywhere for him. I wish to join with you in the sorrow you felt then, and I ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me the grace never to lose Jesus your Son, but always to remain united to him by the help of his grace.

Hail Mary…

Prayer in honour of the Fourth Sorrow of Mary

Most sorrowful Mother, sorrow filled your motherly heart when you followed your dear Son to Calvary, and saw him falling under the wieght of the Cross. I wish to join with you in this sorrow, and I ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me the grace to bear with patience whatever cross it will please God to send me.

Hail Mary…

Prayer in honour of the Fifth Sorrow of Mary

Most sorrowful Mother, the greatest sorrow filled your heart when you stood near the Cross of Jesus, and watched him die in suffering for the sins of the world, without being able to do anything to help him. I wish to join with you in this sorrow, and ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me the grace to fight against all my temptations, even though it costs me effort and suffering and death, so that, strengthened by his love when I am dying, I may obtain the grace of a happy death.

Hail Mary…

Prayer in honour of the Sixth Sorrow of Mary

Most Sorrowful Mother, sorrow filled your heart when the adorable body of your divine Son was taken down from the Cross and laid in your arms. I wish to join with you in this sorrow, and ask you to obtain for me the grace to receive Jesus into my soul before I die, so that I may be perfectly inited to him for ever in heaven.

Hail Mary…

Prayer in honour of the Seventh Sorrow of Mary

Most sorrowful Virgin, sorrow again filled your heart when the sacred body of Jesus was taken from your arms and placed in the grave. I wish to join with you in this last sorrow of yours, and ask you to obtain for me, through the sufferings of Jesus, which were the cause of all your sorrow, a sincere sorrow for my sins, a burning love for God, and a tender and practical devotion towards you.

Hail Mary…

1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families and will unite families that are divided.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge during life and above all in death.
5. I will bestow the blessings of Heaven on all their enterprises.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise quickly to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored and will imprint My love on the hearts of those who would wear this image on their person. I will also destroy in them all disordered movements.
10. I will give to priests who are animated by a tender devotion to my Divine Heart the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart, never to be effaced.
12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence: they will not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their Sacraments. My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

• Receiving Communion Frequently
• Going to Confession and receiving the Eucharist on the first Friday of each month, for nine consecutive months. (If it isn’t offered at your parish, you can go privately to Confession & offer your prayers for the Holy Father’s intentions).
• Celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
• The Feast of the Sacred Heart has also been established by Saint Pope John Paul II as the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

Labor day usually brings to mind images of factory workers, farmers or heavy equipment operators. Yet we also use labor to describe the first work which brought each one of us to birth: those first hours of maternal sacrifice which brought us into the world. It's too easy to forget that and all the other sacrifices which the vocation of motherhood entails. Pray for the mothers in labor today. Those who give birth. Those who work two jobs to support a child. Those who go without so their child's needs are met. Those whose patient endurance is a sign of God's love upon the cross.

'At first I was scared,' Sarah told me. 'I was scared, excited and filled with the most incredible expectation. It was like those words we hear at Mass: we wait in joyful hope. I thought of all those women who feel the first kick, the stirrings of life deep within them. I prayed for them, that they would love their child, cherish their little baby and know that in being a mother they are involved in something so much bigger than themselves. They have been chosen by God to be custodians of the mystery of life. At first I was scared, and then I just cried ... with joy.'

'At first I was petrified", Jon told me. "Petrified that I would faint or get in the way or not know what to do to help Sarah. But then I prayed to Mary. I know, praying to Mary is something you?d think a mother would be doing. But somehow, I think Mary understood Saint Joseph more than anyone else. She probably saw the fear in his eyes and sensed the restlessness of his heart. She probably spent a lot of time praying for him as well. And when I prayed to Mary for my child about to be born, I knew she understood and heard me and prayed for me to her son. At first I was petrified, and then I put everything into God's hands."

The eyes of a child are an infinite well of life, hope and goodness. If you doubt the value of life, look into the eyes of a child. If you are worn by life's worries, look into the eyes of a child. If you want to see tomorrow, look into the eyes of a child. And what you will see is the divine spark which brought beauty out of chaos, the infinite beauty, which is the presence of the Creator in his creation.

I know of a family which prays each night. Since the kids were little they are gathered from their games and their grumbling to the couch in the living room. There they pray for those whom they love and those they have a hard time loving. They pray for the unborn and for little babies. They pray for the sick and the dying. They pray for the Church and for their priest. Many a night it was the knowledge of those prayers that gave me hope and peace and a good night's sleep.

I know of another family which used to pray for unborn children every Friday night. They chose Friday because that's when Christ, innocent and without sin, was sent to the cross. There's no prayer more powerful than that said over little folded hands asking God to take care of all the babies who you've made.

We look all around us at Church and see them: all the people whose kids never seem to scream and who look like they haven't a problem in the world! But what if we really knew them? We would see the 'secret sufferings' that mirror our own. Mass is the gathering of those who have looked at the their own brokenness through the lens of the cross, and live! Today is the perfect day to pray for all God's broken children and especially those who are tempted to break the lives of others.

Each time I pray, I am called to join my prayer with Christ's perfect prayer upon the cross. It is easy from the vantage of the cross to see the world clearly. To see how easy it is to join the suffering of the innocent to the suffering of him who is without sin. We should work for an end to all the forms of violence which threaten life. That is a wonderful good. But it is even more important to stand with the Virgin Mother and to beg her son to come to our aid.

We end as we began nine days ago: with Mary, weeping silently beside the cross. Weeping for the innocent child so violently taken. Weeping for the nation which has let him die. Weeping for her child and for our, we place them both in her arms.

O most sweet infant Jesus, who descended from the bosom of the eternal Father into the womb of the Virgin Mary, where, conceived by the Holy Ghost, you took upon yourself, O Incarnate Word, the form of a servant for our salvation. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us, O Lord. Have mercy on us.

Hail Mary…

O most sweet infant Jesus, who by means of your Virgin Mother, visited St. Elizabeth, and filled your servant, St. John the Baptist, with the Holy Spirit, sanctifying him from his mother’s womb.

Have mercy on us.

Have mercy on us, O Lord. Have mercy on us.

Hail Mary…

O most sweet infant Jesus, who waited for nine months enclosed in the womb, and inflamed the heart of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph with the most powerful love and expectation, all for the salvation of the world. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us, 0 Lord. Have mercy on us.

O most sweet infant Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, wrapped in poor swaddling clothes, laid in the manger, glorified by angels, and visited by shepherds. Have mercy on us.

Have mercy on us, O Lord. Have mercy on us.

Hail Mary…

O Jesus born of Virgin bright, Immortal glory be to thee; Praise to the Father infinite, And Holy Ghost eternally. Christ is at hand. O come, let us worship him.

Our Father…

O most sweet infant Jesus, circumcised when eight days old, and called by the glorious name of Jesus, and proclaimed both by your name and by your blood, to be the Savior of the world.

Have mercy on us.

Have mercy on us, O Lord. Have mercy on us.

Hail Mary…

O most sweet infant Jesus, presented in the temple by the Virgin Mary, embraced by Simeon, and revealed to the Jews by Anna the prophetess. Have mercy on us.

Have mercy on us, O Lord. Have mercy on us.

Hail Mary…

O most sweet infant Jesus, whom Herod tried to slay, carried by St. Joseph with your Mother into Egypt, saved from death by flight, and glorified by the blood of the holy innocents. Have mercy on. us.

Have mercy on us. O Lord. Have mercy on us.

Hail Mary…

O Jesu! born of Virgin bright, Immortal glory be to thee Praise to the Father infinite, And Holy Ghost eternally.

Christ is at hand. 0 come, let us worship him.

Our Father…