My Family Prayer Book

  May 13: Feast of Our Lady of Fatima Exactly 105 years ago today, our Lady appeared to three poor shepherd children : Lúcia dos Santos and her friends Francisco and Jacinta Marto, in Fatima, Portugal   They reported witnessing, between 13 May and 13 October 1917, six apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom they described as " a Lady more brilliant than the Sun ".  She asked them to devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to pray "the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war" Lúcia also said that she heard Mary ask for the following words to be added to the Rosary after the Gloria Patri prayer: " O my Jesus, pardon us, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need ." After newspapers reported that the Virgin Mary had promised a miracle for the last of her apparitions on 13 October, a huge crowd, between 30,000 and 100,000, including reporters and photographers, gathered at Cova da...

  September 15: Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15, the day after the feast of the Exaltation of The Holy Cross, to show the close connection between Jesus' Passion and Mother Mary's intense deep sufferings and sorrows.  The principal biblical references to Mary’s sorrows are in Luke 2:35: “… and (he said to Mary) a sword will pierce through your own soul also that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed. ” The feast, also called "The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (Latin: Septem Dolorum Beatae Mariae Virginis ), dates back to 1232 in Tuscany and the founding of the Servite Order . Pope Benedict XIII added it to the Roman Calendar in 1727.  In 1817 Pius VII — suffering grievously in exile in France but finally liberated by Mary's intercession — extended the feast to the universal Church. In 1913, Pope Pius X , in view of his reform giving precedence to Sundays over ordinary f...

  September 8: Nativity of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary  With two notable exceptions, the Church usually celebrates Saints’ feast days not on the day they were born, but rather the day they died and entered into eternity. These two exceptions are: Mother Mary’s birth on September 8th, and John the Baptist’s birth on June 24th. We find the account of the nativity of St. John the Baptist in the Gospel of St. Luke (Lk 1:5-25’ 57-66).  But the four Gospels, centered as they are on the mystery of Christ and His salvific mission, do not provide a similar account of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The story of Mary’s birth comes from an old text — not part of the Canon of the Bible — called the “ Protoevangelium of James ” written around 135-170 AD. According to the Protoevangelium of James 5:2, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saints Joachim and Anne (or Anna), were having difficulties conceiving a child. As recorded, “ Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and...

  Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Novena begins: August 13 Novena ends on the Feast Day: August 22 Day 1 – Novena to The Immaculate Heart of Mary Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.  O Immaculate Heart of Mary, full of goodness, show your love towards us. Let the flame of your heart, O Mary, descend on all people. We love you immensely. Impress true love in our hearts so that we have a continuous desire for you. O Mary, gentle and humble of heart, remember us when we are in sin. You know that all men sin. Give us, by means of your Immaculate Heart, spiritual health. Let us always see the goodness of your motherly heart and may we be converted by means of the flame of your heart. Amen  (Mention your request here…)    Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be… Day 2 – Novena to The Immaculate Heart of Mary Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and...

  Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena Begins: June 18 Feast Day: June 27 Our Lady of Perpetual Help Prayer O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke Thy most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. O Purest Mary, O Sweetest Mary, let Thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O Blessed Lady, to help me whenever I call on Thee, for, in all my needs, in all my temptations I shall never cease to call on Thee, ever repeating Thy sacred name, Mary, Mary. O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fill my soul when I pronounce Thy sacred name, or even only think of Thee. I thank God for having given Thee, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely pronouncing Thy name: let my love for Thee prompt me ever to hail Thee, Mother of Perpet...