Novena of the Miraculous Medal

Opening Prayer:

O Most Holy Virgin, O my Mother, ask thy Son on my behalf for

everything my soul and all mankind needs so that thy Reign be

established on earth. My most earnest request is that

thou mayest triumph in me and in all souls and implant thy Reign on earth. Amen.

First Day

The First Apparition

During the night of July 18-19, 1830, the Most Holy Virgin appeared for the first

time to Saint Catherine Labouré, who had been awakened and led from the dormitory

to the chapel by her guardian angel.

In the sanctuary, Saint Catherine later wrote:

“I heard something like the rustling of a silk dress,

coming from the side of the tribune, close to Saint Joseph’s picture.

She alighted on the steps of the altar on the Gospel side,

in an arm chair like Saint Anne’s... As I looked up at Our Lady

I flung myself close to her, falling on my knees on the altar steps,

my hands resting in her knees. That was the sweetest moment of my life.”

Let us pray:

O Most Holy Virgin, O my Mother, look on my soul with mercy,

obtain for me a spirit of prayer that leads me always to have

recourse to thee. Obtain for me the graces that I implore of thee and,

above all, inspire me to pray for the graces that thou most wants to grant me.

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be...

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Second Day

Protection of Mary in times of trial

“The times are very evil, misfortunes are going to befall France,

the throne will be overthrown, the whole world will be overwhelmed

with misfortunes of every kind.” The Holy Virgin looked very distressed

as she said this. “But come to the foot of this altar. Here graces will

be bestowed on anyone, great or small, who asks for them with confidence

and fervor... A moment will come of such great danger that all will seem lost.

But I shall be with you.”

Let us pray:

O Most Holy Virgin, O my Mother, amidst the great desolation in the world

and the Church, obtain for me the graces I ask of thee and inspire me,

above all, to request the graces that thou most wants to grant me.

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be...

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Third Day

Statue of St. Catherine kneeling beside Our Lady at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Rue de Bac, France. First Apparition of Our Lady, July 18, 1830The Cross will be despised

“The Cross will be despised and hurled to the ground, blood will

run in the streets, the Side of Our Lord will be opened again.

The archbishop will be stripped of his garments.” Here the Holy Virgin,

her face filled with sadness, could no longer speak.

“My child, the whole world will be plunged in sorrow,” she said to me.

Let us pray:

O Most Holy Virgin, O my Mother, obtain for me the grace to live

in union with thee, with thy Divine Son and the Church at this crucial

moment in history, as tragic as the Passion, when all humanity is

about to choose sides for or against Christ! Obtain for me the graces

I implore, especially the grace of requesting that which thou most wants to grant me.

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be...

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Fourth Day

Image of the Miraculous MedalMary crushes the head of the serpent

At 5:30 on the evening of November 27, 1830, as Saint Catherine was praying

in the chapel, the Holy Virgin appeared to her for the second time,

standing as high as Saint Joseph’s picture to the right of the main altar.

“Her face was so beautiful that it would be impossible for me to describe it.

Her robe was white as the glow of dawn... Her head was covered with a white veil

that extended to her feet which rested on a half sphere, with her heel crushing

the head of a serpent.” Let us pray: O Most Holy Virgin, O my Mother, be my protection against the

assaults of the infernal enemy. Obtain for me the graces I am asking of thee and,

above all, inspire me to request the graces that thou most wants to grant me.

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be...

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Statue of Our Lady presenting the world to God on 2nd apparition,

November 27, 1830, Rue de Bac Chapel

Fifth Day

The Virgin of the globe

The Holy Virgin holds a globe in her hands representing the whole world,

and each person in particular, and offers it to God, imploring His mercy.

She wears rings on her fingers, bearing precious stones that shed rays,

one more beautiful than the next, symbolizing the graces that the Holy Virgin

pours out on those who ask for them.

Let us pray: O Most Holy Virgin, O my Mother, obtain for me the graces I am asking of thee and inspire me, above all, to request the graces that thou most wants to grant me.

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be...

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Sixth Day

Image of the Miraculous MedalThe invocation on the medal

During the second apparition, Our Blessed Mother explained to

Saint Catherine “how pleased she is when people pray to her and how

generous she is with them; how she gives special graces to those who ask;

and what a great joy she takes in granting them.”

At that point “a frame formed around Our Lady, like an oval,

bearing the following words in gold letters:

‘O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.’”

Let us pray: O Most Holy Virgin, O my Mother, obtain for me the graces

I am asking of thee and inspire me, above all, to request the graces that

thou most wants to grant me.

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be...

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Second apparition of Our Lady to St. Catherine on

November 27th, 1830 revealing the configuration of the Miraculous Medal.

Seventh Day

Revelation of the medal

Then a voice was heard, saying, “Have a medal struck after this model.

Those who wear it, blessed, around their neck will receive

great graces. The graces will be abundant for those who wear it with confidence.”

Let us pray: O Most Holy Virgin, O my Mother, obtain for me the graces

that I ask of thee and inspire me, above all, to pray for the graces that

thou most wants to grant me.

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be...

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Eighth Day

Image of the Miraculous Medal

The hearts of Jesus and Mary

After contemplating the picture on the medal,

Saint Catherine saw it turn to display the back.

There she saw an “M,” the monogram of Mary,

surmounted by a small cross and, below it,

the hearts of Jesus and Mary, the first surrounded with thorns

and the latter pierced with a sword.

Twelve stars surrounded the hearts and the monogram.

Let us pray: O Immaculate Heart of Mary, make my heart like unto thine.

Obtain for me the graces I am asking of thee and, above all,

inspire me to ask of thee the graces thou most wants to grant me.

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be...

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Ninth Day

St. Catherine Labouré, whom Our Lady entrusted the making of the Miraculous Medal.

Mary will be proclaimed Queen of the Universe Confirming

the predictions of Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort,

Saint Catherine says that the Most Holy Virgin will be

proclaimed Queen of the Universe:

“Oh! how beautiful it will be to hear: Mary is the Queen of the Universe.

The children and everyone will cry with joy and rapture.

That will be a lasting era of peace and happiness.

She will be displayed on standards and paraded all over the world.”

Let us pray: O Most Holy Virgin, O my Mother, obtain for me the graces

I am asking of thee and inspire me, above all,

to pray for the graces that thou most wants to grant me.

Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be...

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

About the Miraculous Medal

In 1830, during the apparitions in the chapel on Rue du Bac in Paris,

the Holy Virgin presented the Miraculous Medal to Saint Catherine Labouré:

“Those who wear it, blessed, around their neck will receive great graces.

The graces will be abundant for those who wear it with confidence.”

Image of the Miraculous Medal At the time of Saint Catherine Labouré’s death,

the distribution of the medal in the world had surpassed the one billion mark.

The innumerable conversions, cures and cases of extraordinary protection,

quickly lead to its being called the “Miraculous Medal.”

Wearing and disseminating the Miraculous Medal means placing

oneself under the protection of the Most Holy Virgin.

It means placing oneself under the sign of the Immaculate and

taking a stand in face of the troubles and indifference affecting the modern world.

“The whole world will be overwhelmed by misfortunes of all kinds...

All will seem lost, but I shall be with you,”

the Holy Virgin promised Saint Catherine,

who repeated this prophecy till the end of her life.

The rays coming from Our Lady’s hands symbolize the graces

she obtains for everyone who prays to her with confidence.

Fatima prayers

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy. Amen

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love thee! I ask forgiveness for those who do not believe,do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee!

Grant Me perseverance, Lord!

Grant me, O Lord the grace of perseverance in every situation, in every predicament,

and in all bitter moments.

Let me be faithful even when forsaken,

abandoned and defeated.

Let me remain steadfast even when I see

everyone around me dozing off into the sleep of indifference,

or giving themselves over to the Concupiscence of earthly things to the point of madness.

The Divine Praises

Blessed be God.

Blessed be His Holy Name.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.

Blessed be the Name of Jesus.

Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.

Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.

Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.

Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.

Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.

O Sanctissima

O sanctissima, o piissima, dulcis Virgo Maria! Mater amata, intemerata, ora, ora pro nobis.

Tu solatium et refugium, Virgo Mater Maria. Quidquid optamus, per te speramus; ora, ora pro nobis.

Ecce debiles, perquam flebiles; salva nos, o Maria! Tolle languores, sana dolores; ora, ora pro nobis.

Virgo, respice, Mater, aspice; audi nos, o Maria! Tu medicinam portas divinam; ora, ora pro nobis.

O most holy, o most loving, sweet Virgin Mary! Beloved Mother, undefiled, pray, pray for us.

You are solace and refuge, Virgin, Mother Mary. Whatever we wish, we hope it through you; pray, pray for us.

Look, we are weak and deeply deplorable; save us, o Mary! Take away our lassitude, heal our pains; pray, pray for us.

Virgin, look at us, Mother, care for us; hear us, o Mary! You bring divine medicine; pray, pray for us.

Prayer of Marian Consecration [composed by Maximilian Kolbe]

Ml Prayer of Marian Consecration (Composed by St. Maximilian Kolbe)

O IMMACULATA, Queen of Heaven and earth, ref­uge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet, humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, what­ever most pleases you. If it pleases you, use all that I am and have with­out reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: "She will crush your head," and "You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world." Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and mer­ciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indif­ferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of J e­s us. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise you, 0 Sacred Virgin

R. Give me strength against your enemies.

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world:

Have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Ghost,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us. (repeat at end of each phrase.)

Holy Mother of God,

Holy Virgin of virgins,

Mother of Christ,

Mother of divine grace,

Mother most pure,

Mother most chaste,

Mother inviolate,

Mother undefiled,

Mother most amiable,

Mother most admirable,

Mother of good counsel,

Mother of our Creator,

Mother of our Savior,

Virgin most prudent,

Virgin most venerable,

Virgin most renowned,

Virgin most powerful,

Virgin most merciful,

Virgin most faithful,

Mirror of justice,

Seat of wisdom,

Cause of our joy,

Spiritual vessel,

Vessel of honor,

Singular vessel of devotion,

Mystical rose,

Tower of David,

Tower of ivory,

House of gold,

Ark of the covenant,

Gate of Heaven,

Morning star,

Health of the sick,

Refuge of sinners,

Comforter of the afflicted,

Help of Christians,

Queen of angels,

Queen of patriarchs,

Queen of prophets,

Queen of apostles,

Queen of martyrs,

Queen of confessors,

Queen of virgins,

Queen of all saints,

Queen conceived without original sin,

Queen assumed into heaven,

Queen of the most holy Rosary,

Queen of peace.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,

Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,

Graciously hear us O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,

Have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.



Let us pray: Grant, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, that we Thy servants may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, through the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be freed from present sorrow, and enjoy eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

It is good, and comforting to remember when praying the Litany to the Blessed Virgin Mary, that, as St. Bernard once put it “Mary has made herself all to all, and opens her merciful heart to all, that all may receive of her fullness: the sick, health; those in affliction, comfort; the sinner, pardon, and God, glory.”

Saint Louis De Montfort

THE FIERY PRAYER FOR THE APOSTLES OF THE LATTER TIMES BY SAINT LOUIS DE MONTFORT .

“Mary's power over the evil spirits will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lie in wait for her heel, that is, for her humble servants and her poor children whom she will rouse to fight against him. In the eyes of the world they will be little and poor” but they would “be rich in God's graces, which will be abundantly bestowed on them by Mary. In union with Mary, they will crush the head of Satan with their heel, that is, their humility, and bring victory to Jesus Christ.”

(Saint Louis de Montfort)

. Remember, O Lord, remember Thy congregation which Thou did possess from the beginning and think of from all eternity. It was held in Thy Almighty hand when, by a word, Thou didst create the world out of nothing. It was hidden in Thy heart when Thy Divine Son, dying on the Cross, consecrated it by His death and confided it, as a precious treasure, to the care of His most dear Mother: Remember Thy congregation, which Thou hast possessed from the beginning (Ps. 73:2). .

Accomplish, O Lord, Thy merciful designs; raise up the men of Thy right hand, such men as Thou hast shown in prophetic vision to some of Thy greatest servants - to St. Francis of Paola, to St. Vincent Ferrer, to St. Catherine of Siena, and to many other noble souls during the last two centuries. .

Remember, O Lord: O Almighty God, remember this Company, applying to it all the might of Thy arm, which has no limits, to create, to produce and to bring it to perfection. .

Great God, Thou Who out of the very stones can raise up children to Abraham, in the might of Thy Godhead say but one word to provide good laborers for Thy harvest and missionaries for Thy Church. .

Remember, O Lord: God of infinite goodness, remember Thy mercies of old and, through this mercy, remember this congregation. Remember Thy repeated promises that Thou has made to us by Thy Prophets and by Thine Own Son to grant us all our lawful requests. Remember the prayers that have been offered To Thee by Thy servants for this end for so many centuries. Let their wishes, their sighs, their tears, and the blood that they have shed for Thee come into Thy presence and earnestly implore Thy mercy. But, above all, remember Thy Dear Son: Look on the face of Thy Christ (Ps. 83:10). Contemplate His agony, His shame and confusion, His loving complaint in the Gar- den of Olives, when He said: What profit is there in My Blood? (Ps. 29:10). .

His cruel death, His Blood that poured forth cries out for mercy so that, by means of this congregation, His Kingdom may be established upon the ruins of that of His enemies. .

Remember, O Lord: Remember, O Lord, this community in the effects of Thy justice. It is time, O Lord, to do: they have dissipated Thy law(Ps. 118:126). It is time to do what Thou has promised: Thy Divine Law is transgressed. Thy Gospel is ignored, Thy religion abandoned. Torrents of iniquity overwhelm the world, carrying away even Thy servants; the whole earth has become desolate; impiety is enthroned; Thy sanctuary is profaned, and abomination has reached even into the holy place. .

Will Thou suffer this any longer, just Lord, God of vengeance? Will the end of all be like that of Sodom and Gomorrah? Will Thou be forever silent? Must not Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven? Must not Thy Kingdom come? Hast Thou not given to some of Thy friends a prophetic glimpse of the future renovation of Thy Church? Are not the Jews to be converted to the Truth? Is not this what Thy Church is awaiting? Do not all the Saints in heaven cry out to Thee: Avenge Thyself? Do not all the just on earth say to Thee: Amen. Come, O Lord, for the time is at hand (Apoc. 22:20). Do not all creatures, even the most insensible, moan under the weight of the numberless sins of Babylon and call for Thy coming to reestablish all things?For we know that every creature groaneth (Rom. 8:22). .

Lord Jesus, Remember Thy congregation. Remember to give to Thy Mother a new company who, through Her, will renew all things and thus, through Mary, complete the years of grace just as, through Her, Thou did begin them. .

Give me children, otherwise I shall die (Gen. 30:1): Give to Thy Mother children, servants, or let me die. Give Thy Mother children. It is for Thy Mother’s sake that I pray to Thee. Remember that Thou did dwell within her womb, were nourished at Her breasts, and reject me not. Remember whose Son Thou art and hear me. Remember what She is to Thee and what Thou art to Her, and grant my request. What is it I am asking from Thee? Nothing for myself, all for Thy glory. What am I asking of Thee? What Thou can, and even, I dare say, what Thou should grant me, being as Thou art the true God to Whom all power has been given in heaven and on earth and the best of all children, for Thou loved Thy Mother with an infinite love. .

What am I asking of Thee? .

Children: Priests, free with Thy freedom, detached from all things, without father or mother, or brothers or sisters, without relations according to the world, without means, without worry, without cares, and even without any will of their own. .

Children: Slaves of Thy love and of Thy will: men according to Thy heart, who, without self-will to stain and hold them back, accomplish all Thy designs and crush all Thy enemies; other Davids, with the staff of the Cross and the sling of the holy Rosary in their hands. .

Children: souls raised above this earth like heavenly dew who, without impediment, fly hither and thither in accordance with the breath of the Holy Spirit. It was they, in part, Thy Prophets spoke of when they asked: Who are these that fly as clouds? (Is. 60:8). Wither the impulse of the Spirit was to go, there they went(Ez. 1:12). .

Children: Men ever at Thy hand, ever ready to obey Thee, like Samuel, at the voice of their Superiors: Presto sum: I am ready, every ready to run and suffer everything with Thee and for Thee, like the Apostles: Let us also go ,that we may die with Him (John 11:16). .

Children: True Children of Mary, Thy Holy Mother, who are begotten and concealed by Her charity, carried in Her bosom, fastened to Her breasts, nourished with Her milk, reared under Her care, upheld by Her arms, and enriched with Her graces. .

Children: True servants of the Blessed Virgin, who, like other Saint Dominics, would go everywhere carrying the bright and burning torch of the Holy Gospel in their mouths and the holy Rosary in their hands; barking, like faithful watchdogs, at the wolves who would fain tear to pieces the flock of Jesus Christ; burning like fires and lighting up the darkness of the World like other suns. Men who would, by means of a true devotion to Mary, that is to say, interior, not hypocritical; exterior, not critical; prudent, not ignorant; tender, not indifferent; constant, not unsteady; and holy, without presumption, crush wherever they go the head of the old serpent, in order that the curse Thou placed on him might be entirely fulfilled: I will put enmities between thee and the Woman and thy seed and Her seed: She shall crush thy head (Gen. 3:15). .

It is true, great God, that as Thou has predicted, the world will lay mighty snares to entrap the heel of this mysterious woman, that is to say, the little company of her children who will emerge toward the end of the world, and that there will be a mighty enmity between this blessed posterity of Mary and the cursed race of Satan. But it is a divine enmity, and the only one of which Thou art the author: I will put enmities. But these combats and persecutions that the children of the race of Belial will inflict on Thy Blessed Mother’s race will only serve to show to greater advantage the power of Thy grace and the courage of their virtue and the authority of Thy Mother, since Thou hast given to Her, from the beginning of the world, the commission to curse this proud spirit by the humility of Her Heart: She shall crush thy head. .

If not this, then I shall die: Is it not better that I should die rather than see my God cruelly offended every day and myself in constant danger of being carried away by the unopposed and ever-increasing torrents of iniquity? Ah, death would be to me a thousand times preferable. Either send me help from heaven or take away my soul. Yes, if I did not hope that sooner or later Thou would, in the interest of Thy glory, hear his poor sinner as Thou has already heard so many others: This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him (Ps. 33:7), then I would pray to Thee just as the Prophet did: Take away my soul! (Kings 19:4)

. But the confidence that I have in Thy mercy makes me say with another Prophet: I shall not die, but live; and shall declare the works of the Lord (Ps. 117:17) until I can say with Simeon: Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, in peace, because my eyes have seen Thy salvation(Luke 2:29). .

Remember, O Lord, O Holy Spirit, remember to produce and to form children of God with Thy divine and faithful Spouse, Mary. Thou did form Jesus Christ, the Chief of the predestined, with Her and in Her. It is with Her and in Her that Thou should form all His members; Thou did beget no divine person in the Divinity; but it is Thou alone Who forms all holy persons out of the Divinity; and all the saints that have been or shall be until the end of the world are so many works of Thy love united with Mary. The special reign of God the Father lasted until the Deluge, and was concluded by a deluge of water. The reign of Jesus Christ was concluded by a deluge of Blood. But Thy reign, Spirit of the Father and of the Son, continues at the present time and will be concluded by deluge of fire, of love, of justice. .

When shall it come, this deluge of fire and pure love, which Thou art to enkindle in all the earth with so much strength and sweetness that all nations, Turks, idolaters, even the Jews, will burn with it and be converted? And there is no one who can hide himself from his heat (Ps. 18:7). .

May it be enkindled: May this divine fire, which Jesus Christ came to bring the world be enkindled before that of Thy anger, which will reduce everything to ashes. Send forth Thy spirit and they shall be created; and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth (Ps. 103:30). Send forth the spirit of fire upon the earth to create priests all aflame, by whose ministry the face of the earth may be renewed and the Church reformed. .

Remember Thy congregation, O Lord: It is a congregation, an assembly, a choice selection of predestined souls, which Thou must make in the world and of the world: I have chosen you out of the world (John 15:19). It is a flock of peaceful sheep which Thou must collect from among the wolves; a company of chaste doves and royal eagles from among so many ravens; a swarm of honey bees from among so many wasps; a herd of fleet deer from among so many tortoises; a battalion of courageous lions from among so many timid hares. Ah! Lord: Gather us from among the nations (Ps. 105:47). Call us together, unite us, that we may render all glory to Thy holy and powerful name. .

Thou did predict this illustrious company to Thy Prophets who spoke of it in inspired, although in very obscure and very secret, terms: .

Thou shall set aside for Thy inheritance a free rain, O God; and it was weakened, but Thou hast made it perfect. In it shall Thy animals dwell: in Thy sweetness, O God, Thou hast provided for the poor. The Lord shall give the word to them that preach good tidings with great power. The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved; and the beauty of the house shall divide spoils. If you sleep among the midst of lots, you shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and the hinder parts of her back with the paleness of gold. When He that is in heaven appointed kings over her, they shall be white with snow in Selmon. The mountain of God is a fat mountain. A curdled mountain, a fat mountain. Why suspect, ye curdled mountains? A mountain in which God is well pleased to swell: for there the Lord shall dwell unto the end (Ps. 67: 10-17). .

What is this voluntary rain which Thou has separated and chosen for Thy weakened heritage if not these missionaries, these children of Mary, Thy Spouse, whom Thou art to assemble and to separate from the world for the good of Thy Church so afflicted and so weakened by the crimes of her children? .

What are these animals and these poor who will dwell in Thy heritage, to be there nourished with the heavenly sweetness that Thou has prepared for them, if not these poor missionaries trusting in Providence, who will be satiated with Thy divine joys; if not those mysterious animals of Ezekiel, having the humanity of man by their disinterest and beneficent charity toward their neighbor; the courage of the lion by their holy anger and their ardent, prudent zeal against the demons and the children of Babylon; and the strength of the ox by their apostolic labors and their mortification of the flesh, and finally, the swiftness of the eagle by their contemplation in God? .

These are the missionaries whom Thou wish to send to Thy Church. They shall have the eye of a man for their neighbor, the eye of a lion for Thy enemies, the eye of an ox for themselves, and the eye of an eagle for Thee. These imitators of the Apostles shall preach with a strength and a virtue so great and so striking that they will stir up all minds and all hearts, wheresover they will preach. It is to them that Thou wilt give Thy word: even Thy mouth and Thy wisdom: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist or gainsay(Luke 21: 15), which none of Thy enemies will be able to resist. .

It is among these well-beloved that Thou, Holy Spirit, as King of the virtues of Jesus Christ, the Well-Beloved, will take Thy delight. For in all their missions, they shall have no other end in view than that of giving to Thee all the glory of the spoils taken from Thy enemies: The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved, and the beauty of the house shall divide the spoils. .

By their trust in Providence and their devotion to Mary, they shall have the silvery wings of the dove: that is to say, a perfect charity toward their neighbors to bear with their defects, and a great love for Jesus Christ to carry His Cross. .

Thou alone, as King of heaven and King of kings, shall set apart from the world these missionaries like so many kings, in order to make them whiter than the snow on the top of Mount Selmon, the mountain of God, the strong and fertile mountain in which God takes wonderful delight and in which He dwells and shall dwell until the end. .

Lord God of Truth, Who is this mysterious mountain of which Thou speakest such wonderful things if not Mary, Thy dear Spouse, whose foundation Thou has placed upon the tops of the highest mountains? The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains ... the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of mountains (Ps. 86:1; Mich. 4:1). .

Happy, a thousand times happy, are the priests whom Thou has chosen and predestined to dwell with Thee upon this abundant and divine mountain, there to become the kings of eternity by their contempt of the world and their elevation in God; there to be made whiter than snow by their union with Mary, Thy spouse, all beautiful, all pure, all immaculate; there to be enriched with the dew of heaven and the riches of the land, with all the temporal and eternal blessings with which Mary is filled. .

It is from the top of this mountain that, like other Moses’, they shall direct the arrows of their ardent prayers against their enemies to crush or to convert them. It is upon this mountain that they shall learn, even from the lips of Jesus Christ, Who always dwells there, the meaning of His Eight Beatitudes. It is upon this mountain of God that they shall be transfigured with Him as upon Tabor, die with Him as upon Calvary, and ascend to heaven with Him as upon Mount Olivet. .

Remember, O Lord, Thy congregation: It is Thy Grace alone that must form this company. If man touches it first, nothing will be done. If he interferes with Thy work, he will spoil all, overturn all. Thy congregation: It is Thy work, great God. Do Thy work: do Thy all-divine work; collect, call, gather together Thy elect from all places over which Thou has domination and make of them a strong army to defend Thy heritage against Thy enemies. .

The battalions pay homage to the God of battlesSeest Thou, Lord, God of battles, seest Thou the captains who are forming full battalions, the potentates who are assembling whole fleets, the merchants gathering in large numbers at the markets and the fairs? Crowds of robbers, drunkards, libertines, impious men are uniting against Thee every day - and so easily and promptly. The sound of a whistle, the beat of a drum, the sight of a blunt sword-tip, the promise of a withered laurel wreath, the offer of a bit of gold or silver; in a word, a breath of fame and earthly interest, a vile pleasure for which they long can, in a moment, unite robbers as one, call forward soldiers, assemble battalions, bring together merchants, fill houses and market places and cover the earth and the sea with an innumerable multitude of the reprobate, who, although divided among themselves by the places whence they come, by the differences in their dispositions or by their personal interests, are nevertheless united as one man, until death, to fight against Thee under the banner and the leadership of the demon. .

And we, great God! Although there is so much glory and profit, so much sweetness and so many advantages to be gained by serving Thee, shall there be so few to take up Thy cause? Hardly any soldiers under Thy banner! Nary a St. Michael to proclaim among Thy brethren in zeal for Thy glory: Who is like unto God? .

Ah, let me cry out everywhere: Fire! Fire! Fire! Help! Help! Help! Fire even within the sanctuary! Help for our brother who is being murdered! Help for our children whose throats are being cut! Help for our Father Who is being stabbed! If any man be on the Lord’s side, let him join with me (Ex. 32:26). .

Let all good priests who are spread over the Christian world, and those who are actually on the battlefield and those who have withdrawn from the combat to bury themselves in deserts and solitude, let them all come forward and unite with us — in unity there is strength — so that we may form, under the banner of the Cross, a well-regulated army in battle array, and together attack the enemies of God who have already sounded the alarm. They have shouted; they have raged; they have swelled their ranks. Let us break their bonds asunder; let us cast away their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them (Ps. 2:3-4). Let the Lord arise, and let His enemies be dispersed. .

Arise, O Lord, why sleepest Thou? Arise: Arise, O Lord, why feignest Thou to sleep? Arise in Thy might, Thy mercy, and Thy justice, to form Thyself a chosen bodyguard to keep Thy house, to defend Thy glory, and to save the souls bought at the price of Thy Precious Blood, so that there may be but one fold and one shepherd, and that all may glorify Thee in Thy holy temple: And in His temple all shall proclaim His glory. Amen.