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Consecration to Mary, Mother of God

Consecration to Mary, Mother of God

We are joining with those across Canada and the United States in consecrating our diocese to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church in time of this pandemic. Bishop Kirkpatrick and our clergy will offer a Prayer of Consecration on Friday, May 1 at 3 p.m.
We are invited by Pope Francis to pray a Rosary at home.

A resource on the consecration from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops:
https://www.cccb.ca/site/images/stories/pdf/Consecration_of_Canada_-_QA_resource_for_adults_-_EN.pdf

Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Faithful for the Month of May 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The month of May is approaching, a time when the People of God express with particular intensity their love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is traditional in this month to pray the Rosary at home within the family. The restrictions of the pandemic have made us come to appreciate all the more this “family” aspect, also from a spiritual point of view.

For this reason, I want to encourage everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary at home in the month of May. This can be done either as a group or individually; you can decide according to your own situations, making the most of both opportunities. The key to doing this is always simplicity, and it is easy also on the internet to find good models of prayers to follow.

I am also providing two prayers to Our Lady that you can recite at the end of the Rosary, and that I myself will pray in the month of May, in spiritual union with all of you. I include them with this letter so that they are available to everyone.

Dear brothers and sisters, contemplating the face of Christ with the heart of Mary our Mother will make us even more united as a spiritual family and will help us overcome this time of trial. I keep all of you in my prayers, especially those suffering most greatly, and I ask you, please, to pray for me. I thank you, and with great affection, I send you my blessing.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 25 April 2020 Feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist

FIRST PRAYER
O Mary,
You shine continuously on our journey
as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who, at the foot of the cross,
were united with Jesus’ suffering,
and persevered in your faith.
“Protectress of the Roman people,”
you know our needs,
and we know that you will provide,
so that, as at Cana in Galilee,
joy and celebration may return
after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform ourselves to the will of the Father
and to do what Jesus tells us.
For he took upon himself our suffering,
and burdened himself with our sorrows
to bring us, through the cross,
to the joy of the Resurrection.
Amen.
We fly to your protection,
O Holy Mother of God;
Do not despise our petitions
in our necessities,
but deliver us always
from every danger,
O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

SECOND PRAYER
“We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God”.

In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother, and seek refuge under your protection.
Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment.
Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.
Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers, and volunteers who are on the frontline of this emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and grant them strength, generosity, and continued health.
Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.
Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to overcome this virus.
Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude, and generosity they may come to the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions inspired by farsightedness and solidarity.
Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.
Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely resume its normal course.
To you, who shines on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope, do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.

English: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-04/letter-on-the-month-of-may-full-text.html
French: https://www.vaticannews.va/fr/pape/news/2020-04/pape-franoois-lettre-priere-chapelet-vierge-marie-mai-pandemie.html

Litany of Loreto:
English: http://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/litanie-lauretane_en.html
French: http://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/litanie-lauretane_fr.html

From Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick:
Mary, Mother of the Church

In every glimpse that we get of Mary in the New Testament, she is seen as a person of faith, whether it be at Cana or at the foot of the cross or in the upper room at Pentecost. Michelangelo’s ‘The Pieta’ shows of the face of Mary as the face of faith enwrapping the crucified body of Christ. The central mystery of her life and person is her motherhood, celebrated both at Christmas and a week later. The Church puts the solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God on the first day of the New Year to emphasize the importance of Mary’s role in the life of Christ and of the Church. The Immaculate Conception marks the preparation for that motherhood. The Assumption completes God’s work in her since it was not fitting that the flesh that had given life to God himself should ever undergo corruption. The Assumption is the crowning of God’s work as Mary ends her earthly life and enters eternity. The Assumption looks to eternity and gives us hope that we will follow Mary our Mother when our life is ended.

Just a few weeks ago with the reading of the Passion Narrative on Good Friday, we recall how Jesus entrusted the care of his mother to John, the beloved disciple. Jesus willed to give Mary as a mother to the early Church, when, from the cross, he looked at his mother and said, “Woman, behold, your son” (John 19:26). And to the beloved disciple, “Behold, your mother” (John 19:27). In doing so, Jesus gave to the Church his mother as our spiritual mother. He also entrusted all of us to her maternal care.

At the 18th World Youth Day, celebrated in Rome on Palm Sunday, April 13, 2003. St. John Paul II chose this theme linked to the Year of the Rosary: “Behold your Mother” (Jn19, 27). “Take Mary into your lives.” This was his message to the young people gathered. He said, “it is you whom Jesus expressly asks to receive Mary ‘into your home’ and to welcome her ‘as one of yours’; to learn from her the one who ‘kept all these things, pondering them in her heart’ (Lk 2,19) that inner disposition to listen and the attitude of humility and generosity that singled her out as God’s first collaborator in the work of salvation. She will discharge her ministry as a mother and train you and mould you until Christ is fully formed in you (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, #15).”
As the Catechism (# 965) reminds us, “After her Son’s Ascension, Mary “aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers.” (LG 69). In her association with the apostles and several women, “we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation.” (LG 59) . . . also in her Assumption.

In 2018, Pope Francis decreed that the Memorial of the “Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church” be celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost. Mary has a special role and mission given to her by God. As Mother of our Redeemer and of the redeemed, she reigns as the Queen at the side of Christ the King. She is a powerful intercessor for all of our needs here on earth. In celebrating her, we acknowledge this great gift for the Church and world; we call on her to be actively involved in our daily life; we imitate her virtuous life as a great inspiration, and we cooperate with all the graces we get through her. Mary is a model of Christian life, faith, and hope. She gives us hope since she witnessed the tragic and horrific death of her Son on the cross. She watches over us. She wants us to be safe and continue in the service of her Son.

During this month of May, Pope Francis has invited us to pray the Rosary.
We ask Mary to wrap us in the mantle of her love. Our Lady, Health of the Sick, pray for us!