Pray with Us
Learning from Mary’s contemplative presence
Mary was there at the birth of the Church at moment of Pentecost praying in the midst of the apostles. Her place is not one of privilege, but as a simple disciple of Jesus, interceding for the needs of the world saved by her son. By joining Mary in this ministry of prayer Marists continue to do her work not by reciting special prayers, but by being her presence in the Church, interceding for those who are struggling, searching for meaning in life and those less privileged in our world.
Living Mary’s Spirit
Since our vocation is to be in today’s world a special presence of Mary, doing God’s work in her way, Marists bear in mind this woman who by a gracious choice called them and gave them her name. To strengthen the bonds that unite us to her, we hold in high regard the practices in her honour traditional in the Society of Mary.
“Because they bear the name of Mary, Marists desire to be like her and follow Jesus as she did. Contemplating Mary in the mysteries of Nazareth and Pentecost and her role at the end of time, they come to share her zeal for her Son’s mission in his struggle against evil, and to respond with promptness to the most urgent needs of God’s people.”
(Constitutions of the Society of Mary 8)
“As Marists, we desire to breathe Mary’s spirit, to be humble and obedient, and to deny themselves for the love of God and their neighbour… Mary, inspires us with courage: to grow in personal holiness, to work for the salvation of our neighbour, and to keep the faith of the Catholic Church and defend it with all our strength. It is in pursuing these aims in the spirit of Mary that we will help to renew the Church in her image, a servant and pilgrim Church.”
(Constitutions of the Society of Mary 9-10)
Salve Regina
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiæ,
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevæ
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos
misericordes oculos ad nos converte;
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
Hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to you we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this, our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Following the example of the first Marist missionaries, we continue to pray for people that they would welcome the joy of the gospel and in support of the Church’s mission of evangelisation.
Prayer of Consecration to Mary
O Mary, my Queen I give unto your safekeeping and commend to your special care and protection, my body and soul for this day and all the days of my life.
To you I commit my hopes and consolations, my difficulties and sorrows, my life and death; that through your intercession and merits, all my actions may be directed and disposed according to your will and the will of your Son.
Prayer to Our Lady of Evangelization (by St John Paul II)
O Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of his Church, we are mindful of the role you play in the evangelization of souls who do not yet know Him. We are mindful of how missionaries came with the power of Christ’s Gospel and committed the success of their work to you.
As the Mother of Divine Grace you were with the missionaries in all their efforts.
And as Mother of the Church you presided over all the activities of evangelization and over the implantation of the Gospel in the hearts of the faithful. You sustained the missionaries in hope and you gave joy to every new community that was born of the Church’s evangelizing activity.
You were there with your intercession and your prayers, as the first grace of baptism developed, and as those who had new life in Christ your Son came to a full appreciation of their Christian calling.
We ask you, Mary, to help us to fulfill this mission of evangelization which your Son has given to his Church and which falls to us. Mindful of your role as Help of Christians, we entrust ourselves to you in the work of carrying the Gospel ever deeper into the hearts and lives of all the people. We entrust to you our missionary mandate and commit our cause totally to your prayers.
To Jesus Christ your Son, with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit be praise and thanksgiving forever and ever.
Amen.
Sub Tuum Praesidium Prayer
The Sub tuum Prayer – first found in a Greek papyrus, c. 300 A.D., is the oldest known prayer to the Virgin.
We turn to you for protection,
Holy Mother of God.
Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs.
Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed Virgin.
Venerable Jean-Claude Colin: a life faithful to the spirit of Mary
Venerable Jean-Claude Colin (www.jeanclaudecolin.org), our founder had a profound sense of being called to share in Mary’s mission to draw all people to God ‘one in heart and mind’. We pray for his beatification:
Loving God, you inspired JeanClaude Colin to live a life faithful to the Gospel and in the spirit of Mary. If it is your will that he be honoured as a saint to the glory of your name, please show us the favour he enjoys in your sight by granting the grace(s) we now ask through his intercession: This we ask through Christ Our Lord. Amen
Marist Family Prayer Network of Intercession
We all have the capacity to carry others in our prayer, and we need to be carried in the prayer of others. The prayer network is an opportunity to establish links between communities and individuals around the world to pray for specific Marist mission activities. We invite you to join our prayer network, contact us by emailing: provincialsecretary@maristeurope.eu