COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS- BARODA

DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED MOTHER

Dear beloved of the Father,

On the 26th of December 2011 we celebrate the feast of the Mother of the Forsaken, Vadodara. Thousands of devoties of our Blessed Mother will be travelling from far and wide to make it for this day to thank, honour and venerate her. Someone has rightly said, "God seemed to have exhausted the treasures of His infinite power to make Mary's body and soul beautiful; and her perfect fidelity continually invited more and more advances from heaven, multiplied her merits beyond measures and made her the loveliest, noblest, most sublime of the works of the hand of the Most High".

I would like to share with you some of the favourite quotes from different people about our Blessed Mother. Read  and meditate on these quotes so that like our Blessed Mother we can grow more and more like her Son Jesus.

St. Josemaria Escriva: "Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle."  "When you see the storm coming, if you seek safety in that firm refuge which is Mary, there will be no danger of your wavering or going down."

St. Alphonsus Liguori:  "Such is the will of God that we should have everything through Mary."

Venerable Pope John Paul II:  "From Mary we learn to surrender to God's will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust when all hope is gone. From Mary we learn to trust her Son and Christ the Son of God."

St. Bonaventure: “It is the privilege of the glory of Mary, that after God, our greatest happiness is from her.”

St. Teresa of Avila: “The devotions we practice in honor of the glorious Virgin Mary, however trifling they may be, are very pleasing to Her Divine Son, and He rewards them with eternal glory.”

St. Philip Neri: “Believe me, there is no more powerful means to obtain God’s grace than to employ the intercessions of the Holy Virgin.”

St. Louis de Montfort: “When the Holy Spirit finds Mary in a soul, He enters that soul completely and communicates Himself completely to that soul.”

St. Catherine of Siena: “Mary is the most sweet bait, chosen, prepared, and ordained by God, to catch the hearts of men.”

St. Louis Marie de Montfort: "We never give more honour to Jesus than when we honour His Mother, and we honour her simply and solely to honour Him all the more perfectly. We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek - Jesus, her Son.".

St. Louis Marie de Montfort: "Mary has the authority over the angels and the blessed in heaven. as a reward for her great humility, God gave her the power and mission of assigning to the saints the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride. Such is the will of the almighty God who exalts the humble, that the powers of heaven, earth and hell, willingly or unwillingly, must obey the commands of the humble Virgin Mary. For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keepr of hsi treasrue, dispenser of his graces, mediatrix on behlf of men, destroyer of his enemies, and faithful associate in great works and triumphs."

"All true children of God have God for their father and Mary for his mother; anyone who does not have Mary for his mother; anyone who does not have Mary for his mother, does not have God for his fatehr."        

St. Maximilian Kolbe: anyone does not wish to have mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother."

"Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. you can never love her more than Jesus did."

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Father and Doctor of the Church: "Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother, for the more she is honoured, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son."

St. Hilary of Pitiers, Bishop, Father, and Doctor of the Church: "No matter how sinful one may have been, if he has devotion to Mary, it is impossible that he be lost."

Saint Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church: "Seek refuge in Mary because she is the city of refuge. We know that Moses set up three cities of refuge for anyone who inadvertently killed his neighbor. Now the Lord has established a refuge of mercy, Mary, even for those who deliberately commit evil. Mary provides shelter and strength for the sinner."

Saint Gregory Nazianzen, Father and Doctor of the Church: “If anyone does not believe that Holy Mary is the Mother of God, such a one is a stranger to the Godhead.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe: "Prayer is powerful beyond limits when we turn to the Immaculata who is queen even of God's heart."

Saint Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church: “In that first ‘fusion’ with Jesus (holy communion), it was my Heavenly Mother again who accompanied me to the altar for it was she herself who placed her Jesus into my soul.”

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Novena Prayer
of The Mother of the Forsaken.

1. MOTHER of the forsaken, take under your motherly care all those whom the world despises and forsakes. (Hail Mary)
2. ADVOCATE before God, of the entire Holy Church protect her in all her needs and come to the aid of her visible Head, our Holy Father the Pope. (Hail Mary)
3. QUEEN of heaven and Earth and Queen of our India, protect our nation and help our Rulers in the happy solution of the problems that confront them today. (Hail Mary)
4. IMMACULATE patroness of these Mission lands, spread the mantle of your protection over them and lead all your children to the Heart of your Divine Son. (Hail Mary)
5. FOUNTAIN OF CONSOLATION to all your devoted children, make us always feel the effect of your motherly protection for which we pray (here let each one think of the special grace desired in this novena). We know you will obtain it for us from your Son, if it is for our own good and we leave it confidently in your hands and His. May you above all, obtain for us perseverance in the faith and in the love of your Divine Son, and do not forsake us now and at the hour of our death, but after this our exile show unto us in heaven the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus, O clement, O loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. (Hail Mary)

THE MEMORARE

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to your protection, implored your help, and sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you, O virgin of virgins, my Mother! To you I come, before you I stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate! Despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

L.: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God!

Cong.: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY

O God, who hast deigned to bless us with the favor of venerating the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of “Mother of the Forsaken”, and hast willed to bestow so much power on her intercession that no one should be abandoned who has recourse to her motherly help! Grant we beseech you to us, your servants, and the privilege that we all, who put ourselves under the protection of so exalted a Mother, may never be forsaken by your Divine Mercy. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY DEVOTION AND CHRIST-FILLED FEAST

(SOCOM-TEAM)