A PRAYER TO THE
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS IS A DEVOTIONNEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER! FIND OUT MORE HERE
This prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary printed below has a special resonance in its reference to our Blessed Mother’s sad heart at Fatima in this centennial year of the famous apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, described in part here and in some of the links listed below.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, my Mother, I come to you in childlike prayer. I earnestly desire that all the people of the world may be brought back to the humble knowledge and love of the Sacred Heart of your dear Son. I pray, dear Mother of my God, that the wonderful beauty and purity of your own Immaculate Heart may so win our souls that we may detest all sin and dedicate our lives to the honor and glory of the God who created us.
You revealed the secrets of your own sad heart at Fatima and begged for penance, prayer, and conversion of the world to God. What more can I do than unite my heart to yours in this great yearning? What can I add but the fervent prayer that all the world may listen to your pleading?
I give my heart to you, my heavenly Queen, and in confidence I leave to you what is best for me in answer to my prayer for love and reparation.
Immaculate Heart of the Mother of my God, I implore through your powerful intercession, the conversion of the hearts of men, complete victory over sin, and the return of the peace which you have promised. Amen
Speaking of “childlike prayer”, to sum up very briefly, our Blessed Mother appeared on six different occasions to three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos, age 10, and her cousins Francisco Marto, 7 and his sister Jacinta, 6, in the village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917. (The Church approved the Fatima apparitions as worthy of belief in 1930.)
She requested prayers and penances for the only true peace broken humanity has yet to achieve, the peace of her Divine Son, Jesus Christ.
Our Lady of Fatima came at an opportune time, with good reason for a “sad heart”! A suicidal World War in Europe that was supposed to be “over by Christmas” in 1914 was dragging on with its carnage and body count.
Various nations (including Portugal that year, and Mexico in the 1920’s) were infected with a deeply anti-clerical mindset in which devotion to our Lord and His church was discouraged if not eliminated! And Vladimir Lenin was on his way to Russia to bring about the atheistic Bolshevik Revolution in October of that year.
(The Blessed Mother predicted in the third apparition to the children on July 13th, 1917, as noted below, that Russia would spread her “errors”. And indeed that tragic revolution laid the foundation for Communism to create much misery and death not just for Russia but for many other countries around the world for a century to come!)
In her final apparition on October 13th, a great event, the Miracle of the Sun, occurred, described in more detail here. Over 70,000 people witnessed the sun spin around, sending forth all sorts of brilliant colors, before hurling down towards all these amazed and then terrified people and then returning back to normal in the sky! Even the secular press in Portugal had to take notice of this extraordinary occurrence!
Previously, on July 13th, the three children were asked to warn people, among other things, that if they did not stop offending God by their wicked conduct, another more terrible war would break out less than a generation later, as indeed happened with World War II in 1939.
As she said: "The war [World War I] is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the reign of Pius XI.
”When you see a night illuminated by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions against the Church and the Holy Father. [Note: there was a great Aurora Borealis that raced through the sky like a big red fireball and was seen throughout Europe on January 30, 1938!] To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.
”If My requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated.
”In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world. In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved ... “
Lucia Dos Santos published this message in her Memoirs in the 1940’s when she was Sister Lucy. (Francisco and Jacinta passed away from influenza in 1919 and 1920 respectively.)
There were some additional warnings, now known as the Third Secret of Fatima, as they were not published by Sister Lucy in her memoirs. These were the subject of much speculation for decades before the Vatican released the text of the Third Secret in June of 2000. There is some dispute about whether or not it was fully revealed, however.
The version released in 2000 spoke of chastisement of a Bishop dressed in white, presumably the Holy Father, being massacred along with other bishops, priests, and various other religious and laity, by a group of soldiers on a mountain after his having passed through what was presumably a ravaged city.
However, the late Malachi Martin, the noted Jesuit priest, author, and exorcist, spoke of having read the third secret in the 1960’s, in radio interviews in the 1990’s. Although he was sworn to secrecy, he nonetheless suggested that it mentioned a Divine Chastisement so terrifying that if it were known would fill churches and confessionals!
Indeed, Pope Benedict XVI, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, once said that the Third Secret was essentially the same as the message from Our Lady of Akita, given by her to a Japanese Nun, Sister Agnes Sasagawa, in 1973.
Mary spoke then of fire falling from the sky that would wipe out a great part of humanity if men did not repent and better themselves. Our Lady of Akita also warned of great divisions coming in the Church with "cardinals opposing cardinals and bishops against other bishops".
The Italian journalist and author Antonio Socci has theorized along these lines, that the Third Secret foretold a great apostasy coming from within a divided Catholic Church.
Whether or not this apostasy has actually happened is a subject for debate these days, and it is not within my purview to discuss the Third Secret in more detail here. The links below can provide more insight about the controversy.
It is worth noting nonetheless that, for whatever reason, in addition to the horrible scandals involving pedophilia and the priesthood, there has been a marked turning away from the Catholic faith in the West. This has been brought about in part by poorly formed priests and laity as described in part here.
Belief in the wonderful supernatural elements of Catholicism has been downplayed in many parishes over the past 50 years. A large number of Catholics no longer believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, much less in Angels, Demons, Sin, and the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.
Jesus has gone from being the Word made flesh as the Son of God, to being the Golden Rule Guy, or perhaps a Social Justice Warrior of sorts for many. And, despite the fact that our Lady of Fatima showed the three children a terrifying glimpse of souls burning in hell surrounded by demons in the Third Apparition, the prevailing wisdom nowadays is that everyone goes to heaven.
Such thinking leads to societal chaos as Man makes God in his image rather than the other way around, with all sorts of grave sins being no big deal after all.
Rosaries, devotions, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, homilies on taking sin and God’s justice as well as His mercy seriously to avoid the perils of Hell..well.. that’s all so medieval for many clergymen and parishioners alike. It’s the 21st Century! Get with the times!
Yet our Lord’s message is timeless. It doesn’t have to conform to the shifting, or one might even say, collapsingmores of our day. And our Blessed Mother stands always ready to help her Divine Son with dispensing His much needed graces through prayers, especially the Rosary.
It is important to remind our non-Catholic Christian friends that we do not worship Mary in our prayers, but rather we honor her. Although she had a low profile in the Gospels, she nonetheless played a crucial role in our salvation in assenting to being Jesus’ mother and allowing the Word to be made flesh (John 1:14) in her womb. Our Blessed Mother’s last recorded words in the Gospels, at the wedding feast at Cana when she told the headwaiters to follow Jesus’ instructions, could very well function as her creed: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).
Speaking of controversy, as mentioned earlier, it is also worth noting, that the late Father Nicolas Gruner’s organization, the Fatima Center, feels the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has not been done properly, although the prevailing view among religious and laity is that it was done by Pope John Paul II in 1984.
The storm clouds currently on the horizon give one pause, however. Again, I’ve listed some links below for information rather than going into the weeds about it here.
In these harrowing times, with much saber rattling going on as nations test missiles and deploy troops in anticipation of a possibly devastating conflict, Mary’s warnings about the possible annihilation of nations given in the third apparition seem ominously prescient these days. World War III seems to be lurking around the corner, stalking humanity and looking to start perhaps in Korea, Syria, or even Europe!
We must pray now more than ever that nuclear devastation and/or an economic or societal collapse can be averted. (These could occur possibly from a massive debt crisis; or perhaps from a nuclear war or a cyber attack that takes down America’s power grid, leaving much of this nation with no electricity.)
But if not, pray that our Lord and our Lady can give us all the much needed graces to endure whatever hardships we might face. And that if we do perish from some man-made calamity, we might nonetheless achieve salvation by having stayed close to Christ in loving obedience to His church and her sacraments.
Now more than ever we must say “Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us” and add our prayers such as these Fatima Prayers and theseas well to hers! And by following our Lady’s urgent advice to pray the rosary. Pray it on a daily basis, as often as you can!
God Bless,
Christopher Castagnoli
for www.ourcatholicprayers.com
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Return from Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Maryto Marian Prayers
SOME GOOD LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FATIMA
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Our Catholic Prayers Page on Fatima Prayers
Catholic News Agency on Fatima Pt.1
Catholic News Agency on Fatima Pt.2
The World Apostolate of Fatima
LINKS ABOUT THE THIRD SECRET OF FATIMA
The Official Vatican Page from 2000
National Catholic Register Page by Jimmy Akin
Alice Von Hildebrand on the Third Secret
LINKS ABOUT THE CONSECRATION OF RUSSIA
Taylor Marshall on the Differing Arguments on the Consecration
Church Militant Page on the Consecration
FAQs
What is the Immaculate Heart of Mary prayer? ›
Father, You prepared the heart of the Virgin Mary to be a fitting home for Your Holy Spirit. By her prayers, may we become more worthy of Your glory. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
What is the message of the Immaculate Heart of Mary? ›It commemorates the joys and sorrows of the Mother of God, her virtues and perfections, her love for God and her Divine Son and her compassionate love for mankind.
What are the 5 sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary? ›He explained that it was because of five kinds of offenses and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, namely: blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception, against her perpetual virginity, against the divine and spiritual maternity of Mary, blasphemies involving the rejection and dishonoring of her images, ...
What is Mary's perfect prayer? ›Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
What are the 5 prayers to Mary? ›- 1) The Fatima Prayer (Decade Prayer) O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. ...
- 2) The Pardon Prayer. ...
- 3) The Angel's Prayer. ...
- 4) The Eucharistic Prayer. ...
- 5) The Sacrifice Prayer.
...
First Saturday Devotion
- Go to confession.
- Receive the Eucharist.
- Pray the Rosary.
- Pray with Mary for 15 minutes by meditating on the Rosary.
The Sacred Heart is viewed as the source of God's boundless love and charity, while the devotion to the Immaculate Heart stresses the nature of Mary's love and concern for all who call upon her. The two Hearts are linked by devotions, prayers and feasts.
What is the symbol of Mary? ›White Lily "Annunciation Lily" – symbol of Mary's Immaculate Purity. Violet – symbol of Mary's humility "regarded by the Lord".
What do the 3 Sacred Hearts mean? ›This watercolor print depicts the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Chaste Heart of St. Joseph. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a symbol of Christ's immense love for humanity, with a wound in its side and a crown of thorns representing the damage of our sins.
What are signal graces? ›[A signal grace may be a simple sign in daily life that answers a question made in prayer or points towards God's will. For example, seeing a rose after finishing a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux could be considered a signal grace. Signal graces are often subtle or seemingly coincidental.]
What does first Saturday mean in the Catholic Church? ›
Devotees of Fátima believe that the First Saturdays help to console the sorrows of God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary for the sins against her Immaculate Heart.
What does reparation of sins mean? ›Reparation is a theological concept closely connected with those of atonement and satisfaction. In ascetical theology, reparation is the making of amends for insults given to God through sin, either one's own or another's.
Why is praying to Mary so powerful? ›Catholics do not pray to Mary as if she were God. Prayer to Mary is memory of the great mysteries of our faith (Incarnation, Redemption through Christ in the rosary), praise to God for the wonderful things he has done in and through one of his creatures (Hail Mary) and intercession (second half of the Hail Mary).
What are the three powerful prayers? ›The prayer of protection. The prayer of transformation. The prayer of restoration. These prayers will help you discover a way of life empowered with the presence of God.
What are three prayers to Mary? ›It is known as the "Three Hail Mary Devotion," and consists of saying three times each day the Hail Mary with the invocation "O my Mother, preserve me this day (or night) from mortal sin." The prayer is said three times to honor the Most Blessed Trinity, Who is the source of all of Our Lady's greatness.
What is prayer simple? ›1 : words spoken to God a prayer for peace. 2 : the act of praying to God We knelt in prayer. 3 : a strong hope or wish It's our prayer that you will return safely. 4 : a set form of words used in praying. 5 : a religious service that is mostly prayers evening prayer.
What does the Bible say about praying to Mary? ›The good news is that we don't need to pray to Mary or to the saints in order to be heard by God. Jesus made this wonderful promise: “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:3).
How do you ask Mary to intercede? ›Prayer to Our Lady, Queen of Hope
With the same faith as the villagers of Pontmain, we can offer a prayer of intercession to Our Lady, Queen of Hope: 'O Mary, my Mother, I kneel before you with heavy heart. The burden of my sins oppresses me. The knowledge of my weakness discourages me.
Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary - YouTube
Is there a litany to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? ›O most merciful God, who for the salvation of sinners and the refuge of the wretched, has made the Immaculate Heart of Mary most like in tenderness and pity to the Heart of Jesus, grant that we, who now commemorate her most sweet and loving heart, may by her merits and intercession, ever live in the fellowship of the ...
When did the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary begin? ›
In 1942, the twenty-fifth anniversary of Fatima, Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That same year, he assigned the feast day to August 22, the octave of the Assumption.
Why does Mary have a sword in her heart? ›The sword in her Immaculate Heart testifies that she shares in Jesus' mission more than anyone, taking up the Cross to suffer with her Son.
Who founded the Immaculate Heart of Mary? ›On July 1, 1848, Masmitjà founded the Institute of the Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. During the Spanish Civil War IHM sisters Carme (age 41), Rosa (36), and Magdalena (34) Fradera, who were also blood sisters, were executed by the militia.
What does the Sacred Heart symbol mean? ›The Sacred Heart, also known as the Sacred Heart of Jesus or Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sacratissimum Cor Iesu in Latin), is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind".
What is Mary's favorite color? ›The Egyptians began importing lapis lazuli from Afghanistan around 6,000 years ago, but it was in the early 5th century that blue became associated with the Virgin Mary. Marian blue, as the shade has become known, became the Madonna's official color with the rise of Mariology and the cult of the Virgin.
Why is Mary's color blue? ›Deeply rooted in Catholic symbolism, the blue of her cloak has been interpreted to represent the Virgin's purity, symbolize the skies, and label her as an empress, for blue was associated with Byzantine royalty.
Why does Mary wear red? ›Q: Why is Mary wearing red? A: There is a tradition which holds that the use of red for Mary's robe derives from the belief that Mary, as a child in the Temple, was involved in weaving the great temple veil (that would be rent at the time of Jesus' death).
What are the 12 promises of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus? ›- I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
- I will establish peace in their homes.
- I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
- I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
- I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
A heart shown on fire, for extreme or passionate forms of love or lust. Most representative of desire or lust, this emoji may also indicate a sense of burning a past love and moving on.
Why does the Sacred Heart have flames? ›The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus' death, while the fire represents the transformative power of divine love.
What is the prayer of the Miraculous Medal? ›
An Act of Consecration to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
O most powerful Virgin, Mother of our Savior, keep us close to you every moment of our lives. Obtain for us, your children, the grace of a happy death; so that, in union with you, we may enjoy the bliss of heaven forever. Amen.
O most merciful God, who for the salvation of sinners and the refuge of the wretched, has made the Immaculate Heart of Mary most like in tenderness and pity to the Heart of Jesus, grant that we, who now commemorate her most sweet and loving heart, may by her merits and intercession, ever live in the fellowship of the ...
What is a good prayer for today? ›Father in heaven, I stand before You today in Your omnipotent presence to ask that You grant me strength. I want You to give me the strength to power through all of the tasks today — whether little or big. It is by Your will that I live oh Lord. And I know it is also by Your will I will not go weak today.
How do you pray for the souls in purgatory? ›Two effective ways to pray for the souls in purgatory are praying the Divine Mercy chaplet for them and remembering them in your Rosary intentions. The Divine Mercy Chaplet and Rosary require a time commitment of approximately 10 and 20 minutes.
How do you pray for a miracle? ›To pray to God for a miracle, ask him in clear and simple language to grant you your specific desires. While you're praying, channel any emotions that arise to help you express yourself to God. Have faith that He will answer your prayer to remove the burden of doubt from your heart and give you strength.
Why you should wear the Miraculous Medal? ›It is a daily reminder of your faith. Since it is used to show the connection between the Blessed Mother and an individual seeking her grace, it is a good way to remind yourself to honor that special grace every day. It is also a way to remember the distinct place your religious beliefs hold in your life.
What are the words on the Miraculous Medal? ›She wore many rings set with gems that shone rays of light over the globe. Around the margin of the frame appeared the words Ô Marie, conçue sans péché, priez pour nous qui avons recours à vous ("O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee").
How do you pray the Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? ›Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary - YouTube
Why do we pray the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary? ›The Litanies are independent acts of worship. They are important acts of homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or as processional elements, or form part of a celebration of the Word of God or of other acts of worship.
Why is Mary called the Tower of David? ›The symbol of the Tower of David is taken from the Song of Songs (Canticles 4:4). It was applied to Mary, and symbolizes Mary's womb giving life and protection to Jesus (Richard of St. Laurent). Mary also gives protection to all those who seek refuge against temptation and danger (Albertus Magnus).
What is the most powerful Catholic prayer? ›
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Hail Mary, full of grace.
What are the three powerful prayers? ›The prayer of protection. The prayer of transformation. The prayer of restoration. These prayers will help you discover a way of life empowered with the presence of God.
What is a simple and beautiful prayer? ›God, please help me to make peace with yesterday and have an open mind and heart for today. Help me to be a blessing. Help me to see the good around me, the good in others, and the good in myself. Fill me with happy thoughts and a thankful heart. Guide me into living like you, with selflessness and love.
Who is the gatekeeper of purgatory? ›At the shores of Purgatory, Dante and Virgil meet Cato, a pagan who was placed by God as the general guardian of the approach to the mountain (his symbolic significance has been much debated).
Do the souls in purgatory know we are praying for them? ›Can the souls in purgatory pray for us? - YouTube
How long does the soul stay in purgatory? ›Regarding the time which purgatory lasts, the accepted opinion of R. Akiba is twelve months; according to R. Johanan b. Nuri, it is only forty-nine days.