St. Bonaventure: The Psalter of Our Lady

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PSALM CI

O Lady, favourably hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.

Turn not away from me thy holy face; and detest me not because of my abominations.

Abandon me not to the thoughts and designs of mine enemies, and let me not fall under their odious injuries.

They who have confidence in thee, shall not fear the cunning serpent; and those who extol thee by their praises, shall escape from the hands of Acheron.

By thy virgin conception give me an absolute confidence in thee; and by thine admirable delivery, rejoice my soul.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CII.

O mt soul, bless the mother of Jesus Christ; and thou, mine inward parts, glorify her name.

Forget not her benefits, nor her grace, nor her consolations.

Sins are remitted by her grace; and sickness is healed by her mercy.

Bless her, powers of heaven; glorify her, choirs of Apostles and Prophets.

Bless her, seas and isles of the nations; sing a hymn to her, heavens and the inhabitants of the heavens.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CIII.

O mt soul, bless the Virgin Mary; her glory and her honour remain for eternity.

Thou art clothed in beauty and grace, O sweet Mary: thou art covered, O Lady, with a dazzling vestment.

From thee proceeds the remedy of sin, and the discipline of peace, and the fervour of charity.

Fill us, thy servants, with holy virtues; and let not the anger of God approach us.

Give the prize of triumph to those who hope in thee; forget them not in the combat of death.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CIV.

Confess our Lady and invoke her name; celebrate her in recounting gloriously her virtues.

Praise her and extol her, virgins daughters of Zion, for she will make you espouse the King of angels.

Honour this Queen filled with grace, and contemplate with reverence her holy countenance.

Everlasting salvation is in thy hand, O Lady; they who would worthily honour thee, will obtain it.

Thy clemency will not exhaust itself through all eternity, neither thy mercy from generation to generation. 

Glory, &c.


PSALM CV.

Confess our Lady, for that is just and good; recount her mercies in the midst of all the tribes of the earth.

Her conversation is far from the impious; her feet never swerved from the ways of the Most High. A running stream of grace flows from her mouth and from her heart, a virginal emanation which sanctifies the chaste soul. 

The hope of the glory of Paradise, is in the heart of those who devotedly honour her.

Have pity upon us, resplendent Queen of heaven, and give to us the consolations of thy grace.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CVI.

Confess the Lord, for that is just and good, confess his mother, for her mercy is in all ages.

Shew to us innocence and the ways of prudence, O Lady, indicate to thy servants the path of truth and intelligence.

The fear of God enlightens the mind, and thy love rejoices it.

Happy is the man whose service is agreeable to thee! his bones shall be filled with fatness and abundance of grace.

Thy word strengthens the feeble soul, and thy lips satisfies the famished soul.

Griory, &c.



PSALM CVII.

My heart is ready, O Lady, my heart is ready to sing hymns and canticles unto thee.

Thy love is better than all riches; and thy favour is preferable to gold and precious stones.

Blessedness and righteousness are the gifts of God; and sinners who are converted unto thee will obtain the remedy of penitence.

Grace and peace emanate from thee; he who shall have pleased thee shall be far from everlasting perdition.

Be for us a shadow of protection in temptations, let the shelter of thy wings defend us from the seducer.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CVIII.

0 Lady ! despise not my praise, and deign to accept this Psalter dedicated to thee.

Consider the intention of my heart, and make my devotion agreeable to thee.

Hasten to visit thy servants; let them be kept safe and sound under the shelter of thy hand.

Let them receive by thee the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and refreshment against the ardour of lust.

Console our broken hearts, O Lady! and animate them with the balm of thy piety.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CIX.

The Lord has said to our Lady: my mother, sit thou on my right hand.

Goodness and holiness have been loved by thee; therefore thou shalt reign with me in eternity.

An immortal crown shall encircle thy sacred head; and its glory and its splendour will never be extinguished.

Have pity upon us, O Lady, mother of light and glory I enlighten us, Queen of truth and virtue.

Draw from thy treasures, and give us the wisdom of God, and the intelligence of wisdom, and the law of discipline.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CX.

I will confess thee with all my heart, O Lady, I will glorify thee with all my spirit.

The words of thy grace will be always in my remembrance; and the testimony of thy mercy will live before the throne of God.

It is by thee that redemption has been sent to us from Goa, therefore repentant people hope in salvation.

The judgment of all those who honour thee is right, and their place is with the angels of peace.

Thy name is glorious and admirable, they who keep it in the depth of their heart tremble not in the moment of death.

Glory, &c.

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PSALM CXI.

Blessed is the man who fears our Lady, and blessed is the heart that cherisheth her.

Blessed is the man who does not tire in praising thee, O Virgin, and who does not cease to recount thy virtues.

The light of God is risen in his heart; the Holy Spirit enlightens his mind.

O Lady, pour thy grace upon the poor, warm the famishing and the indigent.

That, thanks to thee, our names may be kept in eternal remembrance, and that our hearts may not tremble at the terrible noise of judgment.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXII.

Children praise the mother of God: old men, glorify her name.

Blessed be Mary, the Mother of Christ; for she is the way that leads to the country of holiness.

Her throne is raised above the cherubims, and her seat above the cardinal points of heaven.

Her look rests upon the humble; her countenance is turned towards those who have confidence in her.

Her mercy extends over all flesh, and her alma to the extremities of the earth.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXIII.

When my soul departs from this world, come to meet it, O Lady, and receive it.

Console it by thy holy presence: let not the sight of the demons trouble it.

Be to it as a step to reach the kingdom of heaven, and a straight way to go to the Paradise of God.

Obtain for it from the Father the indulgence of peace, and a seat of light in the midst of thy humble servants.

Sustain thy faithful servants before the tribunal of Christ: take their cause into thy hands.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXIV.

I have cherished the mother of God my Lord; the light of her mercy has shone upon me.

The sorrows of death have surrounded me, but the visit of Mary has rejoiced me.

I have suffered peril and affliction ; and I have been refreshed by her grace.

Let her name and her memory be in the midst of our heart, and the features of the evil spirit will not injure us.

Apply thyself, 0 my soul, to her praise, and thou shalt have refreshment in thy last moments.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXV.

I hate believed, for I have published thy praise and thy glory, 0 Queen, in all the universe.

Have compassion on my soul and direct it; deign to inspire it with thy good pleasure.

Establish it with the alliance of thy peace and thy love; accord to it the remembrance of thine august name.

Of the blessed fruit of thy womb give me my subsistence: and by thine abundant grace soften my soul.

Break the chains of my sins, and by the gift of thy virtue embellish the countenance of my soul.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXVI.

Nations praise our Lady; people glorify her.

For her grace and her mercy are confirmed upon us; her truth remaineth for ever.

He who shall have worthily honoured her shall be justified, but he who shall have neglected her shall die in his sin.

The lips of angels shall recount her wisdom, and all the citizens of paradise shall sing her praises.

They who approach her with a right intention shall not be seized by the exterminating angel.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXVII.

Confess the Lord, for he is good; confess his mother, for her mercy remaineth throughout ages.

Her love chases sin from the heart, and her grace purifies the conscience of the sinner.

The way that leads to Christ is to go to her; he who turns away from her will not find the way of peace.

Let him who is hardened in sin invoke her with importunity, and the light will rise in the midst of his darkness.

Let him who is sorrowful of heart cry to her, and he will be intoxicated with the dew of her sweetness.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXVIII*

Blessed are the hearts who try to imitate in their lives the mother of the Saviour.

Blessed are the imitators of her humility; blessed are they who imitate her love.

Blessed are the adepts of her virtues; blessed are those who are conformed to the image of her heart.

Blessed are they who venerate her conception and her delivery; blessed are they who devotedly serve her.

Blessed are they who have hope and confidence in her; blessed are they who shall receive by her eternal happiness.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXVIII.

FIRST DIVISION

Recompense thy servant, 0 Lady, revive me, and may I do thy will.

I am a stranger upon the earth, hide not thy love from me.

My soul has desired to celebrate thy praise at all times.

For thou art my salvation in the Lord, and thou hast delivered me, I, condemned to death.

What shall I render unto thee for these benefits, except to give myself entirely to thee? O Lady, accept me.

Glory, &c.


SECOND DIVISION

Delineate thou me, O Lady, the law of thy will, thou the most holy amongst saints; and I will follow it always.

Lead me in the path of thy mercies ; thou the most beautiful of women, for I have desired thee.

Draw my heart to heavenly love, O Lady, and leave it far from impurity.

See how I have loved thy chastity from my youth strengthen me in thy mercy.

And I will observe the way of thy commandment in all ages, I will meditate the commands of thy Son for these commands have I cherished.

Glory, &c.


THIRD DIVISION

Remember thy word, Queen of Sovereigns; thy word by which thou hast given me hope.

It has powerfully supported me in the waves of the tempests, for it has revived me.

Lying men have surrounded me, and the plagues have accumulated upon me; and here thy hand has delivered.

I have been united for good with those who fear thee, and who keep exactly thy commandments.

The earth is full of thy mercies; also I have sought the way of thy justifications.

Glory,  &c.


FOURTH DIVISION

Thou hast acted with goodness towards thy servant, O Lady ; the angels have rejoiced therein.

Teach me the lesson of thy virtues and thy equity; for I have believed thy words above all things.

It is advantageous for me that thou hast humbled me by thy burdens, to the end that I may follow thy example.

They who love thee venerate thy servants; they who shall have hated them will fall into the eternal abyss.

Let the drops of thy clemency descend upon me, and I shall live, for thy holy law is my meditation.

Glory, &c.


FIFTH DIVISION

My soul has failed upon thy track, O Lady; and if thy mercy had not been immense, I should have perished in mine infirmity.

Mine eyes have failed in thy contemplation; as the leathern bottle in the frost, so my soul appears to thee.

Vivify me according to thy goodness, and I shall not forget thy words, for it is good to attach ourselves to thee.

The world remains by thy providence; for it is thou who at the beginning founded it with God.

I am wholly thine, 0 Lady : save me; for thy praise is delightful to me during the time of my pilgrimage.

Glory, &c.


SIXTH DIVISION

How have I loved thy law, O Lady; thy meditation is always present to me.

The affluence of thy kindness has transported my soul far from me, and my flesh has marvellously rejoiced in thee.

Let thy words be sweet to the sinners, O Lady; thy help is agreeable to my lips above all melody.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and an ineffable light unto my ways.

How often have the sinners of hell insulted me, because I have not wished to swerve from thy love! But, I have always hoped in thee, 0 Lady.

Glory, &c.


SEVENTH DIVISION

I have held the wicked in hatred; and I have loved thy way, gracious Lady!

Help me, and I shall be saved, Queen of the world, and I will meditate the honour of thy commands.

Make me to live always in thy fear; leave me not, O Virgin, to my calumniators.

I am thy slave ; I am the least in thy family.

Guard me, 0 Lady, from those who neglect the judgments of thy justice.

Thou despisest all those who go from thy service, because their conduct is unjust.

Glory, &c.


EIGHTH DIYISION

Thy testimonies are admirable; sweet mother, my heart has been enlightened by thy discourses.

Thy face shall be implored by all the rich of the people, and the sons of kings praise thy looks.

An ardent word comes with vehemence from thy lips he who hastens to go to thee shall sum them up.

I am before thee an agitated reed; keep me under thy yoke, O Lady, and I shall not be confounded.

The dragons of hell attack thy servants more than others : but thou, O Lady, defend us.

Glory, &c.


NINTH DIVISION

I have cried unto thee with all my heart, O, Lady; draw me from all my perils by thy mercy.

Pavourably hear the voice of my sighing, O Lady; teach me that which is agreeable unto thee at all times.

Salvation is far from those who are ignorant of thee; they who persevere in thy service will escape perdition.

Thy mercy waters the entire universe, O Lady; vivify me by thy salutary power.

The beginning of thy words is eternal truth; I have not forgotten thine immaculate law.

Glory, &c.


TENTH DIVISION

The princes have persecuted me in vain, and the evil spirit trembles at the invocation of thy name.

A profound peace is reserved for those who venerate thy name, Mother of God, and there is no offence in them.

Seven hours a day have I sang thy praises, O Lady; give me intelligence according to thy worth.

Let my prayer come into thy presence; to the end that thou abandon me not, 0 Lady, during all the days of my life; for mercy and truth are thy ways.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXIX.

It is to our Lady that I address myself in my tribulations; she has favourably heard me.

0 Lady, deliver us from all evil, every day of our lives.

Break the heads of our enemies by the invincible strength of thy foot.

As thy spirit has rejoiced itself in God thy Saviour; so deign to shed in my heart a real joy.

Approach the Lord to pray him in our favour, to the end that by thee our sms may be blotted out.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXX.

I have raised mine eves towards thee, Mother of Christ, by whom all flesh has received consolation.

Give to us thy succour and thy grace in all our tribulations.

Guard us, Virgin Mary, our Lady, so that we fall not into the snares of sinners.

Sleep not, and let not the pupil of thine eye slumber, so that we may always be guarded by thy protection.

Let every tongue of angels and of men praise thee, and let all bow themselves before thee.

Glory, &c.

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PSALM CXXI.

I rejoice myself in thee, Queen of Heaven, because, under the guidance, we will go through the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, ‘celestial city,’ we march towards thee, under the auspices of Mary.

Obtain for us, O Virgin, peace and indulgence, as well as victory and the triumph over our enemies.

Strengthen and console our hearts by thy sweetness and thy piety.

Shed thy clemency upon us, 0 Lady; in such a manner that we may die devotedly in the Lord.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXII.

I have lifted mine eyes unto thee, Queen of Gentleness, who reignest with thy Son in the heavens.

May our succour be in the virtue of thy name; let all our works be directed by thee.

Blessed be thou in heaven and on earth, on the sea, and in all deeps.

Blessed be thy fruitfulness; blessed be thy virginity and thy purity.

Blessed be thy sacred body; blessed be thy most holy soul.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXIII.

If our Lady had not been with us, innumerable perils would have surrounded us.

Virgin, be thou our defence; be thou for us with God a powerful advocate.

Shew us thy mercy, O Lady, and strengthen us in thy holy service.

May the holy angels bless thee in heaven; may all men bless thee on the earth.

Deliver not to the beasts the souls of those who have confidence in thee; let the lips of those who sing to thee never close.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXIV.

They who confide in thee, Mother of God, will not tremble before the enemy.

Rejoice, shout for joy, all you who cherish her; for she will succour thee in the day of tribulation.

Remember thy mercies, O Lady; soften the exile of our pilgrimage.

Turn towards us thine amiable countenance; confound and destroy all our enemies.

Blessed be the works of thine hands, O Lady: blessed be thy holy marvels!

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXV.

In turning towards us thy countenance full of serenity, thou wilt rejoice us, virgin Mother of God.

Blessed be thou, Sanctuary of Christ, above all the women of the earth.

Blessed be thy glorious name which the mouth of the Lord has marvellously pronounced.

Let not thy praise cease from our lips, and let not thy love desert our hearts.

They who love thee will be blessed of the Lord; and they who will love thee will not be disappointed in their desire.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXVI.

Had not our Lady built the mansion of our hearts, its walls would not have remained.

Edify us by thy grace and thy virtues, to the end that we may stand firm for ever.

Blessed be thy discourse, and blessed be all the words of thy mouth.

Let those who bless thee be blessed of God, and let them be counted among the number of the just.

Bless, Lady, those who bless thee; and turn not away ever from them thy gracious countenance.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXVII.

Blessed are those who fear thee, O Lady; blessed are those who know and will do thy will, and thy good pleasure.

Blessed be the father and mother who begat thee; their memory shall endure for ever.

Blessed is the womb which carried thee; and blessed are the paps which thou hast sucked.

Turn thy mercy towards us, and be favourable to the prayers of thy servants.

See and consider our reproach, efface all our iniquities.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXVIII.

Often mine enemies have attacked me during my youth, deliver me, O Lady, and revenge me on them.

Let them not have power over my soul; keep me within and without.

Obtain for us the pardon of our sins: and may the grace of the Holy Spirit be given to us by thee.

Make us worthily and sincerely to repent, to the end that we may be united to God by a blessed end.

And shew to us the glorious fruit of thy womb, appeased and full of sweetness.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXIX.

Fbom the depths of the abyss have I cried unto thee, O Lady, listen to my voice.

Let thine ears be attentive to the song of thy praise and thy glory.

Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies; confound their talent, and the efforts they make against me.

Save me in the evil day; and at the moment of death forget not my soul.

Conduct me to the gate of salvation, and let my name be inscribed among the just.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXX.

O Lady, my heart is not haughty, and mine eyes are not proudly lifted up.

The Lord has blessed thee in his strength; he, who by thee has reduced all our enemies to nothingness.

Blessed be him who has sanctified thee, and who has made thee to proceed immaculate from the bosom of thy mother.

Blessed be him who has covered thee with his shadow, and made thee fruitful by his grace.

Bless us, Our Lady, and strengthen us in thy grace, to the end that we may be presented by thee before the face of the Lord.

Glory, &c.

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PSALM CXXXI.

O Lady, remember David, and all those who call upon thy name. 

Give us confidence in thy name, and let our adversaries be confounded.

Console us during our earthly pilgrimage, and relieve our poverty.

Give us the bread of tears, Holy Virgin, and the sorrow for our sins, in the earth of our exile.

Bender the blessed fruit of thy womb propitious to us, so that we may be filled by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXXII.

How good and pleasant it is, Mary, to cherish thy name!

Thy name, it is a perfume poured out; it is an odour of aromatics, to those who love thee.

How great are the multitude of good things thou hast prepared, O Lady, for those who cherish and hope in thee !

Be the refuge of the poor in tribulation, for thou art the help of the unhappy and the afflicted.

That they find, I pray thee, grace before God, who invoke thee in their necessities.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXXIII.

Bless now, Our Lady, all ye who hope in her holy name.

Rejoice with great joy, ye who extol and glorify her; because you skill be satisfied with the milk of her consolations.

Behold how she turns upon you the floods of her sweetness, to console and rejoice your hearts.

Bless her, all ye her servants, and let a remembrance of her be always in the desires of thy soul.

Bless her, angels and saints of God; praise her marvels throughout all ages.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXXIV.

Praise the name of the Lord; bless the name of Mary, his mother.

Be constant in prayer to Mary, and she will excite in you imperishable joys.

Let us come to her with a contrite heart, and the desire to sin will no more stimulate us.

They who contemplate her in the calmness of their mind, will find sweetness and the repose of peace.

Aspire towards her in all our actions, and she will open to us the porch of the conquerors.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXXV.

Confess the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy is distributed by his sweet Mother, the Virgin Mary.

Obtain for us the friendship of Jesus Christ, and preserve us, that we lose not our innocence.

Destroy our enemy by thy power; that he attack not in us the virtue of chastity.

Preserve in us the gifts of nature; and let the gifts of grace be multiplied by thee.

Enlighten our paths and our wavs, to the end that we may know the good pleasure of God.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXXVI.

By the rivers of Babylon, the Hebrews have wept: for us, let us weep over our iniquities.

Let us humbly cry to the Virgin Mother; let us offer to her our tears and our sighs.

There is no propitiation without her; there is no salvation without the fruit of her womb.

By her, sins are blotted out: and by the fruit of her womb, souls are purified.

By her, is made the satisfaction of sins; and by the fruit of her womb, health is restored to the soul.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXXVII.

I will confess thee with all my heart, Lady; because, thanks to thee, I have felt the clemency of Jesus Christ.

Lady, listen to my prayers, and I will sing thy praises in the presence of the angels.

In the day when I shall have invoked thee, favourably hear me and multiply strength in my soul.

Let all tongues and all tribes confess thee, for it is through thee that salvation has been rendered to us.

Deliver thy servants from all trouble, and make them live under thy peace and thy protection.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXXVIII.

Lady, thou hast searched me and thou hast known me; thou hast known my ruin and my disobedience.

Thy mercy has been abundant upon me; and thy clemency is extended upon me.

Thine eye has seen my imperfections, and thine eyelids have known my ways.

Let us receive the Holy Spirit, by thine interposition, the abundance of holy desires, and let not the stain of guilt soil our conscience.

Let the light of thy mercy give serenity to our hearts, and let the sweetness of thy peace recreate us.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXXXIX.

Deliver me, 0 Lady, from the wicked man; and defend me from the infernal enemy.

The enemy has bent his bow against me, and in his perfidy he lays snares for me.

Restrain his odious strength and powerfully frustrate his cunning.

Let his iniquity recoil upon his own head; and let him fall into the ditch which he has digged for me.

Por us, let us rejoice in thy service, and let us glory in thy praises.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXL.

Lady, I have cried unto thee, favourably hear me; listen to my prayer and my request.

Let my supplication rise as an incense towards thy face, at the hour of evening and morning sacrifice.

Let not my heart be drawn away by the words of the wicked, and let not the perfidies oi thought pervert my understanding.

Make me obey the good pleasure of thy heart, and conform me to thy actions.

Penetrate my heart with the sword of the Spirit; and influence my mind with the great clear fire of charity.

Glory, &c.

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PSALM CXLI.

I have elevated my voice to our Lady, and I have humbly supplicated her.

I have shed my tears in her presence, and I have exposed my grief to her.

The enemy has laid snares on my track, and he has spread his net against me.

Aid me, Lady, that I fall not before him ; make him to be bruised under my feet.

Draw my soul from prison, that it may confess thee; that it may celebrate in eternity the Lord, the strong God.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXLII.

Lady, favourably hear, my prayer; lend an ear to my supplication.

The evil spirit hath persecuted my life; he has arrested my thoughts upon the earth.

He has blackened me with his darkness; and my soul has been thrown into extreme agony.

Turn not away thy face from me, to the end that I fall not with those who will descend to the infernal lake.

Send thy light and thy grace, and repair anew my life and my conscience.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXLIII.

Be blessed. Lady, who instructeth thy servants to fight, and who strengthened them against the enemy.

Put him to flight by thy thunders and thy lightnings; throw thine arrows to pierce him.

Make illustrious from on high thy hand, to the end that thy servants may sing thy praises and thy glory.

Raise our affections above earthly possessions; nourish our inward parts with eternal delights.

Kindle in our hearts the desire of things above, and deign to refresh us with the joys of paradise.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXLIV.

I will extol thee, Mother of the Son of God; and every day will I sing thy praises.

Generations and people will praise thy works, and the isles will be in expectation of thy mercy.

The angels will make known the abundance of thy goodness, and the saints will publish thy sweetness.

Our eyes hope in thee, our Lady; send us the nourishment and the good of delight.

Let my tongue sing thy praise; I will bless thee from generation to generation.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXLV.

My soul, praise our Lady; I will glorify her as long as I live.

Cease not to celebrate her praises, and think of her every moment.

When my soul leaves this body, may it be commended to thee, Lady, and guide it to unknown lands.

Let not its past faults trouble it, and let not the approaches of the evil spirit disquiet it.

Conduct it to the gate of salvation, and let it await there with security the coming of the Redeemer.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXLVI.

Praise our Lady, for it is useful to address hymns to her; let our praise be beautiful and agreeable to her.

For it is her who carries relief to the afflicted hearts, and who reanimates them by the balm of pity.

Her virtue is great, and her clemency has no limits.

Celebrate her with joy, sing a psalm in her praise.

Her kindness is upon them that fear God, and upon those who hope in her mercy.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXLVII.

Jerusalem, praise our Lady; glorify her from the depths of the heart, O Zion.

For it is she who constructed thy walls and who blessed thy sons.

She renews thee and nourishes thee by her favour, and she gives peace to thy frontiers.

The Most High has sent his word, and her virtue he has covered with his shadow.

Let us raise our hearts and our hands towards her that we may feel her influence.

Let us glorify all her mercies, and let us bless all her goodness.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXLVIII.

Praise our Lady in the highest heavens, glorify her in the supreme dwellings.

Praise her, men and beasts, birds of the sky and fish of the sea.

Praise her, sun and moon, stars and the orbits of the planets.

Praise her, cherubims and seraphims, thrones, dominions and powers.

Praise her, legions of angels ; praise her, orders of celestial spirits.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CXLIX.

Sing to our Lady a new song; her praise is celebrated in the assembly of the just.

Let the heavens rejoice in her glory; let the isles of the sea and the entire universe.

Let the water and the fire praise her, also the cold, and the heat, the splendour and the light.

Let her triumphs be in the mouth of the just, and her praises in the circle of the conquerors.

City of God, rejoice thyself in her, and make thy inhabitants repeat hymns without ceasing.

Glory, &c.



PSALM CL.

Praise our Lady in her holiness: praise her in her virtue and her miracles.

Praise her senate of the Apostles; praise her choirs of Patriarchs and Prophets.

Praise her army of Martyrs ; praise her troops of Doctors and Confessors.

Praise „ her, college of Virgins and chaste men; praise her, orders of anchorites and of monks.

Praise her, all who belong to convents ; praise her, all the souls of the citizens above — let every spirit praise our Lady.

Glory, &c.

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CANTICLES

I CANTICLE
IN IMITATION OF THAT OF ISAIAH. (Isa. 12.)

I will confess thee, O Lady, because, thanks to thee, the Lord has* been appeased concerning me; and thou hast consoled me.

Behold, Lady, mv salvation ; I shall act with confidence in thee and I shall not fear;

For thou art my strength and my salvation in the Lord ; thou hast been for me the assurance of regeneration.

I shall joyfully draw the waters from the source, and I shall always invoke thy name.

Let all the people know the virtues of our Lady, for her name is eminently raised.

Sing and applaud her, all mankind, because the Lord thy God has given you such a mediatrix.

Glory, &c.

II. CANTICLE
IN IMITATION OF THAT OF HEZEKIAH. (Isa. 38.)

I have said towards the middle of my days, I will go to Mary, so that she may reconcile me with Christ.

I have passed the rest of my years in the bitterness of my heart.

My relations have been taken from me; my father and my mother and all creatures have abandoned me; but Mary has raised me up.

I have hoped in her in the morning, the evening and at noon day; as the lion, she has broken all the bones of my sins.

And thou, Lady, thou hast saved my soul that it should not perish; and thou hast snatched me from the tooth of the dog.

Lady, save me, and I will sing thy praise all the days of my life, O pious Mother of my Lord!

Glory, &c.

III. CANTICLE
IN IMITATION OF THAT OF ANNE. (Reg. 1—2.)

My heart rejoiceth in the Lord; and my soul is exalted in our Lady.

Because the Almighty has done great things in me, by Mary his mother.

There is no saint like our Lady, who alone surpasses all others.

Away from our mouth the old words; let us speak in a new tongue.

Rejoice, praise Mary, Jerusalem and Zion, for she is the greatest of all the women of Israel.

She makes poor and she makes rich; she humbles and she raises up.

Higher than the heavens, wider than the earth, such is our Lady.

Glory, &c.

IV. CANTICLE
IN IMITATION OF THAT OF MARY. (Exod. 15.)

Let us sing of our glorious Lady the Virgin Mary let us bless her in our hymns and in our canticles.

Our Lady, her name is all powerful after that of God; she has overthrown the chariot of Pharaoh, and all his army in the sea.

Thy right hand, O Lady, is glorified in its strength; because, in the multitude of thy mercies, thou hast thrown mine enemies down to the ground.

Thou hast delivered me from the mouth of the lion, Lady, and thou hast taken me as a mother takes the child which she has brought forth.

0 beloved Lady, cover me with thy protection, as the hen does for her chickens.

1 am wholly thine, and all that I have is thine, Virgin, blessed above all things.

I will place thee as a seal upon my heart, for thy love is strong as death.

Glory, &c.

V. CANTICLE
IN IMITATION OF THAT OF HABAKKUK. (Hab. 3.)

Lady, I have heard what has been said of thee, and I have been amazed; I have considered thy works, and I have trembled.

Lady, the great work in the midst of times, it was thou who accomplished.

I will confess thee, Lady ; because thou hast hid these things from the wise, and thou hast revealed them unto babes.

Thy glory has covered the heavens, and the earth is full of thy mercy.

Thou art born, 0 Virgin, for the salvation of thy people, for their salvation through thy Christ.

O blessed Virgin, thou savest whom thou wilt; and he from whom thou turnest thy face dies.

Glory, &c.

VI. CANTICLE
IN IMITATION OF THAT Of MOSES. (Deut. 32.)

Heavens, listen to what I am going to say of Mary; let the earth, attend to the words of my mouth.

Glorify her always with me ; let us extol her name from generation to generation.

Perfidious and perverse generation, know our Lady as the way of salvation.

Is she not thy mother, she who has possessed thee, and brought thee up in the faith?

If you abandon her, you are not the friend of the Sovereign Caesar; at the last day he will not save you without her.

Oh, that it might please God that you might have wisdom and understanding, and that you might look forward to the most important moment.

As the child cannot live without its nurse, so you cannot obtain your salvation without our Lady.

Let thy soul, then, thirst for her ; attach thyself to her, and leave her not until she has blessed thee.

Let thy mouth be filled with her praise; sing all day of her magnificence.

Glory, &c.

VII. CANTICLE
IN IMITATION OF THAT OF THE CHILDREN IN THE FURNACE. (Dan. 3.)

Bless, works of the Creator, bless our glorious Lady; praise her, extol her, throughout all ages.

Angels, bless our Lady; heavens, bless our Lady.

Let all nature bless our Lady; she whom the King would see thus blessed.

Blessed be thou, 0 daughter of the sovereign King, who surpassest the perfume of lilies.

Blessed be thou, crown of all women; blessed be thou, O glory of Jerusalem.

Thy perfume is as a fertile field that the Lord has blessed; it is shed upon those who bless thee, and overflows their inmost heart.

Let him, who shall have blessed thee, O most blessed Virgin, be suitably blessed now also.

Let him, who shall have cursed thee, most sincere Rose, be equally cursed.

Never let abundance of wine and oil depart from the house of thy servants.

At thy name let every knee bend in heaven, upon earth, and in hell.

Let us bless the God who has created thee; let the parents who brought thee forth be blessed.

Blessed be thou, O Lady, in heaven and on earth; praised, and glorified, and extolled be thou from generation to generation.

Amen.

VIII. CANTICLE
IN IMITATION OF THAT OF ZACHARIAH. (Luc. 1.)

Blessed be thou, mother of the God of Israel, who by thee hast visited and redeemed his people.

He has exalted the salutary horn of thy chastity, in the house of David his servant.

As he had spoken by the mouth of Isaiah, and of other saints his prophets.

Save us from our enemies, and from the hand of those who hate us, Virgin of Virgins, and grant us peace.

And be merciful to our parents, and to us; and remember the oath of the Almighty God;

Which he swore to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

That we being delivered from the hand of our enemies, may serve him without fear and in peace;

In holiness and in righteousness, in thy presence all the days of our life.

And thou, Mary, shalt be called the Prophetess of God; for thou hast known that he regarded the lowliness of his servant.

By whom he has given the knowledge of salvation to his people, for the remission of sins.

By the depths of thine abundant mercy visit us, star of the morning, whom thou hast raised in the heavens!

Give light to those who sit in the darkness of the shadow of death, and deign to dissipate it by the light of thy beloved Son.

Have pity, Mother of mercy, have pity upon us sinners, who neglect to repent of our past sins, and who commit each day a great number, for which we
have to do penance.

Glory, &c.

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HYMN
like that which is attributed to St. Ambrose and St. Augustine - Te Deum.

We praise thee, Mother of God; we acknowledge thee to be Virgin Mary.

All the earth doth worship thee, the spouse of the eternal Father.

It is thou whom all the angels, and all the archangels, all thrones, and all principalities, serve faithfully.

Thee all powers, all the virtues of the heavens, all dominions obey.

Thee all choirs, all cherubim and seraphim assist in the exaltation of joy.

Thee every angelic creature proclaims with an unceasing voice.

Holy, holy, holy, Mary, Mother of God, Mother and Virgin.

The heavens and the earth are full of the glorious majesty of the fruit of thy body.

The glorious choir of the Apostles praise thee in concert, as the Mother of the Creator.

Thee the army of the happy martyrs, clad in white robes, glorify as the Mother of Christ.

Thee the glorious army of confessors call the temple of the Trinity.

Thee the delightful choir of Virgins proclaim as the model of virginity and humility.

Thee all the celestial court honours as its queen.

Thee the universal church every where celebrates in its invocations.

Mother of the Divine majesty;

Honourable and true Mother of the King of heaven;

Holy as well as mild and pious;

Thou, the queen of angels.

Thou, the gate of paradise.

Thou, the ladder to the celestial kingdom and to glory.

Thou, the ark of piety and grace.

Thou, the artery of mercy.

Thou, the spouse and the mother of the eternal King.

Thou, the temple and the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit.

Thou, the noble tabernacle of the blessed Trinity.

Thou, the mediatrix of G-od and of men; thou, full of love to mortals; thou, celestial illuminatrix.

Thou, the champion of the combatants; the advocate of the poor; the mercy and refuge of sinners.

Thou, the distributrix of favours, the barrier and the terror of the naughty demons.

Thou, the Sovereign of the world, the Queen of heaven; after God, our only hope.

Thou, the salvation of those who call upon thee, the door of the shipwrecked, the consolation of the miserable, the refuge of those who perish.

Thou, the mother of all the elect, their perfect joy after God ; thou, the delight of all the citizens above.

Thou, who advancest the just, and who bringest back those who stray.

Thou, the promise of the patriarchs; thou, the truth of the prophets.

Thou, the herald and the teacher of the apostles; thou, the mistress of the evangelists.

Thou, the strength of the martyrs; the example of the confessors; the honour and the j6y of the virgins.

Thou, who to deliver man from exile, hast received the Son of God into thy bosom.

Through thee the old enemy has been conquered, and the kingdom of heaven has been opened to the faithful.

Thou art seated with thy Son at the right hand of the Father.

O thou, Virgin Mary, pray for us to him whom we believe will come to judge us.

O thou, we supplicate thee, come then to our succour; we, thy servants, who have been saved by the precious blood of thy Son.

Make us, O pious Virgin, to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting.

Save thy people, O our Lady, to the end that we may be partakers of the heritage of thy Son;

And conduct us and guard us for eternity.

Every day, O pious Virgin, we salute thee;

And we would praise thee with the voice and with the heart to eternity.

Deign, O sweet Mary, now and ever, to keep us without sin.

Have pity on us, pious Queen, have pity on us.

Let thy mercy be great upon us, because we have put our confidence in thee, Virgin Mary.

It is in thee, sweet Mary, that we hope; defend us throughout eternity.

To thee is due praise, to thee is due empire, to thee is due power and glory, from generation to generation.

Amen.

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THE CREED

Whosoever will be saved, should before all things have a firm faith about the Virgin Mary.

And if he keep not this faith w r hole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

For alone Mary has conceived remaining always a Virgin ; she alone has put down all heresies.

Let him be confounded and blush, the Jew who said that Christ was born of Joseph.

Let the Manichean be confounded who said that Christ has an imaginary body.

Let him be cursed, who said that Jesus has taken his body otherwise than through Mary.

For the same Son, who is the only Son of the Father in the divine ordinance, is the true only Son of the Virgin Mary.

In the heavens he is without mother, upon earth he is without father.

For as the reasonable soul and flesh, united, is born one man ; so the Christ, God and man, is truly born of Mary.

He has clothed his flesh with the flesh of the Virgin, for it became him thus to save the human race.

He who, according to his divinity, is equal to the Father, according to his humanity, is inferior to the Father;

Conceived in the bosom of the Virgin Mary, by the annunciation of the angel, and by the operation of the Holy Spirit, nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is not his father.

He is come into the world without the Virgin Mary buffering in her flesh, because he was conceived without her having pleasure in the flesh.

His mother fed him from her paps filled by heaven.

The angels surrounded him at his birth, and announced to the Shepherds this great joy.

He has been adored and has received presents from the Magii; he has been made to fly into Egypt by Herod.

He has been baptized in Jordan by John; he has been delivered, then scourged, crucified; he is dead, and he has been buried.

He is raised with glory, and he is ascended into the heavens.

He has sent his Holy Spirit upon his disciples and upon his mother, whom he has at length himself raised to heaven;

She there Sits at the right hand of her Son, never ceasing to pray for us.

This is the faith of the Virgin Mary, and no one, if he does not believe it faithfully and firmly can be saved.

Amen.

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LITANIES OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, favourably hear us.

God the Father, who art in heaven, glorious Creator of Mary, have pity upon us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, by whom Mary has known maternity, have pity upon us.

God the Holy Spirit, who has covered Mary with thy sacred shadow, have pity upon us.

Holy Trinity, one only God, who glorifiest Mary, have pity upon us.

Holy Mary, who enlightenest the whole universe, pray for us.

Holy Mary, who exaltest thy servants, pray for us.

Holy Mary, who intercedest for sinners, pray for us.

Holy Mary, who enlightenest the heart, pray for us.

Holy Mary, source of mercy, pray for us.

Holy Mary, splendour of the holy church, pray for us.

Holy Mary, flower of wisdom, pray for us.

Holy Mary, saluted by the angel, pray for us.

Holy Mary, who has been covered with the shadow of the Holy Spirit, pray for us.

Holy Mary, glorified in the heavens, pray for us.

Holy Mary, beautiful rose of spring, pray for us.

Holy Mary, fruitful vine, and ornamented with leaves, pray for us.

Holy Mary, mild and beautiful virgin, pray for us.

Holy Mary, cherished spouse of God the Father, pray for us.

Holy Mary, predestinated Mother of the Word of God, pray for us.

Holy Mary, enveloped by the Holy Spirit, pray for us.

Holy Mary, who conceived God in thy womb, pray for us.

Holy Mary, who hast brought forth a God man, pray for us.

Holy Mary, virgin standard bearer of virgins, pray for us.

Holy Mary, stem of Jesse, who hast borne Christ, pray for us.

Holy Mary, tree of life, who givest fruit, pray for us.

Holy Mary, the most beautiful of women, pray for us.

Holy Mary, the most humble of the humble, pray for us.

Holy Mary, the most holy of saints, pray for us.

Holy Mary, the most precious to love, pray for us.

Holy Mary, the most worthy to be specially praised, pray for us.

Holy Mary, Mother of the Creator, pray for us.

Holy Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, pray for us.

Holy Mary, Mother of the Saviour, pray for us.

Holy Mary, the desired Mother of the earth, pray for us.

Holy Mary, terrible to the powers of hell, pray for us.

Holy Mary, most amiable Mother, pray for us.

Holy Mary, virgin full of grace, pray for us.

Holy Mary, virgin full of clemency, pray for us.

Holy Mary, who spreadest pious consolations, pray for us.

Holy Mary, flower of virgin honour, pray for us. Holy Mary, flower of wisdom, pray for us.

Holy Mary, splendour and light of the east, pray for us.

Holy Mary, Queen of the virtues of the heavens, pray for us.

Holy Mary, house of the cypress of the Lord, pray for us.

Holy Mary, crystalline window of heaven, pray for us.

Holy Mary, dawn of eternal light, pray for us.

Holy Mary, most beautiful and most honoured virgin, pray for us.

Holy Mary, sweet and sonorous melody, pray for us.

Holy Mary, who nourishest us with the delights of God, pray for us.

Holy Mary, cupbearer of the celestial court, pray for us.

Holy Mary, open door of Paradise, pray for us.

Holy Mary, beloved shadow of God, pray for us.

Holy Mary, new joy of virgins, pray for us.

Holy Mary, the first blessed among women, pray for us.

Holy Mary, pious consolation of the miserable, pray for us.

Holy Mary, true salvation and true beatitude, pray for us.

Holy Mary, grandeur of charity, pray for us.

Holy Mary, fulness of piety, pray for us.

Holy Mary, mother of the orphans, pray for us.

Holy Mary, nurse of the orphans, pray for us.

Holy Mary, milk of little children, pray for us.

Holy Mary, consolatrix of the afflicted, pray for us.

Holy Mary, whom the angels serve and revere, pray for us.

Holy Mary, noble queen of the heavens, pray for us.

Holy Mary, with whom both male and female saints partake their joys, pray for us.

Holy Mary, whom all praise and venerate, pray for us.

Be favourable to us, pardon us, O Lady.

Be favourable to us, deliver us, O Lady.

From all evil, deliver us, O Lady.

From all evil temptation, deliver us, O Lady.

From the anger and indignation of God, deliver us, O Lady.

From peril and despair, deliver us, O Lady.

From the pride which ruins, deliver us, O Lady.

From the sharp sin of anger and of envy, deliver us, O Lady.

From the temptation of the flesh, which solicits us on all sides, deliver us, O Lady.

From the shameful sin of gourmandizing and of gluttony, deliver us, O Lady.

From the assault of the evil enemy, deliver us, O Lady.

By thy joy at the incarnation of Christ, deliver us, O Lady.

By the sorrow and agony of his passion, deliver us, O Lady.

By the joy and the miracle of his resurrection, deliver us, O Lady.

By the joy and delight of his ascension, deliver us, O Lady.

By thy faith in the mission of the Holy Spirit, deliver us, O Lady.

By the joy and delight of thy coronation, deliver us, O Lady.

At the devastating and desolate hour of our death, deliver us, O Lady.

In the severe examination of the judgment, deliver us, O Lady.

From the horrible torments of hell, deliver us, O Lady.

We, sinners, entreat thee, hear us.

That, most pious Queen, thou wouldst deign to preserve the holy Church, we entreat thee to listen to us.

That, thou wilt deign to obtain glory for the just, and pardon for the sinners, we entreat thee to hear us.

That, thou wilt deign to obtain consolation for the afflicted, liberty for the captives, we entreat thee to hear us.

That, thou wilt deign to console the servants and the handmaids that devotedly serve thee, we entreat thee to hear us.

That, thou wilt deign to keep thy Christian people saved by the precious blood of thy Son, we entreat thee to hear us.

That, thou wilt deign to grant to the faithful dead eternal rest, we entreat thee to hear us.

Mother of God, we entreat thee to hear us.

Well beloved Mother, our Lady, have pity upon us, and give us perpetual peace. Amen.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father, &c., and let us not fall into temptation; but deliver us from evil.


V. I have said, O Lady; have pity upon me.

R. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.

V. Turn thy mercy upon us.

R. And be propitious to thy servants.

V. Display thy power against our enemies.

R. To the end that thou mayest be justified before all nations.

V. Have mercy on thy servants who call upon thy name.

R. And leave them not a prey to their temptations.

V. Reject us not at the time of our death.

R. And succour our soul when it shall have left our body.

V. Be to us a tower of strength.

R. And an impregnable rock against the enemy.

V. Aid me, O Lady, that I yield not to him.

R. Bruise thou him beneath my feet.

V. Favourably hear my prayer and my supplication.

R. And let mine adversaries be brought to nought.


Let us pray.


Almighty and eternal God, who hast deigned to be born of the most chaste Virgin Mary for us, make us to serve thee with a chaste body, and may we please thee by a humble mind.

We also pray thee, most pious Virgin Mary, queen of the world and sovereign of angels, to obtain refreshment for those whom the fires of purgatory purify, to obtain pardon for sinners, and for the just perseverance in well-doing. Defend us also, we who are so frail, from all the perils which threaten us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


END OF THE PSALTER.