Devout Prayers
A prayer of love and praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary
O Blessed Mary, most kindly Virgin and glorious Mother of God, of all mortals you alone possess the plenitude of grace and the perfection of piety and love. I implore you to open this treasury of mercy and love to me, your poor and unworthy servant. Pour forth into the depths of my parched soul the gentle dew of the refreshing sweetness which you keep hidden in your most holy bosom. Help me to love ardently and praise devoutly your unique Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and yourself, most blessed of mothers, with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul, and all my strength. May I pass all the days of my life upon this earth in serving you and your divine Son with true love and fervor of spirit.
O Virgin Mary, golden rose, indescribably sweet and beautiful! Let my prayers poured out to you with devotion enter into the sight of your most holy presence. With these prayers, I knock upon the door of your mystical dwelling place, the most exalted abode within the celestial palace of God. I confide entirely in your mercy in all my tribulations and anguish. For you are the Mother of mercy, and through you each sinner finds their greatest hope of obtaining God’s mercy.
Your goodness and mercy immeasurably exceed any praise which mortal lips could ever utter. You surpass the glory and splendor of all the other saints, Blessed Virgin and beloved mistress! By virtue of your sweetness and clemency, you transcend even the angelic creatures. Through your intercession, more than that of any other, the sinner may find the surest and promptest path to the mercy of God. And the spring of your kindness and mercy can never be exhausted, for in your womb the font of infinite goodness—God himself, our Lord Jesus Christ—rested in physical form for nine months.
O beloved Queen, you are the ornament of the highest heaven and the joy and jubilation of all the saints. You are the golden ark of the celestial temple and the delight and hope of the ancient patriarchs. Through your intercession, O blessed and specially chosen Virgin, divine mercy is promised and bestowed upon all who pray sincerely for the forgiveness of their sins. With you as its faithful helper and powerful advocate, the soul becomes capable of attaining a place amongst the children of God to enjoy unending beatitude and unfettered liberty in the kingdom of heaven.
O most radiant star illuminating the firmament, and gracious Queen of Heaven! There is no earthly maiden or virgin saint who may be compared to your immaculate beauty. For—after your only begotten and divine Son, Jesus Christ—you are the first amongst all the saints and angels and the most perfect of all created beings. God, the eternal Father, knew you before the ages began. In the fullness of time, he created you to be the immaculate Mother of his beloved and only Son. You gave birth to this Son, the Savior of all who believe in him, with unspeakable joy, and thus you shared in the most wondrous miracle of the Incarnation of the Divinity.
Therefore, the whole human race honors and glorifies you with the greatest jubilation. All humanity loves you with intimate and filial devotion. For you, O Mary ever-virgin, are the most beautiful and blessed Queen of all the saints and angels, and the Mediatrix of Mercy to all the world. Every creature in heaven and earth— which God created solely for the glory of his most exalted and holy name—unites to sing your glorious praises, in a sweet-sounding and enthralling melody of endless love. Amen.
A prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary for her help in the hour of death
O most loving Mother of God, Mary ever-virgin, you overflow with a miraculous sweetness, which the human mind is not able to comprehend or describe! I stand before you now as your lowly servant, humbly bowing before your most glorious throne, which is exalted far above all the choirs of angels in the heavenly kingdom. You have deserved this preeminent rank, O beloved Lady, for you were found to be the most pure and humble amongst all the daughters of Jerusalem. Therefore, your beauty became pleasing in the eyes of God, the divine King; for truly he found no other maiden upon earth who was similar to you.
Again, I prostrate myself before your footstool, eager to praise and extol you with devout lips and a pure heart. Yet I know, chosen Mother of God, that I am not worthy to raise my impure eyes to you. For often have I sinned, weakly succumbing to the lusts of the flesh, the cravings of the eyes, and the pride of life.1 Indeed, I am unfit to gaze upon your most serene face, radiant with the divine luminance, which fills the whole angelic court of heaven with the most profound admiration and wonder. This face is adorned with lips whose crimson surpasses that of the rose and whose eyes’ gentle gleam outshines the stars themselves.
When I consider my own abject unworthiness, I am deeply saddened and filled with frustration at my own impurity. But again, when I recall the multitude of your mercies, I am infused with renewed hope. With you interceding for me and acting as my blessed advocate, surely I shall quickly obtain the grace of forgiveness for my failures and reconciliation to the Lord. What else can I do but see in you, my Lady, my sweetest solace and my most merciful refuge? And not for me only but for all sinners.
Therefore, inspired by the hope of your healing mercy and maidenly gentleness, I fly unto your holy protection, O most gracious of Queens. For, by means of your protection, the weak are given strength and captives receive liberty. Be merciful to me, just as a good Mother. Thus shall I know that you are indeed the consoler of all who serve you and the most faithful helper of all who trust in you.
Again, I pray to you, Mary, most glorious Mother of God! From now until the final hour of my life, never cease to look upon me with a serene and maternal gaze and a benevolent and loving heart. Hold me in the loving embrace of your arms wherever I may walk during the pilgrimage of my earthly life!
In truth, I do not and cannot know when my final day shall arrive. But when that dark day comes, and when descends the grim and dreadful hour of death which no mortal may escape, please remember me, your humble servant! Stand by my side in the time of my mortal dissolution and lend to my fearful soul all the courage that it shall then so desperately need. Yes, protect it from the foul and unclean demonic spirits which would viciously seize upon it and draw it away to the eternal darkness, to the unquenchable fire and the undying worm! For wherever you are present, O Mary, together with your angelic and saintly cohorts, there the spirits of evil and the demons shall not dare to approach.
By means of your infinitely pure and efficacious prayers, help to reconcile me to your beloved Son, whom I have gravely offended in such a multitude of different ways. After this life—my earthly exile—is ended, take my poor and wandering soul by the hand and lead it through the gates of heaven to the blissful realms of God’s star-illuminated paradise. Stand by my side and speak to your divine Son on my behalf. He is, indeed, the omnipotent King of all the ages and the supreme judge of every soul. Yet he once came to you as your tiny guest, announced by the word of the archangel Gabriel, and was held in your embrace and nursed by you, as helpless and mild as any human infant.
By the power of your Son, Jesus, kindly protect and guard me both in life and in death. Grant me the privilege of praising your wonderful name with all the capacity of my heart, my tongue, and my mind. Accept my humble prayer which I pour out to you. Look upon me, most merciful and blessed mother of Jesus, and never forget me.
But I must confess that sometimes I am forgetful of you. Sometimes, I am distracted by fleshly temptations, and sometimes I am weighed down by earthly worries and duties. Yet I hope that you, for your part, will not forget me. For you offer your mercy to all who venerate and love you, even if they do so only imperfectly.
Hail, O most blessed Virgin Mary! I greet and venerate you upon bended knees; to you I bow my head in devout adoration; to you I join my hands in ardent thanksgiving and gratitude. And, so that you may deign to hear my humble prayer, I shall now dare to speak to you that angelic and immortal salutation by which God himself magnified your glory, just as your soul magnified his:
Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Amen.
A prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary imploring her special consolation
Receive, O most merciful Mother of God, your servant who flies to you in the midst of tribulation! Receive me, most pure of virgins, like a forsaken orphan, who has no one else to offer consolation. My Lady, see my affliction and open to me your heart of deepest mercy. Lo, I stand at your door knocking, crying out and begging for you to open to me! And I shall not withdraw, I shall not depart, until you grant me kindly admittance.
I know of your incomparable sweetness. I know of the maternal tenderness of your heart, which is replete with a love divine in nature and origin. And therefore I flee to you often, both when things are going well for me and when I face tribulations and difficulties. For you never fail to provide me with motherly consolation and encouragement, and to refresh and renew my spirit. With you speaking words of solace to me, what need have I ever to feel sad? And with you as my protectress and guardian, how shall any enemy harm me or ever dare to approach me?
Most kindly Mother, turn your ears to my humble supplications. Noble maiden, grant to me to drink of your font of refreshment, and pour out to me the pure waters of your super-abundant grace. How very much I need your grace during this present time of struggle, and indeed at all times in my life! And never shall I become weary of your guidance, protection, and assistance.
So delightful and potent is your grace that a single drop of it, descending upon my lips like dewfall, is more precious to me than all the world. Compared to you, everything else in this life seems inconsequential and trivial. You are wonderfully generous in your gifts and marvelously sweet in your words. In your womb, the highest Wisdom of God dwelt in the flesh. The Holy Spirit consecrated you, the mighty archangel Gabriel saluted you in jubilation and homage, and the power of the Most High himself overshadowed you!
O Mary, refresh me with your teachings of piety and wisdom. Speak to me but a single word, and my soul shall be consoled. Certainly, I ask of you no difficult or impossible thing, my Lady. Utter to my heart but a single word of solace, and I shall be filled with unspeakable joy and gladness.
Behold, I flee to you in my hour of need! Receive me with a kindly and serene countenance, and bestow upon me your encouragement and soothing mercy. By this alone shall I know that my humble service and devotion has not failed to find favor in your sight.
Come to me, dearest Mary! Bring with you your mellifluous ointment with which to anoint my heart in its tribulation. For you know perfectly how to alleviate the pain of an aching heart, and how to restore it to happy tranquility. Come, most merciful Mistress, with the ever-new graces of Christ! Hold out your holy right hand to raise me up, your servant who lies fallen before you. Come, chosen Mother of God! Reveal to me the solace of your endless mercies. For, as you can see, I am almost annihilated and virtually reduced to nothing by my troubles. And yet, I do not forget you, my Queen; nor shall I ever forget you, as long as time endures.
Come to me, my beloved, my hope, and my joy! For whilst I converse with you in the raptures of prayer, all goodness is present to me and all wickedness and trouble departs far away. How desirable and how delightful it is for me to hear the voice of the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ! But what are the words I seek to hear from you? They are none other than those revered and awesome words once spoken by your divine Son to the blessed apostle John, when he said: “Behold, your mother!”2
He heard these words from the Lord, but I, with a devout mind and ardent spirit, seek to hear them now from you, my Mistress. Say to me: “Behold, I am your mother! Here I am, standing before you.” When I hear these words, my soul will revive and I shall rejoice in your presence, like a small, lost child who has just found his longed-for mother.
Let your loving voice penetrate into the ears of my heart, and let your sweet utterance bear with it all the consolation of the Holy Spirit. My heart shall then assume a new and fresh faith. My fears shall vanish, and doubts will touch me no more. The dark clouds of despair that surround me shall be dispelled as mist by a ray of golden sunlight at the sound of those words I so long to hear, “Behold, your mother!”
My soul, hold firm to this commendation! Embrace the blessed Virgin Mary. Embrace the Mother of God, together with her infant Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Give thanks to her always, for she never fails to hear the prayers of those who cry to her in distress, and she never leaves them without consolation. She indeed is the Virgin who bore God himself to the world, the mystic branch growing from a royal tree, from which sprang forth the divine lily—Jesus Christ the Lord, the King and Savior of the universe! To him be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.
A prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary in times of distress
Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with thee, O most serene Virgin.
Hail, you who are the special hope of the needy! Hail, kindly Mother of the orphan!
Often have I known dark and difficult times—
when all the doors of heaven seem to be shut to me …
when it seems that my sins have alienated me from God …
when my firmness of mind fails completely and my resolve becomes feeble …
when I can find succor and solace in no earthly thing …
when I am consumed with such tedium that nothing in this world delights me …
when my heart seems to be bound up in chains of anxiety …
when it seems that the sun of joy has given way to the tempestuous night of fear and sorrow …
when all my consolations have been replaced with desolation …
when the gales of temptation rise against me and assail me …
when unexpected weakness overtakes me …
when foes and adversities seem to surround me from every direction …
At such times, to whom should I turn to but you, O Mary? To whom should I flee but to your maternal protection; for you are indeed the most kindly refuge of the poor, sorrowful, and afflicted. Who or what can lead me safely to the tranquil harbor of salvation, except for you? For you are, in truth, the most beautiful and splendid Star of the Sea, whose gentle but refulgent light never fails nor conceals itself from those who earnestly seek it.
O Mary, sweet and beloved Mother, you are that most brilliant star which illuminates all those who raise their eyes to you in prayer and supplication. To you, therefore, I flee today and humbly implore your assistance! For I know that whatever you request of your divine and obedient Son, you shall easily obtain. If you are for me, O glorious Mistress, who can be against? If you bestow something of your grace upon me, what foe shall I fear?
Extend to me your protecting arms, that I may hasten to your loving embrace! Say to my soul, “I am your advocate. Take courage and do not fear. As a mother consoles her son, so shall I console you!” Such indeed are your gracious utterances, your words of unsurpassable sweetness. Who will grant to my heart to hear such words without cessation?
How sweet is the speech from your mouth! Speak, my Lady, to the heart of your servant, for I long to hear you! For I am indeed your servant and the servant of your Son. If you are a mother to me, then the Lord Jesus Christ is most truly my Brother. And you bore him, the Son of God, not only as your own beloved infant but as Savior of the whole world.
There is no other maiden who is similar to you in virtue and beauty, nor in charity and mercy, nor in piety and sweetness. You have no equal in faithfulness and maternal gentleness, nor in compassion and clemency. Therefore, this day I choose and assume you as my special protectress. This day, I faithfully pledge myself to your service and consecrate my heart entirely to your love. And not merely for the duration of this present life but for all eternity. And it will suffice for me as consolation to know that I am now inseparably bound to you by this dedication. Behold, already I rejoice and am wonderfully encouraged by you. From henceforth, never shall my heart cease to sing the praises of your most sacred name!
O how beautiful and lovely you are, holy Mary, filled with every grace! To number all of your virtues and merits would be like counting every single star in heaven. And just as the heavens are high above the earth, so your life was exalted above that of other mortals, and the splendor of your glory above the hosts of angels. My humble prayer now ascends to you, my Lady, so that you may plead my cause in the presence of your holy Son. For before your Son, who is also Son of God, there is no one who is able to stand justified by their own merits alone. O most clement Queen, to you I confess openly my sins and failures and will reveal all the hidden impurities and blemishes of my soul. I know the greatness and potency of the virtue that proceeds from you, which will bring sure healing and solace to my sorry heart.
How sweet is the name of Mary, a name that carries the anointing of a specially privileged grace, a name always to be spoken with the utmost reverence and veneration. O heavenly and angelic name, which the evangelist so carefully and piously entrusts and commends to the faithful: “And the name of the Virgin was Mary.”3
O sacrosanct and most laudable Mary! You are indeed the door of heaven, the portal of eternal life, the temple of God, and the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Whatever I see in created things which is noble and beautiful, whatever I consider in the lives and merits of the saints which is great and virtuous, I wish to offer and dedicate to your splendor and glory. For it is truly worthy that I, together with all creation, should extol with perpetual praise you, O Mary—whom I now choose as my special Mother and most faithful advocate, to the unending glory and honor of your blessed Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
A prayer on the great virtues and merits of St. John the Baptist
Most holy and illustrious saint, John the Baptist, you were a special friend of our Lord Jesus Christ and a most faithful forerunner of the Lord! O beloved and venerable patron, you were great in this earthly realm but are now even greater in the kingdom of heaven, where you splendidly illuminate the choir of saints with your special honor and refulgent virtue! For you were truly the greatest of all the prophets and have primacy amongst the holy patriarchs. Though you were the last to be born of this noble company, you take precedence over them all by the glory of your merits and the radiance of your goodness.
Just as the brilliant star of morning is the brightest of all the stars of the night and heralds the coming of the sun, so you prefigured and announced to the world the coming of our eternal King, the Sun of Justice and Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Your birth was foretold by the archangel Gabriel; you were sanctified by God prior to your birth. Even then, you were filled with the Holy Spirit of prophecy so that you leapt within your mother’s womb when you heard the sound of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s voice. You returned the faculty of speech to your father who had been rendered dumb. And with this voice, he proclaimed, “You, blessed child, shall be called a prophet of God the most High!”4
Thus you came to be born in a most marvelous fashion. But more wondrous yet was your mode of life. For at the age of seven, you left your parents’ home and entered the desert.5 There, unsupported by any human consolation, you lived an angelic life. You lived in complete solitude, poverty, and silence, until the day you returned to preach to the people of Israel. You embarked on a most difficult course and set yourself an arduous rule of life, content with the crudest of food and drink, and firmly declining all the luxuries of the rich and powerful. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, you proclaimed to the people the coming of salvation and the way of moral rectitude. You urged the crowds to repent and seek after the coming kingdom of God.
It was you who proclaimed the advent of the Lamb of God himself, our Lord Jesus Christ. This Lamb of God you prefigured by your own way of life—your fidelity, courage, justice, and righteousness. And when the Lord was present in the flesh, you pointed him out physically, declaring to the crowds, “Behold, the Lamb of God! Behold him who takes away the sins of the world!”6 And, O great and venerable John, exhibiting the most profound reverence and awe, you baptized with your own hallowed hands Jesus Christ, the living Lord and only Son of God, in the waters of the Jordan.
At that time, you heard the sublime voice of the Father, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”7 You beheld with your own blessed eyes the Holy Spirit descending upon and hovering over the head of the Savior in the form of a dove. Thus you witnessed the ineffable mystery of the Trinity, through its own celestial revelation and its own glorious heavenly manifestation. And it was you who bore witness to the true light of the world, Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.
And Christ bore witness to you also and declared the magnificence of your sanctity and virtue. He said of you something which no other prophet or patriarch has ever merited to hear: “Of all those born of women, no man greater than John the Baptist has arisen.”8
O John, you were the prototype and model of all martyrs. For, fervent with zeal for justice and love of chastity, with a courageous voice you reprimanded the incestuous marriage of the wicked king Herod. Because of the unbending constancy of your faith, you were then cast into a foul and gloomy dungeon and patiently bore the heavy chains of incarceration. At last, at the request of a most reprehensible woman who thirsted for your blood, you gave up your blessed head to be savagely severed off by the executioner’s sword. And this was the same blessed head that had been consecrated by the infant God!
Thus you were decorated with robes of royal purple, colored with your own noble blood, and received the victor’s palm of glorious martyrdom. And thus as a lamp which had shone forth into the world, you entered triumphant into the celestial court of the holy patriarchs and prophets. And, despite your cruel death, you were certainly filled with overwhelming and undiminished joy at the advent of the Savior of the world and Redeemer of the human race. For he was the one you foretold and pointed out. He was the one whom you preceded, in your birth, baptizing, preaching, manner of life, and fearless death.
O most sublime and exalted of holy men! How could I possibly ever succeed in worthily praising and extolling your tremendous virtues? I find you so rich and great in all aspects of sanctity that you seem to stand out with particular splendor amongst the whole choir of saints. Rather, indeed, because of the superlative brightness of your splendor, I am hardly able to gaze on you at all! And neither may I ever sufficiently admire your singular dignity.
Everywhere your name is heard, and in each church, the praises of St. John the Baptist ring forth. If I seek you among the angels, I find you with them as their peer and companion, for you were rightly said by Christ to rank above all holy men who were born of mortals.9 If I seek you among the company of prophets, I find that you are, in fact, more than a prophet—again as Christ declared.10 If I seek you among the apostles and evangelists, I find you ranking first, as you were the first to be named as “the voice” of the Good News, “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.”11 If I look for you among the ranks of virgins, I find that you were a true and chaste virgin throughout your entire life of celibacy and abstinence. If I look for you among the holy monks and hermits, I find that you were an earnest cultivator of solitude and silence, and the exemplar for all generations of monks. If you are sought among the innocent and pure, there was never a man who was more innocent or more pure than you. And if you are sought among those who devoted themselves to a life of penitence and abstinence, you take primacy of place for your austerity of life, stricture of morals, and integrity of conscience.
O most holy man, praiseworthy in all things! You were beloved by God, venerated by angels, and admired by human beings. O burning and brilliant light of the omnipotence of God, illuminating the earth and making heaven rejoice. You converted sinners, encouraged the just, raised up the fallen, and strengthened those who were firm in their faith. Thus you drew all people to God, making straight the path in their hearts for the One who would show the way of salvation and open the gates of heaven.
Remember me, O great saint! By your prayers and intercessions, obtain mercy for me from the just Judge of all sinners. Sow in me the seeds of virtue so that I may be liberated from the hold of all vices. With you as my protector, may I merit to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit and enter through the gates of perpetual beatitude after the struggles of this life. O great pillar of the kingdom of heaven, help me in the hour of my death! Be my advocate before the King of Angels, and speak a favorable word on my behalf. Although my own faults and failures weigh me down and burden me, let your merits raise me up and be a shield defending me against the foe. When my soul leaves behind the shackles of this mortal body, let me be aided by your glorious merits and virtues, and so pass safely and securely to the eternal palace of celestial beatitude. Amen.
A prayer on the privileges of love of the blessed Apostle John
Hail, St. John, gentle and noble apostle! Hail, most exalted of all the Evangelists! Hail, faithful guardian of Mary, the Mother of Jesus! I salute you with the devout reverence of my soul. I honor you out of the depths of my heart. I invoke you with affectionate sighs and prayers. I sincerely desire to extol your praises, to describe your virtues, and to relate the magnificence of your works. Most pious and chaste Apostle, permit me to speak well of your glories!
You were the disciple who is described as being especially beloved by Christ. The Lord Jesus called you while still young from becoming married to this world, to be the spouse of holy and pure celibacy instead.12 He freed you from the bonds and allurements of the flesh and filled you with every heavenly charism. For the love of Jesus, you left your earthly father in the boat with his nets to follow your divine Father.13 You tirelessly proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Wondrous signs and miracles testify to your sanctity. You did not fear persecutions and afflictions but embraced them all with unflinching and heroic courage.
You were among the chosen, inner group of apostles who ascended Mount Tabor with the Lord Jesus Christ.14 There, the radiant glory of the transfiguration was manifested to you. There, in mystic ecstasy of mind, you heard the sublime voice of the heavenly Father declaring Christ to be the true Son of God. Thus the stupendous arcana of the mystery of the divine filiation of Jesus and his perfect divinity were opened to you.
O holy and blessed Apostle, how many were the secrets which Jesus revealed to you—truths which the fallen human mind is not able to grasp or comprehend! Therefore I ask you, beloved John, pray for me with all your fervor. Pray that I am able to relinquish all worldly vanities and temptations. Ignite my heart with the saving mysteries of Jesus, upon which you were so ecstatically intoxicated. Let me spurn earthly deception and ascend with you the mountain of virtue unto the clear heavens of purity and innocence.
For all the fleeting vanities and ephemeral pleasures of this passing life—which people seem to prize so highly—are, in truth, really nothing. It was to demonstrate this that Christ, the eternal Wisdom of God, showed to you the glowing vision of the ineffable future glory to be given to his saints.15
And as his blessed passion drew nigh, it was you he sent, together with Peter, to prepare the paschal feast, the supper of the Lamb. At this holy supper, the Lord humbled himself as a servant to wash your feet and those of the other disciples and thus left an immortal sign and example of love and devout humility.16 O venerable John, who at the royal banquet of eternal life, lovingly reclined upon the breast of your revered and adored Master.17 You are the beloved disciple who, while at that forever-remembered supper, asked Jesus, “Lord, who is it that shall betray you?” And Christ, as a sign of his loving intimacy with you, confided, as if in secret, “It is he to whom I give the piece of bread which I shall dip into the dish.”18
O truly privileged and specially chosen Apostle! Amongst the noble company of apostles, you were blessed with a singular grace of chastity, and hence were found worthy of a particular familiarity with the Lord. Thus to you were revealed profound mysteries which remained hidden or only dimly perceived by the others, as if by an intimate word of divine knowledge uttered in your ear.
How many were the arcane wonders which you drew whilst reclining on the breast of Jesus! The words of your Gospel fill the entire earth, transmitting like a flowing, crystal stream the celestial doctrine you drew from the chest of the Savior. I beseech you, O beloved Apostle, refresh my thirsting soul with the sweetness of your divine eloquence. Make me to be present with you at the supper of the Lord! Let my heart take delight in the beauty of Christ’s discourse to his disciples, the words of which you so faithfully recorded in your Gospel.
You, blessed John, were among the disciples as they followed Jesus through the Kedron Valley.19 You were among the privileged three who accompanied the Lord to his secret place of agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.20 And you did not fear to accompany Jesus, captive and bound, into the palace of the high priest.21 It was sincere love for Jesus which compelled both you and Peter to follow him more boldly than did all the others. But when human frailty and weakness caused Peter to deny him and to flee at his hour of death, you remained faithfully at his side.
Most holy Apostle John, with perfect and unwavering loyalty, you followed Jesus, cruelly wounded and condemned to the cross. With tearful sorrow, you accompanied the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, who were almost overcome by grief. You stood by Jesus with unshakable fidelity while he hung in agony from the cross, and by the side of the Blessed Virgin as her heart was pierced by the sword of pain. In this is shown the insuperable power of the holy love which burned within you as a celestial fire.
For this reason, with his dying breath, Jesus specially commended his Mother to you, that you should henceforth serve her as your own mother. O most faithful and chaste guardian of the Blessed Virgin Mary, protector of the Spouse of the Church, treasury of the eternal kingdom! You were chosen to be, after Jesus himself, a second son to the Mother of God. To you was entrusted the Ark of the Covenant and the mystic door of paradise, through which the King of Glory had entered the world. Such indeed was the wondrous privilege enshrined in those words of Christ, “Behold, your Mother!”22 Thus the Mother of God became your own mother, the Mother who is blessed in all eternity. To you was she committed; to you was she entrusted.
O, who will grant to me to have such a Mother as the blessed Virgin? Who will grant to me such a noble and loyal guardian as St. John, the beloved disciple? Who will appoint for me such potent protectors and guides to defend my poor soul against the enemy when the terrible time of death draws nigh?
Most good and merciful Jesus, remember me in my final hour. When my own physical voice and senses of the body fail me, may the prayers of your blessed Mother and St. John strengthen me.
O Mother most merciful, Mary ever-virgin, I ask you, through your divine Son and through the apostle whom he commended to you from the cross, help me in every time and place, but most of all when I am in distress and struggle.
Blessed and beloved St. John, faithful friend and merciful guardian, protect me with the aid of the celestial army and with the invincible sign of the holy cross. Repel from me the devil, that wicked enemy of each Christian soul. In the name of Jesus, set me free from all fear when the grim hour of death approaches.
O Blessed Mary and St. John, you two noble saints are truly as two beautiful and ever-fruitful olive trees.23 With the utmost humility, devotion, and earnestness, I commend myself to your intercession and protection. Defend me, I pray, from all perils and foes, and lead me safely and happily to dwell with you and all the saints in the eternal kingdom of Christ our Lord. Amen.
A prayer of praise to St. Thomas the Apostle24
Hail, Thomas, glorious apostle, worthy of the highest praise and honor!
Hail, illustrious preacher of the evangelic truth, and light and splendor of all the Church!
Hail, fervent lover of Christ, who had the unique privilege of touching his most holy side.25
Hail, illuminated contemplator of the very depths of the truth and profound visionary of the Trinity.
Hail, enlightener of humankind, who converted the mighty kingdom of India to the faith by means of your wondrous miracles and wise teaching.
Hail, worker of astounding marvels, who raised the dead to life, cleansed lepers, illuminated the blind, put demons to flight, and cured every affliction in the powerful name of Christ!
Hail, noble architect and heavenly builder, who, in place of an earthly palace, built for the king of India an eternal mansion in heaven.
Hail, zealous advocate of chastity, extoller of virginity, and most devout venerator of the priestly dignity.
Hail, you who spurned riches but gave alms with a liberal hand, supported the poor, and built up the Church with energy and piety.
Hail, most patient sufferer of persecutions, indefatigable laborer for the salvation of souls, and committed pastor of all the faithful!
Hail, strong and dauntless hero of the faith, conqueror of demons, destroyer of idols, corrector of error, victor over tyrants!
Hail, St. Thomas, noble apostle who endured and overcame the scorching flames, and finally, driven through by a sword, gave up your life for the love of Christ in glorious martyrdom. Amen.
A prayer on the merits and virtues of St. Thomas the Apostle
O St. Thomas, my venerable and beloved patron and chosen disciple of Christ, hear the prayers which I pour out to you. Through my daily supplications, I seek your glorious protection and support. Listen favorably to me and show your generosity and care to my heart, and I, for my part, shall never cease to praise you with new and daily-increasing devotion. My heart burns in prayer, and in my meditation, the fire of divine love is kindled. In veneration of your holy name, all my inner being is filled with the most sweet jubilation.
You were indeed a specially chosen disciple of Christ, and you are also especially loved by me. For I have chosen you as a particular patron and advocate, and committed my entire life and soul to your protection and guardianship. You are, indeed, able to achieve much with your Master, the King of Glory. Therefore I beseech you to be mindful of me, a sinner. By your holy intercession, help to reconcile me to my merciful Creator. You were eternally pre-known and chosen by God the Father. In time, you were called by the only-begotten, incarnate Son to partake in the apostolic order. This you fulfilled with courage and fidelity, spreading the Gospel to the very ends of the earth.
Christ himself instructed you in the mysteries of the faith and strengthened you with his own mellifluous and divine eloquence. The physical presence of the Lord filled your soul with gladness, and you witnessed with your own eyes the stupendous wonders and miracles which he performed. And the Lord imparted to you also the power of curing the sick and casting out demons.
Having left all things, you followed Jesus ardently and embraced the way of poverty and humility with a joyful and committed heart. With Jesus, you patiently endured condemnation from the Jews and the hatred of those who love this world more than God. Accordingly, it was you who expressed your readiness to be stoned and to die with Christ to your co-disciples when you said, “Let us go and die with him!”26
At the Last Supper, you partook of the sacramental feast as one of the guests at a royal banquet. There you received, with the greatest reverence and faith, the true body and blood of Christ, the perfect pascal Lamb of redemption, from his very own sacred hands. By participating in this supper, you were consecrated for the celebration of this great Eucharistic mystery by the High Priest himself, Jesus Christ, and thereby ordained for all eternity as a bishop and pastor of faithful souls.
Our Lord also humbled himself to wash your feet, giving you an example of the greatest humility and teaching by this mystery the necessity of washing one’s soul from all worldly contaminations. When Christ predicted his betrayal, passion, and death, you were struck with the most grievous and heartfelt sorrow. It was you who declared yourself ready to suffer and die with your divine Master. In this, you expressed the spirit and fervor which animated the whole company of apostles. And although this was denied to you at the time, later you consummated this desire in the glories of your own martyrdom.
It was you who asked the Lord as he uttered his sweet words of consolation at the Last Supper, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”27 How much fervor and faith, how much loving determination to follow Jesus, is expressed in this question! And the Lord responded with his immortal utterance, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”28 What a sublime and wonderful answer your question merited, O Thomas, and thereby gave to the world! How profound and sacred the mystery which you first heard from the Lord! Indeed, Christ revealed himself to you as the way to the Father and showed himself to be one with the Father in divinity and essence. And he thus manifested himself to be the eternal life to all those who love him.
You accompanied Jesus to the Mount of Olives.29 On account of the bitterness of your sorrow at Christ’s death, you were not present when first he appeared to the other apostles on the third day, resurrected from the tomb. Yet, for your sake, he appeared again gloriously on the eighth day and made to you a special and particular revelation of his humanity.30
At that time, he showed to you the physical signs of his victorious passion. He invited you to touch the most sacred wounds on his hands and on his side, and thus expelled from your heart any remaining trace of doubt or disbelief. How blessed you are, Thomas, to have touched the wounds of Christ! How indescribably great and sweet was the grace you drew from contact with these wounds! Out of this touch, you recuperated your faith in the bodily resurrection of Christ and received thereby a new hope of mercy and more ardent love for the Savior. By touching the wound in his side, you were perfectly reconciled to him, and by touching the wounds in his hands, you were totally sanctified and united to Christ in the most intimate way possible. Out of the open side of Christ, divine love flowed into you, and out of his sacred wounds, certainty of his glorified humanity was infused into your heart. Out of your doubts, you emerged more strongly convinced, firmer, and more profoundly enlightened.
Indeed, Thomas, let no one think that the doubts which you experienced harmed you or reflect badly upon you. For out of these doubts, greater certainty was given to you, and greater certainty was given to all believers. O strong and unshakable column of the company of apostles! You strengthened our faith by procuring for us such wonderful signs. You assist the faithful who implore your intercession, you obtain mercy for all afflicted by infirmities, and you provide a wonderful example for all who find their faith wavering or uncertain. You teach those who suffer from doubts that they should never despair, and you raise them up and console them by your own example.
Blessed Thomas, you are the inviolable shield of our belief; you are the firm anchor of our faith, a radiant lamp of charity, a clear mirror of purest chastity, an exemplar of perfect justice, and the splendid light of virtue. O glowing illuminator of the Church, filled with the balm of celestial grace, how fragrant and sweet are the words of your blessed profession of faith! For you proclaimed Jesus to be truly God and truly human when—as you touched the side of your beloved Master—you declared, “My Lord and my God!”31
Most sweet and beloved are these words, overflowing with faith, delightful to hear, and wonderful to meditate and pray upon. You were totally seized in divine rapture and inebriated with celestial love when you drew these mysteries from the wounded side of our Redeemer. It was these mysteries which you expressed in that immortal and ineffably sweet declaration, “My Lord and my God.” How perfect and potent was the balm you found in the open wound of Christ! How utterly wonderful was the glorious taste you drew from the mellifluous stream of eternal wisdom!
You are blessed, O Thomas, and blessed was the speech of your mouth, for it revealed to us the mystery and the price of our eternal redemption, through the passion and Resurrection of Christ. In the suffering and death of Christ is our healing and redemption. In his resurrection is our eternal life and our unending glory. You became a truthful and bold witness to this Resurrection, just as Joseph, the spouse of Mary, was a faithful guardian of and witness to her virginity. He was commanded to accept the Blessed Virgin as his wife. You were commanded to touch with your own hands the sacred flesh of Christ. After the vision of an angel, Joseph became a reverent guardian of the Virgin Mary. You, after touching the wounds of Christ, became a faithful advocate and evangelist of the Gospel of salvation.
When Mary Magdalene, filled with love, sought to touch the Lord, she was firmly prohibited from doing so. But Christ not only did not prevent you but rather commanded you to touch him! He did this in order to impart greater certainty and clarity both to your faith and to the faith of the whole Church. Yet although he invited you to touch the wounds in his hands and his side, he did not invite you to touch the wounds in his feet. Why was this? Perhaps it was to teach reverent prudence in the desire for signs and assurances. For you were truly filled with faith and all your doubts were dispelled as soon as you saw your resurrected Master. Yet your touching of him was necessary for the sake of instructing and assuring others of the veracity of the mystery which you first proclaimed—that Jesus truly is our Lord and our God. O blessed Apostle, to whom fell the privilege of receiving and articulating this recognition of the glory and divinity of Christ!
Thomas, you were present with Peter and John and two other disciples when you went fishing on a boat on the Sea of Tiberius.32 There, you saw the Lord standing upon the shore. Following his instructions, you cast out your nets again and captured a tremendous haul of fish. Embarking on the shore, you shared a meal with Jesus, accepting bread and fish from his hands, and were thereby joyfully refreshed.
Along with the other apostles, you witnessed the Lord as he ascended into heaven in glory to be seated at the right hand of the Father. You saw two angels clad in robes of brilliant white who spoke of the second coming of Christ, and you heard their wondrous prophecy: “Just as he has gone, so will you see him come back from heaven.”33
After the ascension of Christ to the glory of the Father, you and the other apostles returned from the Mount of Olives with great joy and went to the upper room where the Last Supper had been celebrated. It had been in this same upper room that the resurrected Lord had appeared and that you had touched his sacred wounds. With Mary, the Mother of God, and the other apostles, you waited patiently in this upper room for the coming of the Holy Spirit. During this time of waiting, you shared in the insistent prayers and loving recollections of the deeds, words, and virtues of Christ. On the great day of Pentecost, you received the Holy Spirit as a tongue of living fire and were filled with knowledge of the languages and tongues of all the people of the earth. You were imbued with all celestial charisms and ignited with the flame of invincible faith. Thus armed with the spirit of fortitude and wielding the shield of patience, you overcame the threats and persecutions of priests and potentates, of princes and prefects. In obedience to God, you chose to suffer many hardships and to undergo imprisonment and death rather than to be silent from the proclamation of the Good News.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, you sowed the seed of the Gospel in many lands and regions. At last, after a vision of Christ, you went to the most remote nation of India. There you acquired abundant fruit for the Lord, through the conversion of vast multitudes of people, demonstrating the truth of your teaching by an abundance of miraculous signs and wonders.
According to the dispositions of Divine Providence, you met in India the three holy kings of the East, or Magi, who had visited the infant Christ, led forth by the prophetic star. And you related to them all the details of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Once they had been reborn through the sacrament of Baptism, you then consecrated them as priests of the Lord. As a devout pastor, you established many churches throughout India, ordaining priests to celebrate the mysteries and to teach the faithful.
Finally, after a long and laborious life of impeccable virtue, ardent zeal in evangelization, generous care for the poor, and countless miraculous healings of the sick, you merited to enter into the eternal rest of the blessed. There you enjoy the splendid vision of the divine glory in the eternal mansion of the heavenly Father. Thus was fulfilled the prayer of Christ before the hour of his arrest and the commencement of his passion: “Father, I wish that those whom you have given to me, shall be with me where I am, so that they may see the glory which you have given me.”34
Rejoice, O Thomas, blessed apostle, for you now sit at the table of Christ in the kingdom of his heavenly Father. Never again shall you drink the imperfect and tainted wine of this earth, never again shall you know death; for now, the time of your persecution has passed. The night of trial is over and the powers of darkness are reduced to nothing. Now the ruler of this world has been cast out.35 And he lies, conquered, under your feet. He and his foul tyranny have been overthrown while you, exulting, are crowned in heaven! Now, you shine among the apostolic choir as a radiant star of the celestial firmament. Now, you share the supernal beatitude of the triumphant company of white-robed martyrs. Now, you enjoy the rewards of your labors, together with the countless crowd of people whom you converted to the faith, and thus saved from the grasp of hell. Now, as a mighty warrior, you enjoy the glories of a magnificent victory!
Holy Mother Church rejoices with you and gives solemn thanks to God for the splendor of your virtues and heroic sanctity. The people of India celebrate with special devotion in the presence of the remains of your mortal body. But all Christians throughout the world are strengthened and protected by your intercession.
Hail, glorious apostle Thomas! By your intercession, obtain grace for your servants. In the hour of our judgement, stand faithfully by us as our advocate, together with the glorious Virgin Mary. And may the blessed fruit of her womb—our Lord Jesus Christ—be praised and adored forever and ever! Amen.
Collect 1
O God, you appeared to blessed Thomas, your apostle, after your resurrection, and invited him to touch the scars of your wounds. Grant to us, supported by his prayers and intercession, to hold the wounds of your passion in our minds faithfully so that we may follow your holy footsteps and merit to come to the glory of your resurrection; who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Collect 2
Lord Jesus Christ, illuminator of the world and giver of eternal life, at your Last Supper, you answered the question of your blessed apostle, Thomas, with the proclamation, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”36 Through the merits of this same apostle, grant to us to ascend from the humility of your humanity to the majesty of your divinity and to be made sharers at the eternal banquet in your heavenly kingdom; who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Collect 3
O God, you sent your blessed apostle Thomas to preach the faith to the people of India and distinguished him by the glory of a multitude of miracles. Grant to all the faithful, who implore his intercession, to be found unwavering in belief and effective in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
A prayer on the great and special privileges of St. Mary Magdalene
Hail, blessed Mary Magdalene, great and beauteous saint! You were specially chosen and called by Christ, and he bestowed on you many unique signs of divine familiarity and affection. I venerate and praise you. I humbly invoke you, and I love and embrace you with the sincerest devotion!
For Jesus, who is the eternal Love, loved you very much and elevated you to the heights of the celestial firmament. You are that noble and famous saint about whom the holy Gospel relates so many wonderful things, which are instances of your piety and sanctity. In you, the sinner sees the hope of forgiveness and the righteous person sees the privilege of the anointing of grace from Christ, the font of all divine mercy. You are described as having once been a sinner, but now you possess a thousand-fold happiness. For the Lord gazed upon you from heaven and converted your tender but erring heart. Thus you were drawn to repentance with a spirit that was truly humble and contrite. And, having been forgiven and consoled, you were a sinner no more, but a most ardent lover of Jesus Christ!
You, Mary, are that penitent and tearful woman who, in a wondrous act of devotion and adoration, washed the feet of the Lord with your tears and dried them with your hair. You covered these sacred feet with your loving kisses and anointed them with most precious ointment. Thus you offered to the merciful God a great and beautiful oblation, fully commensurate with the magnitude of your previous sins. And the Lord accepted this offering of your penitence most graciously, saying, “Your sins are forgiven you,”37 and “Your faith has saved you, go in peace.”38
How sweet and overflowing with mercy are these words, and how filled with grace! They are indeed to be longed deeply for by every repentant sinner. O heavenly Healer, although you are the most exalted and holy of all beings, in mercy you did not refuse to be touched by the hands of a sinful woman.
Rejoice, therefore, Blessed Mary, to have received such a marvelous abundance of God’s clemency. Pray for me and for all sinners, who have fallen into the pit of iniquity. Grant that the Divine Mercy may save us from the jaws of Leviathan, that malign and ancient serpent, and restore us to safety!
O Mary, you became a specially blessed and pious woman. Following the Lord through towns and villages, you served with your own resources the one who is the Creator and giver of all things. Thus it was that you and your sister, Martha, received Christ as the welcome guest at your house. When she was solicitous and anxious with care for serving his material needs, she complained that you were not helping but merely remaining still in his presence. But the Lord responded on your behalf—as he often had done before— commending your stillness more highly than Martha’s solicitude and busyness. “Mary has chosen the better part,” he said, “and it shall not be taken away from her.”39 I ask you, O happy and celestial Mary, make me share with you this “better part” so that after all the labors of this mortal life, I may arrive at the wonderful rest of eternal contemplation.
Mary, you are also the loyal and loving sister of Lazarus, whom our Lord and Savior caused to rise up from death.40 Christ was moved to compassion by your tearful prayers and those of your sister. He himself shed tears for his deceased friend, thereby showing how truly and authentically he was united to our human condition. I implore you, O Mary, beloved friend of Christ, request on my behalf the gift of divine grace. For such grace is indeed the true life of my soul. May I be granted both to live and to die in God’s saving grace, and thus to share in the glory of the future resurrection with you and all the saints!
O Mary, you are like a fragrant ointment of sanctity! For you anointed the feet of the Lord Jesus a second time in the house of Simon the leper. With your customary devotion, you generously poured most precious balm upon his sacred head as he reclined at the feast.41 At that time, the whole house was filled with the scent of this rare ointment. Today, the entire Church is filled with the fragrant perfume of your precious virtues. Would that I, an unworthy sinner, could deserve to be anointed with a little of this marvelous scent in the interior chamber of my heart! Then every foul stench that is within me because of my sins would be driven out to be replaced with the sweetness of your merits.
O Mary, you were a tireless imitator of the passion of Christ. As our Lord carried his cross, you followed him closely through the gates of Jerusalem. All the while, you shed tears of the bitterest sorrow at the thought of his suffering and the impending and ignominious death of a man who was completely free from the stain of sin. Your suffering was increased also by the sight of the pain and anguish of the Blessed Mother of Jesus. How willingly you would have carried a cross in the footsteps of your Lord had it been permitted to you!
And when Christ had been raised up in his glorious but dreadful crucifixion, you stood at the foot of the cross together with his Blessed Mother and the beloved apostle, St. John. As he was laid in the tomb, fresh waves of sadness arose in your heart. O, how bitterly then did all Christ’s friends mourn his tragic but noble death, but how especially poignant was the lament from the holy women! But those who wept most passionately of all were those who loved him more than any others—that is to say, the Virgin Mary, his most holy Mother, and you, Mary Magdalene, his most devout and adoring disciple.
I am a sinner and like a branch which is dried up and withered. Who will give to me a flowing fount of tears whereby I may join with Mary Magdalene in loving and ardent weeping for the passion of my Lord Jesus Christ? O Mary, hear my prayers, and grant that I may learn to weep such tears of piety and compunction with you! O holy and radiant Mary, you visited the tomb of the Lord with devout fervor, arriving before the rising of dawn with spices for burial.42 There you beheld holy angels, who gave testimony to the resurrection of the Lord. But to see angels of the Lord did not suffice to you, unless you could see also the Lord of angels.
Therefore you stood outside the tomb, sunk in deepest lamentation.43 For you believed that your beloved Master had been taken away. But, O Mary, weep no longer! For, lo, the Author of life has arisen! And it is you who will be the herald of the glory of the Resurrection. In this we firmly believe, and in believing, we glorify God through you! The risen Jesus himself appeared to you in that garden. What ineffable joy was then yours! And it was your singular honor to be the first to announce this Good News. Thus you became truly the apostle of the apostles.
I humbly prostrate myself before your feet, O Mary, and beg that you intercede for me and for all who love and venerate you and share in your rejoicing at the privileges and gifts by which the Lord glorified, blessed, and exalted you. O happy Mary, merciful patroness, remember me now and at the hour of my death. May your merits and prayers help me to obtain reconciliation and forgiveness when my soul departs from the body to appear in the presence of almighty God. Amen.
Collect
O God, you received the repentance of blessed Mary Magdalen with mercy. After her many sins, you bestowed upon her an even greater fullness of forgiveness. Through her intercession, grant to us to shed tears of true penitence for our sins and, having repented, to be filled with hope for your mercy, which shall lead us to life everlasting. Amen.
A prayer on the virtues and merits of the most noble virgin, St. Agnes44
Rejoice, St. Agnes, virgin of Christ, who ardently loved Jesus while you were in the world!
Rejoice, St. Agnes, meek virgin, who pleased God by the goodness of your life!
Rejoice, St. Agnes, gem of chastity, whose radiance shall never fade nor grow dim!
Rejoice, St. Agnes, whose beauty was such that no one else in the world could ever equal it!
Rejoice, St. Agnes, most lovely rose, whose death was precious in the eyes of the Lord, and who ascended to the heights of heaven!
O most sweet and holy Agnes, I implore your mercy, I dedicate myself to your love without reserve, and I commend myself devoutly to your efficacious prayers. Hear your servant crying out to you, filled with an earnest desire to serve you. For I love you with a sincere heart and shall ever declare your praises.
In you, I find all that I love. In you, I discover all that I long for. In reading the story of your life and martyrdom, I encounter everything I admire and everything that is worthy of praise.
You are the mirror of chastity, the beauty of virginity, the splendor of faith, and the adornment of the house of God.
You are the glory of the angels, the exemplar of sanctity, the lover of the devout, and the guardian of the pilgrim.
You are a nurse to the sick, the dispeller of vices, the voice of encouragement to the languid, and the daughter of the apostles.
You are the companion of the martyrs, the sister of virgins, the honor of widows, and the patroness of the celibate.
O most meek, humble, and devout virgin! O prudent, innocent, and chaste maiden! O radiant and celestial saint, pure from all earthly contamination! You cared not for gold, nor for riches, nor for illustrious lineage, nor for possessions, but preferred the love of Christ to all the things which this world has to offer. In return, Christ held you as one most dear to him and chose you as his spouse while you were still an infant. You were of a noble Roman family by birth but shone with an infinitely more splendid nobility by virtue of your faith and modesty.
It was your love of Christ which impelled you to undergo the horrors and torments of fire and the sword. But to you it was a sweet thing to die for your beloved Christ. For his holy angels stood ready to take your precious and innocent soul and to carry it on wings of love to the joys of paradise! Thus you entered the bridal chamber of your heavenly spouse, beautifully adorned with the victor’s palm of glorious martyrdom.
O holy Agnes, I beg that you should ask Christ, your spouse, to grant to me health of mind and body. May he help me overcome all the temptations of the devil, to control the desires of the flesh, to escape from the distraction of worldly vanities, and to avoid bad company. May he direct me along the good path of his commandments and allow me time for repentance for my sins and the amendment of my life.
May the Lord grant me forgiveness for all my sins and pour into my heart the consolation of the Holy Spirit. May he help me to abstain from all bad thoughts and actions and to strive after that which is truly good. May he mercifully permit me to arrive at a peaceful and holy death and prepare for my soul a secure passage to fly to its celestial dwelling place. And may he command his holy angels to lead me into his hall of eternal beatitude. There, in company with all the saints, may I gaze forever upon the face of God’s eternal glory, in heaven’s supreme joy which knows neither alteration nor end. Amen.
1 Cf. 1 John 2:16.
2 John 19:27.
3 Luke 1:27.
4 Luke 1:76.
5 Presumably the source of this is some apocryphal writings, or a traditional belief.
6 John 1:29.
7 Matthew 3:17.
8 Matthew 11:11.
9 See Matthew 11:11.
10 See Matthew 11:9.
11 Matthew 3:3.
12 According to ancient traditions, St. John is singularly identified among the apostles as being unmarried and a virgin and was believed to be the youngest of the apostles. He is also traditionally identified with the “beloved disciple” of the Gospel according to John.
13 See Matthew 4:21–22.
14 See Matthew 17:1–8.
15 See Revelation 21.
16 See John 13:1–15.
17 See John 13:23.
18 John 13:24–26.
19 See John 18:1.
20 See Matthew 26:37.
21 See John 18:15.
22 John 19:27.
23 Cf. Revelation 11:4.
24 The particular devotion to St. Thomas the Apostle exhibited in this prayer and the following one perhaps reflect the fact that this saint was the namesake, and therefore a special patron, of the author.
25 See John 20:27.
26 John 11:16.
27 John 14:5.
28 John 14:6.
29 See Matthew 26:30.
30 See John 20:24–29.
31 John 20:28.
32 See John 21.
33 See Acts 1:6–11.
34 John 17:24.
35 Cf. John 12:31.
36 John 14:6.
37 Luke 7:47.
38 Luke 7:50.
39 Luke 10:42.
40 See John 11.
41 See Matthew 26:6–7.
42 See Luke 24:1–8.
43 See John 20:11–18.
44 St. Agnes, a Roman virgin and martyr of the third to fourth century, was the patron saint of the house of Canons Regular, where Thomas lived and spent most of his religious life.