O Excellentissima
O Excellentissima
A beautiful prayer from the Raccolta: "O most excellent, most glorious, most holy and ever inviolate Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, Queen of the whole world and Mistress of every creature!"
The Coronation of the Virgin, Fra Angelico, c. 1434-1435
O most excellent, most glorious, most holy and ever inviolate Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, Queen of the whole world and Mistress of every creature; thou forsakest no one, thou despisest no one, thou sendest away disconsolate no one who comes to thee with a pure and lowly heart; despise me not for my countless grievous sins, neither forsake me for my exceeding iniquities, nor for the hardness and uncleanness of my heart; cast me not away, who am thy servant, from thy grace and love. Graciously hear me, a miserable sinner, trusting in thy tender mercy; come to my assistance, O most loving Virgin Mary, in all my tribulations, trials and necessities; obtain for me of thy dear Son, Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ, the forgiveness and remission of all my sins, and the grace of fear and the love of thee; health likewise and chastity of body, and deliverance from all evils and dangers which beset both soul and body.
In my last moments do thou graciously assist me, and deliver my soul and the souls of my parents, brothers, sisters and friends, kinsmen and benefactors, and of all faithful Christians, both living and departed, from eternal darkness and from all evil, by the grace of Him whom thou didst bear in thy sacred womb for nine long months, and didst lay in the manger with thine own pure hands, even our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who is blessed forever. Amen.
O excellentissima, gloriosissima atque sanctissima semper intemerata Virgo Maria, Mater Domini nostril Iesu Christi, Regina mundi et totius creaturae Domina, quae nullum, qui ad te puro et humili corde recurrit, desolatum dimittis, noli me despicere propter innumerabilia et gravissima peccata mea, noli me derelinquere propter nimias iniquitates meas, nec etiam propter duritiam et immunditiam cordis mei: ne abiicias me famulum tuum a gratia tua et amore tuo. Exaudi me miserum peccatorem in tua misericordia et pietate confidentem; succurre mihi, piissima Virgo Maria, in omnibus tribulationibus, angustiis et necessitatibus meis; et impetra mihi a dilecto Filio tuo omnipotente Deo et Domino nostro Iesu Christo indulgentiam et remissionem omnium peccatorum meorum et gratiam timoris et amoris tui, sanitatem quotue et castitatem corporis, et liberationem ab omnibus malis et periculis animae et corporis.
In extremis meis esto mihi pia auxiliatrix, et animam meam ac animas omnium parentum meorum, fratrum, sororum et amicorum consanguineorum et benefactorum meorum omniumque fidelium vivorum et defunctorum ab aeterna caligine et ab omni malo libera, Illo auxiliante, quem in tuo sacratissimo utero novem mensibus portasti et in praesepe tusi sanctis manibus reclinasti, Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui est benedictus in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
The Holy Family, Sassoferrato, 1675
O Beatissima
O Most Blessed and most sweet Virgin Mary, mother of God, filled with devotion, daughter of the most high King, mistress of Angels, mother of all believers, today I commend to thy tender heart all my deeds, my thoughts, my wishes, my desires, my speech, my activities, my whole life, and my final end. That through thy prayers they may be disposed towards good, according to the will of thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; that thou may be to me, O my most holy lady, helper and consoler against the wickedness and snares of the ancient enemy and against all my enemies.
From thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, graciously obtain for me the grace with which I will be able to resist the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and to always have a firm intention to sin no more. And I beg thee, my most holy Lady, to obtain for me true obedience and true humility of heart, that I may truly acknowledge that I am a wretched and frail sinner and powerless not only to do anything good, but also to resist the continual battles without the grace and help of my Creator and thy holy prayers. Obtain for me also, o my sweetest Lady, perpetual purity of mind and body so that I may serve thee and thy beloved Son in thy order1 with a pure heart and a chaste body. Obtain for me from Him a willing poverty with patience and tranquillity of mind, so that I may sustain the labours of this same order2 and that I may work for the salvation of myself and others.
Obtain for me also, O sweetest of Ladies, true charity, with which I may love thy most holy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with all my heart: and after Him, thee, above all things; and my neighbour in God and on account of God. And so I may rejoice in my neighbour's good and sorrow in his evil, and hold no one in contempt, nor judge rashly, nor exalt myself in my heart over anyone. Make me, o Queen of Heaven, to fear thy Son and to equally love Him always in my heart; and of such benefits granted to me, not by my merits, but by those granted by His kindness, may I always give thanks. And of my sins, may I make a pure and sincere confession with true repentance that I may gain His mercy and grace. I pray, also, that at the end of my life, O gate of heaven, and advocate of sinners, that thou permitteth not thy unworthy servant to deviate from the holy Catholic faith; but by thy great devotion and mercy come to my aid and defend me from the evil spirits: and by the blessed and glorious passion of thy Son and through thy own intercession, received in hope, obtain through Him pardon from my sins. And as I die in His and thy love, guide me in the way of safety and salvation. Amen.
O Beatissima et dulcissima virgo Maria, mater Dei, omni pietate plenissima, summi regis filia, domina Angelorum, mater omnium credentium in sinum pietatis tuae commendo hodie et omnibus diebus vitae meae corpus meum et animam meam, omnesque actus meos, cogitationes, voluntates, desideria, locutiones, operationes, omnemque vitam, finemque meum: ut per tua suffragia disponantur in bonum, secundum voluntatem dilecti filii tui domini nostri Iesu Christi: ut sis mihi, o domina mea sanctissima, adiutrix et consolatrix contra insidias et laqueos hostis antiqui, et omnium inimicorum meorum.
A dilecto filio tuo domino nostro Iesu Christo mihi impetrare digneris gratiam cum qua potenter resistere valeam tentationibus mundi, carnis et Daemonis, ac semper habere firmum propositum ulterius non peccandi; sed in tuo et dilecti filii tui servitio perseverandi. Deprecor te etiam, domina mea sanctissima, ut impetres mihi veram obedientiam et veram cordis humilitatem, ut veraciter me agnoscam miserum ac fragilem peccatorem et impotentem non solum ad faciendum quodcumque opus bonum, sed etiam ad resistendum continuis impugnationibus, sine gratia et adiutorio creatoris mei, et sanctis precibus tuis. Impetra mihi etiam, o domina mea dulcissima, perpetuam mentis et corporis castitatem: ut puro corde et casto corpore, dilecto filio tuo et tibi in tuo ordine valeam deservire. Obtine mihi ab eo voluntariam paupertatem cum patientia et mentis tranquillitate, ut labores eiusdem ordinis valeam sustinere, et pro salute propria et proximorum valeam laborare.
Impetra mihi etiam, o dulcissima domina, caritatem veram, qua sacratissimum filium tuum dominum nostrum Iesum Christum toto corde diligam: et te post ipsum super omnia; et proximum in Deo et propter Deum. Sicque de bono eius gaudeam, de malo doleam, nullumque contemnam, neque temerarie iudicem, neque in corde meo alicui me praeponam. Fac etiam, o regina caeli, ut dulcissimi filii tui timorem pariter et amorem semper in corde meo habeam; et de tantis beneficiis mihi, non meis meritis, sed ipsius benignitate collatis, semper gratias agam: ac de peccatis meis puram et sinceram confessionem, et veram paenitentiam faciam, ut suam consequi merear misericordiam et gratiam. Oro etiam, ut in fine vitae meae, caeli porta et peccatorum advocata, me indignum servum tuum a sancta fide Catholica deviare non permittas; sed tua magna pietate et misericordia mihi succurras, et a malis spiritibus me defendas: ac benedicta filii tui gloriosa passione, etiam in tua propria intercessione spe accepta, veniam de peccatis meis ab eo mihi impetres, atque me, in tua et eius dilectione morientem, in viam salvationis et salutis dirigas. Amen.
Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Thomas Aquinas, Fra Angelico, c. 1445
Offering to the Blessed Virgin Mary
O my Lady, Holy Virgin Mary, I entrust to your blessed guardianship and special protection and in the bosom of your mercy today and always and for the hour of my death, my soul and my body. I entrust to you all my hopes and consolations, all my pains and miseries, my life and the end of my life, so that through your most holy intercession and through your merits all my works may be directed and disposed according to your will and that of your divine Son - so be it.
Madonna and Child, Sassoferrato , c. 1640-1685
Immaculate Queen of Peace, pray for us.