Prayers of Pope Leo XIII to Mary

Mary, show that you are our Mother; may our prayer be heard by that Jesus who willed to be your Son.

– A Marian Prayer Book: A Treasury of Prayers, Hymns, and Meditations, edited by Pamela Moran, Imprint Ann Arbor, Mich.: Servant Publications, 1991, 228

As a Little Child I Loved You

As a little child,
I loved you like a mother.
Now that I am old,
my love for you has grown.
Receive me in heaven
as one of the blessed,
and I will proclaim
that I have obtained
such a great prize
through your patronage.
Amen.

– Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Imprint Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 1996, 132. BX2160.2 B46 1996

It Is Sweet Music

It is sweet music to the ear to say:
I honor you, O Mother!
It is a sweet song to repeat:
I honor you, O holy Mother!
You are my delight, dear hope, and chaste love,
my strength in all adversities.
If my spirit that is troubled
and stricken by passions
suffers from the painful burden
of sadness and weeping,
if you see your child overwhelmed by misfortune,
O gracious Virgin Mary,
let me find rest in your motherly embrace.
But alas,
already the last day is quickly approaching.
Banish the demon to the infernal depths,
and stay closer, dear Mother,
to your aged and erring child.
With a gentle touch,
cover the wary pupils
and kindly consign to God
the soul that is returning to him.
Amen.

– Blessed Art Thou: A Treasury of Marian Prayers and Devotions, Richard J. Beyer, Imprint Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 1996, 132. BX2160.2 B46 1996