ORATIO LIII [ol. LII]. AD SANCTAM VIRGINEM MARIAM, ET AD SANCTUM JOANNEM EVANGELISTAM.
Invocation of Mary and John
The prayer opens by earnestly invoking the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist as powerful intercessors before God.
O undefiled and eternally blessed, singular and incomparable Virgin, Mary, Mother of God, most pleasing temple of God, sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, gate of the kingdom of heaven, through whom the whole world lives after God — bend the ears of your devotion to me, and turn those merciful eyes of yours toward my unworthy supplications, and be to me, a sinner, a loving helper in all things.12 And most blessed John, intimate friend of Christ, chosen by that same Lord of ours, Jesus Christ, and more beloved than the others and filled with heavenly mysteries above all, made his apostle and most renowned evangelist, and the inseparable guardian of his mother — I call upon you also with the mother of that same Savior, so that together with her you may deign to bring me your help.3
Two Heavenly Lights
Mary and John are praised as twin lights before God, asked to dispel the darkness of sin.
O two heavenly gems, Mary and John! O two lights shining divinely before God! With your rays, drive away the clouds of my sins.
The Privilege of the Cross
The prayer recalls Christ's words from the cross entrusting Mary and John to each other.
You are the two in whom God the Father, through his Son, specially built himself a house, and in whom the only-begotten Son of God himself, on account of the merit of most pure virginity, confirmed the privilege of his love — hanging on the cross, saying to one of you: Woman, behold your son.✦4 Then to the other: Behold your mother.✦5
Communion with the Saints
The soul commends itself entirely to Mary and John, trusting that their will is perfectly aligned with God's.
In the sweetness, therefore, of this most sacred love, by which you were then joined to one another as mother and son by the mouth of the Lord, I, N., commend myself to you both —6 a sinner — my body and soul — that at all hours and moments, within and without, you may deign to be for me steadfast guardians and devout intercessors before God. For I firmly believe, I confess without doubt, that your willing is God's willing, and your refusing is God's refusing.7
Petition and Doxology
The prayer closes with confident petition for salvation and a Trinitarian doxology invoking the indwelling Spirit.
And so, whatever you ask for, you receive without delay. Whatever you ask for, you receive without delay. Through this, then, through the most powerful strength of your dignity, ask me for the salvation of body and soul. Act, I beg you, act with your most glorious prayers, so that the kindly Spirit may deign to visit and dwell in my heart, cleanse me from every vice and filth, adorn me with sacred virtues, make me stand and persevere perfectly in love of God and neighbor, and after this life's course lead me to the joys of his chosen ones — the most gracious Advocate, the bestower of graces, who is coeternal and consubstantial with the Father and the Son, and in them lives and reigns, almighty God, through endless ages. Amen.
Read the original Latin
O intemerata et in aeternum benedicta, specialis et incomparabilis virgo, Dei genitrix Maria, gratissimum Dei templum, Spiritus sancti sacrarium, janua regni coelorum, per quam post Deum totus vivit orbis terrarum, inclina aures tuae pietatis, et illos tuos misericordes oculos indignis supplicationibus meis, et esto mihi peccatori pia in omnibus auxiliatrix.
Et, o beatissime Joannes, Christi familiaris amice, qui ab eodem Domino nostro Jesu Christo electus es, et inter caeteros magis dilectus atque mysteriis coelestibus supra omnes imbutus, apostolus ejus et evangelista factus praeclarissimus, custosque matris ejus individuus, te invoco etiam cum matre ejusdem Salvatoris, ut mihi opem tuam cum ipsa ferre digneris.
O duae gemmae coelestes, Maria et Joannes! o duo luminaria divinitus ante Deum lucentia! vestris radiis effugate scelerum meorum nubila. Vos estis illi duo, in quibus Deus Pater per Filium suum specialiter aedificavit sibi domum, et in quibus ipse Filius Dei unigenitus, ob sincerissimae virginitatis meritum, dilectionis suae confirmavit privilegium, in cruce pendens uni vestrum ita dicens: Mulier, ecce filius tuus. Deinde ad alterum: Ecce mater tua. In hujus ergo sacratissimi amoris dulcedine, qua ita tunc ore Dominico velut mater et filius invicem conjuncti estis, vobis duobus, ego N. peccator corpus et animam meam commendo, ut omnibus horis atque momentis intus et exterius firmi custodes et pii apud Deum intercessores mihi existere dignemini. Credo enim firmiter, fateor indubitanter quod velle vestrum, velle Dei est; et nolle vestrum, nolle Dei est.
Unde et quidquid petitis. sine mora obtinetis. Per hanc ergo tam potentissimam vestrae dignitatis virtutem, poscite mihi corporis et animae salutem. Agite, quaeso, agite vestris gloriosissimis precibus ut cor meum invisere et inhabitare dignetur Spiritus almus, qui me a cunctis vitiorum sordibus expurget, virtutibus sacris exornet, in dilectione Dei et proximi perfecte stare et perseverare faciat, et post hujus vitae cursum ad gaudia ducat electorum suorum benignissimus Paracletus, gratiarum largitor optimus, qui Patri et Filio coaeternus et consubstantialis cum eis, et in eis vivit et regnat omnipotens Deus per infinita saeculorum saecula. Amen.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩The string of honorific titles (undefiled, eternally blessed, singular, incomparable, etc.) is characteristic of medieval Marian devotion and is rendered here in natural contemporary English while preserving the cumulative weight of the address.
- 2 ↩Pia auxiliatrix — 'loving/devout helper' — captures both the tenderness and the active intercessory role Mary is asked to fulfill.
- 3 ↩The title 'intimate friend of Christ' (familiaris amice) reflects the tradition of John as the beloved disciple. 'Inseparable guardian of his mother' refers to John's role at the cross (John 19:26–27), where Jesus entrusted Mary to his care.
- 4 ↩John 19:26 — 'Woman, behold your son.' Spoken by Christ from the cross to Mary, entrusting her to the beloved disciple.
- 5 ↩John 19:27 — 'Behold your mother.' Christ's words from the cross to the beloved disciple.
- 6 ↩ergo rendered as 'therefore' — inferential connective linking the preceding scriptural narrative to the speaker's act of self-commendation.
- 7 ↩enim rendered as 'for' — explanatory connective grounding the speaker's act of commendation in the conviction that the saints' will is perfectly aligned with God's.
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