The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary

By St. Bonaventure

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man, O Virgin Mary, who loves thy name; thy grace will comfort his soul.

He will be refreshed as by fountains of water; thou wilt produce in him the fruit of justice.

Blessed art thou among women; by the faith of thy holy heart. By the beauty of thy body thou surpassest all women; by the excellence of thy sanctity thou surpassest all angels and archangels.

Thy mercy and thy grace are preached everywhere; God has blessed the works of thy hands.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 2

Why have our enemies raged and our adversaries devised vain things?

May thy right hand protect us, O Mother of God: as a line of battle terrible in aspect, confounding and destroying them.

Come ye to her, all who labor and are in trouble: and she will give refreshment to your souls.

Draw nigh to her in your temptations: and the serenity of her countenance will bring you peace and confidence.

Bless her with your whole heart: for the earth is full of her mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

PSALM

3

O Lady, why are they multiplied who afflict me? By thy might thou shalt follow them and scatter them.

Loose the bands of our impiety: take away the burden of our sins. Have mercy on me, O Lady, and heal my sickness: take away the grief and anguish of my heart.

Deliver me not into the hands of my enemies: and in the day of my death strengthen thou my soul.

Lead me into the harbor of salvation: and give up for me my spirit to my Maker and Creator.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

PSALM

4

When I called upon thee, thou didst hear me, O Lady: and from thy throne on high thou hast deigned to be mindful of me.

From the roaring of the wild beasts prepared to devour me: and from the hands of them that sought me, thy grace will deliver me.

For thy mercy is kind and thy heart loving: towards all who invoke thy holy name. Blessed art thou, O Lady, forever: and thy majesty for evermore.

Glorify her, all ye nations in your strength: and all ye peoples of the earth, extol her magnificence.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 5

Incline thine ear, O Lady, to hear my prayers: and turn not away from me the beauty of thy face.

Turn our mourning into rejoicing: and our tribulation into joy. May our enemies fall down at our feet: by thy power may their heads be crushed.

Let every tongue praise thee: and let all flesh bless thy holy name.

For thy spirit is sweet above honey: and thy inheritance above the honey and the honeycomb.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue.Come to me all that desire me and be filled with my fruits (Sirach 24:24-26).

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Grace, Hope of the world.

R. Hear us, your children, who cry to you

Let us pray:

O God, who by the marvelous protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary has strengthened us firmly in hope, grant we beseech You, that by persevering in prayer at her admonition, we may obtain the favors we devoutly implore.Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to Our Lady of Hope

O Mary, my Mother, I kneel before you with heavy heart. The burden of my sins oppresses me.The knowledge of my weakness discourages me.I am beset by fears and temptations of every sort.Yet I am so attached to the things of this world that instead of longing for Heaven I am filled with dread at the thought of death.

O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me in my distress.You are all-powerful with your Divine Son.He can refuse no request of your Immaculate Heart.Show yourself a true Mother to me by being my advocate before His throne. O Refuge of Sinners and Hope of the Hopeless, to whom shall I turn if not you? Obtain for me, then, O Mother of Hope, the grace of true sorrow for my sins, the gift of perfect resignation to God's Holy Will, and the courage to take up my cross and follow Jesus.Beg of His Sacred Heart the special favor that I ask in this novena.

(Silently mention your request)

But above all I pray, O dearest Mother, that through your most powerful intercession my heart may be filled with Holy Hope, so that in life's darkest hour I may never fail to trust in God my Savior, but by walking in the way of His commandments I may merit to be united with Him, and with you in the eternal joys of Heaven. Amen.

Mary, our Hope, have pity on us.

R. Hope of the Hopeless, pray for us.

“Hail Mary”

(three times)

Prayer to Our Lady, Help of Christians

Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to your feet imploring your perpetual help.

If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me?

Grant then to me, I implore you, your perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations.

I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners.

Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life.

Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank you in heaven. Amen.