PRAYER WITH THE ICON OF
Mary Mother of the Church
YEAR OF FAITH
CHRISTCHURCH DIOCESE 2012/2013
Procession with the Icon is carried into the Church or sacred Space.
Candles are lit around the Icon or in the sanctuary.
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(This could be accompanied by the Hymn “Jesus, true God and Rock
of our Salvation” Anthem for the Year of Faith” or other suitable
hymn).
Welcome
The Leader then begins the prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
LEADER:
“The title “Mother of the Church’ reflects the deep conviction of the
Christian faithful, who see in Mary not only the mother of the person
of Christ, but also of the faithful. She, who is recognized as mother
of salvation, life and grace, mother of the saved and mother of the
living, is rightly proclaimed Mother of the Church”. (Pope Paul VI 17th
September 1964)
Response: Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
FIRST READER
This title was rarely used in the past, but has recently become more
common in the pronouncements of the Church and in the devotion
of the Christian people. The faithful first called upon Mary with the
title “Mother of God”, “Mother of the faithful” or “our Mother”, to
emphasize her personal relationship with each of her children.
Response: Mary Mother of the Church, pray for us.
SECOND READER
Later, because of the greater attention paid to the mystery of the
Church, and to Mary’s relationship to her, the Blessed Virgin began
more frequently to be invoked as “Mother of the Church”. Before
the Second Vatican Council, Pope Leo XIII affirmed that Mary is “in all
truth Mother of the Church” (Acta Leonis XIII, 15, 302). The title was later
used many times in the teachings of John XXIII and Paul VI.
Response: Mary Mother of the Church, pray for us.
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THIRD READER
Although this title “mother of the Church” was only recently
attributed to Mary, it expresses the Blessed Virgin’s maternal
relationship with the Church as shown already in several New
Testament texts.
Since the Annunciation, Mary was called, to give her consent to the
coming of the messianic kingdom, which would take place with the
formation of the Church
Response: Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
FOURTH READER
When at Cana Mary asked the Son to exercise his messianic power,
she made an important contribution to implanting the faith in the
first community of disciples, and she co-operated in initiating God’s
kingdom, which has its “seed” and “beginning” in the Church (Lumen
Gentium, n. 5).
Response: Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
FIFTH READER
On Calvary, Mary united herself to the sacrifice of her Son and made
her own maternal contribution to the work of salvation, which took
the form of labour pains, the birth of the new humanity.
In addressing the words “Woman, behold your son” to Mary, the
Crucified One proclaims her motherhood not only in relation to the
apostle John but also to every disciple. Saint John himself, by saying
that Jesus had to die “to gather into one the children of God who are
scattered abroad” (John 11:52), indicates the Church’s birth as the fruit
of the redemptive sacrifice with which Mary is maternally associated.
Response: Mary, Mother of the church, pray for us.
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SIXTH READER
Saint Luke mentions the presence of Jesus’ Mother in the first
community of Jerusalem (Acts 1:14). In this way he stresses Mary’s
maternal role in the new born Church, comparing it to her role in the
Redeemer’s birth. The maternal dimension thus becomes an
essential element of Mary’s relationship with the New People of the
redeemed.
Response: Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
SEVENTH READER
Following Sacred Scripture, patristic teaching recognizes Mary’s
motherhood in the work of Christ and therefore in that of the
Church, although in terms that are not
always explicit.
According to St. Irenaeus, Mary
“became a cause of salvation for the
whole human race”. This is re-echoed
by St Ambrose, who says: “A virgin has
begotten the salvation of the world, a
Virgin has given life to all things”
In the Middle Ages, St Anselm
addressed Mary in this way: “you are
the Mother of justification and of the
justified, while other authors attribute
to her the titles of “Mother of grace”
and Mother of life”.
Response: Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
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LEADER
Pope Paul VI proclaimed Mary ‘Mother of the Church”.
The title “mother of the Church” thus reflects the deep conviction of
the Christian faithful, who see in Mary not only the mother of the
person of Christ, but also of the faithful. She, who is recognized as
mother of salvation, life and grace, mother of the saved and mother
of the living, is rightly proclaimed Mother of the Church.
Pope Paul VI would have liked the Second Vatican Council itself to
have proclaimed “Mary, Mother of the Church, that is, of the whole
People of God, of the faithful and their pastors”. He did so himself in
his speech at the end of the Council’s third session (21st November 1964),
also asking that “henceforth the Blessed Virgin be honoured and
invoked with this title by all the Christian people”.
Pope John Paul II in 1997 stated that he hoped that the title Mary,
Mother of the Church, would have an ever more important place in
the liturgy and the piety of the Christian people.
Response: Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
LEADER: We will now pray the third Glorious Mystery of the holy
Rosary, The Coming of the Holy Spirit.
Introduction:
Built by Christ upon the Apostles, the Church
became fully aware of these mighty works of God
on the Day of Pentecost, when those gather
together in the Upper Room “were all filled with
the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4).
From that moment there also begins the journey of faith, The
Church’s pilgrimage through the history of individuals and peoples.
We know that at the beginning of the journey Mary is present. We
see her in the midst of the Apostles in the Upper Room, “prayerfully
imploring the gift of the holy Spirit.” Because of the Annunciation
Mary’s journey is longer, she “goes before them”, “leads the way”
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for them. The moment of Pentecost in Jerusalem had been prepared
for by the moment of the Annunciation in Nazareth, as well as by the
Cross. In the Upper Room Mary’s Journey meets the Church’s
journey of faith.
Pray the decade.
All stand and sing a suitable hymn to Our Lady
Litany of Mary the Mother of God
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Mother of Divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Saviour, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
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Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honour, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, pray for us.
Gate of heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of angels, pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of prophets, pray for us.
Queen of apostles, pray for us.
Queen of martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of confessors, pray for us.
Queen of virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of peace, pray for us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, spare us, 0 Lord.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, graciously hear
us, 0 Lord
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
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V. Pray for us, 0 Holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Grant, we beg You, 0 Lord God,
that we Your servants may enjoy lasting health of mind and body,
and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin,
be delivered from present sorrow and enter into the joy of eternal
happiness.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer for the Pastoral Plan of the Catholic
Diocese of Christchurch
Lord, be the beginning and end of all that
we do and say.
Prompt our actions with Your grace and
complete them with Your all-powerful help.
We make our prayer through Christ Our
Lord.
Amen. St John the Baptist, pray for us.
Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
After the prayer members of the Congregation come forward and
light tea candles around the icon before a time of quiet reflection.
For more information about the Year of Faith, visit
www.chch.catholic.org.nz/yearoffaith