| Third Day |
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ACT OF REPENTANCE
I believe in Thee, O my God.
O most Excellent and Immaculate Queen of
Heaven, Remember, Virgin Mary of Good Success,
We salute thee Mary, as the Favored Daughter of God the Father. Hail Mary.... We salute thee Mary, as the Chosen Mother of the Divine Son . Hail Mary... We salute thee Mary, as the Singular Spouse of the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father...
Consider how the travelers, impelled by grace and attracted by curiosity to examine such surprising wonders, set out for the site offering them refuge. Taking off their shoes, they climbed the hill with great difficulty, helping each other over large boulders and sharp cliffs. When they reached the cave, which they were able to see in the flashes of lightening, how great was their surprise of joy and admiration! For they saw that this cave had been delicately carved by nature as a spacious temple. It protected a beautiful Statue of the Holy Virgin holding the Christ Child in her left arm, and carrying a scepter in her right hand. A precious crown rested on her forehead. Her dress, like that of the Infant, was simple but elegant, and both were made in the same material and style. The site was adorned with various types of flowers that carpeted the floor and climbed on the walls, filling the air with an exquisite fragrance for the Queen of Heaven. Set in the rock was a lamp so expertly craft ed that it gave off the illumination of many lights. Such beauty and delight to honor such an admirable Lady! Such surprise and admiration for the overwhelmed travelers! The ecstatic pair contemplated this little part of Heaven and calmed their overwrought hearts in the presence of their Mother, who, after the terrible storm, had come to them so unexpectedly, radiant with beauty and tender of feature, to provide them with refuge and consolation in that desperate and difficult juncture. So also my soul is calmed before the image of Mary. When the burdens of life and its imminent dangers bring us close to despair, let us go, then, to her with tranquility and confidence, thanking God Who in His Omnipotence permitted that portentous statue to be miraculously found in that hidden place for the honor of the Immaculate Virgin and so that all might venerate Her under that precious avocation of Good Success. Prayer: O God of Mercy, Who never abandons in
desolation one who faithfully and fervently serves Thee
amid the misfortunes and dangers of life, and Who leads
us to find our Mother and advocate as a refuge in our
adversities, grant us a tender and fervent heart to
search for Mary and find her, always loving and
protective, so that we might serve her and merit, through
Thy intercession, to lead a good and Christian life and
afterwards be with her forever in Heaven.
Act of Thanksgiving to the
Blessed Virgin Thus art thou, most clement Mother, our
consolation on earth, our refuge, our help and our
protection in both our public and private needs.
Safeguard us from war, pestilence, hunger, storms,
earthquakes and all the calamities, which we merit by our
guilt.. Pray for the Holy Church and for her visible
head. Hear the supplications of those who invoke thee. Be
thou our Advocate, our Mother, for as thus do we place
our confidence in thee. To thee do we have recourse, and
through thy intercession we hope to achieve from thy Son
pardon for our sins and perseverance in grace until
death. Here, each one raising up
his heart to God, should ask, through the intercession of
Blessed Mary of Good Success, that grace or favor which
he desires to receive. Praises to the Holy Virgin O Virgin Mary, our Mother preeminent
above all on earth. Above all others, thou were attentive to
the Word of the Father, who does great things in thy
honor. Thou art the most worthy temple of the Most Holy
Trinity. In thee is that same purity the Angels enjoy. The Christian world proclaims that thou doth reign on the
right side of the King of Kings. O Mother of Grace! O our
hope! Port for the shipwrecked and star of the sea. Gate
of Heaven, health of the sick, light in the darkness. Through thee, we will find ourselves before God in the
court of the Saints, where He lives and reigns. Guide our
steps and help us, O sweet Mary, in our last hours. Receive this praise from our tender lips, which cannot
express thy singular grandeur. Antiphon: Holy
Mary save the miserable,
help the weak, intercede for the afflicted, plead for the V. Pray for us, O Virgin of Good Success! R. So that we may be made worthy to receive the promises of Christ.
We ask thee, Our Lord and God, that Thou
grant us health of soul and body through the intercession
of the glorious Virgin Mary. Through her merits and those
of her sovereign Child Jesus, we hope to be freed from
the present evils and to attain eternal happiness. |