OCTOBER DEVOTION: UNDERSTANDING THE MARIAN TITLES IN THE LITANY OF LORETO (PART 2) – DAY 13: “QUEEN OF CONFESSORS” (REGINA CONFESSORUM)

DAY 13 PRAYER INTENTION: Today, pray for all those in need of financial assistance; for all those in debt, and also for those struggling to make ends meet to resolve their so many challenges and those of their families. May they be visited, assisted, alleviated and graced by Our Lady, Virgin of the Poor, to the greater glory of God. Amen (Also add your own intention…)

Now, say the 20 decades of the Rosary…

At the end of the 20 decades, say the following Prayers:

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile show us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation. Grant, we beseech Thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! St. Joseph, pray for us!

Litany of Loreto

Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.

God, the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us (Repeat after each invocation)

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,

Holy Mary,
pray for us (Repeat after each invocation)
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of Mercy,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother of Hope,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Saviour,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honour,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower if ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Solace of Migrants,
Comfort of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most Holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray
Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord God, that we, your servants, may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body;
and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sorrow, and obtain eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Prayer to Saint Joseph after the Rosary

To you, O Blessed Joseph, we come in our trials, and having asked the help of your most holy spouse, we confidently ask your patronage also. Through that sacred bond of charity which united you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the fatherly love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you to look graciously upon the beloved inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased by his blood, and to aid us in our necessities with your power and strength.

O most provident guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ. Most beloved father, dispel the evil of falsehood and sin. Our most mighty protector, graciously assist us from heaven in our struggle with the powers of darkness. And just as you once saved the Child Jesus from mortal danger, so now defend God’s Holy Church from the snares of her enemies and from all adversity. Shield each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your help, we may be able to live a virtuous life, die a holy death, and obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

DAY 13 REFLECTION: “QUEEN OF CONFESSORS” (REGINA CONFESSORUM)

The sixth of the twelve invocations of Mary as “Queen” in her litany, praises her as “Queen of Confessors,” (Latin, Regina Confessorum). Today, when the word “confessor” is mentioned, our modern minds readily focus on a priest who hears the confessions of others, gives them absolution and spiritual counsels. This problem with sticking to this definition is that it brings about a poor understanding of the Blessed Virgin Mary as “Queen of Confessors.” Now, who then is a confessor? How is the Blessed Virgin Mary a confessor, and eventually “Queen of Confessors?”

In explaining its etymology and primitive meaning, the New Advent Catholic Encyclopaedia (Online) states: “The word confessor is derived from the Latin confiteri, to confess, to profess, but it is not found in writers of the classical period, having been first used by the Christians. With them it was a title of honour to designate those brave champions of the Faith who had confessed Christ publicly in time of persecution and had been punished with imprisonment, torture, exile, or labour in the mines, remaining faithful in their confession until the end of their lives. The title thus distinguished them from the martyrs, who were so-called because they underwent death for the Faith.” Following this, even “martyrs” could be called “confessors”; however, the “confession” of martyrdom is so special and great because it intends giving up of one’s life; hence, the title – “martyr.” Nonetheless, the title “confessor” is reserved for those who gave a testimony of great love, without, shedding their blood and dying for Christ. In this light, St. Augustine, who wrote a beautiful book with the title “Confessions,” clearly delineates that the confession does not only refer to the declaration of faults, but also to the proclamation of praises. Thus, the book of “Confessions,” much to the chagrin of the modern reader, who perhaps preferred a narrower and more followed narrative of events, is all interspersed with religious elevations, requests for forgiveness, thanksgiving, praise to the Lord. For Augustine, men who by their words and actions, constantly praise and declare their faith in God, with all possible love, are called “confessors.”

After the apostles and martyrs, confessors of the faith have been venerated in their holiness since the dawn of Christianity. From the 4th century, when persecution against Christians ceased and, naturally, the number of martyrs decreased, the category of “Confessors of the Faith” began to be venerated for their testimony of holiness. A confessor was one who gave public and notorious testimony of his faith, especially for his testimony of the Christian life. Although, initially, only martyrs received the “cult of “holiness” for following Jesus to the cross, gradually the Church understood that there are other forms of martyrdom that can make one a missionary-disciple of Jesus Christ. The act of confessing faith in words and gestures is a way of being holy, that is, configured to Jesus.

In the Church’s liturgy, confessors are always men. In women, however, the Church prefers to emphasize other qualities which they also possess, and calls them “virgins”, or “martyrs”, or “holy women”, or “religious.” Of these holy men considered as confessors, the Blessed Virgin is regarded as their “Queen”; not only because they inspired the Church with their “confessions” of love and thanksgiving, praise and testimony, but also because they counted on our Lady’s continued protection and presence. It is an impressive historical fact, the long, interminable procession of saints who looked up to Mary for their model and security. Many Religious Orders and Congregations were inspired by Marian honour and examples: the Augustinians, the Carmelites, the Servites, the Dominicans, etc., are said to have received the religious habit from the Blessed Virgin Mary as her fervent devotees.

Initially, the Confessors of the Faith were recognized by the local bishop, who had “Vox populi” (voice of the people) as one of the criteria; that is, the reputation of holiness that the person had among the people. Put differently, those recognized for their holiness among the faithful began to be spontaneously revered as “saints” without the need for a long and thorough process of “beatification” and “canonization.” From the 10th century onwards, official recognition of holiness began to be made by Rome. From the 16th century onwards, all processes of recognition of holiness started to be carried out by the Congregation for the Cause of Saints in Rome.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Queen of the Confessors of the Faith; that is, of all those who are not afraid to give public testimony that they believe in Jesus and live what He preached, more than that, live as Christ lived. We could even say that Mary was the first confessor of the faith because she lived her whole life professing her faith in God (“I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” Lk. 1:38), and putting the Word of God into practice (cf. Lk 11:27-28), to the extent that she suffered grievously on account of her faith in Christ at the Calvary. Her testimony and holiness are all special. Mary remained “blessed among all women” (Lk. 1:42) on earth because she responded to God’s plan. She heard the Word of God and kept it. At the wedding feast at Cana, she said to the servants: “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn. 2:5) – this was actually a confession of the Faith; it is to listen carefully to the Word of God and to incarnate it in our gestures, in our daily lives.

Dear friends in Christ, Mary is the queen of everyone who strives to bear witness to the faith. When you relate to a co-worker and are not ashamed to say that you are happy to be a practising Catholic, that you read your Bible, that you pray at home, that you go to Mass, that you pray your rosary; then, you are publicly professing your faith in Christ as a “confessor.” When you bear witness to the gospel with acts of charity, justice, and solidarity that you love the poor and see in them the image of Christ himself, you are being a “confessor.” To confess the faith is to seek holiness. We do not seek vain-glory or recognition; for no one lights a lamp and hides it under the bed. People need to understand our testimony through acts of confessing our great, unalloyed, and undying love for Christ.

Let us pray

O God, grant us the grace to always confess and praise your loving-kindness concretely as a response to the faith we have professed in Christ just as the Blessed Virgin Mary (Queen of Confessors) did all through her life. Through her intercessions, may we come to share in Your divine life as confessors of the faith. Amen

Great job reflecting on Day 13! Click here for Day 14 – “Queen of Virgins”