OCTOBER DEVOTION: UNDERSTANDING THE MARIAN TITLES IN THE LITANY OF LORETO (PART 2) – DAY 19: “QUEEN OF PEACE” (REGINA PACIS)

DAY 19 PRAYER INTENTION: Today, pray for peace in the world, in areas of violence, turbulence, and war; and also for all those in need of inner peace and tranquillity. May they be visited by Our Lady Queen of Peace, and may she obtain for them and our world that peace which the world cannot give, 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 of 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 19 REFLECTION: “QUEEN OF PEACE” (REGINA PACIS)

The twelfth of the original twelve invocations of our Lady as “Queen” in her Litany praises her as “Queen of Peace” (Latin, Regina Pacis). Apparently, this title could not be otherwise, since the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the “Prince of Peace.” Therefore, today being the nineteenth day of our October Devotion, we shall briefly examine the importance of this Marian title and its significance to us, and in particular, to Nigeria at the time of the #EndSARS protest in the country, year 2020.

It is important to note that Our Lady is the Queen of Peace not only in view of the absence of war but in the positive values ​​of the biblical shalom, of peace that is born out of fraternity, of justice, of solidarity, etc. – a full and substantial peace. The Prophet Isaiah describes the kingdom of SHALOM (Is 65: 17-23), and in Psalm 72:7, we read of a prophecy of the Kingdom of Christ, declaring that “In his days, justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails.” Shalom is the joy of living the fruits of love, the serenity that comes from mutual trust, justice and fairness. Therefore, peace can be understood as a Messianic asset. Being a queen in this Messianic kingdom, the Blessed Virgin Mary must be the “Queen of Peace,” for in her capacity, she continually intercedes for her people in order to ensure the reign of peace (a fruit of the Holy Spirit) even in the midst of challenges and difficulties, right from the inception of the Church at Pentecost. As a matter of fact, the Blessed Virgin Mary experienced in her own flesh the violence that sin causes in the world – the sword that pierced her soul (cf. Lk 2:34-35). This sword touched the depth of Mary’s soul the moment she saw her son on the cross. It is not difficult to imagine her pain at the moment when she witnessed her Son’s sufferings and death; but what would have been her reaction? Despair? Certainly not! It was a painful serenity—SHALOM! Michelangelo, the Italian Renaissance artist, was able to represent this attitude in the classic Pieta image. What draws the attention of those who observe this sculpture, preserved in the Vatican, is that the face has nothing to do with a woman of forty-five years. She looks more like a 16-year-old. This contrasted with the genre of the time, which used to portray the pain of Jesus and Mary in very strong and expressive colours of cruelty. Michelangelo showed with his art that, even in the greatest pain, Maria remained hopeful and serene – “Queen of Peace.”

It becomes pertinent to understand that by invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary as “Regina Pacis” (Queen of Peace) we receive the Peace that our first parents lost at the beginning of creation because of sin. Saint Irenaeus is known to have said that the knot of Eve’s disobedience was undone by Mary’s obedience. If the wages of sin was pain, violence and death, through Mary’s “Yes,” salvation and peace have come to us through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We live in a very violent world today. Safety is one of the greatest desires of our families. Every child knows very well where to find a safe haven: on his mother’s lap. When we invoke Mary as “Queen of Peace,” we actually ask for her lap, intercession and example. The one who lived through the drama of her Son’s death without losing peace will teach us the way to guarantee peace between husband and wife, between young and old, peace in the streets and squares, peace in the cities and in the fields. Sadly, in 2020, across the streets of the Nigerian states, there was a clamour (peaceful protest) to put an end to “SARS” (Special Anti-Robbery Squad), a unit of the Nigerian Police originally intended to establish peace in the country by securing the lives and properties of the citizens, it turned out that these very SARS personnel have been distorting the peace of many innocent Nigerians, some killed, other brutalized, many abused, harassed, and intimidated, etc. , hence, the peaceful protest. I dare to say that difficult moments like this demand a full recourse to the intercession of our Lady, Queen of Peace to get rid of every form of corruption, bad governance, failure of the political leaders, economic instability, etc., of Nigeria. It is high time to move from chaos, anarchy and doom to experiencing peace, the peace which the world cannot give – the peace coming from our risen Saviour through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Therefore, my dear friends in Christ, arise and pray the rosary that the results of the peaceful protest held in 2020 may yield good fruits of future peace and serenity in Nigeria, and the world at large

Above all, may the Queen of Peace, (that peace that only Christ can give  – the certainty of being in love, the tranquillity of conscience, the conviction that we are fighting for the common good) grant peace in our homes/families; may peace reign in our walls, palaces, towns and villages,  cities, states, country, and above all, in our world, through the daily recitation of the Holy Rosary by invoking the Queen of Peace.

Let Us Pray:

Lord, our God, through the fiat of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Prince of Peace came into the history of the human race. Grant that through her intercession, peace may be once again restored in our hearts and souls, families, communities, countries, and the world at large. Amen.

Great job reflecting on Day 19! Click here for Day 20 – “Queen of the Family”