WHAT SHOULD BE PRAYED
330. Jesus Christ Himself taught us the Our Father so that we would learn to pray; for this reason, it is the best of prayers.
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331. To pray is to lift the heart to God to adore Him, give thanks to Him, and ask Him for what we need.
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332. Prayer is of two kinds: mental and vocal.
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333. Mental prayer is the one that is done by exercising memory, understanding, and will.
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334.- We make mental prayer by remembering with our memory some good thing, thinking and reasoning about that with our understanding, and acting with our will, for example, feeling sorrow for sins, or making resolutions, like to confess or to change our life.
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He who prays well mentally, even for just a quarter of an hour daily, will easily maintain the grace of God.
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[That is why Our Lady of the Roses asks us for an hour of daily meditation on God the Father, a daily hour of adoration to Jesus in the blessed Sacrament… And there are great promises for those who meditate daily on the 7 Sorrows and Tears of the Virgin Mary, praying a Hail Mary for each Sorrow, we know it thanks to the Revelations of Saint Bridget of Sweden.]
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Saint Alphonsus says: “He who prays, will be saved; he who does not pray, will be condemned.”
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[And we also need to pay attention to the way we pray. In the vocal prayer, Our Lady of the Roses tells us that She doesn’t want a “lip service” but that we think and feel what we say. She also says that praying without works is like putting meat on someone’s grave. It’s understood to be a complete waste, for example of time, and it could attract rats or simply be eaten by some cat wandering around… it reminds me of the seeds that fall along the path, in the parable of the sower, a hard ground: the heart or mind of someone who prays poorly… and that prayer bears no fruit]
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335.- Vocal prayer is the one done with words, like when we pray the Our Father.
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336.- God, Who knows everything, doesn’t need our prayers to favor us, but He wants us to turn to Him through prayer.
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It’s necessary to pray frequently, because God commands it, and usually only through prayer does He grant the spiritual and temporal graces we need.
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It's good to pray when getting up in the morning and when we are going to sleep in the night, and often, especially in times of temptation or danger.
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A well-made prayer always obtains from the Lord what we ask for or something better.
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Jesus said: Ask and you will receive.
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Prayer made asking for the salvation of one's own soul has an infallible effect.
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We should ask above all and unconditionally for the forgiveness of our sins, the grace of God, and perseverance in the grace until death.
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[That morning prayer where we ask Jesus not to let us do anything that goes against the salvation of our soul is very important]
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The other goods we must request conditionally, that is, if they are for the greater glory of God and the good of our soul.
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337.- Sometimes God does not grant us what we ask for because we ask incorrectly or because it is not good for the health of our soul.
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338.- One should pray with attention, humility, trust, and perseverance.
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[Our Lady of the Roses, Mary Help of mothers says Heaven doesn’t like “lip service” but that we think and feel what we pray.]
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In vocal prayer, one should avoid rushing.
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Involuntary distractions do not take away from the merit or value of prayer.
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We should ask in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as He teaches us and as the Holy Church practices, which ends prayers with these words: “Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
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A short prayer is, for example: My God, I love You with all my heart! Better to die than to sin! Most Holy Virgin, help me!, etc.
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It is good to make short prayers very often, as they are very useful and a very effective way to overcome temptations.
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The Lord's Prayer
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Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; and do not let us fall into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
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[Translated from Spanish when this book was printed; it has been changed at least 3 times since then]
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339.- When we say the Our Father, we speak with God Our Lord.
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The Apostles said to Jesus: “Teacher, teach us to pray” (Luke 11,1).
Jesus answered them: “Whenever you want to pray, say: Our Father… etc.”
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The Our Father is called the Lord’s Prayer, because Our Lord Jesus Christ composed it to teach us how to pray.
Therefore, it is the best of prayers; it contains everything we should ask for.
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340.- The Our Father has seven petitions, grounded in all charity, that cover all our spiritual and bodily needs.
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341.- Before the petitions we say: Our Father who art in heaven, to lift our hearts to God and ask for His blessings, with devotion and childlike trust, for ourselves and for all people, since we are all brothers.
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We begin by saying: Our Father.
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Father! What a comforting word, so fitting to inspire trust in us!
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Only because Jesus Christ has told us, could we dare to call the Supreme Being, Lord of heaven and earth, our Father. God is our Father: He created us in His image, preserves and governs us with His providence, and by grace we are His adopted children and heirs of heaven.
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We call God: "Our Father," not "My Father," because we are all His children, and therefore we should see and love each other as brothers. We say: "who art in heaven" to lift our mind and heart toward heaven, which is the place where God shows His children the splendor of His glory.
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342.- The first petition of the Lord's Prayer is: "Hallowed be Thy Name," and in it we ask that God’s name be known and honored throughout the world.
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This is the first petition, because the first desire of our heart should be to seek the glory of God before our own interests and benefit.
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We seek the glory of God if we try to fulfill His holy law.
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343.- The second petition of the Lord's Prayer is: 'Thy kingdom come,' and in it we ask that God reign in our souls through grace, and later give us eternal glory. God's kingdom is His grace in this life and His glory in the next. The militant Church is also called the kingdom of God; we ask that all men know it and become part of it.
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344.- The third petition of the Lord's Prayer is: 'Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,' and in it we ask that those of us on earth do God's will, just as the blessed do in heaven.
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We ask for the grace to always do God’s will; not that God does ours.
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[And we should long to do His will, to obey Him, with the love and purity of angels. They are superior to us, but we must aspire to that.]
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345.- The fourth request of the Lord’s Prayer is: “Give us this day our daily bread,” and in it we ask God to give us material food for the body, and spiritual food of grace and the sacraments for the soul.
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The word bread means everything necessary for the life of the soul and the body.
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346.- The fifth request of the Lord’s Prayer is: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” and in it we ask God to forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have wronged us and done us harm.
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The word debts means sins.
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The word debtors refers to those who have offended us.
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Those who do not want to forgive the one who offended them, when praying the Lord's Prayer, condemn themselves by saying to God to forgive them as they forgive their neighbor.
[We must forgive in our hearts even if we are not asked for forgiveness, since we should not hold hatred, resentment or grudges. But we should remember how we fell into this or that danger so as not to be hurt again and to prevent that person from harming us, for example: by keeping us as far away as possible. We have the right to choose our friends. And we should pray for everyone's conversion and do good to everyone. Forgiving does not mean that we should give up on justice. *When we talk about justice in forgiveness, we make it clear that we are talking about just laws, not to do justice by one’s own hand.]
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347.- The sixth petition of the Lord's Prayer is: “Lead us not into temptation,” and in it, we ask God not to let us consent to the evil thoughts and temptations by which the devil tries to make us fall into sin.
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Temptation is an incitement to sin.
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Sin lies not in having temptations, but in consenting to them.
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God allows us to be tempted:
1º To test our faithfulness.
2º To give us a chance to perfect our virtue.
3º So that we may gain more merit and reward.
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For this reason, we do not ask to be free from temptations, but that we do not fall into them.
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348.- The seventh petition of the Lord’s Prayer is: "But deliver us from evil," and in it we ask God to free us from all spiritual and bodily evils and dangers.
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[in Latin: `Sed libera nos a malo` also means ‘Free us from the evil one’]
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We ask God to deliver us from the highest evil, which is sin and its punishment. We ask God to deliver us from other evils as needed for our spiritual good.
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The pains of this life, just like temptations, are allowed by God for our spiritual good because:
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1º These pains make us clearly understand that this world is an exile, a valley of tears; and they make us desire to go to heaven soon.
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2º These pains make us more like Jesus Christ, who was truly a Man of sorrows.
It is fair that we accompany Him in suffering if we want to accompany Him in glory.
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[And if we think of the Blessed Virgin: Mother of Sorrows, it is clear that She is Co-Redemptrix, since the glory She has now was earned by accompanying Her Son on the Way of the Cross, following Him when His suffering in soul and heart was terrible, and interceding for the good of all, even suffering a deathly pain in Her soul when Jesus died, as a sword pierced Her soul. And now Her Heart is surrounded entirely by thorns (imitating the crown of thorns that Jesus has on His heart), which ungrateful men drive in at every moment with blasphemies and ingratitudes, as was shown to Lucia of Fatima on December 10, 1925, when She was at the convent of Saint Dorotea in Pontevedra. The pain of the sword in the soul of the Blessed Virgin was almost unbearable, Our Lady of the Roses tells us that she could only bear it by thinking that Jesus was going to return.
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This is from the Prophecies and Revelations of Saint Bridget of Sweden:
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On how faith, hope, and charity were found perfectly in Christ at the moment of His death and imperfectly in us.
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Chapter 39
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I had three virtues at my death. First, faith, when I knelt and prayed, knowing that the Father could free Me from my suffering. Second, hope, when I persevered resolutely saying, 'Not my will be done.' Third, charity, when I said, 'Your will be done!' I also suffered physical agony due to the natural fear of suffering, and a sweat of blood came from my body. Therefore, so my friends would not fear being forsaken when their time of trial comes, I showed them in Myself that the weak flesh always tries to escape pain. You might ask, perhaps, how it was that my body produced a sweat of blood.
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Well, just like the blood of a sick person dries up and is consumed in their veins, my blood was consumed by the natural anguish of death. Wanting to show the way Heaven would open and how people could enter it after their exile, the Father lovingly gave me over to my passion so that my body could be glorified once the passion had been fulfilled. Because my human nature couldn’t just enter its glory without suffering, even though I was able to do it through the power of My divine nature.
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Why, then, would people with little faith, vain hopes, and no love deserve to enter my glory? If they had faith in eternal joy and terrible punishment, they would desire nothing else but Me. If they truly believed that I see all things and have power over all things, and that I demand judgment for everyone, the world would seem repulsive to them, and they wouldn't dare sin in my presence, out of fear of Me and not out of human opinion. If they had firm hope, all their thoughts and understanding would turn to me. If they had divine love, their minds would at least think about what I did for them, the efforts I made when preaching, the pain I suffered in My passion, the great love I had in dying, so much that I preferred to die rather than lose them.
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But their faith is weak and wavering, pointing to a sudden downfall, because they are willing to believe when the impulses of temptation are absent, but lose confidence when faced with adversity. Their hope is vain, because they expect their sin to be forgiven without judgment and without a proper sentence. They rely on being able to get the Kingdom of Heaven for free. They want to receive my mercy without the moderation of justice. Their love for me is cold, for they never set out to seek me earnestly unless they feel forced by tribulation.
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How am I going to have compassion for people who neither hold true faith nor firm hope nor fervent charity toward Me? That’s why, when they beg me and say ‘Lord, have mercy on me!’ they won’t deserve to be heard or to enter my glory. If they don’t want to accompany their Lord in suffering, they won’t accompany Him in glory. No soldier can please his lord and be welcomed again after a slip-up unless he first humbles himself to make amends for his offense.]
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3rd.- These pains, endured with patience, are a source of great merit and reward for heaven.
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They are a most precious treasure that the Lord offers us.
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If people knew the value of these pains, they would ask God not to take them away, but to give them more and the proper patience to endure them. The word Amen, which we say at the end of prayers, means: So be it.
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The Our Father should be prayed frequently, without rushing, as it is in the Catechism, without changing, adding, or removing words.
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After the Our Father, the Hail Mary is usually prayed to praise the Blessed Virgin and ask for Her powerful intercession,
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The Hail Mary
349.- The main prayers we say to the Blessed Virgin are the Hail Mary and the Hail Holy Queen.
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Hail Mary
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Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee; blessed art Thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
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350.- The Archangel Saint Gabriel, when he greeted the Blessed Virgin at the Annunciation, said the main part of the Hail Mary.
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The words that make up the Hail Mary come partly from the Archangel Saint Gabriel, partly from Saint Elizabeth, and partly from the Holy Mother Church.
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Archangel Saint Gabriel, when announcing to Mary that She would be the Mother of God, greeted Her, saying: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee: blessed art Thou among all women.”
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Saint Elizabeth, when visited by Mary, who was already the Mother of God, said to Her: “Blessed is the fruit of Thy womb.”
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The rest of the words are from the Holy Mother Church.
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[And the Virgin of Garabandal said She wants “and our Mother” to be added after “Mother of God,” but that we shouldn’t say it all the time, only occasionally, until it’s approved by the Church.]
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The Hail Mary is called the angelic salutation because it begins with the words of Archangel Saint Gabriel.
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351.- The Hail Holy Queen was taught to us by the Holy Church, to ask for favor and help from the Blessed Virgin.
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352.- The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God.
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353.- The Mother of God is also our Mother.
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354.- When we say Our Lady of Luján, of Carmen, of the Rosary, etc., we understand it as different advocations or titles by which the same Blessed Virgin Mary is invoked.
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355.- We place the image of the Most Holy Mary on the altars to honor Her and to frequently remember our Mother Who is in heaven.
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[She intercedes for us before Her Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Just as She interceded with Him at the wedding at Cana, as She prayed for the good of all while walking the Way of the Cross… Unfortunately, they are the men who do not listen to Her, since in the Messages of Our Lady of the Roses, She said that She has come for countless earthly years, with tears, trying to be heard but was not attended to.]
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Devotion to the Most Holy Virgin
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The Most Holy Virgin Mary is a great Lady, full of grace and virtues [virtues to the highest degree, perfect, Mother of Virtues, She is “unparalleled,” the purest mirror of the Light of God, not even the slightest shadow of sin ever touched Her. God made Her Perfect, and She has remained that way, accumulating merits we cannot even calculate.]
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She is the Mother of God, and our Mother and Advocate in heaven.
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She is in heaven in body and soul.
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[The Assumption of the Virgin is the oldest and most important feast of the Church about the Virgin. A 9-year-old girl who was with a group of the faithful at that time saw Her ascend to heaven along with Jesus, who had come to resurrect Her and take Her to Heaven amidst the acclamations of angels and the blessed, who love Her so much, where She received “Her well-deserved crown,” as Jesus says in the Messages of Our Lady of the Roses.]
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She is invoked under various titles, such as: Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of the Rosary, Help of Christians, etc.
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After Jesus, we must show the greatest love to the Blessed Mary.
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Reasons for devotion to the Blessed Mary
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I. Mary is the most privileged and beloved of God among all creatures.
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II. Mary is the Mother of God. Therefore, all the honor we give to Mary reflects as honor to God. [All the prayers we offer to the Blessed Mary, to the Angels, and Saints, She receives and presents to God. She is the Treasurer of all graces. She is Queen and Lady, with power given by God, not a queen who only shows up at celebrations dressed in finery.]
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III. Mary is our Mother and Advocate in heaven.
Jesus, from the Cross, said to His disciple John: Behold your Mother, referring to Mary. (John 19:27).
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Saint John represents all good Christians, to whom Jesus gave His own Mother as a Mother.
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IV.- Being devoted to Mary is a sign of predestination, according to Saint Anselm and other Saints.
Predestination means being chosen for heaven.
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V.- The Holy Church gives us an example of how we should be devoted to Mary. She, the Church, honors Her with a devotion higher than that of all the Saints. It dedicates many magnificent churches to Her, and very devotional images. She has established many festivals, prayers, and devotional practices in Her honor.
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VI.- God takes pleasure in granting very extraordinary graces, and sometimes even miraculous ones, to those who come to Mary with faith.
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To be a true devotee of Mary, one should strive to:
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1st.- Avoid sin and imitate Her virtues.
What Mary abhors the most is sin. We should try to imitate Mary, especially in humility, chastity, and charity. [This is very important. Humility overcomes the devil, and Our Lady of the Roses tells us that without purity and charity, one cannot enter Heaven.]
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2nd.- Receive Communion often. It gives Mary great satisfaction to see us united with Jesus in Holy Communion.
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3rd.- Pray the Holy Rosary, wear a scapular or medal, and practice other pious works in Her honor.
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["A complete, daily rosary must be prayed in the house that wishes to be saved" Our Lady of the Roses commands us, and She also tells us that everyone who wears the brown scapular, the green scapular and the rosary around the neck will be saved. But the brown scapular must be made of woolen cloth, and the cord that joins each part must be made of a single cord (unfortunately the brown scapulars that are bought today have two pieces of cord that join the two parts, you have to remove them and put a single cord on). The brown scapular must be blessed by a priest who has good heart to catholic religion and then we put it on. And then, when we find a Carmelite or Franciscan priest, we ask him to impose it on us (he prays some special prayers and puts it on us). Do not accept that the priest of the parish imposes it on you, because then the Carmelite or Franciscan will not want to impose it on you. The scapulars for women should be large, like 10 cm x 10 cm, and the front part should hang down from the waist.
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Pious works are, for example, receiving Communion on the first 9 Fridays in reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Repairing Communion on the first 5 Saturdays to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and once you've done them for yourself, it is good to do them for other people we want to make sure are saved.]
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In addition to the Hail Mary, the Holy Church teaches us to implore the protection of the Virgin Mary with the Hail Holy Queen.
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The Glory Be
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After the Our Father and Hail Mary, it is usual to pray the Glory Be, in honor of the Holy Trinity.
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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.
[That’s the way it’s said in English now, but it seems to give future glory to a world without end.
A homemade, not definitive translation of Latin (which is how it’s said in Spanish as well) is:
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, *and now, and ever shall be. And for the ages [centuries] of the ages [centuries]. Amen.
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It is very common to say the Glory Be in Latin.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saécula saeculórum. Amen.
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[* English Creed is heretical because it says:`'The third day He arose again from the dead'
He did not rise 'again'! but died and arose once and now has a glorious body that will never die again.
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And the Creed in English also says: 'He descended into Hell'
No! He didn't go to Hell but to HELLS, that include purgatory and hell. He went only to the purgatory zone, to rescue the just.
In the translation of this book, the 3 main prayers were analyzed: earlier, the Creed. And there are more prayers in this little book, in Latin, translated, besides the Rosary and the Way of the Cross, also prayers for before and after Communion, for before confession, etc. I won’t be able to transcribe everything due to lack of time.]