AUGUST – MONTH DEDICATED TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.
In the midst of the second world war Pope Pius XII put the whole world under the special protection of our Savior’s Mother by consecrating it to her Immaculate Heart, and in 1944 he decreed that in the future the whole Church should celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
This is not a new devotion. In the seventeenth century, St. John Eudes preached it together with that of the Sacred Heart; in the nineteenth century, Pius VII and Pius IX allowed several churches to celebrate a feast of the Pure Heart of Mary.
Pius XII instituted today’s feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the whole Church, so as to obtain by her intercession “peace among nations, freedom for the Church, the conversion of sinners, the love of purity and the practice of virtue”
(Decree of May 4, 1944)
OUR LADY OF FATIMA
Originally the month of August had a special feast of the Virgin Mary that was in response to World War II and Fatima.
In the Catholic Church there grew over time specific “devotions” that were assigned to each month of the year. The month of June became associated with the Sacred Heart of Jesus because the feast of the Sacred Heart always falls within that month.
August became known as a month dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but currently it is difficult to know why this is the case. There exists no particular feast and the main celebration in August is the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on August 15.
The reason why August became associated with the Immaculate Heart of Mary is because of World War II and the devotion of Pope Pius XII to Our Lady of Fatima.
The world was in turmoil in the 1940s and in 1942, Pope Pius XII responded to the requests of Our Lady of Fatima and consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 31, 1942.
DAILY PRAYER FOR AUGUST FOR THE INTERCESSION OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
O Most Blessed Mother,
heart of love, heart of mercy,
ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer.
As your children, we implore your intercession,
with Jesus your Son.
Receive with understanding and compassion,
the petitions we place before you today,
especially those so deep in our heart.
We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open
to those who ask for your prayer.
We trust to your gentle care and intercession,
those whom we love
and who are sick or lonely or hurting.
Help all of us, Holy Mother,
to bear our burdens in this life,
until we may share eternal life and peace
with God, our Father forever.
Amen
AUGUST – CONSECRATED TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
O Mother of Mercies
Most holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, my Mother, I, the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse to you today, the Mother of my Lord.
I venerate you, O great Queen, and thank you for all the graces you have obtained for me, especially for having delivered me from hell, which I have so often deserved.
I love you, O my very kind sovereign, and for your love, I commit myself to serve you forever, and tend all my efforts to make you loved by others too. I place all my hopes and all my salvation in you.
Accept me as your servant, and receive me under your protection, O Mother of mercies. And since you are so powerful over God, deliver me from all temptations or obtain for me the strength to conquer them until death.
O my Mother, by the love that you have for God, I pray that you will always assist me, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Do not abandon me until you see me safe in heaven, occupied to bless you and to sing your mercies for all eternity. This is my hope. – (Saint Alphonsus of Liguori)
DAILY PRAYER TO OUR LADY DURING AUGUST, TRADITIONALLY DEDICATED TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Heavenly beauty and splendor of the Father, You are the most valued Heavenly treasure.
New Eve, immaculate in soul, spirit and body, Created of the godly seed by the Spirit of God, You are the spiritual Mother of mankind.
Pure Virgin, full of grace then and now, Your whole being was raised Heavenly in full glory, To be elevated above all the hosts within the Kingdom of God.
O Heavenly Mother, Queen of Heaven and earth, I recognize the glory of your highest title, The Immaculate Heart of Mary!
Loving Mother, dispenser of endless blessings, You who continuously intercedes on our behalf, Please present my need before your loving Son Jesus.
(In your own words, make your special request here.
Do not just mention a word. Speak to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as you would speak to another person, begging your Heavenly Mother to plea to Jesus on your behalf, that you be granted this special request.)
Mother dearest, I await your favorable answer, Submitting myself to the Divine will of the Lord, For all glories are His forever and ever.
PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
full of goodness,
show your love towards us.
Let the flame of your heart,
O Mary, descend on all people.
We love you immensely.
Impress true love in our hearts
so that we have a continuous desire for you.
O Mary, gentle and humble of heart, remember us when we are in sin.
You know that all men sin.
Give us, by means of your Immaculate Heart, spiritual health.
Let us always see the goodness of your motherly heart
and may we be converted by means of the flame of your heart.
Amen.
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
full of love for God and mankind,
and of compassion for sinners,
I consecrate myself to you.
I entrust to you the salvation of my soul.
May my heart be ever united with yours,
so that I may hate sin,
love God and my neighbor,
and reach eternal life with those whom I love.
May I experience the kindness of your motherly heart
and the power of your intercession with Jesus
during my life and at the hour of my death.
Amen.
Prostrate at thy sacred feet,
O august Queen of Heaven,
I venerate thee with the most profound respect,
and I believe that thou art the daughter of the Eternal Father,
the Mother of His Divine Son,
and the Spouse of the Holy Ghost.
Full of grace and virtues and heavenly gifts,
thou art the purest temple of the most Holy Trinity,
thou art the treasury and dispenser of divine mercy.
Thy Immaculate Heart, full of charity, sweetness and tenderness,
has given thee the name of Mother of Divine Clemency.
Therefore, in my affliction
and agony I present myself with confidence before thee,
our most loving Mother,
and I pray thee to make me experience the love which thou bearest us;
Grant me (specify the favor)
if it be the Will of God and for the good of my soul.
Amen.
O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
refuge of sinners,
I beg of you by the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
and by the graces God has granted to you since your Immaculate Conception,
the grace of never going astray again.
Mother, keep me, a sinner,
constantly bathed in the light of your Immaculate Heart.
Amen.
A SOLEMN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULAYE HEART OF MARY
(By the Venerable Pope Pius XII)
Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of Your Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to You, all the people of our country and all the world.
Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as You wish to accomplish Your designs in the world.
O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully.
We come with confidence to You, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed Your own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes Your shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home. Amen.
ACTS OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
O MARY, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart.
We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country. We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee, and may share in the benefits of thy motherly benediction. And that this act of consecration may be truly efficacious and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion.
We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths of our holy Faith, and to live as befits Catholics who are duly submissive to all the directions of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him. We pledge ourselves to keep the commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
We likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an integral part of our lives, in so far as we shall be able so to do.
Finally, we promise thee, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of men, to devote ourselves whole-heartedly to the service of thy blessed cult, in order to hasten and assure, through the sovereignty of thine Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of thine adorable Son, in our own hearts and in those of all men, in our country and in all the world. As in heaven, so on earth. Amen. (For Private Devotion)
LITANY
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
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 Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Heart of Mary, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, like unto the Heart of God, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, united to the Heart of Jesus, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, instrument of the Holy Ghost, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, sanctuary of the Divine Trinity, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, tabernacle of God Incarnate, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, immaculate from thy creation, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, full of grace, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, blessed among all hearts, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, throne of glory, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, most humble, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, holocaust of Divine Love, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, fastened to the Cross with Jesus Crucified, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, comfort of the afflicted, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, refuge of sinners, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, hope of the agonizing, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, seat of mercy, Pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
V. Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of heart,
R. Make our hearts like unto the Heart of Jesus.
Let Us Pray:
O most merciful God, Who, for the salvation of sinners and the refuge of the miserable, wast pleased that the Most Pure Heart of Mary should be most like in charity and pity to the Divine Heart of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, grant that we, who commemorate this sweet and loving Heart, by the merits and intercession of the same Blessed Virgin, may merit to be found like unto the Heart of Jesus, through the same Christ Our Lord.
R. Amen.
(This litany was composed by John Henry (Cardinal) Newman shortly after he converted to Catholicism in 1845. Let us pray this with reverence and recall the many blessings that have flowed through Mary from Jesus to us.)
PROMISES OF GOD FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST – AUGUST DEVOTIONALS
AUGUST 1 – PROMISE #213
The heavens declare My glory and reveal My handiwork.
Psalm 19:1
AUGUST 2 – PROMISE #214
I rule the earth and all the kings belong to Me.
Psalm 47:7-9
AUGUST 3 – PROMISE #215
You can trust in My faithfulness because My Word is true.
Psalm 33:4
AUGUST 4 – PROMISE #216
I am good and My mercy is everlasting.
1 Chronicles 16:34
AUGUST 5 – PROMISE #217
I have cared for you from the moment you were born.
Psalm 71:6
AUGUST 6 – PROMISE #218
I have even numbered each hair on your head.
Matthew 10:30
AUGUST 7 – PROMISE #219
Through faith in Christ, you can boldly approach Me with confidence.
Ephesians 3:12
AUGUST 8 – PROMISE #220
If you walk in the light, the blood of My Son Jesus will cleanse you from all sin.
1 John 1:7
AUGUST 9 – PROMISE #221
Trust in Me, and do not be afraid of what others can do to you.
Psalm 56:11
AUGUST 10 – PROMISE #222
I will be your security and a safe place for your children.
Proverbs 14:26
I am your shield, your glory, and the lifter of your head.
Psalm 3:3
AUGUST 12 – PROMISE #224
I will gladly give the Holy Spirit to those who will ask.
Luke 11:13
AUGUST 13 – PROMISE #225
Forgiveness and healing are among My many benefits.
Psalm 103:2-3
AUGUST 14 – PROMISE #226
If you rest in Me and wait patiently, you will inherit the land.
Psalm 37:7-9
AUGUST 15 – PROMISE #227
I give power to the exhausted and I strengthen the weak.
Isaiah 40:29
AUGUST 16 – PROMISE #228
If I am for you, no one can stand against you.
Romans 8:31
AUGUST 17 – PROMISE #229
Though you have many plans, My purpose will be fulfilled.
Proverbs 19:21
AUGUST 18 – PROMISE #230
If two of you agree in prayer, I will do whatever you ask.
Matthew 18:19
AUGUST 19 – PROMISE #231
I will make you fruitful in your old age.
Psalm 92:13-14
AUGUST 20 – PROMISE #232
Do not despise My discipline, for in time, I will heal your wounds.
Job 5:17-18
AUGUST 21 – PROMISE #233
I bind up the brokenhearted and I will comfort all who mourn.
Isaiah 61:1-2
AUGUST 22 – PROMISE #234
I will comfort you just like a mother would.
Isaiah 66:13
AUGUST 23 – PROMISE #235
Your sadness may last for a night, but joy will come in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
AUGUST 24 – PROMISE #236
I am pleased when you share with others.
Hebrews 13:16
AUGUST 25 – PROMISE #237
I will keep you safe from the evil one.
1 John 5:18
AUGUST 26 – PROMISE #238
I will show mercy to those who are merciful to others.
Matthew 5:7
AUGUST 27 – PROMISE #239
I bless My righteous ones and shield them with My favor.
Psalm 5:12
AUGUST 28 – PROMISE #240
I will anoint you with oil so your cup overflows.
Psalm 23:5
AUGUST 29 – PROMISE #241
You can celebrate because your name is written in heaven.
Luke 10:20
AUGUST 30 – PROMISE #242
There is a special room in My house prepared just for you.
John 14:2
AUGUST 31 – PROMISE #243
You can look forward to the new heaven and earth that I have promised.
2 Peter 3:13
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE!
“The Heart of Mary, is a sun that spread its rays and its warmth throughout the world. It is constantly working in every possible way for the salvation of souls.”
~ St. John Eudes
