This part of the Theotokos website is concerned with promoting Catholic Prayers and Devotions.
Special Novena prayers to two very powerful saints!
Novena prayers to St Joseph: https://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-joseph-novena
Novena prayers to St Jude: https://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-jude-novena
St Joseph, as the spouse of Our Lady needs no introduction, except to say that St Teresa of Avila said that she had never prayed to him but that her petition had been granted, while St Jude is the patron saint of desperate, if not hopeless, cases.
The Rosary & other devotions
History of the Rosary
The first definite evidence for the promotion of what corresponds to the modern Rosary is found in the second half of the fourteenth century, in the work of Alan de la Roche and his fellow Dominicans, but traditionally this devotion goes back to the time of St Dominic himself or even earlier.
Why say the Rosary?
For world peace; as a means for preserving the home; for healing the evils of our day; as a means of Christian perfection; and as the most efficacious family prayer.
The Confraternity of the Rosary
The Confraternity of the Rosary is one of the most efficacious means of spreading devotion to the Rosary in parishes.
The Fatima Five First Saturdays devotion
Everyone should be doing all they can to implement the Five First Saturdays devotion on as wide a scale as possible. When enough people are doing this, we will be a step nearer to the Triumph of Mary’s Immaculate Heart and a period of genuine peace for the world.
The Brown Scapular
The Brown Scapular is a Marian devotion which originated at about the same time as the Rosary, and like the Marian shrine at Walsingham, had its origin in England.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The “Great promise” associated with this devotion applied to those who went to Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays: “I promise you, in the excess of the mercy of My Heart, that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the first Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure nor without receiving the Sacraments, My Divine Heart becoming their assured refuge at that last hour.”
Devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart
This devotion is not an end in itself, and really the love of her heart is meant to be a model for the way we should love God. So as in all things Marian, she leads us closer to God, rather than becoming an obstacle in our way. The fact that her heart is immaculate, that is sinless, means that she is the only fully human person who is able to really love God in the way that he should be loved.
Honouring Mary’s Immaculate Heart is really just another way of honouring Mary as the person who was chosen to be the Mother of God, recognising her extraordinary holiness and the immense love she bestowed on Jesus as his mother, the person who was called to share in and co-operate in his redemptive sufferings.
The Divine Mercy Sunday devotion
According to St. Faustina, Our Lord promises to those who go to confession and communion on the Sunday following Easter Sunday will obtain the remission of the guilt and the punishment of their sins.
“On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.” (Diary of Sr. Faustina, 699)
For more information, please see: www.marian.org/divinemercy/
St Rita’s Centre in Honiton, Devon, promotes devotion to St Rita of Cascia. She has become known as the Advocate of the Helpless, even the Saint of Hopeless Cases. Her feast day is 22nd May.www.stritascentre.org.uk/