Totus Tuus - To Jesus through Mary.

To impel the beauty of the new evangelization – this is the charism of the Heralds of the Gospel; Its founder, Monsignor João Dias explains."The Heralds of the Gospel is a private association of faithful with a very special charism based essentially on three points: the Eucharist, Mary and the Pope."

The Heralds of the Gospel are an International Association of the Faithful of Pontifical Right, the first to be established by the Holy See in the third millennium, during a ceremony which occurred during the feast of the Chair of St. Peter (February 22) in 2001.

The Heralds of the Gospel strive to be instruments of holiness in the Church by encouraging close unity between faith and life, and working to evangelize particularly through art and culture. Their apostolate, which differs depending upon the environments in which they work, gives pride of place to parish animation, evangelizing families, providing catechetical and cultural formation to young people, and disseminating religious Iiterature.



Wednesday 9 May 2012

May - Mary's Month.



Many Christians, even Catholics, think that devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is a late, perhaps medieval development. But from the earliest days of the Church, Christians have revered Mary and sought her intercession.

Traditionally, the Catholic Church devotes each month of the year to a particular devotion. In May, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary. This devotion arose among Jesuits in Rome in the late 18th century and quickly spread throughout the Western Church. By the time of Pope Pius IX's declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854, it had become universal. Crowning Our Lady’s statue and other special May events in honor of Mary, such as public recitation of the rosary, became common from this time.

We are encouraged to incorporate some prayers to the Blessed Virgin into our daily prayers during this month.

Prayer of Saint Augustine to the Blessed Virgin
Blessed Virgin Mary,
who can worthily repay you with praise
and thanks for having rescued a fallen world
by your generous consent!
Receive our gratitude,
and by your prayers obtain the pardon of our sins.
Take our prayers into the sanctuary of heaven
and enable them to make our peace with God.

Holy Mary, help the miserable,
strengthen the discouraged,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for your people,
plead for the clergy,
intercede for all women consecrated to God.
May all who venerate you
feel now your help and protection.
Be ready to help us when we pray,
and bring back to us the answers to our prayers.
Make it your continual concern
to pray for the people of God,
for you were blessed by God
and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world,
who lives and reigns forever.

Amen.

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