Prayer for Past Ingratitude to Our Sorrowful Mother

O compassionate Mother, most sacred Virgin, behold at Thy feet the traitor, who, by paying with ingratitude the graces received from God through Thy means, has betrayed both Thee and Him. But I must tell Thee, O most blessed Lady, that my misery, far from taking away my confidence, increases it; for I see that Thy compassion is great in proportion to the greatness of my misery. Show Thyself, O Mary, full of liberality towards me; for thus Thou art towards all who invoke Thy aid.

All that I ask is that Thou shouldst cast Thine eyes of compassion on me, and pity me. If Thy heart is thus far moved, it cannot do otherwise than protect me; and if Thou protectest me, what can I fear? No, I fear nothing, I do not fear my sins, for Thou canst provide a remedy; I do not fear devils, for Thou art more powerful than the whole of Hell; I do not even fear Thy Son, though justly irritated against me, for at a word of thine He will be appeased. I only fear lest, in my temptations, and by my own fault, I may cease to recommend myself to thee, and thus be lost. But I now promise thee that I will always have recourse to Thee; oh, help me to fulfill my promise.

Lose not the opportunity which now presents itself of gratifying Thy ardent desire to succor such poor wretches as myself. In Thee, O Mother of God, I have unbounded confidence. From thee I hope for grace to bewail my sins as I ought, and from Thee I hope for strength never again to fall into them. If I am sick, Thou, O heavenly physician, canst heal me. If my sins have weakened me, Thy help will strengthen me. O Mary, I hope all from Thee; for Thou art all-powerful with God. Amen.
(ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI)