Obsecro te ~ A favorite prayer to Mary during all the Middle Ages

[Dawn Marie]

Obsecro te

 This prayer was a favorite all during the Middle Ages (12th cen.) and invariably appeared in Books of the Hours of that period. Books of the Hours were prayer books intended for the laity and were based upon the much longer Liturgy of the Hours recited by clergy and religious. Often these books would contain three sets of Hours; the Hours of the Blessed Virgin, the Hours of the Cross, and the Hours of the Holy Spirit. This prayer is taken from a 15th century edition.

 

I BESEECH thee, Lady Holy Mary, Mother of God, most full of piety, daughter of the Most High King, Mother most glorious, Mother of orphans, consolation of the desolate, way of the straying, health and hope of those hoping in thee, virgin before giving birth, virgin during birth, and virgin after giving birth. I beseech thee font of mercy, font of grace and well-being, font of piety and joy, font of consolation and indulgence. I beseech thee through that holy ineffable joy in which thy spirit rejoiced at that hour when the Son of God was announced to thee by the Archangel Gabriel and was conceived, and through the divine mystery worked by the Holy Spirit, and through that holy ineffabile grace, piety, mercy, love and humility by which the Son of God descended to accept human flesh in thy most venerable womb and which He saw in thee when He commended thee to St. John the apostle and evangelist, and when He exalted thee over the choirs of angels, and through that holy ineffable humility with which thou didst respond to the Archangel Gabriel, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done according to thy word."

 

And I beseech thee through those most holy fifteen joys that thou didst have in thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and through that holy, great compassion and most bitter sorrow thou didst have when thou didst see our Lord Jesus Christ nude, lifted upon the cross, hanging, crucified, wounded, thirsty, served gall, heard Him cry out, and then saw Him die.

 

And through the five wounds of thy Son, through the contraction of His flesh because of the great pain of His wounds, through the sorrow thou didst have when thou didst see Him wounded, through the fountains of His blood, through all His passion, through all the sorrow of thy heart, and through the fountains of thy tears, I beseech thee along with all the saints and elect of God.

 

Come and hasten to my aid and counsel, in all my prayers and requests, in all my difficulties and necessities, and in all those things that I may do, may say, or may think, in every day, hour, and moment of my life. And obtain for me, thy servant, from thy beloved Son a full measure filled with all mercy and consolation, with all counsel, with all aid and help, with all blessing and holiness, with all salvation, peace and prosperity, with all joy and eagerness.

Obtain also an abundance of all good things, spiritual and bodily, and the grace of the Holy Spirit so He may set all things in good order for me, guard my soul, guide my body, uplift my senses, control my ways, approve my actions, perfect my wishes and desires, instill holy thoughts, forgive my past evils, emend those of the present and temper those in the future, and grant me an honest and honorable life. May He grant me victory over all the adversities of this world, peace of mind and body, good hope, charity, faith, chastity, humility and patience. May He guide and protect the five senses of my body, make me fulfill the seven works of mercy, make me keep the ten commandments and make me firmly believe the twelve articles of the faith. May He keep me free and defend me from the seven deadly sins until the end of my life.

 

In my last days show unto me thy face. Show me the day and hour of my death. Hear and graciously listen to my humble prayer and grant me eternal life. O most sweet Virgin Mary, Mother of God and of mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

I beseech thee O Holy Lady Mary,
Mother of God most full of pity,
the daughter of the highest king,
mother most glorious, mother of orphans,
the consolation of the desolate, the way of them that go astray,
the safety of all that trust in thee,
a virgin before childbearing, a virgin in childbearing,
and a virgin after childbearing:
the fountain of mercy, the fountain of health and grace,
the fountain of consolation and pardon,
the fountain of piety and gladness,
the fountain of life and forgiveness.
By that holy unspeakable gladness, by which thy spirit did rejoice that hour,
wherein the Son of God was unto thee by the Angel Gabriel declared and conceived,
and by that holy unspeakable humility,
in which thou didst answer the Archangel Gabriel:
“Behold the handmaid of our Lord, be it unto me according unto thy word”,
and by that divine mystery, which the Holy Ghost as then did work in thee,
and by the unspeakable grace, pity, mercy, love, and humility
by the which thy son our Lord Jesus Christ came down
to take human flesh in thy most venerable womb,
and by the most glorious joys,
which thou hadst of thy son our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by that holy and most great compassion
and most bitter grief of thy heart,
which thou hadst when as thou didst behold thy son our Lord Jesus Christ
made naked before the cross,
and lifted up upon the same, hanging, crucified, wounded, thirsting,
and the most bitter drink of gall and vinegar put unto his mouth,
thou heardst him cry “Eli”, and didst see him die,
and by those five wounds of the same thy son,
and by the sore shrinking together of thy inward parts
through the extreme grief of his wounds,
and by the sorrow which thou hadst when thou didst behold him wounded,
and by the fountains of his blood, and by all his passion,
and sorrow of thy heart, and by the fountains of thy tears,
that thou wouldst come with all the Saints and elect of God
and hasten unto my help,
and my counsel in all my prayers, and petitions,
in all my distresses and necessities.
As also in all those things, wherein I am to do anything,
speak, or think, all the days and nights, hours, and moments of my life,
and obtain for me, thy servant, of thy beloved son Our Lord Jesus Christ
the accomplishment of all virtues, with all mercy, and consolation,
all counsel and aid, all benediction and sanctification,
all salvation, peace and prosperity,
all joy and gladness, also abundance of all spiritual good things,
and sufficiency of corporal,
and grace of the Holy Ghost,
which may well dispose me in all things, and may guard my soul,
govern and protect my body, stir up my mind, order my manners,
approve my acts, suggest holy cogitations, pardon my evil past,
amend things present, and moderate things to come,
bestow on me an honest and chaste life,
grant me faith, hope, and charity,
make me firmly believe the articles of the faith and observe the precepts of the law,
rule and protect the senses of my body,
and evermore, deliver me from mortal sins, and defend me to my life's end,
that he may graciously and meekly hear and receive this prayer,
and give me life everlasting.
Hear and make intercession for me,
most sweet Virgin Mary Mother of God, and of Mercy.
Amen.

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Charibel R Hilario]

†Amen†