Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/459

 the support  of  my  weakness,  my  treasure  in  poverty, my remedy  in  sickness,  my  comfort  in  trouble,  my refuge  in  misery,  and  the  hope  of  my  salvation: hear my supplications,  have  pity  on  me  as  becomes  the Mother of  so  good  a God,  and  obtain  for  me  the favourable reception  of  all  my  petitions  at  the  throne of mercy.

Short prayer,  etc. — “ O merciful! O pious! O sweet Virgin Mary.”

T. Bernard  says,  that  Mary  is  that  celestial  ark which will  surely  save  us  from  the  wreck  of  eternal damnation, if  we  only  take  refuge  there  in  time. The ark which  saved  Noe  from  the  universal  deluge  was the type  of  Mary; but,  says  Hesychius,  Mary  is  an ark  more  vast,  more  powerful,  and  more  charitable. The ark  of  Noe  could  only  receive  the  few  men  and animals who  were  saved  in  it,  but  Mary  receives  and saves with  certainty  all  those  who  take  refuge  under her mantle. How unhappy  should  we  be  if  we  had not Mary; but,  O my  Queen,  how  many  souls  are lost? And why? Because they  do  not  have  recourse to thee. Who would  ever  be  lost  that  had  recourse to thee?

ELP us,  O Queen  of  mercy,  without  regarding the multitude  of  our  sins. Remember that  our Creator took  of  thee  a human  body,  not  to  condemn, but to  save  sinners. Hadst thou  been  chosen  to  be the  Mother  of  God  for  thy  own  benefit  alone,  thou