THE “MEMORARE” (REMEMBER) PRAYER TO MARY.
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite the Memorare.
“Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.”
MEMORARE, O piissima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a saeculo, quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia, esse derelictum. Ego tali animatus confidentia, ad te, Virgo Virginum, Mater, curro, ad te venio, coram te gemens peccator assisto. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba mea despicere; sed audi propitia et exaudi. Amen.
I learned this 18th century Marian prayer -attributed to and popularised by Fr. Claude Bernard– when I joined Opus Dei in 1986. We pray it daily for the member who is in most need in whichever part of the globe. Its practice in the Work started after Blessed Alvaro del Portillo, then assigned in his post-Spanish civil war military post in Olot, found himself in a dangerous situation after a mother, who wanted a decent man to marry her daughter, enclosed them all alone in a room.
At the same time, in Madrid, St. Josemaria perceived in a supernatural manner the moral danger in which his spiritual son, Alvaro, found himself. He then asked the people around him to pray with him the “Memorare” for a person who is in danger at that exact moment. Alvaro immediately left that house, thus, frustrating the plans of mother and daughter.
Years later, St. Josemaria wrote this event in his books, The Way and Furrow, without mentioning the protagonist involved:
The Way 546: Son, how well you lived the Communion of Saints when you wrote: ‘Yesterday I felt that you were praying for me’!
Furrow 472: The Communion of Saints: that young engineer understood it well when he told me: “Father, on such a day, at such a time, you were praying for me.”
From then on, it became a custom in Opus Dei to pray the Memorare for the member of the Work who is in most need.
You may want to pray it as well daily to live the Communion of the saints.
