Various Prayers of St. Francis (aide to St. Michael's Lent)
I was trying to find a way to enter more spiritually into St. Michael's lent to avoid it becoming just some vain exercise in natural fortitude -- and to really enter into the spirit of the lent vs. just thinking of it as any other time of penance. I was thinking it might help during your meditation, to kind of "place yourself" with St. Francis on Mt. Alvernia, pray various prayers that he has composed -- and meditate on them.
It also might help to be mindful that he did this to the honor of St. Michael (and the holy angels in general), & Our Lady (who is queen of the Angels).
Various Prayers:
Hail Lady, Holy Queen, Holy Mary Theotokos, who art the Virgin made church and the One elect by the Most Holy Father of Heaven, whom He consecrated with His Most Holy beloved Son and with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete; Thou in whom was and is all fulness of grace and every good.
Hail His Palace; Hail His Tabernacle; Hail His Home.
Hail His Vestment; Hail His Handmaid; Hail His Mother And hail all you holy virtues, which through the grace and illumination of the Holy Spirit are infused into the hearts of the faithful, so that from those unfaithful you make them faithful to God.
Omnipotent, Eternal, just and merciful God, grant to us wretches that doing for Thy sake, what we know Thou wants, and always wanting, what pleases Thee, as ones interiorly cleansed, interiorly illumined and inflamed with the fire of the Holy Spirit, we might follow the footsteps of Thy Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and attain to Thee, Most High, by Thy grace alone, who in perfect Trinity and simple Unity lives and reigns and is glorified as the Omnipotent God, for all the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou art the Holy Lord, the Only God, who works miracles (Ps. 76:15) Thou art strong, Thou art great (cf. Ps 85:10), Thou are the Most High, Thou art King Eternal, Thou Holy Father (cf. Jn 17:11) King of Heaven and earth. (Mt 11:25)
Thou art three in one Lord, God of gods (cf Ps 135:2), Thou art Good, all good, Highest Good, Lord God living and true. (cf. 1 Thes 1:9).
Thou art Love, Charity; Thou art Wisdom, Thou art humility, Thou art patience (Ps 70:5), Thou art Beauty, Thou art gentleness; Thou art security, Thou art quiet, Thou art joy; Thou art our Hope and Joy, Thou art justice, Thou art temperance, Thou art all our riches unto sufficiency.
Thou art Beauty, Thou art gentleness, Thou art Protector (Ps 30:5), Thou art our guard and defender, Thou art fortitude (cf. Ps 42:2), Thou art refreshment.
Thou art our Hope, Thou art our Charity, Thou art our Sweetness, Thou art our eternal Life: Great and admirable Lord, God Omnipotent, merciful Savior.
On this note!!! Kinda - but I think this isn't necessary to start a new thread for.
So recently I applied to join the Confraternity of St Peter. I put a big note at the start of my application form that I didn't want to do it if it was incompatible with a third order membership and the chaplain assured me this was not the case. Which made sense, since religious are allowed to join, but wasn't stated explicitly and I wanted to be certain...
ANYWAY! They say a decade of the Rosary plus a prayer for the FSSP each day (I'll post it at the end for reference) and the whole idea got me thinking. Actually I've been thinking about this since the end of the Rosary novena pretty much. I know we pray for the friars, but could we find/ask Friar Anthony for a specific prayer FOR them that we could pray daily? Maybe such a thing is already in these books that we will get, i don't know... I just find having a daily prayer makes the thing particularly intentional and focused... thoughts?
Here's the CSP prayer to give you an idea of the kind of thing it might be - but FRANCISCAN!
Following a decade of the Rosary:
V. Remember, O Lord, Thy congregation. R. Which Thou hast possessed from the beginning.
Let us pray. O Lord Jesus, born to give testimony to the Truth, Thou who lovest unto the end those whom Thou hast chosen, kindly hear our prayers for our pastors. Thou who knowest all things, knowest that they love Thee and can do all things in Thee who strengthenest them. Sanctify them in Truth. Pour into them, we beseech Thee, the Spirit whom Thou didst give to Thy apostles, who would make them, in all things, like unto Thee. Receive the homage of love which they offer up to Thee, who hast graciously received the threefold confession of Peter. And so that a pure oblation may everywhere be offered without ceasing unto the Most Holy Trinity, graciously enrich their number and keep them in Thy love, who art one with the Father and the Holy Ghost, to whom be glory and honour forever. Amen.