Prayer of Pope Pius XII
Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty, and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into your arms, O Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary, confident of finding in your most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.
Though degraded by our faults and overwhelmed by infinite misery, we admire and praise the peerless richness of sublime gifts with which God has filled you, above every other mere creature, from the first moment of your conception until the day on which, after your assumption into heaven, He crowned you Queen of the Universe.
O crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths! O fragrant Lily of all holiness, captivate our hearts with your heavenly perfume! O Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin, which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of hell!
O well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart. Bend tenderly over our aching wounds. Convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed, comfort the poor and humble, quench hatreds, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity in youth, protect the holy Church, make all men feel the attraction of Christian goodness. In your name, resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that they are brothers, and that the nations are members of one family, upon which may there shine forth the sun of a universal and sincere peace.
Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around your altars: You are all-beautiful, O Mary! You are the glory, you are the joy, you are the honor of our people! Amen.
Peg Pondering Again 
One response to “Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception”
Father, it is apparent throughout Your Word that You instituted the family—father, mother, and children. I realize, however, that a family unit can also consist of many other combinations, such as a husband and wife, a father and children, or a mother and children or siblings. Bless all these families with Your boundless Love. Help all parents, whether single or sharing responsibilities with a spouse, to to use wisdom, understanding, and consideration for the entire family unit when making decisions that will affect all those in their households. Open their minds and hearts so that discipline is just, effective, and kind yet firm, teaching the children in their families that there are consequences to their actions. May all the members of each family love and respect the others, recognizing that we are all Your children; and that they extend this love and respect to people outside their own families as well. I pray that the standard of a godly family would be restored to our nation, and there be a resurgence of its benefits in the public forum. May it become apparent to those who form public opinion that our family values as represented in Scripture are the path in which to lead our nation’s families back to You. Amen.
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