# Prayer to Our Mother on the Feast of St. John Lateran
*2015-11-09*

> Bill Young reflects on the dedication of St. John Lateran and offers a heartfelt prayer to the Virgin Mary as our Mother, invoking her protection and love.

## The Feast of St. John Lateran

Good afternoon, this is Bill Young. Today, Monday, November 9th, we celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. It is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, the Pope’s own church, and the oldest papal basilica. The original structure dates back to the 13th century, with the current building rebuilt in the 16th century. Pope Francis likely celebrated Mass there today.

## A Prayer to Our Mother

Our prayer today is addressed to Mary, the Mother of our Redeemer. It begins:

“O tender, loving Mother, Virgin most prudent, Mother of my Redeemer, I greet you today with the greatest love a child’s heart can offer. I am your son and your daughter, helpless without you. I draw strength from the passion of your Son’s heart, and I greet you as the purest of creatures.

You were fashioned according to the desires and perfection of God, conceived without original sin, free from corruption. You have always been faithful to the promptings of grace, and your soul is enriched with merits that rise above all creatures. Chosen to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, you guided Him with the utmost purity, and He received nourishment from you.

O immaculate Virgin, light of the Holy Trinity, admired by angels and saints, you are the morning star, the rose of heaven. Like lilies and irises, you bring fragrance and daylight to the garden of salvation.

Precious ark in which our virtues are enclosed, you are our refuge, Mother of sinners. May the Almighty bless you and crown you with countless privileges. May you be praised as Mother of the Redeemer, Mother of the poor sinners, and may your merciful protection close around us.

We love you with the zeal of the seraphim, though even that would be insufficient to satisfy our desire for you. Through your Son, the Redeemer, we offer pure praise, a constant and vital offering of a child’s love.

Bless all men and women, protect them, and pray for them to the Almighty, who can refuse nothing of your intercession. Farewell, tender and beloved Mother; we greet you night and day, now and forever. Amen.”

## Closing Blessing

May God bless you all, and may the Mother of God continue to watch over us.

*Mary, as our Mother, draws us into the love of Christ and offers perpetual protection.*