Our Lady of Walsingham

Prayers and Devotions to Our Lady of

Walsingham

"Where shall be in memorial
The great joy of my Salutation,
First of my joys, ground and original
Root of mankind's Redemption,
When Gabriel gave me relation
To be Mother through humility
And God's Son conceive in virginity"

(15th century ballad of Walsingham )

Angelus

The prayers and devotions most associated with Walsingham are of course the prayer of the Angel Gabriel unto Mary, 'Hail full of grace the Lord is with thee!', and the prayer known to Catholics as the Angelus.

The Angelus, when it is customary for the bells to ring three times a day to consecrate the hours of 6 am, 12 noon, and 6 pm, is a beautiful prayer. The daily life of the medieval man was punctuated and set apart by its recitation. It is a prayer which perhaps we could renew once again our devotion to Mary and through it offer our thanksgiving to God for the redemption.

Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae.
Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.
Ave Maria.
Ecce ancilla Domini.
Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
Ave Maria.
Et Verbum caro factum est.
Et habitavit in nobis.
Ave Maria.
Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix.
Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.

Oremus

Gratiam tuam, quaesumus Domine, mentibus nostris infunde: ut qui, Angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem ejus et crucem ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary.
And the Word was made flesh.
And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then of course there is the Devotion of the Rosary, here you might like to unite your prayers and aspirations to the prayers of those Pilgrims who will walk the Holy Mile from the Slipper Chapel to Walsingham this day.

Then there is the prayer for England, but its aspirations can be those of the human heart anywhere in this world, for in reality the whole world is Mary's Dowry.

A Prayer for England

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of God
and our most gentle Queen and Mother
look down with mercy upon England your Dowry, and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in you.
By you it was that Jesus
Our Saviour and our hope,
was given to the world:
and he has given you to us
that we may hope still more.
Plead for us your children,
whom you did receive at the foot of the cross, O sorrowful Mother, Intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the Chief Shepherd, the Vicar of your Son.
Pray for us all, Dear Mother,
that by faith fruitful in good works
we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with you in our heavenly home. Amen

Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us.
St Catherine, pray for us.
St Lawrence , pray for us,
St Thomas Becket, pray for us.
Martyrs of England and Wales, pray for us.

^*It is an age old tradition to sing the beautiful Salve Regina, unaccompanied in Latin, to honour Our Lady of Walsingham.

The Litany to Our Lady of Walsingham

Lord have mercy on us, R/ Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us, R/ Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us, R/ Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us, R/ Christ graciously hear us.
God our Father in heaven, R/ have mercy on us.
God the Son Redeemer of the world, R/ have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, R/ have mercy on us,
Holy Trinity , One God, R/ have mercy on us.
Mary, R/ Pray to the Lord for us.
Mary without sin, R/ Pray to the Lord for us,
Mary God's Mother, R/ Pray to the Lord for us,
Mary the Virgin, R/ Pray to the Lord for us.
Mary taken to heaven, R/ Pray to the Lord for us.
Mary at Bethlehem, R/ Pray for all mothers.
Mary at Nazareth, R/Pray for all families.
Mary at Cana, R/ Pray for all married couples.
Mary at the cross, R/ Pray for all who suffer.
Mary in the upper Room, R/ Pray for all who wait.
Mary, Model of womanhood, R/Pray for all women.
Woman of faith, R/ Keep us in mind.
Woman of Hope, keep us in mind, R/ Woman of charity, keep us in mind.
Woman of suffering, R/ Keep us in mind.
Woman of anxiety, R/ Keep us in mind.
Woman of humility, R/ Keep us in mind.
Woman of poverty, R/ Keep us in mind.
Woman of purity, R/ Keep us in mind.
Woman of obedience, R/ Keep us in mind.
Woman who wondered, R/ Remember us to God.
Woman who listened, R/ Remember us to God.
Woman who followed him, R/ Remember us to God.
Woman who longed for him, R/ Remember us to God.
Woman who loves him, R/ Remember us to God.
Mother of God, R/ Be our Mother always.
Mother of the church R/ Be our Mother always.
Mother of all priests, R/ Be our Mother always.
Mother of all missionaries, R/ Be our Mother always.
Mother of all women consecrated to your son, R/ Be our Mother always.
Mother of Ty Mam Duw, R/ Be our Mother always.
Mother of all men, R/ Be our Mother always.
Mother we need you, R/ Be our Mother always.
Mother who went on believing, R/ We thank God for you.
Mother who never lost hope, R/ We thank God for you.
Mother who loved to the end, R/ We thank God for you.

Alone of all women, Mother and virgin,
Mother most happy, Virgin Most pure,
now we, impure as we are, come to see you who are all pure: we salute you: we worship you as how we may with our humble offerings: may your Son grant us that, imitating his most holy manners, we also by the grace of the Holy Spirit, may deserve spiritually to conceive the Lord Jesus in our inmost soul, and once conceived, never to loose Him. Amen ( Prayer used by Erasmus at Walsingham)

May Our Lady of Walsingham from her throne of Grace bless you! Whether you have the joy of making an actual pilgrimage to Walsingham or whether you make a spiritual journey out of love for Mary, may her words resound and become a reality in your life:

'To all those who come to this place I will give my help.'

A Poor Clare Colettine Nun

Printable PDF Version