Mater Gratiae

(Our Lady of the Bowed Head)

Click image to view a larger size jpeg of the portrait

This miraculous oil painting was rescued from a heap of rubbish and restored in 1610 by Ven. Dominic of Jesus and Mary, Prepositor General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. According to the testimony of Ven. Dominic, our Lady spoke to him and promised, "'All those who implore my protection, devoutly honoring this picture, will obtain their petitions, and will receive many graces. Moreover, I shall hearken in a special manner to the prayers that shall be addressed to me for the relief of the souls in purgatory'" (Joan Carroll Cruz, Miraculous Images of Our Lady, [TAN Books & Publishers, Inc., 1993) p. 13].

PRAYER

   Lord, Jesus, the hour is come:
glorify Thy Mother that Thy Mother may glorify Thee.
Manifest to all her power and efficacious mediation,
and grant us the favors we implore through her intercession.
Hear us for Thy Mother's sake,
hear us for love of Thy Mother,
we beseech Thee, Lord Jesus!
Show Thyself her Son and procure her triumph
which we desire in view of Thine Own.
   That Thy Kingdom may come,
may we have the kingdom of Mary, Mother of Grace.  Amen.

PRAYER

   Virgin most holy, 
Mother of the Word Incarnate,
Treasurer of graces, 
and Refuge of poor sinners:
we fly to thy motherly affection 
with lively faith,
and we beg of thee the grace 
ever to do the will of God.
Into thy most holy hands 
we commit the keeping of our hearts,
asking thee for health of soul and body,
in the certain hope that thou, 
our most loving Mother,
wilt hear our prayer.
Wherefore with lively faith we say:

Prayers taken from a holy card distributed by the Monsatary of Discalced Carmelites, New Orleans, LA, with Nihil obstat and Imprimatur dated March 5, 1949.