Is this Marian prayer approved?

[Bonnie]

I asked this question in the Ask An Apologist forum a few months back but didn’t get an answer. So I’ll try here.

An acquaintance often adds this prayer after each decade of the Rosary: “Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well-beloved Spouse.”

This sounds odd to us. Is it an approved prayer? If she did this privately I’d have no problem; but she adds this to the Rosary we say as a group before Mass.

If it is, could someone please explain how Mary intercedes for God to us, rather than to God for us? Or am I misunderstanding the prayer?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Paul2274]

I asked this question in the Ask An Apologist forum a few months back but didn’t get an answer. So I’ll try here.

An acquaintance often adds this prayer after each decade of the Rosary: “Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well-beloved Spouse.”

This sounds odd to us. Is it an approved prayer? If she did this privately I’d have no problem; but she adds this to the Rosary we say as a group before Mass.

If it is, could someone please explain how Mary intercedes for God to us, rather than to God for us? Or am I misunderstanding the prayer?

Thanks for your help!

ecatholic2000.com/rosary/luminous.shtml

Google the prayer

There are lots of examples where it is used.

The prayer is asking that “by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary…her intercession…

asking the Holy Spirit to listen to her intercession for us and our prayers.

No different then asking God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit to listen to a Saint’s intercession for us.

Hope this helps,

Paul

 

[R_C]

I asked this question in the Ask An Apologist forum a few months back but didn’t get an answer. So I’ll try here.

An acquaintance often adds this prayer after each decade of the Rosary: “Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well-beloved Spouse.”

This sounds odd to us. Is it an approved prayer? If she did this privately I’d have no problem; but she adds this to the Rosary we say as a group before Mass.

If it is, could someone please explain how Mary intercedes for God to us, rather than to God for us? Or am I misunderstanding the prayer?

Thanks for your help!

The content seems sound. For instance: Our Lady is honored as Spouse of the Holy Spirit (see the writings of St. Maximilian Kolbe on this). She is also honored (although lately we don’t hear much of this) as “Dispensatrix of all the gifts that Our Savior purchased for us by His Death and by His Blood” so that while “the dispensation of these treasures is the particular and peculiar right of Jesus Christ, for they are the exclusive fruit of His Death, who by His nature is the mediator between God and man”, yet “by this companionship in sorrow and suffering already mentioned between the Mother and the Son, it has been allowed to the august Virgin to be the most powerful mediatrix and advocate of the whole world with her Divine Son” and “she is the supreme Minister of the distribution of graces”. These are quotes from the Papal encyclical Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum, part of the ordinary Magisterium of the Church.

 

[1ke]

I would also suggest that the question be reframed as to whether or not such a prayer or statement has been condemned, rather than “approved”.

I see nothing in the prayer that is problematic that would lead me to believe it has been condemned in any form.

Prayers are private devotions and anyone can write one. The Rosary, while it does have accepted decade mysteries and associated prayers, is really a private prayer and one of numerous chaplets. And, chaplets change over time such as the adding of the Luminous Mysteries, the Fatima Prayer, and the infinite permutations of the meditations associated with the mysteries, etc.

The praying of the Rosary before Mass, even though it might be done in the church building, is a private devotion not a public liturgy of the Church. As such it has no official or approved liturgical text.

 

[Memaw]

I would also suggest that the question be reframed as to whether or not such a prayer or statement has been condemned, rather than “approved”.

I see nothing in the prayer that is problematic that would lead me to believe it has been condemned in any form.

Prayers are private devotions and anyone can write one. The Rosary, while it does have accepted decade mysteries and associated prayers, is really a private prayer and one of numerous chaplets. And, chaplets change over time such as the adding of the Luminous Mysteries, the Fatima Prayer, and the infinite permutations of the meditations associated with the mysteries, etc.

The praying of the Rosary before Mass, even though it might be done in the church building, is a private devotion not a public liturgy of the Church. As such it has no official or approved liturgical text.

There’s nothing to condem or approve. Its a common pray I have heard many times. I don’t think the Church goes around ‘condeming’ prayers. God Bless, Memaw

 

[1ke]

There’s nothing to condem or approve. Its a common pray I have heard many times. I don’t think the Church goes around ‘condeming’ prayers. God Bless, Memaw

The Church does indeed issue guidance on writings, including prayers. Particularly those that are associated with reported apparations, visions, etc.

My statement was meant as a general one-- not about this specific prayer.

If we come across something we think questionable we should seek to determine if we can find anything about either the prayer or writing itself or the author, or if the Church has made any pronouncements regarding such.

The Church is much more likely to issue a statement warning the faithful away from something, rather than some sort of “approval” of every prayer and devotion that springs up.