Memorare

Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me.

Amen.

The "Memorare" is a Catholic prayer seeking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its name comes from the Latin word for "Remember" The prayer is a plea to Mary, expressing confidence that she has never been known to abandon anyone who seeks her protection, help, or intercession.

The prayer's text typically begins with "Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided" It continues with the supplicant expressing their confidence in Mary and presenting themselves as "sinful and sorrowful," asking her not to despise their petitions but to mercifully hear and answer them.

Historically, the Memorare is believed to have originated from a longer 15th-century prayer titled "Ad sanctitatis tuae pedes, dulcissima Virgo Maria" While it is frequently, but mistakenly, attributed to the 12th-century Cistercian monk Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, its widespread popularity in the 17th century is largely due to Father Claude Bernard. Father Claude Bernard, a French priest, extensively used and distributed the prayer in his ministry to the poor and prisoners, even crediting it with curing him of a serious illness. He had over 200,000 copies printed in various languages. Saint Francis de Sales, an 18th-century French priest, also championed devotion to Mary and highly recommended the Memorare, having experienced a profound spiritual relief from despair after reciting it before a statue of the Blessed Virgin.

The theological basis of the Memorare lies in the Catholic belief in Mary's role as the Mother of the Church and a spiritual mother to all believers. Church teaching, as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 969), holds that Mary assists in salvation "in the order of grace" Saints like St. Louis De Montfort and St. Lawrence Justinian have emphasized Mary's role as a mediatrix of graces and a powerful intercessor with her Son, Jesus. When praying to Mary, Catholics believe they are also praying through her to Jesus, and that Mary is delighted to intercede on their behalf. This practice is seen as an act of humility that gladdens God's heart.

The Memorare is a versatile prayer that can be recited in various situations, including during times of urgent need, as part of daily Marian devotion, before bed, or even in a novena format. Mother Teresa was known to pray what she called her "Flying Novena," which involved reciting nine Memorares in a row, followed by a tenth in thanksgiving. The prayer has also inspired initiatives like the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors’s "Memorare Initiative," which aims to strengthen the protection of children and vulnerable adults. In the Roman Catholic Church, devoutly reciting the Memorare under normal conditions can earn a partial indulgence.