During the Great Depression came a powerful devotion to Mary's tears in fighting evil

"Through this rosary the devil will be conquered and the power of hell will be destroyed." -Our Lady of Tears as she apeared to Sister Amalia of the Scourged Jesus in Campinas, Brazil on March 8, 1930

How to Pray the Rosary of Our Lady of Tears

The rosary transmitted to Sister Amalia by the Mother of God consists of forty-nine white beads, which is divided into seven parts by seven larger beads of the same color--similar to the rosary of the seven sorrows of Mary. At the end, there are attached three more small beads and a medal of our dear Lady of Tears.

Through these instructions we are obviously directed to honor Mary our Mother on account of her sorrows, for which she shed many tears. The medal of Our Lady of Tears is an essential part of the rosary, but it must be the way it was revealed to Sister Amalia by the Mother of God on April 30, 1930. In Germany, this medal is made with the specified inscription in all the European languages.

On the medal to Jesus

O Crucified Jesus, we fall at Your feet and offer You the tears of the one, who with deep compassionate love accompanied You on Your sorrowful way of the Cross. O good Master, grant that we take to heart the lessons which the tears of Your most holy Mother teaches us, so that we may fulfull Your holy will on earth, that we may be worthy to praise and exalt You in Heaven for all eternity. Amen.

In place of the Our Father

(and on the final three beads)

V. O Jesus, look upon the tears of the one who loved You most on earth,

R. And loves you most ardently in heaven.

In place of the Hail Mary

V. O Jesus, listen to our prayers,

R. For the sake of the tears of your most Holy Mother.

On the medal to Mary

O Mary, Mother of love, sorrow and mercy, we beseech you to unite your prayers with ours so that Jesus, your Diving Son, to whom we turn, may hear our petitions in the name of your maternal tears, and grant us, not only the favors we now ask, but the crown of everlasting life. Amen.

**Signs and Wonders for Our Times sells the Our Lady of Tears Chaplet. Check in our store or call us to order this item. For more information regarding the history of this devotion, read Signs and Wonders Magazine Vol 19#3/4.

Heavenly Father, the world seems to be collapsing around us. While families struggle to keep their homes and feed their children, floods and tornados ravage our land; abortion is accepted and same-sex marriage is legal. Government and business leaders have chosen to walk in the ways of darkness; wars and fighting are tearing countries apart. Crime and violence dominate many towns and cities. Fear and trepidation grip our hearts; we don't know where to turn. We have fallen from Your grace; we have drifted so far from Your protection. Many don't even know Your Name. What must we do to find favor with you, O Lord, what must we do? O Lord, we are weak and afraid.

But you O Lord, are our strength, you will defend us in battle; Your Son, Jesus, died for our sins and transgressions; "By his stripes we are healed." We place our trust in You and You alone, we cast out fear, we bind the enemy in Your Precious Name. We seek Your Face and we turn away from our sins, we are not afraid. For You have said "If My People, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

We claim your solemn promise, Lord. May Your Holy Spirit help us to fulfill the conditions that you require for its fulfillment, in Jesus' Precious Name. Amen

By: Fr. Hampsch

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving Holy Church as I should, above every earthly thing, and of ever showing my love by deeds.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of openly professing as I should, with courage and without human respect, the faith that I received as your gift in Holy Baptism.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of sharing as I should in the defense and propogation of the Faith when duty calls, whether by word or by the sacrifice of my possessions and my life.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving my family and others in mutual charity as I should, and establish us in perfect harmony of thought, will, and action, under the rule and guidance of the shepherds of the Church.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of conforming my life fully as I should to the commandements of God's law and those of His Holy Church, so as to live always in that charity which they set forth.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I ask in particular this special favor: (Mention your favor).

O glorious St. Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, to thee do we raise our hearts and hands to implore thy powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special favor we now implore (state your petition).

O Guardian of the Word Incarnate, we have confidence that thy prayers on our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.

(Then say the following seven times in honor of the seven sorrows and joys of St. Joseph.)

V. O Glorious St. Joseph! Through thy love for Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name,

R. Hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

V. Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

R. Assist us!

It is well for you to consider what you lose every morning that you pass up Holy Communion:

1.  You miss a personal visit with Jesus, Author of all spiritual energy and all holiness;

2. You lose a special increase of sanctifying grace, which makes your sould more pleasing to God;

3. You lose a quota of sacramental grace which entitles you to special help in times of temptation and in the discharge of your special duties.

4. You miss the special preserving influence which each Holy Communion confers against the fires of passion;

5. You miss the opportunity of having remitted a part, or all, of the temporal punishments due to your sins;

6. You lose the spiritual joy, the sweetness and particular comfort that comes from a fervent Holy Communion.

7. You lose a part of the glory that your body might enjoy at its resurrection on the Las Day;

8. You lose the greater degree of glory you would possess in Heaven for all eternity;

9. You may lose:
a.  Complete victory over some fault or passion;
b.  Some particular grace long prayed for;
c.  The conversion or salvation of some soul;
d.  Deliverance of a relative or friend from Purgatory
e.  Many gracees for others, both the living and the dead.

Will a few extra minutes of sleep repay you for all these losses?

What riches hundreds of thousands of Catholics deprive themselves daily by neglecting Mass.  It in itself is the best preparation for Holy Communion.  At the hour of death our greatest consolation will be the Masses we have heard and the Holy Communions received. 

Heavenly Father, I love You, I praise You, and I worship You.  I thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Who won victory over sin and death for my salvation.  I thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit Who empowers me, guides me, and leads me into fullness of life.  I thank You for Mary, my Heavenly Mother, who intercedes with the holy angels and saints for me.

Lord Jesus Christ, I place myself at the foot of Your cross and ask You to cover me with Your Precious Blood which pours forth from Your Most Sacred Heart and Your Most Holy Wounds.  Cleanse me, my Jesus, in the living water that flows from Your Heart.  I ask You to surround me, Lord Jesus, with Your Holy Light.

Heavenly Father, let the healing waters of my baptism now flow back through the maternal and paternal generations to purify my family line of satan and sin.  I come before You, Father, and ask forgivneness for myself, my relatives, and my ancestors, for any calling upon powers that set themselves up in opposition to You or that do not offer true honor to Jesus Christ.  In Jesus' Holy Name, I now reclaim any territory that was handed over to satan and place it under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

By the power of Your Holy Spirit, reveal to me, Father, any people I need to forgive and any areas of unconfessed sin.  Reveal aspects of my life that are not pleasing to You, Father, ways that have given or could give satan a foothold in my life.  Father, I give to You any unforgiveness, I give to You my sins; and, I give to You all ways that satan has a hold of my life.  Thank You, Father for these revelations.  Thank You, for Your forgiveness and Your love.

Lord Jesus, in Your Holy Name, I bind all evil spirits of the air, water, ground, underground, and netherworld.  I further bind, in Jesus' Name, any and all emissaries of the satanic headquarters and claim the Precious Blood of Jesus on the air, atmosphere, water, ground and their fruits around us, the undergroun and the netherworld below.

Heavenly Father, allow Your Son Jesus to come now with the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy angels and the saints to protect me from all harm and to keep all evil spirits from taking revenge on me in any way.

Repeat the following three times: once in honor of the Father, once in honor of the Son, and once in honor of the Holy Spirit

In the Holy Name of Jesus, I seal myself, my relatives, this room (place, home, church, car, plane etc...) and all sources of supply in the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, I come before you as your child, in great need of your help; I have physical health needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, and interpersonal needs.  Many of my problems have been caused by my own failures, neglect and sinfulness, for which I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord.

But I also ask you to forgive the sins of my ancestors whose failures have left their effects on me in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns and defects in body, mind and spirit.  Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders.

With your help I sincerely forgive everyone, especially living or dead members of my family tree, who have directly offended me or my loved ones in any way, or those whose sins have resulted in our present sufferings and disorders.  In the name of your divine Son, Jesus, and in the power of his Holy Spirit, I ask you, Father, to deliver me and my entire family tree from the influence of the evil one.  Free all living and dead members of my family tree, including those in adoptive relationships, and those in extended family relationships, from every contaminating form of bondage.

By your loving concern for us, heavenly Father, and by the shed blood of your precious Son, Jesus, I beg you to extend your blessing to me and all my living and deceased relatives. Heal every negative effect transmitted through all past generations, and prevent such negative effects in future generations of my family tree.

I symbolically place the cross of Jesus over the head of each person in my family tree, and between each generation; I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus purify the blood lines in my family lineage.  Set your protective angels to encamp around us, and permit Archangel Raphael, the patron of healing, to administer your diving healing power to all of us, even in areas of genetic disability.  Give special power to our family members' guardian angels to heal, protect, guide, and encourage each of us in all our needs.  Let your healing power be released at this very moment, and let it continue as long as your sovereignty permits.

In our family tree, Lord, replace all bondage with a holy bonding in family love.  And let there be an ever deeper bonding with you, Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to your Son, Jesus.  Let the family of the Holy Trinity pervade our family with its tender, warm, loving presence, so that our family may recognize and manifest that love in all our relationships.  All of our unknown needs we include with this petition that we pray in Jesus' precious Name.  Amen.

St. Joseph, Patron of family life, pray for us.

Written by Fr. John Hampsch, C.M.F.

Prayer or Blessing Against Storms

Jesus Christ a King of Glory has come in Peace. † God became man, † and the Word was made flesh. † Christ was born of a Virgin. † Christ suffered. † Christ was crucified. † Christ died. † Christ rose from the dead. † Christ ascended into Heaven. † Christ conquers. † Christ reigns. † Christ orders. † May Christ protect us from all storms and lightning † Christ went through their midst in Peace, † and the word was made flesh. † Christ is with us with Mary. † Flee you enemy spirits because the Lion of the Generation of Judah, the Root David, has won.

† Holy God! † Holy Powerful God! † Holy Immortal God! † Have mercy on us. Amen!

(From the Pieta Prayer Booklet)