Prayers for May

Latin America - El Salvador - rosary — Praying the rosary in El Salvador

May is the month dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. Pope Francis has asked us to pray the rosary every day throughout May 2022 for peace.

Earlier this year, on 26 March, Pope Francis invited bishops, priests, religious and the faithful to come together in their churches to consecrate Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We share some of this prayer below as well as a beautiful prayer to Our Lady, which Pope Francis has previously encouraged us to add to the end of our rosary in the month of May. We hope that both of these will guide your prayer life in this special month.

Extract from the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence! You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace...

Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life. He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity. By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love....

Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.

Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.

Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.

Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.

Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.

Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.

Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.

Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.

Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

...

Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days.

Amen.

Prayer to add to the end of the rosary

O Mary,

You shine continuously on our journey
as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you,
who, at the foot of the cross,
were united with Jesus’ suffering,
and persevered in your faith.

“Protectress of the Roman people”,
you know our needs,
and we know that you will provide,
so that, as at Cana in Galilee,
joy and celebration may return
after this time of trial.

Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform ourselves to the will of the Father
and to do what Jesus tells us.
For he took upon himself our suffering,
and burdened himself with our sorrows
to bring us, through the cross,
to the joy of the Resurrection.
Amen.

We fly to your protection,
O Holy Mother of God;
Do not despise our petitions
in our necessities,
but deliver us always
from every danger,
O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.