The Memorare
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.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
About the prayer:
The Memorare of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the best known of all Marian prayers. It is a section of a much longer 15th-century prayer.
It is a prayer that can be said after the catholic rosary or on its own.
It is believed that as Mary suffered like no one else in this world during her son's tragedies that there is no one better to pray for you during your desperate moments (like your own mother or friend would) than the most holy mother herself.
It is not a prayer to hold Mary higher than God or to subvert the Christian belief that grace is received through Christ himself, it is simply a prayer asking for her to pray for you.
It is often said with the Our Father which is considered the most powerful prayer a Christian can recite as it was specifically given by Jesus himself.
Traditionally, this prayer has been attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux and used extensively by Father Claude Bernard during the 17th century to help poor sinners and hardened criminals repent and accept the love of Our Merciful Lord via the intercession of His Virgin Mother. This prayer was instrumental in helping St. Francis De Sales cope with a deep emotional turmoil described similarly as a ‘dark night of the soul’ by St. John of the Cross. This mental darkness so grieved the saintly Francis De Sales that he feared losing his faith and all hope. Then, while kneeling at the altar rail of a church he read the words of “The Memorare” and he began to regain his mental composure thanks to the graces of Heaven. As a result, he recommended this prayer to many members of his flock.