Consecration to the Virgin of Coromoto

Act of Consecration of Venezuela to the Blessed Virgin, with which the Venezuelan Episcopate closed the Second National Marian Congress on December 12, 1928 in the city of Coro.

"Before the throne of your omnipotent intercession, we come to prostrate ourselves, O most majestic Mother of God, to consecrate ourselves totally to you and place in your hands the fate of our Republic. In the presence of your Divine Son, to whom this country is already dedicated in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, we now make this act of surrender to you, so that He may deign to give His filial approval to our homage, to the same Mother that He bequeathed to us as such from the Cross.

O most Immaculate Mother of ours, O most benign Mother of ours, O most sweet and most clement Queen of ours, with grateful spirit we sing praises to your mercy.

 Under your protection we take refuge, O Lady! You who have captivated our hearts forever, You who have taken us from the very day when civilized life began for us, and with your most gentle protection and most benign presence, whether in the jungle of Coromoto, or in the sanctuaries that Venezuelan piety has erected under the titles of Our Lady of the Valley, of Socorro, of Chiquinquirá, of Belén, of Charity and so many others of which the Venezuelan Nation boasts: You have affirmed, strengthened and multiplied the roots of the tree of our Faith. O Our Lady, that with your lustrous virginal plant you have broken the head of the serpent, free Venezuela from the poisoned dice of impiety and heresy. And since you have initiated and maintained its peoples in the Faith of your dearest Son, serve them also as a shield, support and strength.

 We are yours, we want to be yours. Show that you are our Mother and our Patroness. Guard us, Our Lady, and save us with your almighty protection.

O Immaculate Mary, welcome this act of our consecration to you, and be always the great defender of Venezuela. Protect her, save her. Unite all her children in the love of the native soil, in the spirit of concord within justice and liberty, in the legitimate enjoyment of all the goods to which, as Venezuelans, it is lawful for each one to aspire, and in the firm and unalterable profession of the Catholic Faith. So be it".

ACT OF CONSECRATION OF VENEZUELA TO OUR NATIONAL PATRON SAINT

Oh, beloved Mother of Coromoto!

You who have accompanied the birth and development of our national history, we come to your plants to consecrate ourselves as a people, as a nation that recognizes you as Mother and to tell you that we are yours.

We want to place our needs, desires, struggles and achievements very close to your heart.

In this moment of our history, we ask you to look at these your children who walk in a valley of tears and console them by always showing us your Son.

We consecrate to you our homeland Venezuela, with all its children, with its families, with those who suffer and are forgotten.

Teach us, Virgin of the plains, to carry your Son within us with the same love and adoration with which you carried Him.

May this special consecration make us more faithful children to the Church, to her pastors and ministers.

Show yourself as Mother, as the beautiful Lady of the Tucupido River, to all those who are far away.

Receive, Virgin of Coromoto, our consecration and sustain our resolutions to live as disciples and missionaries of Your Son so that we may bring to fulfillment our baptismal vocation, thus giving glory to the Most Holy Trinity.

Note: Venezuela was consecrated to Our Lady of Coromoto Patroness of Venezuela by Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino on June 26, 2011.

JACULATORY

JACULATORY WRITTEN BY BROTHER NECTARIO MARIA in 1922.

OUR LADY OF COROMOTO,

PATRONESS OF VENEZUELA

RENEW THE FAITH IN ALL THE

THE EXTENSION OF OUR HOMELAND.

MAGNIFICAT

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked upon the humiliation of his slave.

From now on all generations will congratulate me because the Mighty One has done great deeds in me. His name is holy, and his mercy reaches his faithful from generation to generation.

He does exploits with his arm; he scatters the proud in heart. He casts down the mighty from their thrones and exalts the lowly. He fills the hungry with good things, and the rich he sends away empty.

He helps his servant Israel, remembering his holy covenant as he promised our fathers for Abraham and his descendants forever. Amen

PRAYER to the Virgin of Coromoto

O Virgin of Coromoto! Patroness of Venezuela, In your hands I deposit this petition (Mention here your intention) Bless it. Present it to the Heart of Jesus. Assert your love as Mother and your power as Queen. Oh Mary! I count on your help and your faithful friendship. I trust in your motherly power. I surrender myself to the divine will of your beloved Son. I am sure that you are the Mother of mercy and that you listen attentively to each one of our supplications. Mother of God and my Mother! Pray for me. Lead me to the Heart of Jesus. Bless us, Most Holy Mother. Cover us with your sacred mantle. O Our Lady of Coromoto, intercede for us. Amen.

PRAYER of St. John Paul II to Our Lady of Coromoto.

Virgin and Mother of Coromoto, you have always preserved the faith of the Venezuelan people. Into your hands I place their joys and hopes, the sorrows and sufferings of all your children. Implore upon the Bishops and Priests the gifts of the Spirit, so that, faithful to their priestly promises, they may be tireless messengers of the Good News, especially among the poorest and neediest. Infuse in religious men and women the example of your total dedication to God, so that in their selfless service to their brothers and sisters, you may accompany them in their labors and needs. Mother of the Church, encourage the lay faithful, committed to the New Evangelization, so that, through human promotion and the evangelization of culture, they may be authentic apostles in the Third Millennium. Protect all Venezuelan families, so that they may be true domestic Churches, where the treasure of faith and life is guarded, where fraternal charity is always taught and practiced. Help Catholics to be salt and light for others, as authentic witnesses of Christ, saving presence of the Lord, source of peace, joy and hope. Queen and Holy Mother of Coromoto, enlighten those who govern the destinies of Venezuela, so that they may work for the progress of all, safeguarding Christian moral and social values. Help each and every one of your sons and daughters, so that, with Christ our Lord and Brother, they may walk together towards the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

How to pray the Rosary

1.- By the sign of the Holy Cross, deliver us from our enemies, O Lord our God. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2.- To recite the Act of Contrition: My Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, my Creator, Father and Redeemer; because You are who You are, infinite Goodness, and because I love You above all things, I am heartily sorry that I have offended You; I am also sorry because You can punish me with the pains of hell. With the help of your divine grace, I firmly propose never again to sin, to confess and to fulfill the penance that will be imposed on me. Amen.

3.- To recite three Hail Mary and one Glory Be.

4.- Depending on the day of the week, the mysteries to be meditated on are chosen, as indicated below. After saying the first mystery, an Our Father is prayed. Follow with 10 Hail Mary, a Glory Be and then the Jaculatory: Mary, Mother of grace, Mother of mercy, defend us from our enemies and protect us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

5.- The second mystery is said and an Our Father is recited and the ten Hail Mary and the Glory Be are repeated, as in point four, until the five mysteries are completed.

Joyful Mysteries (Mondays and Saturdays)

1.- The Annunciation and Incarnation of the Son of God (Lk.1,26).

2.- The Visitation of Our Lady to her cousin Saint Elizabeth (Lk.1,39).

3.- The Birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem (Mt. 1:18; Lk. 2:7).

4.- The Purification of Our Lady and the Presentation of the Child Jesus (Lk.2,21).

5.- The Child lost and found in the Temple (Lk.2,41).

Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)

1.- The Prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Olives (Mt.26,36; Mk.14,32; Lk.22,39).

2.- The Flagellation of the Lord (Mt.22,26; Mk.15,15; Jn.19,1).

3.- The Crowning with thorns (Mt.27,27; Mk.15,16; Jn.19,2).

4.- The Cross on the way to Calvary (Mt.27,31; Mk.15,20; Lk.23,26; Jn.19,16).

5.- Crucifixion and death of Jesus on the Cross (Mt.27,35; Mk.15,24; Lk.23,34; Jn.19,18).

Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays)

1.- The Resurrection of the Lord (Mt.28, Mk.16,1; Lk.24,1; Jn.20).

2.- The Ascension of the Lord (Mk.16,19; Lk.24,50).

3.- The Coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2,1).

4.- The Assumption of Our Lady (cfr. 1Cor.15,20).

5.- The Coronation of Mary Most Holy (cfr. Rev.12,1).

Luminous Mysteries (Thursday)

1.- The Baptism in the Jordan (Mt.3:13; Mk.1:9; Lk.3:21; Jn.1:29).

2.- The self-revelation of Jesus at the wedding at Cana (Jn.2,1).

3.- The announcement of the Kingdom of God inviting to conversion (Mt.4,17; Mk.1,14; Lk.4,14).

4.- The Transfiguration of the Lord (Mt. 17:1; Mk. 9:2; Lk. 9:28).

5.- The institution of the Holy Eucharist (Mt.26,26; Mk.14,22; Lk.22,14; cfr.Jn.6,25).

DAY ONE

DAY ONE

Consideration: The Cospes Indians

Among the Indians inhabiting the region of Guanare there was a part designated by the name of Cospes. When in 1591 the Spaniards arrived there and the distribution of lands and Indians in encomiendas was made, a few families of the Cospes broke away from their tribe and fled into the jungles of the vast mountains and valleys that extend between Boconó de Trujillo and Guanare to the banks of the Tucupido River. In those remote places the Cospes remained for many years without anyone remembering them, until the hour of their conversion sounded on the clock of Providence through the maternal intervention of Mary Most Holy. A noble and honored Spaniard as a good Christian named Juan Sanchez had obtained years ago some land on the right bank of the Guanare River about 5 leagues from the Villa de Espiritu Santo which is the city of Guanare.

CONSIDER: How Divine Providence was preparing the ground for the conversion of the Indians who, no matter how much they hid themselves, always had the gaze of God and His Most Holy Mother upon them, pray that this Blessed Virgin may continue to spread the radiance of the Faith in the wild regions of the Indians that still remain to be converted in our country.

Ask for the grace you wish to obtain, praying then three Hail Mary alternating with the following ejaculatory:

Our Lady of Coromoto Patroness of Venezuela renew the Faith in all the extension of our Homeland.

SECOND DAY

Consideration: The Name of Coromoto

Several years had gone by without the foreigners having been able to get Cospes Indians to descend to take part in the learning of the cultivation of the fields and the Christian Doctrine. They were, according to the story, in those places of the mountain where they had hidden towards the springs of the Tucupido River and its right margin. Here the Virgin was seen not only by the Chief of the Tribe but also by several other Indians and it is also where she ordered them to go to the white Spaniards to be baptized; by indication of the Virgin the Indians in number of several hundred left the mountain and put themselves under the orders of Juan Sanchez who fixed the place that was going to be their residence and gave them work and in some fields of your property near a creek in the confluence of the rivers Tucupido and Guanare.

CONSIDER: The distinction so great that the Queen of Heaven has seen fit to do to our country and the fervor and holy pride with which you have to pronounce the name of Coromoto, that the same as the Pillar for Spain or Lourdes for France is for our homeland Venezuela the highest glory and the most sacred memory.

Ask for the grace you wish to obtain, praying three Hail Marys alternating with the following prayer:

Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, Renew the faith throughout the whole extension of our homeland.

THIRD DAY

Consideration: First Appearance of the Virgin to the Cospes Indians

According to history, the Virgin of Coromoto appeared repeatedly to the Cospes Indians and not only to the elders but also to their children according to the testimony of those who were parish priests of Guanare in times not far from the apparitions. The first apparition took place in the year 1651 when the Cospes Chief was on his way with his wife to work in the fields. When they arrived at a creek, a beautiful lady holding a precious child in her arms, appeared walking on the waters telling them in the Indians' own language "to go out to where the whites were so that they could pour water over their heads to go up to Heaven".

CONSIDER: How the Divine grace also calls you through the loving Worship of the Virgin of Coromoto to fulfill your duties as a Christian, and you often resist the call of grace; do not want to imitate the rebellious Indian but enter the path of the Divine Law and you will prove that your love for the Virgin of Coromoto is sincere. Amen.

Ask for the grace you wish to obtain, praying three Hail Marys alternating with the following prayer:

Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, Renew the faith throughout the whole extension of our homeland.

FOURTH DAY

Consideration: Second Apparition of the Virgin of Coromoto

The Cacique of the Cospes who at first gladly attended the instructions of the catechists, became disgusted, undoubtedly longing for the solitude of the forests and withdrew without receiving baptism. Days before his escape, sad and meditative, the Indian was lying down at his barbecue.  With him was his wife, his sister Isabel and her son, whose name was Juan. All was silence in the night, for the Indians, seeing the Cacique so morose, did not dare to say a word to him. A few moments had passed since the arrival of the Cacique, when in a visible and corporeal way the Blessed Virgin appeared at the threshold of the hut giving off abundant rays like the rays of the sun at noon, according to the words of the Indian Isabel, which illuminated the enclosure with celestial clarity. When the Cacique saw her, he thought that the Great Lady was coming to reproach him for his bad behavior and said: "How long do you want to chase me? You can go back; I will no longer do what you command me to do. As the women reproached the Indian for the way he treated the Beautiful Woman, he said to the Virgin who was looking at him smiling: "Will you let me alone if I kill you?” Then the Virgin went forward towards the Cacique and he rushed at her to grab her by the arm and throw her out, leaving everything shrouded in darkness. Here she is, says the Indian in a tone of fury and triumph. Show her, said the women and in the light of the coals burning in the coarse stove, the Indian opened his hand and they all contemplated the portrait of the Beautiful Woman.

Consider: Maternal Tenderness.

Mary, who even seeing herself mistreated by that rebellious son, responds with generosity and generosity, leaving us that precious relic of her Image.

Ask for the grace you wish to obtain, praying three Hail Marys alternating with the following prayer:

Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, Renew the faith throughout the whole extension of our homeland.

FIFTH DAY

Consideration: Conversion and death of the Cacique

The poor Indian resisted for some more time the action of the grace that was knocking insistently at the doors of his heart but at the end the Virgin came out triumphant because the Cacique when he was mortally wounded by the bite of a snake when he was fleeing to the thick of the jungle asked for the Baptism that was given to him by a good Christian of the City of Barinas.

CONSIDER: The great request of Mary to obtain the conversion of that rebellious Indian appears to her repeatedly and she follows him with maternal insistence without backing down before his criminal attempt and even allows a serpent to wound him to death so that his soul is born to the life of grace and is saved through a sincere conversion sealed with baptism. How is it possible that the one whom Mary takes under her singular protection is lost! Go to Mary of Coromoto with singular confidence, certain that she will obtain for you the remedy for all your ills, especially the triumph over the enemies of your soul who seek to prevent your eternal salvation.

Ask for the grace you wish to obtain, praying three Hail Marys alternating with the following prayer:

Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, Renew the faith throughout the whole extension of our homeland.

SIXTH DAY

Consideration: The Virgin of Coromoto Apostle of Venezuela.

From the words that the Virgin said to the Cacique and the Cospes Indians from the first of her apparitions that, "Go out to where the Whites are so that they pour water on your heads to be able to go to Heaven", it is deduced that the Virgin was constituted in Missionary of the Venezuelan Indians being in the Aurora of the Faith of the new world as a very bright sun that radiates the most dazzling splendors. But she did not make her appearances only to convert the Indians but she left her portrait in this privileged land to illuminate it in the succession of times. It does not mean anything else than the multiple prodigies that her power has worked in favor of her devotees and continues working in the order of the nature as that of the grace to conserve always alive the flame of the Faith in the Venezuelan people. Consider how you too, in imitation of the Virgin of Coromoto, must work for the salvation of souls.

 Ask for the grace you wish to obtain, praying three Hail Marys alternating with the following prayer:

Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, Renew the faith throughout the whole extension of our homeland.

DAY SEVENTH

Consideration: The Virgin of Coromoto Mother of Venezuela

Consider how the Blessed Virgin wanted to appear to the Indian Coromoto on the day the Church celebrated the feast of the birth of the Virgin among men on September 8, to show you the great predilection she had for you from the first moments of her life.  The Divine Providence, at the dawn of this new world, shows the lights of Faith and civilization by sending to the Venezuelan Indians the Dawn of Grace, to give them the Christian life, teaching them the path that leads to the Catholic Church. You must also try to correspond to the call that, as to the Cospes Indians, your Heavenly Mother makes to you to enter fully in the practice of the Christian duties in order to manifest yourself as a true son of the Virgin of Coromoto.

Ask for the grace you wish to obtain, praying three Hail Marys alternating with the following prayer:

Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, Renew the faith throughout the whole extension of our homeland.

EIGHTH DAY

Consideration: The Virgin of Coromoto Protector of Venezuela.

Many are the wonders with which the Virgin of Coromoto has favored her children who, full of confidence, have come to her lap. The History that has not been written and that, perhaps will not be written, is more eloquent for the innumerable witnesses of the kindnesses of Mary than all the books that are written narrating the public favors granted by the Virgin herself. Who will not be able to tell of some grace granted by the Virgin of Coromoto? The resurgence of Faith worked by the Virgin of Coromoto is one of the general favors granted to the whole of Venezuela by the Virgin of Coromoto.  It is one of the most patent works with which she has demonstrated the special protection that she dispenses to the Venezuelan people. Who is not a witness of this heavenly resurgence, both general and particular, manifested in the national pilgrimages to Guanare? Give thanks to Mary Most Holy for such singular protection and try to make yourself worthy by your conduct to deserve it particularly.

Ask for the grace you wish to obtain, praying three Hail Marys alternating with the following prayer:

Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, Renew the faith throughout the whole extension of our homeland