Prayer:The Memorare
Stored: The Memorare
| The Memorare | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
Introduction
The Memorare is one of the most beloved and widely recited Marian prayers in the Catholic tradition, prized for its intimate tone of confidence and urgency. Its opening word, Memorare — Latin for "Remember" — sets the prayer's entire character: a soul, conscious of its own unworthiness, appealing with filial boldness to the compassion of the Mother of God. For centuries, Catholics in moments of distress, illness, spiritual desolation, and personal crisis have turned to this prayer as a swift and heartfelt cry for Our Lady's intercession.
Although the prayer is commonly attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), the great Cistercian Doctor of the Church known for his tender Marian piety, modern scholarly research suggests the text in its present form dates to the fifteenth century. Regardless of its precise origin, the Memorare entered the mainstream of Catholic devotion primarily through the missionary efforts of the French priest Claude Bernard (1588–1641), who distributed over two hundred thousand printed copies of the prayer during his ministry to the poor and condemned in Paris. His passionate promotion of the Memorare earned him the popular title "the Poor Priest," and his cause for beatification was formally introduced.
The prayer has since become a staple of Catholic private devotion worldwide, recommended by saints, popes, and spiritual directors alike. Pope Francis has spoken of his own personal habit of praying the Memorare when facing difficult decisions, and Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta was known to rally her Missionaries of Charity by praying it together in moments of urgent need.
The Prayer
In Latin
- Memorare, O piissima Virgo Maria,
- non esse auditum a saeculo,
- quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia,
- tua implorantem auxilia,
- tua petentem suffragia,
- esse derelictum.
- Ego tali animatus confidentia,
- ad te, Virgo Virginum, Mater, curro;
- ad te venio; coram te gemens peccator assisto.
- Noli, Mater Verbi, verba mea despicere,
- sed audi propitia et exaudi.
- Amen.
In English
- Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
- that never was it known
- that anyone who fled to thy protection,
- implored thy help,
- or sought thy 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.
History and Background
The earliest traceable versions of the Memorare appear in a fifteenth-century manuscript compilation of prayers associated with various Marian devotions circulating in Western Europe. These early texts bear a close resemblance to the prayer in its current form, suggesting a gradual refinement over several decades rather than composition by a single author. The attribution to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, though pious tradition and likely reflecting the spirit of his famous Marian sermons — particularly his homilies on the Missus Est and his celebrated address to Our Lady in Dante's Paradiso (Canto XXXIII) — cannot be verified by contemporary historical evidence.
What is certain is that the prayer's widespread modern popularity is owed almost entirely to Claude Bernard, a French priest of noble birth who abandoned wealth and social standing to serve the most marginalized people of seventeenth-century Paris. Bernard printed and distributed the Memorare on small cards throughout the city's prisons, hospitals, and slums, and credited the prayer with miraculous results in the lives of those he served. His extraordinary apostolate transformed the Memorare from a relatively obscure devotional text into one of the most recognized prayers in the Catholic world.
Throughout the centuries that followed, the Memorare was embraced by numerous canonized saints and mystics. Saint Francis de Sales recommended it as a model of filial trust in Mary. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, the great Doctor of Moral Theology and champion of Marian devotion, incorporated the Memorare's spirit into his own writings on the efficacy of invoking Our Lady. In the twentieth century, Venerable Patrick Peyton, the "Rosary Priest," promoted it alongside the Rosary as a cornerstone of family prayer. The prayer also forms part of several novena traditions and is frequently prescribed as a penance or devotional exercise in Catholic spiritual direction.
Theologically, the Memorare rests upon the Catholic doctrine of the intercession of the saints and, in particular, upon Mary's singular role as Mediatrix and Mother of the Church. The confident assertion that "never was it known" that any petitioner was left unaided is not a claim of infallible dogma but an expression of pious trust rooted in centuries of lived Catholic experience. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (§969) affirms that Mary's "motherhood continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation... until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect," a truth that undergirds every line of the Memorare.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
Private Recitation
The Memorare may be prayed at any time and in any place, requiring no special preparation or setting. It is particularly suited to moments of sudden need, temptation, grief, or spiritual darkness. Many Catholics make a practice of praying it at the beginning or end of the Rosary, and it is frequently appended to other Marian devotions.
The Memorare Novena
A popular form of urgent petition involves praying the Memorare nine times in a row for a pressing intention, trusting in Our Lady's swift intercession. This practice, sometimes called the "Flying Novena," is particularly associated with communities of the Miraculous Medal and has been widely recommended by spiritual directors for cases requiring urgent help.
Liturgical and Community Use
The Memorare is often recited at the conclusion of Marian devotions during the month of May (the Month of Mary) and October (the Month of the Rosary). It is commonly used in Catholic schools, hospitals, and religious communities as a corporate prayer before important undertakings or in times of institutional need.
Praying with Intention
Spiritual directors recommend that those praying the Memorare pause before beginning to recall the specific intention for which they are petitioning, and then pray slowly, meditating on each phrase as an act of personal trust. The phrases "I fly unto thee" and "before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful" are particularly rich for brief meditative reflection, inviting the soul to place itself consciously in Mary's presence before making its petition.
Recommended Times
- In moments of temptation or spiritual distress
- When facing important decisions or fearful circumstances
- During illness, for oneself or for another
- As a morning offering or evening prayer
- Before the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration
- In any situation of urgent need