October, the Month of the Holy Rosary, invites us to return to this prayer with greater attention and love. “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” St. Padre Pio.
At a recent leader’s cenacle, we reflected on the Hail Mary and the meaning of the Flame of Love supplication. Understanding what we are asking can help us pray more deeply for our families and for the salvation of souls.
The Catechism explains two movements within the Hail Mary: praise and intercession. Through the words of Gabriel and Elizabeth, we praise what God has accomplished in Mary, above all the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Then we turn to the Mother of God and ask her to pray for us now, in the circumstances of our lives, and at the hour of our death.
“By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the ‘Mother of Mercy,’ the All-Holy One.” (CCC 2677)
The Hail Mary is deeply Marian and deeply centered on Jesus. St. John Paul II explains:
“The centre of gravity in the Hail Mary, the hinge as it were which joins its two parts, is the name of Jesus.” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 33)
This helps us understand the Flame of Love supplication:
“Spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity.”
In the Spiritual Diary, Mary identifies her Flame of Love as Jesus Christ Himself. When we ask her to spread its effect of grace, we ask for her maternal intercession so that souls may receive grace, turn away from sin, and enter more deeply into union with her Son.
The principal purpose of the Flame of Love grace is to blind Satan and help save souls. Praying the Flame of Love Hail Mary is therefore a participation in Mary’s mission to blind Satan and help save souls.
Jesus explains:
“Satan blindness means the universal triumph of My divine Heart, the liberation of souls, and the opening of the way to salvation to its fullest extent.”
Spiritual Diary, p. 233)
These are Jesus’ words and this is gives our prayer its urgency. We pray for families under attack, for those held in sin, and for those who have grown far from God. We ask that Satan’s influence be weakened so that souls may respond freely to God’s grace.
Mary explained that she did not intend to change the prayer by which she is honored. Her request was for a constant supplication. A note in the Diary records Jesus’ explanation on February 2, 1982: the Most Holy Trinity granted the outpouring of the Flame of Love through the efficacious pleas of the Blessed Virgin, and its effect of grace is to be implored for humanity’s conversion. Spiritual Diary, p. 101
The Flame of Love Hail Mary is a particular prayer within this movement of grace; it does not replace the traditional Hail Mary or require Catholics to change it. It’s an invitation and we have looked at what we stand to gain! Talk about a weapon! However, we should not try and force others… praying the rosary should not be a source of angst or division within any community. This can’t be stressed enough. The rosary nor the Hail Mary prayer should divide us. If this is happening within your church or prayer group or you simply want to learn more about how to share this supplication prayer with others, please join us for the National Cenacle and we will be discussing ways to address this. We have many other tools and prayers at our disposal, ” a torrent”, so please join us and learn more.
Let’s pray!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
This October, let us bring our families and those most in need of conversion into each decade of the Flame of Love Rosary. As we contemplate the mysteries of Christ’s life, we ask Mary to spread this grace over all humanity, to blind Satan and help save souls. This is the call.
May our prayer lead us to live in closer union with Jesus and share the Flame of Love, heart to heart.
Jill Metz