The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By St. Louis Mary De Montfort
St. Louis De Montfort, famous for his treatise on the Blessed Mother, True Devotion to Mary, embellished the devotion of the Little Crown by adding to each Hail Mary a distinctive invocation in praise of the Blessed Virgin's excellence, power, and goodness, ending with the joyful strain, "Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!"
St. De Montfort gave the Little Crown as a morning prayer to both his religious families, the Montfort Fathers and the Daughter of Wisdom. He heartily recommends it to all who embrace the holy and loving slavery to Jesus through Mary. Thus the world over, from the lips of Mary's favorite children the Little Crown rises like fragrant incense to our Blessed Mother's throne in Heaven and returns to earth in showers of Divine benediction. Since the Blessed Virgin is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, St. Louis prefaces the Little Crown with an invocation to the Holy Spirit.
Click to download a PDF of the shorter and longer versions of the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin, for printing and sharing.
How to Pray the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin
The Little Crown is a tiny chaplet, which consists of Introductory prayers; the recitation of the Our Father 3 times, recitation of the Hail Mary 12 times, and Concluding Prayers. It is prayed as follows:
INTRODUCTORY PRAYER
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle within them the fire of Thy love!
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit dost instruct the hearts of
the faithful, grant us by this same Spirit to relish what is right and
ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
I. CROWN OF EXCELLENCE
[To honor the Divine Maternity of the Blessed Virgin, her ineffable Virginity,
her purity without stain and her innumerable virtues.]
Our Father
1. Hail Mary.
Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst bear the
Lord, the Creator of the world; thou didst give birth to Him Who
made thee, and remainest a Virgin forever.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
2. Hail Mary.
O holy and immaculate Virgin, I know not with what
praise to extol thee, since thou didst bear in thy womb the very
One Whom the Heavens cannot contain.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
3. Hail Mary.
Thou are all fair, O Virgin Mary, and there is no stain in thee.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
4. Hail Mary.
Thy virtues, O Virgin, surpass the stars in number.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
Glory be to the Father.
II. CROWN OF POWER
[To honor the royalty of the Blessed Virgin, her magnificence, her
universal mediation and the strength of her rule.]
Our Father
5. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O Empress of the world! Bring us with thee to the joys of Heaven.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
6. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O treasure house of the Lord's graces! Grant us a share in thy riches.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
7. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O Mediatrix between God and man!Through thee may the Almighty be favorable to us. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
8. Glory be to thee who destroyest heresies and crushest demons! Be thou our loving guide. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times! Glory be to the Father.
Glory be to the Father.
III. CROWN OF GOODNESS
[To honor the mercy of the Blessed Virgin toward sinners, the poor,
the just and the dying.]
Our Father
9. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O refuge of sinners! Intercede for us with God.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
10. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O Mother of orphans! Render the Almighty favorable to us.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
11. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O joy of the just! Lead us with thee to the joys of Heaven.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
12. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee who are ever ready to assist us in lifeand death! Lead us with thee to the kingdom of Heaven! Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
Glory be to the Father.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let Us Pray.
Hail, Mary, Daughter of God the Father; Hail, Mary, Mother of God the Son; Hail, Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost; Hail, Mary, Temple of the most Holy Trinity; Hail, Mary, my Mistress, my treasure, my joy, Queen of my heart; my Mother, my life, my sweetness, my dearest hope ---- yea, my heart and my soul! I am all thine and all that I have is Thine, O Virgin blessed above all things! Let thy soul be in me to magnify the Lord; let thy spirit be in me to rejoice in God. Set thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon my heart, that in thee and through thee I may be found faithful to God. Receive me, O gracious Virgin, among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children. Grant that for love of thee I may despise all earthly consolations and ever cling to those of Heaven until, through thee, His faithful spouse, Jesus Christ thy Son be formed in me for the glory of the Father. Amen.
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Thank you for sharing this Lydia. May Mary, Queen of Angels, intercede for all of your virtuous intentions.