The Memorare

The Catholic prayer of confident appeal to the Virgin Mary — attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.

Full Text

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 with 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.

At a Glance

  • Latin name: "Memorare" — "Remember"
  • Traditional attribution: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
  • Likely actual source: later medieval Marian devotion; popularized by Claude Bernard (17th century)
  • Type: Marian prayer of confident appeal
  • Common use: moments of acute need; often prayed three times in succession

Meaning

The Memorare's structure is distinctive — and pastorally powerful. It opens by appealing to Mary's track record: in all of Christian history, no one who has fled to her for help has been left unaided. The prayer makes this confidence explicit ("inspired with this confidence") and then on that basis presents the petitioner's need.

For many Catholics in moments of acute crisis, this structure of confident appeal is exactly what is needed when worry threatens to take over. The prayer does not begin with the petitioner's desperation but with Mary's known faithfulness — only then does it bring forward the request.

The prayer is particularly associated with Saint Francis de Sales, who reportedly carried it with him and prayed it often, and with Mother Teresa, who incorporated it as part of her ministry's spiritual practice. It is one of the most-prayed shorter Marian prayers in Catholic devotion.

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