The Relic Chapel in 1908, newly fitted out with the contents of Grissell’s chapel, with our Lady of Oxford above the altar.

Prayer of Consecration to the Mother of Mercy
by Saint John Paul II

O Mother of Mercy, we entrust to your loving heart the entire people and Church of this land. Keep us from all injustice, division, violence and war. Protect us from temptation and slavery of sin and evil. Be with us! Help us to overcome doubt by faith, egoism by service, pride by meekness, and hatred by love. Help us to live the Gospel with the “folly” of the Cross, giving testimony to Christ who died on it, so that we may rise with your Son to the true life with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. O Mother of Christ, comfort and strengthen all those who suffer: the poor, the lonely, the frightened, the unloved, the oppressed and the forgotten. Bless us! Pray for us with St Joseph, and unite us in love. Grant peace to our divided earth and the light of hope to all. Show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus!

Novena Prayer

O Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of our Lord Jesus and our Mother,
penetrated with the most lively confidence
in your all-powerful and never-failing intercession,
we your loving children implore you to obtain for us
the graces and favours we ask in these devotions,
if they be beneficial to our immortal souls,
and the souls for whom we pray.
(Here make your petitions.)
You know, O Mary,
how often our souls have been the sanctuaries of your Son,
who hates iniquity.
Obtain for us then a deep hatred of sin
and that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone,
so that our every thought, word and deed
may tend to his greater glory.
Obtain for us a spirit of prayer and self-denial,
that we may recover by penance what we have lost by sin,
and at length attain to that blessed abode
where you are the Queen of angels and of men.
Amen.

The devotions end with the Salve Regina.

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Devotion to Our Lady of Oxford began in the private chapel of Hartwell de la Garde Grissell on the High Street. When he died, he left his collection to our church. Many of the items in this photo are now in our relic chapel.

The Litany of Our Lady of Mercy

Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. R. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us. R. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven. R. Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the World, R. Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, R. Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, R. Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, R. Pray for us.
Chosen daughter of the Father,
Glory of the Holy Spirit,
Virgin consecrated to God,
Virgin poor and humble,
Virgin gentle and obedient,
Handmaid of the Lord,
Helper of the Redeemer,
Our Mother,
Full of grace,
Fullness of virtue,
Chosen fruit of redemption,
Perfect disciple of Christ,
Untarnished image of the Church,
Blessed woman,
Woman of the new covenant,
Joy of Israel,
Honour of the human race,
Splendour of the Church,
Model of perfect commitment,
Mother of hope,
Mother of fidelity,
Mother of mercy,
Hope of slaves,
Strength of the suffering,
Help of sinners,
Relief in difficult times,
Model of fortitude,
Advocate of grace,
Champion of God’s people,
Queen of love,
Queen of peace,
Queen of heaven,
Queen of the universe,
Our Lady of Oxford,

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, R. Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, R. Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, R. Have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God:
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Merciful Father and God of all consolation,
you have shown yourself to be wonderful
in the glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ,
and have given her to us as the Mother of Mercy.
May all of us who venerate her with devotion,
always experience her powerful intercession
and enjoy your immense mercy.
Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

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How to pray (3)

Our weekly reflections are paused for the summer, so in their place there will be a short extract from how to pray in ten easy steps. This guide is taken from The Oratory Prayer Book, a new prayer book of old prayers that we are publishing and will be available in the coming months.

3. Spend time praying

God is always there waiting to listen to us, so we need to be ready to speak! Spending time in prayer might mean giving up time that we use for other things. Pick a time for prayer and set it aside. Treat it as the special time you have reserved for God, and remember that choosing a regular time will help to form a habit of praying. It is always good to spend the first and last moments of the day in God’s presence, which is why this book contains prayers for the morning and the evening. If you can afford it, there might be other moments you can spend with God. You might pass a church during your daily routine, or have a break in the middle or at the end of the day that you can give to God. Pick a time and offer it to God.

These reflections are sent out each Wednesday to all those on our mailing list. Click here to sign up to our mailing list, and receive our Sunday E-newsletter and these reflections straight to your inbox.

How to pray (2)

Our weekly reflections are paused for the summer, so in their place there will be a short extract from how to pray in ten easy steps. This guide is taken from The Oratory Prayer Book, a new prayer book of old prayers that we are publishing and will be available in the coming months.

2. Walk before you run

If your prayer time is going to fit into your routine, it has to be short enough to fit into your timetable. It is much better to have a short but regular time of prayer than to spend hours trying to catch up. Many people take on too much when they begin to pray, like someone beginning a new exercise routine with a marathon. But when they can’t keep up their new routine, they give up all together. Start slowly—walk before you run—and once you form a habit of praying regularly, your time of prayer can grow naturally.

These reflections are sent out each Wednesday to all those on our mailing list. Click here to sign up to our mailing list, and receive our Sunday E-newsletter and these reflections straight to your inbox.

Congratulations to Fr Albert Robertson OP who was ordained priest in Blackfriars this Sunday!

Fr Nicholas preached at his first Mass the next day.

Fr Albert will celebrate the Solemn Mass for us this Sunday.

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