One of the old Marian invocations of the Virgin Mary is Our Lady of the Snows, Virgen de las Nieves or Virgen Blanca as it is also called, so this article deals with everything related to its history and some of the places where every year it is venerated with very particular celebrations, for this reason we invite you to read it, so that you can learn more about it.
Our Lady of the Snows
The story tells that the origins of the admiration for Our Lady dates back to the middle of the XNUMXth century, when a surprising event occurred on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, since, despite being the day with a radiant summer sun, a lot of snow fell. on this site and the Virgin Mary revealed herself to the Patricio Ignova couple, showing them on what seemed like an extensive white mantle the location and precise shape of the church they were to build for her.
This fact was interpreted by the couple from the Roman nobility as a response to their requests to let themselves be guided to give their fortune a better charitable destiny given the impossibility of not being able to procreate and have an heir. After some time and with the approval of the then Pope Liberio, the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor was built, also called Santa María de las Nieves or Liberian Basilica.
However, it turns out that the Pope himself had looked the same when he slept. The Sovereign Pontiff organized a procession to the place where the Virgin miraculously pointed it out and everyone was amazed to see the ground covered with fresh white snow.
Later, after the Council of Ephesus in which Mary was proclaimed Mother of God, with the approval of Pope Sixtus III, the current basilica was built in the previous church. It is worth noting that renovations have been made to further honor the Blessed Virgin. In addition, it has become a tradition that the faithful to commemorate the famous miracle, on each anniversary throw white rose petals from the vault of the temple during the festive mass.
The commemoration of Our Lady of the Snows, on August 5, was celebrated, in principle, only in the basilica, later it spread throughout Italy in the XNUMXth century and later in the XNUMXth century Saint Pius V decided that it would be a feast of the universal church.
Festivals and Places of Worship
The patron saint festivities of Our Lady of the Snows are a manifestation of the religiosity and sincere Christian sense of the faithful who participate in all the events scheduled to honor her and receive her blessings. Annually, believers of the Virgin pay her devotion every August 5 in many parts of the world, especially in those indicated below:
Argentina
In Argentina she is the patron saint of the provinces of Mendoza, San Carlos de Bariloche and Buenos Aires where he shares in this last patronage with San Martín de Tours. In this regard, it is important to refer to the records that were recorded in the minutes of the then colonial Cabildo of Buenos Aires, where it was established that from the 1580th century the patron saint festivities of Our Lady of the Snows were recognized and celebrated. And furthermore, there are records that confirm that under this Marian invocation she was the protector of Buenos Aires since its foundation in 1672 and that since XNUMX the image was venerated in the primitive Jesuit church.
In turn, concerned about maintaining the tradition, in the minutes of February 9, 1692, the Cabildo noted that since the founding of the city the canvas painting with the drawing of the Buenos Aires patrons, due to its antiquity, were not visible their images, so they decided to make another one.
After the expulsion of the Jesuits, the Virgen de las Nieves continued to be venerated in the same temple, since in 1772 it was carried in procession from the Colegio del Rey to the cathedral, in charge of a brotherhood of Spaniards, who, according to the testimony of the Father Lozano, existed since the beginning of the 1791th century. This fraternity, according to the documents, held meetings every Saturday night, with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer, spiritual reading, and lasted until at least XNUMX.
Later, this commemoration of Our Lady of the Snows was held in the parish of San Ignacio, with the purpose of reminding the people of Buenos Aires of such ancient devotion. Another way of paying homage to her was by depicting her on the old coat of arms of the city that is preserved in the chapter house of the current historical museum of the Cabildo. They also designated with her name the square that is located behind the Government House or Casa Rosada of the Argentine Republic.
Spain
This ancient Marian devotion is carried out in a large part of the Spanish territory and in each one truly surprising stories are associated with the apparitions of the Virgen de las Nieves and its built monuments, which we describe below:
Grenada
It is related that in the year 1717, during the date of the festivities of the Virgin, two religious who were crossing the Sierra Nevada to reach Granada got lost in a surprising snowfall as they passed through the port of Carihuela, also called Collado del Veleta, being more than 3.000 meters above sea level and who had answers to their prayers that they had made with fervor in the face of the imminent danger they were running, when the Virgin appeared to them with her son in her arms and immediately the snowfall calmed down and showed them the path to follow to save them from death. From then on, the borders near the place are known as the Tajos de la Virgen.
Very close to the yew trees near the Lagunillos de la Virgen, the hermitage was built in her honor on two occasions, but the relentless climate prevented it from being maintained, until a third attempt was made in 1745, which was later rebuilt to form part of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park. Then fifty years later, the current sanctuary dedicated to this Marian invocation located on the outskirts of the town of Dílar was built, so that it would be more accessible to the congregation that increased over time. Since that miracle of salvation occurred, the Virgen de las Nieves is considered the patron saint of Sierra Nevada.
In this city of the Region of Andalusia, the tradition of pilgrimages and masses that are held annually on different peaks of this mountain to commemorate this very popular date continues. On this site since 1968 there is a great monument built by Don Mariano Santiago Granados, which includes an altar with local stones in the form of a nine-meter pointed arch and in the upper part it has a three-meter-high image of the Virgin and the Child, made in aluminum by the sculptor Francisco López Burgos, highlighting this great work in the ski resort and mountain of this Sierra.
For its part, it is important to point out that the image of the Virgin also has its history, because before placing her sculpture in aluminum, an artificial stone carving had been used in the early 60s designed by Nicolás García Oliveros, who presided over Mass was celebrated at the top of Veleta for the first time, and it was blessed by the Archbishop of Granada, but it could not withstand the inclement weather of such height.
muñogalindo
In Muñogalindo, a municipality in the province of Ávila, it has two patron saints, Our Lady of the Snows, whose festivities are celebrated on August 5, and San Lucas, which is commemorated on October 18.
The Palaces and Villafranca
In the palaces and Villafranca, a municipality in the province of Seville, the patron saint and perpetual mayor is located in the oldest church of Santa María la Blanca, also at the beginning of August she receives the worship of the parishioners through her great religious tour of the place among other festive events. The figure is the work of Gabriel de Astorga from the mid-XNUMXth century. The devotion to this Virgin is attributed to the Catholic kings, great followers of this Marian dedication.
Almagro
Also, the White Virgin is the patron saint of the Almagro municipality of the Province of Ciudad Real, there the devout faithful accompany her with great joy in all religious acts on the occasion of commemorating her appearance.
Vitoria
Our Lady of the Snows is located in the Church of San Miguel and is an image dating from 1854 made by the artist Alejandro Valdivieso. At the beginning of the year 20 she was named Patron Saint of Vitoria and at the end of 1954 she was Queen of the city after the canonical crown was placed on her. The fourth day of August begins the festivities par excellence of this town in the Basque province of Álava, with the ringing of the temple bells, the traditional launch of the pyrotechnic rocket at six in the afternoon to announce the beginning of the festivities in honor of the patron
In these festivities the descent of the Celedón takes place, which is an event in which a representative of the town holding an umbrella enters from the top of the church to the Plaza that bears the name of Virgen Blanca, before all those present gathered to celebrate the Blessed Mother in an atmosphere of great joy. Later, at one in the morning of the tenth day of the month, Celedón bids farewell to the city, going back up to the bell tower of San Miguel amid fireworks and the sadness of the attendees.
Arcos de la Frontera
The feast of the Blessed Virgin is celebrated in a place in Cadiz, in its dedication to Las Nieves on August 5. Since 1737 she is named Patron, sharing this patronage with that of Rosario. These festivities were arranged by the papal bull from June 20, 1640. Later, she was named Mayor Perpetua. On the date of celebration, a ceremony is held in the morning in honor of the Blessed Virgin and in the afternoon, a procession with the miraculous image.
The days before, a civil festival in honor of the patron saint has been celebrated since time immemorial, which today takes the form of an evening. It is celebrated on the eve of the solemnity in the vicinity of the minor basilica of Santa María de la Asunción, home to the image of the Blessed Virgin.
Sallent de Gállego
This Marian dedication is also widely celebrated in the mountainous area of the Pyrenees in this municipality of Sallent de Gállego in the province of Huesca, where the patron saint festivities take place around August 5. The image of the Virgin is venerated in the parish church, from where she leaves on a pilgrimage on August 5 to Llano de Tornadizas. The town's ancestral mass is also sung in her honor.
Canary Islands
In La Palma, Canary Islands, the Virgin is the patron saint of the entire island and her sanctuary is located in its capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma, a fervor fueled by the conviction that she defends these lands from drought. One of the most significant events of its celebrations is its descent, which has been celebrated for five years since 1680. The pilgrims, dressed in colorful regional costumes, begin their journey from the Mount sanctuary to the capital, carrying the 42 silver pieces that make up his throne.
Also in the Canary Islands, Our Lady is venerated in the city of Los Realejos, precisely in the town of La Zamora and in Taganana (Tenerife), in Agaete and in Telde (Gran Canaria), where she received the title of Governor of the Major Heavens and Life. On the other hand, in Tenerife, next to the Parador de Turismo de Las Cañadas del Teide, there is a small hermitage in her honor, which is the highest Christian temple in Spain. In addition, she is the historical patron saint of the island of Lanzarote, venerated in the town of Teguise.
snows
In Galicia, in northwestern Spain, there is a municipality right on the border with Portugal called Nieves, named after the heavy snowfall that appeared on August 5. On this day, the Virgen de las Nieves is honored with a pilgrimage and celebrations for her dedication.
Chinchilla de Montearagon
The town of Chinchilla de Montearagón, in Albacete is under the divine protection of Our Lady of the Snows. There, she is represented with a 2th-century alabaster sculpture that stands a quarter of a meter tall. Every year she is honored with 5 celebrations, one for her name day on August 1739, which coincides with the city's festivities, and the Soldadesca on the third Sunday in May, instituted by King Felipe V in XNUMX.
Big Oak (Asturias)
In this neighborhood of the Asturian parish (Spain) of the Quintueles, the festivities in honor of the Virgin are celebrated on the land where her chapel is on August 5, with an open-air mass, typical regional dances and sharing with many lunch or picnic.
Benacazon
In Benacazón, Seville, Our Lady of the Snows was designated as Patron Saint and Perpetual Mayor of the Villa. The sculptor is unknown, but she is known to be very old. According to reports, in the 5th century, she freed the locals from a plague epidemic that affected the population of the Sevillian province, and in the face of such miracles, people came from all over, including the capital, to pray to her for health. On August 6, the Virgen de las Nieves goes out in procession on her way, in the Sevillian style, and on the XNUMXth of the same month she is transferred to a neighborhood of the city for the Salve prayer.
Bracamonte Ruby
The White Virgin is the patron saint of Rubí de Bracamonte, province of Valladolid and on the 5th of the eighth month her festivities are celebrated in her honor.
Olivares
She is the patron saint of Olivares, Seville, in this town the Virgen de las Nieves church was founded in the 5th century by Count Enrique de Guzmán y Rivera. Every August XNUMX she is honored during the celebration of the fair that takes place every year. The image that is venerated there is a sculpture made by María Roldán and presides over the main altar.
King's Olmeda
In the city of Cuenca de Olmeda del Rey, the festivities of veneration of the Virgin are held in the month of August, in the church of this place there is an image of the patron saint made of wood that is carried at the end of mass in procession through all the streets of the town to honor her, this particular religious service is organized by the brotherhood of women who are distinguished by the medal of Our Lady of the Snows hanging around their necks with a blue ribbon. In Olmeda, the celebrations include the realization of different events programmed in a cultural week, with a large participation of believers.
Roofs
Another city in Cuenca, Tejadillos, in the middle of the mountains, also has the Virgen de las Nieves as patron saint. The image is preserved in the parish church in the central niche of the main altar, although at another time it was in its hermitage, whose surrounding walls are still preserved.
Blimea (Asturias)
The patron saint festivities in the Asturian town of Blimea, are held in honor of Our Lady of the Snows, in the month of August, with liturgical acts that include beautiful processions and cultural activities organized by local youth, which culminate with a customary country food with the collaboration of the devotees.
Aspe (Alicante)
In the municipality of Aspe, province of Alicante, the patron saint festivities have the particularity of being celebrated in two ways: in even years they take place from August 3 to 21, coinciding with the Moors and Christians festivities from 7 to 10 of the month. During odd years they take place in the nearby town of Hondón de las Nieves, as they share the patronage of Our Lady of the Snows.
It is worth mentioning that beginning in August, the statue of the holy virgin is brought to Aspe by procession and remains there in the parish church of Socorro for 20 days, then it also returns in procession to its usual chapel in Hondón de las Nieves. Among the various acts that are carried out, the entry of Bands and the Retreat on the 7th, the Moorish and Christian Tickets on the 8th and 10th of August, while the 9th is the day of the Embassy, where the reconquest of the city Hall.
Brotherhood of Campoo de Suso (Cantabria)
The Brotherhood of Campoo de Suso is a municipality located in the south of Cantabria. During the summer season many popular festivals of Campurrianas are organized. August 5 is the great festival of the Virgen de las Nieves or Labra, patron saint of Suso. Thousands of people gather in the town of Celada de los Calderones, especially in the Campa de la Virgen de Labra, on the banks of the River Híjar. The traditional dedication corresponds to the Virgin of Labra, since it is said that the effigy of the Virgin was found by a shepherd in the Cuesta Labra, a mountain in the Sierra de Híjar.
The eve of the festival begins with a lively verbena with a variety of music. During the big day a mass service is celebrated at noon in which a musical group participates. Subsequently, Campurrian folklore is present with great prominence. At lunchtime, locals and visitors alike gather on the grounds for a hearty popular meal. In the afternoon there are sports activities and other folkloric events, to then culminate the party with the pilgrimage and the evening soiree.
Guriezo (Cantabria)
In the municipality of Guriezo in the province and autonomous community of Cantabria, the chapel of the Virgin of is located at an altitude of 778 meters above sea level, on the Pico de las Nieves, it is a construction that is fenced because the cliff has a considerable drop. . On the day of her feast on August 5, a procession is held and a mass is held outside where the attendees show their great fervor for this Marian dedication. On the other hand, it stands out that this place has a very special attraction, since nearby there is a fountain to which healing powers are attributed.
Many people from neighboring towns such as Ampuero, Laredo, Liendo, Limpias, Rasines and Trucíos attend the patron saint festivities. The story goes that the hermitage was destined to be raised to a lower level, however, it is said that the Virgin chose the top and at night some young angels carried the materials from the hermitage to the top of the fort with oxen.
Therefore, the inhabitants accepted the message and built the church there. In this sense, in 1965 a brotherhood was created to maintain the cult of Our Lady. Also, this version of her divine placement was included in a song that says the Virgin has oxen with silver bells and green ribbons.
Queen (Badajoz)
The Virgen de las Nieves is the patron saint of this town in southern Extremadura. In the protected perimeter of its great Alcazaba located on top of a hill, there is a hermitage with a certain Gothic style, where it is venerated. There she stays all year. On the afternoon of August 5, a procession descends towards the parish of the city and later on the afternoon of August 15 the image is raised to the hermitage of the Alcazaba.
The lucky one (Huesca)
In the small town of the Aragonese Pyrenees called Lafortunada, they celebrate the festivities on August 5 to honor Our Lady of the Snows, with great religiosity and enthusiasm from the devotees of this ancient dedication.
Population of the Sierra (León)
In Pobladura de la Sierra, municipality of Lucillo, the Virgen de las Nieves is its patron saint. On the outskirts of the town a hermitage is erected in her honor, whose festival is celebrated on August 5 with the ringing of bells, masses and other religious acts. The image of her dates from the XNUMXth century and was donated by a neighbor named Juan Panizo.
Villanueva de la Jara (Cuenca)
In the town of Cuenca, in the Monasterio del Carmen and Virgen de las Nieves sanctuary, dating from the 1508th century, it is currently dedicated to the church where the sculpture of the Virgin, patron saint of Villanueva de la Jara, is venerated. They received that effigy from Rome in the year XNUMX, and they venerate her in this town as patron saint.
The religious celebrations begin a few days before with the novenas, which take place every day at 11 p.m. in the Iglesia de la Patrona. On August 4, a personality from Jare opens the festivities in the Plaza Mayor, with music and other events. Then at midnight a Salve is sung in the Church of the Patron Saint and fireworks are launched that illuminate the entire town.
Arrived on August 5, it begins with a mass and procession through the main streets of the city among others. Throughout the week various religious, sports, musical and gastronomic events are organized, culminating on August 8 with the fireworks display in honor of the Virgen de las Nieves in Villanueva de la Jara.
The Machorras (Burgos)
August 5 is a holiday in many cities of Spain in honor of Our Lady of the Snows, but one of the most traditional is the one that takes place in Espinosa de los Monteros, where its ancestral dances and respected customs stand out. The church is located on the outskirts of the town with spectacular landscapes of great tourist value, including the snow that covers its heights and the Paso Lunada is one of the most important ski resorts in the area.
Ibiza
Ibiza, in the month of August, celebrates the festivities of its patrons Our Lady of the Snows on the 5th and San Ciriaco on the 8th. On that date the Virgin is carried in procession from the church of Santa Cruz in Vila to the Cathedral, where the beautiful Eucharist and the songs of the choirs stand out, to exalt this special occasion.
France
In this city, located in the French Alps, is the parish of the Virgen de las Nieves, from the XNUMXth century. The hand-shaped musical instrument, designed by Detlef Kleuker, stands out.
Mexico
In this country, honors are paid to the Virgen de las Nieves annually on August 5, in the following cities:
Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl (State of Mexico)
In the Parroquia de la Virgen, located in Loma Bonita, it is organized annually with beautiful carpets made with multicolored sawdust and a fireworks show, as well as various family events and live music.
Palmillas (Tamaulipas)
The Parroquia de la Virgen is located in the center of Palmillas. It is considered the most important in the diocese. Its creation dates back to the XNUMXth century and it is the only one that preserves its original and oldest baroque art in the state, as well as important works of art and religious festivities.
The church has an altar with a gold-plated altarpiece, the relevant graphic representation being the painting of Our Lady of the Snows, made by the illustrious Peralta in 1746. On August 5, the festivities are organized in honor of Our Lady of the Snows , in which religious activities are complemented by the participation of dance groups.
CDMX
According to history, the Brotherhood of the Oratory of San Felipe Neri founded in Mexico in 1659, entrusted its mission to the most holy, choosing the dedication of Our Lady of the Snows as Guardian and Patron of the venerable Union. Since then, on August 5, a Eucharist is celebrated in honor of the Virgin, who occupies a special place in this emblematic temple in Mexico City. The celebration ends with the singing of the Salve and a shower of white rose petals that evoke the snow on the Esquiline Hill on that glorious summer day.
Villa las Nieves, Ocampo, Durango
The White Virgin is the patron saint of the oldest municipality in the northern state of Durango and her festivity is celebrated on the fifth day of August. It belongs to the municipality of Ocampo, which in turn is part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.
Santa Maria del Monte, Vicente Guerrero, Puebla
The municipality of Vicente Guerrero has as its patron saint the Virgen de las Nieves, its sanctuary belonging to the Diocese of Tehuacán, annually attended by many devotees who visit it from different neighboring communities to people who come from Veracruz or CDMX because waiting for great miracles. The patron saint festivities to honor Our Lady of the Snows in the city of Puebla include religious and cultural events and popular dances from the region. Traditionally, the ornament known as an enramada is donated by artisans from the municipality of San Juan Texhuaca.
Peru
The devotion to Our Lady of the Snows was also extended in Peru, where she is also venerated with religious traditions and whose celebrations can last up to two weeks in August. This Marian invocation in 2018 was crowned by order of Pope Francis. The main places where the festivities take place are the following:
- Sihuas (Ancash)
- Coracora (Ayacucho)
- Ink-Canchis-Cusco
- Vito – Antabamba – Apurimac
- Santa Cruz – Puquio – Lucanas – Ayacucho
- yurimaguas
- Villa de Pasco (Pasco Hill)
Venezuela
In Venezuela, Our Lady of the Snows is also venerated, and great patron saint festivities are held in her honor, such as in the State of Bolívar and Aragua, which we will describe below. In addition, it is important to note that in the country there is one of the highest sculptures of the Virgin, which is located at an altitude of 4.765 meters above sea level, in a square adjacent to the Pico Espejo station of the Mérida Cable Car System.
Which represents a work made of marble three and a half meters high and five tons in weight. With a view of the capital city, he wears a wide tunic on whose chest he displays a pin with the national coat of arms and on its base you can see the phrase "Ave Maria".
Ciudad Bolívar
In Venezuela since 1595, the Virgin is the patron saint of Bolívar State, where, in a very solemn act on August 5, she is carried in procession down the Orinoco, one of the most important rivers in South America. The main image of her is found in the Holy Metropolitan Cathedral Church of the City, these festivities are organized in conjunction with the popular Sapoara Fair.
Cagua Aragua State
The tradition in the Aragua State of venerating Our Lady of the Snows, originated when 5 faithful, immigrants from the island of La Palma, committed themselves in the mid-1960s to bring to the city of Cagua, an exact replica of her image from her homeland, and with the help of other Spaniards in 1976 when the Virgin was enthroned in the main church of San José de Cagua.
When the image arrives, they plan to turn it into a hermitage and decide to found a non-profit association, to channel everything related to the donations they received, the organization of the festivities, the maintenance of the church and other matters of the members of the Brotherhood. Virgen de las Nieves, which has its headquarters right next to the church.
The festivities of August 5 bring together palmeros, canaries and Venezuelans to honor the Virgen de las Nieves. The procession begins with the image leaving the church with songs from musical groups and typical dances, to make a journey to the altar where the rural Eucharist is celebrated.
Colombia
It is also venerated in Colombia every day 5 of the eighth month of the year, Our Lady the Virgin of the Snows, by the faithful devotees of the municipality of the department of Antioquia, located in the western subregion on the banks of the Cauca River.
Prayer to Our Lady of the Snows
We present below, a prayer to the Virgin for blessings:
Most Holy Mother, we bow before this throne that our filial love has dedicated to you among the most beautiful heights of our snowy mountains, we beg you to pour out your blessing on all of us, on our loved ones, on tourists and climbers, and that you intercede before your divine son so that you grant us the grace to spend on a holy day, today and all our lives. Also, may you always separate us from all spiritual and bodily danger.
In front of this altar that has the snow for its rug and the firmament for its vault, under your sweet gaze, cover us and protect us with your sacred mantle, we ask you to intercede so that these hours of healthy recreation pass well and that, at the end of the day , let us descend from these summits with the purest soul and the strongest body to be able to fulfill all our duties.
Our Lady of the Snows, think of your children.
Prayer for Need
This is a very good prayer to Our Lady of the Snows for when you are in great need.
Very Good Queen and Blessed Lady of the Angels, Most Holy Mary of the Snows, health of the sick, consolation of the afflicted, joy of the sad, refuge of sinners and universal protection of all your faithful. At your sacred feet, Merciful Mother, one of your children bows in abandon.
Necessary, I come from all consolation and protection, and since you have deigned, madam, to manifest your most benign face in your prodigious image, which we all venerate with the title of Snow, and which we find in a well of crystalline and sweet waters, express in it your goodness and mercy, generously granting innumerable favors to your faithful with love. I humbly ask you, Madam: (make the request).
Holy Mary of the Snows, accept the plea of this servant in need and bring her before the Lord, all compassion and mercy, so that she may be corrected quickly.
Our Lady of the Snows, you who are full of abandonment and capacity, with great confidence, I also ask that you deserve, through your mercy, to reach out to your beloved Son and my God, living faith, firm hope and thinking charity, so that my soul can burn in the love of the supreme good and pure of all affection, may my exhortation be heard by your intercession on the faith of divine mercy and admire you eternally in glory. Amen.
At the end of the prayer, conclude with a Hail and repeat the Hail Mary three times. All this during a period of three continuous days.
Prayer to Ask the Virgin for Guidance
Prayer made to the Marian invocation:
O Mary, Virgin of the most sublime heights, teach us to climb the holy mountain that is Christ. Guide us along the path of God, marked by the traces of your maternal steps. Teach us the way to love, so that we can always love. Teach us the way to joy, to make others happy. Teach us the way of patience, so that we can receive everyone with generosity.
Teach us the path of good, to serve our brothers in need. Teach us the way to simplicity, to enjoy the beauty of creation. Teach us the way to humility to create peace in the world. Teach us the way of faith, so that we never tire of doing good. Teach us to look up so as not to lose the ultimate goal of our lives: eternal understanding with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer for Four Days
As many know, there are many prayers that are performed over a period of time of several days. In this case, the prayer for four days to Our Lady of the Snows is addressed to this Marian dedication, so that it enlightens us on the path of life.
The order to follow includes making the sign of the cross, then the preparatory prayer for each day and the corresponding daily words. Then you must say three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys and the last prayer of the day. That's why we invite you to say:
Preparatory Prayer for the Day
O Virgin! You who are the refuge of sinners and the consolation of the afflicted, look with compassion on us, who, seduced by passions, have broken the law of the Lord, and therefore we feel the concern of sin; but trusting in your goodness.
We turn to you, hoping that you reach us through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the necessary dispositions to hate all sins and an effective plan to stop committing them, and that, with the help of divine grace, we are practicing all the virtues, which are only will give our mind true peace in this life and happiness in the next. Amen.
Oh Most Holy Virgin of the Snows! Driven by the love and admiration we profess for you, we all come together to prostrate ourselves before your wonderful image and show you our deepest gratitude and all our longing. They saw us as children and freed us from the dangers that surround us everywhere.
First day
Don't give me your protection, I don't lack your mercy, I don't forget your memory. If you, madam, leave me, who will hug me? If you forget me, who will remember me? If you, the star of the sea and guide of errors, do not enlighten me, where will I go? Don't let the enemy tempt me, and if I try, don't let me fall, and if I fall, help me get up. Who called her, madam, that she didn't hear him? Who asked you not to grant him?
Second day
Oh Most Holy Virgin of the Snows! We come to you as the living source that cools down, as the flame that warms up, as the dawn that dissipates the darkness, as the Mother always attentive to the needs of her children.
Oh Admirable Mother, there are times when the path of our lives is difficult, it is not easy to always walk at the same pace along the path of duty. It is not easy to love our neighbor, our brother, as Jesus wants us to love him. It is not easy to keep a calm soul in the midst of life's vicissitudes. It is not easy to love creatures and reserve oneself for God. It is not easy to become small and humble when pride sets in. It is not easy to walk towards the God of light on paths full of shadows.
There are days when everything is load. But You, Admirable Mother, make everything easy. And yet, you do not remove sacrifice from our paths, as God did not remove it from yours, but you facilitate the effort by making love grow. Love always conquering in You, made you say at the threshold of your destiny: Fiat mihi secundurn Verbum tuum. This word of adherence to the love that guided you, you have never withdrawn.
Third day
O Our Lady of the Snows! Greetings, happiness shines for you. Greetings, because your suffering is dwarfed. Greetings, you raise the fallen. Greetings, you save the tears of many. Greetings, oh high peak to man. Greetings, unfathomable abyss in the angel's eyes. Greetings, indeed, you are the king's throne. Greetings, you have the one who carries everything in you. Greetings, star that announces the sun. Greetings, womb of God incarnate. Greetings, through you creation is renewed. Greetings, for you the Creator was born as a child.
Fourth day
With the Lord in her womb, Mary hastily climbed the mountain and spoke with her cousin. The little boy heard the virginal greeting in his mother's womb and cheered. He jumped for joy and sang to the Mother of God: Oh most holy virgin! Greetings, branch of the most sacred bud, greetings, sprout a fruit without blemish, greetings, I give life to the author of life, greetings, you are cultivating your peasant.
Greetings to your field that shows the richest graces, greetings to your table that offers the best gifts, greetings to a refuge for believers that you are preparing, greetings to a pleasant meadow that you let sprout. Greetings, your pleasant incense of supplication, greetings, the sweet forgiveness of the world, greetings, the mercy of God for man, greetings, the trust of man in God.
Final Prayer of the Day
Oh Most Holy Virgin of the Snows! To you who are a perfect example of all the virtues, we humbly ask you to direct our actions, words and thoughts, so that, as satisfied as possible with your conduct, we obtain, accompanied by divine grace, abundant merits for the supreme day that we will be judged according to our works, and thus avoiding the fatal sentence, we will be worthy of being told: «Come, blessed of my Father, and possess the Kingdom that is prepared for you in eternity». Amen.
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