What Is The Marian Covenant Prayer?
The nucleus of the Marian Covenant Prayer can be explained on Luke 1:38 “Here am I the servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your word”, because of these words we received the Redeemer through our Blessed Mother. We shall further read Luke 2:19, 2-51, Luke 2:51- “Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Jesus proclaimed the fact that my Mother Mary is deeply involved in the salvation of the human race, by listening to the word of God and living as perfectly as she can be “The Tabernacle of the Redeemer” Mary is Living the life of the word of God (Luke 8:21, 11:28, Mathew 2:74) so much so, the purpose spirit and the intension of our Lord that we should have Blessed as our own Mother (John 19:27). The Mother gifted to us by our Lord Jesus as per the word of God and the miracle wrought about at the marriage feast at Cana - it is proclaimed “If we wish to have miracle then pray to Blessed Mother as styled and prescribed in The Marian Covenant Prayer which is a solemn proclamation or affirmation made before the Seat of Mercy at Kalavoor, Alappuzha, Kerala that with meticulous care and without confusion and change. We can have Blessed Mother and through her and in her, we can live a dedicated life as per the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ so it is orated and promised before the Most Holy And Adorable Trinity God- The Father, The Son And The Holy Ghost. And thus with deepest love profound gratitude and sincere homage to The Mother of Grace who lives and reigns at “The Seat of Mercy, Kalavoor, Alappuzha, Kerala one commence The Marian Covenant Prayer and continue it.
In the old - Testament - The word of God was written on two tablets of stone and was most venerably placed in “The Ark of The Covenant ”,whereas in the New-Testament The Ark of The Covenant none but The Blessed Mother, this fact is very well explained in Revelation (Revelation 11: 19)- Then God’s temple in heaven was opened and the Ark of his Covenant was seen. And that Ark of the Covenant is none but The Blessed Mother Mary, woman clothed with sun, with moon under her feet, and on the head a crown of twelve-stars. She was pregnant!!!.She was pregnant (Revelation 12:1-2). It was so stated specifically in the revelation, because of the fact that in the old-Testament ‘The Ark of the Covenant was got placed With The Covenant' written on the two stone tablets.
But in The New -Testament “The word of God” was conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit and that word of God is alive, is vital in flesh and blood in the womb of blessed mother, by whom we received the redeemer, so we shall rightly address blessed mother, “The Ark of the Covenant”. Mary was the first person who carried Jesus within her womb for nine months.
Blessed Mother “The Ark of the Covenant” and through her and with her intercession, “The Covenant Prayer originated. Please refer Exodus 25:21- reads that you shall put the covenant that will, remind you of my commandments, so says the Lord - God and for us we have the blessed the mother, The Ark of Covenant of the new testament to teach us how to call upon the wonderful name of our Saviour always and be saved from all evils through The Marian Covenant Prayer styled in the terms and norms of The Seat of Mercy (Kreupasanam, where Heaven Speaks to the World).
We read in (Exodus 40:34) that, “Then the cloud covered the meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In almost or more identically we address, venerate Blessed Mother Mary as The Ark of the Covenant of the New-Testament. The Angel Gabriel told Mary that she will conceive a son and he should be called Jesus. Mary was the first person to whom this great mystery was revealed and the person who loved it more than anyone else in the whole creation. Due to this reason Mary is rightly addressed “The Ark of the Covenant”. “Full of grace, the Lord is with thee: These two phrases of the angel's greeting shed light on one another. Mary is full of grace because the Lord is with her. The grace with which she is filled is the presence of him who is the source of all grace. "Rejoice . . . O Daughter of Jerusalem . . . the Lord your God is in your midst." Mary, in whom the Lord himself has just made his dwelling, is the daughter of Zion in person, the ark of the covenant, the place where the glory of the Lord dwells. She is "the dwelling of God . . . with men." Full of grace, Mary is wholly given over to him who has come to dwell in her and whom she is about to give to the world.” ( CCC 2676)
“In prayer the Holy Spirit unites us to the person of the only Son, in his glorified humanity, through which and in which our filial prayer unites us in the Church with the Mother of Jesus”(CCC 2673,LG 62).
In The Holy Bible “The Covenant is of two parts.1)The Intention 2).The methodology (Exodus 20:12,Deuteronomy 5:16).In the New Testament St.Paul teach is that: Ephesians 6:2-3,“Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right to honor your father and mother this is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” The commandments are given to sanctify to strengthen and for the peace of the people and of course it yields not only spiritual blessings but also materials gains (Both spiritual and physical favors).
“The Commandments properly so-called come in the second place: they express the implications of belonging to God through the establishment of the covenant. Moral existence is a response to the Lord's loving initiative. It is the acknowledgement and homage given to God and a worship of thanksgiving. It is cooperation with the plan God pursues in history.”-CCC 2062 “The Commandments take on their full meaning within the covenant. According to Scripture, man's moral life has all it’s meaning in and through the covenant.”-CCC 2061
And The Marian Covenant Prayer is based on John 2:5. His mother said to the servants “Do whatever he tells you” and also we shall confirm with Exodus 24:7-“ All that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will be obedient”. And these words are identical to the words of the Marian Covenant Prayer.
The prayer request we submit in terms of the Marian Covenant Prayer are symbolizing the 6 Jars offer before Jesus, the participants of the covenant prayer pin pointing six 6 prayer intentions. These intentions may vary - one would like to pass I.E.L.T.S examination - the other one may be with the prayer to get a suitable job or to get cured of cancer, someone to get married, or to have children. The applicants write down their intentions and then devotedly and prayerfully place or deposit in The Ark of the Covenant placed before the altar.
“Because she gives us Jesus, her son, Mary is Mother of God and our mother; we can entrust all our cares and petitions to her: she prays for us as she prayed for herself: "Let it be to me according to your word. By entrusting ourselves to her prayer, we abandon ourselves to the will of God together with her: Thy will be done."-CCC 2677
“Because of Mary's singular cooperation with the action of the Holy Spirit, the Church loves to pray in communion with the Virgin Mary, to magnify with her the great things the Lord has done for her, and to entrust supplications and praises to her”-CCC 2682
The 6 Covenant Prayer Conditions
The Covenant period is 90 days and this span of 90 days is the period to abstain from 3 sins. Remember - The demand put forward by God to Abraham was ninety-nine years old-the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to him - I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless (Genesis 17:1).Then Exodus 20:12-17,Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The above mentioned Biblical Teachings remind us to get ready to receive Jesus in the way of John the Baptist.
Mathew 3:2,Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near “ The voice of one crying out in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord” make his path straight”. So pray fervently for world peace and the conversion of sinners. What we must do to save ourselves? Jesus Answered - Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Luke 3:10-14, And the crowd asked Jesus “what then we should do? In reply he said to them “whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise. Even tax collectors came to be baptized. And to the soldiers he said to them, do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation and be satisfied with your wages.
What is the purpose of the loyalty to the terms of the covenant? The answer is explained in Isaiah 55:7- Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts nor are your ways my ways says the Lord. To seek the mercy of the Lord is the purpose of the covenant prayer. Ephesians 2:8-For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of god. Through St.John the Baptist,God revealed the gospel of repentance and imploring for mercy. Matthew 3:9,Do not persume to say to yourselves “we have Abraham as our ancestor: for I till you, God is able to raise up children from these stones to Abraham”. In short we shall lament over all sins, do not worry, entrust everything in to the hands of God, in short we shall do what he says that is to say we shall receive the message of our Mother Mary, accept Mother’s Words and will we be changed and reborn that is the centre of the Marian Covenant Prayer.
CCC 2062 - “The Commandments properly so-called come in the second place: they express the implications of belonging to God through the establishment of the covenant. Moral existence is a response to the Lord's loving initiative. It is the acknowledgement and homage given to God and a worship of thanksgiving. It is cooperation with the plan God pursues in history.”
CCC 2609 - “Once committed to conversion, the heart learns to pray in faith. Faith is a filial adherence to God beyond what we feel and understand. It is possible because the beloved Son gives us access to the Father. He can ask us to "seek" and to "knock," since he himself is the door and the way.”
CCC 1452- “When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called "perfect" (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.”
CCC 1484 - "Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession."
CCC 1490 – “The movement of return to God, called conversion and repentance, entails sorrow for and abhorrence of sins committed, and the firm purpose of sinning no more in the future. Conversion touches the past and the future and is nourished by hope in God's mercy.”
When we are in the Marian Covenant Prayer observation we should have one day fasting either on Wednesday or Saturday. And it is obedience of the “Biblical Advice” stated in 2kings 6: 26-30. Now as the king of Israel was walking on the city wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help My Lord King. He said No!Let the Lord help you. How can I help you? But then King asked her “what is your complaint? She answered “This woman said to me, give up your son; we will eat him today and we will eat my son tomorrow. So we cooked my son and ate him.The next day I said to her ,give up your son and we will eat him.But she has hidden her son. when the king heard the words of the woman he tore his clothes - now since he was walking on the city wall, the people could see that had “sack cloth” on his body underneath . In the same way - In the family;members are differing each other, hating each other, fighting each sometimes they are killing each other and eating the dead bodies ,at this moments it is necessary to make more sacrifices fasting and prenance because of our sins and the sins of our dear ones .This is the only way to lead a life blessed fully joyfully and successfully,for that adopt a life of fasting and vigil.
CCC 1430 – “Jesus' call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works, "sackcloth and ashes," fasting and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.”
“Participate in the Marian Covenant Retreat” There are 8 One day retreat in one Month .Among the 8th attend 6 retreats as mandatory to serve the purpose of living the life, imitating the life of the Blessed Mother as fully and as possibly as we can (Cf with Luke 8:21 & Matthew 7:24).
In Mathew 18: 21 – 35,We read that forgiveness, One who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him and as he could not pay, his Lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife, children and his possessions and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him saying “Have patience with me and I will pay you everything. And out of pity for him the Lord of that slave released him and forgave the debt. But the slave as he went out came upon one of his fellow slave who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by throat he said “Pay what you owe”. Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him “Have patience with me and I will pay you”. But he refused; then he went out and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and they went and reported to their lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave as I had mercy on you? And in anger his lord handed him over to tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart. To forgive one should know the word of God, the mirror of the will of God.
The purpose of the retreat on The Word of God at the Kreupasanam is to get blessed and also to be faithful to the Divine Word Of God and the blessings that it carry along with it. Thus The One Day Retreat incardinated to the Marian Covenant Prayer, based on the spirituality, the glories and virtues of the Blessed Mother -The Ark Of The Covenant Of the New Testament. Behold God Speaks- Exodus 25:22-There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant, I will deliver to you all my commands for the Israelites and in the same manner “The Word of God” is preached rather shared at the “Mercy Seat”, the anointing of the word of God at the Seat of Mercy and the main theme of the Evangelization and the associated divine-services are edited and published in and through the monthly named and styled as “kreupasanam Monthly” .We know the centurion had only the knowledge of Jesus by hearing only and of course he was not a Jew but a Samaritan (Luke 7:3),when he heard about Jesus he sent some Jewish elders to him asking to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus they appealed to him earnestly to heal the slave and in Luke 7:10,When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
To save all mankind through the Divine Message of the Holy Bible The Blessed Mother of The Seat of Mercy Clearly emphasizes her messages, taught, explained, and published through divine services of Kreupasanam.
The purpose of this 4th condition of the Marian Covenant Prayer to remind everyone, to save their lives and also to save the world by spreading the Good - News of the Holy Bible.
“Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ's victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life.” CCC 411.The Holy Blood of Jesus Shed for the recovery of the souls from devil who tries to topple us and promote dissensions. To prevail over the devil is the aim of the Evangelization. When man had fallen into sin Jesus have had to get crucified. If the Blood of Jesus was shed as the price of the souls, then truly the Evangelization is the vengeance of the child of God with the Holy Blood of Jesus, to fight against devil. And it is the mission of the faithful. This fact is evident when we learn “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the Gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power( 1 Cor 1:17). And it is the nature and policy of the Kreupasanam Mission. To serve this purpose we are printing and publishing the monthly named Kreupasnam “The Seat of Mercy” with the purpose that the LORD be glorified and praised and may we lead a life of an unending gratitude holding the Blessed Mothers hands.The Biblical basis of the kreupasanam monthly (The Seat of Mercy - Paper)is Exodus 25:22- “There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant. I will deliver to you all my commandments for the Israelites.” The kreupasanam monthly published in Malayalam,English,Hindi,Tamil, Kannada,telugu,Marathi,Konkani and so on, is to prepare the children of God by inspiring, correcting, leading witnessing in and through WORD OF GOD.
More about Kreupasanam Paper - printed and published by: kreupasanam or The Seat of Mercy-Kalavoor, Alappuzha, India illustrate the fact that: however the light shining upon the world from Kalavoor The Seat of Mercy (Kreupasanam) is getting brighter, physical and spiritual healings are reported with the self-serving evidence of the recipients of the miracles who prayed using the green and blue colored candles for lightening at the time of Covenant prayer, and also consuming the blessed salt, oil and the honey as per the norms and values and styles prescribed in the rules and regulation of the covenant prayer. With the help of the kreupasanam paper, the You Tube, Television channels and other Social Medias the truth that ,What God can do by His Power that Kreupasanam Mother of Grace can do by her prayer. It is proved that about lakhs of people from all over the world irrespective of cast, creed, faith and nationality are attending this kreupasanam programme with deepest love, profound gratitude and sincere homage to the Mother of Grace who lives and reigns at the Seat of Mercy Kalavoor, Kerala, India. Those who read the kreupasanam paper have the joy of heart, peace of soul and repose in life specifically for these who are weeping. In short The Kreupasanam paper is the string that unites with heaven all those who are looking upon for a better and fuller life free from want, fear, disease, abandonment and pain at par with Heb 12:1-“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely.”
CCC 858 –“Jesus is the Father's Emissary. From the beginning of his ministry, he "called to him those whom he desired; . . . . And he appointed twelve, whom also he named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach. From then on, they would also be his "emissaries" (Greek apostoloi). In them, Christ continues his own mission: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." The apostles' ministry is the continuation of his mission; Jesus said to the Twelve: "he who receives you receives me."
CCC 507-“By preaching and Baptism she brings forth sons, who are conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of God, to a new and immortal life. She herself is a virgin, who keeps in its entirety and purity the faith she pledged to her spouse."
CCC 849- "Having been divinely sent to the nations that she might be 'the universal sacrament of salvation,' the Church, in obedience to the command of her founder and because it is demanded by her own essential universality, strives to preach the Gospel to all men".
CCC 2636 –“The first Christian communities lived this form of fellowship intensely. Thus the Apostle Paul gives them a share in his ministry of preaching the Gospel but also intercedes for them.”
The study of ‘The Word of God’ faithfully and it is the rules and regulation of The Marian Covenant Prayer - Regulation No.5 or The 5th Condition. St. Paul The Apostle Explains it in his Epistle Heb 4:2- Therefore while the promise entering his rest is still open let us take care that none of you should have seen to have failed to reach it. For indeed the good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened many of us who read and study the word of God can not have the benefit due to the lack of faith. Those who are in the Marian Covenant Prayer should study the word of God to the certain minimum of 30 minutes - half an hour. Please study Luke 1:45- “And blessed is she who believed that there would a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord”. The reading of the word of God must be with faith we shall proclaim once again, “And blessed is she who believed there would be the fulfillment of what was spoken by the Lord.” What is meant by “Lectio Divina- To read and study The word of God in the manner and style of the Blessed Mother that is say to seek and attain the will of God revealed in to suck and attain the will of God revealed in the Holy Bible especially in the particular part which concern us it is termed or covered ,for example (Luke 2: 19,51).
CCC 1177 – “The lectio divina, where the Word of God is so read and meditated that it becomes prayer, is thus rooted in the liturgical celebration.” CCC 506-“Mary is a virgin because her virginity is the sign of her faith "unadulterated by any doubt", and of her undivided gift of herself to God's will. It is her faith that enables her to become the mother of the Savior: "Mary is more blessed because she embraces faith in Christ than because she conceives the flesh of Christ."
CCC 1437 – “Reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father - every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of conversion and repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of our sins.”
Those who are in the realm of the Marian Covenant prayer are obliged to comply with Mathew 25:35 where in we are called to lay down our lives for our sisters and brothers who are degraded and despised.That is, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” - Matthew 25:35-36.According to this verse do one acts of mercy(corporal) once in a week.
In the period of the “Covenant Prayer it is proper and fitting that we listen to Jesus who says” I was in prison and you visited me”. It is also very important to contact and teach the mystery of the Holy Eucharist fervently to those who do not understand it so that numerous people living ingratitude may he saved and those who hate each other fight each other must be taught to live in concord and harmony peace and joy and thus be an effective or active participant of the Marian Covenant Prayer by fulfilling the 6th article of the covenant. And blessed Mother will finalize the time and we will receive the message from her that the 6 jars of prayer intentions will be granted with immense joy and Blessed Mother of Grace who reigns at Kreupasanam, Kalavoor.
CCC 2614-“Faith bears its fruit in love: it means keeping the word and the commandments of Jesus, it means abiding with him in the Father who, in him, so loves us that he abides with us. In this new covenant the certitude that our petitions will be heard is founded on the prayer of Jesus.”
CCC 1473 –“The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the "old man" and to put on the "new man."
It is observed in many that they witness of the word of God by the time of the completion of the First Stage of The Marian Covenant Prayer.
