The Chaplet of the 10 Evangelical Virtues

Back when I only had one kiddo, I was able to give more time to The God Minute podcast. My role was to manage the Saturday episodes, which we called Marian Saturdays (hence the idea for the name of this blog). Every couple of weeks I tried to incorporate the discussion and praying of Marian devotions… during my first year of doing this, we prayed 18 Marian devotions together, most of which were new to me too! One of my favorite things about the Catholic faith is all of these special little gems. I wanted to be able to share as many as possible, not to ever make anyone feel overwhelmed, but just to expose everyone to all of the beautiful devotions out there so that you can then pick and choose the ones that resonate with you to add in to your prayer life…

This one is called The Chaplet of the 10 Evangelical Virtues. If you have ever read the book 33 Days to Morning Glory (one of my all-time faves), you’ll notice this is in the back of the book under the “Devotions” appendix. And yes this is where I found it!

The intro from the book says, “According to St. Louis de Montfort, a key part of living out one's consecration to Mary is to imitate Mary's virtues. Yet, in order to imitate her virtues, we need to know them well. We get to know them well by praying the Chaplet of the 10 Evangelical Virtues, which identifies and fosters meditation on 10 virtues of Mary that are taken from the Gospels and that were composed by St. Joan of Valois in 1500.”

To pray the Chaplet, one needs 10 beads of a rosary or a 10 bead Chaplet, orrrrrr just 10 fingers. It starts with the Sign of the Cross then an Our Father, then, on the 10 beads, we pray 10 Hail Marys but

with the following addition: After saying "Holy Mary Mother of God,” well insert one of the 10 virtues, so it would read like, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, most pure, pray for us…” After the 10 Hail Marys we pray a Glory Be and a closing prayer. This is the standard way to pray the Chaplet. There is also a slightly more reflective version that adds in a short reflection on each virtue prior to each Hail Mary.

The Chaplet of the 10 Evangelical Virtues

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Father…

Then, on the 10 beads, pray 10 Hail Marys but with the following addition: After saying "Holy Mary, Mother of God..." insert one of the following virtues:

1. most pure

2. most prudent

3. most humble

4. most faithful

5. most devout

6. most obedient

7. most poor

8. most patient

9. most merciful

10. most sorrowful

So it would read like:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, most pure, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be…

Closing Prayer:

In your Conception, O Virgin Mary, you were Immaculate. Pray for us to the Father whose Son, Jesus, you brought forth into the world.

Father, You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of Your Son. You let her share

beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by His death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in Your presence without sin. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. May the Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception, be our health and our protection. Amen

Sign of the Cross…

Optional petitions to read before each Hail Mary.

The First Virtue: Purity

Mary, you are most pure, both in body and soul. Help me to protect my bodily purity through custody of my eyes and by avoiding anything that would lead to lust. Help me to dress and act modestly, protecting my dignity and recognizing the dignity of others as well. Let my intentions be pure. Help me to strive to do everything for Jesus, without selfish motives or agendas.

The Second Virtue: Prudence

Virgin most prudent, you pondered in your heart all that God spoke to you throughout your life. You recognized and reflected on all that God was asking of you. Please help me to develop the same attitude of pondering. Help me to reflect on all that God is doing in my life and through the people around me, so I may respond to him with generosity.

The Third Virtue: Humility

Most humble Mother, God lavished on you the extraordinary grace of the Immaculate Conception not on account of your merits, but because it delighted him to do so. Teach me to accept with joy all the graces that God gives me each day, knowing that I don't deserve them.

The Fourth Virtue: Faith

Mary, you are most faithful. You accepted all that God asked of you. So great was your willingness to follow him and place everything in his hands. I worry, faithful Mother, about many things: my life, my family, my job, my future, the future of the country. Teach me to have faith in God. Teach me to place my trust in him as you did, surrendering all things to his holy will.

The Fifth Virtue: Devotion

Most devout Mother and model of prayer, teach me how to pray. Join my little prayers to yours and make them even more pleasing to God. Teach me, most of all, to receive Jesus mindfully in the Eucharist. Help me to talk with him, love him, and listen to him.

The Sixth Virtue: Obedience

Mary, through your loving obedience to the will of God, You brought into the world its Savior. I am often torn between doing my Will and doing God's will. Help me to surrender my stubborn will, even if it sometimes seems like I have no hope of changing. Help me also to love the Will of God, even when it's difficult to accept.

Seventh Virtue: Poverty

Most poor Mother, your poverty was both physical and spiritual. You had only simple things and yet you saw everything as a gift from God. My possessions can sometimes possess me, and I forget that they, too are gifts from God insofar as they bring him glory. Help me to rid myself of any attachments to my possessions that distract me from loving God. Also help me to be ever thankful for all the material and spiritual blessings that God gives me.

The Eighth Virtue: Patience

Mary, model of patience, you endured all things with the greatest patience. Here, Mary, I sometimes struggle. When things don't go my way immediately, I can become impatient and sometimes even angry. Teach me to bear trials and burdens in God's time and not according to my own time. Transform my moments of waiting, even in small things like slow traffic or a line at the bank, into moments of peaceful prayer.

The Ninth Virtue: Mercy

Great Mother of Mercy, you brought forth Jesus Christ, who is Divine Mercy Incarnate. You also continually intercede for all of your children here on earth. Teach me how to ask Jesus for mercy and then how to be merciful to others.

The Tenth Virtue: Sorrow for Sin

Most sorrowful Mother, your wounded and pierced heart reminds me of the reality of sin and how much it hurts you when We turn our backs on God. Your love for us is also a source of sorrow in that you are with us as we suffer. Teach me to have true contrition for my sins. Teach me also to turn to you when

the trials and sufferings of life seem overwhelming.

Pray along with an audio version of this devotion here…