Francis' Praise of the Blessed Mother - Feast of Our Lady of Fatima

A Salutation of the Virtues

Hail, Queen Wisdom!

May the Lord protect You,

with Your Sister, holy pure Simplicity!

Lady holy Poverty,

may the Lord protect You,

with Your Sister, holy Humility!

Lady holy Charity,

may the Lord protect You,

with Your Sister, holy Obedience.

Most holy Virtues,

may the Lord protect all of You

from Whom You come and proceed.

There is surely no one in the whole world

who can possess any one of You

without dying first.

Whoever possesses one

and does not offend the others

possesses all.

Whoever offends one

does not possess any

and offends all.

And each one confounds vice and sin.

Holy Wisdom confounds

Satan and all his cunning.

Pure holy Simplicity confounds

all the wisdom of this world

and the wisdom of the body.

Holy Poverty confoundsthe desire for riches,

greed,

and the cares of this world.

Holy Humility confounds

pride,

all people who are in the world

and all that is in the world.
Holy Charity confounds

every diabolical and carnal temptation

and every carnal fear.

Holy Obedience confounds

every corporal and carnal wish,

binds its mortified body

to obedience of the Spirit

and obedience to one's brother,

so that it is

subject and submissive

to everyone in the world,

not only to people

but to every beast and wild animal as well

that they may do whatever they want with it

insofar as it has been given to them

from above by the Lord.

Source: Francis of Assisi, The Saint, Early Documents