St. John, the beloved disciple of Jesus and Mary, was privileged to behold a wonderful sign in Heaven: "A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." This gave rise to the Crown of Twelve Stars devotion which Heaven has blessed with countless favors. St. John Berchmans made it his daily favorite.
This chaplet is prayed to honor each of those twelve stars as they symbolize her motherhood and queenship over all Israel, the twelve stars representing the 12 Tribes and the 12 Apostles. This devotion consists of 12 Aves — one for each star — broken up into 3 groups, each group representing an aspect of Mary's virtues: excellence, power, and goodness.
Each group begins with an Our Father, and ends with a Glory Be. The entire Crown, then, is the praying of the following arrangement of prayers three times:
1 Our Father
4 Hail Marys
1 Glory Be
Let us offer praise and thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity, Who hath shown us the Virgin Mary, clothed with the sun, the moon between her feet, and on her head a mystic crown of twelve stars.
R. For ever and ever. Amen.
On the first large bead:
Let us praise and thank the Divine Father, Who elected her for His daughter.
R. Amen. Say Our Father.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Divine Father, Who predestined her to be the Mother of His Divine Son.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Divine Father, Who preserved her from all stain in her conception.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Divine Father, Who adorned her at birth with His most excellent gifts.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Divine Father, Who gave her Saint Joseph to be her companion and most pure spouse.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary and Gloria.
On the next large bead:
Let us praise and thank the Divine Son, Who chose her for His mother.
R. Amen. Say Our Father.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Divine Son, Who became incarnate in her bosom and there abode for nine months.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Divine Son, Who was born of her and was nourished at her breast.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Divine Son, Who in His childhood willed to be taught by her.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Divine Son, Who revealed to her the mystery of the Redemption of the world.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary and Gloria.
On the next large bead:
Let us praise and thank the Holy Spirit, Who took her for His spouse.
R. Amen. Say Our Father.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Holy Spirit, Who, revealed first to her His Name of Holy Spirit.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Holy Spirit, by Whose operation she was at once Virgin and Mother.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Holy Spirit, by Whose power she was the living-temple of the ever-blessed Trinity.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary.
On the small bead:
Praised be the Holy Spirit, by Whom she was exalted in Heaven above every living creature.
R. Amen. Say Hail Mary and Gloria.
An indulgence of 3 years. A plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, if this devotion is repeated daily for a month.
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